《Goshujin-sama to Yuku Isekai Survival!》


 CH 00

    Yes, since the Author of Evasion Healer has deleted his work on Syosetu, I have to put it on hold for now at least until I found out the raw of it again. So with that in mind, I have to bring a new project to replace it for now. So this is the one I decided to bring, I hope all of my dear readers can enjoy as the same as me, so yeah, here is it!


    Prologue


    Have you ever heard of a survival type of game? No, I¡¯m not talking about the ones where you shoot each other in the forest with an air or electric gun.


    It¡¯s the kind of game where you have a physical condition like hunger and thirst, and you gather materials by gathering and mining to build a base for yourself. It¡¯s probably best known for those games from overseas where you collect materials by digging and cutting trees in a world made up of blocks to build houses and have adventures.


    It¡¯s not a genre that has a large number of games for home consoles, but there are a decent number of PC games available, and I¡¯m a big fan of those games.


    There are many different genres of survival games. There are games in which you survive in a post-apocalypse world where human civilization has collapsed. There are also slightly science-fiction-like games in which you crash-land from a wrecked spaceship in an escape pod on an undiscovered planet and survive while facing off against aliens and natives.


    Some are survival in frigid, snowy mountains, others in a zombie-infested world. There are also more casual games where you can build your own city and have adventures in a world with civilization and commerce.


    I¡¯m sorry to say that this is a pointless story. But it¡¯s the information I need to explain the situation I¡¯m in right now. I¡¯ve gone on at length, but my point is quite simple. I love those kinds of games.


    Yes, I love games. But¡­


    ¡°How did this happen¡­¡±


    My name is Kosuke Shibata. I¡¯m 24 years old, single. I¡¯m an office worker. My hobby is playing PC games, and my daily routine is to run around the town at night in my neighborhood.


    What spreads out in front of me is a wilderness. When I look back, I see a dense forest.


    All I was wearing was my underwear, shirt, sweatshirt and sweatpants, socks, and my favorite walking shoes. The only possessions I have are my phone, house keys, and my wallet.


    If I have a wallet, well, I can do something with it. I¡¯ve got at least three admonitions in there. If I can catch a taxi or whatever it is, I can manage to get home if I get into town as long as this is the Earth and somewhere in Japan.


    ¡°Where is this place¡­?¡±


    In the sky, there are seas, land, and clouds¡­ You can see the so-called Earth-like planets in the sky. Yes, you can see Earth-like planets like the moon and the sun in the sky. You can also see moon-like ones with bumpy surfaces.


    And both of them are big. Earth-like planets occupy about 30% of the sky, and moon-like planets are as big as my fist. They¡¯re huge.


    For all intents and purposes, this Earth I¡¯m standing on now is not that of Earth. It¡¯s a miracle that I can breathe without problems, and the temperature is not abnormally hot or cold.


    Huh? Isn¡¯t it a dream? I¡¯ve tried pinching my cheeks, tensing both cheeks, and various other ways of waking up from common dreams. I¡¯m perplexed by the fact that it didn¡¯t wake me up, damn it.


    This isn¡¯t such a bad situation for a game. In a game, this isn¡¯t so bad. But in real life, this doesn¡¯t make me happy¡­


    I¡¯m now in the middle of succumbing to disappointment. It¡¯s the so-called ¡°orz¡±*. However, it is useless for me to keep doing this for a long time. Even if I remained silent, I would starve, I would thirst, I would take a shit, and the sun would go down. There is no wildlife around me, but I don¡¯t know what will come out at night.


    *TLN: It is a Japanese based emoticon of a man pounding his head on the floor.


    These are the types of things that are dangerous at night.


    I crossed my knowledge of the game with my half-baked knowledge and came up with an idea.


    At night, I¡¯m sure that there will be zombies, skeletons, belligerent wildlife, and hard to describe monsters. Yeah, I¡¯m familiar with them. I mean, it¡¯s no joke, and I¡¯m not a night owl, so when I get locked on to a nocturnal predator, the whole thing will be a disaster. I will need to make sure I have a safe place to spend the night.


    ¡°But what should I do?¡±


    The protagonist of a survival game can create basic tools without tools as long as he has the materials, and in some cases, he can cut down trees and crush rocks with his bare hands¡­ I can¡¯t do that.


    I can¡¯t do it, can I? Should I give it a try? Nope, not here.


    As an alternative, I looked up a reasonably sized stone lying around in the wilderness. Two of them are about the size of a pickle stone. I made a sharp piece of stone by slamming it against the rock as hard as I could.


    There is a difference in the convenience of searching between having this kind of lancet or something that can be used in place of a knife and not having it. It would be much more convenient to cut vines and process wood than to make it with bare hands. Although a stone tool is a primitive tool, it is better than bare hands.


    ¡°So!¡±


    I threw the stone down on the larger rock several times to break it up. After a dozen or so attempts, I finally managed to get a piece of rock in a satisfactory shape. I was worried that some kind of creature might appear because of the noise, but it was a relief that nothing happened.


    I got a stone fragment, a stone blade with a sharp tip, and a comfortable grip. I found some other stones that were just the right size for me to throw, so I put them in my sweatshirt pocket.


    Humans¡¯ two strengths are endurance to run for long periods of time and the ability to throw things. The dexterity and wisdom to make tools are also advantages over wildlife, but I¡¯m not so sure about those two things. My endurance for running for long periods of time is also in doubt. The only exercise I do on a daily basis is a neighborhood run around town at night.


    The first thing I¡¯d have to do is secure a safe shelter¡­


    What is the ¡°first thing¡± needed in survival life? It is a safe place to stay.


    A lot of people think water is the best answer. I thought so too. But when you play a lot of survival games, the truth comes out that the first thing you need to secure is a shelter to get through the night in safety.


    In those blocky world adventures, you¡¯d be walking around like a maniac, collecting stuff. Then at night, you¡¯d get beaten to a pulp by zombies or skeletons that came out of nowhere.


    After the end of humanity¡¯s existence, I was devoured by zombies that came running around at night. I froze to death in the sudden drop in temperature during snowy mountain survival, so there¡¯s no doubt about it.


    Without water and food, you will eventually die. It¡¯s an undeniable fact. But without a safe shelter, you won¡¯t make it through the first night, and you will die.


    ¡°If this world were a game world, I¡¯d build a shelter on high ground¡­¡±


    A shelter on high ground is a very simple shelter with the floor atop a pillar. In most games, hostile characters are often unable to climb pillars without a clue, so it¡¯s usually safe to retreat to a height where they can¡¯t easily jump up after all.


    It¡¯s even better if there are walls and roofs. Depending on the game, though, there are enemies who actively try to break the pillars by hitting them, so you can¡¯t feel safe.


    Anyway, it¡¯s too difficult to build walls and roofs¡ªboth in terms of materials and technology. Therefore, the direction I¡¯m heading is not the wind-swept wilderness but the dense forest.


    There are rocks and stones in the wilderness, but there are no large rocks to hide behind. Then I decided to go into the forest and climb a tree. The trees are good. If you climb up and hide in the thick foliage, you won¡¯t be found from the ground so easily.


    But you have to be careful about bugs, snakes, and lizards. When you climb a tree, look carefully for claw marks on the trunk! That was my brother¡¯s promise.


    No one wants to spend a night in a tree with an iguana-like reptile that¡¯s over a meter long, do they? I don¡¯t want that. So that¡¯s why I headed off into the forest.


    Author Note: The author entered this world from 7DtD, but for now, the zombies¡­ may be out sooner or later _(:3¡¹¡Ï)_


    TLN: 7Dtd is probably 7 Days to Die, but I¡¯m not sure since I didn¡¯t play the game

 CH 1

    Here¡¯s the chapter 1, and thanks to the Patreon to brought this for you guys, enjoy~


    Now, it is a forest. The word ¡°forest¡± has many meanings, and the image that each person has is different. As for the forest that surrounds me, it¡¯s like a virgin forest. To put it simply.


    Bushes! Trees! Leaves! Bug! Uboaahhh!


    Yeah, I guess. The discomfort factor is skyrocketing. It¡¯s a little hard to go through without proper bushwalking equipment. My top and bottom of my sweatshirt are going to be ripped to shreds at high speed if I¡¯m walking in this area.


    But there¡¯s no way to survive in the wilderness, so I¡¯m going to the forest. I have to go¡­ Being alone is so lonely, after all.


    It¡¯s dangerous to wade into the depths of the forest without a firm goal, so I wandered around the area close to the border of the wilderness. After about an hour of exploring, I found a tree that even I could climb. It¡¯s an excellent place to use as a base for the time being, as the surrounding area is a little more open.


    ¡°Well, now¡­?¡±


    I carefully check the area and the condition of the trees. There are no footprints of beasts or other animals and no unnatural claw marks on the trees as far as I can see. No bees or ants or other dangerous-looking insects.


    You may have wondered why I would care about ants, but there are quite a few species of stinging ants that live on Earth. I mean, the ants that live around houses in Japan are just safe, but there are quite a few ants with poisonous stingers on the tip of their tails. They¡¯re like relatives of hornets!


    Speaking of insects, I haven¡¯t found any strange ones around here so far. If this is some distant planet or world that isn¡¯t Earth, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s surprising that there are some monstrous creatures that I can¡¯t even imagine.


    No, I wouldn¡¯t want to meet them, though.


    Anyway, the tree looks safe, so I try to climb it slowly and carefully. Yeah, it¡¯s just plain scary. I tried to climb up to about 2 meters above the ground, but it¡¯s scary to look down. I can¡¯t sleep on this unless I use something to fix my body or something.


    I slowly get down from the tree and take a breath. What should I do next?


    Fire or water.


    If I have water, I can survive for a while without food, but I¡¯ll need a fire to survive the night. Should I build a fire anyway? Since it¡¯s something I¡¯ve never actually done before based on knowledge alone, it¡¯s a good idea to try it while there is still time to do it.


    First, I prepare a branch that is as straight as possible. Then gather a large piece of wood, a well-bunching branch, a flat stone, and a wood piece that could be used as firewood on a well-dried branch.


    If the fire was made, I could start a barbecue as well, so I cleaned up the fallen leaves away from the trees in the camp base, dug up the ground with my No. 1 stone blade, and put the large pieces of wood on the ground. I scraped the wood chip with the No. 1 stone blade and made some hollows in the ground.


    Then, I broke a straight branch and shaved the tip to make it sharp. I don¡¯t put the wood chips in the hollow, pinch it between my hands and turn it. Since if I don¡¯t have a lot of physical ability and patience, I¡¯ll end up doing nothing, and I¡¯ll end up with peas on my hand.


    This is where my sweatshirt comes in handy.


    ¡°Teretete, waist strap.¡±


    It is a string that is tightened at the waist to keep the pants from slipping off. I pull this out and tie it to a bent branch to make a bow. A straight stick is wrapped around the bow¡¯s string, and the bow is rotated back and forth to generate frictional heat. This is called ¡°bow-drill ignition.¡±


    A flat stone is used to hold the stick down from above, and a piece of wood is placed in the hollow of the wood to serve as the friction point, and the bow is then moved back and forth.


    After many twists and turns, the bow is too weak to break, and it won¡¯t ignite¡­ Although I manage to create a spark, I fail to ignite it.


    ¡°Damn! I won¡¯t give up!¡±


    Now I¡¯ll have more wood chips to use as a crater. Or rather, I realized that I should just crush the dry leaves and use them as a crater. I¡¯m such an idiot¡­ My gamers¡¯ souls are going to be completely black.


    And I finally succeeded in making a fire. I also collected some wood for the fire, so I made a quickfire.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s so warm¡­¡±


    I stopped staring at the fire to collect wood for the area.


    ¡°I¡¯m hungry¡­¡±


    As I stare blankly at the fire, the question of why this is happening comes to my mind. It¡¯s an unusual situation no matter what I think. Did I commit a crime that I could be made to do this without knowing it?


    I look up at the night sky and see a huge unnamed planet and the moon. It¡¯s an unusual situation. It¡¯s crazy to think about it. Isn¡¯t it true that I am dead, and this is the afterlife or something?


    When was the last time I remember being on Earth in the first place? I¡¯ll try to remember. I¡¯m pretty sure I was sitting in the tea room playing with my phone and watching TV. I don¡¯t have any family. My parents were divorced, and my mother, who took me in, died suddenly of a brain hemorrhage two years ago.


    My dad was my dad and seemed to be building a new family, and I didn¡¯t feel like interrupting him, so I lived alone. I was just off that day¡­ and yes, I left my room after lunch to go to the bank. That¡¯s as far as my memory goes. I don¡¯t wish to be an otherworldly survivalist or something when I walk out the door.


    A different world, this is a different world, right? At least it¡¯s not Earth. If I¡¯m also the protagonist of the otherworldly transfer thing¡­ that doesn¡¯t make my heart beat faster, either. It¡¯s just sad that I have to survive alone in the forest, alone and lonely. I unintentionally spoke in a pseudo-Kansai dialect.


    I don¡¯t dislike novels that take place in another world. It¡¯s soothing to forget reality and immerse yourself in the world of the story. While you¡¯re enjoying it, you can forget about all the bad things and painful things. It¡¯s like an analgesic for the mind.


    I think the reason why otherworldly transference stories were so popular was probably because everyone wanted to escape to somewhere other than the one they were in. I don¡¯t know if I have that feeling either, but that¡¯s not the case.


    But I don¡¯t want this kind of bare-knuckle survival. It¡¯s hopeless for me. At the very least, give me the cheat ability for the otherworldly transfer thing. I¡¯m a born-and-bred, modern child who grew up in modern Japan with electricity, gas, and water. I was born in the Heisei era, you son of a bitch. There¡¯s no way I¡¯m going to survive in this situation without anything! Come on!


    ¡°Still, I¡¯m hungry¡­¡±


    I said it twice because it¡¯s important. And by the way, I¡¯m pretty thirsty. Haaaahh. I¡¯m so hungry. It¡¯s unfortunate. And it¡¯s going to skinny-dip my mental strength.


    ¡°Tomorrow, I will find food, or at the very least water¡­¡±


    It¡¯s smoky, whether the wood I found was damp or raw. It would keep the bugs and the beasts away, so this was fine. As I stared at the flames with my knees cradled in my arms, I began to cry. These were tears from the smoke; I¡¯m sure they were. Goddamn it.


    If this were a survival game, I would press the F or E key to bring up the crafting menu with a bonfire, but¡­ hmm?


    ::Grilled meat¨D¨DMaterial: raw meat x 1 *No material! ::Clean water¨D¨DMaterials: raw water x 1 *No material! ::Torch¨D¨DMaterial: wood x 1 *No material!


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but notice what looks like a pop-up menu that suddenly floats over a bonfire. Isn¡¯t this a craft menu thing? Why? Is this a dream? If this is a dream, then wake up!


    I try to pinch myself on the cheek again or lightly hit my head with a throwing stone I picked up in the wilderness, but I still can¡¯t wake myself from the dream, and it still hurts normally.


    ¡°Let¡¯s accept it, the reality.¡±


    Anyway, it¡¯s a craft menu. Although it¡¯s just a craft in the bonfire, it doesn¡¯t seem to be able to make much of anything, but this is a great discovery. I don¡¯t know if it came out because I had the crafting menu in mind or because I specifically envisioned the keyword input, but I can use this phenomenon. It should be something I can use to survive from here on out.


    In the meantime, I¡¯m going to test various things, including whether I can close the crafting menu.


    The test results show that I can do various operations by imagining a specific key touch in my brain.


    It was found that I could access the object in front of me by imagining the F key and that I could move back and forth and left and right by imagining the WSAD key, ignoring my body position, my movement speed, and inertia.


    This movement can be accelerated by being aware of the SHIFT key at the same time. This makes it extremely tiring. And by being aware of the spacebar key-touch, I can jump at about the same height as I am. This also works after jumping on my own, allowing me to do a pseudo double jump.


    It also turns out that I can move my body on its own with the C key to squat down or press and hold to get down. If I consciously combine my own body movements with these brain operations, I can make bizarre movements.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this a pretty creepy move to watch from the side?¡±


    As I do an all-out dash jump on my own, I mutter, then jump further command jump and make a diagonal, horizontal slide move in the air. I can jump insanely high, so I can easily climb up trees.


    But these movement techniques are not such important matters. No, it¡¯s probably important to master these command moves for survival, but there¡¯s a more important case.


    ¡°The inventory menu with Tab is here!¡±


    Yes, many survivalist games allow you to view your inventory¨D¨Dor your possessions by pressing the Tab key. This worked in this world, as well. And the inventory menu often allows you to access your own status screen and basic crafting screens that don¡¯t use facilities such as crafting tables.


    ¡°Crafting Menu has been obtained!!!¡±


    My tension is maxed out. If I can use the crafting menu, my future survival rate will increase significantly. How could I have the power to create a civilization from stones and tree branches that seem to fall around without any tools in real life? I¡¯m not afraid of anything anymore!

 CH 2

    Here¡¯s the chapter, enjoy~


    As long as I can use the crafting menu, there¡¯s nothing to fear for a survival game player like me! There was a time when I thought that way, too.


    ¡°Even if I had the tools, I couldn¡¯t throw a javelin or an ax, and I¡¯d never even handled a bow and arrow.¡±


    In front of the bonfire are several tools crafted from materials I have on hand. The first one is a stone ax. This is the first one I crafted from a stone and a piece of wood. A stone ax, for starters. A stone ax is a basis for these things. It¡¯s kind of a tradition.


    This one is awesome. From a simple rock and a piece of twisted wood, I created the ideal stone ax with a straight handle and a polished stone blade. With this, given enough time, it should be able to cut through trees or even smash the head of an attacking wild animal.


    The problem is that the person who will be wielding it is me, who has never worked in a logging operation or had a battle with a wild animal before, HAHAHA!


    is the stone spear. The materials are stones and pieces of wood. Yeah, it was obvious; I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m really sorry.


    This one is not a polished stone blade but rather has the tip of a stone tool that was made by hitting it. The tip of the spear is so sharp that it could easily pierce the skin of a creature and injure its internal organs.


    The weight balance is not bad, and it seems to be suitable for both thrusting and throwing. I threw it lightly, but it flew up there and pierced the ground. The fact that the tip of the spear is not chipped for some reason is also good!


    If I¡¯m actually going to use it, it¡¯s better to prepare several of them and throw them in succession. If they hit the target, the damage will be huge.


    And the real deal, the bow and stone arrowhead arrows. The bow was crafted from a bendy branch and some grass that was growing around. The string is made of vines, and when I put the arrow on the string, it flies very well. The two problems are that it doesn¡¯t fly straight and doesn¡¯t hit the target. This will require some practice.


    Furthermore, it is the true strike, a stone knife. It has a well-polished, sharp stone blade with a wooden handle. It is very sharp. I have no trouble at all in chopping wood and cutting grass. But it is not very durable.


    When I got carried away and knocked off a tree branch, the blade chipped off. I should be very careful with it. If I cut myself or something, I would be in trouble.


    Well, I guess that¡¯s a bit of a relief¡­


    Even if it¡¯s crude, getting a weapon can provide some relief. And it turns out to be interesting.


    ¡°I see, so getting a stone knife will give me more things to craft.¡±


    Yes. Having the tools available for processing increased the number of products that could be crafted. I was able to make crude stoneware by combining stones and pieces of wood, but now I could make miscellaneous items made from wood and plants by assembling stoneware.


    For example, dishes such as wooden plates and other tableware and baskets made from woven wood and grass fibers were added to the crafting menu. Two of these items seemed particularly useful.


    ¡°A wooden water bottle and the pump-drill ignition set. This is nice.¡±


    I don¡¯t have a lot to say about the wooden water bottle, but the pump drill style ignition set is excellent. It¡¯s like an evolution of the bow drill type ignition I made before. The main body is a long wooden frame with a long shaft, and the handle is a crossbar with a hole in it to allow the shaft to go through.


    A string connects the two ends of the crossbar and the top of the shaft. When the string is wrapped around the shaft, and the handle is moved up and down, the shaft rotates left and right at high speed with incredible force. This friction creates sparks.


    Eh? Don¡¯t you know what it is? My vocabulary doesn¡¯t allow me to be more precise than this. You can find it on the internet. Anyway, it means I¡¯ve got the tools to make fire easily.


    I was also able to make a crater out of wood and grass, so I¡¯ll have a good amount of that too.


    ¡°The inventory is so handy.¡±


    It¡¯s also nice to be able to store the tools I made in my inventory. It¡¯s not easy, or even impossible, to carry a bunch of stone spears and stone axes with heavy stone blades. I have four pockets in my sweatshirt, two at the top and two at the bottom, and I can only hold a couple of stuff in them. And my hands were already full.


    I ended up with three stone spears, a stone ax, a bow, twenty stone arrows, a wooden canteen, an ignition device, a handful of wood chips and bark, and a stone knife. And one shoulder-slung basket made of woven grass and wood fiber to carry the stones for throwing.


    I was able to make all of these tools in just three hours or so, despite the trial and error of how to navigate the menu. If it were a novel about the transfer to another world, this would be an unmistakable cheat ability¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s awfully simple, though.¡±


    It is true that it is a power beyond human knowledge. However, the only thing I can do with this ability now is to make crude tools without any trouble. I¡¯m a terrible tool user, so it doesn¡¯t feel like a cheat ability at all.


    ¡°It¡¯s a completely ability for someone who works behind the scenes, right?¡±


    I would have liked the ability to produce whatever tools I wanted anyway, or something like that¡­ emulating a half-baked survivalist game is not even halfway decent.


    Why is it half-baked? That¡¯s because I couldn¡¯t use the familiar God Mode (invincibility & the ability to fly & material penetration) or Creative Mode (infinite use of materials), which are familiar to these types of games. I couldn¡¯t use the console commands. No real cheats can be used. What a plain¡­ but now this ability is my lifeline.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to sleep¡­ it¡¯s just a death flag to explore at night from day one¡­¡±


    I also solved the problem of how to sleep in a tree safely with a craft menu and another new feature. I was able to make a hammock out of grass and tree fibers. But could I, who had never used a hammock before, set it up and operate it? That was something I was capable of solving.


    ¡°Hmm, this is handy.¡±


    By ¡°using¡± the hammock, the system shifts to installation mode, and a sort of three-dimensional image of the hammock appears in my field of vision, which is translucent. All I have to do is move my eyes to the right place to set it up, and then the hammock is set up properly.


    I climbed the tree with a double jump and surrendered to the hammock, which was set up so that I could hide among the branches. The only thing that helped was that it wasn¡¯t too cold in the middle of the night¡­ This was going to be a hassle if it was going to get cold and freezing to death levels.


    ¡°Oh, hungry¡­¡±


    My goal for tomorrow was water and food for starters. I was worried that I wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep well due to my hunger and thirst, but I was able to fall asleep quickly due to fatigue and mental exhaustion. Hopefully, tomorrow will be better.

 CH 3

    Here¡¯s the chapter, enjoy~


    Yes, hi there, Kosuke here. Today, I¡¯d like to report on Day 2 of my otherworldly survivalist lifestyle. I don¡¯t mean I¡¯m going to be reporting on this! It¡¯s just so real!


    The various protagonists who are thrown into horrible situations and forced to survive, as well as the voice-loids who play a part with them, are remembered for their hard work¡­ I¡¯ll be a little nicer to them when I get back to my old world.


    I¡¯m going to make sure that I don¡¯t graze them when they are having a rough time.


    Now, it¡¯s morning. I¡¯m really thirsty. I could use some water. But water, water, right? ¡­I think it¡¯s safe to assume that there¡¯s an abundance of water here since it¡¯s in the forest. The problem is how to find the water source.


    Hmm, I don¡¯t have a good idea. I guess I¡¯ll just have to walk around properly for now. I¡¯ve got everything I need in my inventory, and I don¡¯t need to stick to the border between the wilderness and the forest. Today, let¡¯s just take a random walk through the forest and look for something to eat or the water source.


    ¡°Register a shortcut, and then¡­¡±


    Be prepared also to have the ability to instantly retrieve items by assigning a number from 1 to 0 to items in the inventory. A stone spear, stone ax, knife, and bow will appear in my hand when I¡¯m conscious of it.


    ¡°It¡¯s like a magic trick!¡±


    This is where an idea occurred to me. If the jumps work regardless of my movements and I can do two-step jumps, wouldn¡¯t I be able to do the same with these weapons and tool-based actions? And.


    After some trial and error, I found out that I could perform basic actions with weapons, or rather, ideal actions by being conscious of the mouse button¡¯s left-click. It¡¯s very uncomfortable to see my body move on its own, but I can use both the bow and the spear with this. As for the bow, it even displays the target in my field of vision when I take action. Now even I, an amateur, can shoot a bow!


    By using a combination of my own actions and command actions, I can do things like shoot twice in a row that won¡¯t go unnoticed! Although the first shot is not very good because of the difficulty of shooting it by myself.


    In other words, if I want to aim for a higher level of proficiency, I¡¯ll have to practice on my own. Well, I¡¯ll have to work hard on this one, hahaha.


    By the way.


    ¡°That¡¯s something dangerous¡­ It¡¯s bad; it¡¯s really bad!¡±


    It was good that I found a water source ahead of the forest, but there was something dangerous there. It was a lizard. No, a lizard or¡­? Wolves? No. It¡¯s a lizard, right?


    It is a creature that looks like a reptile and a wolf divided in two. It¡¯s about the size of a big dog. I¡¯m glad it wasn¡¯t a giant creature like in some hunting games. I wonder if this is its territory or if it is sleeping peacefully in the sun. Can I sneak up to the water source and get some water? No, if it wakes up out of the blue and I get hit by it, I¡¯ll be dead.


    I can see a combo of serious injuries, if not death, and death from infection from there.


    Retreat, retreat. I¡¯ll need to prepare traps and other things to challenge it. I calmly shift into the covert mode with the C key in mind and move backward quickly with the S key in mind. Hmm, this way, the easy mistake of stepping on a twig to make a sound is¨D¨D.


    *rustling**rustling*


    Yes, I ran into the bushes as a result of retreating without looking back. I quietly look at the lizard wolf. Please! Don¡¯t notice me! Please!


    Our eyes met. Unfortunately, it¡¯s not something that made us realized that we¡¯re liked each other like in the rom-com manga, I mean.


    ¡°GISYAAAAAAAAAA!!!¡±


    ¡°Right!¡±


    It threatened me with all its might. I¡¯m also setting up my stone spear and pointing the tip of my spear. If this were going to happen anyway, it would have been much better to strike a blow while it was sleeping! Goddamn it!


    The lizard wolf seems to be carefully measuring its timing, or it doesn¡¯t seem to be able to rush in out of nowhere. I don¡¯t know how much of an athletic ability it has, but I have to be the first to make a move in this kind of thing.


    ¡°Seiiyyaaa!¡±


    Kosuke¡¯s stone spear thrower! The lizard wolf has flown out and avoided it!


    ¡°SHAAAAAAAA!¡±


    ¡°Hoaaaah!¡±


    The lizard wolf pounces! Kosuke thrust out his additional stone spear as quickly as he could! He did some damage to the lizard wolf, but it also blew Kosuke away! No, I¡¯m not joking around!


    ¡°Waaaaaaa! Uwaaaaaa!?¡±


    I was already in a panic. The spear that I thrust out on the counter-attack broke off, but fortunately, it seemed to have pierced the lizard wolf¡¯s mouth, and the lizard wolf was lying on the ground thrashing around.


    I ran to the lizard wolf and swung the stone ax down as hard as I could. I kept swinging down. The next thing I knew, the stone blade of the stone ax was gone, and I was hitting the lizard wolf in the head, crushed and smashed it with the wooden handle.


    ¡°Guh, oeeeeeeee.¡±


    And it was so gross that I had to reverse it. I¡¯m a pimp who has only ever killed insects before. The only time I¡¯ve ever come in contact with a dead body was when my mother died, and I¡¯m not very good at ¡°splatter¡± in the first place. It¡¯s enough to make me feel sick, even with the gore expressions in games and such.


    ¡°Huhh, haahh¡­¡±


    All I could see was stomach juices, but a round of vomiting calmed me down somehow. I had to fight¡­ against reality. In the meantime, let¡¯s get rid of the dead lizard wolf I killed.


    I think I might be able to get it into my inventory. As I was thinking about this, I noticed that I could access the lizard wolf¡¯s corpse. When I tried to access it, the lizard wolf¡¯s inventory appears.


    ¡°Oh, no need to rip it off¡­ This is a god-like feature.¡±


    What I got from the lizard wolf¡¯s corpse was a decent amount of raw meat, bones, fangs, tendons, and skin. When I moved them into my inventory, the lizard-wolf corpse disappeared, leaving behind a pool of blood.


    This is great. But blood is tricky. It¡¯s entirely possible that other dangerous creatures could be attracted to this blood.


    So, I repeated the process for a while on the crafting screen, mass-producing wooden water bottles, drawing water from the water source¨Da spring, into the water bottles, and putting them away in my inventory. One water bottle seemed to hold about one liter of water, so I drew fifty of them.


    With this much water, the water would be fine for a while. I should build a bonfire somewhere safe so that I could drink this freshwater. I¡¯m thirsty, but I don¡¯t want to drink the raw water as it is. I don¡¯t know what kind of dangerous bacteria, poisons, and parasites are in raw water. If I go hungry with no help from anyone, I can only see a future of slow death from dehydration.


    And this is a different world. If I get hit by an unknown pathogen or a bad parasite, I can¡¯t even think about it.


    I checked myself to make sure I wasn¡¯t injured and thoroughly washed the blood on my clothes before leaving the water source. I picked up some stones and pieces of wood on the way, and while replenishing my lost stone spear and stone ax, I looked for a place where I could rest like I did yesterday.


    I found a good tree and square far enough away, so I used the ignition device to make a fire. Yeah, it¡¯s less tiring and quicker to make a spark than the bow-drill type.


    ¡°Water, water¡­¡±


    I select safe water and grilled meat from the bonfire crafting screen and start crafting. It only takes about ten seconds to craft an item, but those ten seconds feel very long.


    Then I take the finished ¡°safe water¡± out of the bonfire¡¯s generated items section, open the cap, and gulp it down. It¡¯s delicious. Moisture seems to be spreading to every corner of my dry body.


    ¡°Ahh¡­ The water is so good.¡±


    I take a breath and suddenly look at what I¡¯m holding in my hand. It¡¯s water. Yes, it¡¯s water. It¡¯s water in a plastic bottle. The wooden water bottle is gone, and now it¡¯s a plastic bottle? No, it¡¯s okay, though, right?


    No, that¡¯s not good, is it? This is 1.5 liters. I¡¯m getting more water. It¡¯s a good thing that I get it, right¡­? Well, okay, yeah, don¡¯t think about the details.


    Something in the raw water must have been converted to safe water and increased the amount by a factor of one and a half. Yes, it must have. If so, I¡¯m afraid to wonder what the hell is in the raw water, but let¡¯s not think too much about it.


    And then there¡¯s the meat. When I look closely at the meat in my inventory, I see that it¡¯s called ¡°Raw Meat (Lizarf).¡± That lizard wolf¡¯s name seems to be ¡°Lizarf.¡±


    It has a name, which means that there is a being who gave it a name, right? It doesn¡¯t seem likely that I will be alone in this world.


    So I¡¯ve decided on my next target. I¡¯m going to find a human village. The problem is that I don¡¯t know the language of this world, and I don¡¯t know if the inhabitants of this world are friendly to me.


    If I¡¯m caught and fallen into slavery, then I¡¯d rather become prey here! Kuuhh! It would be problematic if it were like that. But people can¡¯t live alone. If I fall ill or injured, that¡¯s the end of me. So the goal to find local people whom I haven¡¯t seen yet has been set here.


    And the meat was burnt. It¡¯s not that I¡¯m not comfortable with eating the flesh of an unknowable creature. But in order to live, I have to eat it.


    ¡°Hamu! Hafuhafu! Hamu!¡±


    The meat of the lizard wolf, I mean, Lizarf, was somewhat chicken-like. Yeah, it¡¯s not like a pig or a cow or anything. It¡¯s close to chicken. The chicken meat is a bit fibrous or has a unique texture, right? It¡¯s like a chicken.


    But it¡¯s quite good. It¡¯s just grilled meat without any saltiness. I think there is a sweet taste from the fat. The meat is tender, and it¡¯s good enough. It would be more delicious if it had salt.


    But salt, salt¡­ I don¡¯t know how to get salt. If I¡¯m close to the sea, I might be able to manage it, though. Mmm, something from the crafting menu¡­ no wait? Suppose I don¡¯t put the relevant materials in my inventory. In that case, this ability doesn¡¯t add craftable items to the list of things that can be crafted.


    If I put the material items in my inventory, wouldn¡¯t salt be added to the inventory? Specifically, the soil. I remember seeing something like kangaroos coming to lick the soil containing salt in a TV animal show. It was a kind of reddish-brown looking soil. Do they have such soil around here? I don¡¯t know, but I think it¡¯s possible to dig up some random stuff and put it in the inventory.


    Crafting bricks or concrete from a combination of clay, soil, stone, and gravel is also a staple in survival or what might be called ¡°sandbox¡± games. In reality, you probably need to use limestone and intermediate materials as well as clay and gravel, but in most cases, the manufacturing process is not that detailed in the game.


    ¡°Should I consider building a base as well¡­?¡±


    The idea of a safe shelter made of concrete or brick is appealing. If I were to build a base, it would be near a water source. Preferably a lake or river, and if it¡¯s a compromise, at least a spring. There may be a way to drill a well, but I don¡¯t have the skills to do so.


    Maybe I could get away with it if I used my abilities well, but I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any need to go that far right now. If I were to do it, it would be when there are no human settlements around here, and I finally have to think about sitting down and settling in this area in earnest or something like that.


    ¡°At any rate, it¡¯s a tool for digging the soil.¡±


    I was lucky enough to get food and water before noon, so there is still time to work. It will be important to try and figure out exactly what I¡¯m capable of doing. I open the crafting menu and check for tools that look like that. I found a shovel with a stone blade, so I crafted it.


    ¡°Hmm, not very comfortable to use.¡±


    It¡¯s not as good as a steel sword-tipped shovel. But it¡¯s dozens of times better than digging with bare hands. I dig into the ground with a heavy stone blade. As I dig, I fill my inventory with soil. In addition to digging by myself, I also use command actions to dig. Also, to put the soil in the inventory.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t I digging more than twice as fast as I normally would with this?¡±


    Normally, one act of ¡°digging¡± is to stick the shovel in, raise it up, and then dump the soil. However, if I just want to store it in my inventory, I can do it as soon as I thrust the shovel in and raise it up.


    It¡¯s not too tiring because there¡¯s no need for a heavy soil dumping action. The combination of command actions makes the motion look more like a two-step thrust, so it¡¯s more of a ¡°thudthudthudthud¡± than a ¡°thud¡­ thud¡­ thud!¡± The soil can be dug at speed like that.


    ¡°This might make digging a well easier than I thought.¡±


    I was humming and zapping and digging, digging all over the place. But hey, despite being thrown into a situation like this, somehow I¡¯m still calm, or I don¡¯t panic or anything. I¡¯m in a situation full of anxiety, but I¡¯m enjoying it somehow.


    ¡°I guess that¡¯s about right.¡±


    I went around the square area where I planned to stay today and dug up the dirt all around. Most of it looked like humus, but there were some clay-like areas, so I¡¯m expecting a little more.


    When I opened my inventory, I found a decent amount of ¡°Rich forest soil¡± and ¡°clay¡± in my inventory. However, the number of clay is less than rich forest soil. It is three clays to seven rich soil.


    ¡°Now, are there more craft products?¡±


    First of all, there was an increase in the number of composite bows in the weapons section. It¡¯s called a composite bow, which is a bow reinforced with a single piece of wood and multiple pieces of wood, animal tendons, bones, or even a metal plate. It requires materials such as Lizarf bones, but since I can¡¯t see any use for bones at the moment, I¡¯ll use them.


    is the real deal, crafting with soil. There was an array of farm blocks, dried brick blocks, and other items that could be used for construction-related purposes. It seems that I can also make a stone wall using a combination of stone and clay. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to make much now because I¡¯m overwhelmingly short of stone.


    But farmland blocks or¡­ at least you know that this capability is a system that is designed to produce food through agriculture. The fact that it can also make blocks of building materials system means that building a base of operations using the capability is still in view.


    If there is someone who has given me this ability, I don¡¯t know if there is such a thing, but if there is, it¡¯s definitely in his or her scope of vision. Well, let¡¯s leave that consideration for now. I wonder if there¡¯s another one than that? Salt. I want salt. I crave salt.


    ¡°Not so fast, huh?¡±


    I didn¡¯t see a salt item anywhere on the crafting menu¡ªa shame. But there was something interesting.


    ¡°Furnace, huh.¡±


    It seems that I can craft a furnace out of clay and stone, and leather and wood. This would definitely be a steelmaking flag. A metal tool of some sort¡­ that makes my heart sing. The problem would be where to get the iron ore, though, and the fuel.


    No, I think I can use charcoal for fuel. So, iron. Speaking of obtaining iron, it¡¯s either mining or gathering it. If it¡¯s a certain block game, if I dig in the ground at random, I¡¯ll find it eventually, but will I be able to find it in this world as well if I dig in the same way? I won¡¯t know unless I try, but it seems impossible.


    I don¡¯t know how it works in this world, but I heard that on Earth, iron-rich ores could be found sunk in the mud at the bottom of ponds and springs. I also heard that there is iron in the sand and stones of rivers. Also, it is said that reddish rocks are colored by oxidized iron, which is why they are rich in iron. I remember something like that.


    Should I go back to the water? No, looking at it, I feel like the sun is starting to set. I looked at the clock on my phone and saw that it was 3:47 pm. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s the same time since I didn¡¯t set the clock at this location, but it was about 6 am when I woke up today, so I¡¯m guessing it¡¯s not that far off.


    I looked up at the sky again, and there was a large planet and what looked like a moon. Every time I look at those two things, I am acutely aware that I am in a foreign land. I¡¯m really wondering what will happen next¡­ I¡¯m practically in distress, but the chances of the kind of being able to rescue me back to my world are slim to none.


    This is because I only remember seeing the word ¡°other world¡± in novels, games, and other forms of entertainment.


    Is there a chance that the government is organizing a secret inter-world rescue team to protect the human rights of Japanese people who are frequently shifting to another world? Right. You gotta fight reality.


    ¡°I think I¡¯m gonna take the day off¡­¡±


    It¡¯s important to get a good rest so that you don¡¯t drain your energy and stamina. That¡¯s for sure. It will also reduce the consumption of food and water. Tomorrow, I¡¯m going to focus on finding food, iron, and salt. In the meantime, I¡¯m going to check my inventory for more stuff to craft with.


    I need to use this ability to survive. The more things I can make, the more I can do. Let¡¯s go for it.


    This day I picked up wood chips and grasses for firewood and craft materials around the area, then set up a hammock in a treetop, built a fire with some raw wood, and ate grilled Lizarf meat, and went to bed.


    It was smoky, but if there was a human settlement around here, someone might see the smoke and come to check on me. That¡¯s what I was hoping for.


    Also, insect repellent. Insects are seriously the worst.

 CH 4

    Another chapter brought to you by Patreon, enjoy~


    Suddenly, I felt a sense of levitation¨Dno, a sense of falling. My consciousness awakens undeniably, and I instinctively brace myself to withstand the impact of the fall.


    ¡°Guh!¡±


    The impact. I don¡¯t know where I hit, but my body hurts anyway, and I can¡¯t breathe. I roll on the spot on instinct rather than reason and try to get up with my hands on the ground.


    ¡°Gyaagaa!?¡±


    There was a sharp pain in my hand. Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! What? What¡¯s happening? I look up, still dimly lit. I see the soles of the shoes approaching.


    ¡°Gubuuhh!?¡±


    I was kicked in the face as hard as possible. The shock stuns me more than the pain. I¡¯ve never been exposed to such violence before. I was an ordinary person who had only fought in fistfights when I was a child.


    But if I don¡¯t resist, I will die. I don¡¯t want to die.


    ¡°Resist, and I¡¯ll kill you.¡±


    The moment I thought that, a voice that sent shivers down my spine came down from above my head. At the same time as the voice, a heavy pressure is pressing on my head. Perhaps it¡¯s stepping on my head.


    ¡°What is a human doing here?¡±


    From the sound of the voice, it sounds like a woman. I can¡¯t answer if she says what I am doing. Should I answer that I¡¯m lost?


    ¡°Why are you silent. Answer me.¡±


    ¡°I dwon¡¯t now¡­ I¡¯m zust happened two be heree.¡±


    It seems that I have a massive nose bleed, and I can¡¯t speak well.


    ¡°Tsk¡­ the spirit of life.¡±


    A pale green-colored light came on in the dim darkness, easing some of the pain all over my body. Surprisingly, the bleeding in my hand that had been pierced by something also seemed to have stopped. It still hurt everywhere, but it was somewhat better. What is this? Is it some kind of magic or something?


    ¡°You should be able to talk now. Now, talk.¡±


    A cold voice comes from above my head that is being stepped on. The voice? Does she understand my language?


    ¡°I don¡¯t really understand it either. I found myself standing with my clothes on in the opposite direction of the wilderness and the forest. I don¡¯t even know where I am. I just parted into the forest to survive, looking for water and food. I even burned a living tree to see if I could find anyone. So I was in distress.¡±


    At this point, I let go of any doubts about why the language is understood and just tell her like it is. As I speak, I¡¯m desperately trying to think of something to break the current situation. And even for a moment, if I could just get through the gap¡­ No, it¡¯s impossible. She¡¯s definitely more used to fighting than I am, or rather, she¡¯s more experienced in fighting. She also uses magic-like powers and has a sharp weapon that went through my hand. If she wanted to kill me, she would have done it with her first shot. I will be prepared, but I don¡¯t want to do anything right now.


    ¡°You expect me to believe that kind of crap?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true. If you don¡¯t believe it, that¡¯s fine, too. From now on, you can continue to believe only what you want to believe, turn away from the truth, cover your ears, and continue your unreasonable violence.¡±


    ¡°You got a big mouth on you, huh; I don¡¯t like that.¡±


    ¡°Maybe we can get along. I also don¡¯t like you being a wild and violent¨D¨Dguh.¡±


    The force on my head tightens. It will break, it will break, my head will break. The contents will come out. But I¡¯m gonna fight back. I don¡¯t like this woman. My body may bend, but my heart will not! Oh, isn¡¯t this just like in the manga where I should say, ¡°just kill me already¡±? I know she¡¯s going to violate me! Like a doujinshi! Like in a doujinshi!


    ¡°A human being, of all people, would call me violent and barbaric, is that what you¡¯re saying?¡±


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know who you are, but¡­! I think it¡¯s narrow-minded to look at things in a single category of human beings. I mean, I don¡¯t know how brutal and violent humans in this world are, but what does it matter to me who suddenly wandered into this world yesterday?¡±


    I can¡¯t help but wonder if humans are mild-mannered and intelligent creatures, but at least I don¡¯t care about the ties between this world¡¯s humans and this woman. I believe that the woman who is stomping on my head is not human. I¡¯m not sure if she is an elf or a beastman or something like that that speaks a hostile language to humans¡­?


    But are the humans of this world doing something that would be considered barbaric to someone who can communicate with them in this way? The technical and cultural level of this world seems to be relatively low.


    As I was thinking about this while being knocked on my head, the woman who had been silent while stepping on me for a while opened her mouth.


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    The woman asked me that question again. I think about the woman¡¯s question¡¯s intent before opening my mouth.


    ¡°My name is Shibata Kosuke. Shibata is my family name, and Kosuke is my name. My age is twenty-four, and I don¡¯t know how many days a year is in this world, so it might change when I convert it to my age in this world. At any rate, I¡¯m a man who has been an adult in my world for four years now. I¡¯m from somewhere else, somewhere far away, probably not here. There had never been a planet that big floating in the sky that I knew of, nor had there ever been a planet that big in the sky. And the moon was even smaller.¡±


    ¡°Does the word ¡°Adol¡± ring a bell?¡±


    ¡°What is that? Is that a name?¡±


    The only Adol-san I know is the red-haired adventurer from a certain famous action RPG. [TLN: Adol Christin from Ys series.]


    ¡°What do you think if the existence of Adol is what¡¯s putting you in the situation you¡¯re in now?¡±


    ¡°Seriously, Adol is the worst then. I mean, how long am I gonna have to get trampled on?¡±


    ¡°¡­Kuku, you¡¯re calling Adol the worst?¡±


    The woman smiled a little amusedly before pulling away her feet, which were stomping on my head. Once freed, I shook my head and looked up at my attacker, brushing the dirt off my cheeks and head.


    ¡°Wow, dark elf beauty buhuaahh!¡±


    I was kicked in the face. Why!


    ¡°This is what happens when you call an elf with a skin color like mine a ¡°dark elf.¡± Remember that.¡±


    ¡°Use your words, you savage people.¡±


    The woman also went easy on me, it wasn¡¯t enough to make my nose bleed, but it was powerful enough to scatter stars behind my eyes. If this kick causes cerebral hemorrhage and I die because of it, I will come out as a ghost. No, I¡¯m not a bastard, though.


    I stood up while rubbing my nose and took another good look at the woman in front of me. Yes, she¡¯s beautiful. She¡¯s a beauty of a level you don¡¯t often see on TV or something. Her skin is brown, with a fine texture and no blemishes. Her hair is light in color. The color of her hair is pale. It¡¯s probably not gray, but it¡¯s called silver hair. Even in the dim light, it shines brightly. She was wearing a tight leather-like bodysuit, but her chest was plump and tight. The volume is overwhelming. This fellow is extraordinary.


    ¡°Where do you look?¡±


    ¡°Your boobs, what¡¯s wrong with it?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re an honest man. I don¡¯t mind that sort of thing.¡±


    The brown elf woman grinned. Yeah, she¡¯s pretty, but her eyes and her smile are not good. It looks like this fellow has definitely killed a few people, and that grin can only be evil. I just can¡¯t help but think she could do with a flowery smile like that.


    ¡°So, I¡¯ve got a lot to say to you.¡±


    ¡°Okay, speak up.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sore all over my body, and injuries with no medical supplies can be fatal, so heal me since it looks like you just cured me with magic before. You hurt me because of your one-sided misunderstanding or something, so I can demand at least that, right?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s worth considering, but I¡¯m still not convinced you¡¯re not an agent of the Holy Kingdom.¡±


    ¡°Really? Then let¡¯s talk it out, shall we?¡±


    I resisted the pain and retrieved the hammock that was hanging from the tree first. One side of the part that hooks up to the tree had been cruelly cut off, but it seemed to be able to be repaired by putting it in my inventory and consuming the material. When I performed the repair and turned back to the woman, she looked as if she had seen something interesting. Shit, I shouldn¡¯t have shown her my secret.


    ¡°That¡¯s an interesting trick. How did you turn it off?¡±


    ¡°Do we have to talk about that?¡±


    ¡°If you want me to trust you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re going to be honest with me as well. The distrust is mutual.¡±


    I can¡¯t let my guard down with this fellow. The reason why this fellow listens to me without killing me is that she can kill me right away if she wants to. She¡¯s equipped with what looks like a huge knife, and she can also use magic-like things. Probably, she has received some kind of combat training. The tight-fitting suit is also much more defensive than the sweatshirt top and bottom that I wear.


    ¡°Uh, it¡¯s hurt¡­ well then, why don¡¯t we just tell about each other¡¯s information.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡±


    As I sat down on the ground and crossed my legs, the woman leaned against a handful of trees and gave me a curious look. For now, it seems she¡¯s willing to go along with the conversation. Maybe she¡¯s a surprisingly well-informed person.


    Then the woman and I talked to each other. We talked about the names of each other¡¯s worlds, geography, world affairs, the names of the stars floating in them, religions and gods, culture, food, clothing, military, politics, and many other topics.


    First of all, this world or Earth? Or the name of the star is named Reese, apparently. The name of the big star in the sky is Omicle, the name of the moon is Runicle, and the name of the sun is Cycle. The name of the continent I¡¯m on now is the Pence continent, and this is a shallow place in a large forest area called the ¡°Black Forest¡± near the southern end of it.


    Incidentally, the area beyond this forest is a vast wasteland called the Omit Great Wilderness. It¡¯s going to take about ten days on foot to get out of the wilderness. If I had stepped out into the wilderness instead of the forest, I¡¯d be dead in the wild for sure! Moreover, there are many insect-type monsters lurking in the ground, and even those who are well-traveled seem to find it difficult to cross the wilderness alone.


    And the world situation is¡­ this continent seems to be in the midst of a war situation right now. The Holy Kingdom of human supremacy and the empire of a multiracial nation clashed for control of the fertile plains in the center of the Pence continent. The oppression of non-human races in the Holy Kingdom intensified accordingly, the resistance movements and rebellions frequently occurred in various places. The opposing side¡¯s empire also broke away from the territories close to the Holy Kingdom, and a large scale rebellion of slaves also occurred, and the two countries had internal troubles. They say that the world is in turmoil as they continue to fight a murky war while carrying on with it. Well, it¡¯s a turbulent, chaotic world.


    And this Black Forest, located at the southern end of the Pence continent, across the Omit Great Wilderness, is the sphere of influence of the Holy Kingdom.


    Originally, the elves lived in this forest, and the refugees of different races who couldn¡¯t bear the oppression of the Holy Kingdom are gradually gathering there after passing through the Great Wilderness of Omit. The Holy Kingdom has noticed the refugees¡¯ movement, and the elves and refugees are nervous that they will eventually send troops to them.


    ¡°Do they have to bother to send troops to you? I don¡¯t think there are many merits in attacking the forest through the Great Wilderness.¡±


    ¡°We elves are an expensive commodity among humans. The humans want as many good-looking, ageless sex slaves as they can get. And we¡¯re good as a baby.¡±


    Without exception, a child born from a human and an elf crossed is born with powerful magical powers. When she says powerful, she¡¯s only speaking in human terms. That¡¯s how the human nobles took in the blood of different races such as elves and genetically maintained a greater magical power than the commoners. Although she told me some pretty fishy details, I understood that the humans wanted elven slaves anyway. Yeah.


    ¡°I¡¯ve come to a point where I¡¯m convinced that you¡¯re not from this world.¡±


    ¡°Oh, sure. Then heal me.¡±


    After a quick talk, the woman honestly healed my wounds with her magic. Ah, this feels so good. My whole body feels warm and fuzzy like I¡¯m in a hot spring. This is good.


    ¡°Fumu. You¡¯re getting a lot of love from the spirit of life, huh?¡±


    ¡°Really? I don¡¯t know what that means, though.¡±


    A ball of green light is flying around me. Is this the spirit of life? If so, am I going to awaken my magic too! Seriously, I can become a wizard too? Is that like spirit magic?


    ¡°But I don¡¯t feel any magic from you at all. You have zero talent for magic.¡±


    ¡°All of my hopes are now gone!¡±


    What the hell, you have made me expecting it! Goddamn it.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Go where?¡±


    ¡°Our village. If you want some other elves or beastmen to find you and kill you without question, you can stay here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you, Maam.¡±


    I answered immediately. As expected, I don¡¯t want to be attacked in my sleep and beaten to a pulp again.

 CH 5

    Here¡¯s the chapter, enjoy~


    ¡°Kill! Kill! Kill!¡±


    ¡°Burn him! Burn him to death!¡±


    ¡°Humans must die!¡±


    ¡°Die! Die!¡±


    Yes, this is everyone¡¯s idol, Kosuke. I¡¯ve been guided to the village by a woman, and the fans are cheering for me all over the place now.


    I mean, I¡¯m super scared. It¡¯s the first time in my life that I¡¯ve ever had bare malice, or even murderous intent, directed at me. People are looking at me with bloodshot eyes and telling me to die. My legs are trembling under that kind of murderous intent. Or rather, I feel like I¡¯m going to wet myself. I haven¡¯t wet myself yet, but it¡¯s only a matter of time before I do.


    There¡¯s a wounded guy with beast ears growing out of his head, a woman with wings instead of hands, a guy with a face like a lizard that I can¡¯t tell if it¡¯s a man or a woman, a woman with a giant snake on her bottom half, and all sorts of other people who look like humans but aren¡¯t human. They¡¯re all cursing me out and directing their murderous intent at me. No one is throwing stones at me at the moment, but it¡¯s only a matter of time before they do too.


    My heart beats fast. My vision narrows with fear. My throat is parched with tension. How could this happen? Why did I have to go through this?


    The woman had led me into the village. She exchanged a few words with the male elf who guarded the entrance, and then she left me with the man and walked into the village. Soon after that, the male soldier took me inside the village and kicked me down in the middle of the square. That¡¯s when I remember the look the elven male soldier gave me. That wasn¡¯t the same kind of eye that would look at the same human. No, it¡¯s natural because he¡¯s not a human. He¡¯s an elf, anyway.


    I can¡¯t get my thoughts together. Am I going to be beaten to death by the mob? What in the world did I do to deserve this? Shit, I shouldn¡¯t have followed him.


    Finally, some guy with sticks and stones in his hands started showing up. No, I don¡¯t want to die. If I have to die, I want to die quickly and painlessly. But now, I¡¯ll probably have to suffer for a long time before I die. If I¡¯m going to die anyway, then should I be as violent as I can be? Made enough clay brick blocks for construction to last for a while. Putting them all around to make a mess, I wonder if I could somehow get through the enclosure.


    I mean, I¡¯m starting to get pissed off. Why do I have to go through this? I don¡¯t want to be accused of something I don¡¯t remember doing, and I don¡¯t want to be beaten and killed for it, straight up. I¡¯m going to do it. I¡¯m going to do it!


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    There¡¯s a roar, and the wind blew. No, it wasn¡¯t a blow; it was an explosion. It wasn¡¯t a strong wind or anything like that, but a blast that blew me away. It also blew out the people who surrounded me.


    I rolled around helplessly, and something stomped on my back. I remember the feeling of this foot.


    ¡°This is what I picked up. Who permitted you to hurt him?¡±


    ¡°Ouch, ouch, ouch, it hurts, it hurts!¡±


    A sturdy boot that seems to be made of leather steps on my back pressing me down. It hurts so much. Could you just take it a little easier on me? I mean, seriously, it hurts; it¡¯s creaking!


    ¡°I¡¯m the only one who can do what I want with my things. Is that clear?¡±


    The mob seemed unable to say anything to the woman¡¯s implicit declaration. Or rather, I feel like they are looking at me in a subtle, sympathetic way. Wait a minute, you guys were trying to kill me a moment ago, right? And how can you give me that look? Is she a very dangerous person? Hey?


    ¡°Tsk, that stupid Nate¡­ he dares to do this!¡±


    And the woman is then cursing someone. But maybe Nate is the name of the male elf soldier who took me out into this square and kicked me down. Apparently, he and this woman don¡¯t get along.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s fine. I¡¯ve got things under control before the worst happens. Get up; let¡¯s go.¡±


    The woman gestures at me and kicks me, urging me to stand up. Ouch, it hurts, I say, it hurts!


    ¡°Damn it¡­ you¡¯re literally stepped and kicked me.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and you should put this collar on.¡±


    Then the woman held out a leather collar to me. Pardon? You want me to wear a collar? And isn¡¯t that one of those things? Isn¡¯t that a so-called slave collar or something of that sort?


    ¡°If you don¡¯t put it on, it¡¯ll be like that again. Should we test it again next time?¡±


    ¡°¡­Damn it.¡±


    I can¡¯t turn my back on that. If something goes wrong, I can just stick the collar in my inventory and hope for the best. That¡¯s fine, let¡¯s put the collar on; it¡¯s just a collar. It¡¯s not like a cursed collar or anything.


    But being a slave to a beautiful elf like this is kinda turn me on. Won¡¯t it? No, I¡¯m not an M. Yes, really. I¡¯m not!


    ¡°Kuku¡­ nice look.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not happy even you say that¡­ Hey, I don¡¯t need to wear a chain, too, right?¡±


    ¡°You should have a collar and a chain for your dog, right? Besides, when walking, the owner needs to pull the dog properly.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll remember this¡­¡±


    A brown elf woman pulled me in chains and made me walk from one corner of the village to the other. Thanks to her, I now know exactly where and what¡¯s in the village now!


    The village is roughly divided into five zones. The outermost zone is a development zone where some sturdy buildings are being built. Inside, it is a zone for non-elven residents. There is an open space like a buffer zone beyond that, and when you pass through it, you will find a zone for the elves¡¯ magic field. When you exit the magic field, you will find the elves¡¯ workshop area, and past that, in the village¡¯s center, is the residential area for the elves.


    She said that all the village inhabitants, except for the elves, are refugees fleeing from the war. Yeah, I thought that was probably true. The architectural style is so varied, or, let¡¯s just say, the buildings were all shabby.


    And the most surprising thing I saw was the magic field. The Elf¡¯s field was like a multi-storied parking garage, like a hydroponics facility filled with magical light. I¡¯ve never seen or heard of a large-scale hydroponics facility in Japan. Maybe the farming in this world¡¯s elves surpasses that of Japan in some ways.


    I didn¡¯t get to see the inside of a workshop or anything like that, so I didn¡¯t know much about it. I didn¡¯t get to see the inside of the elves¡¯ residential area either. By the way, an expansion zone is literally an area where some kind of facility is currently under construction. I didn¡¯t know what they were building, but it was a sturdy looking building.


    ¡°Alright, this is my home.¡±


    ¡°Hou.¡±


    It was quite a fine elven-style residence. Now that I¡¯ve had a chance to look around the village, I can say with certainty that it is one of the most magnificent elven-style residences in the village. It¡¯s like a lively log cabin, if I may say so. It looks like a house made of intertwined living trees. The house is merely big.


    I was invited into the house. What stimulated me the moment I entered the woman¡¯s house was the sense of smell. It smells somewhat cool and refreshing. Should I call it the scent of the forest? When I take a deep breath, I feel refreshed.


    ¡°What a great hobby to take a deep breath as soon as you enter a woman¡¯s house, huh?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not trying to be a jerk. Is that an incense smell or something?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing; I¡¯m not burning that kind of stuff.¡±


    The woman pulls the chain, and I follow her lead. It seems to be a living room. There¡¯s a lot of furniture that looks like it¡¯s made out of woven rattan. I sat down on the couch as the woman let go of the chain and walked to the back of the room. But still, when will she take this collar and chain off?


    ¡°I won¡¯t take them off outside. But, yeah, you can take the chain off in the house.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Master¡­ are you satisfied?¡±


    ¡°You could use a little more cuteness, though.¡±


    I remove the chains and put them away in my inventory. Is there anything crafted more by putting the chains in? I was fiddling with the crafting menu when the woman came back from the back of the room. She¡¯s holding two steamy wooden cups in her hand.


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask a man to be cute.¡±


    ¡°Better to have them than not, of course. You¡¯ll be able to buy your master¡¯s hospitality.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t buy your hospitality¡­ but I¡¯ll think about it.¡±


    ¡°Kuku¡­ You should do that. And you¡¯re not as nervous as I thought you would be?¡±


    ¡°That much is obvious. An idiot would have noticed.¡±


    I don¡¯t even need to think about the intentions of putting a collar on me and walking all the way around the village with a chain in tow. This is my property, and I will destroy it if someone touches it, is the message from this woman.


    It¡¯s impossible for me to live in this village as a resident. The elves and the refugees only see humans as enemies. If I were to arrive here without anyone¡¯s backing, I would be missing the next morning. Either I¡¯ll be killed and buried in the middle of the night, or I¡¯ll become monster bait. And no one cares. It¡¯s not even a case. If someone wonders, ¡°Oh, that one, I think he left because he didn¡¯t feel comfortable here,¡± and that¡¯s it.


    So should I live without relying on this village? That¡¯s impossible. If I had spent time in the forest, I would have eventually come into contact with the inhabitants of this village. If I did, there¡¯s a good chance that we would have killed each other on the spot.


    Even if I won on the spot, the village would be searching for me sooner or later. If that¡¯s how they find me, it¡¯s still unlikely to have a bright future. To begin with, it is difficult to survive on my own. Sooner or later, I would have died in the wild.


    So is it right to leave the forest? The answer is obvious. No. I cannot, in my current state, walk through the Great Wilderness by myself. I don¡¯t have enough water, food, equipment, technology, information, or anything else. Either I¡¯ll fail, or I¡¯ll be eaten by a monster, and that¡¯s the future waiting for me.


    It¡¯s a miracle that I¡¯m in the present situation. If this person isn¡¯t interested in me, there¡¯s a good chance I¡¯ll be stuck in this mess no matter what. It¡¯s a miracle that this person found me, a miracle that I was able to manage the discussion, a miracle that this person was a strong figure in this village, a miracle that this person came to me before I was killed, all these miracles added up to make me the person I am today.


    ¡°Have you been thinking?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well. I¡¯m just toasting the miracle of meeting you.¡±


    ¡°Ooh? That¡¯s a pretty cute thing to say. But it might be the only time you can say that, right?¡±


    ¡°The time is right, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    I can only say that it¡¯s really the right time. I don¡¯t know what this person¡¯s purpose is right now, but since she¡¯s still keeping me alive, which she could have killed many times if she had wanted to, she must have some kind of purpose. There is of course the possibility that she will eventually abandon me and throw me to the curb, so I¡¯m just going to make the best preparations I can to survive no matter what happens in the future.


    ¡°I mean, it¡¯s time to stop being so speculative. Let¡¯s keep it simple.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s better since we¡¯re going to be living together. Well, where should I begin?¡±


    ¡°Your name. I haven¡¯t heard your name.¡±


    The woman made a frown at my words and then began to laugh in amusement. What, she can also make a normal expression? It¡¯s an amazing gap for a woman who was only showing a dangerous gaze and expression to show that kind of expression unexpectedly.


    ¡°That¡¯s right! You were right! I¡¯m sorry, not many people around here don¡¯t know my name. I¡¯d completely forgotten the custom of telling you my name.¡±


    The woman laughs, even with tears in the corner of her eyes; what was so funny about it. Yeah, what a great thing to laugh so innocently like this. Was it something that made people speechless when they saw something too beautiful?


    ¡°My name is Sylphiel, one of the guardians of the Black Forest. I hear humans call me the Witch of the Black Forest.¡± [T/n: ¥·¥ë¥Õ¥£¥¨¥ë = Shirufieru.]


    ¡°Sylphiel¡­ That is a pretty name.¡±


    It¡¯s an honest impression. When I hear her name alone, she¡¯s kind of a fine, pure maiden. In reality, she¡¯s a nice buddy brown elf (looks like she has killed a few people).


    ¡°What¡¯s with that delicate face?¡±


    ¡°To be honest, just hearing your name makes you sound like a maiden.¡±


    ¡°Hmph, I was a pure maiden once, too. I¡¯m still a maiden, though; it¡¯s just my body¡­ What¡¯s with your eyes? Do you want to check it out?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d love to do that, by all means, but I¡¯m afraid of what happens afterward, so I¡¯ll pass.¡±


    If I get too carried away, she¡¯ll break my neck.


    ¡°What is it? You¡¯re so boring. What should I call you?¡±


    ¡°You can call me Kosuke. Should I call you Sylphy? Or is it master?¡± [T/n: ¥·¥ë¥Õ¥£ = Shirufi.]


    ¡°When we¡¯re alone, I¡¯m fine with Sylphy, but on the outside, I think the master would be a better choice.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. Basically, I¡¯ll just call you master, then.¡±


    Sylphy gives me a strange look when I easily accepted the call her master.


    ¡°You have such low pride, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°You fool, I¡¯m not that low. I know you and I had a bad encounter, but I understand that I would have been a corpse that night. You saved my life. I don¡¯t know if you had a purpose in doing that, but I¡¯m pretty sure you saved my life. Then I would at least consider the position of the person who protected me.¡±


    ¡°¡­I see. What an admirable guy.¡±


    Sylphy smiles. Hey, stop, don¡¯t give me that look. You haven¡¯t been feminine lately, and I¡¯ve been experiencing some pretty normal survival situations where I¡¯m aware of my own death, so I¡¯m in some trouble. Consider that.


    ¡°Uh, hmm¡­ I think it¡¯s time to ask what¡¯s the purpose of having me around?¡±


    ¡°No particular reason. If I had to answer that question, I¡¯d say it was for fun.¡±


    ¡°That smells like bullshit.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a shame; I¡¯m not going to lie to you. I¡¯m interested in who you are, your circumstances, your abilities, your knowledge, that sort of thing. The rest is just a matter of intuition.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ could it be that this kind of thing is sometimes happening in this world? Someone like me that wandered in from some other world?¡±


    ¡°Ooh, how did you come up with that?¡±


    Sylphy raises one eyebrow and smirks. ¡°Yes, I think that is more like you,¡± she says.


    ¡°There¡¯s a story about that in my world for entertainment¡­ It¡¯s not something that actually happened; it¡¯s just a fantasy made into a story. Oh, no, I can tell you that there is something similar to that in the old stories, too.¡±


    In a sense, Urashima Taro is some kind of otherworldly transfer thing. Momotaro and Kintaro also look like reincarnation stuff, depending on how you look at it. The stories about being spirited away also have a different world transition feel about them.


    ¡°Hmm, I see. In conclusion, such stories do exist. In the Holy Kingdom, it¡¯s said that the chief god Adol sometimes sends apostles from the divine world, and there are similar stories in the Empire. It is said that among the elves, through the spirit world, there are rare occasions when a wanderer appears from the other world. Such ones, they say, appear at the boundary between the forest and the outside world.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see?¡±


    The place I was standing when I came to this world; that¡¯s the very ¡°border between the forest and the outside world.¡±


    ¡°What kind of being is a lost person in the elven tradition?¡±


    ¡°They say they come to the distressed forests to bring victory to the forest people. Wouldn¡¯t it be nice if Kosuke had that kind of power?¡±


    ¡°Eeh¡­ I don¡¯t want people to expect that from me.¡±


    I¡¯m just a civilian who likes to play games for a bit. Isn¡¯t that kind of thing the job of the military or academics or politicians?


    ¡°But you have some mysterious power, don¡¯t you? It would be a pleasure for me to know that.¡±


    ¡°That being said, this one is my lifeline¡­¡±


    I think desperately about it while holding back. I can either open it all up, or I can disclose only some of my abilities. Not disclosing at all is not an option. If I don¡¯t show a certain amount of self-worth and cooperation here, I could lose her protection. If that happens, there is no way for me to survive.


    I glanced at Sylphy¡¯s condition. Sylphy was grinning with a generous smile. Shit, this woman is really like to tease.


    ¡°Let me think some more about revealing everything to the public.¡±


    ¡°Fumu. Are you saying that I cannot cooperate? Should you return me the favor?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not saying that. I¡¯m grateful to you, and I owe you a debt of gratitude. But I still don¡¯t know who you are, what you think, what you want. What I know, what I¡¯m capable of, is probably very dangerous, depending on how I use it. I don¡¯t even know how far I, as an outsider, can meddle in this world. I can¡¯t leave everything to you under those circumstances.¡±


    ¡°Your mouth works very well. It¡¯s a shame I can¡¯t block it up.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re more than welcome to cover it with your lips.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. I¡¯ll try it later.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but swallow my breath when I saw Sylphy with a bewitching smile on her face. It can¡¯t be helped; I like her a lot.


    ¡°But you do have a point. It¡¯s good to be thoughtful. But that doesn¡¯t mean you don¡¯t have anything to say, does it?¡±


    ¡°Of course. First, let me introduce you to this ability.¡±


    I pull out the chains, stone spear, stone ax, and hammock I mentioned earlier and show them to her from my inventory.


    ¡°The inventory is my ability. It¡¯s a special storage space where you can store a variety of things. Weapons, materials, food and water, and other bulky or heavy items can be stored in this space. I¡¯m still testing how much and how big and heavy I can fit in there. I¡¯ve only been using it since I arrived in this world, and I¡¯ve only been using it for three days.¡±


    ¡°Hou¡­ that¡¯s a handy ability.¡±


    There is a dangerous light in Sylphy¡¯s eyes. Stop with those eyes; your beauty is ruined. As I was thinking about this, Sylphy took the stone spear I produced.


    ¡°Fumu¡­ crude spear, but it¡¯s sharp enough to kill a living thing. Did you make it yourself?¡±


    ¡°¡­Well, yeah.¡±


    Not good.


    ¡°Hmm? And this stone ax? That took a lot of work, didn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°¡­Well, you¡¯re right.¡±


    I told her to some extent when we first discussed how I lived in my former world. Can a man who has been living peacefully in a safe environment, surrounded by useful tools, make a beautifully crafted stone spear in just three days? Without any tools, and that¡¯s exactly what I did, only wood and stone. I don¡¯t need to think about that. No.


    ¡°Kuku¡­ I think that¡¯s enough of the pursuit. You should be a little more cautious.¡±


    ¡°Thank you very much.¡±


    Yikes! I¡¯m totally exposed. I should have gotten the rocks and grass out, too! I¡¯m really a fool! I don¡¯t know how far Sylphy understood it, but I think she guessed that I was capable of making these kinds of processed products easily in some way.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re going to be a good luggage carrier. That¡¯s enough for now. It¡¯s not easy to carry a big catch on a hunt anyway.¡±


    ¡°Ah, the prey of the hunt¡­ Hmm, how much help can I be?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I hunted one lizard called Lizarf or something like that, which is like a lizard and a wolf divided by two. I don¡¯t know if I could put an entire animal carcass in my inventory because I didn¡¯t put it in my inventory intact. Part of the inventory function is to dismantle the prey, and in the case of the Lizarf, I took the meat, bones, and skin out of the animal and stored it. When I took it all out, all that was left was a puddle of blood.¡±


    ¡°Err, a puddle of blood, huh?¡±


    Apparently, Sylphy had found the pool of blood I had left behind. Could it be that she found me by following that trail? I guess an amateur cover-up might not fool the professionals, after all.


    ¡°How much did you get? Let me see.¡±


    ¡°Okay, but I can¡¯t just throw the meat out there. If I held it with my bare hands, it¡¯d get damaged pretty quick.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s it. Wait a minute.¡±


    I watch as Sylphy goes to get some dishes or something to put the meat on. I really have a platter of processed wood in my inventory or something, but I don¡¯t want to show too much of my skills deliberately. I feel like it¡¯s already too late, though.


    ¡°Put it out on top of this.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    I toss the Lizarf meat onto the wooden platter that Sylphy brought with her. That¡¯s about four kilograms of meat in total.


    ¡°Is that all of it?¡±


    ¡°I ate some, but that¡¯s all of it. And these all the bones and skin.¡±


    I¡¯m not going to tell her that I used bone, skin, and tendon for the composite bow. That is my trump card.


    ¡°Fumu¡­ no internal organs? That¡¯s a little more meat for it, but¡­ where is the other part?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. All I know is that it¡¯s all the Lizarf meat.¡±


    Yeah, I was just going through it too, I think, that¡¯s it. When I get the meat from the disassembly function, it¡¯s stored in my inventory as a chunk of meat, about five hundred grams apiece. I ate two pieces, so I got roughly five kilograms of meat from the Lizarf. But each piece of meat looks about the same. Is it automatically molded into a piece of meat? No, it seems kind of like loin-like meat.


    ¡°Well, it looks like a slice of easy meat to eat¡­ Let¡¯s try this one today.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. How many pieces do you want to use?¡±


    ¡°Two pieces should be more than enough. So, is this all the bones and skin you have?¡±


    Isn¡¯t that a small amount for a single one, not to mention? Sylphy asks me. Yeah, she¡¯s sharp.


    ¡°I did spend some of it, yeah. I want to keep it quiet about what I spent it on.¡±


    ¡°¡­Well, that¡¯s all right. We¡¯re going hunting tomorrow. All right?¡±


    ¡°Aye aye, ma¡¯am. I¡¯m hungry, by the way.¡±


    I¡¯m hungry because I walked to the village without eating breakfast. I don¡¯t know what time it is because I can¡¯t just take out my phone to check the time in front of Sylphy, but it¡¯s almost noon. The tea has quenched my thirst, but my hunger isn¡¯t so good.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s try it right away. I¡¯ll take care of it.¡±


    Naturally, Sylphy said that and sat down on what looked like a wicker couch. Right, I¡¯m a pathetic slave, right? It¡¯s impossible for a master to cook for a slave, isn¡¯t it? I understand.


    ¡°¡­Master, could you please teach this poor slave how to use the cooking utensils and spices?¡±


    ¡°Well, I guess I have no choice. Learn it all in one session, okay?¡±


    The kind master let out a sigh and got up from the couch.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±

 CH 6

    Here¡¯s another chapter brought to you by Patreon, enjoy~


    I stand in the kitchen with Sylphy and listen to her explanation of the seasonings in this world. I understood the salt, but I¡¯m not sure about the others. There seemed to be an abundance of spices, so I actually got to lick a few of them. I first understood the pepper, chili pepper, mustard, cinnamon, garlic, and ginger-like stuff. But I¡¯m not sure about the others.


    Also, there was no sugar, but there was some kind of honey-like stuff. It was sweet and thick, but the flavor was different from honey. Could it be the honey of a flower? And there was no soy sauce or miso as well. Well, yeah.


    ¡°What do you eat for your staple food?¡±


    ¡°We knead this and then bake it.¡±


    When she said that, Sylphy pointed her finger at what looked like a large burlap sack. I opened it and looked inside. There¡¯s a silky powder in it. Is it something like flour?


    ¡°Hmm, I¡¯ll try it anyway.¡±


    For now, I¡¯m going to shred the chicken-like Lizarf meat, sprinkle it with salt and mix it with honey. It¡¯s chicken-like, and I think the sweet and spicy seasoning would go well with it. Then I chop up a piece of garlic and rub it into the meat.


    Leaving the meat as it is to let the flavors blend in, I check the vegetables. There¡¯s a lot of stuff, but I don¡¯t know how to eat it. There are root vegetables, leafy greens, cabbage-like ones, fruit-like ones, and so on, but I don¡¯t know how to eat them.


    ¡°Which one can be eaten raw and has a crisp texture?¡±


    ¡°That round cabbage or that thick black daikon.¡±


    Sylphy points to a bright red cabbage-like vegetable and a daikon-like vegetable. Hmm, let¡¯s try the red cabbage. Using a knife from the kitchen, I cut the red cabbage, or the cabbage, in half, takes out the core, and then shred it a bit. Yes, it¡¯s a cabbage though it¡¯s red.


    There was also a purple onion, so I tried it too. Yes, it¡¯s just a typical red onion. Is the spiciness a little strong? Also, it¡¯s red or purple on the inside. Hmm, I¡¯ll use these too. I cut them both into strips.


    I¡¯ll skip the black thick daikon or daikon-san for today.


    ¡°The problem is this one¡­ the flour is kinda different.¡±


    I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s flour or cornmeal or something else, but I¡¯m sure it will harden if I knead it with water and heat it up. So I tried kneading a small amount of it with water. Hmm, it was not so sticky. Well, that¡¯s okay.


    I looked at Sylphy, and she was watching me with a grin on her face while drinking something straightly from a ceramic bottle. What¡¯s that, alcohol? Damn, just because you¡¯re in good standing, huh? Master?


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you, I¡¯ve never seen any of these ingredients in my life. So I don¡¯t know if things go wrong.¡±


    ¡°What? Well, we¡¯ll know about that later anyway.¡±


    Sylphy is still grinning. With all these seasonings and vegetables, she must be able to cook reasonably well, but she¡¯s not going to interfere. That¡¯s fine, that¡¯s fine, I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going to happen anyway!


    Sylphy lit the furnace, but it¡¯s hard to adjust the heat. You have to be careful because if you throw too much wood into the fire, it¡¯s going to be super hot¡­ For now, I¡¯m going to try dropping a little bit of grain flour that has been loosely dissolved in water on top of the hot frying pan. Yeah, is it really flour-like? Well yeah, It¡¯s probably flour. When I dropped a little more of it, the thin dough was baked just as I expected.


    ¡°I think you¡¯re grabbing it too much.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve dealt with this stuff, remember?¡±


    While dealing with some jeers, I grill the meat to blend the flavors. I cooked the meat thoroughly and sprinkled salt for taste. It may not be enough, but if it¡¯s the first time, it should be good. I add a little water to the pan after frying, then make a sauce or something similar and put it on a small plate.


    Then I bake the dough with melted grain flour to make thin bread¨Da tortilla-like shape. Then bake all over. I bake six slices and stack them on a platter. I put them on the table with a plate of chopped vegetables, a plate of thin bread, and a plate of grilled meat.


    ¡°Fumu, how do you eat this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s like this, and then this.¡±


    I put chopped veggies on top of a large thin slice of bread, put a lot of meat on top of it, and present it wrapped around a little bit of sauce. It¡¯s a Lizarf meat taco¡­ No, it¡¯s a burrito-like taco.


    ¡°You can just go and gobble it up.¡±


    ¡°Fumu¡­.¡±


    Sylphy did as I asked and took a bite of the capris and burritos. She chewed for a while and then swallowed it.


    ¡°Not bad.¡±


    ¡°I see. Can I have a bite, too?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    I rolled up the burrito and ate it too after getting master¡¯s permission. Yeah, the texture of the crispy cabbage and purple onions is good. The flavor of the slightly thickened Lizarf meat is okay, too. I want to use a little more stimulation, so I bring some peppers and chilies from the kitchen. Sylphy was a little under-stimulated also and started using the chili.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s just okay. I think it¡¯s pretty good for a first-timer that use these ingredients.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, not bad. Maybe you could wrap it up in leaves and take it with you for lunch.¡±


    ¡°Maybe if you make it in the morning and eat it for lunch. Beyond that, I¡¯m afraid of food poisoning.¡±


    ¡°Sure. But why don¡¯t you keep it in your inventory?¡±


    ¡°I dunno. Let¡¯s see if the food I¡¯ve put in my inventory is damaged¡­ or if I can leave a slice of raw meat in my inventory.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. The rest of them just need a good pinch of salt to keep them fresh for a few days.¡±


    We discuss my inventory function over burritos. And then I roll up the burrito for Sylphy. Yes, I¡¯m a slave, so I have no choice. This is the least I can do since she lets me live here.


    ¡°Well, well, it wasn¡¯t bad food. I¡¯m going out; you just stay here and be quiet. You¡¯re not a child, so you know what¡¯s right and wrong, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine. I¡¯ll be very quiet.¡±


    She told me where the bathroom is, and there¡¯s nothing to worry about. I don¡¯t know what Sylphy will do, but she said I should accompany her on a hunt tomorrow. It doesn¡¯t sound like she¡¯s going to decide to execute me anyway.


    There are also some crafting menus and inventory-related things I want to examine while Sylphy is out there. It¡¯s a win-win situation.


    ¡°Be a good boy, okay?¡±


    After saying that, Sylphy left the house. And then, after a short food break, I started to move as well.


    ¡°If I were to measure the passage of time in my inventory, this would be the best way to do it.¡±


    I ignited the rest of the fire in the crater and put it away in my inventory. Then a burning crater is added to my inventory. Even if I wait for a while, the burning crater is still there. It won¡¯t extinguish.


    When I put it out on the furnace¡¯s ashes, it looked almost the same as when it was ignited. It was quickly burned out, though.


    ¡°Hmm, I can¡¯t be certain yet¡­¡±


    The theory is that time is stopped when stored in the inventory. When I was thrown out into this world with my clothes on, I thought to myself what a shitty game it was, but I¡¯m relieved to see that the inventory characteristics were in easy mode.


    I make a large number of ignited craters and store them in my inventory. So, goodbye to troublesome ignition. And goodbye to the pump-drill igniter. No, I¡¯ll keep it in my inventory because I might use it.


    Once I¡¯ve finished experimenting with my inventory, I can now play around with the crafting menu. Unfortunately, there¡¯s no particular creation that¡¯s growing. No, the number of crafting items made from Lizarf bones, skins, and fangs has been increasing, but I¡¯m passing them off as they seem to be close in performance to those made of stone. I¡¯ll at least make some arrows made from Lizarf fangs. There¡¯s no shortage of arrows. But when it comes to making iron, I¡¯ll be able to make arrows with an iron arrowhead¡­ Well, it might be useful in tomorrow¡¯s hunt, so I¡¯ll make one.


    Since the composite bow is my trump card at the moment, I¡¯ll make an ordinary bow that can be used to show Sylphy a regular bow. I¡¯d like to train my bow as well. I can¡¯t train with a bow in the room, and if I do, Sylphy will probably kill me if I make a hole in the wall. Not figuratively, but seriously.


    Then there¡¯s nothing to do¡­ No, let¡¯s check out the house first, and if there doesn¡¯t seem to be a bed for me to sleep in, I¡¯ll make a bed for myself. She¡¯ll at least allow me to hang a hammock.


    That¡¯s why I¡¯m going to explore the inside of Sylphy¡¯s house. However, I can only take a peek at all the rooms except for the living room and bathroom because of her privacy. I don¡¯t have any special propensity to go around in women¡¯s rooms and pick up their clothes and underwear, either.


    Sylphy¡¯s house was large, but the layout wasn¡¯t too difficult to figure out. At the far end of the living room is Sylphy¡¯s bedroom; next to it is a storage room, or rather a storage room that seems to be used for storing household goods. Then there is a toilet at the end of the corridor that leads from the living room and a slightly larger garden in the back. The garden is made of hardened soil, so it looks more like a playground rather than a garden. And there was another storage shed of sorts on the plot. It was locked, and I couldn¡¯t get in, though.


    ¡°Fumu¡­ I wonder where I will sleep?¡±


    I think it would be effective to hang a hammock in the living room or in the corner of the living space where there is a kitchen with an earthen floor. Or maybe in the locked storage shed in the garden? I guess that¡¯s about it.


    Anyway, the hammock will be hung in the room. I¡¯m gonna need a hammock stand.


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure there¡¯s one on the crafting menu.¡±


    I make a hammock stand out of wood and further craft a freestanding hammock by combining it with a pre-made hammock.


    ¡°Hou¡­ Yeah, not bad.¡±


    When I set it up in the garden and laid down on it, it was quite comfortable. The freestanding hammock is constructed so that the ends are spread out with wooden sticks, which wasn¡¯t the case when I was hanging it from a tree, so my body doesn¡¯t curl up as much, and it¡¯s more comfortable to sleep. But I was able to sleep in that one, hiding in less space over there¡­ I¡¯ll also make the original hammock, too anyway.


    After I finish my hammock crafting appointment, I walked every inch of the yard. Stones and grass will be used as crafting materials, so I¡¯ll keep collecting them. Even a small pebble can be used to make arrows if I collect enough of them. Grass also becomes material for ropes and hammocks, so it won¡¯t go to waste.


    Once most of the materials have been collected, I open the crafting menu and create more and more intermediate materials. What is an intermediate material is, for example, if I make a hammock, I craft it from grass to fiber, then I craft more fiber to rope, and from there, I make a hammock out of multiple ropes. In this case, the fiber from the grass and the rope made from the fiber is the hammock¡¯s intermediate material. I sit in my hammock in the garden and use the crafting menu to make a bunch of those materials. By doing this, I can save time when I¡¯m making something.


    And as I make more intermediates, new crafting items may be added to the menu. I silently make gravel and stone blades from stone, sand from gravel, and so on.


    ¡°Hmm, not much more.¡±


    I stuffed the cotton made from the fiber into a bag that was also made from fiber and grumbled to myself as I cushioned it. I didn¡¯t get as many craftable items as I expected, whether it was the lack of some essential tool or merely a lack of material.


    ¡°Hmm, what a disappointment.¡±


    I mutter to myself as I play with my newly made weapon, the Bola.


    The Bola is a weapon that looks like a trident chain weight made of rope and stone. A stone is tied to the end of the trident rope, and by throwing it while spinning it, you can capture your opponent. Of course, it¡¯s very painful to hit someone with it as such.


    I¡¯ve never actually used it, so I don¡¯t know how effective it is, but there¡¯s nothing better than being prepared with something like this, right? It¡¯s probably a bit better than just throwing stones.


    As I took out each and every weapon I would use for the hunt and checked them out, Sylphy came back. She comes out into the garden and grins at the free-standing hammock and the crude weapons laid out on the ground.


    ¡°That¡¯s a pretty good collection. Can you use it?¡±


    ¡°If you mean whether or not it has the ability to kill as a weapon, then yes. The stone spear definitely pierced the Lizarf¡¯s oral cavity, and the stone ax was powerful enough to break its head. I haven¡¯t tried the bow, but it¡¯s proven to be powerful enough to pierce a tree. And in terms of whether I can use it, I¡¯m not sure I¡¯m good with it, to be honest. I¡¯m an ordinary person who has never trained to handle a weapon like this, let alone have a decent fight in a fistfight.¡±


    ¡°I see. Some of those things are very unusual, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, this was called Bola.¡±


    I explained the whole process of how to use the Bola, which Sylphy showed interest in. Then Sylphy liked the Bola and asked me to give her one. I still have the materials, and I can make a crafting arrangement in the back of the house, so I¡¯ll just give it to her. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be able to use it better than I am.


    ¡°Can you make anything else?¡±


    While grinning, Sylphy asks me a question. Now, I don¡¯t know what the intention of the question is, but I¡¯m not sure if I should answer it honestly. I¡¯m afraid to tell Sylphy everything at this point. I¡¯m still not sure what Sylphy¡¯s purpose in protecting me is. However, if I tell her the truth, and she thinks it¡¯s actually worth her time, my life might be safe. It¡¯s a difficult decision.


    ¡°I can create a lot of things. But I can¡¯t make something out of nothing. Of course, to make something out of anything, it needs the right materials.¡±


    ¡°Hou¡­ all you¡¯ve got here are stone weapons, but can you make metal weapons too?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. As I said before, I¡¯ve only been on this side of the world for a few days. I don¡¯t even know what I¡¯m capable of.¡±


    My head spins as I muddle through the conversation at random. She has definitely already figured out that my abilities are not just inventory. It¡¯s safe to assume that she has a general idea of what I¡¯m talking about based on my words and actions. I¡¯m sure that hiding it overtly here would be distrustful.


    And I¡¯m almost certain that I¡¯ll be in Sylphy¡¯s care for some time to come. Since this woman seems to be interested in me, I should try to keep her interested in me as long as possible. I think this woman probably likes interesting things, or perhaps she¡¯s just hungry for some amusement. Then I should continue to fulfill that.


    ¡°However¨D¨D.¡±


    ¡°However?¡±


    ¡°I think I have a good prospect of being able to make a metal product. But I don¡¯t have the materials to test it out. More specifically, iron ore and fuel.¡±


    ¡°Fumu, the materials, huh¡­?¡±


    Sylphy put her hand to her chin and thought about it. It seemed to grab her interest for now.


    ¡°I have a guess about the iron ore, but the fuel is the problem. You can¡¯t just smelt iron with firewood, can you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. My common sense won¡¯t allow me to do that, but I might be able to make it with my ability. But generally speaking, I think we¡¯ll need coke made from processed coal, or at the very least some charcoal. Either way, I won¡¯t know until I try it.¡±


    ¡°Fumu¡­ Can¡¯t you just try it now?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to have some iron ore. Or scrap metal.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ve got something for you.¡±


    Then Sylphy grinned. It was an incredibly evil-looking smile. Scary!

 CH 7

    Here¡¯s the chapter, enjoy~


    Sylphy walked briskly to the locked shed at the end of the yard. Then she unlocked the door and opened it. At that moment, I couldn¡¯t help but frown at the smell wafting from inside.


    ¡°Oeekk¡­ what¡¯s that smell?¡±


    ¡°The spoils of war.¡±


    With a grin, Sylphy stepped back from the entrance to the storage room, and she turned her gaze into it. Inside the storage room were all rusted and rotting swords, armor, shields, and other weapons. I could tell at a glance that none of them were likely to be of any use. Or rather, what¡¯s this smell¡­?


    ¡°Hey, wasn¡¯t that armor originally covered in a lot of blood? That sword and that helmet, too.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, they¡¯re a pain in the ass to clean.¡±


    Moreover, none of the armor and helmets in the storeroom seem to be in Sylphy¡¯s size. And the word ¡°spoils of war.¡± If I take all those things into account, I don¡¯t need to think deeply about these armor¡¯s origins.


    ¡°You want me to use these? I think I¡¯m going to be cursed with something.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s a good point! Certainly, it is said that armor belonging to a dead man can have that kind of power.¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s scary.¡±


    ¡°But it shouldn¡¯t be a problem if you melt them down. It will lose its original form, and when the flames purify it, all the curses will be gone.¡±


    ¡°I guess that¡¯s true, though¡­¡±


    Sylphy¡¯s grin is too suspicious, but I can¡¯t do anything about it because I don¡¯t have any special skills or any magic skills like the curse-seeing eye or anything like that in my hands.


    ¡°Should I try it? But I don¡¯t want to touch it.¡±


    ¡°What? You don¡¯t have to wear it. Just be careful with the weapons.¡±


    ¡°Why do you keep saying that?¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just use your ability to put it away?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re a genius.¡±


    Therefore, I store more and more of the rusty and decaying armor scattered in the storage room, as Sylphy said, in my inventory. It¡¯s great that I can store them without having to touch them if I get a certain amount closer to them.


    Now, let¡¯s check it out.


    [Rusty Sword] x 4. [Rusty Spear] x 3 [Rusty Dagger] x 6 [Rusty hatchet] x 2 [Rusty Shield] x 2 [Rusty helmet] x 2 [Rusty Armor] x2. [Rusty Knee Pad] x 5 [Rusty Gauntlet] x 5 [Cursed Rusty Sword] x 1 [Cursed Rusty Spear] x 2 [Cursed Rusty Helmet] x 3 [Cursed Rusty Armor] x 3


    ¡°Heeeeyyyyy! Seriously, there are some cursed swords and spears and stuff like that¡­?¡±


    ¡°Fumu, I should probably clean this place up once in a while.¡±


    ¡°Why do you react as if you¡¯ve just found a small dirt in your home like that!¡±


    ¡°What? It¡¯s just the same thing. Why don¡¯t you see if you can make a metal weapon out of these things?¡±


    ¡°Eeh¡­ well, I¡¯ll try, but¡­¡±


    The small furnace that was prepared in my storage was placed via installation mode in the corner of the backyard, on the dirt ground with nothing that could ignite around it. Sylphy¡¯s eyebrows twitched as she was startled by the sudden appearance of the small furnace.


    ¡°What on earth was that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a pain in the ass to explain, well, okay, okay, I¡¯ll explain it to you. Unlike hand-held weapons like stone spears, simple facilities like this furnace can be installed directly from my inventory. You see that hammock I used to sleep in when I was in the tree? Like that and then that freestanding hammock I set up over there. I think I¡¯m going to call them installed objects from now.¡±


    Things like hand-held items like stone spears and stone axes are simply items, furnaces, and hammocks, and the rest, which I haven¡¯t installed yet, are installed objects, like clay brick blocks. Maybe something that doesn¡¯t fit into these two categories will come up sooner or later, though.


    ¡°Fumu, I see. Well, you can continue now.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    I open the crafting menu for the installed furnace and examine what it can do. First, it needs fuel to get it up and to run. This can be fueled by anything that can be burned. For example, it can use any piece of wood you can find, fiber made from a piece of wood, rope, hammock, etc. as fuel. However, it seems that the burning time is set according to the item you use as fuel, so at the very least, a piece of wood appears to be the most efficient fuel available.


    However, you can¡¯t refine iron using wood chips as fuel. It seems to be possible to make charcoal by throwing in a piece of wood not as a fuel but as a material. Furthermore, if the charcoal is used as fuel, iron can also be refined.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s what I¡¯ve found out.¡±


    I talk about the verification results while staring into the fire of a small furnace running on a piece of wood as fuel. I stepped on the line to talk about what it could do. Because only I can see the crafting menu, and only I can figure out how much stuff I can make in a certain amount of time. I mean that I can blur the lines between how much material I need and what I can do in a certain amount of time, and by miss out on some of the reports, I can cheat as much as I want. If I miss out on the information too much, it could be judged as ¡°useless,¡± so I need to be careful about that.


    ¡°Fumu, I guess fuel is the problem. However, if it¡¯s fuel, we can find plenty of it in the forest.¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow, we¡¯ll collect fuel while we hunt. I¡¯d like to pick up some iron ore if there is any too.¡±


    ¡°You can pick up iron ore in the mountain stream deep in the forest. Tomorrow we¡¯ll go out there. I¡¯m sure, with your ability, we can carry a lot of it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of that problem.¡±


    And while we were talking about it, the charcoal was finished. Before we had a conversation, I had put in fuel and materials and made a craft reservation for it.


    ¡°Anyway, now that I have the charcoal with the fuel we have on hand, let¡¯s try to refine the iron.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, go ahead.¡±


    I took out the fuel from the wood piece that was still in the furnace and threw in some charcoal as fuel. As I did so, the light emitted by the furnace became stronger than ever before. The heat that was being transmitted from the furnace seemed to have increased as well.


    ¡°That¡¯s pretty intense.¡±


    ¡°Now, it¡¯s just a matter of how much use I can do with it.¡±


    It¡¯s scary to challenge the cursed armor all of a sudden, so I prioritize the rusty armor to melt it down. Weapons can barely be used as they are if I want to use them, so I put them on hold. The armor is definitely unusable, so it¡¯s a priority to use it.


    ¡°But¡­ it¡¯s kind of easy. Refining iron is said to be quite an advanced technology, but¡­?¡±


    ¡°Mine is probably special.¡±


    Yes, mine is definitely special. The refining of iron is a very time-consuming process, to begin with.


    In the first place, there is no way to refine iron with such a small furnace. A furnace that can withstand high temperatures is essential for iron refining, and to make it possible, fire bricks that can withstand high temperatures are necessary, and there are many other intricacies, such as the lack of heat to melt a lump of iron that is not iron sand in charcoal, and the removal of impurities such as sulfur. However, the crafting menu ignores all the troublesome parts and steadily crafts items by consuming the resources of fuel, materials, and time.


    ¡°So that¡¯s it, a refined iron ingot.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what exactly is going on here, but¡­ Fumu, it¡¯s brilliant, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s quite a job to make a usable, pure iron ingot out of useless scrap metal.¡±


    I¡¯m pretty sure that even in my original world, you needed an advanced electric furnace or something to extract good quality iron from steel scrap. I think it¡¯s fantastic that this crafting ability is able to do it with such a small, tiny furnace.


    ¡°Fumu, that¡¯s true. It¡¯s certainly impressive to think that you can make something useful out of garbage. But it¡¯s not the final result, is it?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    Sylphy gave me back the iron ingot, and I continued to refine it further.


    ¡°Ta-da, an anvil, and a hammer!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what they call it when it comes to blacksmithing.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess so. And now that we have a small furnace and an anvil and a hammer, we can make a lot of things.¡±


    I set up the anvil near the furnace and open the crafting menu for the anvil with the hammer. Fumufumu, it looks like I can craft steel equipment by using the anvil, the hammer, the furnace in operation, and an iron ingot as a material.


    ¡°So, you aren¡¯t going to hit the steel?¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t hit it. There¡¯s no way I have the skills to do that.¡±


    ¡°What, that¡¯s boring.¡±


    ¡°Whoa, that¡¯s too fast of a conclusion, young lady. Can you say that after this?¡±


    After saying that, I take out the steel knife, I¡¯ve just crafted. Sylphy, who had a boring expression on her face, has changed to a smile. That smile. I would like to see more of that kind of puffy smile like a flower blooming. Why do you always grin like you¡¯re holding something in your belly?


    ¡°Fumu¡­ That¡¯s not bad.¡±


    As an amateur, I have no idea where and how she looked at it, but Sylphy, who seems to have checked various things, such as looking at the blade in detail and letting her own fingernails touch the blade, muttered to herself. Mm-hm, isn¡¯t that right? I¡¯m useful, right? So feed me, woof. I¡¯m a dog, a dog that shows his master what he¡¯s capable of and sells his charms. Pride? Let the dog eat that. Oh, I¡¯m a dog now, hahaha.


    ¡°I know that, right? I will be able to make a lot of other things, too, maybe.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, you¡¯re working hard.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to die, after all!!¡±


    Simply put, this village is hostile territory. If I took even one step away from this house, I would not be surprised if I was beaten up and then buried. No, it¡¯s just that I¡¯m now Sylphy¡¯s property, and it has been a public spectacle, so I guess I¡¯m safe. It might be okay. But if I lose Sylphy¡¯s protection, then the game is over.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna keep this. I¡¯m gonna use it to convince a bunch of stubborn elders.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    I can still make it before it runs out of fuel. No problem. However, the fuel that I had saved up was gone. Tomorrow I have to gather more fuel.


    I continue crafting until the fuel runs out. Making an iron ingot and making tools from it. That said, there are only two or three more things I could make¡­ and that would be some steel knives and an ax to secure firewood. The ax is good; some say that axes with handles have been used on earth since about 6,000 BC. And the shape of the ax has remained the same from then until my era. Moreover, almost the same type of ax has been invented and used worldwide at the same time. In other words, it is a kind of ¡°perfected tool.¡±


    It is sturdy and reliable and can be used not only for work but also for combat. Most importantly, unlike swords, spears, and bows, it does not require training to use. All you have to do is raise it and strike it. That¡¯s all you need to do.


    ¡°Therefore, here it is. I made one for tomorrow¡¯s exploration.¡±


    ¡°An ax, huh? Nice work.¡±


    Sylphy swings the ax around. Hey, that¡¯s scary.


    ¡°Tomorrow, when we get some fuel and iron ore, make one for me. Is that clear?¡±


    ¡°Aye aye, ma¡¯am.¡±


    She has no intention of getting her own right away. My master is very kind.


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    I¡¯ve noticed that the time to create crafting items that use wood has decreased with the steel hand ax¡¯s acquisition. I see, so this is the kind of benefit I¡¯m getting. So maybe if I have chisels, drills, and other tools, I can shorten the time even more? This might be an excellent way to get a gun on the tool system tools.


    I¡¯m running out of fuel, so I will collect the small furnace and freestanding hammock and go back inside the house. It¡¯s nice to know that the small furnaces I installed can be easily removed and restored in my inventory. Depending on the game, you may need to smash them up with special tools to restore them.


    In the end, I was able to make armor, two helmets, two steel knives, a steel ax, and 20 iron arrowheads, plus three iron ingots and a steel arrowhead. I think I¡¯m almost ready for tomorrow.


    ¡°That¡¯s it for today. We¡¯re running out of fuel.¡±


    ¡°Well, then let¡¯s get some rest. I¡¯m tired of everything, too.¡±


    I crossed my arms in front of my chest, and Sylphy, who had been observing me, turned on her heels toward home. It¡¯s kind of like this; every single of her movement is crisp and clear. I followed with the thought that it would be difficult to outsmart this woman.

 CH 8

    Here¡¯s another one sponsored by Patreon, enjoy~


    After finishing the iron refining process with the small furnace, I am once again in Sylphy¡¯s home. Judging from the slope of the sun, it must be evening soon. The light¡¯s color has not yet turned red, but the sunlight seems to be getting weaker somehow.


    The interior of the room, which doesn¡¯t have so many windows, is somewhat dim, but I don¡¯t feel a sense of desolation or creepiness. But the air is somehow languid; perhaps it is because I¡¯m tired.


    ¡°By the way, where should I sleep? Can I put a hammock in a suitable spot in this living room?¡±


    I asked as we walked back into the house from the garden. Sylphy quickly sat down on the wicker couch and stretched out on it, showing off his toned limbs. Yeah, truly. This woman has a really good body.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind, but¡­ you can sleep with me in my bed, you know?¡±


    ¡°Seriously? That kind of bothers me.¡±


    Sylphy smiles charmingly and sends me a flirtatious glance. I¡¯m too scared to accept it on par. This person is likely able to twist off my neck even with her bare hands.


    ¡°I¡¯m scared, so I¡¯ll refrain from doing so. When we understand each other a little better, I¡¯ll appreciate that sort of thing.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by scared?¡±


    Sylphy¡¯s lips quirked up in frustration. You have a look like that, huh? It¡¯s much cuter than that smirk on your face.


    ¡°I still don¡¯t understand you very well. At first, I thought what a violent woman you are, but when I talked to you, I found you to be a very perceptive person, and for whatever reason, you helped me out. I don¡¯t know why, but you seem to be a person of considerable standing in this village, and as far as I can see from the disturbing spoils of war in the storage room, you¡¯re someone who doesn¡¯t hesitate to use violence. And yet, there are times when you also appear to be somewhat innocent. I don¡¯t understand it, and I can¡¯t figure it out. I mean, I¡¯m afraid to lay my hands on someone like that suddenly.¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    I decided to speak my mind in good earnest, not hiding any of my feelings. It may have been a little teasing for her, but for me, it¡¯s a choice that affects my life. Sylphy is a knowledgeable person¨Dor rather, an elf? Or a dark elf? I¡¯m not that good to express my feelings without words or gestures, so it would be useless for me to try to deceive people by hiding my innermost thoughts. I¡¯ve decided that it¡¯s more effective to reveal my feelings without hiding them openly.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know what it is, and I¡¯d like to know better. I¡¯m sure some things will come to light when we get under each other¡¯s skin, but I think it¡¯s better to talk about things first, don¡¯t you think? As for me, yeah, I don¡¯t have a single complaint about being that way with Sylphy; I¡¯m more of a happy or patient person.¡±


    ¡°For all your long-winded mouthing off about how scared you are, you¡¯re finally lusting after me, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°They say it¡¯s a man¡¯s shame not to eat a meal prepared on the table, so maybe a little.¡±


    ¡°Prepared meal on the table? What does that mean?¡±


    Sylphy tilted her head in puzzlement. Yes, you should show gestures and expressions like that. If I look closely at her, she has a cute face rather than a beautiful one.


    ¡°It¡¯s an old saying in my country that says it¡¯s a shame for a man not to accept a woman¡¯s call.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you mean, when the furnace is ready, it¡¯s time to put the dough in the furnace?¡±


    ¡°I guess there are similar sayings and idioms in every country and every world.¡±


    It¡¯s so funny that I can¡¯t help but laugh. After all, even if we live in different places and even if we live in different worlds, what we do and what we say is the same.


    ¡°Hmm, then, let¡¯s discuss this carefully. Fortunately, I just need to eat dinner and go to bed now.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Well, let¡¯s talk about my world¡¯s view of chastity and love first. That is the topic now.¡±


    Sylphy grinned as if she was looking forward to hearing about the other world, no matter what it is. I don¡¯t see any feelings of embarrassment or anything at all from her, even though it¡¯s a relatively sensitive topic!


    ¡°Not so bad. But, you see, what¡¯s that love thingy? I know what chastity is, though.¡±


    ¡°Eh? It¡¯s love, you know? Love. Don¡¯t elves have a love story or stuff like that?¡±


    Sylphy only made a dubious expression at my question. Eh, seriously? Doesn¡¯t the concept of love exist in this world? Are you kidding me?


    ¡°Love, I know what you mean by that, well, I understand it as a concept. I¡¯ve never been in love with anyone. So I don¡¯t really understand what love actually means. What on earth is that?¡±


    ¡°Eeh¡­ it¡¯s hard to tell what it is again. It¡¯s the stage before reaching love, or something like that? The opposite sex¨Dmaybe not necessarily the opposite sex in some cases, but a state of mind where all you can think about is the other person, and you can¡¯t get anything out of them anyway?¡±


    ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t that simply lusting after that person?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s actually a bull¡¯s eye! That sounds like something a platonic, romantic supremacist would attack you with a weapon! Well, okay, it¡¯s a pain in the ass to explain any more, so tell me about chastity and love in this world. I might be able to explain a lot more after I hear you talk about it.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s okay.¡±


    With that, Sylphy began to talk about the relationship between men and women in this world.


    To summarize, polygamy is the basic principle. The death rate is high because men often work in dangerous jobs, and women are less likely to do so. This means that many women are widowed, and those women are often welcomed as second and third wives. Furthermore, people in this world are basically childless because of the lack of entertainment available about that kind of stuff.


    Daughters of first marriages are generally stable, but widows who have lost their husbands are not so firm. Not many women able to have sexual intercourse because of the husband¡¯s death, and they usually marry a new man. Apparently, men who provide for many such widows tend to be respected in the world.


    ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s quite¡­ no, that¡¯s considerably far off from my common sense.¡±


    ¡°In your world, you said it¡¯s a virtue to be with just one person. Even royalty and aristocrats don¡¯t live like that today, huh?¡±


    ¡°U-umu.¡±


    As for me, I can¡¯t help but groan. It is said that you should follow the land rules, but it is still hard to violate the common sense that I have developed so far.


    ¡°For the time being, I¡¯m going to ask you based on that common sense¡­ You¡¯re a virgin, aren¡¯t you? Isn¡¯t it hard for you to carry yourself?¡±


    I don¡¯t know if ¡°Virgin¡± in this case simply means first marriage or if it means that Sylphy is a virgin, but I wonder if it¡¯s a good idea to casually permitting one¡¯s body to call oneself a maiden.


    ¡°Does it take logic for a man to want a woman and a woman to want a man?¡±


    ¡°What kind of animal is that?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s not much difference between humans and animals anyway.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so philosophical! Okay, okay, I¡¯m done talking about this! Let¡¯s talk about something else!¡±


    Sylphy smirked at me. I feel like I¡¯m slowly being cornered. It¡¯s dangerous; I have to get away! But there¡¯s nowhere to run, even if I wanted to! Is it a dead end? Yeah, let¡¯s talk about it as much as we can in a moderate direction. It¡¯s the least I can do.


    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped, can it? Well, how about some foreign countries? The situation in neighboring countries is a topic that directly affects you as well, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. I¡¯ve heard it lightly, but I¡¯d like to hear more about it.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ I mentioned that the Holy Kingdom and the Empire are fighting each other, didn¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I heard that. I heard that the Holy Kingdom is a human supremacy country, and the empire is a multi-ethnic country. And they¡¯re fighting over the fertile land on their borders, and they have a quagmire with internal worries of rebellion and stuff; I think it was something like that.¡±


    ¡°Umu, there¡¯s no mistake in that perception. Let¡¯s start with the Holy Kingdom¨D¨D.¡±


    Sylphy gave me a brief overview of the Holy Kingdom. To summarize, the Holy Kingdom is a barbaric religious country. It is headed by the Holy King who believes in Adol, the absolute only God, and who was given the kingship by Adol.


    Adol creates Sub-humans as servants of humans, so it is only natural for them to obey humans as slaves. Long live human supremacy! And so on.


    ¡°According to them, beings like us, who are not purely human, are the servants that God created to serve humans.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s pretty spectacular, isn¡¯t it? What do they base that on, anyway?¡±


    ¡°Humans can have children with any sub-human. Sub-humans can only have children with other sub-humans of the same species. In other words, humans are the ancestors of all sub-humans. Conversely, the gods created sub-humans after they created humans, which is why they made sub-humans to serve humans or something like that.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? It doesn¡¯t seem to make sense¡­¡±


    I think the position could be reversed, depending on how one interprets it. It could be said that the sub-humans are the evolutionary lineage of humans.


    This human/subhuman origin story has a kind of science fiction feel to it. It sounds like sub-humans are genetically modified based on humans, or something like that. If their claims are valid, then it sounds like a being like Adol has advanced genetic improvement technology.


    ¡°What¡¯s the Empire like?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s not much I can tell you about the Empire; it is too far from here, after all. It¡¯s going to take three months on foot to get from the Black Forest to the border area between the Holy Kingdom and the Empire¨Dthe very place that is now a battlefield.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s quite a distance.¡±


    I¡¯ve heard that the distance a person can walk in a day without difficulty is about 30km. If you walk for three months without resting, it will be 900km in one month and 2700km in three months¡­ It doesn¡¯t ring a bell, but it¡¯s a considerable distance.


    ¡°I¡¯ve only heard of it through the grapevine, but I¡¯ve heard that the Empire is governed by an emperor who has many states under his control, and the slave trade is thriving. I¡¯ve heard that the slave trade is rampant and that people from the north and east of the continent of Pence are actively traded. Humans and subhumans alike.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t feel like human supremacy, does it?¡±


    ¡°Umu, from what I¡¯ve heard, there isn¡¯t much discrimination based on being human or subhuman. However, I heard that money and status are very important in everything you do. However, it seems that the treatment of the slave is not so good. I¡¯ve heard that there are many slave rebellions.¡±


    ¡°I wish you wouldn¡¯t mistreat me to cause me to revolt. I mean, it¡¯s more economical to treat people a certain way.¡±


    ¡°Fumu, that¡¯s a statement worth considering.¡±


    ¡°It would be nice if you did.¡±


    I think a win-win relationship is the best way to go, yes.


    ¡°I think we¡¯re getting thirsty talking like this.¡±


    With those words, Sylphy pulled out two ceramic bottles from the cupboard near the window and handed me one. When she dropped it down, I could tell that it was filled with a liquid that splashed around inside.


    ¡°Honey booze, well, drink it.¡±


    ¡°Booze, huh? I¡¯m not very strong on booze, you know?¡±


    I take the cork-like cap, following Sylphy¡¯s example, who drinks it straightly from the bottle, while I take a glass to drink the honey wine. It¡¯s sweet! I was expecting honey, but it¡¯s a completely different kind of sweetness from the sticky, creamy honey. It¡¯s different from honey. It smells very light and refreshing. It has a refreshing sweetness like the flower¡¯s nectar. I think the alcohol is quite strong as it goes down the throat. It does not seem to be lower than beer.


    ¡°It¡¯s pretty strong. I think I¡¯m going to drunk if I drink a bottle of this.¡±


    ¡°What a weak guy. This is no better than water.¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯re a heavy drinker, huh?¡±


    Let me explain! A heavy drinker is a creature with a strong liver and no trouble at all with alcohol consumption! Also known as someone who can drink like a fish. Some of them will push alcoholic drinks on you with their own scale of ¡°I¡¯m okay, so you¡¯ll be okay too,¡± so be careful if you meet them!


    ¡°It¡¯s sweet and strong for me, anyway. Let me put some water on it.¡±


    ¡°You want to add more water?¡±


    That being said, it¡¯s hard to drink as it is. I poured the liquor into the wooden tumbler I had crafted beforehand and used a plastic bottle of water to dilute it. It¡¯s just right, about twice as much.


    ¡°Is that a water bottle?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s a common material in my world. Not very tough, but pretty good at taking impacts.¡±


    If you damage it with a blade, it will be torn easily, but it won¡¯t be damaged if you drop it. In this way, the plastic bottle is very useful material.


    ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s an interesting material. It¡¯s soft yet strong and transparent. What on earth is it made of?¡±


    ¡°The material for plastic bottles, huh? ¡­I don¡¯t know much about it either, but I think the original material was oil. Oil which comes out of the ground.¡±


    ¡°How could oil become a container like this? I¡¯m not sure I understand how it works.¡±


    Sylphy smiles as she fiddles with the plastic bottle. Somehow, she seems to be more curious than most people.


    ¡°There¡¯s a lot of them. You can keep some of them or store them in a place where they won¡¯t be exposed to direct sunlight for a long time.¡±


    ¡°Really? Water in a water jug can go bad in three days at the most.¡±


    ¡°That thing is well sterilized and sealed, so you should be able to store it for six months or a year without any problems. Not once it¡¯s opened, though.¡±


    ¡°You can store it for that long, huh¡­? That¡¯s fantastic technology.¡±


    Somehow, she has been strangely impressed. But come to think of it, she said it would take ten days to traverse the wilderness on foot. If there are almost no water supply points, is the water that can be preserved quite valuable?


    ¡°Uhm, where was our conversation earlier? It¡¯s about the empire, right? Are the Holy Kingdom and the Empire the only countries on this continent?¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not true. The Holy Kingdom and the Empire are the two most powerful on this continent. Still, there are countless other small countries that are also crowded out. Some of them are so powerful and medium-sized that those two countries have to be concerned about them. In the first place, the other side of the wilderness isn¡¯t exactly the territory of the Holy Kingdom, but the territory of its vassal state, the Kingdom of Merinard.¡±


    ¡°Kingdom of Merinard. What¡¯s it like?¡±


    ¡°Originally, it was founded by a tribe of elves who left the Black Forest. A tribe that did not appreciate the mere enjoyment of life in the forest left the forest, crossed the wilderness, and beyond that took root and mingled with humans and beastmen to form a nation.¡±


    ¡°So, it was originally an elven country?¡±


    ¡°Originally, yeah. Before it was conquered by the powerful Holy Kingdom and made into a vassal state, it was a country inhabited by a wide variety of races, like an empire. The Merinard Kingdom was small, but it had fertile plains and mines that produced good quality rock salt and iron, and it prospered from trade. They had friendly relations with the Black Forest elves, so their trading was very prosperous.¡±


    Sylphy speaks with a lonely light in her eyes. Perhaps Sylphy was one of the elven clans that lived in the Merinard Kingdom.


    ¡°It must have been about twenty years since it was considered a vassal state of the Holy Kingdom. It seems that there was a rebellion about three years ago, but it was put down by an army sent from the mainland. All of the residents in this village, except for the elves, are refugees from the Merinard Kingdom who fled at that time.¡±


    ¡°Really? That¡¯s probably why the hostility towards humans is so¡­ amazing.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. But that doesn¡¯t mean there wasn¡¯t a single human in the Merinard Kingdom, to begin with, either. And I heard there were many human warriors among the rebel army.¡±


    ¡°Really? But there are no other humans in this village but me, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but when they were defeated, the humans and sub-humans decided to split up and run away. It was decided that the sub-humans would flee the country, and the humans would either hide out inside the country or disappear under the influence of the Holy Kingdom. It¡¯s not difficult for humans to sneak into areas under the control of the Holy Kingdom.¡±


    Is that really true? Is it possible that no one has ever set foot in these forests after leaving the people they fought with for that reason alone?


    ¡°Your question is valid, but it¡¯s true. To be burned out of the place you lived, or to cross the Great Wilderness of Omit unprepared in defeat, is an act of suicide. In fact, many of those men scattered their lives in the wilderness by the time they reached the Black Forest. They were attacked by Gizma day and night with little food and water.¡±


    That being said, I think the refugees were mostly women and children. I see.


    ¡°So, Gizma is the name of the monster lurking in the wilderness?¡±


    ¡°Yes. They lurk in packs on the ground and pounce on any prey that passes by. At night, they crawl out from under the ground and prowl, searching for their prey. They are fast, hard, and powerful. They are dangerous monsters. The Holy Kingdom will not show any mercy to sub-humans who plan to rebel. So the sub-humans had no choice but to flee to the Great Wilderness of Omit.¡±


    I see, so the grueling journey was a major factor in the separation of the two sides. I don¡¯t want to run away to a place that risky for a human either anyway.


    ¡°Yeah, that makes sense.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. Well, I think it¡¯s time for you to start preparing our dinner.¡±


    ¡°What? Am I going to make it?¡±


    ¡°Are you going to let your master cook you a meal? Hmm?¡±


    ¡°Damn it¡­ I don¡¯t know what to make anyways¡­¡±


    We had a soup made of salted Lizarf meat and vegetables, a steak of salted and spiced Lizarf meat, and a salad with a mysterious grain flour bread baked like naan for dinner.


    ¡°It¡¯s just normal. Aren¡¯t you a little lacking?¡±


    ¡°I ain¡¯t no chef! It¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t cook for myself, but don¡¯t expect me to cook something complicated. It¡¯s impossible to cook a decent meal with ingredients you don¡¯t even know existed.¡±


    I stare at Sylphy while eating a salad made up of vegetables and fruits that are edible. Yeah, this green, unripe tomato-like fruit tastes and textures like a normal, ripe tomato even though it¡¯s green. Maybe I can make a tomato sauce with this one.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s a matter of course. You¡¯ll get used to it a little at a time.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re gonna make me cook food no matter what?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the slave, and I¡¯m the master, so why shouldn¡¯t I be? You were forced to create such a position, so be patient. If you want to change your position, you should work that way, right?¡±


    Sylphy chuckles as she stabs a green tomato in her two-way fork.


    ¡°Gununu¡­¡±


    Come to think of it; I haven¡¯t been able to ask why Sylphy is trying to get into that kind of relationship with me after all. Damn, I should have questioned her properly at the right time before! No, there¡¯s always a chance to ask her. If only I had the guts to ask her, I could ask her right now.


    All right¡­ I¡¯m going to get my ass kicked then.


    ¡°Hey, why are you trying to get into this¡­ relationship with me?¡±


    ¡°Now, why is that? Why don¡¯t you figure it out for yourself?¡±


    I¡¯m annoyed with Sylphy, who returns a smirk to the serious question. This is an important issue, you know. According to the way of this world, it should be a big problem for Sylphy. So why is this woman grinning like that?


    ¡°I¡¯m asking because I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°You think you can just ask, and you¡¯ll get everything you need, but you¡¯re wrong.¡±


    ¡°How could I know what¡¯s on your mind except for yourself? I¡¯m serious about this.¡±


    I can¡¯t help but wrinkle my brow. But Sylphy doesn¡¯t show any signs of intimidation at the sight of me but only licks the honey wine with a grin and a smile. It seems that she has no intention of exposing her heart to me.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a little bit of calculation and curiosity; the rest is just like instinct. I¡¯m not thinking about it all that much, either.¡±


    ¡°Instinct.¡±


    ¡°When you see a woman of your taste, don¡¯t you lust after her? It¡¯s the same thing. It¡¯s not a theory, though.¡±


    It doesn¡¯t make any sense. It¡¯s not that I¡¯m good-looking. That¡¯s not so much that I think I¡¯m ugly. It¡¯s just that I think I look like anyone anywhere. I¡¯m not fat, but I¡¯m not muscular either. I think I¡¯m probably a little taller than average, and I shouldn¡¯t have any outwardly noticeable features either.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Am I your kind of man¡¯s favorite appearance?¡±


    ¡°Appearance isn¡¯t the only thing that matters.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know anymore.¡±


    What¡¯s the relationship between Sylphy and me, after being attacked in bed and beaten to a pulp, and after a half-hearted discussion, protection¡­ protection? Let¡¯s just call it protection for now, though she did put a collar on me.


    I was protected; I was dragged around the village. I even cooked a meal and showed her how to process the iron. It¡¯s really, really hard to know if she¡¯s serious or if she¡¯s teasing me since we arrived home and it was just the two of us.


    Is it okay? Can I go? But it¡¯s Sylphy. A master who could kill me with the tip of her finger if she wanted to? Is it okay to rush on her? Will I get punished?


    It bothers me; it bothers me a lot. The fact that Sylphy is my type bothers me even more. She¡¯s a beautiful brown-skinned elf with big boobs, you know? That¡¯s just too much patience.


    I can¡¯t get an answer, no matter how much I worry about it. If I can¡¯t find an answer, I should stop thinking. It¡¯s a waste of time and mental resources to keep worrying about it. Even if I get punished, it¡¯s all I can hope for. Take a swing at her. Was I disregarding the thought? Very well!


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but it¡¯s going to cripple a man if he backs down to that point.¡±


    What, it¡¯s not even worth bothering with in simple terms. A very beautiful woman of my type is asking me out. She has the power of life and death over me, both physically and in terms of position. So let¡¯s just have maximum fun and try to make her like me.


    ¡°Right. I was just starting to wonder if you¡¯re just a limp-dick man by now.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s nice for a girl to say a limp dick or something like that.¡±


    I gulped the raw, uncracked honey wine directly from the ceramic bottle and wiped my mouth. A strong spirit and cool aroma pierced my nostrils. It¡¯s sweet.


    ¡°What manners are prevalent in the elves at times like this?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m a virgin. I wasn¡¯t even close enough to have those kinds of conversations with girls in my position.¡±


    ¡°All right, we¡¯ll do it my way.¡±


    I put my arms behind Sylphy¡¯s back and knees, who was sitting on a wicker couch and held her to the side. This is what is called a princess carry.


    ¡°Fufu, what are you going to do now?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll take you to bed just like this. I¡¯ll let the experienced man lead you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s going to be fun. I¡¯m used to the pain, but be gentle with me, okay? I am a virgin, after all.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡±


    I don¡¯t have a lot of experience, either. Let¡¯s use all the experience and knowledge I have and do my best.

 CH 9

    Here¡¯s the chapter, enjoy~


    I am waking up from my sleep. Sylphy was already gone from the bed. The sunshine coming in from outside is still weak, so it doesn¡¯t seem like it¡¯s been long since dawn.


    Last night was¡­ yes, that was good. Sylphy was just pretending to be relaxed in the beginning, and soon I was able to bring her into my pace. Magic is so useful; being able to make the pain disappear immediately is less of a burden. I didn¡¯t think I was reckless, but it was a shock to her in many ways. You know, that kind of erotic look and the first time around. I had to do my best, didn¡¯t I?


    But the sweat and the other stuff made my body sticky. I got out of bed, thinking I should at least groom myself.


    ¡°Mmm¡­¡±


    When I went to the living room, I found that Sylphy was just about to wipe her wet hair. It seems that she was cleaning herself up ahead of me. As a matter of course, she¡¯s naked and doesn¡¯t even pretend to hide her body. I¡¯m the same way, though.


    ¡°Good morning. I need to cleanse myself, too.¡±


    Sylphy stared at me for a few seconds, then lifted her arm and pointed her finger to the corridor leading to the bathroom.


    ¡°¡­I¡¯ve prepared the water jug for you. The cloth is on the shelf over there.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡±


    Taking a piece of cloth from the shelf, I stepped into the hallway that leads to the bathroom. From the hallway to the backyard, there was a water jug filled with water. There was also a hand trough, so I drew water from it and covered my head with it. It was cold, but it felt good. I washed off my sweat and other things and scrubbed with a cloth. It¡¯s etiquette to clean yourself up, right?


    When I return to the living room after thoroughly cleansing myself, I find Sylphy sitting on a wicker couch in a daze, still naked. There is no usual fearless smile, but rather an air of distraction. Does she think about something? Or is she in a daze after the aftermath of last night¡¯s events? ¡­For now, I gently sat down on the open space of the couch and hugged Sylphy.


    ¡°Ah¡­ Mmm.¡±


    When I half-forcibly steal her lips, she submits to me without resistance. It¡¯s hard to believe that this is the same person who attacked me in my sleep and beat me up.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°¡­Am I okay, you ask? My dignity is torn to shreds.¡±


    ¡°Well, that was the difference between experience and knowledge, after all.¡±


    Sylphy was ignorant of many things anyway. Of course, she understood the general flow of the act itself, but that was all. It¡¯s not just a matter of thrusting a man and a woman into each other¡¯s lives, but she lacked the knowledge to do so.


    In contrast, I have experience and knowledge of many things. Besides, her body was very sensitive, and her first pain was magically resolved. I was able to do it. As a result, Sylphy is at the mercy of many things.


    ¡°What did you do to a maiden¡­ you beast!¡±


    ¡°Ouch, ouch, ouch! Seriously, it hurts!¡±


    The slap protest was incessant. It was very painful.


    ¡°Hmph¡­ After you finish your meal, we¡¯ll go hunting and collecting. We¡¯ll be back in the afternoon when the sun is high.¡±


    ¡°Aye aye, ma¡¯am.¡±


    After that, I followed Sylphy, who has groomed herself and regained a bit of her composure. Hmm, I¡¯m going to walk in the forest in these sweatshirts. I¡¯m afraid my clothes are going to be worn out soon.


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to do something about your clothes too.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right; I¡¯ll count on Master for it.¡±


    ¡°All right. You better work hard then.¡±


    For breakfast, we had a pancake-like baked bread with sweet honey and grilled meat. It¡¯s a heavy morning menu, but I think it¡¯s appropriate since we both got a good workout last night and will continue to work out.


    While I was at it, I also made some lunch and put it in my inventory. It was a so-called meat sandwich, consisting of salted Lizarf meat and flavored vegetables sandwiched between the bread-like baked dough. Sylphy helped me with this, so I think it turned out well.


    I¡¯m looking forward to our lunch.


    Now, when breakfast is over, it is time for the hunt. I have to go outside.


    ¡°When it comes to this¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t do that.¡±


    The chain clinked around my neck with a clattering sound. That¡¯s right, as we walk through the village, I¡¯m chained to a collar, and it¡¯s time for the doggie walk. The gazes of the elves and refugees piercing me from all directions are severe. No, if I look closely, some people are looking at me with pity. Such people may be pro-human, so I¡¯ll try to remember their faces as best I can.


    But still, although I can see the glares, I can¡¯t hear the whispering. Since Sylphy¡¯s long ears are sensitive, I wonder if she can listen to them when they speak inappropriately? I think she¡¯s wise. She seems to have a pretty good ear.


    The village gate comes into view after passing through the elf¡¯s living quarters, workshop section, magic field section, and refugee section without incident. Even in the early hours of the morning, the guards seem to be standing there.


    ¡°He¡¯s here, too, huh?¡±


    ¡°What? Aah, Nate. Don¡¯t worry about him; he¡¯s just a small matter.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s a small matter to Master is a big problem for me.¡±


    It¡¯s hard to forget the experience of being maliciously thrown out into that square. If Sylphy hadn¡¯t gotten there in time, I would have been beaten to death over there.


    But, surprisingly, the guards guarding the entrance and exit of the village, including Nate, did not even speak to me. They gave me a disgusting look, but I just walked right by them. I was through.


    ¡°That guy wouldn¡¯t just be the first person in this village to say anything to my partner.¡±


    ¡°I guess so. This should please Master more and more.¡±


    ¡°Kuku¡­ you better do so.¡±


    The fearless smile comes back to Sylphy¡¯s face. Yeah, well, that kind of expression isn¡¯t bad. After knowing the various expressions she showed me last night, seeing those expressions makes her feel a little cuter. Master smiles with such a fearless smile, but on the bed¨D¨D.


    ¡°Ogooh! That hurts!¡±


    ¡°I felt something unpleasant.¡±


    A heavy, sharp elbow thrust into my side. It really hurts¡­ I just can¡¯t take this merciless violence. Well, it¡¯s cute to think of it as payback for the excellent time I had last night. Yeah.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    I walked with the chain being pulled by Sylphy. She was not pulled my hand, but the chain extending from the collar¡­ there¡¯s not a bit of sweetness or sourness in our relationship¡­ It can¡¯t be helped; I¡¯m a slave in my position, after all.


    There are few people in the development block beyond the gate. I don¡¯t know what they are building, but it seems that the work has not yet begun this early in the morning.


    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s this outermost section working on?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a row house. It¡¯s a sturdy structure that also serves as a barrier against the outside. They¡¯re built to replace the refugees¡¯ homes, which are clustered up on the outside of the village.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ Reasonable, huh?¡±


    If the house is made of stone or bricks, it will have a decent defensive effect. But, for the residents, they may not feel comfortable because their house is always under threat.


    ¡°I guess that¡¯s reasonable from the point of view of the people in the village. Since we¡¯re letting them live here and provide them with food, it¡¯s up to them to put up with that. In fact, the refugees who escaped with their clothes on don¡¯t have much property, and since the farming in the elven village is based on magic farming, the refugees, who are mainly beastmen, can¡¯t be expected to work as a labor force. Even though there are many women, male elves are not very interested in beastmen, and male elves are few in number, to begin with. Refugees who cannot offer any kind of compensation have no choice but to follow the elves.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a hard world.¡±


    This is another consequence of the defeated side, a bad ending beyond that, I guess. I know it¡¯s pathetic, but I¡¯m a slave myself, and there¡¯s nothing I can do about it¡­ No, wait? There is, right?


    I¡¯m sure there are those who are unhappy with this treatment. Some of them would like to fight the Holy Kingdom and take back the Merinard Kingdom if they could, wouldn¡¯t they? My ability to mass-produce weapons. As long as I have the materials, I can prepare a large number of weapons in a short period of time. If I can mass-produce those, or at the very worst, that thing, will there be a chance? I need more information, but maybe, though. It seems that Sylphy also has some feelings about the Holy Kingdom, and I can sense a connection to the Merinard Kingdom from the way she talks.


    ¡°You seem to have something on your mind, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Various. Maybe we can talk about it again later tonight.¡±


    ¡°Good. But now it¡¯s time to hunt. Brace yourself.¡±


    ¡°Aiyo.¡±


    After passing through the construction zone, we soon enter a deep forest. At first glance, it looks like a difficult walk, but when I follow Sylphy, I don¡¯t feel the difficulty as I don¡¯t get caught in the branches, and the footing is solid.


    ¡°This is the hunting ground. You can take your chains off.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    I quickly stored the chains in my inventory as Sylphy let go of them. The collar is still the same, but it¡¯s a lot easier without the chains.


    ¡°Follow me quietly. Don¡¯t make any sound.¡±


    ¡°I got it.¡±


    I crouched down with the C key in mind and moved into a stealthy state. Then, as I was sliding around with the WSAD key in mind, I got a strange look from Sylphy, who turned around and gave me a strange look.


    ¡°What¡¯s with that mysterious move?¡±


    ¡°One of my special abilities. It¡¯s hard for me to explain it in detail.¡±


    I showed her how to slide back and forth and left and right while squatting down. It¡¯s nice to be able to move without making any noise at all, but it¡¯s definitely creepy.


    ¡°It¡¯s an unsettling move to watch¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry; it¡¯s easy to use. And by the way, I can do this too.¡±


    While squatting down, I imagine the space key and bounce on the spot. Eventually, try moving slightly in the air.


    ¡°That¡¯s creepy.¡±


    ¡°I know, right?¡±


    I agree with her.


    But there is no reason not to take advantage of it. It seems that Sylphy, after being slightly troubled, has decided not to care and has decided to act without looking at me as much as possible. I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m just going to move, but it¡¯s not like I¡¯m going to cut down on the SAN value. But I¡¯m not going to stop using this ability.


    I¡¯m going to collect the things that fall along the way actively. Fallen trees are perfect for firewood, and there¡¯s still a lot of use for stones. I¡¯ll also ask Sylphy to help me gather more wild plants and medicinal herbs. The trick is not to uproot them so that they grow back. I¡¯m not sure what kind of crafting material they are going to be used for. Is it, as expected, a recovery item, right? The game type recovery items can instantly heal injuries, broken bones, illnesses, etc., but I can¡¯t help but feel like I¡¯m about to create something extraordinary.


    ¡°It¡¯s kind of bad, stopping at every single thing. ¡°


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. The main purpose of this trip is not to hunt, but to collect things. Hopefully, the results will be worth the effort, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s an unknown quantity. But the unknown means that the bottom is still out there, so we can count on it, can¡¯t we?¡±


    I swing the hatchet and turn a fallen tree into a good piece of firewood. Of course, I don¡¯t have such skills. But suppose I take the hatchet and access the fallen tree menu and choose the action of getting firewood. In that case, my body will move on its own and turn it into firewood.


    ¡°But what kind of magic is that?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Even the biggest fallen tree can be turned into firewood in pieces after five swings of the hatchet. I don¡¯t know; this ability is even unreasonable.


    ¡°Hey, there¡¯s something I want to try out.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Can I cut down some of those trees?¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Well, I don¡¯t mind¡­ You know, raw wood has to be dried for about six months before it can be used as wood or firewood, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know. I know, but I feel like I can handle it.¡±


    I took a hatchet, accessed a moderately sized cedar-like tree, and performed the cut. As I did so, my body moved on its own, and I began to use the hatchet to gouge the tree¡¯s trunk. It only took about five hits to turn a fallen tree into firewood, but after another 20 hits¨D¨D.


    ¡°It¡¯s down.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ But what¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°Logs?¡±


    I answer by looking at the tree¡­ or rather the log that fell with a heavy thump¡­ It is obviously a log. The branches have also been removed, and they are not fresh wood but rather dried out and of the same thickness from root to tip.


    ¡°What did you do to it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what happens when I cut down a tree. Well, that¡¯s one of my abilities, I guess.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going crazy at this point.¡±


    I inspect the log with a sideways glance at Sylphy, who frowns and runs her hand over her temple. I wonder if it¡¯s about 15 meters long. I guess my inventory will be¡­ I wonder if it can enter my inventory. The name of the item displayed in my inventory is ¡°Log: Black Cedar.¡±


    Also, a large number of leaves, twigs, and bent branches have been added to my inventory, perhaps due to automatic branch removal¡ªwhat a great job.


    I tried to access the logs in my inventory directly to see if I could process them.


    ?Cut it in half.


    ?To firewood


    I see? It seems to be able to be cut further into half sizes. I gave it a try. It took me a while, but I was able to cut it in roughly half the time it took to cut down a tree. The name of the item is ¡°Log: Black Cedar.¡± It seems that I can¡¯t split it up anymore, but I¡¯ve added ¡°Wood¡± and ¡°Reverse Bushing¡± to the crafting menu, so I put a crafting reservation for both.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to chop up a few trees around here.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t overcut them¡­ Only cut the trees I tell you to cut.¡±


    ¡°Aye aye, ma¡¯am.¡±


    There is no shortage of wood. It can be used for fuel, building materials, craft materials, and so much more. That¡¯s why I chopped and chopped and chopped wood under Sylphy¡¯s direction. To be specific, it was fifty logs.


    ¡°If that¡¯s all we have, we won¡¯t be in need of wood for a while!¡±


    ¡°No doubt.¡±


    Sylphy looks half-dazed, but I¡¯m relieved. The leaves seem to be able to make fiber, and the twigs and branches can be used for fuel or to make bows and arrows. Logging is great.


    ¡°There¡¯s enough firewood and wood. time, let¡¯s go collect some ore materials.¡±


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s head to the river.¡±


    I followed Sylphy and headed further into the forest. Of course, I crouched down and moved stealthily. I was stalking behind Sylphy, sliding quickly while crouching. If someone saw this scene, it would be a horror story. It¡¯s definitely a scary picture.


    As I¡¯m moving along like this, Sylphy suddenly raises one arm and stands still. I followed her obediently, too. From the gesture, it seems there is something ahead of us. I nod and take out the composite bow I had registered in my shortcut section and pull out an arrow with an iron arrowhead. Sylphy looked curiously at the composite bow for a moment but quickly turned back to the front.


    After a short walk, I heard some strange sounds in my ears as well. A cracking, squishy, rattling sound could be heard. Ah, that¡¯s it, isn¡¯t it? There will be winners and losers in the survival race up ahead, won¡¯t there?


    As I was thinking about what to do, Sylphy leaned in closer.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it. Don¡¯t push yourself.¡±


    So she whispered in my ear and walked forward without making a sound. I decided to follow her, leaving some distance between us. If possible, I wanted to test the power of the composite bow, as well as to see Sylphy in action. However, it would be the end of the world if I got in Sylphy¡¯s way.


    That¡¯s why I carefully and cautiously headed to the location.


    (Oh¡­)


    A genuinely horrific scene was unfolding before my eyes. A corner of the forest was covered in blood. And there was one creature that was still making a loud noise and chewing its prey.


    What could it be? It seems to be a giant spider cricket. Its long, bent hind legs, which look strong and rigid, are very prominent. Its overall color is yellowish ochre, and there are many legs in addition to its large hind legs. I don¡¯t know what its face looks like because its hindquarters are pointing towards us, but the blood on the end of its hindquarters makes me wonder if it has poisoned needles on its hindquarters as well.


    It¡¯s not just the buttocks that are stained with blood. There is also blood on the tips of the tentacle-like things that are growing behind it. Is that thing also used for attacks? If this were the first monster I encountered, I would be dead, right? It looks about ten times more ferocious than the Lizarf.


    As I was hiding and observing the giant spider cricket, Sylphy leaped out from beside it. In her hand is a large knife, or rather a woodman¡¯s hatchet. It¡¯s tough and looks sharp, but will it be enough to take down the giant spider beast? That thing has at least as big as a minivan.


    ¡°GYAAAAAAAAAAA!¡±


    The woodman¡¯s hatchet was thrust deep into the right side of the monster¡¯s defenseless torso. Sylphy immediately distanced herself from the giant spider that was about to go on the rampage and disappeared into the forest. I think it was determined from the start that she couldn¡¯t kill it with a single strike. It was a brilliant escape strategy. I see, so it¡¯s going to be stinging, isn¡¯t it?


    The giant spider that changed direction in the direction of Sylphy¡¯s escape exposes its side to me. Coincidentally, it is the right side where Sylphy thrust her woodman¡¯s hatchet deeply.


    As I draw my bow with the left click in mind, the arrowhead appears in my field of vision. I point the arrowhead at the giant spider with the bow drawn and aim at the wound in the side of the belly where the green bodily fluids are flowing out.


    ¡°GISHAAAAAA!¡±


    An arrow from the composite bow dove into the wound and pierced it so deeply that the arrowhead was no longer visible. Apparently, this blow was quite effective. I turned on the next arrow and aimed again at the writhing giant spider on the spot.


    ¡°Haaaahhh!¡±


    Just before I fired the arrow, Sylphy reappeared, and this time she drove the blade of her woodman¡¯s hatchet into the vicinity of the giant spider¡¯s head. Then I shifted my sights from the side, aimed at the base of its right hind leg, and shot an arrow. The arrows fired penetrated the sturdy-looking exoskeleton of the giant spider and penetrated deeply.


    After being shot in the joint, it seems that it is unable to move its right hind leg. The giant spider tried to escape from the location by moving only its safe left hind leg, but its left hind leg suddenly disappeared from sight. It seems that Sylphy, who had finished her attack on the head area, had come around to the other side and severed the left leg.


    The reversal of the giant spider, which had been deeply wounded and lost its mobility in less than ten seconds, did not occur. Sylphy continued to attack while moving quickly around the perimeter and took it down unilaterally.


    ¡°Did you get it?


    ¡°Yeah, I killed it.¡±


    Approaching Sylphy, who has stopped attacking, I look at Sylphy and the giant spider. There seem to be no injuries to Sylphy. It appears that Sylphy is not even bathed in any body fluids, so she must have been able to handle it very well. In contrast, the giant spider is in a miserable state. Many of its legs, including its left hind leg, had been severed with the woodman¡¯s hatchet, a pair of antennae, which were probably its most important weapons, had been severed. Its head, which was relatively small in relation to its body, had been severed and dismembered. It¡¯s a little bit of a mess.


    ¡°And what is this thing? Can it be eaten?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not inedible, but most of its value is in the shell and the poisonous glands in its butt. If you chop up the legs and boil them in salt, they¡¯re just fine.¡±


    ¡°How about these hind legs?¡±


    ¡°The meat is inedible; it¡¯s too tough. Though it¡¯s good for a bowstring.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s good,¡±


    The sliced off legs and antennae are whipped up and retrieved into my inventory.


    ¡°What to do? Want to put the body in my inventory too? Maybe even dismantle it.¡±


    ¡°No, just collect it. We need to take it back to the village and report back.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah. Okay, huh?¡±


    I suddenly looked at the contents of my inventory, and my eyes widened.


    [Gizma¡¯s antennae] x 2 [Gizma¡¯s left hind leg] ¡Á 1 [Gizma¡¯s Leg] x 7 [Gizma¡¯s head] ¡Á 1 [Gizma¡¯s right hind legged torso] x1


    ¡°Hey, wasn¡¯t this thing a monster in the Great Wilderness Omit?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes. This is a relatively shallow part of the forest, but Gizma has never been this far into it before. Apparently, that¡¯s what¡¯s happening that I was worried about.¡±


    Sylphy shrugged as she washed her woodman¡¯s hatchet with water that seemed to have been produced with magic.


    ¡°In other words?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you about how many refugees lost their lives in the Omit Wilderness a few years ago?¡±


    ¡°Ah. Yeah¡­¡±


    I¡¯ve figured it out. The fact that so many people died means that many corpses were left in the Great Wilderness of Omit. It¡¯s not like the refugees were dragging the corpses of their dead family members to escape the monsters, either.


    ¡°You mean, they multiplied?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t see it myself, though. You can imagine. There¡¯s also the fact that no refugee has been able to reach the Black Forest in almost two years.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    Does that mean that a growing number of Gizmas are flooding out of the Great Wilderness of Omit in search of food? Wouldn¡¯t they be cannibalistic or something?


    I mean, once again, I was in trouble, wasn¡¯t I? I was out on the Great Wilderness and the Black Forest border, and I was breaking rocks and stuff. If Gizma had attacked me, I¡¯d be dead for real.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get the hell out of here. There¡¯s a chance that not only Gizma but also other monsters will be attracted to it.¡±


    ¡°O-okay.¡±


    I followed Sylphy as she began to walk, shivering inwardly. I was fortunate, wasn¡¯t I?

 CH 10

    Here¡¯s another chapter today, enjoy~


    After thirty minutes of walking after the battle with Gizma, we finally hit the creek. Can it be called a creek? Or a mountain stream?


    ¡°It¡¯s a beautiful river.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. There are no aquatic monsters, so it is safe. Though sometimes monsters do come to drink water, so we can¡¯t be too careless.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s scary.¡±


    While saying that, I took a stone shovel out of my inventory. The idea was to use it to collect sand from the riverbed. I told Sylphy that if I put the sand from the riverbed in my inventory, I should be able to sort it out into iron sand and plain sand in my inventory.


    ¡°I see. As I recall, the village artisans said that a stone the size of a fist is iron ore.¡±


    ¡°Oh, really? Then let¡¯s put every single stone in my inventory as well.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but keep it in moderation.¡±


    Sylphy smiled bitterly. Surely, it¡¯s not wise to collect to the point of destroying the ecosystem. Let¡¯s take it in moderation. But rocks are used for a lot of things, too.


    At any rate, I gamboled into the river and began to collect iron ore and iron sand. The river is not very deep. It was about one meter deep at maximum. The river was flowing pretty fast, so I had to be careful not to fall off.


    ¡°Oho, this is cold. But this is a treasure trove of resources.¡±


    I wield the stone shovel in the water. It is quite heavy, but not so heavy if I move automatically with the left click in mind. Then the river sand piles up in my inventory. When I opened the crafting menu based on the river sand, I found that I could craft iron sand as expected. Yes, I did it!


    While crafting the iron sand in the background, I also put the stones from the riverbed into my inventory. Most of them were ordinary stones, but every once in a while, there would be a stone named ¡°Mochi Iron¡± as an item. This would be the round iron ore that Sylphy was talking about. When I saw the word ¡°Mochi,¡± it made me want to eat Mochi. Will I ever be able to eat it in the future?


    Is it impossible? I guess it¡¯s impossible. It makes me feel a little homesick.


    ¡°Hey, put this thing in your inventory or whatever it is called.¡±


    While I was collecting in the river for a while, Sylphy, who had been away from the collection point, brought something that looked like a rabbit-like rat about the size of a handful.


    ¡°Aiyo.¡±


    I put it straight into my inventory. The item¡¯s name is ¡°Rabbit¡¯s Corpse.¡± So, it¡¯s a rabbit, huh? This rabbit is huge. I¡¯m sure there are rabbits on Earth that can grow to over one meter in length. I¡¯ve seen it on the Internet. But that¡¯s just normal compared to this. This is as big as a small dog¡­ or even a medium-sized dog.


    I was working on it for a while, but then I had a problem.


    ¡°When we got back¨D¨Dwhat the hell are you doing?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s cold¡­ so cold¡­¡±


    The river water was cold¡­ I think I tried my best for about an hour and a half, but it was getting cold to the core, so I put a fire in the portable furnace to warm myself up. It¡¯s just so cold.


    ¡°While your Master is working, the servant is taking a break to get warm and comfortable, huh? What an excellent standing.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    This time, she seemed to have caught a deer-like animal. There are cuts on its neck, but could it be that she killed it with that hatchet alone?


    ¡°The Bola is quite comfortable to use. With a good throw, I can easily catch the Yakki.¡±


    It seems that she immediately used the Bola that I gave her. I see; she must have tangled that thing in the legs and robbed it of its mobility. The one I gave her seems to be working perfectly fine.


    ¡°So it¡¯s called Yakki, huh?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t put it away yet. You need to take the organs out and cool it down in the river.¡±


    ¡°What about draining the blood?¡±


    ¡°You need to cool the meat first. If you don¡¯t cool it down quickly, the meat will smell bad. Get the rope out.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s how it works. Copy that.¡±


    As I took the rope out of my inventory and handed it to her, Sylphy deftly hung the Yakki to a tree and began to split its belly open. I take the wooden platter out of my inventory and collect the organs that are being removed. I have to collect it, but¡­


    ¡°Hoeekk!!¡±


    ¡°You can puke all you want, but not here.¡±


    I¡¯m not ready for the gross stuff yet. I¡¯m about to vomit, so I¡¯ll just support her by fetching river water from the wooden water bottle I made while it¡¯s still warm. Keep a lot of water in it so that I can mass produce drinking water later. It¡¯s essential to be prepared.


    Shortly after, Sylphy finished removing the organs and threw Yakki¡¯s corpse, still covered in fur, into the river. As for me, I¡¯m in the process of collecting the organs on a wooden platter in my inventory, trying not to look at them too much.


    ¡°There we go.¡±


    ¡°I used to think that draining the blood out of animal flesh was the key to good meat.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s important too, but it¡¯s more important to cool the meat first. If you don¡¯t cool the meat quickly, the blood left in its body will rot, and the meat will smell bad.¡±


    My question was answered by Sylphy while washing her bloodied hands in the mountain stream without a trace of annoyance.


    ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s how it works, huh? I guess that¡¯s the wisdom of a hunter.¡±


    I wonder what my dismantling would do to that area? The Lizarf meat didn¡¯t smell particularly bad, and it¡¯s probably been processed in some excellent way, maybe.


    ¡°Speaking of which, is that rabbit from earlier any good?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how it works, but for that one, you don¡¯t have to cool the meat right away to avoid the smell. We can just drain the blood when we get home.¡±


    ¡°Heh, it¡¯s different, huh?¡±


    I don¡¯t know how it works, but I have to respect the wisdom that comes from experiences. And I don¡¯t even know anything about the animals in this world, after all.


    ¡°So, what are your results?¡±


    Sylphy asked with a sideways glance at the simple furnace that glistened and emitted light and heat.


    ¡°Oh, it looks pretty good.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t just slacking off. I ran a simple furnace and extract iron from iron sand and mochi iron, and processed it.


    ¡°With the iron sand and mochi iron that is being processed into ore, I think this is more useful as a material than the rotten weapons and armor. What can I call it, a feeling of conversion efficiency?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I don¡¯t know, but I¡¯m glad to hear you¡¯re doing well. So what did you make?¡±


    ¡°This, this, and this for now.¡±


    I pull out of my inventory a freshly made steel shovel, a steel pickaxe, and a steel ax for logging.


    ¡°The idea is to start with a set of tools for acquiring materials.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, so you want to make the collection process more efficient.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the idea. Especially this one.¡±


    I held the steel pickaxe at the ready and swung it down several times at the nearby rock. As I did so, the rock quickly shattered into pieces, breaking up into iron ore, stones, and gem-like luster.


    When I crushed the rocks around here, I found quite a few jewel-like things. So far, what I¡¯ve found are things like garnet, spinel, beryl, topaz, quartz, and amethyst. To be honest, I have no idea what they would be used for as crafting materials.


    Maybe they could be worth some money, but I wonder what the monetary system in this world is like? I¡¯ll ask Sylphy about that later in the night.


    ¡°Not even a user of earth magic can do that¡­ That tool isn¡¯t really a magic tool or something, is it?¡±


    Sylphy groaned as she inspected what looked like the gemstone I handed her.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that great. This is what happens when I use these tools.¡±


    I handed the steel pickaxe to Sylphy while laughing. She smashed the pickaxe against the rocks a few times, but it wasn¡¯t the same as I did. She just broke the rocks like normal. Let¡¯s never make her angry.


    ¡°Hmm, so you¡¯re special after all.¡±


    ¡°Fufu, that¡¯s right. I¡¯m special. So make sure you protect me well.¡±


    ¡°Well, I suppose I should do that.¡±


    She returned the pickaxe while saying so with a straight face. Yes, being told that with a straight face is kind of embarrassing; it was like I slipped up. It¡¯s not the reaction I was expecting. Shouldn¡¯t that be the part where she smirked and replied in a thoughtful way?


    ¡°Ah, um. Yeah. Thanks. By the way, are you hungry?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess it¡¯s time for lunch. Let¡¯s have lunch.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, leave it to me.¡±


    I take two logs out of my inventory and place them on the ground to serve as chairs, as well as two of the Lizarf meat sandwiches and drinking water I made this morning. Lunch is now ready.


    ¡°It¡¯s still warm, huh?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, apparently there¡¯s no or extremely slow passage of time when I keep it in my inventory. I kept the crater I lit yesterday evening in it, but when I took it out just now, it was still lit normally.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ amazing. Your power defies the laws of this world.¡±


    ¡°I guess that¡¯s what it looks like.¡±


    It¡¯s incredible how you can cheat the flow of time. I have no idea how it works. Are they storing it in a sub-space with a different flow of time?


    ¡°You also made an ax and a shovel, didn¡¯t you? Have you tried those, too?¡±


    Sylphy asked me while I was snacking on a meat sandwich. Wait a minute; if you talk to me suddenly, I¡¯m going to choke. I gulp down some drinking water and pour the food I¡¯m choking on down my throat into my stomach. It¡¯s yummy.


    ¡°Mmm. I tried them. The ax reduces the time it takes to cut down the trees by more than half. The shovel seems to be a lot easier to use, but I don¡¯t know what exactly it does.¡±


    ¡°I see. Why don¡¯t you make a chisel and tagane* to process stone or metal next time?¡±


    [T/n: I don¡¯t know what is this called in English, but tagane is something like Japanese chisel?]


    ¡°Hou, chisel, and tagane, huh? I think I¡¯ve seen such a thing on my list.¡±


    I knew the name of the chisel and the tagane, but I couldn¡¯t think of specific use for it, so I prioritized the pickaxe, ax, and shovel, which I know how to use.


    ¡°You should make one if you can. Also, there should be rocks around here that can be used for whetstone. The village craftsmen occasionally come to this area to gather whetstones.


    ¡°Whetstone, that¡¯s important.¡±


    The whetstone could be used for sharpening blades and grinding metal as well. I¡¯d love to get one. Also, iron production seems to be stable, so I¡¯d like to make more tools in addition to the chisel and tagane.


    ¡°Hey, I want to make more tools than just chisel and tagane, is that all right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, go ahead. If it makes you more powerful, then do it.¡±


    ¡°Aye aye, ma¡¯am.¡±


    With Master¡¯s approval, I decided to make more and more metal tools. Chisel, tagane, saw, drill, hand-plane, adze, metal file, and more.


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what all this stuff you¡¯re making is used apart from chisel and tagane.¡±


    I wonder if it¡¯s time to move from just pounding and stretching metal and attaching a blade to the metal to a more serious metalworking level. I mean, come to think of it, how did people put a blade on a knife or something without a whetstone? It¡¯s no use worrying about that now, though.


    ¡°I can¡¯t seem to keep up with the refining of the material iron. I¡¯ll look for the whetstone while waiting for it to be processed.¡±


    ¡°Oh. I will look for more prey then. Don¡¯t expect much, though.¡±


    After a glance at the flaming portable furnace, Sylphy disappeared into the forest. Oh, I see. So, the smell of the fire made her prey escape. I¡¯m sorry to hear that; she didn¡¯t complain about it¡­ so as Sylphy said earlier, today¡¯s outing is mainly about gathering, or in other words, figuring out and developing my abilities. My Master is very kind to me. I¡¯ll try to live up to her expectations.


    ¡°I wonder how to use this, though.¡±


    I tilted my head with the chisel and tagane in my hand. No, they¡¯re both tools I¡¯ve seen before, are they? But I don¡¯t remember actually using it. I¡¯ve used a hammer, a saw, a file, and a drill. But I don¡¯t remember using a chisel and tagane.


    I think they are both used in combination with a hammer, though.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just try it instead of worrying about it.¡±


    First, I tried to focus the left click on the rock with the tagane and hammer. There is no particular reaction. Is it the wrong way to use it?


    ¡°Oh, this one worked.¡±


    It turns out that if I switched the tagane to the chisel, I could make a hole in the rock¡¯s surface. And? What should I do after that? Give me the tutorial to use it, please! But then again, the crafting menu didn¡¯t provide anything back, nor did it launch the help, even with the F1 key in mind. That¡¯s a disappointment.


    ¡°Hmm¡­?¡±


    It took me ten minutes as I struggled.


    ¡°I see.¡±


    I finally figured out how to use the chisel and the tagane. It seems that you can break rock by making multiple holes with a chisel and then hitting the spots with a hammer, connecting the holes with a straight line. This allows you to cut out the rocks with some freedom.


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s a bit tricky to use, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    I honestly don¡¯t know what to use it for. It¡¯s not much to gain for the effort required¡­ Oh, the formed stone can be used as a stone material in my inventory. So it¡¯s another tool for gathering materials.


    But it¡¯s hard to get a lot of stone in this mountain stream¡­ Later on, I¡¯ll ask Sylphy to show me where I can get some rocks.


    I¡¯ve cracked and retrieved a few rocks and also got some whetstones, so I¡¯m going to go back to the area where the simple furnace is.


    ¡°But seriously, I have a more lot of stuff now¡­¡±


    Fumu, with this number of tools¡­ it looks like it¡¯s time to make that ¡°thing.¡±


    What¡¯s that thing? It¡¯s a familiar one in games with crafting elements¡ªthat thing.


    Actually, it has been on the crafting list for quite some time, but I had to pass on it due to a lack of necessary parts and tools. Now that the tools are more plentiful and various metal parts can be made, it is possible to make it.


    ¡°Let¡¯s make a¡­ Yes, a workbench!¡±


    After I make it, the real work of the craft is about to begin. Let¡¯s get into it.

 CH 11

    Here¡¯s bonus chapter sponsored by Patreon, enjoy~


    Now, it is time to create the workbench. Therefore, let¡¯s check again the materials needed to make the workbench.


    ?Basic workbench¨D¨Dmaterials: woods x 10, nails x 40, vise x 1, basic toolbox x 1


    Wood and nails are fine. It¡¯s ready to be made, or rather, it¡¯s already prepared. The problem is a vise and a basic toolbox.


    ?Vise¨D¨Dmaterials: irons x 20, machine parts x 10


    Yeah, this is manageable. The crafting time is very long, though. As for the machine parts, I was able to make them after I made the parts with chisel, tagane, and file. My crafting ability is amazing; whether it¡¯s a vise or the machine parts, even if I don¡¯t know the structure, I can make it if I have the materials, tools, and time. So, I¡¯ll reserve as much crafting time as I need for this.


    Nevertheless, machine parts is a very outrageous description, isn¡¯t it? I was curious, so I actually made one and pulled it out of my inventory. What I found was something like an assortment of bolts, nuts, gears, springs, thin metal bars, metal rings, and other such things.


    I see why it takes so long. It would take a hell of a lot of time to make these things by hand without a processing machine. These machine parts, if I make them now, it would take me more than 30 seconds to make each one.


    In the meantime, let¡¯s find out about the toolbox while crafting machine parts.


    ?Basic toolbox¨D¨Dmaterials: sturdy wooden box x 1, metal tools x 8, machine parts x 2


    This one requires a total of eight different metal tools, such as saw, hammer, knife, tagane, chisel, file, drill, and planer. A sturdy wooden box can be made of wood and nails, so it¡¯s no problem. I was a little surprised to see that the knife was considered a tool. But when I think about it, it is a necessary item, isn¡¯t it? Or rather, I guess I¡¯ll just have to add two machine parts to it. Well, that¡¯s fine.


    It took some time, but both the vise and the basic toolbox were completed, so I finally created a workbench. Thinking about it, it took me this long¡­ No, not so much, right? Thanks to Sylphy¡¯s help, I was able to get into making iron quickly, and I¡¯d say things were going rather well. I¡¯ve had a lot of tough battles with the Lizarf, got beaten up by Sylphy, and almost got beaten up by a mob, but¡­


    ¡°Umu, it¡¯s done.¡±


    I set it up right away. Setting up a workbench on a mountain stream bank is a bit strange, though.


    ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s definitely a workbench!¡±


    A vise is attached to a sturdy-looking desk, with a shelf on which tools are stored. It¡¯s really a workbench, indeed.


    ¡°Hou¡­ Hohou.¡±


    When I access the workbench, the list of crafted items is displayed in a row. Basically, the list includes things that I was able to craft manually, but the crafting time seems to be decreasing across the board. Besides, it appears that I can craft some never-before-seen items.


    ¡°Here it is, here it is!¡±


    ?Basic crossbow¨D¨Dmaterials: twigs x 2, woods x 2, machine parts x 1, fiber x 20 ?Crossbow¨D¨Dmaterials: twigs x 2, animal bones x 2, woods x 2, machine parts x 2, fibers x 20 ?Improved crossbow¨D¨Dmaterials: steel leaf spring x 1, woods x 2, machine parts x 3, solid string x 1


    The crossbow is famous both as a knight-killer that can easily penetrate armor and as an anti-zombie weapon. In-game terms, it¡¯s often a weapon that is easier to handle, more powerful, and less fast to shoot than a bow, but in this world?


    ¡°I think I can make the basic one and the standard one right away.¡±


    It appears that steel leaf spring cannot be made in the current simple furnace. I guess it would require a higher-grade furnace or blacksmithing equipment. Even the solid string seems to require either an animal tendon or a lot of fiber and glue. I¡¯m out of stock of the animal tendon, and apart from fiber, I can¡¯t find any glue anywhere on the crafting menu. I think I probably need a separate device for making chemicals and stuff.


    Also, it seems that crossbow bolts can be made. The materials for those are iron arrowhead and wood. I wonder if it needs a bird feather for the arrowhead¡­?


    I made one to try it out, and for some reason, it had the arrow feathers on it. What does that mean? Well, it¡¯s too late for that since I can make drinking water in a plastic bottle from raw water in a wooden water bottle.


    Let¡¯s not think too much about it. Yeah. As long as it¡¯s convenient, I don¡¯t mind.


    But I guess I need a more advanced furnace or¡­ a large furnace with fireproof bricks or something. It might also need more advanced bellows that send wind and promote combustion.


    That¡¯s why I look for new bellows from the crafting menu on the workbench.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing, huh.¡±


    So perhaps when it comes to the bellows, it doesn¡¯t bother to differentiate between the small and large ones. However, upon a closer look at the workbench menu, I found an option called ¡°Upgrade.¡±


    ?Workbench upgrade¨D¨D: machine parts x 10, steel leaf springs x 5, leather straps x 2


    Fumu¡­ As expected, the steel plate spring is the main problem. I guess the next step should be a more advanced ironmaking facility. I¡¯ll need to upgrade from a simple furnace to a standard furnace. So, with that in mind, I check the simple furnace in operation.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    There are more upgrades that shouldn¡¯t have been there before.


    ?Simple furnace upgrade¨D¨D: animal hides x 5, bricks x 50, whetstones x 3, machine parts x 10


    ¡°Mmm¡­?¡±


    Surely there wasn¡¯t any of this stuff a while ago. Why are there so many of these all of a sudden? Could it be that there is a leveling-up factor? Or is the feature unlocked when certain conditions are met? Hey, hey, hey, if that¡¯s the case, you should at least give me one of your notifications. I mean, I should at least be able to see the indicators¨D¨Dno, wait?


    I open my inventory with the Tab key in mind and stare into the menu.


    ¡°There are more entries¡­¡±


    There used to be only inventory and crafting menus, but now there are more entries for status, skills, and achievements. What are the achievements? But then I found the so-called ¡°Achievements¡± feature.


    ¡°You should have unlocked this kind of thing from the beginning¡­¡±


    I groaned as I looked at each entry.


    First of all, the status, this was a simple function. The only thing that can be confirmed is that my current physical condition can be checked to some extent explicitly¡­ or rather visualized. Unfortunately, it doesn¡¯t seem to display a quantified status, such as STR or AGI, like in an RPG. It only shows hunger and dryness, health, stamina, fatigue, and the presence or absence of status abnormalities. The most notable feature is the ability to check ¡°Experience Value.¡±


    I don¡¯t know what conditions are used to accumulate experience value, but apparently, there is a level concept. My current level is 6. Would there be any benefits for me if my level was higher?


    And then there are the skills, but¡­


    ¡°Hmm¡­ this bothers me.¡±


    Apparently, the concept of levels is useful here. In the skill column, there are several skills, and skills can be acquired by spending skill points. It seems that the skills can be divided into two main categories: production and physical strengthening. There are five production skills displayed at the moment.


    ?Skilled craftsman¨D¨D: Crafting time is reduced by 20%. ?Mass Producers¨D¨D: Reduces the number of materials required to create 10 or more of the same item by 10%. ?Loggers¨D¨D: Increased plant material intake by 20%. ?Miner¨D¨D: Increased mineral material intake by 20%. ?Dismantler¨D¨D: Increased living organism material intake by 20%.


    Hmm, this is troubling. At first glance, it seems like a good idea to be a mass producer, but to be honest, it¡¯s a bit subtle that I need to create more than 10 items at a time to get the bonus. Then it would be more versatile to increase the number of materials acquired. I don¡¯t feel the need for the skilled craftsman now, but if items with a crafting time of more than ten minutes or an hour per item come out in the future, it seems like it would be a great benefit. I don¡¯t think it would have much of an effect on things that only take ten seconds or so, to begin with.


    And the physical strengthening skills.


    ?Strong Cardiopulmonary Function¨D¨D: Increased stamina recovery speed by 20%. ?Agility¨D¨D: Increased movement speed by 10%. ?Strong Arm¨D¨D: Increased melee attack power by 20%. ?Excellent Archer¨D¨D: Increased attack power from ranged weapons by 20%. ?Iron Skin¨D¨D: Reduced damage taken by 20%. ?Survivor¨D¨D: Increased health by 10%, increased health recovery speed by 20%. ?Reptile Stomach¨D¨D: Reduced hunger by 20%. ?Camel¡¯s hump¨D¨D: Reduced dryness by 20%.


    These are the eight skills that can be acquired at the moment.


    I¡¯d say that I¡¯d be happy to get a strong cardiopulmonary function, agility, excellent archer, iron skin, and survivor immediately. The increase in stamina recovery speed would be useful for both mining and combat, and combined with agility, it would lead to an increase in escaping pace. As I have no skills to handle weapons, I would basically attack from a distance, so the excellent archer would be suitable, and the iron skin that can reduce damage when attacked, and the survivor that increases the upper limit of health and the recovery speed would rightly lead directly to an increase in survivability.


    On the other hand, I don¡¯t think I need a reduction in hunger and dryness, as long as I keep in mind to make sure I have enough food and water. No, it would be useful when traveling through a land where supplies are unlikely to be available, such as in the Great Wilderness of Omit, right¡­?


    Hmm, it¡¯s troubling. If I could get all the skills, I wouldn¡¯t have to worry about it, but the skill points I have now are the same as my level, which is 6 points. I¡¯m not sure if I can retrieve it or not, so I can¡¯t take it lightly.


    ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s just ignore it for now, ignore it.¡±


    It¡¯s not something I have to take right now. Yeah. More importantly, let¡¯s check the achievements.


    ¡°¡­Well, well, well, isn¡¯t this just a display?¡±


    ?First time crafting¨D¨D: Crafting an item for the first time. ¡ùUnlock skills. ????¨D¨D: Hidden achievement. ?First time collecting¨D¨D: Perform collecting for the first time. ¡ùUnlock skill. ?First time mining¨D¨D: Perform mining for the first time. ¡ùUnlock skills. ?First time hunting¨D¨D: Acquiring living organism material for the first time. ¡ùUnlock skills. ????¨D¨D:Hidden achievement. ????¨D¨D: Hidden achievement.


    What is this ¡°???¡±. There is too much hidden stuff that is totally not helpful. What is this, a shitty game?


    ?First Workbench¨D¨D: First time crafting a workbench. You can upgrade all sorts of workbenches and items and add status, skill, and achievement entries to the menu.


    Ooh, more information to answer the question. I knew that creating a workbench was a condition for unlocking upgrades and adding additional menu entries. Is there anything else?


    ?First time copulation¨D¨D: First time copulating with the opposite sex. You¡¯ll love it, too. Increased strength and stamina by 10 points.


    What does this ¡°You¡¯ll love it, too¡± mean? Also, it¡¯s not my first time¨D¨DOh, I see. So it means since I came into the world. I see. And how many points is that, exactly? I don¡¯t know, my status isn¡¯t numeric, so I don¡¯t know.


    ?Technician¨D¨D: Satisfy the other party while copulating. Not bad. Damage to the opposite sex is increased by 10%.


    What do you mean by ¡°Not bad¡±? It¡¯s none of your business; I don¡¯t need your help. I can¡¯t even be happy with a bonus that¡¯s slightly more effective.


    ¡°What¡¯s up with that stupid look on your face?¡±


    ¡°Hoaaaahh!?¡±


    Suddenly, a mysterious voice was called out to me. It seems that before I knew it, Sylphy had come back.


    ¡°I told you that monsters sometimes come to this river to drink the water. If I were a monster, you¡¯d be dead by now.¡±


    ¡°Oh, ah, yes. I am a little careless. Sorry.¡±


    I honestly apologize while suppressing my palpitating heart. I may indeed have been a bit too careless. If a quick monster or something like that had come, it would have been a close call.


    ¡°And what¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°A workbench. I get a lot done with it.¡±


    ¡°Fumu. Well, it looks like you had a productive time. We should get back now. Are you done with the gathering?¡±


    ¡°Oh, sorry. Give me some more time. I¡¯ll get what I need as soon as possible.¡±


    I just took the miner¡¯s skills from the skills column, broke some rocks with the pickaxe, and dug around in the ground. It seems like the amount of resources that come out when breaking rocks is definitely increasing. Also, the steel shovel is much better than stone shovel.


    After spending an hour or so, I managed to get enough mineral resources and clay, and we decided to leave the mountain stream. Now that I have enough materials, I think I¡¯ll ask Sylphy to let me build a work shed in her backyard when we get back to her house. Finally¡­ it¡¯s exciting to build something.

 CH 12

    Here¡¯s another bonus chapter sponsored by Patreon, enjoy~


    ¡°Finally, I can see it.¡±


    How long it¡¯s been since we left the stream? I don¡¯t know; I didn¡¯t check the time. Anyway, we made it back to the elven village before dark. The construction of the expansion zone seems to still be underway at this time. And the piercing glances from the refugees still hurts me.


    ¡°Are you tired?¡±


    ¡°No, not physically at all. It¡¯s just that it¡¯s mentally exhausting to move through the forest while being cautious.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s something you¡¯ll have to get used to.¡±


    Sylphy shrugged her shoulders and walked ahead. Right now, I have a collar around my neck, but without a chain. I asked her if it¡¯s okay if she does that before approaching the village, but she told me not to worry about it because she will manage to make it work. Yeah, if Master says so, I have to just believe in her.


    ¡°Hey, why aren¡¯t you wearing a chain?¡±


    Shortly after, we arrived at the gate of the elven village through the expansion zone. And as a matter of course, I was confronted by the elven soldiers guarding the gate. Sigh, as expected.


    ¡°I don¡¯t feel the need to talk to you. I have something to tell the elders urgently.¡±


    ¡°You dirty bag¨D¨D!?¡±


    I thought they were having a discussion, and then suddenly Sylphy delivered a lightning-quick straight right punch to the elf soldier. Eehh¡­ that¡¯s scary. She didn¡¯t have any hesitation in her movements.


    ¡°The next time you speak a joke like that from your mouth, I¡¯ll kill you.¡±


    In the silence, Sylphy¡¯s cold, bottom-chilling voice echoes. Hyieee¡­ I¡¯m about to leak.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Aye aye, ma¡¯am.¡±


    I followed Sylphy after saluting her as she walked off. I don¡¯t know how many times I¡¯ve mentioned this, but I definitely don¡¯t want to make Sylphy angry.


    ¡°Hey, are you sure it¡¯s okay?¡±


    After a short walk from the earlier scene, I ran up to Sylphy and asked her in a whisper.


    ¡°Hmm, even if there was a problem, they can¡¯t do anything about it. They are the ones in trouble when I¡¯m gone.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Hmm, I wonder why Sylphy is treated as an untouchable presence in this village, as if she has immense power, or is respected, or something. I¡¯m a little curious, but it seems like a sensitive topic. It¡¯s not something I should be asking right now, anyway.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like we¡¯re going home, is it?¡±


    ¡°I must first inform the village elders about Gizma¡¯s presence in the forest first.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Passing by Sylphy¡¯s house, we head further into the village. There¡¯s hardly any traffic around here. I wonder if the elves are reclusive?


    ¡°That¡¯s one big building.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a meeting place where the elders are gathering all day long to talk over tea.¡±


    With a sarcastic smile on her face, Sylphy entered the meeting place. There are no guards, so there was no one to blame.


    ¡°Hou, we were wondering who could it be, and so it was you.¡±


    ¡°What a very unusual thing. For someone who hates the elders to come here for two days in a row.¡±


    ¡°Hohoho, it seems there will be a rain of spears tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that like it¡¯s an unfortunate thing. It¡¯s not very amusing under the current circumstances.¡±


    As soon as I entered the building, I heard such a voice. When I glanced out from behind Sylphy¡¯s shoulder to take a peek inside, I saw that it was a space about the size of a tennis court. The ceiling is relatively high, with something like tatami mats laid out on the floor.


    The voices¡¯ owners seemed to be elves drinking something like tea on cushions on the tatami floor. Their language sounds like an elderly, but they don¡¯t look that old. Some of them look about the same as Sylphy, while some others look like children. There are some who look properly aged, though.


    ¡°Oh? Is that the human who entered the forest?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I can barely feel any magic from him.¡±


    ¡°Barely, you say? I can¡¯t feel it at all.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a rare thing to see someone without a shred of magic.¡±


    ¡°A person without magic?¡±


    ¡°Is he perhaps a marebito*?¡±


    [T/n: It mean visitor from afar/probably they¡¯re talking about a different world.]


    It¡¯s kind of silly. Let¡¯s see, there are seven of them sitting down, and then there are four more standing a little further away, as if in service. In all, there seem to be eleven elves here.


    There is only one male; the rest are all women.


    ¡°Who is that man, Sylphy-chan? Yesterday you only said that you picked up a human man, and you were going to make him your slave?¡±


    ¡°Stop with the Sylphy-chan. I¡¯ve got something to report today. Hey, give me the antennae.¡±


    ¡°Aiyo.¡±


    I did as Sylphy asked, taking two of Gizma¡¯s antennae out of my inventory and giving them to her.


    ¡°Gizma has entered the forest. It looks like what we were fearing would happen is actually happening.¡±


    ¡°Fumu, as expected.¡±


    ¡°If one of them got in, it won¡¯t be long before they come storming in.¡±


    ¡°If we focus on the defense of the village, we could probably repel them.¡±


    ¡°What about the beastmen? Should we accommodate them in a village with proper walls?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s be realistic. We can¡¯t maintain our magic fields and harvest them while defending the land. We can¡¯t even feed those people.¡±


    ¡°Well, I think we¡¯ll just fall apart if we are forced to accommodate them.¡±


    ¡°I guess we¡¯ll just have to let them leave while they still can, or they can stay here at the risk of death.¡±


    ¡°In the first place, they were the ones who sowed the seeds.¡±


    The elders who saw Gizma¡¯s antennae were actively exchanging opinions and discussing countermeasures with each other as I watched them in a daze from behind Sylphy. What they say is really rational, or rather, a legitimate argument, or something that seems to leave no room for disagreement.


    Of course, it¡¯s not that there¡¯s nothing to think about. I don¡¯t know how many refugees there are, but I think the number of refugees is quite high. Probably not more than a hundred or two hundred. Isn¡¯t it too inhumane to abandon them for the sake of the survival of the elven village? That¡¯s what I thought.


    But on the other hand, I don¡¯t think the elves have any reason to fall in with the refugees. The refugees have fled to the Black Forest wearing only their clothes and have been fed by the elves without any particular price to pay. Moreover, there is a high probability that they are also the cause of Gizma¡¯s massive reproduction. It¡¯s no wonder that they can¡¯t take care of everything so well.


    ¡°Hmm. I wish the walls had been completed.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. If only the walls had been completed, we could have enclosed the magic field inside.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to call a representative of the refugees to discuss this evening.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. So, Sylphy-chan. About that man.¡±


    ¡°I told you to stop with that Sylphy-chan.¡±


    Again, with a mortified expression, Sylphy rebukes them for calling her with chan. But the elven elders don¡¯t seem to want to bother with it at all. Sigh, these elders.


    ¡°As I recall, he is a man with iron-making skills, and you wanted to own him because of his usefulness.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°How could you lose it all in one night? You sure are fast.¡±


    ¡°W-wha!?¡±


    Sylphy turned red to her ears in dismay at the sudden and vivid remarks. Oh¡­ that was a rare expression from Master, who always seems to be fearless and cool. That¡¯s good, elders, do it more.


    ¡°Hoho. When a woman accepts a man, the quality of her magic changes a little bit.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s only a small difference, but we can see it at a glance.¡±


    ¡°The spring has finally come for the tomboy, Sylphy-chan, huh?¡±


    ¡°But I am a little concerned. It must be a little distorted to force an enslaved man to be your playmate, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°Humans do that a lot, don¡¯t they? Isn¡¯t that the latest trend?¡±


    ¡°Sylphy-chan is also very attractive, too.¡±


    ¡°No, I wonder if that¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all about leaving a descendant, and it¡¯s good. After all, Sylphy-chan is the only one of Merinard¡¯s bloodline that remains alive. It¡¯s not a problem if her sexual orientation is a little distorted.¡±


    It¡¯s cute to see Master quivering and shaking after being told that all by the elders. It¡¯s not like any of the elders think that they attacked Sylphy. Yeah, well, even if I were a big-muscled macho man, I don¡¯t think I would be able to do anything with Sylphy if she resisted seriously. Hence, it¡¯s probably a fair decision.


    But still, I¡¯m curious about something¡ªthe Merinard bloodline. I¡¯m sure Sylphy is related to the Merinard Kingdom. Moreover, from what I¡¯ve heard, she seems to be a direct descendant of the royal family. Is it possible that she is a princess? Princess Sylphiel, the name alone, looks incredibly adorable, doesn¡¯t it? I¡¯m sure she¡¯s beautiful in reality, but she¡¯s also too strong.


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s put the joke aside,¡±


    After laughing for a moment, the mood of the elders suddenly changed drastically. The elders, who had been smiling cheerfully, suddenly became serious and began to radiate an unknowable pressure.


    ¡°I ask you, Merinard¡¯s daughter, Sylphiel. Who is this man? Answer me.¡±


    In contrast, Sylphy opened her mouth with a resolute expression, without fear. The fact that her face is still a little red is quite a charm, isn¡¯t it?


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s just that the person himself said that he found himself standing on the border between the wilderness and the forest. Although I can understand his language, Kosuke¡¯s stories about his hometown are unfamiliar to me. It¡¯s like it¡¯s a completely different world from Reese¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°¡­I see. The magic-less one appears in the breach to save the forest people, huh¡­? That¡¯s too good to be true, especially considering the current situation.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. However, there is a legend that that person left behind¡­ so it¡¯s probably true.¡±


    ¡°Which means he¡¯s indeed a marebito.¡±


    ¡°I suppose we should consider that. Although we lack the proof to believe it, given the circumstances.¡±


    ¡°I suppose we should have custody of him then¡­¡±


    One of the elders glanced at me. However, as if to shield me from it, Sylphy hugged me closer to her chest. Ughyoo, it¡¯s so soft. It¡¯s nice, very nice.


    ¡°No. He¡¯s mine.¡±


    And here it is. It looks like I¡¯m going to die.


    Eh? Given the circumstances, I wonder if Sylphy was approaching me, intending to use me for something? Well, it¡¯s okay. Even if she came to me because of me as a marebito and my exceptional attributes and power, I¡¯d still be happy. That¡¯s why I think you should spoil me more, Master.


    ¡°Good grief. You¡¯re just as stubborn as that tomboy. I guess since you¡¯ve gone as far as giving your chastity to him, I can¡¯t force you to leave him.¡±


    ¡°But what should we do? He may be a marebito, but he is still a human. The refugees and the young elves won¡¯t be able to accept him so easily.¡±


    Perhaps reassured by the elder¡¯s words, Sylphy released me. I was still hugging her, but she slapped me on the head and pulled me off. Oh no, that¡¯s terrible.


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll just have to make him do something acceptable. If it works, we can protect the village and the refugees. It will kill two birds with one stone.¡±


    ¡°I see. So, Sylphy-chan, you understand it, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know.¡±


    ¡°We are in a difficult situation right now. If the marebito is willing to follow Sylphy-chan, then we will support him. But that¡¯s only if the marebito can prove himself. You should be aware of this.¡±


    Sylphy nodded, turned on her heel, and left. I¡¯m not sure about the situation, but it seems that Sylphy has understood it. Well, I had some idea of what was going on from the conversation, though.


    ¡°Hey, you.¡±


    I was just about to turn around and chase after Sylphy when one of the elders called out to me. I couldn¡¯t ignore her, so I stopped and looked back. Apparently, the one who called out to me is an elder who looks like a little girl. Noja Loli, huh¡­ I like it, too. Although not as much as Sylphy.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t heard your name yet. You can at least tell me your name, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, my name is Kosuke Shibata. You can call me Kosuke.¡±


    ¡°I see. Kosuke, take care of Sylphy-chan. She¡¯s a pitiable girl.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yeah, as long as I can.¡±


    As the loli-elf stares at me, I just say that and leave. I¡¯ll do it as long as I can, yeah, for as long as I can. I think it would be difficult for me to risk my own life, though. Maybe.

 CH 13

    Here¡¯s the chapter, enjoy~


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    We returned to Sylphy¡¯s house, but Sylphy sat down on her favorite couch and kept quiet as soon as we got home. She doesn¡¯t even drink her mead; she just wrinkles her brow and keeps quiet. I¡¯m not sure what to say.


    ¡°Aah¡­ Um, A©`Yu©`O©`Ke*?¡±


    [T/n: He said it in broken English xD.]


    ¡°What is that? Is that some kind of spell?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s like, Daijobu ka*? I mean, it¡¯s some kind of word of care or concern.¡±


    [T/n: It means, Are you okay?/]


    I think that¡¯s the nuance. It must be right. Maybe.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I was just thinking about what to do.¡±


    ¡°What were the elders saying? What exactly are they talking about? I somehow got the feeling that I would have to deal with the Gizma¡¯s attack with my efforts.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know exactly what it was, but it sounds about right. In other words, to prove that you are a marebito, they told you to show your power and save the refugees.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Apparently, I was generally right.


    ¡°As I recall, the problem was that the wall and housing were not yet completed, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. At the current pace, it will take at least another six months to complete. I don¡¯t know when the Gizma is going to come storming into the Black Forest, but it can¡¯t be later than six months.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I see.¡±


    At first glance, it seems that the wall that is being built in the expansion zone is made of stone or bricks or something. If that¡¯s the case, I think it might be possible as long as the materials are available.


    ¡°I think I might be able to manage that.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Sylphy looked at me with a surprised expression.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s possible to build a wall quickly with my ability. I haven¡¯t tried it yet, so I¡¯m not sure, but¡­ I¡¯d like to try out some of the functions. I was about to discuss it with you when we returned.¡±


    ¡°Tell me more about it.¡±


    ¡°Aye, aye, ma¡¯am. But I think it¡¯s faster to show it instead of just talk about it, so let¡¯s go to the backyard.¡±


    She nodded, and I led Sylphy out of the corridor and into the backyard. The ground is just as flat as if it had been trampled, which is just right.


    ¡°First, I need to make some materials.¡±


    I said while setting up a simple furnace and pouring fuel into it to start a fire. The material to be used is clay. Of course, what I¡¯m going to make is blocks of firebricks. At the same time, I set up a workbench, where I used clay and stones to make stone wall blocks. I made two types of blocks to show to Sylphy so that she could decide which one to use.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m starting to make the main materials. Before it¡¯s finished, I¡¯ll show you an ability I haven¡¯t told you about yet.¡±


    In fact, I¡¯ve secretly made a woodblock. It is the taste of a survivalist to have a building block in the shortcut so that they can quickly build a wall when the need arises.


    When I select the woodblock from the shortcut, a translucent installation point appears in my field of vision like a hologram. The translucent block is floating in the air because I¡¯m looking at it in the air, but when I focus on the ground, the translucent woodblock sticks to the ground as if it were absorbed. The basic shape seems to be a cube with a width, depth, and height of 1 meter, but it seems that the shape can be changed freely to some extent by focusing on it. For now, I¡¯ll make the wall about 30cm thick and 1m in width and height.


    ¡°Hoy!¡±


    ¡°Wha-!?¡±


    With a thumping sound, a wall made of wood appeared according to the hologram. I tried to push it with my hand, but somehow it didn¡¯t move. It seemed to be firmly fixed to the ground.


    ¡°Hoyhoyhoy.¡±


    ¡°Wha?¡±


    With a series of thump, thump, thump, the wall was completed, 2m high, 2m wide, and 30cm thick. The durability may not be that great, but this wall seems to be enough for security if we surround it with this wall.


    I kicked the wall with all my might, but it didn¡¯t falter at all with my strength.


    ¡°It¡¯s like this. If I spend the right amount of material, I can easily build a wall. By the way, this is a deliberately thin wall. This is what it would look like if it were the original size.¡±


    With a more thump, thump, thump, four unadjusted woodblocks were stacked on top of each other to create a wall 2 meters high, 2 meters wide, and 1 meter thick. I kicked this one too, but it still didn¡¯t budge. It would take a lot of effort to destroy it without any tools.


    ¡°By the way, I can make a wall about the same size as this one with a single log.¡±


    Apparently, there is no such thing as the law of mass conservation. Sylphy¡¯s mouth dropped open, and she was in shock. Oh, I could make brick blocks and stone wall blocks as well.


    ¡°By the way, if you want to build a wall, I recommend these brick blocks or stone wall blocks.¡±


    With a quick thud, thud, thud, I show her the walls of both blocks. Oh, she turned her head down, holding her eyebrows. So she can make a face like that during the day too, huh! Yes, I know, I know!


    ¡°Kukuku¡­ my abilities govern both restoration and destruction¨D¨D.¡±


    ¡°Shut up.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    I was about to make a sudden chuunibyou remark when a terrifying voice shouted at me. Sylphy approached the wall I had set up with a scary look on her face and seemed to be checking the feel and strength of it. Looking at her sideways, I went to the workbench and made an appointment to craft a crossbow: one basic one, one regular one, and a dozen short crossbow bolts. By the way, bolts are crossbow arrows, which are made shorter and thicker than the arrows used in regular bows.


    While waiting for the crossbow crafting appointment, I set up some logs for targets a little farther away. I¡¯d really like to use Gizma¡¯s corpse as a test target, but I¡¯ve heard that the shell is valuable¡­ I¡¯d get beaten up if I made it full of holes.


    When I returned to the workbench after setting up some logs at different distances, I found that two crossbows and bolts had already been finished crafted. I make an appointment to craft a dozen more bolts.


    ¡°What are you going to do this time?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got a new weapon I can make. I¡¯m going to test firing it.¡±


    I decided to try out the basic crossbow first. Yeah, it looks really shabby. It¡¯s basically made out of wood, so I guess that¡¯s what it¡¯s supposed to be. There is a metal ring on the crossbow¡¯s tip that you can put your foot on and use your back muscles to pull the string. Some metal parts are also used around the trigger and on the strings.


    ¡°Wow, this bow is surprisingly tough.¡±


    I tried to pull the string, but it took a lot more force than I expected. After pulling the string, I set the bolt and was ready to fire.


    ¡°What a strange bow. I think a normal bow would be easier to use.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true that it doesn¡¯t fire continuously. But this one has many advantages.¡±


    When I hold the crossbow, a reticule appears in my field of vision. As soon as I pulled the trigger, the bolt flew off with a sharp bang. And it generally sticks in the exact spot that I was aiming for with the reticule. , I tried to reload by command action with the left click in mind.


    ¡°Wow, seriously?¡±


    My body moved on its own, and I pulled the string with my right hand alone to quickly set the bolt. It¡¯s not much different from a bow when I do this. I tried to shoot one more time, but the bolt still pierced just as I aimed. It seems pretty powerful.


    ¡°For now, why don¡¯t you give it a try? If you actually use it, you might be able to see the difference.¡±


    ¡°Fumu¡­¡±


    When I handed her the basic crossbow, she took it in stride, looked at it closely, and then put her hand on the string.


    ¡°Muh¡­ This bow is quite strong for its small size, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°I know, right? So put your foot on the loop and use the power of your back to pull the string.¡±


    ¡°I see. So, when you draw it, you set the arrow and pull this protrusion, and the arrow will fly, right?¡±


    Sylphy held up the crossbow as I had just done, took good aim, and fired the bolt. The bolt that flew hit the log without any problem.


    ¡°I see; you don¡¯t have to draw the bow with both hands, so you don¡¯t get tired of aiming deliberately. And if you draw the bow and set the arrow in advance, you can shoot it immediately.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Besides, the crossbow is easier to train than the bow. If you have the ability to draw a bow, even if you have never held a weapon before, you can easily shoot it where you want.¡±


    ¡°¡­I see. So you¡¯re saying that the refugees will be counted as a force to be reckoned with?¡±


    ¡°As long as we have a wall and enough crossbows and the bolts. This is the most basic one and the least powerful. I think it¡¯s pretty powerful at the right distance, but a little inefficient against people wearing iron armor or against Gizma.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. It may just barely penetrate the reserve, but the power is a little weak.¡±


    I think it¡¯s enough to sting if you aim for the flesh and blood part. For example, if it is a human, it could be the eyes of the helmet.


    ¡°And this one is the regular one with the reinforced crossbow using animal bones¡­ It¡¯s quite difficult to draw this one.¡±


    The structure of a regular crossbow is not much different. However, it¡¯s a stronger crossbow because the part of the bow is a compound bow. Of course, you will need a lot of strength to pull it. After I managed to pull it, I set the bolt and gave it a test shot.


    ¡°This one is much stronger.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I think it¡¯ll work well enough against Gizma.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s try it. Give me Gizma¡¯s torso. Let¡¯s see if we can actually shoot it.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure? The shell is worth something, right?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care. It¡¯s more important to see how useful this weapon is.¡±


    Sylphy said, so I put Gizma¡¯s body out a little farther and tried to shoot it with the regular crossbow. The released bolt flew with a sharp sound and pierced through Gizma¡¯s shell, penetrating deep enough to obscure the bolt itself completely.


    ¡°It¡¯s powerful enough¡­ Hey, do you still have any rusty armor left? If you have any left, let¡¯s give it a try.¡±


    ¡°Aye, aye, ma¡¯am.¡±


    There was still some uncursed rusty armor left in my inventory, so I hooked it onto a log and tried to shoot it. The bolt seemed to penetrate the log with no problem. I also tried using a basic crossbow, but it seemed to pierce but lost most of its power.


    ¡°I have another crossbow with a higher power than this one, but I can¡¯t make the materials¡­ so I need to talk to you about it.¡±


    ¡°What is it? Tell me.¡±


    ¡°I want to set up my own workshop in this backyard. I¡¯m probably going to have to build a larger manufacturing facility and more workbenches.¡±


    I think there is a limit to the number of materials that can be kept in inventory. It¡¯s not uncommon for survival games today to have an inventory function that allows you to hold an unlimited amount of things. Most of them have a weight limit or a type limit.


    I have a few crafting items that I can use to store materials, and I want to make a place to put them.


    ¡°Fumu¡­ Yes, that¡¯s fine. You can use the backyard as you wish. I will tell you if you do anything that is out of line.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Then let¡¯s get to work.¡±


    First, I destroyed the wooden wall, brick wall, and stone wall with an ax and pickaxe, respectively. It seems that the blocks themselves will not be returned but will be returned as materials. The return rate is about 80%.


    I also collected the logs, armor, Gizma¡¯s body, and the bolts that I had shot into the target.


    ¡°What about that storage room?¡±


    ¡°Leave it where it is.¡±


    ¡°Roger that.¡±


    If I get permission, I was going to demolish it and clear the land, but if Master says so, I¡¯ll just leave it. The backyard is open like a playground, and the ground has been leveled, so I can start construction right away.


    ¡°The entrance to the workshop should be as close as possible to the corridor. However, it is better to have some space where you can move around, right? We might have to test-fire a weapon as we did before.¡±


    ¡°I think so. I don¡¯t want the whole backyard to be covered with buildings.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    I might bathe in the garden like I did this morning, so I¡¯ll leave the area just outside the corridor wide open. The other thing to consider is the design of the workshop itself¡­


    ¡°I¡¯m basically a tofu house* kind of guy.¡±


    [T/n: I don¡¯t exactly know what it means, probably the design is just like tofu.]


    There are a lot of people who build amazingly spacious and well-designed buildings in survival games like this. These are the so-called ¡°Architecture geeks.¡± They are indeed, impressive. I think it¡¯s a form of art. However, such buildings are usually built in creative mode, where you can use unlimited resources. Of course, there are those who make them in normal game mode, where resources are not infinite.


    I¡¯m more of a player who focuses on the game, so I focus on functionality. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m giving up from the start because I don¡¯t have any sense. It¡¯s not like that. It¡¯s just that I don¡¯t like wasting time.


    First, I lay the floor with wooden blocks. This is how I visualize the site area of the building.


    ¡°HoyHoyHoyHoyHoy.¡±


    The blocks are laid out in a straight line while moving backward with a thump-thump-thump sound. The trick is to lay out the floor and walls while moving backward. Just like planting rice, I repeated this process to lay the floor. The thickness of the floor was set at 25cm for now. In other words, I made it only a quarter of the height and laid down the wood blocks as quickly as I could.


    The next step was to build the walls. I didn¡¯t feel the need to make thick walls, so I started building 30cm thick walls. The walls should be 3 meters on the entrance side and 2.5 meters on the backside, with a gradient. With the roof on, even if it rains, the rain won¡¯t drip on the entrance side.


    No, even though I¡¯m a tofu house person, if I were to build a real house, I wouldn¡¯t make the roof completely flat. If it rains, it will get wet, and if it snows, it might get crushed.


    Lastly, I attached the door to the entrance and realized.


    ¡°Oh no, it¡¯s dark.¡±


    I should put in a window to get some light. I destroyed a part of the wall and replaced it with a light window with a hole near the ceiling. Hmm, it¡¯s getting brighter. I looked around the cabin again.


    ¡°¡­This cabin makes me uneasy.¡±


    It¡¯s good that it doesn¡¯t shake even though there are no pillars or supporting beams, but it¡¯s not visually reassuring. I used wood blocks to make beams in the ceiling and placed wood blocks molded to look like pillars in eight places in the cabin. Yes, it¡¯s just a decoration, but it gives me a mysterious sense of security. I guess looks are important.


    In the end, I intended to make it into a tofu house, but it turned out to be a cabin that didn¡¯t look too out of the ordinary.


    I looked around to report, but before I knew it, Sylphy was gone. I thought she must be in the house, so I went in and found her preparing food. I wondered if she was going to cook dinner for me today.


    ¡°The building for the workshop is completed.¡±


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s not even half an hour since you started.¡±


    ¡°If only I had the materials, I could do stuff like that.¡±


    I went out to the backyard with a dumbfounded Sylphy in tow. Oops, let¡¯s collect the workbench.


    ¡°It¡¯s really done.¡±


    ¡°I used a lot of wood, though. I need to go back and restock.¡±


    I used about half of the wood I picked up today. Not that I¡¯m in a tight spot, though.


    ¡°Maybe next time.¡±


    As she said that, Sylphy entered the cabin and looked around the interior.


    ¡°It¡¯s a normal cabin, though it looks a little strange.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not built in the usual way. Please bear that in mind.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true, too.¡±


    It seems that Sylphy felt so uncomfortable that she was convinced and no longer cared, so now she began to tap and push the walls and floor here and there. Apparently, she was checking the durability.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like it¡¯s just a papier-mache, does it?¡±


    ¡°I guess.¡±


    I don¡¯t know how much damage this cabin will actually take before it collapses. Well, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s going to collapse under normal use suddenly.


    ¡°So we have to put the workbenches and stuff in here.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, do what you want. It¡¯s your castle.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for that; I¡¯m so happy. By the way, about building the wall¨D¨D.¡±


    As I was about to say that, Sylphy put her index finger to my lips. I guess that means stop talking, but what¡¯s this all about?


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk about it after dinner. I¡¯ll do the cooking today.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear it, but¡­ what¡¯s with this turn of events?¡±


    Yesterday she said, ¡°Are you going to make your Master cook you dinner?¡± What does it mean now? Sylphy smiled at me despite my thoughts and unexpectedly put her mouth to my ear.


    ¡°You¡¯re still my slave, but¡­ I¡¯m also your wife, having given you my chastity. A wife is supposed to cook for her working husband, right?¡±


    ¡°Fuoooohh!?¡±


    Sylphy whispered in my ear, and her breath hit my ear, and I couldn¡¯t help but make a strange voice. Seeing me like that, Sylphy smiled with satisfaction and walked out of the cabin. The left ear that was covered with her breath felt strangely hot.


    ¡°What¡¯s that¡­? Oh man, that¡¯s really dangerous.¡±


    My vocabulary exploded and dissipated at the sudden love-struck act. It can¡¯t be helped.


    I¡¯ll go back to the house after I¡¯ve calmed down a bit. If I go back now, I might attack Sylphy while she is cooking. I don¡¯t want to get carried away and risk getting blown up.

 CH 14

    Here¡¯s another chapter sponsored by Patreon, enjoy~


    ¡°Itadakimasu.¡±


    ¡°Umu¡±


    I put my hands together and touched the food that Sylphy had made for me. I guess today¡¯s menu is¡­ It¡¯s made by frying various finely chopped vegetables with finely chopped meat, then adding beans and stewing them in a mixture of mead and spices. It¡¯s kind of like Indian food.


    They eat this as a side dish with the baked bread made of kneaded grain flour. The bread is also fluffier than the one I baked. Maybe the dough has been through a proper second fermentation. I think it took too little time for that, though.


    ¡°How is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s delicious. I like the tangy spices in it.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    Oh, Master! No, no, no. You can¡¯t, Master! If you smile at me with such a happy face, I¡¯ll die! Aah! You can¡¯t do this! You can¡¯t do this to me, Master!


    ¡°What are you agonizing over?¡±


    ¡°Sylphy is so cute; it¡¯s hard to live with her.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    She got angry at me with a slightly reddened face. It¡¯s quite frankly counterproductive. Calm down, stay me, stay me. We¡¯re going to have a serious talk later, so calm down. Yes, like an enlightened Buddha, I need to be at peace. In the meantime, I should concentrate on the food.


    ¡°Was there such a dish in Kosuke¡¯s world?¡±


    ¡°Well, not exactly the same, but something similar, I think. I think it¡¯s similar to a dish that was often eaten in places quite far away from where I lived.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, so it doesn¡¯t taste like home.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s very different from the taste of my homeland. But it¡¯s delicious.¡±


    I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll be able to go back to my world, but if I¡¯m going to bury my bones in this world, I guess this will be the taste of my home. time, I¡¯ll ask Sylphi to teach me how to make it.


    ¡°Now, I want Kosuke to teach me the taste of his hometown.¡±


    That¡¯s right. I will try my best to recreate it.¡±


    When it comes to making Japanese food, miso and soy sauce are the main problems¡­ as well as kombu and dried bonito flakes to make dashi. Will it be possible for me to make it in the future? Yeah, let¡¯s make that one of my goals.


    After the meal, the two of us sat down on a wicker couch and had a relaxing time. But today, it would be more of a serious conversation than a relaxing time.


    ¡°So, where should we start?¡±


    ¡°Well, I guess we¡¯ll start with the wall and countermeasures against Gizma.¡±


    Sylphy, who had changed into casual clothes, brought over a ceramic bowl containing mead to me. And then she took the same bowl and presented it to me.


    ¡°I guess we have to make a toast here, too.¡±


    ¡°So the etiquette is the same everywhere there are alcohol and people.¡±


    We quietly clinked our bowls together and slurped down the mead. Yes, it¡¯s sweet. I¡¯ll be careful not to drink too much.


    ¡°So, the wall. If you can use the brick or stone wall you showed me earlier, I think we can make it work. If we can get the refugees to help us get the materials, we should be able to do it pretty quickly.¡±


    ¡°I think bricks would be better for maintenance. That stone wall looks simple at first glance, but you can see that the stones are interlocked to make it very strong when you look closely. It¡¯s going to take some time to figure out how to do that.¡±


    Sylphy slurps down the mead, saying, If anyone knows how to make bricks, it would be among the elves and the Merinard people. By the way, she didn¡¯t drink directly from the bottle today.


    ¡°Then all we need is a lot of clay and fuel. I can mine it, and if you can get the refugees to move, I¡¯m sure we can make some good progress.¡±


    ¡°All right. Now we have to deal with Gizma.¡±


    ¡°I think we can get rid of it by building a wall and mass-producing crossbows.¡±


    ¡°That crossbow is powerful enough to break through Gizma¡¯s shell. Can we get enough of them?¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s a standard product, the main problem will be the animal bones. The other materials can be obtained by cutting down trees and extracting iron ore.¡±


    If I cut down trees, I can gather everything except iron and animal bones. The amount of iron used for the bolts is not that much, and if things go badly, the amount we mined today might not be enough.


    ¡°How many refugees are there in total?¡±


    ¡°The latest number I know is 312. Of those, only a little more than 80% are able to work; the rest are old people, children, and the wounded.¡±


    ¡°Even a child can at least carry the bolts. As for the crossbow, including the spare parts, three hundred would be enough.¡±


    I calculated the number of materials needed for the rest of the crossbows roughly. Uhm, if a single tree yields one log, six flexible branches, eighteen twigs, and a hundred units of fiber, then a single log yields twenty-four pieces of wood, and four flexible branches can be produced from the wood¡­ which is difficult for my math skills to calculate. But if I cut down fifty pieces of wood, I can get enough for three hundred crossbows. With the steel ax, I can probably cut down thirty trees in thirty minutes, so I can gather them in less than an hour.


    ¡°Yes, animal bones are still a problem. We¡¯ll need animal bones that are at least as big as the Lizarf. We need to use them to strengthen the bow part.¡±


    ¡°Fumu, animal bones, huh¡­? Can you substitute it with Gizma shells instead?¡±


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but ask back at what Sylphy had said. I hadn¡¯t thought of that.


    ¡°It is similar, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Is that¡­ so? Come to think of it, can we use that Gizma without permission?¡±


    ¡°Since it was both Kosuke and I who killed it, it doesn¡¯t matter what we do with it, does it?¡±


    ¡°But, you know, it¡¯s worth something.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know. But you know that gemstone that Kosuke pulled out of the rock? That¡¯s worth a lot more than the shell.¡±


    Sylphy gave me her usual grin. I¡¯m sure she¡¯s thinking of something wicked.


    ¡°I see. Then let¡¯s dismantle it and use it here.¡±


    ¡°No problem.¡±


    At any rate, it seems that I can use them, so I start dismantling the legs and torso of Gizma in my inventory. As I did so, I obtained a large amount of Gizma shells, strong tendons, insect meat, and Gizma poison glands. I checked the crafting menu and found that Gizma shells are interchangeable with animal bones.


    ¡°It looks good.¡±


    The strong tendons also seem to be compatible with the tough strings used in the enhanced crossbow. My evaluation of Gizma went through the roof. It¡¯s a treasure trove of resources that are hard to come by.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been wondering, how does the economy work in this village?¡±


    ¡°The economy of this village is not very developed. Food is basically rationed as much as you need. However, things like luxury goods, jewelry, weapons, armor, etc., are bartered. Meat is also a luxury item in this village.¡±


    ¡°I see. So Gizma¡¯s tough shell can be used as a material for various things?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. The shells can be processed and used for armor, weapons, ornaments, and various household goods. The meat becomes a delicacy, and the poison glands are used to make valuable medicines. Their antennae and leg tendons can be used as strings for bows and musical instruments. However, it¡¯s not often that people go out of their way to hunt them because they are so dangerous.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ By the way, when I dismantled Gizma, I got a hell of a lot of insect meat.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s pretty tasty, actually.¡±


    ¡°In my hometown, we didn¡¯t have much of an insect-eating culture.¡±


    It seems that bee larvae and preserved locust boiled in soy were eaten in some areas, but I¡¯ve never had them. But when I think about it, crabs, shrimps, and sea cucumbers are just like insects¡­?


    ¡°How does it taste?¡±


    ¡°It depends on the part, but basically, it¡¯s plump and light in taste. You can boil them in salted water or fry them in oil with Garike and Pepal for a salty taste.¡±


    Garike is garlic, and pepal is a spice like pepper. I knew it sounded like a crab or shrimp ingredient. I¡¯ll have to give it a try.


    ¡°However, it doesn¡¯t last very long. Keep it in your inventory for a while.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Let¡¯s try it tomorrow.


    ¡°So, there¡¯s something else I¡¯d like to ask you¡­¡±


    ¡°About my origins, right?¡±


    ¡°Hiyaoo!?¡±


    Don¡¯t suddenly lean over and whisper in my ear; you¡¯ll startle me.


    ¡°Do you really want to know? You might regret it.¡±


    ¡°I thought I might want to know everything about my beloved Master.¡±


    My eyes swam involuntarily. It¡¯s kind of soft, and it smells kind of sweet, like mead or something, and I don¡¯t know what to do because I¡¯ve never had an experience where I¡¯ve been bugged in such a sexy way.


    ¡°It¡¯s not something special to say¡­ still, I don¡¯t really want to talk about it. But, if you insist, I¡¯ll tell you.¡±


    Sylphy breathed down my neck while giggling. I see, that¡¯s how it is. If that¡¯s the case, Kosuke will serve you with sincerity.


    ¡°As you may have guessed, I am a member of the Merinard royal family¨D¨Dno, let me be clear. I am a daughter of the Merinard royal family.¡±


    After a few rounds of fighting, Sylphy suddenly said with a pout. She seemed to be willing to talk to me because of my passionate service.


    ¡°So Sylphy was a princess. Why did you go to the Black Forest alone?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a royal tradition. The princes and princesses of the Merinard royal family were supposed to be educated as forest elves in the Black Forest for ten years after their birth.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    It doesn¡¯t seem to be a kind of hostage situation. She had said that the elves of the Black Forest and the Merinard Kingdom traded with each other. Is it something like, ¡°Don¡¯t forget to be an elf when you leave the forest¡±?


    ¡°I had white skin at that time. My breasts were almost flat, and I was more slender. It¡¯s hard for you to believe since you only know the current me.¡±


    ¡°Really? It is true that I only know the current Sylphy, but I love your brown skin and big boobs.¡±


    ¡°Mmm¡­ Hey, we¡¯re talking about something serious here, so just try to be patient.¡±


    She pinched the back of my hand. It hurts.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to say this is completely unrelated, but how long do elves live?¡±


    ¡°It varies a lot from person to person, but it is said to be around five hundred years. The oldest of the elders in this village is said to be over 700 years old.¡±


    ¡°Wow, they really do live a long life, don¡¯t they?¡±


    Sylphy said that the Merinard Kingdom became a vassal state of the Holy Kingdom about twenty years ago. At that time, she was already in the Black Forest, which means she was between 10 or 20 years old. This means that the current Sylphy would be between 30 or 40 years old. And since an elf¡¯s lifespan is about 500 years, or 700 years if they live long enough, I think it¡¯s safe to say that they have a lifespan about ten times longer than that of a human.


    So, Sylphy is 3 or 4 years old in human terms¡­? It suddenly made me feel like I was a criminal or something.


    ¡°What¡¯s with the silence all of a sudden?¡±


    ¡°No, if you take the lifespan of an elf and the age of Sylphy and apply it to the lifespan of a human, then?¡±


    My words were met with a puzzled look from Sylphy, who suddenly started laughing.


    ¡°Hahahaha! If we were to do a simple calculation, then I would be an infant, less than four years old in human terms! However, the body and mind of an elf mature in roughly 20 years. After that, their physical growth becomes very gradual, and they remain almost the same until they are about 500 years old. In human terms, they have a long period of youth. That¡¯s why Kosuke¡¯s concern is misplaced.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s good to know.¡±


    It¡¯s not a good situation if she¡¯s 3 or 4 years old. It¡¯s not just loli; it¡¯s pedo territory. I¡¯m not into that.


    ¡°There is no doubt that I am a young elf¨D¨Dor perhaps Kousuke-Oniichan would have preferred that Sylphy called him like that?¡±


    ¡°Bufuhh.¡±


    Suddenly, Sylphy began to speak childishly with a lisp. Is there a four years old who has such a sexy body?


    ¡°It¡¯s surprising that you would joke around like that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already told you. It¡¯s just that I¡¯m a bit young to be an elf. Normally, elves of my age are still in the prime of their lives. They are usually picking flowers and strawberries in the mountains and fields, or helping their parents with their work.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°Yes. But my country, my family, and the Holy Kingdom have taken them from me. Now that I¡¯ve been robbed, I have to get them back and protect the people who fled to the Black Forest. I can¡¯t remain a child. Unfortunately.¡±


    ¡°So you thought you could use me. A marebito from a different world.¡±


    Sylphy¡¯s expression froze at my words.


    ¡°A marebito who appears in the predicament of the elves of the Black Forest and saves them. If you use such power, you might be able to regain the Merinard Kingdom. This is the reason why Sylphy did not report to the elders that I was likely to be a marebito immediately and offered her chastity to me in order to prevent them from taking me away.¡±


    In my pursuit, Sylphy¡¯s expression clouded sadly, but she nodded as if she had given up.


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind, though. I can understand that.¡±


    It¡¯s not that I care; it¡¯s just that I didn¡¯t suffer any damage from it. Rather, it was Sylphy who had the hardest time. Even though she is older than me, she is still considered a child, and she had to carry a lot of things on her shoulders.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to feel guilty about me. It is more likely that I would have died by now if Sylphy hadn¡¯t picked me up, and I was able to have this kind of relationship with a beautiful woman like Sylphy.¡±


    I lightly kissed the tip of her nose as she looked incomprehensible and patted her head.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best not to be abandoned by Master. I¡¯m lost in this world, and I don¡¯t know how to get back. I¡¯m not even sure I want to go back for now¡­ Anyway, since you picked me up when I had nowhere else to go and saved my life, I¡¯ll stay with you until I can at least repay you for that. At least, as long as you want.¡±


    Besides, isn¡¯t it exciting for a man? The princess of an exiled country is going to fight to reclaim her country. I¡¯m going to be a part of that battle and be the one to help her reclaim her homeland. Isn¡¯t that something to dream about?


    And even though I¡¯m not a fighter now, I have extraordinary strength. I was just an ordinary person in Japan, a nobody, but I could become a hero. Everyone has a desire to be a hero, don¡¯t they? I have it too. Every boy wants to be a hero.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I know I¡¯m a bit of a burden to you, Sylphy, but you can count on me.¡±


    ¡°Not at all¡­ I¡¯m very happy.¡±


    Sylphy hugged me tightly, buried her face in my chest, and began to cry uncontrollably.


    Hoaaaaaaa!!! What a cute little creature! Die! I¡¯ll die a precious death!


    While I was writhing in agony from the sheer cuteness of the creature, Sylphy continued to cry on my chest for a while and finally fell asleep from exhaustion.


    On the other hand, the paternalistic and protective feelings that welled up from the depths of my chest would not allow me to give in to my inferiority complex¡­ and I spent a sleepless night.

 CH 15

    Here¡¯s the chapter, enjoy~


    ¡°Good morning.¡±


    I immediately greeted Sylphy in the morning when she suddenly woke up. I¡¯m not sure if she¡¯s still sleep-deprived, but she stares at me blankly for a while, then suddenly turns red.


    ¡°Forget it.¡±


    ¡°Forget what?¡±


    ¡°Just forget it.¡±


    Sylphy pressed her face against my chest to hide her red face. I thought it would have the opposite effect, but it was cute, so I left it at that.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Sylphy and I are like a married couple now, ouch ouch ouch!¡±


    Stop biting me! No, not there! I don¡¯t have any use for it, but it¡¯ll tear off.


    ¡°Forget it.¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay, I will forget. But I have a suggestion.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°When the sun is up, I¡¯ll forget it, but when it¡¯s down, I¡¯ll remember. And when the sun goes down, Sylphy will indulge me to my heart¡¯s content, and ouch, ouch, it hurts!¡±


    Ouch! You¡¯re tearing me up! No, really, seriously!


    ¡°I will think about it.¡±


    ¡°Please do so.¡±


    It was allowed.


    So we cleaned ourselves up as we had done yesterday and had breakfast while discussing our plans for the day. Today¡¯s breakfast consisted of leftovers from last night¡¯s keema curry-like dish, heated up and wrapped in a kind of kebab dough with chopped vegetables. There is no particular name for the dish. If I had to guess, I¡¯d say leftover burrito.


    ¡°So, what do you want to do today?¡±


    ¡°Well, we¡¯re running low on vegetables, so we¡¯ll go to the pantry and get some rations. I also want some mead, so I¡¯ll trade for some Yakki. If there¡¯s anything else you want, we can use the gemstones Kosuke pulled out of the rocks.¡±


    ¡°Gems. Are there any demands for gems?¡±


    I didn¡¯t take a close look at the elves in this village, but I don¡¯t think any of them conspicuously wore ornaments. The elders wore some ornaments, although not all of them were jewels.


    ¡°Sure, they do. Gems can be used as catalysts for magic, and when processed, they can be used to make magical tools and spirit stones.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that sounds like a fantasy. What exactly are those three things?¡±


    The only magic I¡¯ve seen that seems to be real magic is the recovery magic that Sylphy cast on me using the spirit of life and the wind magic that blew me away from the mob. I¡¯d like to expand my knowledge in that area since this is a world with magic.


    ¡°Gemstones are imbued with magic power that corresponds to their color. Red gems have the power of fire; blue gems have the power of water and ice, green gems have the power of wind, yellow gems have the power of earth, transparent gems have the power of light, dark gems have the power of darkness, and so on. By using these gems as catalysts for magic, the power of magic is increased.¡±


    Then she showed me her bracelet. Sylphy¡¯s bracelet had a blue gem, a green gem, and a shiny transparent gem on it.


    ¡°My bracelet serves as a catalyst for wind, water, and light magic. I can still use magic without it, but I can use more powerful magic with less mana if I have it.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s like an amplifier.¡±


    I¡¯m sure it has the effect of making certain magical powers stronger. I like magic. It could be interesting if I can use it.


    ¡°The ability as a catalyst can be directly applied to magic tools. I¡¯m not a craftsman, so I don¡¯t know much about it, but I¡¯ve heard that gems are an absolutely necessary part of making magic tools.¡±


    ¡°I see. So, what are spirit stones?¡±


    ¡°It is a gemstone that contains a spirit along with magic power. It¡¯s like a temporary home for the spirits. Spirits are omnipresent in the natural world, but depending on the location, the power of a particular spirit may be weak, or it may not be there at all. There is no wind or light spirit in a dark, windless cave, and no spirit of water in a desolate wilderness. Of course, if that happens, you can¡¯t use the corresponding spirit magic.¡±


    ¡°I see, so if you have wind and light spirit stones, you can use wind and light spirit magic in the cave.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s also possible to use powerful spirit magic at the cost of spirit stones.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s very interesting.¡±


    It¡¯s the kind of specification that makes it a man¡¯s dream to unleash a powerful blow for the price of an item that can be continuously used. You see, I¡¯m excited about this kind of romantic artillery, like the fatality strikes in famous free-scenario RPGs.


    ¡°In other words, for elves, gems are like strategic supplies.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. If you use up five spirit stones, you can kick out an army of a hundred humans.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s amazing.¡±


    It¡¯s a bit of a tactical weapon. It¡¯s worth it. It¡¯s hard to imagine that five of them can destroy 100 people. Even with Earth¡¯s weapons, a weapon that can fight off 100 people with five shots is not at the level of a handheld weapon. Even a tank would not be able to kill 100 people with five shots. It¡¯s already at the level of artillery fire or aerial bombardment.


    ¡°By the way, what kind of effect does this have¡­?¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s a fire spirit stone, a higher level of fire spirit will appear and rampage through the enemy camp. The whole area will be a sea of fire. If it¡¯s a wind spirit stone, the higher spirits of wind will bring in tornadoes and lightning strikes. Do you want to hear about the other spirits?¡±


    ¡°No, thank you.¡±


    I could see that this was exactly the kind of disaster-grade event that would occur. I¡¯m sure that the other spirit stones of the other attributes will also have terrible effects.


    ¡°The Great Omit Wilderness outside the Black Forest.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but tilt my head at Sylphy¡¯s abrupt talk.


    ¡°I heard that there used to be a country called the Kingdom of Omit in that land. The land is now a vast wasteland, though. The reason why the land is so desolate is because there is something wrong with the spirit power, you know?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to hear about it.¡±


    How many days¡¯ walk is it to get through the Omit Wilderness? I¡¯m not sure how much spirit stone was used to turn such a vast area into a wasteland. I think elves are actually very dangerous people.


    ¡°Um¡­ We¡¯re out of topic. And what are you going to do when you¡¯ve finished rationing and bartering?¡±


    ¡°I will introduce you to the refugees of the Merinard Kingdom. I¡¯ve revealed to the elders that you are a marebito. There¡¯s no need to hide in the dark anymore, I¡¯ll explain the situation, including your abilities, and we¡¯ll talk about building a wall.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    I¡¯ll give it some thought. I¡¯ve been restricting the disclosure of my abilities to Sylphy. I¡¯m not sure why, but I didn¡¯t know why she was approaching me. Even I, a peace-loving Japanese, had a sense of danger that I was wary of someone who was approaching me without revealing her purpose.


    But now, Sylphi has disclosed her purpose to me. I can say that the question of why she was trying to seduce me by rapidly approaching me and having physical relations with me has been answered. And I¡¯m not afraid to lend my support to Sylphy.


    I¡¯m talking about the fact that I want to reward her for her determination to give up her manipulations for my own purposes. No, if I¡¯m being honest, I think I¡¯m getting attached to her. I guess I can¡¯t help that. She¡¯s beautiful, and she¡¯s exactly my type. She is also cute, and I want to support her despite her circumstances. Besides, it¡¯s always good to have a big goal in life.


    ¡°In the meantime, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea to disclose all of my abilities to the refugees from a security standpoint.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Sylphy, who was drinking tea after dinner, looked discouraged. Perhaps you want to say that the Merinard Kingdom refugees will bring damage to me based on that information?


    ¡°I don¡¯t think the refugees will do anything directly to me. But in the future, Sylphy is going to regain the Merinard Kingdom, right? In that case, you¡¯re not only dealing with monsters but also humans. I¡¯m almost certain that I¡¯ll be helping Sylphy in many of her endeavors in the future. I¡¯m not trying to be smug, but I think I¡¯m going to contribute to what Sylphy wants to do to the point where it won¡¯t be possible without me.¡±


    ¡°You mean that¡­ Kosuke will be my weakness?¡±


    With a serious look, she turned over and stroked her thin chin. After a few moments of thought, she looked up and stared straight into my eyes.


    ¡°No problem. I just have to stay by Kosuke¡¯s side all the time. I know Kosuke will be safer next to me than anywhere else.¡±


    ¡°Oh no, that was a super ikemen thing to say.¡±


    In response to this, I am the weakest link in the chain. If I had a hole, I would go in it.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what an ikemen is, but I know it¡¯s a compliment. Come on, let¡¯s get moving. We have a busy day ahead of us.¡±


    ¡°Aye aye, ma¡¯am.¡±


    After we finished our after-dinner tea, we left Sylphy¡¯s house. I didn¡¯t make lunch today. Sylphy said that we would be eating outside today.


    ¡°This is the village storehouse.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s huge.¡±


    The storehouse was located in the corner of the artisan district. I don¡¯t know how many elves live in the village, but it seems overly large.


    ¡°It seems to be a remnant of the time when they had to deal with humans. I don¡¯t know much about it myself.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    This village may have been even bigger when they were fighting to turn the Great Wilderness of Omit into a literal wilderness. Thinking about that, I followed Sylphy and saw some armed elves who were probably the guards of the storehouse. I wondered if they were taking measures against refugees.


    ¡°Good morning, Sylphiel. And are you the slave I¡¯ve heard so much about?¡±


    The man who greeted us as we approached the storehouse was an expressionless male elf. He glanced at me as well as at Sylphy, but unlike the elf soldier who had thrown me out into the square, he showed no hostility.


    ¡°Yeah, I was hoping to get some supplies in exchange. We¡¯re running low on vegetables, so we¡¯re going to need all the vegetables we can get, except for Dikon.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll have them prepared. What do you want in exchange?¡±


    ¡°Eight barrels of mead, eight bags of grain flour, and four jars of salt.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a lot of salt.¡±


    ¡°For the people. Put out the Yakki and stones.¡±


    When Sylphy gave me a look, I took the Yakki corpse out of my inventory and placed it on the floor of the storehouse, where it had just been cooled in the river. The fur was still wet, and it made a sticky sound. I took it and a wooden plate and put the mined gems on it in pieces. The man-elf¡¯s eyes widened when he saw the gemstone.


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s a lot of gemstones¡­ No, I mean, what kind of magic did you use to get those Yakkis and gems out of nowhere, Sylphiel?¡±


    ¡°Fufu, this guy is a useful one. So, is this enough to pay for the exchange?¡±


    Sylphiel bends her chest and makes a smug face. No, Master is cute, and I¡¯m proud of being her slave.


    ¡°That¡¯s too much. These days, there are not many good quality stones in the market. The artisans will be looking for it all the time.¡±


    ¡°I see. Then give me Onil, Garike, and Pepal. Take as many as you can.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡±


    The elves go into the storehouse and bring sacks of grain and barrels that can hold up to a hundred pounds. I hurriedly put them into my inventory. Perhaps Sylphy is planning to serve them to the refugees.


    ¡°All right, let¡¯s go, Kosuke. See you later.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    The elves who guarded the warehouse saw us off as we headed towards the refugees¡¯ living quarters. I have nothing but bitter or even scary memories of it¡­ Well, I wonder what will happen.

 CH 16

    Another chapter today sponsored by Patreon, enjoy~


    The refugees¡¯ living quarters are quite close to the shared storehouse in the artisan district. It is necessary to pass through the magic field section, but the field itself is not that large, being a three-story structure like a multi-level parking lot. While looking across the brightly lit fields, we arrived at a messy refugee zone in less than ten minutes.


    The materials used to house the refugees varied greatly. Sun-dried bricks, wooden planks, decaying timber like fallen trees, tall grasses, sturdy cloth¡­ and anything else that might offer some protection from the wind and rain. However, the buildings are still generally shabby. It was evident that they were only barely adequate for sleeping.


    ¡°How harsh.¡±


    ¡°The production capacity of the elves is enough to feed them. Since there are no materials or tools, we can¡¯t make any progress in building a proper house. We are trying to build walls and dwellings all at once through expansion, but it¡¯s difficult to procure materials, so we¡¯re not making much progress.¡±


    The refugees¡¯ gazes focused on Sylphy and me. The gazes on me are as harsh as ever. For Sylphy¡­ I don¡¯t know. Is it fear¨Dno, it¡¯s perhaps a look of awe?


    ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    ¡°To the coordinator of the group. I want to assess the situation first. I need to hear how the discussion with the elders went.¡±


    We walked past the refugees who were looking at us from a distance until we were close to the expansion area. As we did so, I saw a rather large building made of dried bricks. As I approached the building, I could hear the laughter of children.


    ¡°A daycare center?¡±


    ¡°Something like that.¡±


    The refugee children were gathered there. There were cat ears, dog ears, bunny ears, lizardmen, harpies, lamia, horned children, angelic children, demonic children, one-eyed¡­ children of all sorts of sub-humans.


    ¡°Hmm, children are cute.¡±


    ¡°What is it? Is that your thing?¡±


    ¡°No, I mean, in general.¡±


    Children who smile innocently are unconditionally adorable, aren¡¯t they? Please don¡¯t be so mean.


    ¡°Human!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be kidnapped!¡±


    ¡°Run away!¡±


    ¡°Die, human!¡±


    ¡°Die!¡±


    And when the children spotted me, they cursed at me and fled into the building at great speed. It¡¯s so sad¡­ What did I do?


    ¡°They don¡¯t like you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not my fault! It¡¯s the world¡¯s fault!¡±


    As I approached the building, shrieking like a failed adult. Then, perhaps hearing the children¡¯s shouts, the refugees began to gather. A large, scar-faced man steps out of the crowd.


    He was huge. He seems to have a problem with his right leg and seems to be limping a bit¡­ He looks like a macho man with a lot of muscle. He has two big horns like a raging bull growing out of his head. Perhaps he¡¯s a Minotaur type of beastman?


    ¡°Your Highness¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve told you many times, Danan, don¡¯t call me that. I have no right to be called that.¡±


    ¡°No matter what you say, Your Highness is still Your Highness. I¡¯m sure everyone can agree with me on that, seeing as how you¡¯ve covered yourself in darkness for us.¡±


    The big man kneels down in front of Sylphy and bows his head. Is this a form of vassal¡¯s courtesy?


    Even so, the expression ¡°clothed in darkness¡± stimulates my middle-aged mind. Unlike other white-skinned elves, Sylphy¡¯s skin is brown, which seems to have something to do with it.


    ¡°You¡¯re such a stubborn bastard¡­ Well, whatever. I¡¯m here to talk to you about how to deal with Gizma. Gather the principals and prepare a place for us.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    The big man called Danan stood up, looked at me for a moment, and walked away. That piercing gaze is precisely what it describes, I suppose. I almost choked.


    ¡°Master, that guy scares me.¡±


    ¡°Danan had lost his wife to humans before escaping to the Black Forest, and he had lost two children in the Great Wilderness of Omit.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ that¡¯s heavy.¡±


    I guess he must have a lot of resentment towards humans. Hmm, I wonder if I¡¯ll be able to get by with just the backing of Sylphy? Isn¡¯t it possible that I¡¯ll be cut off from behind when the time comes to fight Gizma? In other words, I¡¯m worried about Sylphy¡¯s position as she has me in her arms.


    ¡°Is it okay to have me with you? You have a position.¡±


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m sure it will be all right if I talk to them, but you¡¯d better do the best you can too. But remember, I¡¯m not going to abandon you. Just remember that.¡±


    ¡°All right. I won¡¯t abandon you either.¡±


    ¡°Fufu. I¡¯m glad to hear that.¡±


    That¡¯s a very natural and soft smile from Sylphy. Seeing Sylphy¡¯s expression, the refugees around her opened their eyes wide. For example, the one-eyed woman opened her eyes so wide that it looked like her big eyes were going to fall out. Yeah, it may not seem like much to me, but to the people who have been watching her for a long time, it¡¯s a big deal. I understand now.


    ¡°Well, everyone! We¡¯ve got firewood and food for you! It may not be enough to fill everyone¡¯s stomach¡­ but there should be enough food to spread. Come and help us!¡±


    Sylphy gives me a look. Yes, yes, yes.


    I took out the bag of grain flour and the jar of salt without being asked. Aside from the grain flour bag, I don¡¯t think I should put the jar on the ground.


    ¡°Hoy.¡±


    ¡°Eeh.¡±


    ¡°Please.¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah.¡±


    ¡°This too.¡±


    ¡°Hiyaai!?¡±


    ¡°And this too.¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    So I handed them to the nearby refugees one by one. I also gave baskets and bags of spiced vegetables to nearby refugees.


    ¡°Should I put the firewood out here, too?¡±


    ¡°Yes, do that. Gizma¡¯s meat, too.¡±


    ¡°Not on the ground, Master.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. How about we set up a cooking table?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a smart idea, Master.¡±


    I have nails and wood in my inventory, so I can craft a table in no time. Then I mass-produced a large wooden table by quickly crafting it from the crafting menu.


    ¡°How about this?¡±


    ¡°Not bad.¡±


    There were several designs for the table, but I decided to go with the one with a single piece of the wood top. This way, it can be used to knead the flour. The table was set up in a larger size.


    ¡°I wondered if it would be okay to put Gizma¡¯s meat directly on the table. Won¡¯t it get dirty with dust and sand?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true¡­ Should we build a wall to block the wind?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too exaggerated¡­ Why don¡¯t we just mass-produce crates?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s brilliant. Go ahead.¡±


    ¡°Aye aye, ma¡¯am.¡±


    This time, I mass-produced crates that were about the size of an armful. The amount of wood per box is not much, but the number of boxes consumes a lot of wood. I have to go back to the logging site.


    ¡°How about this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s good enough.¡±


    I took out one of the crates and felt the inside to make sure there were no wood shavings. It looked fine. So, I put Gizma¡¯s meat into the crate¡­ What is this? Raw crab meat? Or is it shrimp meat? It¡¯s white, a little bit translucent, and plump. Yes, the image is of big prawn meat. Sylphy also peeked at the meat in the crate from the side.


    ¡°I¡¯m still not sure what part of the meat it is. But I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s Gizma meat.¡±


    ¡°As long as we can eat it, it¡¯s good.¡±


    ¡°I guess so.¡±


    I took out the box and filled it with Gizma¡¯s meat. The number of boxes exceeded ten as I repeated the process of taking out boxes and filling them with Gizma meat. There were 13 boxes. It may not be a lot of food if we divide it among a little over three hundred people, but there¡¯s plenty of grain flour, so I guess we¡¯ll have to let them fill up on that.


    ¡°Then there¡¯s firewood.¡±


    I took out wood for firewood from my inventory and stacked it up. How much wood do we need? I should leave a little bit and keep more. If there is any leftover, it can be used for something else.


    ¡°How about this?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I think that¡¯s about right. What are you doing? Start cooking a meal. Make sure the kids are well-fed.¡±


    The refugees, who had been stunned by Sylphy¡¯s words, began to move in a hurry. They carried the table and the wooden box containing the Gizma meat, brought the stone to make a makeshift oven, added water to the grain flour from the bag by magic, and began to knead it on the cooking table. Pots and other cooking utensils seemed to have been brought from each house. A pot or a pan? It would be useful to have a big pot or a griddle for such occasions. I¡¯ll make one when I can eventually afford it.


    ¡°Your Highness!¡±


    Danan returned with a group of people who seemed to be leading the refugees, but they seemed to be speechless at the scene that had changed so much in such a short time. Yes, it would have been a surprise if the soup kitchen had started just a few minutes ago.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be a while before the food is ready. We¡¯ll finish our conversation in the meantime.¡±


    ¡°W-what¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°I just wanted to do what I could. It has a little to do with what I¡¯m about to tell you. We¡¯ll talk in the corner over there. Kosuke, can you make a chair?¡±


    ¡°Oh, just in time. Wait a minute.¡±


    It¡¯s a good thing I have some wood left! It¡¯ll be a light stool-like chair, but it¡¯ll be better than sitting on the ground or standing up. I¡¯ll make them quickly while I¡¯m walking and set them up in a little open space where there will be a meeting place. There were five chairs, the same number as the number of people. I didn¡¯t make any for myself. I¡¯m in the position of Sylphy¡¯s slave. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s appropriate for me to sit there as if I¡¯m equal to Sylphy, Danan, and the others.


    Danan and the others seemed to be baffled by the sudden appearance of the chair.


    ¡°Kosuke, we need more chairs.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Master¡¯s loyal servant; I can¡¯t sit in a chair.¡±


    ¡°Fumu¡­ it¡¯s an order, put the chair down and sit down.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ well, if Master insists.¡±


    I also made a stool for myself and sat down diagonally to the right of Sylphy. It¡¯s my way of saying that I¡¯m not going to step out of line. Danan and the others who were watching the exchange between Sylphy and me seemed to be confused. It¡¯s as if they are not sure what¡¯s going on here.


    ¡°¡­Well, that¡¯s fine. If there¡¯s nothing else, the reason why I¡¯m calling for discussion today is because of Gizma. I¡¯m sure the elders called you yesterday, right? I want to compare the information.¡±


    ¡°Yes, the elders of the elf village gave us the choice of fleeing deep into the forest or staying in the elf village to fight. And even if we do stay, we have been informed that the most we can get within the walls are our children.¡±


    ¡°Tsk, those raccoons. Does that mean they are not going to release the spirit stones then?¡±


    Sylphy muttered viciously.


    Indeed, if they can use the five spirit stones, which are capable of defeating an army of 100 people, they can easily repel the attack of Gizma. But the elders of the village have no intention of doing so.


    It¡¯s not that they are mean. They probably don¡¯t have enough spirit stones in their stockpile. It was said earlier that it was rare to find that many gemstones in the shared storehouse. I don¡¯t know how long the elf¡¯s ¡°I haven¡¯t seen it in a while¡± will be, but I¡¯m guessing that the stock of spirit stones has been tight for quite some time.


    The elders are looking at an emergency situation, and it¡¯s not just about Gizma¡¯s attack. They¡¯re probably worried about the invasion of the Holy Kingdom. The other side is a significant power that divides the continent in two. If they were to conquer the Black Forest, it¡¯s hard to imagine how many troops they would send. No matter how much they prepare, they can never be too prepared.


    Sylphy seems to be upset, but Danan and the others seem to be less so. Perhaps they are more convinced of this measure than I am since I don¡¯t know much about the Holy Kingdom or the Merinard Kingdom. On the contrary, I¡¯m more surprised that Sylphy is upset about it.


    But I¡¯m an observer now. As a slave, it¡¯s out of the question for me to raise questions to my Master in a public place.


    ¡°Well, enough about that. What else did they say?¡±


    ¡°They said as long as we could build the wall in time¡­¡±


    ¡°I see. It¡¯s the same story we heard¡­ Kosuke is the key to the construction of the wall.¡±


    Sylphy turned around and looked at me, and as if caught, Danan¡¯s gaze also focused on me. I don¡¯t feel the hostility that I felt earlier, but I do get nervous when people pay attention to me.


    ¡°Let me introduce you. This man is Kosuke. He is supposed to be my slave, but I have given him my chastity. Therefore, I am both his Master and his wife.¡±


    ¡°Wha-!?¡±


    ¡°Your Highness?¡±


    Sylphy drops an oversized bomb without warning. Apparently, Sylphy likes to make an impact first to upset the other party and then use the confusion to her advantage.


    ¡°Calm down. Kosuke is not an ordinary human.¡±


    ¡°Certainly, he seems to have strange powers.¡±


    ¡°But he¡¯s a human.¡±


    ¡°Yes, he is human. But he is not a human in this world, Reese. Kosuke is a rare visitor from another world.¡±


    A silence fell over the place as Sylphy spoke, and the voices of the refugees serving food strangely echoed in my ears. And the way they looked at me turned into that of looking at something fishy. Yes, of course! That¡¯s what I¡¯d do if I were in their shoes!


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t believe me if I told you this out of the blue. I couldn¡¯t be sure until I had exchanged a lot of words, and I had seen his strange abilities.¡±


    ¡°With all due respect, Your Highness, I believe that this man is deceiving you.¡±


    ¡°He looks like just another ordinary human.¡±


    ¡°He has no magic power.¡±


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t seem to have any strength either.¡±


    You can say what you want, but you¡¯ll be beaten to a pulp. That¡¯s right, I think so too. It¡¯s also true that I don¡¯t have the strength! The least I can do is to make some weird moves!


    ¡°I understand that you guys don¡¯t believe in Kosuke. But I want you to believe in me first. And I want you to clear up your distrust of him by exchanging words with him and seeing his power.¡±


    Danan and the others seemed to be unable to say anything more as Sylphy said that with sincerity. However, if Sylphy is going to say this much, then perhaps there is something to be said for the way she looks at me, which seems to include not only suspicion but also interest.


    ¡°The first thing you should do is introduce yourselves to each other. Kosuke.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, where to?¡±


    ¡°All of them.¡±


    Sylphy said, looking at me straight in the eye.


    To be honest, I don¡¯t mind. However, if I don¡¯t go along with Sylphy¡¯s words here, it means that I didn¡¯t trust Sylphy¡¯s words when she said she would protect me by my side.


    I¡¯m not too fond of it, but I don¡¯t think I can betray her.


    ¡°¡­I¡¯ll introduce myself again. I¡¯m Kosuke. Believe it or not, I¡¯m not from this world. Just a few days ago, I found myself thrown into the border between the wilderness and the forest. After that, I went into the forest to live and was picked up by Master. It¡¯s hard to explain my powers in a few words, but¡­ the main thing is that I can make a lot of different things in a short amount of time as long as I have the materials. Besides, I can carry large amounts of supplies with me, and I can move in unusual ways. However, I¡¯m a man who has lived in a world where killing each other is out of the question. I think my direct strength is below average. That¡¯s all¡­¡±


    The gaze directed at me is still highly suspicious.


    ¡°Sylphy saved my life, and I owe her for protecting me. I¡¯d like to repay that debt. I¡¯m going to do whatever I can to help her. That¡¯s all I can say.¡±


    If I say too many words, it will sound like a lie. I think this is just about the limit. Now, how about their reaction?

 CH 22

    Here¡¯s the chapter, enjoy~


    After the speech, the four executives, Sylphy, myself, and a few other refugees, gathered to hold a meeting on how to deal with Gizma. There were four new faces, one of which I had just seen.


    ¡°I¡¯m Jagira. I used to be a scout in the Merinard Kingdom army.¡±


    The one who introduced herself as Jagira was the large cat woman who had put the slave collar on my neck before. She¡¯s actually more like a leopard or a jaguar woman rather than a cat.


    ¡°I¡¯m Pirna. I belong to the same group as Jagira.¡±


    This one is a small, slender girl with wings on both arms. I think she¡¯s a so-called harpy. Her eyes are sharp, and she looks like a cool girl.


    ¡°I¡¯m Gerda. I worked as a heavy infantry soldier in the Merinard Kingdom army.¡±


    Gerda is a large woman, almost as large as Danan. I don¡¯t know what kind of ears she has, but they are round and not very big. I couldn¡¯t find a tail on her either. A bear, maybe? She looks a little calm, but she seems to be strong.


    ¡°I¡¯m Worg. I led a squad of guards in the city of Tanto.¡±


    This one is easy to figure out. He is a dog or wolf beast-man with erect animal ears and a fluffy tail. He looks small compared to Danan and Gerda, but he¡¯s bigger and sturdier than me. If Jagira is the speed type and Gerda is the power type, then Worg is the balanced type.


    ¡°Everyone seems to be an ex-soldier¡­ but I see that many of you are women.¡±


    ¡°Unlike humans, there¡¯s not much difference in the physical abilities of men and women when it comes to beast-man. There are also a lot of women in our race.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    After that, men threw themselves down first and managed to get out of the Great Omit Wilderness. The reason why there are no elves at all in this group is¡­ probably because every single one of them was captured. It is said that there is much more demand for them than beast-man.


    ¡°So, I¡¯m going to make a concrete defense plan¡­ But first, Kosuke, get that thing out.¡±


    ¡°That, huh? Copy that.¡±


    I took out three crossbows and twelve special bolts from my inventory and placed them on the table where everyone was sitting.


    ¡°Is this a bow? I¡¯ve never seen anything like this.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s called a crossbow. Kosuke, show them how to use it.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    I set the log down some distance away and covered it with my restored iron helmet and armor. It was about 20 meters away, I guess. I put my leg over the metal ring on the end of the crossbow, pull the string with my back muscles, and set the bolt.


    ¡°The crossbow is now ready to fire. Now all you have to do is aim and pull this trigger, and it will be fired.¡±


    After a brief explanation of the crossbow¡¯s mechanisms, I aimed and fired the bolt. The crossbow bolt was fired with a sharp sound and hit the iron armor bank, easily penetrating the armor and plunging deep into the log.


    ¡°As you can see, it¡¯s powerful. It doesn¡¯t fire continuously, but it¡¯s easy to handle. With a little training, anyone will be able to make some hits with it.¡±


    ¡°So, that¡¯s it. Try it out for yourself.¡±


    The first person to pick up the crossbow was Jagira. She was quick. The next one is Isla, who reached for it. She was also quick. And in front of the last remaining crossbow, the other five, except for Sylphy and Melty¡­ no Pirna seems to be uninterested. Indeed, it is impossible to draw a crossbow with that hand.


    The other four, Danan, Qubi, Gerda, and Worg, are looking at the remaining one with great interest. So I added another one of my own to make two.


    ¡°Then, we should have a look at it too.¡±


    Gerda picked up the crossbow and handed it to Worg. And Qubi seemed to have given it to Danan, and Danan took the last one and looked at it closely.


    ¡°I like this one. Can we just leave the strings pulled all the time?¡±


    Jagira, who seemed to have taken a few shots, asked.


    ¡°If you leave the string pulled for too long, it will strain the string and have a negative effect on the bow, but as long as you maintain it properly after each battle, it should be fine.¡±


    ¡°I see. But this shape is easy to hide in the bushes for sniping. It¡¯s also very powerful, which makes it an interesting weapon for scouts.¡±


    ¡°The mechanism itself is not difficult. However, the bow is quite powerful for its small size. I think it would take a lot of skilled craftsmen to make many of these. Also, the maintenance cost will be high.¡±


    Isla, who was inspecting the crossbow in detail without shooting it, muttered and put the crossbow back on the table. She seems to have lost interest in it. Qubi secured the crossbow. Isla has a good point here; this girl is really good.


    ¡°It¡¯s true; it might be difficult to get the right number without me. I think I¡¯ll have to do the maintenance.¡±


    In response to Isla¡¯s comment, I took out twelve more bolts and placed them on the table¡¯s edge. Jagira snatched half of those bolts. That was quick.


    ¡°Well, the repair itself is easy enough to do at the blacksmithing facility, so I think it can be done.¡±


    ¡°But the fact that you can¡¯t manufacture or maintain it without relying on Kosuke is a problem for weaponry. If only one craftsman can make it and fix it, it¡¯s a problem.¡±


    ¡°In the long run, yes, but for short-term use, I don¡¯t see a problem. If you can provide us with a few samples, we can study the actual products and make something similar for you to maintain.¡±


    Danan and Melty seemed to be discussing future operations.


    ¡°It¡¯s a little hard to use with my size.¡±


    ¡°I have no problem with it. It¡¯s certainly much easier to handle than a bow. I think even a citizen with no combat training will be able to handle it easily.¡±


    With the crossbow in her hand, Sylphy looked on with satisfaction as everyone engaged in a lively discussion. I decided to ask her a few questions.


    ¡°Hey, is there any problem with the wall¡¯s height against Gizma?¡±


    ¡°Hmm? What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Well, in my world, there was an insect that looked like Gizma. They were about this size at most and not dangerous at all. However, they jumped around like crazy. Even though they were about this size, they could jump up to my head in one go.¡±


    When I say ¡°about this size,¡± I indicate the approximate size with my thumb and forefinger. If Gizma can leap as far as that, it would be easy to get over that barrier, which is only about 2.5 to 3 meters high at best. I can also jump up using the command action jump if it¡¯s that high.


    ¡°Ah, I see. Don¡¯t worry about that; they can¡¯t jump that high. Those strong back legs aren¡¯t for jumping up; they¡¯re for rushing forward.¡±


    ¡°Rushing? With that huge body?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, with its huge body. It uses its weight and hard shell as a shield and rushes forward with its hind legs. If you take a direct hit, it can blow away even heavily armored infantrymen with thick armor and shields to protect them. They basically attack their prey by ambushing them, so those huge bodies suddenly pop out of the ground. The ones that get ambushed end up flying.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ Come to think of it, the last time we faced Gizma, Sylphy never stood in front of it.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. If you stand in front of them, they will come at you with great force. If you want to fight them, the rule is to go around the side. But just because you¡¯re on the side doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re safe. They will try to skewer you with the two antennae that grow out of their heads, and if you get too close, they will try to roll you into their rush. If you come too close to the butt side, it will extend its poisonous stinger from the butt.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s scary¡­ I¡¯d stay away from it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s smart. If you can kill it from a distance, that¡¯s the best way to go. You should use high-powered magic to kill it¡­ Or, rather, think about it. If the Gizma jumped up high with that weight, you would be crushed and flattened, no matter how strong your body is.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true too¡­¡±


    Then I wondered if it was safe to plunge in with that weight, but I suppose it was. Well, if you want to be an expert when it comes to demon research, you might want to ask around.


    In the meantime, while listening to Gizma¡¯s description from Sylphy, it seemed that all the bolts that had been prepared for test firing had been shot, and the people who had been testing the crossbow came back to the table.


    ¡°Yeah, I like it. This thing is good. It¡¯s not difficult to handle, and it¡¯s powerful enough. What¡¯s the range like?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I haven¡¯t had a chance to try it out at such a long distance, but I think I can aim up to 50 meters. If it¡¯s just a matter of speed, I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll probably fly more than twice as far, but I¡¯m not sure about the power or precision of the shot.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I¡¯ll have to try this one out.¡±


    Jagira is as excited as a child who has received a new toy. When she put the slave collar on me, I imagined her to be stern and wild, but she might have a surprisingly cute personality.


    ¡°Your Highness, how many of these crossbows can you prepare?¡±


    ¡°Kosuke, what do you think?¡±


    Sylphy, who was asked by Danan, turned her gaze towards me.


    ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s right. I think I can make 300 of them with the current materials I have. However, when it comes to preparing a large number of the bolts, the stock of iron in my inventory is not enough.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, let¡¯s go mining tomorrow. As for the crossbow itself, 300 is enough, including spares, right?¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t tell how durable it is until we try it out, but it shouldn¡¯t take more than ten or twenty rounds to break it. I think the number of people who can go on defense is between 100 and 130, so 300 should be enough.¡±


    ¡°Um, then make sure to make 300 of it, Kosuke. It would be better to make as many bolts as you can, too¡­ yes, the goal is 500.¡±


    ¡°500, huh? ¡­Yeah, I¡¯m definitely short on iron. For now, the priority is to make the crossbow itself. As for the bolts, we need to get a lot of iron from tomorrow¡¯s mining, but as soon as I get the materials, I¡¯ll start mass production.¡±


    ¡°Please do so. Also, I want you to leave everything you have for the operational test.¡±


    ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll keep enough for my own use, okay?¡±


    Sylphy nodded, so I left the minimum of 30 bolts for me and put the rest on the table.


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s a lot of bolts.¡±


    ¡°I think I have less than 200. Please take as many as you can of the ones you used for testing, okay?¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    I tried to say that to Jagira, who was immediately reaching for the crossbow bolt, but I wondered if she was really listening. This Nee-san.


    ¡°Captain Danan, I will try this out as soon as I can.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s almost nightfall.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d be fine. I¡¯ve got good night vision, and I¡¯m fast.¡±


    After saying that, Jagira grabbed the bolts for her own use and ran off towards the defensive wall. All of us saw Jagira away, and Danan let out a small sigh.


    ¡°Well, it won¡¯t cause too much trouble. I¡¯ll be using two crossbows and a hundred bolts for endurance testing. Melty, I want you to take care of the rest.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    ¡°If you have any other missing armor, metal products, or other supplies, please gather them together. Prioritize them and report back to me tomorrow. Don¡¯t overthink whether or not Kosuke can make it, just list what you think you need. All right?¡±


    ¡°As you wish.¡±


    ¡°Umu.¡±


    Danan nodded, and Melty¡¯s eyes glazed over. Master, Master, isn¡¯t that a flag of overwork for me from how Danan talked to Melty? It¡¯s not good. She made a smile that a girl shouldn¡¯t make.


    ¡°Kosuke and I are going to meet with the elders now. We¡¯ve built the wall as promised. Now it¡¯s their turn.¡±


    Sylphy stood up from her seat and smiled sadistically. She seemed to have full of energy¡­ But will it be easy? It was a pretty strong impression.


    ¡°As expected of a marebito.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, indeed. Who would have thought that he could build a defensive wall just yesterday? Now Sylphy-chan can rest easy.¡±


    ¡°It was the day before yesterday, not yesterday. Have you become senile?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a figure of speech. You¡¯re such a nagging old hag.¡±


    ¡°But at that height, even if it could stop Gizma, it wouldn¡¯t be enough against a human, would it?¡±


    ¡°The most urgent danger is Gizma, so there¡¯s no problem with that. If it were against humans, we¡¯d be dead in the water if they attacked this village in the first place.¡±


    ¡°That is true, too. If we don¡¯t kill them outside the forest, the forest will collapse.¡±


    We went straight to the meeting place, but the elders were as talkative as ever. They talked to each other so fast that there was no chance for Sylphy and me to interrupt them.


    ¡°Oh, so you said you were going to fulfill your promise?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. Sylphy-chan, marebito¡­ what did you say?¡±


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you really gone senile? Gonta.¡±


    ¡°You have gone senile, too, Milord. It¡¯s Kosuke, not Gonta.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes. Kosuke. Anyway, if you two have accomplished your mission, then it¡¯s our turn to keep our word.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. I¡¯ll send twenty of my most skilled spirit archers to deal with Gizma.¡±


    I tilted my head at the number 20 and whispered to Sylphy, who was silent next to me.


    ¡°Hey, is 20 ¡°Spirit Archers¡± a reasonable number?¡±


    ¡°A spirit archer is an elf soldier who specializes in shooting arrows with spirit magic. Twenty archers will perform the work of two hundred human archers.¡±


    ¡°Is it not too much to say that they work as many as ten people?¡±


    ¡°An arrow accelerated by wind magic flies more than twice as fast as an ordinary arrow, and an arrowhead infused with spirit magic spreads destructive power at the impact point. It will work as well as ten human archers.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s amazing¡­¡±


    In other words, it¡¯s like a grenade soldier with an effective range of several hundred meters. Certainly, it seems to be strong. It¡¯s a magical world, and there are people in it that you wouldn¡¯t expect on Earth.


    ¡°Tomorrow, I will send them to Danan, the coordinator of the refugees, and you can use them as you wish.¡± said the elder.


    With that, the elders nodded in agreement. As if to indicate that the meeting was over, Sylphy stood up, and I did the same.


    ¡°Thank you. We have some preparations to make, so we¡¯ll be going now.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see. Well, I guess you¡¯re going to mingle now, so I don¡¯t want to hold you up too long.¡±


    ¡°Hohoho, Sylphy-chan¡¯s child must be a very lovely baby. I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡±


    ¡°Kosuke, you¡¯re going to have a hard time keeping up night after night. time you come, I¡¯ll prepare you a potion that will do you good.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a potion that even a pale male elf can take several times without pulling out. If Kosuke, a human, were to use it, it would have to be a little less potent, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°It will be fine. Sylphy-chan is a strong girl.¡±


    ¡°EXCUSE US! Let¡¯s go, Kosuke!¡±


    ¡°Yes, with pleasure.¡±


    I followed her, scared that she would get seriously upset with the elders who had started talking indecently. I wonder if they¡¯re the kind of people who can¡¯t live without making fun of Sylphy at every opportunity. It¡¯s my job to appease Sylphy when she¡¯s in a bad mood! Please give me a break!


    Her shoulders were shaking angrily, and nothing was standing in her way as she walked. Such a thing is already like suicide. It¡¯s like throwing yourself in front of a runaway train. How could there be?


    ¡°Hey dirtbag, I need to talk to you¨D¨DGobuaahh!?¡±


    There he is. And he got beautifully smashed. Sylphy¡¯s fist is in his face causing him to be unable to see what¡¯s ahead of him, but is he still alive?


    ¡°If you ever talk to me like that again, I¡¯ll kill you.¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s too late for that.¡±


    Blood is gushing out of his broken nose with considerable volume. I think he¡¯s going to have trouble breathing and will probably die if he keeps it up like that.


    ¡°Tch, what an eyesore.¡±


    Sylphy muttered something and waved her arm, a ball of light flew to the poor victim and healed his face, which was in a terrible state. She didn¡¯t ignore him but rather took care of him. My master is quite kind, isn¡¯t she?


    ¡°Hmm, I feel a little better now that I¡¯ve punched this idiot. By the way, what the hell was this guy trying to say?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Master punched him out before he could tell us what he was going to say. Well, it seems that the term ¡°dirtbag¡± is a kind of derogatory term for Sylphy, and I think that guy deserved it.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t have time to worry about this little thing. Pull him to the side of the road, so he doesn¡¯t get in the way.¡±


    ¡°Aye aye, ma¡¯am.¡±


    I dragged the fallen elf man to the side of the road. Oh, that¡¯s him, isn¡¯t it? He¡¯s Nate, whom Sylphy called a squishy dick guy. In other words, the guy who threw me out in front of a mob of refugees. Yeah, he got what he deserved. If anything, I want him to return to the Earth.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with this Nate guy that he¡¯s getting involved with Sylphy?¡±


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s because I¡¯m like an enemy of his parents to him.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not something I can talk about while we are walking, nor is it interesting to listen to. If you insist, I¡¯ll tell you. Do you want to hear it?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not interested. Let¡¯s just go home and have some fun.¡± I said while hugging her waist.


    ¡°Ah! H-hey¡­ you can¡¯t do that in public. What¡¯s more, I¡¯m your master, and you¡¯re my slave.¡±


    Sylphy smiled with a somewhat relieved look as she pinched the back of my hand as I hugged her waist. Yeah, it¡¯s a lie to say I¡¯m not interested, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯m going to go out of my way to dig into Sylphy¡¯s past. Whatever the past, as long as the current Sylphy is cute, that¡¯s all that matters, right?

 CH 23

    Here¡¯s the chapter sponsored by Patreon, enjoy~


    ¡°Fumu¡­ I¡¯m not used to eating it, but it¡¯s not bad.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡±


    Today¡¯s dinner was a kind of fresh pasta that I made in the Peperoncino style. I kneaded the grain flour with water and a little vegetable oil, rolled it out, folded it, piled it up, and cut it into flat noodles with a knife. After that, I boiled it briefly for about two minutes, fried it in oil with garike, pepar, salted meat, and adjusted the taste with salt to make something like peperoncino.


    ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s not quite right.¡±


    ¡°Really? I think the texture is delightful.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not very firm. I wonder if it would be different if I added an egg.¡±


    Maybe this grain flour itself is not suitable for pasta in the first place. Anyway, we had this for dinner, fruit and vegetable salad. I wasn¡¯t satisfied with the result, so I¡¯d really like to try again.


    Now, after dinner, I had a short free time. If I didn¡¯t have anything in particular to do, I¡¯d like to drink mead with Sylphy and go straight to bed, but I have some things to do, so I¡¯ll leave the lovey-dovey stuff for now.


    ¡°What are you going to do today?¡±


    ¡°I need to mass-produce crossbows, and I also want to make a prototype of an improved crossbow. Also, I¡¯m going to make a weapon for Sylphy.¡±


    ¡°Hou, that¡¯s very nice of you.¡±


    I wonder if I should give a knife as a present to a woman, but I guess it¡¯s okay since she¡¯s happy.


    The first thing to do is to reserve a crafting tool for the improved workbench.


    ?Improved Crossbow¨D¨DMaterials: Steel leaf spring x 1, wood x 2, mechanical parts x 3, tough string x 1


    I¡¯ve already made a good number of steel leaf springs, and the tough string can be substituted with the tough tendon from Gizma¡¯s hind leg. So, for now, I¡¯ll make three crossbows, including one for myself. After that, I¡¯ll need three hundred ordinary crossbows. I¡¯ve got more than enough wood and fiber from yesterday¡¯s massive logging, and I can use Gizma shells to replace the animal bones that are the main obstacle, so that shouldn¡¯t be a problem either.


    After that, I¡¯ll turn all the iron arrowheads I have into crossbow bolts. I also have plenty of branches to use as shaft material, so there¡¯s no problem. The only problem is that I don¡¯t have enough iron arrowheads to make 500 of them, and that¡¯s something I need to make. I guess this is the only thing I can make with the improved workbench. The next one is to be made using the blacksmithing facility.


    ¡°Hmm, I don¡¯t see anything on the list that I was planning to make for Sylphy.


    ¡°¡­You can¡¯t make it?¡±


    It¡¯s hard to bear the sight of a depressed Sylphy with her long ears flattened.


    ¡°N-no, you don¡¯t have to be so depressed.. it will probably be fine. It can be made in the same way as Bardiche.¡±


    At that time, when I opened the blacksmithing facility menu and imagined in my head what I want to make, it was added. It must work the same way.


    What I¡¯m trying to make is a blade called a Kukri. It has a so-called ¡°inner curve¡± shape that bends inward in a ¡°¤¯¡± shape. The blade is quite distinctive in appearance. The tip of the blade is wider than the base, making the tip heavier, and it has an excellent cutting ability. In a video I saw on the Internet, it cut through a thick piece of hanging meat with a single blade and cut through the meat on the bone. I¡¯ve also seen one that was thrown and pierced deep into a wooden board.


    As soon as I thought of it, Kukri was added to the crafting menu. Yeah, it looks like I can use this method after all.


    ¡°I think I can do it.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Sylphy-san was smiling, a complete change from earlier. Her ears, which had been sunken, also straightened up. If she looks so happy, it makes me happy too. So, what¡¯s the material for it¡­?


    ?Kukri¨D¨DMaterials: steel leaf spring x 2, wood x 1, animal skin x 1


    Why the leaf spring¡­? Well, that¡¯s okay. More importantly, the problem is the animal skin. I think I am out of stock of animal skins. I glanced at Sylphy. I can¡¯t bear to tell this result to Sylphy, whose eyes are sparkling with excitement. But I have to tell her the truth.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Sylphy, I can¡¯t make it because I don¡¯t have any¡­ animal skins.¡±


    ¡°What¡­?¡±


    Sylphy¡¯s ears went down again¡­ but then they stood up again. Then Sylphy rushed into the house and returned quickly.


    ¡°Do you think this will work?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes.¡±


    What Sylphy brought was some kind of nicely tanned leather. I took it and put it in my inventory and found that I could use it as a substitute.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay; I can make it.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    The leather that Sylphy brought me seemed to be equivalent to two animal skins, so I decided to make two Kukris. Not long after, I finished crafting the Kukris.


    ¡°Here you go. This is the Kukri blade I made for Sylphy.¡±


    The finished Kukri was placed in a beautiful leather sheath. I wonder if the appearance changes slightly depending on the material?


    ¡°Oh¡­ The shape is unusual, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s rare to find a blade with an internal curve. But it¡¯s very sharp. It¡¯s a knife that emphasizes cutting power.¡±


    ¡°I see. It¡¯s heavy, and it seems to cut really well.¡±


    ¡°I made another one, so you should definitely try it out. It can also be used for throwing, so you should practice with it. If the sharpness dulls, let me know, and I¡¯ll fix it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I will take good care of it.¡±


    With the blade in her hand, Sylphy smiled at me like a flower blooming. Yeah, she¡¯s cute, but please don¡¯t do that while swinging the Kukri. I feel my life is in danger straight away.


    I pretend that I can¡¯t hear the wind noise nearby as much as possible and use the rest of the iron to mass-produce the iron arrowheads before processing them into bolts. It¡¯s not enough, though. Even with the amount I have reserved at the workbench, I haven¡¯t even reached one hundred. I¡¯ll have to go out mining tomorrow, after all.


    After finishing the operation of the blacksmithing facility, I went back to the improved workbench. Going back and forth between these workbenches is really like a crafting game.


    The improved crossbow was ready, so I took it from the workbench and put it in my inventory. I¡¯ll try one now.


    ¡°Hmm? Is that the new crossbow?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it uses metal for the bow. I think it¡¯s much more powerful. Mmm, it¡¯s stiff! Oops!¡±


    The crossbow with metal springs is heavy. It¡¯s not impossible to pull it out, but I¡¯m not very physically fit, and I don¡¯t think I could pull it out many times in a row. It might damage my back.


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°It feels too heavy for me. You want to try it?¡±


    I took out another improved crossbow and handed it to Sylphy. Sylphy pulled the improved crossbow string as I did, but she seemed to pull it more easily than I did.


    ¡°It sure is tough. I guess it¡¯s not a problem for soldiers who have been working out and are proud of their strength, but it might be difficult for ordinary citizens to pull it several times.¡±


    ¡°I guess so. Let¡¯s try shooting it for now.¡±


    The improved crossbow has a rough but round front sight that makes it easier to aim. There are no special decorations, but there are many metal parts that make it look more sturdy. When you aim, a sight marker appears separately from the crossbow¡¯s front sight. As far as I can see, it seems to be perfectly aligned with the front sight. I pull the trigger.


    Just as I heard a sharp bang, the bolt had already pierced the target log. It seemed to have a much higher initial velocity than the basic crossbow. Sylphy did the same and also hit the log.


    Both of us shot several times in silence. I didn¡¯t want to get tired, so I reloaded on command action. The command action is too broken to be able to pull this hard, improved crossbow with just my right hand.


    ¡°I see, these targets are good.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is. And the higher the initial velocity, the higher the power.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s sticking pretty deep. You can¡¯t pull it out, can you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to pull out by hand.¡±


    I have no problem accessing it and putting it in my inventory. Sylphy chuckled at the sight of me. My abilities are really a cheat, aren¡¯t they? I can see that, yeah.


    ¡°I think we should make a small number of these and treat them as special versions for the best shooters and the most powerful. It needs a steel leaf spring, so it uses a lot of steel.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ we should eventually use this improved model as our mainstay, but I think that¡¯s a good direction to start.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go with that.¡±


    ¡°I guess so. By the way, are you still going to do something?¡±


    ¡°Eh? Yeah, I guess so. I¡¯ve got a lot more stuff I can make, so I think I¡¯ll try a little harder.¡±


    ¡°Un¡­ I see.¡±


    Sylphy¡¯s ears twitched a little. What is it? What¡¯s the matter? It¡¯s not like she¡¯s angry or anything, though.


    Although it bothered me, I regained my composure and checked the list of craftable items in the blacksmithing facility. I¡¯m sure the number of glass-related products has increased.


    ?Test Tube¨D¨DMaterial: Glass x 1 ?Beaker¨D¨DMaterial: Glass x2 ?Flask¨D¨DMaterial: Glass x 2 ?Glass Mortar¨D¨DMaterial: Glass x 2 ?Glass Pestle¨D¨DMaterial: Glass x 1 ?Distillation Equipment¨D¨DMaterial: Glass x 8, Iron x 2


    This was added to the list of things I could make at the blacksmithing facility. No matter how I look at it, it¡¯s a pharmaceutical flag. For now, I¡¯ll stop making iron arrowheads and reserve some iron. Surely it will be used to make the pharmaceutical workbench.


    However, I don¡¯t see anything that looks like a mixing table in the blacksmithing workbench¡¯s crafting list. Maybe it¡¯s in the improved workbench? So I searched all over the craftable items on the improved workbench.


    ?Druggist¡¯s Mortar¨D¨DMaterials: Stone x 5, Wood x1 ?Mixing Table¨D¨DMaterials: Distillation Equipment x 1, Beaker x 2, Flask x 2, Test Tube x 4, Glass Mortar x 1, Glass Pestle x 1, Druggist¡¯s Mortar x 1, Wood x 10, Nails x 20, Iron x 4


    I found it, but the materials were too heavy, or rather, too many! But I have enough glass to make it. I¡¯m going to play around with the crafting reservation priority a bit and prioritize making the mixing table.


    Speaking of which, I need to check my achievements and skills. Since I did a lot of things already¡­ A lot of things¡­!


    ?First Time Crafting¨D¨D: Crafting an item for the first time. ¡ùSkill unlocked. ?First Time Dismantling¨D¨D: First time dismantling a crafted item. ¡ùSkill unlocked. ?First Time Collecting¨D¨D: First time performing a collecting task. ¡ùSkill unlocked. ?First Time Mining¨D¨D: First time performing a mining operation. ¡ùSkill unlocked. ?First Hunt¨D¨D: Acquire a living organism material for the first time. ¡ùSkill unlocked. ?First Repair¨D¨D: Repair an item for the first time. ¡ùSkill unlocked. ????¨D¨D: Hidden achievement.


    First time dismantling and repairing wasn¡¯t unlocked last time. It looks like there is still some simple ¡®first-time¡¯ work to be done.


    ?Crafting your first blacksmithing facility¨D¨D: First time crafting a blacksmithing facility. ¡ùThe item creation feature is unlocked.


    Oh, I imagine this item creation feature is the one with the added recipes? There¡¯s no explanation for this feature, and it¡¯s not as user-friendly as ever. I took a quick look at the other achievements, but I couldn¡¯t find any that I had earned.


    ?Skilled Craftsman¨D¨D: Crafting time is reduced by 20%. ?Disassembler¨D¨D: Increased the number of materials obtained when disassembling crafted items by 10%. ?Repairer¨D¨D: Reduces item repair time by 20% and reduces the number of materials required by 20%. ?Mass Producers¨D¨D: Reduces the number of materials required to create 10 or more of the same item by 10%. ?Loggers¨D¨D: Increased plant material intake by 20%. Miner¨D¨D: Increased mineral material intake by 20%. ?Dismantler¨D¨D: Increased living organism material intake by 20%.


    Skills have also increased. Hmm, when I think about it, I should have gotten the logger when I did the mass logging last time. I¡¯ve already got a miner, so I¡¯ll get the logger and dismantler now.


    Strong Cardiopulmonary Function: Increased stamina recovery speed by 20%. Agility: Increased movement speed by 10%. Strong Arm: Increased melee attack power by 20%. Excellent Archer: Increased attack power from ranged weapons by 20%. Iron Skin: Reduced damage taken by 20%. Survivor ¨C Increased health by 10%, increased health recovery speed by 20%. Reptile¡¯s Stomach: Reduces hunger by 20%. Camel¡¯s hump: Reduced dryness by 20%.


    There¡¯s no increase in physical enhancement skills. There are only three more skills I can take since my level hasn¡¯t increased. I¡¯ll take strong cardiopulmonary function, agility, and the excellent archer here. I think I¡¯ll go with the crossbow and take off in one shot.


    It¡¯s time to get the materials needed for the mixing table. When I was about to head to the blacksmithing facility, Sylphy suddenly hugged me from behind. Something soft was pressed against my back.


    ¡°Uhyo! W-what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°¡­Aren¡¯t we going to make love?¡±


    Sylphy murmured in a small voice. It was so small that I couldn¡¯t hear the first part. And her breath tickled my earlobe. It¡¯s not good. I¡¯m starting to feel a twinge of excitement.


    ¡°You know, that¡­ You said you wanted to go home early and make love with me, right? It¡¯s already late at night.¡±


    I almost came at her straightforward invitation. Okay, okay, okay. The work is a little half done, but if my cute and adorable master told me this, I, as a loyal slave, would have to respond.


    I, Kosuke, will now battle! Hyahoo!

 CH 24

    Here¡¯s the chapter, enjoy~


    Last night, Sylphy was very sweet to me. She was like a little kitten. Imagine a usually cool woman, even violent, being sweet to you in a lustful voice. Well, I think I might suddenly explode and die today.


    And it was morning as usual.


    ¡°Sylphy? Sylphy-saaan?¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    When she woke up, Sylphy was dumbfounded for a while, then suddenly her face turned red like a boiled octopus and froze. When I called out to her, she covered her face with both hands and curled up on the bed. She didn¡¯t respond when I shook her by hand or called out to her. She seemed to want to be like a clam for a while, so I decided to leave her alone.


    Fortunately, there was still enough water left in the water bottle in the backyard to cleanse and refresh my body. At the same time, I collected the items and materials I had made during the night. I¡¯ve finished mass-producing the crossbow, so now I just need to mass-produce the bolts. The mixing table materials have also been produced, so all that remains is to construct it.


    After retrieving the improved workbench and blacksmithing facilities, I returned to the house. Still, Sylphy hadn¡¯t come out to the living room yet. I wondered if she was still too embarrassed to come out. I had a feeling that if I messed with her too much, I might get a painful counterattack, so I decided to make breakfast quietly.


    Hmm, what to make? To be honest, I don¡¯t have much of a repertoire for cooking from flour¡­ Oh, that¡¯s right. I¡¯ll make up something okonomiyaki-like. If there are flour, giblets, and meat, I can make up something like that. The only way to get the soup stock is to use mushrooms, so it might not taste as good as it should. Oh no, there¡¯s not enough time to make a sauce from tomatoes. I¡¯ll add some shredded onil and a little more salted meat from the reserve to cover it up.


    As I was making the okonomiyaki, Sylphy came out of her bedroom, killing the sound of her footsteps. No matter how much you kill your footsteps, if I always keep the entrance to the bedroom in the corner of my eye, it will be obvious.


    ¡°¡­..!!¡±


    As soon as our eyes met, Sylphy turned her face away with tremendous speed and walked out to the backyard. Of course, her face is still as red as before.


    ¡°What a cutie.¡±


    In the evening, when she¡¯s in lovey-dovey mode, Sylphy lets go of her daily stress, or maybe it¡¯s because she¡¯s so out of control. It¡¯s almost as if the daytime Sylphy and the nighttime Sylphy are two different people. Sylphy is essentially an elf of young age. She told me that her mind and body matured when she was about 20 years old, but I guess she is still a little young for an elf.


    But she had to be strong, so she disciplined herself, and she had been living her life with the purpose of being a strong person. Until she met me, perhaps she loosens her bounds at night. There is no such thing as a person who can keep their guard up all the time. She¡¯s not a human; she¡¯s an elf.


    Then, in the morning, the consciousness of playing the strong person comes back, and in a sense, she comes back to her feelings. And I have to writhe in shame. It¡¯s wonderful; I hope she will be like that forever!


    ¡°Good morning.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, good morning.¡±


    While I was cooking okonomiyaki with these thoughts in mind, Sylphy came back from the backyard. Her face was still red, but she seemed to have managed to clear her mind. She may have simply cooled down after taking a bath in the water.


    ¡°Kosuke.¡±


    ¡°What can I do for you?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say anything about last night.¡±


    ¡°Fumu¡­¡±


    It¡¯s easy to tell Sylphy not to worry about it in the future by saying, It¡¯s nothing to be embarrassed about, it¡¯s just Sylphy and me, and so on. She should cut her resistance to spoiling by saying, you can spoil me as much as you want in the house or when it¡¯s just the two of us, and I¡¯m more than happy to do it. Yup.


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    That¡¯s all I said and decided to pass the moment. I wanted to enjoy the sight of her being shy for as long as possible. Hahaha.


    After breakfast (the okonomiyaki turned out to be quite edible, by the way), we quickly left the house and headed for the wall. Danan and the others had already gathered near the wall. They seemed to be discussing something with a wooden board on which they had drawn a topographical map of the area around the village.


    By the way, Sylphy has already fully recovered. Before she left the house, she made a kind of ¡°Mmm!¡± She made a fist with both hands and put her energy into it. She was so cute; I was afraid she would go bald*.


    [T/n*: I don¡¯t know what it means, though.]


    ¡°Good morning, everyone.¡±


    ¡°Good morning, Your Highness. You too, Kosuke.¡±


    ¡°Good morning.¡±


    We exchanged brief greetings, and I placed one of the modified crossbows on the table.


    ¡°This is the improved crossbow¨D¨D.¡±


    As soon as I said that, Jagira and Isla were reaching for the improved crossbow. At the same time, they touched the improved crossbow, their gazes met, and sparks flew.


    ¡°Yes, there are more, so please don¡¯t fight.¡±


    I had no choice but to bring out two more improved crossbows and give two of the three to Jagira and Isla. I put the other one in the middle of the table. I then gave them a general description of the improved crossbow¡¯s capabilities. It is more powerful but heavier, and the bow is harder. Unless you have enough physical strength, you will be exhausted in no time.


    ¡°I understand. But more powerful is more fascinating.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to deploy a few of them.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of deployment, I¡¯ve completed the mass production of the basic crossbow. I can deliver them, but it would be a burden to give you 300 of them now, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Can I have fifty of them for training?¡±


    ¡°Copy that.¡±


    I took out more and more crossbows from my inventory. Well, even if there are only crossbows, there won¡¯t be enough bolts right now. In addition, I also gave him the number of bolts I have.


    ¡°I guess we can start training now.¡±


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s get started.¡±


    ¡°Kosuke and I are going to collect iron ore.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go too,¡± said Isla.


    ¡°Jagira and Pirna should accompany us, too. Pirna, you look for traces of Gizma from the sky.¡±


    ¡°¡±Roger.¡±¡±


    It seems that the cat beast-man Jagira and the harpy Pirna¨Dtwo of the scouts¨Dwill accompany us. And as for Isla, she must have thought there might be something interesting to see.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t Isla supposed to be in charge here, making preparations or anything like that?¡±


    ¡°No. There are no sick or injured people here right now.¡±


    I looked at Danan, Melty, and Qubi, and each of them gave me a look and a manner that said everything was fine. Well, I don¡¯t think Isla is really suited for giving orders to anyone, judging from the way she looks. In general, Isla seems to be a researcher.


    Now that we¡¯ve decided on our personnel assignments, we¡¯ll get moving. Sylphy, Isla, myself and the scouting duo of Jagira and Pirna will be securing the iron and patrolling against Gizma. Of course, for the patrols, it¡¯s not just us, but the lightest and quickest of the refugees are sent out in pairs to each direction. It seems that Qubi will also be on patrol.


    Danan, Gerda, and Worg are going to train the refugees to fight with crossbows. They said that after a day of training, they should be able to hit Gizma without any problems.


    Melty will be busy securing supplies and making preserved food for the defense line. I¡¯ve been reminded to help out in that area tomorrow. It¡¯s really depressing.


    And so we were on our way to the mountain stream that we had visited before.


    ¡°Why do I have to carry Isla on my back?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t be carrying her. And the two scouts have to be on the perimeter.¡±


    It¡¯s not a problem for me to carry her because she¡¯s small and not very heavy, but I feel a subtle softness in my back and hands that makes me uncomfortable. She doesn¡¯t seem to be bothered by it, so I¡¯m going to do my best with a will of steel.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a bad ride¡­ but something¡¯s wrong.¡±


    Isla is mumbling something in my ear. Yeah, it¡¯s probably because the stride and the travel distance don¡¯t match. It¡¯s a lot easier to move forward with a command action as I walk.


    Also, my body feels strangely light, probably thanks to the agility and strong cardiopulmonary capacity skills I took yesterday. I don¡¯t feel tired when I walk.


    Thanks to Jagira and Pirna, who acted as scouts to keep us on the lookout, we were able to keep moving at a fairly fast pace. I think it only took us half the time it did the last time we were here.


    ¡°Now, I¡¯m going to take a look around.¡±


    ¡°Oh, and if you see any prey, go hunt it down. Kosuke can bring back any prey he wants. We¡¯ll be moving upstream to mine, so be careful.¡±


    ¡°Understood, I¡¯m going to test the power of this new model.¡±


    Jagira smiled pleasantly and disappeared into the depths of the forest with the improved crossbow in her hand. What is it about crossbows that drives her so much¡­? I can¡¯t understand that.


    ¡°Jagira is a scout, but she¡¯s not very good with a bow¡­ and that¡¯s probably why she loves the crossbow, which allows her to shoot strong, accurate arrows, even though she¡¯s not very skilled with a bow.¡±


    Perhaps noticing my curious look at Jagira, Pirna explained Jagira¡¯s odd behavior to me. Well, just because you¡¯re a scout doesn¡¯t mean you have to use a bow, but, indeed, scouts are often associated with bows.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t there something innovative like the crossbow that I can use?¡±


    Pirna stared at my face. Hmm, something innovative that even a harpy could use, like¡­ a bomb or a poison gas bomb? I¡¯m not sure if a Molotov cocktail would work.


    ¡°I can think of a few, but I don¡¯t think I can make them right now.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a pity¡­ Your Highness, I¡¯m going to do some scouting too.¡±


    ¡°Be careful.¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡±


    The Harpy¡¯s Pirna also soared into the sky. The wind breeze slammed my cheeks, but I don¡¯t think those wings can generate this much wind. Perhaps there is some magical power at work there.


    ¡°Now¡­ let¡¯s dig.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s do it to our heart¡¯s content.¡±


    Isla is silently staring at me. Her big eye is half-open, and I feel like that eye is watching me. Wait, is she sleepy?


    I took out my steel pickaxe and started smashing rocks of a reasonable size. When I broke a rock, I would get a stone, iron, or, if I was lucky, a gem of some kind. When the rocks were gone, I went on to dredge the sand from the riverbed with a shovel. At the same time, I put the rocks on the river bed into storage. I don¡¯t want to do too much, or I¡¯ll damage the ecosystem, so I do this in moderation. The water was cold, though.


    As I continued upstream, I came to a canyon-like terrain sandwiched between rock walls.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s dig harder.¡±


    This kind of terrain makes me want to clear the land. Is it okay if I just clear the land?


    ¡°I guess it¡¯s okay¡­ but be safe. If it collapses and you¡¯re buried alive, you won¡¯t survive.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s for sure.¡±


    If the rocks come crashing down and crush me, I¡¯ll die no matter what. It is possible that I can respawn even if I die, but I don¡¯t feel like trying.


    So I dug through the rock wall, being careful not to fall. It seems that this rock wall contains iron and silver, and copper in small amounts, so in addition to stone, iron, and gems, I can also get copper ore and silver ore. I found an excellent mining point. I think I¡¯ll make this my main mining spot from now on. Well, I¡¯ll have to think about what to use the copper and silver for, though. Hmm, what should I use them for? Copper can be alloyed to make bronze or even brass, right? I think it was also used as a material for bullets. Or was it as a coating? I don¡¯t remember exactly. I remember brass was also used for bullet casings. I don¡¯t remember seeing much bronze in daily life anyway. Copper is used for electrical wires and wiring, and maybe water heater pipes and cooking utensils.


    I can¡¯t imagine silver being used for anything other than ornaments, such as tableware, or as a conductor in electronic boards, similar to copper wire. If it can be expected to have magical effects, perhaps Isla and the elves will have more use for it.


    And I¡¯m using this mining time to craft a mixing table. I¡¯m looking forward to seeing what I can make with it.


    ¡°Keep this.¡±


    ¡°Aiyo.¡±


    Isla had been observing my mining work for a while, but eventually, she got bored and started gathering grass, flowers, roots, and other things from around the mining site and brought them to me. I lent her a shovel and a rattan basket, and she went about her work happily.


    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s all this stuff Isla¡¯s been picking?¡±


    ¡°Probably some kind of medicinal herb or poisonous plant. Isla is also trained in alchemy. It is essential to healing the refugees from injuries and illnesses.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    When I checked my inventory, I found that there were indeed items that were classified as medicinal herbs or poisonous herbs, not just grass. Maybe I¡¯ll get her to share it with me later.


    I continued to mine mindlessly for a while. It looks like there¡¯s a long stretch of rocky caves at the river¡¯s edge that people can stand and walk in, but isn¡¯t this dangerous? Wouldn¡¯t it be better to climb up and mine from the top?


    ¡°That may be true, but how are we going to get up there?¡±


    ¡°I have a better idea.¡±


    I checked the stock of woodblocks in my inventory. Yes, there are enough.


    ¡°Like this, like this, and hoy hoy hoy.¡±


    My command jump is capable of jumping lightly two meters vertically on the spot. And the building blocks can be placed up to six or seven meters away. You already know what I mean, don¡¯t you?


    Jump and place a woodblock at my feet.


    Jump and place a wood block on top of that woodblock.


    Jump and place a wood block on top of that woodblock, and then jump and place another wood block on top of that woodblock.


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    Sylphy opened her mouth and speechless.


    ¡°Absurd.¡±


    Isla¡¯s absurd call pops out again after a while. I don¡¯t want to be told that. This is like a fundamental technique in the game where you can install blocks.


    ¡°It¡¯s good that you can climb up, but how do you get down from there?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll get a ladder or something.¡±


    I took out my ax and destroyed the woodblock at my feet. Destroy the woodblock below it and below that as well.


    ¡°See? Easy, right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m losing my mind now.¡±


    ¡°My brain refuses to comprehend.¡±


    Sylphy snorted with her hands on her temples, and the light drained from Isla¡¯s large eyes. It¡¯s not that absurd, is it?


    ¡°If you use it, you can climb the walls all you want.¡±


    ¡°Well, yes.¡±


    To be honest, there are much more effective and deadly ways to deal with defensive equipment like castle walls, but I won¡¯t bother mentioning them here. When the time comes, let¡¯s be amazed.


    So I continued to mine¨Dor rather, expand¨Dthe canyon while building a foothold with woodblocks. My pickaxe shaved the canyon¡¯s rock walls, and the canyon became wider and wider.


    ¡°Kosuke, don¡¯t you think you¡¯ve gathered enough?¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Yeah, if you say so.¡±


    Before I knew it, my goal had switched from mining to the clearing. It¡¯s a very common thing. The next thing I knew, I had gathered a large amount of iron ore, copper ore, silver ore, rocks, gemstones, and mithril ore in my inventory.


    Hmm? Mithril ore?


    ¡°Sylphy, there¡¯s some kind of mithril ore here.¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    When Sylphy heard my words, she put her hand on her forehead and looked up at the sky.


    ¡°Let me see. Let me see. Show me.¡±


    ¡°Ah, Yes.¡±


    Isla came at me with tremendous pressure. I was somewhat scared, so I took out a piece of mithril ore and handed it to her.


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s definitely mithril ore. The purity is high.¡±


    ¡°¡­Kosuke, how many do you have?¡±


    ¡°Thirteen, including that one.¡±


    There are about 150 iron ores, 500 copper ores, 200 silver ores, and 13 mithril ores. The amount mined seems to be relatively small.


    ¡°It depends on the refining, but with thirteen of these, we can at least make two swords.¡±


    ¡°¡­Kosuke, don¡¯t tell anyone about the mithril. Okay?¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah.¡±


    It seems it was something extraordinary. It¡¯s a magical metal that is often heard of in fantasy, but is it precious in this world? As for me, I was wondering what I could craft with it.


    ¡°I¡¯ll put it in my inventory then.¡±


    I held out my hand, and Isla placed the mithril ore in my palm. I took it.


    ¡°¡­..?¡±


    Isla didn¡¯t let go of my hand. I grasped it lightly and tugged on it, but she wouldn¡¯t let go.


    ¡°Do you want it?¡±


    ¡°¡­..?¡±


    Isla¡¯s eyes shine brightly. Well, it¡¯s dazzling¡­! No, it¡¯s not dazzling, but it is sure is dazzling. When I glanced at Sylphy, she let out a sigh and nodded.


    ¡°Well then, I guess I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    ¡°¡­..!!¡±


    Isla raised an inaudible cheer and danced around while raising the mithril ore above her head. It seems she was delighted.


    ¡°What a joy.¡±


    ¡°As a magician and alchemist, Isla must have plenty of uses for it¡­ She worked very hard.¡±


    Sylphy smiled bitterly at Isla¡¯s happiness. I don¡¯t think Sylphy is able to pay the salary for Isla at the moment, so I guess she thinks she has to give her a good treat once in a while. Maybe.


    When we had finished mining and removing the scaffolding from the canyon, Jagira and Pirna joined us. Pirna was empty-handed, but Jagira had killed a deer-like animal. I think it was a Yakki or something like that? It¡¯s a pretty big one.


    ¡°Hehehe, this new model is amazing! I was able to kill it with a single blow from over 300 feet away.¡±


    There was an arrow wound, and a sword wound on the side of the neck of Yakki. Perhaps one of the crossbow¡¯s arrows destroyed its cervical vertebrae, and when it collapsed, she ran over and killed it with her dagger. That¡¯s amazing. I would have shot it in the torso instead.


    I made a pillar to hang Yakki with a woodblock and hung it with a rope. Sylphy and Jagira pulled out Yakki¡¯s internal organs together. Then, they plunge it into the river.


    ¡°We¡¯ll eat the organs here. Kosuke, make sure the fire is ready.¡±


    ¡°Aye aye, ma¡¯am.¡±


    As I watched Sylphy and the others start processing the organs, I prepared to build a fire. I wonder if there¡¯s a fireplace on the crafting menu, so I take a look.


    ?Simple fireplace¨D¨D: Stone x 20


    There is something just right for it. So, I crafted and set up a simple fireplace.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s rather nice.¡±


    ¡°¡­When did you build that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m tired of being surprised by everything Kosuke does.¡±


    Pirna was surprised to see the unexpectedly splendid fireplace that appeared before she knew it, and Isla said something indiscreet when she saw it. I¡¯m not saying that I¡¯m not actively trying to surprise them, but I am!


    ¡°Let¡¯s have lunch.¡±


    When Sylphy and the others who had finished preparing the internal organs returned, I lit a fire in the simple fireplace and roasted the organs. We only had enough internal organs to cook and eat right away, so we mainly ate the heart, liver, and tongue.


    I sprinkled the salt I had in my inventory and used grated garike as a condiment. It was delicious. I also brought some okonomiyaki for lunch and shared it with the four of us.


    By the way, Pirna and Jagira had brought baked bread and dried meat, but Isla hadn¡¯t brought anything.


    ¡°I completely forgot about that.¡±


    ¡°Be careful¡­ it¡¯s hard to be stringent.¡±


    ¡°I had a feeling Kosuke would take care of it.¡±


    ¡°You see, I can¡¯t work miracles to create food out of nothing.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    She looked at me as if to say, ¡°You can do it, can¡¯t you?¡± I wouldn¡¯t say I like it when people look at me like I can do it because I can¡¯t.


    ¡°Kosuke could do it, that¡¯s why¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re popping out things I don¡¯t understand, you know.¡±


    Sylphy and even Jagira say such things. Pirna silently nodded and put a piece of Yakki¡¯s liver in her mouth. It seems to be her favorite food.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong; I can¡¯t do that. I¡¯ll say it clearly. I can¡¯t do that. My ability is to transform what is there into various things. It¡¯s not the ability to create something out of nothing.¡±


    I desperately tried to explain, but everyone just replied appropriately. I can¡¯t figure it out.


    After that, we finished our lunch, collected the Yakki that we had cooled in the river, and decided to return to the elf village. And on the way back, I had to walk with Isla on my back. I can¡¯t understand it¡­ but it¡¯s okay.

 CH 25

    Here¡¯s the chapter sponsored by Patreon, enjoy~


    After lunch, we returned to the Elven village and reached it while the sun was still high. I don¡¯t know the exact time, but it looks like there is still some time before nightfall.


    ¡°Welcome back, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, is there anything unusual?¡±


    ¡°The scouts report that the Gizma has entered the forest. They said it¡¯s still on the outer edge, so it¡¯ll take some time before they reach the village.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ I think it would be better to form a squad around those who are fast and reduce them.¡±


    ¡°Danan-sama seems to think so too.¡±


    While Sylphy and Melty are discussing, I set up the blacksmithing facility and start smelting iron. In short, the idea is to launch a guerrilla war against the Gizma, which is hindered by the trees in the forest and cannot move as it should, and to reduce their numbers before they reach the elves¡¯ village. This means that more bolts will be used. I think I should make the bolts quickly.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Mixing table.¡±


    However, there¡¯s nothing I can do while I¡¯m refining iron. Since there is nothing to be done, I¡¯ll explore the possibility of a new workbench. And the moment I set up the mixing table, Isla comes to me. I had expected that!


    ¡°By mixing, do you mean making medicine?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I want to find out. Can I use the medicinal herbs and poisonous plants you were gathering earlier?¡±


    ¡°Permission granted.¡±


    Isla nodded happily, so I opened the crafting menu on the mixing table.


    ?Distilled Water¨D¨DMaterial: Drinking Water x2 ?Small Life Potion¨D¨DMaterials: Medicinal Herbs x 1, Drinking Water x 1 ?Life Potion¨D¨DMaterial: Medicinal Herbs x 3, Distilled Water x1 ?High Life Potion¨D¨DMaterial: Medicinal Herbs x 5, Distilled Water x 1, Alcohol x 1 ?Poison Potion¨D¨DMaterial: Poisonous Plants x 1, Distilled Water x 1 ?High Poison Potion¨D¨DMaterial: Poisonous Plants x 3, Distilled Water x 1, Alcohol x 1 ?Cure Poison Potion¨D¨DMaterial: Poisonous Plants x 1, Alcohol x 1 ?Cure Disease Potion¨D¨DMaterial: Medicinal Herbs x 5, Poisonous Plants x 2, Distilled Water x 1, Alcohol x 2 ?Alcohol¨D¨DMaterial: Liquor x 1 ?Saltpeter¨D¨DMaterial: Stable Manure x 1, Ashes x 1 ?Gunpowder¨D¨DMaterial: Saltpeter x 1, Sulfur x 1, Charcoal x 1 ?Gunpowder¨D¨DMaterial: Saltpeter x 1, Alcohol x 1, Fiber x 1


    ¡°No way.¡±


    ¡°? What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡±


    It¡¯s a lie. As you can see, the last three are dangerous. I don¡¯t know precisely what ¡°stable manure¡± means, but I think it could be the dirt around the toilets or the stables. I¡¯ve seen some stories on the internet about how they used to produce saltpeter, which is the raw material for gunpowder, by making good use of the stuff around there.


    The recipe for the first gunpowder is for black powder. As for the second gunpowder recipe, I¡¯m not sure, but I¡¯m sure my crafting skills will accomplish it. This ability skips the process and the difficult details and brings you the result instead.


    There are so many different kinds of gunpowder, but it¡¯s scary that they are all lumped together as ¡°gunpowder.¡± The recipe is obviously for black powder, but I have a feeling that the result will be high-performance smokeless gunpowder.


    ¡°Absurd.¡±


    ¡°Are you copying me?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, something like that.¡±


    At any rate, let¡¯s make what I can make now. I¡¯ve left some mead in my inventory so that I can make some alcohol. I¡¯ll make five small life potions, three life potions, and two for the rest.


    Shortly after, the potion is ready. I see that the Life Potion is red, the Poison Potion is purple, the Cure Poison Potion is green, and the Cure Disease Potion is a golden liquid. Each comes in a glass bottle that I¡¯m not sure where it came from.


    The Small Life Potion is called ¡°Small¡± because it is so small. The bottle is so small that about the size of the bottle that usually contains the seven spices. The Life Potion is about the size of a bottle of Or*namin-C, and the High Life Potion is about the size of a One-Cup bottle. The bottles of Cure Poison and Cure Disease potions are about the same size as Life potions, and Poison and High Poison potions are about Gashapon balls¡¯ size. And the glass is obviously thin and fragile. I wondered if this was designed to be thrown away after use.


    ¡°Is this the potion that Kosuke made?¡±


    ¡°Yes. The red one is Life Potion, the green one is Cure Poison Potion, and the golden one is Cure Disease Potion. The purple one is a Poison Potion, so it¡¯s probably poison.¡±


    ¡°What does the Life Potion do?¡±


    ¡°I think it heals wounds.¡±


    ¡°Internal? Or External?¡±


    ¡°I wonder which one? I have a feeling it¡¯ll work either way.¡±


    ¡°¡­What does the Cure Poison Potion do?¡±


    ¡°Since the name is Cure Poison, I assume it would cure poison.¡±


    ¡°What kind of poison does it cure?¡±


    ¡°I think it works on any poison.¡±


    ¡°¡­And how about the Cure Disease Potion?¡±


    ¡°Since the name is Cure Disease, I assume it would cure disease.¡±


    ¡°What kind of diseases does it cure?¡±


    ¡°It works on any disease, I guess?¡±


    With each answer, Isla¡¯s large eyes become cloudy and vacant. I know, I know. I know that what I am saying is absurd; I know that. But you know what, I can¡¯t help but agree with you! I¡¯m well aware of the fact that my abilities are ridiculously complicated, based on my past performance! Maybe I¡¯m not far off the mark with my answer.


    ¡°Give me everything.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°Give me everything you made.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay.¡±


    I was defeated by Isla¡¯s gaze, which made me feel emptiness through the darkness and offered all the potions I had made.


    ¡°You should make as many potions as you can and give them all to me. Okay?¡±


    ¡°No, I wanted to get some for myself too.¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    When you look into the abyss, the abyss also looks into you. Such words pass through my mind. Don¡¯t go against the current Isla. I feel my life is in danger.


    ¡°Yes, with pleasure!¡± T/n: Hai, yorokonde!.]


    Well, I haven¡¯t told her how much material I can use to make something, so I can fool around with it. Also, I told her in advance that I can¡¯t make a quantity of alcohol-based potion. I took the liberty of making one barrel of liquor, and I¡¯ll have to tell Sylphy about it later. I wondered if it was too much or too little that I could extract eight alcohols from one barrel¡­


    With the pressure of the ever-intimidating Isla, I made as many potions as I could with the materials I had on hand and handed it over to her. I sneaked in a couple of potions each. I might use them, too. I make sure that she doesn¡¯t know. No one knows, right?


    I watched her walk away with a basket full of my potions and decided to concentrate on the blacksmithing facility¡¯s operation.


    ¡°But there¡¯s nothing to do, is there?¡±


    I¡¯m in the middle of mass smelting iron, so I can¡¯t even make iron arrowheads until that¡¯s done. After much deliberation, I decided to check the contents of my inventory.


    I¡¯ve been digging many ores today, so I really have a lot of things in my inventory. There are many ores that I don¡¯t know what to do with, such as zinc, nickel, and so on. I guess they¡¯re used to make alloys, but I don¡¯t have any knowledge about alloys. To be honest, I have to rely on the crafting menu for this. I can immediately think of uses for lead, though. Gunpowder, lead, and iron, huh?


    Let¡¯s leave it at that for now. I need stable manure to make gunpowder. It seems that there is no cattle breeding in this village, so I guess I¡¯ll have to collect dirt from the toilet. What should I explain to Sylphy?


    No, wait. As long as the refugees are making a living, they must be taking out what they can. If I make up a good reason, I can collect them, can¡¯t I? The problem is that it absolutely stinks¡­ Well, I can¡¯t be helped. I don¡¯t want to do it, but I have to.


    I looked at the improved workbench¡¯s crafting menu to see if there was anything else I could use, and I found a spinning wheel and a loom.


    ?Spinning Wheel¨D¨DMaterial: Wood x 20, Mechanical Parts x 3, Iron x 1, Nails x 20 ?Loom¨D¨DMaterial: Wood x 20, Mechanical Parts x 2, Iron x 1, Nail x 20


    Yes, I can make it. The question is, do I need to use cloth? ¡­No, it is necessary if I want to make bandages or splints, right? When it comes to survival games, bandages and splints are essential. Bandages can heal even the worst bleeding, and splints can instantly heal sprains and broken bones. It¡¯s one of the most absurd things in survival games. Other absurdities in the recovery system are painkillers and energy drinks that heal wounds. Yup.


    So, I quickly made a spinning wheel and a loom and set them up. The spinning wheel can turn the fibers from plant materials into thread. And the loom can make cloth from the thread.


    ¡°¡­What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Spinning threads?¡±


    When I was spinning the spinning wheel, I was taken aback by Sylphy, who checked on me. Yeah, it looks like I am just spinning a spinning wheel with nothing set on it from the outside. But by turning it in, I¡¯m shortening the crafting time. Please leave me alone.


    ¡°Why are you spinning the thread?¡±


    ¡°I need some cloth. There are so many uses for it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right; we can never have enough cloth anyway.¡±


    Of course, the cloth can be used to make clothes, bandages, and armor, but it is also an essential military item. You will never be in trouble, no matter how much you have. I¡¯d also like to get rid of my sweatshirt that¡¯s starting to look like crap.


    ¡°¡­Speaking of which, I need to take a look at your clothes as well.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you remembered. Not that I started making fabric with the intention of making my own clothes, though.¡±


    Sylphy told me a while ago that she was going to do something about my clothes.


    By the way, my sweatshirt is washed every day. And my underwear, too. The way it works is that Sylphy does the laundry for us after dinner with water spirit magic. It¡¯s kind of fun to see the laundry spinning around in a big ball of water.


    ¡°Are you free at the moment?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m in the process of melting the iron. I don¡¯t think this is something I need to do right now anyway,¡± said Kosuke while pointing to the spinning wheel.


    ¡°Fumu, let¡¯s go to the shared storehouse then. We can find some clothes for you.¡±


    ¡°That sounds great.¡±


    I quickly put the spinning wheel, the loom, and the improved workbench in my inventory and headed to the shared storehouse with Sylphy. There are plenty of gems to offer as payment, so there is no need to worry about it.


    And that¡¯s why we came to the shared storehouse.


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll take that stone.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be a fool; you owe me. I¡¯ll take it.¡±


    ¡°I want this one. I¡¯ll pay you with my bow and arrows.¡±


    A group of people who looked like artisans were gathered in front of the shared storehouse, arguing and shouting. The storehouse keeper elf, who watched them with a troubled look on his face, noticed Sylphy and me, and his eyes brightened.


    ¡°Everyone, the miner who brought that stone is here now.¡±


    ¡°¡±¡±¡±What!?¡±¡±¡±¡±


    The artisan elves are all looking back at me at once. Yeah, they are all beautiful, but their eyes are bloodshot and scary. I hid behind Sylphy quietly.


    ¡°Hmm, Sylphiel?¡±


    ¡°The one in your back is¡­ That¡¯s the marebito the elders were talking about, right?¡±


    ¡°He looks like a normal human being, but he certainly doesn¡¯t have any magical powers.¡±


    ¡°Wait, Kosuke is frightened, don¡¯t come any closer.¡±


    Sylphy stopped the artisans, and they stopped. Her eyes were bloodshot, but she seemed to have retained her reason.


    ¡°It seems that you were fighting over the distribution of the gems?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Well, it¡¯s been a while since we¡¯ve had anything of that quality.¡±


    ¡°Since the death of old Gaston, who excelled in earth magic.¡±


    The artisan elves nodded to each other. I see, so the master gem hunter¡¯s death was the reason for the decline in supply, huh?


    ¡°Kosuke, take out what we dug up today.¡±


    ¡°How much do we have to offer now?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s twice as much as before.¡±


    I did as I was told and roughly pulled out the gems onto the wooden plates I had taken out beforehand. The lineup is almost the same as the last one.


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    ¡°If there is this much, I can make all I want, this and that¡­¡±


    The eyes of the artisan elves shine brightly. Sylphy ignored the artisan elves, snatched the wooden plate from my hand, and took it to the storehouse keeper of the shared storehouse.


    ¡°I¡¯ll deliver this. I¡¯ll have to make some changes for it.¡±


    ¡°As you wish. I¡¯ll take care of this one, and you can tell Lisa in the back.¡±


    After handing over the wooden plate, Sylphy walked past the storehouse keeper elf into the storehouse, and I followed her. It feels like some of the artisan elves are sending me moist glances¡­ and I¡¯m afraid to leave Sylphy¡¯s side. Yup.


    There was a female elf right after entering the shared storehouse. I¡¯m sure she¡¯s Lisa since Sylphy walked up to her.


    ¡°Ara, it has been a day before yesterday. What do you want today?¡±


    ¡°I delivered twice as many gems as last time. Can you help me with Kosuke¡¯s clothes?¡±


    ¡°Twice as many as before, you say¡­ then, how many clothes are you going to need? There aren¡¯t that many clothes that fit his size, you know?¡±


    ¡°Well, you can put the rest aside. Kosuke, if there is anything you want, you can take it. You¡¯ve earned those gems, after all.¡±


    ¡°My pleasure.¡±


    Lisa-san went to the back of the storehouse, saying that she would get some clothes that would fit me. Therefore, I¡¯m going to look around the shared storehouse with Sylphy.


    ¡°Is there something you want?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like some leather-based materials and some glue. Also some liquor.¡±


    ¡°What kind of liquor?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s liquor. I don¡¯t care what it tastes like. I just want it strong.¡±


    ¡°Fumu¡­ I know where to find it, so I¡¯ll show you.¡±


    Sylphy led me to find some leather and liquor, and I heard Lisa-san, the storehouse keeper elf, calling for us, so I took the items I had found and gone back to where we were.


    ¡°The ones that seemed to fit your body size were around here. You can try them on in the shade over there.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    I accepted the clothes and changed in the shade at the back. The clothes Lisa-san had brought were comfortable, made of strong fabric, and easy to move in. It was vaguely ethnic in design.


    ¡°How about this?¡±


    When I returned to Sylphy and the others in my new outfit, Sylphy and Lisa-san stared at me from my toes to the top of my head. I felt uncomfortable!


    ¡°My hair is black, so it doesn¡¯t match the color of my costume, I guess.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s okay, isn¡¯t it? Why bother to dye it?¡±


    Do I have to match the color of my hair to the costume? The evaluation was kind of subtle, but I decided that it was okay because it was comfortable for me to wear. Now that I have some spare clothes, I don¡¯t have to worry about clothing anymore. Thank goodness for that.


    After that, we left the shared storehouse with some strong alcohol, leather, and glue.


    The stares of the artisans as we left the storehouse were frightening. It was the eyes of a wild beast with its prey in its sights¡­ Let¡¯s make sure that I never leave Sylphy.

 CH 26

    Here¡¯s the chapter, enjoy~


    When I returned from the communal storehouse to the place where the blacksmithing facility was installed, Isla was waiting for me. She seemed to have brought the potions that she had just taken with her; I wondered what was wrong?


    ¡°Sorry to keep you waiting.¡±


    She seemed to be somewhat limp. I wonder what¡¯s really going on.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been testing this potion with all my reagents and lab animals.¡±


    ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°In conclusion, I can confirm that all of these potions have a certain effect. I can¡¯t say for sure until I observe the progress, but so far, I haven¡¯t noticed any side effects. Or rather, the effects are so immediate that I don¡¯t know how to evaluate them.¡±


    The word ¡°absurd¡± no longer seemed to come out, as she used to say.


    ¡°Well, why would you do that?¡±


    ¡°You said these are potions that heal wounds, remove poisons, cure diseases, etc.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I did say that.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s for human life. It should never be given irresponsibly.¡±


    ¡°Is that how you think?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ but¡­ no.¡±


    Isla looked down with a tired¨Dno, sad face.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ sorry, Kosuke.¡±


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t have to apologize for all of a sudden. Hey, don¡¯t cry! Sylphy! Sylphy-san help!¡±


    A surprising amount of tears are dripping from the face of the downcast Isla, or rather, it¡¯s like a big drop of tears. Her eyes are large, so I wonder if her tear glands are also large. As for me, I couldn¡¯t respond other than to be puzzled by Isla¡¯s sudden burst of tears. Why on earth did this happen? Why did this happen?


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of Isla, and you look after the furnace. And put that away.¡±


    I can¡¯t help it if Sylphy says so. I straightforwardly collected the potion that Isla had brought back and headed for the smithing facility. It seems that the iron production is not yet finished but is almost done. But the suddenness of it all left me baffled. Why did Isla suddenly apologize after that conversation? And I don¡¯t understand why she starts crying at all.


    Isla is definitely the genius type. In other words, I think she is the type of person who is incredibly quick-witted. Yet, she speaks relatively less. That¡¯s right; she¡¯s the type of person who can think fast but is not good at putting it into words. She¡¯s the kind of person whose outlandish actions or lack of words cause her to clash with the people around her or to distance themselves from her. It¡¯s like a communicable disease.


    Hmm, based on the conversation before and after¡­ The reason why she made me make the potion and took it all with her was to test the effects of the potion. This is the first thing to be confirmed. It¡¯s not that she did it with any malicious intent, but she took all possible precautions to make sure that it could be prescribed because it involves a person¡¯s life. Yes, it¡¯s logical, and it makes sense.


    But then she said it was different, apologized, and suddenly cried.


    ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t get it.¡±


    My brain can¡¯t make sense of it. I¡¯m sure Sylphy will be able to get a good sense out of her. Maybe I was insensitive in my words. Even if I think about it, I have no idea what part of it was insensitive.


    After a while, when the iron smelting was finished, and the mass production of arrowheads started, Sylphy and Isla came back. For some reason, they were with Melty.


    ¡°Welcome back.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we are back. How are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Mass production of arrowheads in progress. I¡¯ve set the production target at 10,000 just to be safe.¡±


    I¡¯ve got enough material; all I need is time. When I turned my gaze to Sylphy, I could see that Isla was standing in the shadow of her. Melty also looked somewhat guilty, but I wondered what was going on.


    ¡°Um, what is it? If you have time, let¡¯s talk a little.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Somehow, Sylphy¡¯s demeanor seems distant as well. What the hell is going on? It makes me uneasy!


    I took out a table and chairs from my inventory, set them up, and took out four plastic bottles of drinking water, and placed them in front of each of us. I¡¯m the first one to get my hands on the bottles and drink the water. I was thirsty after being by the fire for so long.


    ¡°Oh, um, what is it? Do you want to start with what happened with Isla?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Sylphy began to talk about the situation in an unusually slurred manner. In conclusion, it seems that Isla has become jealous of my abilities. She is an excellent magician and also an excellent alchemist. To put it bluntly, she was pissed off when she saw the potion I had made.


    Normally, the correct use of alchemy requires a wealth of knowledge and rigorous training. And yet, as if to ridicule such efforts, I easily created a potion with tremendous effects with just one hand.


    The reason why she asked me to make the potions, take them all away, and verify their effects was to comply with the alchemist¡¯s rule: ¡°No potion should be released to the world without experimentation and verification,¡± but when she finished the verification and talked with me, she realized her true intentions. So she apologized.


    ¡°Kosuke¡¯s power was not something that Kosuke obtained without paying any price, but something that he had to pay for everything he had ever done¡­ I¡¯m sorry, Kosuke.¡±


    ¡°O-oh¡­? Well, don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯m not mad at you at all, okay?¡±


    Why is this becoming such a heavy story? I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s indeed a bit of a shock to find out that I¡¯ve been blown away into this world all of a sudden, but after I found out about the existence of my crafting abilities, I¡¯ve been having a lot of fun.


    ¡°So, why are Sylphy and Melty looking so sullen?¡±


    ¡°No, I mean, after hearing Isla¡¯s story, I had some thoughts of my own.¡±


    ¡°Kosuke-san, you acquired this ability after you came here as a marebito, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±


    I nodded to Melty¡¯s question. That¡¯s definitely true.


    ¡°In other words, you obtained the ability in exchange for your family, friends, property, and hometown, right?¡±


    ¡°I guess you could say that.¡±


    I hadn¡¯t thought about it that way, but now that she mentions it, yes, that¡¯s true. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll be able to go back to my world, but I doubt it. If Sylphy and the others knew how to get back to my original world, they would have told me something about it either.


    ¡°After all this time. I thought that we were using Kosuke too much for our own convenience.¡±


    ¡°Haha, that¡¯s true; it¡¯s a little late for that. But hey, I¡¯m indebted to you, Sylphy, and I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve paid you back yet, so don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    Sylphy and Isla looked at each other and smiled bitterly at my reply.


    ¡°You¡¯re too good-natured, Kosuke.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s true. For now, it¡¯s just a matter of what I want to do and what Sylphy and the others want to do. I¡¯m a human being, and I have my own plans.¡±


    ¡°What do you want to do, Kosuke-san?¡±


    ¡°I want to develop my abilities and be able to do more things. I want to be in an environment where I can be safe, where I can eat, where I can shelter from the wind and rain. Those are what I want, and that¡¯s what Sylphy is giving me. It¡¯s a win-win situation, my needs are being met, and Sylphy¡¯s needs are being met as well.¡±


    ¡°Win-win.¡±


    ¡°Yes, win-win. In addition to that, I owe a debt of gratitude to Sylphy for saving my life. Helping Sylphy and the others is a way to repay that debt. I¡¯m killing two birds with one stone. So, I don¡¯t mind if you use my abilities for your convenience. I don¡¯t want to be asked to keep working without food, though. Also, I¡¯m a human being, and if I keep working, I¡¯ll get tired. I don¡¯t have a problem as long as you take that into consideration. I¡¯m not complaining at the moment, so don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll tell you if I have any complaints.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ Yeah, I understand.¡±


    Sylphy¡¯s expression brightened as if she was convinced by my words, which exposed my innermost thoughts. Melty still looked a little apologetic. Yeah, Melty¡¯s got that record! She should be more careful next time!


    ¡°Isla, I¡¯m not mad at you; just treat me the same as before. I¡¯m also interested in magic and alchemy. We didn¡¯t have either in my world, after all.¡±


    To be precise, Earth¡¯s alchemy existed in the past and became the basis of natural science. The alchemy of this world, where magic and magical powers exist, is probably completely different from Earth¡¯s alchemy.


    ¡°¡­Yeah. I understand.¡±


    Isla finally raised her head and looked at my face. Yeah, her eyes are red from crying. I think she should drink plenty of water and get a good night¡¯s sleep. The One-Eyed race has large eyes, so if they cry, they might consume a lot of water.


    ¡°Well, I guess we¡¯ll make up for it now. I¡¯m glad we were able to have a heart-to-heart talk, yeah.¡±


    With that, I held out my hand to Isla. She tilted her head as if she didn¡¯t understand the meaning of the offered hand. It seems that there is no custom of shaking hands in this world.


    ¡°It¡¯s a custom in my world; we hold each other¡¯s hands when we want to make up or show friendship. It¡¯s called a handshake.¡±


    ¡°Handshake¡­ yes.¡±


    I held Isla¡¯s hand and shook it up and down. Isla¡¯s hand is small. And soft. It¡¯s not the same as Sylphy¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Now we reconcile. Isn¡¯t it a good custom?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Isla smiles slightly. Yeah, it¡¯s good. It¡¯s good.


    For some reason, Sylphy and Melty, who watched the situation, also looked like they wanted to shake hands, so I shook both of theirs. I made no comment on the feel of Melty¡¯s hand. Let¡¯s just say it looks like she¡¯s having a pretty hard time. Sylphy? I¡¯m connected with Sylphi every night, anyway, hahaha.


    I¡¯m glad I was able to reconcile with Isla. It was a wonderful thing. Well, to say that it was wonderful is just plain stupid, especially because¡­ This time, to be honest, I was lucky. I was a little loose in many ways.


    What was the cause of the trouble this time? Needless to say, it¡¯s obvious that it¡¯s my crafting ability. That is to say; my crafting ability is a real threat to any serious craftsman.


    With just a few swings of my ax, I can create the finest lumber from the finest trees around, and with just a few swings of my pickaxe, I can dig up an abundance of mineral resources and gems and use them to produce a large number of perfectly standardized products in a very short time.


    If there were such a person, any craftsman would be out of business. My ability could easily threaten the livelihood and status of those who make things. This time, I had almost recklessly violated Isla¡¯s domain. However, I was able to escape this time because I showed the medicine to Isla herself first, and she was a good person with a pure and innocent character.


    As for the potions, I believe it will be possible for me to operate the mixing table with Isla in the future. As for the goods to be distributed to the elven villages, the fact that there is no longer a source of supply for the gemstones and the inventory is tight has prevented a major problem. If it had been weapons such as bows and arrows, blades, fabric, clothes, or processed foods that competed with the existing craftsmen, I might have been hated by the elven craftsmen.


    To sum it up in one word, I got carried away and overdid it.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been quiet today.¡±


    ¡°Even I feel sorry for myself.¡±


    With a sigh, I accept a cup of honey wine from Sylphy. Yes, it¡¯s sweet.


    ¡°We can¡¯t do without your help, Kosuke. You don¡¯t have to worry so much about it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right, though.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d rather have you use your full strength. I¡¯ll take care of the minor problems, and I want you to give it your all.¡±


    Sylphy stared at my face.


    ¡°Is that what Sylphy wants? No matter how people look at me, do you want that?¡±


    I also stared back at her.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what I want. I¡¯ll protect you, Kosuke.¡±


    ¡°Absolutely?¡±


    ¡°As long as I can. I have my limits. But I won¡¯t just abandon Kosuke and cut you off. Even if you end up being hunted because of your power, I will be by your side, Kosuke.¡±


    ¡°¡­I can¡¯t help but respond if you say so much. Geez, isn¡¯t that the position of a seducer reversed now?¡±


    I can¡¯t help but take my hat off to Sylphy for being so manly. However, it can be said that love is heavy.


    ¡°The arrowhead will be ready by the end of the night. Tomorrow, you will go out to cut down Gizma, right? I¡¯ll come with you.¡±


    ¡°All right. Shall we go to bed early today?¡±


    ¡°Sure. I want to be completely prepared, so I¡¯ll do what I have to do first.¡±


    I want to get the spinning wheel and loom working. So I set up the improved workbench, the spinning wheel, and the loom in the backyard workshop and got them operating. On the improved workbench, I¡¯ll mass-produce crossbow bolts and improved crossbows; on the spinning wheel, I¡¯ll spin a yarn; and on the loom, I¡¯ll weave as much cloth as I can with the yarn I have.


    Once this is done, all that¡¯s left to do is sleep in preparation for tomorrow.


    ¡°H-hey, Kosuke. You need to rest your body today¡­ Mmm!¡±


    We had a little skinship and went to bed. Just a little. Boobs are great, aren¡¯t they?

 CH 27

    Here¡¯s the chapter sponsored by Patreon, enjoy~


    Yes, this is Kosuke the next day. Last night I played too much mischief and suffered a counterattack. Sylphy, you were such a novice, yet where in the world did she get such a technique¡­ I suspect it¡¯s because of Melty, who¡¯s been with us a lot these days.


    Anyway, we are going to go hunting for Gizma today. We need to be ready for anything. I finished collecting my creations while Sylphy was making breakfast, and I was making splints on the modified workbench.


    It¡¯s hard for ordinary people to understand what a splint is, yes. In other words, it¡¯s a set of splints. It¡¯s used to treat fractures and sprains. The reason why I made this is that this is an essential item in survival games where the concept of fractures and sprains is used.


    In survival games, broken bones and sprains are terrible debuffs. They greatly reduce your mobility, jumping ability, and in some cases, even slip damage. If you lose your mobility, it becomes difficult to escape from hostile characters, which can lead to death.


    Most of the time, this debuff is caused by falling from a height, but in some cases, it can be caused by an attack from a hostile character. There is no harm in being prepared for it.


    ¡°Kosuke, breakfast is ready.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Today¡¯s breakfast consisted of naan-like thin bread, chopped vegetables and mushrooms, and beans cooked in a spicy sauce. I wondered if it looked like chili beans. I don¡¯t remember there being any mushrooms in the chili beans, but it was quite tasty.


    I put a loaf of bread and a pot of what looked like chili beans in my inventory for lunch, collected the manufacturing equipment, and headed for the defensive wall. When we arrived at the wall, we found refugee soldiers preparing for a sortie. Their equipment was all over the place, but they all seemed to have crossbows.


    ¡°Good morning, gentlemen.¡±


    ¡°Good morning!¡±


    The refugee soldiers greeted Sylphy in unison. Yeah, there¡¯s no sense of sadness. Their morale seems to be surprisingly high.


    ¡°Good morning, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°Oh, good morning, Danan. Kosuke, please deliver it.¡±


    ¡°Aye aye, ma¡¯am.¡±


    In response to Sylphy¡¯s gaze as she returned Danan¡¯s greeting, I took out the crossbow¡¯s bolts from my inventory on the table that was already set up.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t have enough room on it. Of course not.¡±


    ¡°Wait a minute. We need to keep track of the number, so can you take them out 500 at a time?¡±


    ¡°Ah, sure.¡±


    I delivered the crossbow bolts according to Melty¡¯s instructions, and the bolts were distributed to the refugee soldiers as soon as they were counted. This kind of management is hard work. The refugees seem to carry the bolts in a kind of quiver or a bag with a string. Hmm, that¡¯s true. They need equipment to carry them around, right? I failed to notice.


    ¡°I¡¯ve made a couple of improved crossbows, though.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take them along with the rest of the regular type.¡±


    The remaining two hundred and fifty crossbows and fifteen improved crossbows that I made in small quantities will also be delivered. This is the end of the whole delivery.


    ¡°If any of the crossbows or bolts are damaged or broken, please do your best to collect them. I can fix it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Especially iron arrowheads, they are very valuable.¡±


    Melty nodded and walked towards Danan. She seems to have already entrusted the management of the delivered items to her subordinates, or rather to the people who are helping her. That¡¯s all I have to do at this point, so I head towards Sylphy.


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m counting on you today.¡±


    There was Qubi, holding a crossbow. It seemed that he was going with us.


    ¡°This time, we¡¯ll be working in groups of three. It would be Kosuke, Qubi, and me.¡±


    ¡°I see. How do we work?¡±


    ¡°Qubi will be the vanguard, I will be in the center, and Kosuke will be in the rear.¡±


    ¡°How does that work?¡±


    ¡°Qubi is quick and perceptive. Even if we suddenly run into Gizma, he won¡¯t be killed by a single blow, isn¡¯t that right, Qubi?¡±


    ¡°Well, yes. If not, I wouldn¡¯t have made it to this forest.¡±


    While saying this, Qubi shrugged his shoulders. I see, Qubi, who has reached the Black Forest in perfect condition, has probably survived the most fights with Gizma out of all of them.


    ¡°As soon as Qubi gets into combat with Gizma, I¡¯ll come to support him. When it comes to melee combat, I¡¯m the strongest, after all.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    The last time I watched her, she took Gizma by surprise and defeated it with a large knife.


    ¡°So, since Kosuke seems to be the least good at close combat, he will be positioned at the very back. That makes you the best choice for the rearguard since you can shoot the powerful, improved crossbow quickly.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be careful not to misfire.¡±


    If I accidentally shoot the improved crossbow, it would be a disaster. Sylphy¡¯s tight-fitting suit will not stop the penetrating power of this thing either.


    After confirming each person¡¯s role, Danan gave a light admonition to put each person¡¯s life first rather than destroy the Gizma. If possible, recover the bolt, even if the crossbow is broken, but do not insist on it because it could kill you otherwise, he said.


    The harpies, who can fly, are already scouting the area, and the Gizma may have already entered the area between this village and the forest.


    ¡°The pace of the invasion is fast, huh?¡±


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s more than we expected. At this pace, it is likely to reach the village tonight at worst or tomorrow at the latest. I shudder to think if Kosuke wasn¡¯t here.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. If it weren¡¯t for Kosuke, we¡¯d have to head deeper into the forest to get what we need.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad I could be of help.¡±


    There were many refugees here to see us off, as well as people going out on sorties. Some of them had wounds that would never heal; others were children or the elderly. I felt proud to think that my abilities had saved them from a harsh escape.


    ¡°Well, it looks like Danan¡¯s lesson is over. Let¡¯s depart now.¡±


    ¡°Roger that.¡±


    ¡°Aiyo. Let¡¯s go and save our precious lives.¡±


    The two of us nodded at Sylphy¡¯s words, and Qubi and I led the way into the forest. Now, how much of a battle can a crossbow do? I don¡¯t think it will be useless, but I¡¯m a little worried about it.


    About an hour after we left the village, Qubi stopped while raising one hand. He looked at us behind him for a moment and pointed ahead. At first glance, we couldn¡¯t see anything in the direction he was pointing, but when we looked carefully at the ground, we noticed a spot where the dead leaves had been unnaturally brushed away, exposing the soil.


    When Qubi saw that we recognized Gizma, he picked up a stone at his feet, holding his crossbow in one hand, and threw it into the area where the soil was exposed.


    Instantly, Gizma¡¯s huge body flew out of the ground while rolling up the dirt. Is that the Ambush Tackle of Gizma I heard about? Yeah, if I get hit by that, I¡¯ll be screwed. It¡¯s like getting hit by a light truck, you know.


    ¡°I¡¯m going around, attack it while moving back.¡±


    ¡°Aye aye, ma¡¯am.¡±


    As I replied, I set the sights on Gizma with the bolt-set improved crossbow.


    ¡°Giiiiiiii!¡±


    The crossbow¡¯s bolt that Qubi released pierced deep into the base of Gizma¡¯s neck before I could shoot. Does Gizma also feel the pain? It stops moving in fright.


    ¡°Nice shot!¡±


    As I call out to the retreating Qubi, I take up a position directly in front of Gizma and release the bolt. The bolt fired from the improved crossbow flew directly towards Gizma and pierced the middle of its face. No, it pierced through. The bolt pierced so deeply that its arrow feathers were no longer visible, and Gizma¡¯s huge body shook with fear. It¡¯s working pretty well.


    ¡°Hey, Kosuke! It¡¯s dangerous to go straight ahead!¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    I already know that if I stand directly in front of it, it will rush at me. I¡¯m not standing right in front of it without a plan either.


    ¡°Gyaaaaaaaaaaaa!!¡±


    Perhaps it¡¯s a last-ditch effort, but Gizma is rushing towards me at great speed. Hahaha, they¡¯re just insects or animals that only work on instinct after all.


    ¡°Hoy.¡±


    I placed a brick block directly in front of me. The brick block was one meter in depth, width, and height. And then, there was a tremendous sound that echoed.


    ¡°Holy shit.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t have a role to play, but¡­¡±


    In front of the dead Gizma¡­ Qubi and Sylphy let out an exasperated voice. Yeah, to be honest, I didn¡¯t think it would go this well either. I thought that as I put the object of Gizma¡¯s corpse, with its head crushed, into my inventory.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯d normally leave this sort of thing to Woodspike-sensei, but I was not sure if it would be possible to stop this giant.¡±


    ¡°Woodspike-sensei?¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    I showed them the abatis that I had made earlier. Abatis is a defensive facility consisting of sharp-edged pieces of wood stuck into the ground and lined up. They are so reliable that one survivalist zombie game has given them the honorific title of ¡°Sensei. It¡¯s not surprising since it¡¯s something that boosts an inhumane weapon¡¯s strength, similar to a caltrop.


    ¡°You¡¯re right; I doubt this will stop it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if this will even stick against Gizma.¡±


    ¡°Unless it¡¯s a metal spike, it¡¯s going to be difficult to hit Gizma.¡±


    Then I took out my pickaxe and collected the brick blocks. Well, I plan to install the abatis outside the wall later. That thing can be made even without facilities, so it is currently in mass production.


    After that, I continued to use the brick block strategy to kill the Gizma. Qubi spotted them, and the two of us attacked first. We intercept the incoming Gizma with brick blocks, and if we can¡¯t finish them off, Sylphy will immediately stop them in close combat.


    Only about half of the Gizma were killed instantly by the brick blocks, and even if they didn¡¯t die instantly, their movements were stopped by the shock, so Sylphy was able to finish them off with ease.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never had such an easy time hunting Gizma.¡±


    ¡°As long as you don¡¯t get attacked by surprise, you¡¯re not going to lose.¡±


    Sylphy and Qubi muttered when they had killed the eighth Gizma. For Gizma, it¡¯s a nightmare to be attacked by a painful attack, and when it wanted to strike back, a sturdy wall appeared in front of it. It might be terrible, that¡¯s for sure.


    ¡°Hahaha, there are more ways of doing this.¡±


    If I had more time, I could have built an interceptor base full of traps a little farther away from the elf village. The only thing that could be done with the base is to put spikes on the walls and a deep empty moat around it (with Woodspikes-sensei at the bottom). Of course, we should deploy a lot of soldiers with crossbows in the interceptor base. We¡¯ll definitely need an aerial or underground passage for escape in case the base is breached. Hmm? Come to think of it; I wonder if the blocks made with this ability are affected by gravity? I¡¯ll give it a try.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What¡¯s with the wall all of a sudden?¡±


    ¡°Just a little experiment.¡±


    I stacked two wood blocks vertically and tried to destroy the bottom one.


    ¡°Oh, I see. That¡¯s how it works.¡±


    The top block stood still in the air. Even though I pushed and pulled it, it didn¡¯t budge.


    ¡°Qubi, am I getting tired? I see something strange in front of my eyes,¡± said Sylphy.


    ¡°I can see it too, so it¡¯s probably normal.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, this will make a great floating base.¡±


    The question is whether or not this block can remain in the air even after I leave it. If my ability has an effective range, the floating base may suddenly fall and collapse. In the meantime, I attached another woodblock and a brick block to the side of the woodblock that was standing still in the air to see if there was a setting for load-bearing capacity.


    ¡°Yeah, it won¡¯t fall.¡±


    I get on top of it and jump and stomp on it. It feels as safe as the ground itself. It doesn¡¯t shake at all. I¡¯m thinking of creating a floating base. No, even if I can make a floating base in the air, it won¡¯t do me much good if I don¡¯t make some kind of easy way to get to and from the ground. I need to build a warp gate or a vehicle that can move through the air.


    ¡°Sorry, sorry, that took a while. What¡¯s the matter with you two? You look so tired.¡±


    ¡°No, it just made me realize why¡­ Isla was so attached to you and talking about absurdities.¡±


    ¡°I get that.¡±


    ¡°You say that¡­ But I really don¡¯t want to be disturbed by every single thing Kosuke does, and even if I wanted to, it wouldn¡¯t end well.¡±


    The experiment was over, so I pulled myself together and resumed our hunt for Gizma. It was when we continued and defeated about three of them using the brick block strategy.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Suddenly, Qubi¡¯s ears twitched, and he looked in a different direction. I turned my head in the direction of Qubi, but I didn¡¯t see anything in particular.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Gizma¡¯s roar. It¡¯s not only one or two of them.¡±


    ¡°Maybe some of the troops ran into a pack. Let¡¯s go check it out.¡±


    ¡°Copy that. I¡¯ll take the lead.¡±


    As soon as he said that, Qubi started running. I wondered if it was safe to run so unguardedly, but Sylphy didn¡¯t say anything, so I ran after him as well. After about ten minutes of running, I soon saw the destruction. Several trees of a certain thickness were crushed and broken. It was definitely Gizma¡¯s mark.


    ¡°We¡¯re close.¡±


    ¡°That way.¡±


    This is where I heard the sound of trees cracking and Gizma¡¯s roar. I wondered how they roared. I don¡¯t think they have vocal cords or anything.


    ¡°I see them! Be careful not to misfire and concentrate on drawing the enemy¡¯s attention first!¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    ¡°Roger that.¡±


    There were three Gizmas lined up in front of us as we rushed towards them. Refugee soldiers are fighting these three Gizmas, all of whom are unfamiliar to me. One of them was a squirrel-type beastman, the other was a lamia whose lower half was a giant snake, and the one slumped on his tail was probably a lizardman.


    Three Gizmas were chasing them. Perhaps the lizardman was injured, and when they tried to retreat, they hooked another Gizma. I guess it¡¯s similar to the so-called train phenomenon. The squirrel beastman seemed to be using the trees to distract the Gizmas and buy some time.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to cover the one being chased!¡±


    I was declaring so and intercepted the lamia, who was trying to carry the wounded, and Gizma, who was chasing her.


    ¡°You?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, just stay back!¡±


    I immediately set up a brick block between me and Gizma, who was rushing at us and prevented it from rushing. Immediately step back and place a brick block, then place another on the side to create a wall. Then, I use the command jump to climb to the top of the wall, aim at the stopped Gizma, and shoot.


    ¡°Giiiiiiiii!¡±


    I guess I hit the right spot since the Gizma stiffened up, so I shot it with a bolt from my improved crossbow and killed it. It¡¯s easy to determine if it¡¯s dead or alive because it can be placed in my inventory when it dies.


    When I turned my attention elsewhere, I saw that Sylphy had just finished off another one by striking her kukri into the Gizma¡¯s neck. The remaining one, which Qubi and the squirrel beastman keeps firing their crossbows, seems to be quite weak. I also shoot a bolt from the top of the brick block wall to cover them.


    ¡°Gieeeeeeeeeee¡­¡±


    The last Gizma died when I shot three bolts into it. Yeah, the crossbow seems to work well enough on Gizma.


    I left collecting Gizma for later and hurried to the lamia who was holding the wounded. She was helping the lizardman at a distance. From the looks of it, he had been injured in the leg. His bloodied right leg was bent in an unnatural direction, and the bone was sticking out.


    ¡°An open fracture, huh¡­?


    Fortunately, I had a splint and a life potion on hand. Isla was also impressed with the life potion¡¯s effectiveness, so let¡¯s try to save him.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to heal you. I know it hurts, but you just have to bear with it.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    The lizardman nodded quietly at my words. It¡¯s hard to read the reptilian face¡¯s expression, and he doesn¡¯t seem to sweat, so it¡¯s hard to tell. I took out some drinking water from my inventory and washed the bloody area first. The lizardman seems to be tolerant of pain and accepts the treatment without moaning.


    ¡°Then, the splint¡­¡±


    With the splint in my hand, I looked at the lizardman¡¯s broken leg and saw a pop-up message that said ¡®use.¡¯ When I selected the pop-up, my body automatically moved to apply the splint and bandage with an unhurried hand.


    ¡°H-hey! We need to fix the broken bone first!¡±


    ¡°Well, well.¡±


    The lamia, who was caring for the lizardman, shouted as I applied the splint to the broken leg and bandaged it. That¡¯s true; I think so too. But I think it will probably be okay.


    ¡°Guh! Ohh!¡±


    As soon as I finished wrapping the bandage around the broken lizardman¡¯s leg, the fractured leg was immediately corrected and straightened. It was as if the broken leg had returned to its normal state by itself. It was gross, to say the least. The lizardman let out a squeal of pain as it returned, but it was a minor issue. Hahaha.


    Once his legs straightened, the splint disappeared, leaving a shattering effect. Hmm, that¡¯s mysterious.


    ¡°Oh, my legs straightened on their own¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s some kind of special divine magic, I guess. I don¡¯t understand it either.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know it?¡±


    The lamia¡¯s tsukkomi is intense, but I let it slide and take out a life potion from my inventory. If the injury is as severe as a broken bone, this would be a better choice than a small potion.


    ¡°It¡¯s a potion with Isla¡¯s seal of approval; now drink it.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    I uncorked the life potion and handed it to the lizardman, who drank it down without hesitation.


    ¡°How does it taste?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a little bitter¡­ Mmm?¡±


    ¡°W-what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°The pain is gone¡­¡±


    The lizardman said and stood up quickly. He steps and puts his weight on his broken right leg several times as if to check its condition.


    ¡°It seems to have healed.¡±


    ¡°Eeh? It was such a bad fracture, you know?¡±


    ¡°Fumu¡­ but it seems to have healed.¡±


    The lizardman said and even jumped. It certainly seems to have healed. Isn¡¯t the sprint and life potion too effective? While the lamia was shivering, Sylphy and the others also came over here.


    ¡°Looking at your injuries, it looks like you¡¯re going to be fine¡­¡±


    ¡°Eeeh? It was a badly broken bone! What the hell kind of magic did you use?¡±


    ¡°His healing and potions have healed me. Thank you, you¡¯ve been a great help. I think I would have had to have my leg amputated even if I had survived with that wound.¡±


    The lizardman turned his emotionless face to me and bowed his head.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m glad I could help.¡±


    ¡°Was the wound that bad?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just bad! The bones were coming out through the flesh!¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you sure?¡±


    Sylphy and Qubi, who hadn¡¯t seen the wound after hearing the squirrel-beast man¡¯s claim, were puzzled. Yeah, it¡¯s hard to believe unless you¡¯ve actually seen those wounds. The lizardman is jumping up and down now.


    ¡°It may not have returned the blood you lost, so I think you should take care and retreat.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ How many did you guys kill?¡±


    ¡°Two.¡±


    ¡°Including the ones we just killed and ours, that would be thirteen¡­ That¡¯s enough success¡­ Let¡¯s go back to the village.¡±


    ¡°Copy that. I¡¯ll get ready to move out.¡±


    The installed brick blocks and Gizma¡¯s corpse are collected in my inventory, and the six of us return to the elf village with caution. On the way back, we killed two more Gizma, bringing our total to fifteen for the two groups.

 CH 28

    Another chapter sponsored by Patreon, enjoy~


    ¡°That¡¯s good that you¡¯re all safe.¡±


    ¡°Umu, we¡¯ve already treated the wounded, but we had to go back to collect them.¡±


    Danan greeted us as we returned to the village. It seems that there are no Gizma that have reached the village as of yet.


    ¡°There are some things I¡¯ve learned from fighting the Gizma myself.¡±


    ¡°Can you tell us about it?¡±


    All of us followed Sylphy and Danan. It¡¯s the usual meeting space. It¡¯s just a place with tables and chairs.


    ¡°Are there any others who have returned?¡±


    ¡°None so far.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ might as well send out a message to get them back.¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°Umu, well¡­¡±


    We were able to hunt Gizma at a good pace, thanks to my brick-blocking tactics and Sylphy¡¯s close combat skills. Zada and the others¨Dthe lizardmen who had recently joined us¨Dsaid that the crossbow was indeed effective but that the three of them lacked the necessary strength to use it. Those three, who were operating the basic crossbow, said that.


    ¡°We can penetrate their shells without any problem. However, depending on the location, we needed to fire more than ten shots to kill them.¡±


    ¡°With three of us, each of us could only get two shots in before they got us.¡±


    ¡°After that, we¡¯d have to shoot while running away, but that¡¯s dangerous because we might catch other Gizma.¡±


    That was what he said.


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    ¡°I thought it would be safer to re-organize into a six-man team instead of a three-man team.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. All right, let¡¯s get the word out.¡±


    ¡°Please do.¡±


    Danan left his seat to send a message and started to walk away, dragging his right leg. Then something flashes in my mind.


    ¡°Wait a minute.¡±


    ¡°What is it? I have to send out the message as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Just give me a minute. Sit down in the chair and let me examine your right leg.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Danan sat down in the chair with a quizzical look on his face. I approached Danan and took out a splint from my inventory.


    ¡°There is no way a splint is going to heal me. Are you mocking me?¡±


    ¡°Well, well, well.¡±


    I looked at his right foot, appeasing the indignant Danan. Yes, there is a pop-up that says ¡°use.¡± As soon as the pop-up pops up, I select ¡°use,¡± and as my body moves, I apply the splint to Danan¡¯s leg and wrap it with a bandage.


    ¡°It¡¯s pointless¡­ mmm!?¡±


    A sound that seems inaudible to others is coming from Danan¡¯s bandaged leg. Danan frowned for a while, but when the noise subsided, her grim expression returned to normal.


    ¡°What the heck did you do?¡±


    ¡°Healing it. You need to drink this potion as well.¡±


    I took out a Small Life Potion from my inventory and handed it to Danan. He hesitated for a moment, but then, as if he had made up his mind, drank the potion down in one gulp.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t taste as bad as I thought it would.¡±


    ¡°I see. So, how¡¯s your leg?¡±


    ¡°¡­The pain is gone.¡±


    Danan stood up and bent and stretched his injured leg to check it out. It seems to be fine.


    ¡°I feel like a fairy playing a trick on me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good that you¡¯re better. There you go now, work, work.¡±


    ¡°Muh¡­ you¡¯re right. I¡¯ll thank you later.¡±


    Danan said and ran off. He looked so happy as he ran off.


    ¡°You healed Danan¡¯s leg¡­ with just that?¡±


    ¡°Maybe you can heal other people with injured legs and arms as well.¡±


    It can heal sprains and fractures, so I wondered if it would work on Danan¡¯s leg wound, and it did. If I can heal people who are disabled, so much the better. It would be an excellent way to increase our forces¡¯ strength, and it would also make the impression of me more favorable. This Kosuke will do anything to flatter people for his own safety¡­!


    ¡°Fumu¡­ Qubi.¡±


    ¡°Aye aye, I¡¯ll gather them up.¡±


    ¡°Please. Kosuke¡­ what should I do with you?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I should take you hunting Gizma. If Kosuke ends up dying, those who can be saved won¡¯t be saved.¡±


    ¡°To be honest, I¡¯d rather fight. It seems that I gain strength by defeating monsters.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    Come to think of it, I haven¡¯t told Sylphy about levels, skills, and achievements. When I glanced at my status, I saw that my level was 9. Oh, I gained three levels.


    ¡°It¡¯s not about increasing what I can make, but rather increasing my physical abilities.¡±


    ¡°Hou¡­ Qubi, how long will it take to gather people?¡±


    ¡°Well, it won¡¯t take long at all. I know exactly where they are.¡±


    ¡°Fumu¡­ Let¡¯s heal people and have lunch before we go out again. By that time, those who are currently out there will have returned. Some of them may be injured, so it would be best to treat them as best we can and regroup.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡±


    While we were waiting for Qubi, we discussed with Zada and the others what to do with the Gizma we had hunted. It would probably be less work for me to dismantle it, but I would only need to get the shell, meat, poison glands, and strong tendons. If I dismantled it by hand, I could get the internal organs and claw tips, so that would be worth the trouble.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind either way, as long as we get our share.¡±


    ¡°Fumu.¡±


    ¡°Right. But the meat is good, right? It¡¯s too much, and even if we get two, they¡¯ll most likely all go to waste.¡±


    Zada nodded at the lamia, Lianes¡¯s statement, and Nakul, the squirrel beast, suggested the meat. It¡¯s true that even if the three of them received a single amount of meat, which would be enough for all the refugees, they would just end up rotting most of it. I heard that Gizma¡¯s meat travels fast.


    ¡°Well, can you give the meat to Melty so that everyone can eat it?¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    So I decided to dismantle one of them in my inventory and hand over the meat, poison glands, and materials that I had acquired. However, we only retrieved the three we killed at the scene, the eight we killed ourselves, and the two we killed on the way back. Of course, we didn¡¯t recover the two that they killed before they met us, so these girls¨DZada was not a lizardman, but a lizard woman!¨DWe¡¯ve already agreed that we¡¯ll get our share of two of the three that we killed there and the two that we killed later.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll give you the shells, venom glands, strong tendons, and antennae for two of them.¡±


    I dismantled the two monsters in my inventory and placed the generated materials on the ground. As for the venom glands, I take out two wooden plates and put them on top of each other.


    ¡°There is a lot of material¡­ I¡¯ll borrow a cart.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll stay here and look at the materials.¡±


    As the girls began to work on their own materials, we decided to distribute Gizma¡¯s meat to Melty. It is appropriate to leave the distribution of such supplies to her.


    ¡°What about Qubi¡¯s share?¡±


    ¡°There are eleven, right? Four for Cubi and seven for us, I think.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    We will dismantle only our share of the seven. Now we don¡¯t have to worry about the strong tendons and Gizma¡¯s shell. We¡¯ve got a tremendous amount of meat. After a few minutes of asking the refugees about Melty¡¯s whereabouts in order to put the meat to good use, I found Melty carrying some kind of heavy luggage. Yeah, you¡¯re pretty strong, aren¡¯t you, Melty?


    ¡°Oh, Princess. Are you back already?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve sent the injured back. We¡¯ve got a lot of Gizma meat, and I wanted you to distribute it.¡±


    ¡°A lot? How much?¡±


    ¡°About nine for now.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a lot of meat¡­ It would be troublesome since It doesn¡¯t last very long even if it¡¯s salted.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay because they won¡¯t go bad while they¡¯re in Kosuke¡¯s inventory. Are you sure that the portion to be distributed today is enough for just two?¡±


    ¡°Is that so? I see¡­ Then, let¡¯s just take two of those.¡±


    I see, and then she looked at me intensely. I¡¯m scared. I¡¯m glad my master is Sylphy¡­ If Melty were my master, I¡¯d be abused like hell.


    Melty¡¯s heavy luggage (the contents of which were potatoes) was kept in my inventory, and we went to a place like a soup kitchen where refugees would collectively make meals. This is where we had Gizma cook for all of us the last time we were here. We handed over many Gizma¡¯s meats to the women who were cooking in the kitchen, and they agreed to use it for cooking lunch and dinner today. This way, the refugees would have plenty of meat to eat today. I also left them a box of potatoes that was supposed to be brought here.


    ¡°There you are. We¡¯ve collected the injured.¡±


    While I was discussing the Gizma materials¡¯ treatment with Sylphy and the others while watching the cooking, Qubi called us over. It seems that he has finished collecting the injured people.


    ¡°Umu. Well then.¡±


    ¡°Yes, take care, Princess.¡±


    After parting ways with Melty, we headed to the square near the wall. It seems that they have gathered the injured and physically disabled people there.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for you.¡±


    Isla was waiting for me at the location.


    ¡°When it comes to treatment, I can¡¯t help but be present. All the people in this village are my patients.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    She nodded. I guess it¡¯s like a sense of responsibility for the patients she treated. Isla is very serious about her work.


    ¡°First person, please.¡±


    Even though I called out to them, they didn¡¯t come close to me. Well, that¡¯s true, there was a speech about how I was not hostile to the refugees, but still, not many people can suddenly expose their wounds, their weak spots, to a stranger.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, as you can see; I¡¯ll stay with you. I won¡¯t let anything happen to you.¡±


    ¡°They don¡¯t trust me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s only natural for now.¡±


    As Isla and I were talking, the first patient finally came up to us. It was a young woman, a beastman, limping on one leg. She has floppy rabbit ears¨DLopear type beast-man, yes.


    ¡°Is it your knee that¡¯s injured?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ I got hit by Gizma¡¯s antennae.¡±


    ¡°Oh, well, leave it to me.¡±


    I took out a splint from my inventory. When Lopear-chan and Isla saw it, they tilted their heads.


    ¡°Her knee is in pain from finely shattered bones fused into a distorted shape. There¡¯s no point in using a splint now.¡±


    ¡°Well, well.¡±


    I used the splint on Lopear-chan¡¯s leg while appeasing Isla, who interrupted me from the side. My body moves on its own, applies the splint, and wraps the bandage.


    ¡°There you go.¡±


    ¡°No, like I said¨D¨D.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­nn?¡±


    When Isla was about to say something more, Lopear-chan¡¯s body trembled. Sounds of squeaking and thumping are heard several times, and when it subsides, the splint wrapped around her knee disappears, leaving a shattering luminous effect.


    ¡°How¡¯s it going?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ ah! It doesn¡¯t hurt! It doesn¡¯t hurt anymore!¡±


    Lopear-chan stood up, moved her legs several times, jumped several times just like Zada, and then made a big smile on her face. There was no sign of the girl who had been limping just a moment ago.


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    When I glanced at Isla, who was too quiet, I saw that she was frozen with her eyes rolled up. This face, somewhere¡­ Oh, that¡¯s it. Space cat*. It¡¯s like the cat with the dumbfounded look and the galactic background.


    ¡°, please.¡±


    The next patient was a lizardman with an injured right arm. No, there¡¯s the example of Zada, so maybe it¡¯s not a man but a woman. For now, I¡¯m just going to go with a quick splint¡­ but a hand reaching out from the side stopped me.


    ¡°Wait, I want you to let me do it.¡±


    Isla, who has returned from her space cat state, pleads with a serious expression. Hmm, I think that¡¯s probably impossible. Even if Sylphy swung the pickaxe I made at the rock; she didn¡¯t end up like me. I can¡¯t help but feel that this one will, too.


    ¡°Okay, but¡­¡±


    Nevertheless, there¡¯s no harm in letting her try. If it works for anyone other than me, it¡¯s a win-win scenario. With that in mind, I handed the splint to Isla, and she applied the splint and bandaged it with great precision and speed.


    ¡°What do you feel?¡±


    ¡°¡­Nothing different.¡±


    The lizardman replies to Isla in confusion. I see; there is no effect if someone other than me uses the splint I made? It¡¯s as expected.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it again then.¡±


    I remove the splint wrapped around the lizardman¡¯s arm, select the pop-up and reuse the splint. Well, I¡¯m getting pretty used to this feeling of my body moving on its own.


    ¡°O¡­ ooh?¡±


    I heard the same sound from his (her?) arm as before. And his or her arm was completely healed immediately. The Lizardman¡¯s arm was healed, and he or she was very impressed, thanking me again and again as he or she walked away.


    ¡°????¡±


    Isla was looking like a space cat again. This time it was a version with her mouth half-open. After that, I continued to use splints to heal the wounds of the wounded. However, even the splints could not recover the missing parts.


    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped.¡±


    A large bear beast-man who had lost his left wrist and beyond laughed at that. I hope I can find a way to recover it soon.


    ¡°¨D¨D.¡±


    Besides, Isla was in a space cat state the whole time, as if she had witnessed something so unreasonable that she had failed her sanity check. I think I succeeded in my idea roll¡­ Amen.

 CH 29

    Here¡¯s the chapter, enjoy~


    ¡°Unreasonable. Absurd.¡±


    ¡°Here we go again.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m with Isla on this one.¡±


    ¡°Ah, right.¡±


    It¡¯s unreasonable to think that a simple sprain, fracture, compound fracture, or ruptured tendon can be healed by merely applying a splint and a bandage. I have to admit it.


    ¡°What can I say? Kosuke¡¯s abilities are¡­ rough.¡±


    ¡°Rough is a good word for it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not rough at all; it¡¯s rather messy.¡±


    It¡¯s like I took a bunch of settings from different games and threw them together. The requirements are met, but the adjustments are messy. In my imagination, I pictured a system engineer who was asked to do something crazy by the client and had to do all sorts of crazy things in order to finish the project on time. Haha, no way.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ I guess the world of God must be tough too. There are no glitches, so I guess it¡¯s okay.¡±


    ¡°As long as it¡¯s useful, it¡¯s certainly not a problem.¡±


    Sylphy nodded. Yeah, that¡¯s right, let¡¯s put it that way. Oh, the cooked Gizma meat is delicious. It¡¯s plump and has a good texture. Really, if I didn¡¯t know about the Gizma, I would think it was the meat of a large shrimp.


    ¡°It seems that the soldiers who were out in the forest have returned.¡±


    ¡°Yes, they are. So far, no one seems to have been seriously injured.¡±


    The people who came back were carrying Gizma¡¯s hind legs and larger shells on their backs. Yeah, that¡¯s the kind of perk you need. The returning soldiers also replenished the bolts they had consumed, finished their meals, and regrouped. Among them were Lianes the Lamia and Nakul the squirrel-beastman. There was no sign of Zada, so she seemed to be resting properly.


    ¡°Are you going out for another hunt this afternoon?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine, but what about Kosuke? What do you think we should do?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, let¡¯s see¡­¡±


    A necessary element of shooting is securing the field of fire. I think it can be said that it is equal to ensuring the field of vision. After that, it is even better if there is a mechanism that can buy time before the Gizma reaches the wall. If the opponent is a human, barbed wire or wood spikes will work, but if the opponent is a Gizma¡­ it should be something like a tank. I feel that barbed wire and wood spikes won¡¯t even stop them, and they will be crushed.


    No, if it¡¯s a barbed-wire net, it can get tangled in their legs and give us a chance. But I wonder about the materials¡­ I think it was in the crafting list, but it will consume a lot of iron. Under the current circumstances, it might be hard to use a lot of iron. I feel like there are less expensive and easier ways to accomplish it.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got a few ideas.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead, speak.¡±


    ¡°First of all, we need to secure our visibility. Since there¡¯s a possibility that we¡¯ll be fighting at night, we¡¯ll need lights.¡±


    ¡°That sounds reasonable. What do you have in mind?¡±


    ¡°We need to prepare torches.¡±


    ¡°¡­? Well, if we have torches, can we secure our visibility¡­?¡±


    ¡°Well, it won¡¯t be an ordinary torch.¡±


    Sylphy tilted her head with an indescribable expression while Isla looked at me with fixed eyes and gave me a sharp opinion. It seems that Isla is starting to understand me and my abilities. Isla is a smart girl, after all.


    ¡°Also, I¡¯m going to place brick blocks to eliminate Gizma¡¯s rushing power.¡±


    ¡°I see, that should work too.¡±


    Perhaps remembering Gizma¡¯s collision with a brick block and the massive damage it caused, Sylphy nodded her head in agreement. If we put torches on top of the brick blocks, we can secure our vision. So, after we finished eating, we decided to visit Danan and tell him that we would do something to increase our defensive capabilities.


    ¡°Umu¡­ I suppose it¡¯s better to wait until later to say anything. Let¡¯s just try it first.¡±


    Danan gave me permission easily. I feel that Danan is getting used to the way I handle things. I got Danan¡¯s approval for the time being, so I decided to cut down the trees around the village first to secure visibility.


    ¡°No, overcutting is not a good idea, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Anyway, when Gizma¡¯s attack starts, they¡¯ll be cleaved down, and even if the elven spirit archers attack, they¡¯ll be blown away, right? I think it would be better to cut them down first and use them as materials.¡±


    ¡°Mmm¡­¡±


    Sylphy was reluctant, but I pushed past her and started cutting down the trees. It can be used to make torches, and if we want to put up wood spikes, we can have as many as we want. Wood is a really useful material that can be used for building materials, crafting materials, and fuel.


    ¡°That¡¯s about it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, the forest¡­¡±


    Sylphy¡¯s ears twitched when she saw the situation around her village, which had been completely shaved. I¡¯m sorry, Sylphy, but I¡¯m going to have to put some serious thought into this¡­. Don¡¯t tell anyone that I felt a little better after clearing a good portion of the land.


    ¡°The next step is to place the brick blocks¡­ What shape should we use?¡±


    ¡°¡­Square is fine, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°I think so. The size of one full block is fine.¡±


    Considering Gizma¡¯s physique, I placed the brick blocks in a moderate space. If I place the blocks too closely, the Gizma might walk over them. That¡¯s not going to stop them. I also put up small walls of two blocks in some places to thoroughly eliminate Gizma¡¯s rushing power.


    ¡°Is that it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, if we do this much, Gizma won¡¯t be able to get close to the wall.¡±


    The brick blocks that have been installed are visible from the top of the wall. If the opponent were the size of a man, the one-meter-high brick blocks would be used as cover, but this time the opponent was the size of a light truck. A one-meter-high brick block would not be enough cover. The defender¡¯s launch point is a little higher anyway.


    ¡°The next step is the torches.¡±


    I approached the bonfire I had built inside the wall, opened the crafting menu, and moved the torches I had been mass-producing into my inventory. In fact, I can make torches without building a bonfire.


    ?Torch¨D¨DMaterial: Wood x 1


    ?Torch¨D¨DMaterial: Wood x 1, Charcoal x 1


    ?Torch¨D¨DMaterial: Wood x 1, Cloth x 1


    The first one is a recipe that can be made from a bonfire, and the other two are recipes that can be made without a bonfire, using the craft and improved workbench at hand. It¡¯s obvious that making them from a campfire is the least expensive.


    I wondered if there was a difference in performance. But when I actually tried to make it, it stacks as a regular item. In other words, it doesn¡¯t matter which method or material is used to make the item; the result is the same. If that¡¯s the case, then it¡¯s a good deal to use a bonfire.


    So now I set up the torches on top of the brick blocks that I installed. Isla¡¯s eye lost its highlight again when she saw the torches standing upright even though I hadn¡¯t stuck them in, but I decided not to worry about the details.


    By the time the torches had been set up on all the brick blocks, and the Woodspike-sensei had been laid outside the walls, it was almost dark. However, the area around the village was as bright as daylight, thanks to the large number of torches that had been set up.


    ¡°Hey, Kosuke.¡±


    ¡°What is it? Master.¡±


    ¡°Those torches don¡¯t seem to be burning out.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a torch, after all. It can¡¯t be helped.¡±


    ¡°¡­I see.¡±


    Sylphy let out a sigh as if she had given up and pressed her temples as if she were trying to hold back a headache.


    The torch that was set up in the beginning, has already been burning for more than two hours, but it has not burned out or even shortened. Well, it¡¯s a torch, right? It¡¯s common knowledge that once a torch is set up, it will keep burning until it¡¯s destroyed. Hahaha.


    ¡°The fire that never ends¡­¡±


    Isla¡¯s eye is completely dead. Her big eye, her charm point, has completely lost its light. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s an unforgivable thing from a magical perspective. No, it¡¯s also completely fighting the laws of physics. It was like I was smiling with the middle fingers of my hands up in the air to it.


    While I was looking at the brick blocks and torches that I had installed in the kill zone from the top of the wall and wondering if there was anything more I could do, the people who had gone out into the forest to hunt Gizma began to come back one by one.


    They seemed to roll their eyes at the village¡¯s change, but when they saw me on top of the wall, they seemed to understand and returned to the village. I can¡¯t help but feel that the refugees recognize my insanity. No, it¡¯s not me who¡¯s insane; it¡¯s my ability. Damn, they¡¯re just the same¡­!


    ¡°By the way, are we going to stay here today and keep an eye out for Gizma¡¯s attack?¡±


    ¡°No, Danan said that the guards would stand watch, but the rest of us will rest, so we¡¯ll head back home too. Because nothing good will come if we all exhaust our strength.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    That makes sense. It would be pointless if we were all exhausted when the time came for us to do something. That was the moment I thought about it. I looked up at the sky and felt a sense of unease at what I saw.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t the moon red?¡±


    ¡°Hmm? No, I think it¡¯s the same as always.¡±


    ¡°Eeh¡­?¡±


    In the sky of this world, the moon is called the Runicule. There are other planets in the sky that look bigger than the sun, but that¡¯s okay for now. The problem is the fact that the moon in the sky looked reddish. No matter how I look at it, it looks like that. It¡¯s like a bludgeoning raid. This is the very flag of a major attack.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t the moon look red to you too, Isla?¡±


    ¡°I think the color of the Runicule is more like yellow. It¡¯s still yellow today.¡±


    Isla stared up at the moon and then said so. It looks red to my eyes. Normally, as Isla said, the moon looked yellowish to me too, but today it looks red. A red moon, could there be anything more ominous than that in a survival game? No, there isn¡¯t.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Kosuke.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m the only one who sees the moon in red, but as far as I know, a red moon is a sign of an enemy rush, a mass attack.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the use of lying about something like that?¡±


    Hearing my words, Sylphy turned her gaze to Isla. Isla pondered for a while, then nodded.


    ¡°Everyone, including me, knows that Kosuke is different from the norm. I think we should be more vigilant if this is what Kosuke is saying.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ you¡¯re right. I¡¯ll go and contact the elders.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go report to Danan.¡±


    ¡°What about me?¡±


    ¡°Kosuke, you stay here. Okay?¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    I think about it as I watch Sylphy and Isla run off. As for the guards, the beastmen who are on guard duty are probably more qualified than me. I¡¯m sure they have better eyesight than me. Then, what should I do?


    ¡°I guess I should make weapons.¡±


    However, I don¡¯t think I can make a projectile weapon more powerful than a crossbow. Well, I can think of composite bows, but I¡¯m not sure if they¡¯re as powerful as crossbows. It would be better if there were something that would definitely be more powerful than that.


    ¡°Hmm, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to make gunpowder in time after all.¡±


    Should I go digging in the dirt of the toilet now? But if I¡¯m not careful, I¡¯m going to have to fight with the smell¡­ No, should I still do it? I looked at the blacksmithing facilities while thinking about it, but I couldn¡¯t find anything suitable. If I had a lot of oil, I could probably make a Molotov cocktail.


    While I was thinking about this, I realized that it wasn¡¯t¡­ deep in the forest, but closer to the Great Wilderness. Countless roars sounded like they belonged to Gizma from quite far away. It seems to be starting.


    ¡°It¡¯s no use begging for something you don¡¯t have.¡±


    I took out an improved crossbow from my inventory and held it up. As for crossbow bolts, there are plenty of them. I mean, I made 10,000 crossbow bolts, just in case. There are still more than five hundred of them left in my inventory.


    ¡°Okay, come if you want to come.¡±


    We have thick walls that they can¡¯t jump over, obstacles to delay the invasion, wood spikes outside the walls, and many crossbows. The number of archers is also sufficient.


    I can¡¯t see any reason to lose!

 CH 30

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    ¡°Get ready! Fire!¡±


    The sounds of plucked strings echoed in the air. I could barely hear the sound of the bolt¡¯s arrow feathers cutting the wind. The crossbow bolt during flight is very quiet, probably because the arrow feathers are originally small. Perhaps, those who have crossbows pointed at them may hear the sound of death¡¯s wings.


    ¡°Gieeeeeeee!¡±


    ¡°Goeeeeeee!¡±


    I can barely hear the sound of the bullet impact. The only sound that can be heard is the cries of Gizmas.


    Yeah, let¡¯s conclude.


    ¡°Our soldiers are overwhelming, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°Hahaha. This weapon is overwhelming when you have the right numbers.¡±


    Jagira laughed as she pulled the string of the improved crossbow. Yes, that¡¯s right. The crossbow¡¯s simultaneous firing was very effective against Gizmas. No, it worked too well. After all, the number of shooters is the key.


    ¡°How many of us are there?¡±


    ¡°I just heard that there are a little over 200 people.¡±


    ¡°A simple calculation shows that there are about twenty of us shooting at once¡­ That would be too much for them.¡±


    Gizmas have been crawling out of the dark forest from time to time, but the first thing that happens is that countless obstacles stop them, and many of them are shot dead. Then, the dead bodies become a hindrance, and Gizmas, who are gathered together on the border between the forest and the kill zone, are torn to pieces by the next round of shots.


    In the end, even those that were safe were unable to move forward due to the dead bodies in their way. Eventually, some of them started to move around to the left and right, but they were shot in the side with many bolts, making them immobile. Some of them tried to break through the defense line by climbing over their companions¡¯ corpses, but these individuals were very conspicuous from the top of the walls.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let them break through! Fire!¡±


    As a matter of course, they were destroyed by the intensive fire.


    ¡°Reload fast, everyone.¡±


    ¡°The beastmen are basically strong. Maybe the rate of fire won¡¯t drop that much even if everyone uses the improved crossbow.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ Should we consider mass producing the improved crossbow?¡±


    By the way, the crossbow-crazed Jagira, who has been standing next to me for some time now, shooting the improved crossbow, seems to have taken up a position here because she thought there would be no shortage of crossbow bolts if she stood next to me. This scout has a good eye.


    ¡°There is no room for an elven spirit archer in this situation, is there?¡±


    ¡°I guess not.¡±


    There are already countless dead Gizma bodies filling up the kill zone. They¡¯re slowing down now, but right after the attacks started, we were firing simultaneously at a pace of about once every ten to fifteen seconds. If we continue to shoot at the initial pace, we¡¯ll be able to shoot out 500 arrows in about four minutes.


    ¡°Kosuke-san, we are running out of arrows.¡±


    ¡°Take as many as you want¡­¡±


    I left 20 arrows for Jagira and me, and I gave all the rest of the bolts to Melty, who came to demand them. I¡¯m really glad I made a total of 10,000 bolts.


    Within an hour, the attacks by Gizmas became sporadic, so Danan stopped the operation of firing all at once and changed the instructions to shoot after drawing them in, perhaps to conserve bolts. It¡¯s easier to have Gizma itself approach the wall when considering the hassle of retrieving it.


    ¡°How long does it take for Gizma¡¯s meat to go rot?¡±


    ¡°Hmm? I think if you leave it for half a day, it will go rot.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ let¡¯s go collect it.¡±


    ¡°Huh? In here?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be fine as long as we stick with people who can fight in close quarters. Gizma¡¯s meat is quite tasty, and it¡¯s a shame to let it rot.¡±


    I left the dumbfounded Jagira where she was and headed for Danan, who was in command. Danan¡¯s position was at the top of the gate in the wall, a place that I had made a special effort to improve under Danan¡¯s direction. The space is large enough to be used as both a command center and an interception base.


    ¡°Mm, Kosuke. What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Gizma¡¯s attacks have become sporadic, haven¡¯t they? That¡¯s why I¡¯d like to retrieve Gizma¡¯s corpse that¡¯s lying in the kill zone. I can use my abilities to retrieve them quickly, and the flesh won¡¯t spoil while they¡¯re stored in my possession.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ I will gather those who excel in close combat to form a recovery team. Worg, you¡¯re in charge here.¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡±


    The wolf beastman Worg saluted Danan. Apparently, Worg is in the position of Danan¡¯s second-in-command.


    ¡°When it comes to close combat, I¡¯ll go as well.¡±


    It seems that Gerda, the bear beast-man, is coming along with us. She¡¯s indeed a large woman and seems to be very powerful. But it feels like she likes to lay back and relax, but can she fight? The sword that I repaired and gave to Danan seems to be hanging on her hip, but¡­ an iron sword for humans is not a very reliable weapon for a large bear-beast man like Gerda.


    Hmm, oh shit. I didn¡¯t plan on doing any close combat, so I didn¡¯t make any good weapons. I thought of something that could be used¡­ Oh, how about that?


    ¡°Gerda-san.¡±


    ¡°Yes? What is it? Oh, you can just call me Gerda if you like.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yeah. All right. Well, I think that sword looks a little awkward on you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes, you¡¯re right. I¡¯m a bit of a fool, so to be honest, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll break it soon.¡±


    Saying that, Gerda puts her hand on her cheek and smiles bitterly. Yeah, Gerda has a big body. I think a standard longsword should be sufficient for her, but the iron sword hanging from her waist looks like a shortsword.


    ¡°Can you tell Danan that I¡¯ll be waiting near the gate? I¡¯ll see what I can do to make a weapon that will fit you. By the way, what¡¯s your preferred weapon of choice?¡±


    ¡°Wow, are you sure? When I was a heavy infantryman in the Merinard Kingdom, I used a custom-made tower shield and long mace.¡±


    ¡°Tower shield and long mace¡­ understood.¡±


    I leave the place to the smiling Gerda and head to a slightly open area near the gate. I think I spend a lot more time here than I do in my workshop at Sylphy¡¯s house¡­ Maybe that¡¯s why the refugees are starting to recognize that this is my workspace these days.


    Well, that¡¯s fine; I¡¯ll just quickly make melee weapons while Danan is organizing a recovery unit. I set up the blacksmithing facility, fuel it up, and look at the weapons list. I don¡¯t have a long mace on the list.


    A mace with a long handle, strong and sturdy at the point of impact. I imagine it as a larger version of a mace.


    ?Long Mace¨D¨DMaterial: Steel Leaf Spring x 3, Iron x 3


    The material is heavy. Well, I guess that¡¯s what happens when you¡¯re made entirely of metal. The rest is the tower shield. Tower shield, tower shield¡­ I can¡¯t find the tower shield as well¡­ No, there¡¯s Scutum. Will this be all right?


    ?Scutum¨D¨DMaterials: Animal Skin x 3, Cloth x 3, Iron x 1


    Scutum is like a leather shield reinforced with iron. If Gerda were to use it, wouldn¡¯t a tower shield with a higher percentage of metal be fine? I imagine a tower shield reinforced with thin, sturdy steel plates, wood, and leather while keeping the image of Scutum intact. For joining, I can use the glue I got from the elves¡¯ warehouse.


    ?Heavy Tower Shield¨D¨DMaterials: Steel Leaf Spring x 3, Wood x 2, Animal Skin x 2, Glue x 1


    Yes, this should be fine. Let¡¯s start making it. I¡¯ll try to find a weapon for me as well. Hmm, I¡¯m just an amateur. I¡¯m probably best suited to use a crossbow or a gun, but the possibility of getting caught in a melee should always be considered. What¡¯s better? There are only a few weapons that an ordinary soldier can carry. It could be a spear or a club.


    ?Steel Spear¨D¨DMaterial: Iron x 3, Wood x 2


    ?Spiked Club¨D¨DMaterial: Iron x 2, Wood x 2


    ?Mace¨D¨DMaterial: Iron x 4, Wood x 2


    So I¡¯m going to make these. The spiked club is a kind of vicious version of a nail bat. Let¡¯s see how it compares to the mace.


    While I was making equipment like that, Danan and the others came walking by. Seeing that Sylphy is also present, the elven spirit archer must have taken a position on the wall. It took quite a while for them to get there.


    ¡°Welcome back, Sylphy.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m back. Are you sure you want to go, Kosuke?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a shame to let something that can be used go to waste. Gerda, the weapon is ready. Try it out.¡±


    ¡°Wow, thank you very much.¡±


    When I gave Gerda the long mace and the heavy tower shield, she was as happy as a child who received a new toy. I know that you are happy, so I want you to swing it around a little more over there. I¡¯m afraid of the wind pressure and the noise.


    ¡°The weight is good, too. With this, I can smash Gizma.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡±


    I cleaned up the smithing facility and tried out my quarry. The spear is heavier than I expected. I can also use it as a blunt weapon if I smash it. As for the spiked club and the mace, the spiked club feels more comfortable in my hands. The mace feels a little heavy to me.


    ¡°Is that new?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, just trying it out. The mace doesn¡¯t feel as comfortable in my hand.¡±


    ¡°I see. Well, give me the mace.¡±


    ¡°Eh? I don¡¯t mind.¡±


    Since Sylphy wanted the mace, I decided to give it to her obediently. Oh, she¡¯s wielding it as lightly as if it were a twig or something. Sylphy¡¯s hands are not very thick, and when you touch them, they are soft and yet strangely powerful. I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s due to magical powers or what.


    ¡°Are you ready?¡±


    Oh! The recovery team members raise their voices with enthusiasm. The team consists of me, Sylphy, Danan, Gerda, a red-skinned oni-like woman with horns (equipped with a big club made from a log), a lizard-type person equipped with an iron spear (I can¡¯t tell the gender), a lion-faced man equipped with two iron swords (the one whose leg was healed during the lunch), and Isla with a staff.


    ¡°Isla? Are you going to be okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. My title as court mage is not just for show.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    I wonder if she shoots beams from her eyes. No, I¡¯m just kidding. I bet she¡¯s going to fight with some kind of magic. I¡¯m looking forward to it.


    ¡°The goal of the mission is to recover Gizma¡¯s body. Kosuke will retrieve the body. All other personnel will make it their priority to protect Kosuke. Is that clear? Then open the gate!¡±


    The iron-reinforced huge gate is opened. All right, it¡¯s material recovery fever time!

 CH 31

    Here¡¯s the chapter, enjoy~


    ¡°Your abilities are kind of¡­ weird.¡±


    ¡°Sir Leonard, you should have known that Kosuke was not normal when he healed your leg.¡±


    ¡°¡­Indeed.¡±


    Isla and the old man with the lion¡¯s face carrying two iron swords said whatever they wanted to say. The name of the lion faced old man is Leonard whatever-san. I can¡¯t remember his name because it¡¯s too long. He seems to be a former knight, and everyone called him Sir Leonard. He seems to belong to a different organization than Danan, a royal guard member. I heard that he is a master swordsman who was said to be the best in the Merinard Kingdom. And he¡¯s the one whose leg I healed during lunch.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure about that, but it¡¯s a really useful ability. It¡¯s not the same as magic, is it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Kosuke¡¯s ability is a little different from magic. Because he doesn¡¯t have any magic power, to begin with.¡±


    ¡°No magic, huh. Well, I can¡¯t use magic myself, so I feel a sense of intimacy with you.¡±


    Said Shumer, with a fierce smile on her face, carrying a club that looks like a log on her shoulder. She¡¯s a woman of the Red Oni tribe, and she¡¯s even bigger than the big Danan and Gerda. Her height is probably over 2.5 meters. She is as powerful as she looks.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go quickly. If Gizmas come, it will be troublesome.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯d like to try out this weapon for a while, though.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s an impressive weapon¡­ I envy you.¡±


    The Lizard Woman, who was looking around with an iron spear in her hand and without a care in the world, turned her face towards me as if she was appealing for something. The expression of the Lizard woman is very difficult to understand, but her eyes convey the message. The eyes speak louder than the mouth. I can feel her strong desire for me to make a weapon for her.


    The one who is giving me such a look is not a lizardman, but a lizard woman, Ms. Zamir. She used to be a spear instructor in the Merinard Kingdom and is said to be a master of the spear.


    All of the people accompanying me are said to be warriors with the martial power to overwhelm Gizma alone. I don¡¯t think I need to explain Sylphy¡¯s abilities now, but Danan, a former member of the royal guard, is also extremely skilled in martial arts. Gerda apparently once killed Gizma with her bare hands using her brute strength. That was amazing.


    Sir Leonard is known as ¡°Leonard of the Twin Fang¡± for his dual swordsmanship, Shumer is a high-ranking former adventurer who is known as ¡°The Mince Maker,¡± and Ms. Zamir doesn¡¯t seem to have any particular nickname, but her strength is known when she is Danan¡¯s mentor. Incidentally, Danan has never defeated Ms. Zamir before.


    Me? I¡¯m collecting Gizma¡¯s corpse while being protected by such super strong people.


    ¡°He also made Danan¡¯s weapon, didn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master.¡± [T/n: Shisho.]


    ¡°I wish I had a better sword too.¡±


    ¡°Well, in that case, I¡¯d like a decent weapon, too. After all, it¡¯s just a log, you know? This one.¡±


    The three superhuman dangerous people¡¯s gaze is drawn to me. I looked to Sylphy for help with my eye, but she nodded. Ah, yes.


    ¡°Now that I have Sylphy¡¯s permission, I¡¯ll make it next time. Please think about what kind of weapon you want.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    ¡°Umu.¡±


    ¡°Yay.¡±


    The three of them looked satisfied. Well, I don¡¯t mind; my own fighting ability is quite limited. If I can ingratiate myself with strong people, they will be able to protect me when the time comes. The people are your castle, your stone walls, and your moat, as Shingen Takeda said.


    ¡°Gieeeeeeeeeee!¡±


    ¡°Mm, it looks like we have a guest.¡±


    The roar of Gizmas can be heard from beyond the dark forest. Oops, it¡¯s no way for wave 2, is it?


    ¡°It¡¯s not good. Should we run?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry. You won¡¯t be surrounded or attacked as much here.¡±


    Sir Leonard, who had drawn his two swords before I knew it, said this in a relaxed tone.


    ¡°Sir Leonard is overly optimistic.¡±


    ¡°But the old man Leonard is right, isn¡¯t he? In a place like this, they¡¯ll only be able to use their antennae.¡±


    ¡°Old man sounds disrespectful.¡±


    ¡°How can you be noble in this situation?¡±


    ¡°If you put it that way, I guess you¡¯re right.¡±


    Although Gizma was about to appear at any moment, they were still relaxed. What is this mysterious sense of security?


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Kosuke, just go ahead and collect the Gizma.¡±


    ¡°Aye aye, ma¡¯am.¡±


    With the exception of Gizmas, who emerged from the forest, and Sylphy, who stayed behind to escort me, the rest of the team entered the battle while I watched from the side and collected Gizmas one by one.


    ¡°Haaaahh!¡±


    Danan¡¯s attack! The Gizma¡¯s head was split open by his bardiche!


    ¡°Eeeii!¡±


    Gerda¡¯s strike! Her long mace crushed the Gizma¡¯s head!


    Gizma¡¯s strike! Quick antennae attack Sir Leonard!


    ¡°Fumu.¡±


    Sir Leonard slashes away Gizma¡¯s antennae in an instant! Sir Leonard¡¯s half-strike! Gizma is decapitated!


    ¡°Hmph!¡±


    Ms. Zamir¡¯s attack! Critical hit! Her spear killed Gizma to the face!


    ¡°Oraaa!¡±


    Shumer¡¯s attack! Gizma became minced meat. Eh? What? Mince meat?


    ¡°Shumer, how can we retrieve the Gizma¡¯s body if you do that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I used the wrong amount of strength.¡±


    Sir Leonard complained, and Shumer scratched her head as she lifted the log club.


    ¡°Surge up, thunder. Lightning.¡±


    A blinding light illuminated the area, and a tremendous roar rang out. As soon as I saw what was going on, I realized that Isla was sending lightning bolts from her staff¡¯s end, knocking away multiple Gizmas.


    ¡°Magic is awesome! Hey, Sylphy! That¡¯s magic! Magic is so amazing!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯m a kid who¡¯s seen magic for the first time¡­ So this is the first time Kosuke¡¯s seen magic in real life?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! The only magic I¡¯ve ever seen is the kind that Sylphy used to heal my wounds.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. Isla¡¯s destructive magic is truly on the level of a court mage. It¡¯s not easy to see.¡±


    Complimented by Sylphy, Isla looked a little better and made a small peace.


    ¡°You know, everyone talks about me like I¡¯m an interesting person, but aren¡¯t these people even more interesting?¡±


    At the very least, I can¡¯t slash, smash, stab, mince, or electrocute a bug the size of a light truck with a single blow, not in the flesh.


    ¡°Anyone can do this if they train their skills and become proficient in handling magic.¡±


    ¡°Eeehh? Really, that it is?¡±


    If that¡¯s the case, then the people in this world are much more dangerous than me. If I didn¡¯t have the ability to craft and command actions, I¡¯d be a mere mortal with no power.


    ¡°I guess that¡¯s just the difference in our common sense.¡±


    That¡¯s the way it is, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s hard to accept, but they are wielding their power based on a theory that can be explained within their common sense. The ability that I use is not in accordance with my common sense, their common sense, or any kind of logic, and I wonder if that is the reason why I am looked at as strange.


    ¡°If you have time to think, just go ahead and work.¡±


    ¡°Aye aye, ma¡¯am.¡±


    Indeed, it¡¯s not something I should be thinking about right now. So, I moved from corner to corner in the kill zone, protected by people who kicked Gizma around easily and went around collecting Gizma¡¯s corpse. There were a whopping 216 of them. Let¡¯s see, at two Gizma a day; all the refugees would be able to eat Gizma meat, so we had enough Gizma meat for 108 days.


    ¡°Melty will be happy.¡±


    ¡°Not only Melty, but all the refugees will be happy. Whether or not they have Gizma¡¯s meat, it will make a big difference in their diet.¡±


    ¡°Yes, the taste of the soup changes a lot with the meat.¡±


    ¡°Gizma¡¯s meat makes a good broth, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    Gerda and Sir Leonard also join our conversation. The two of them may be rather gourmets.


    ¡°Thanks to Kosuke-dono, I will be able to go hunting. I¡¯ll be able to return the favor to everyone for the free food I¡¯ve been eating.¡±


    ¡°Old man Leonard just wants to eat good food, doesn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°Of course, there is nothing better than a good meal¡­ However, the striking sword of the Holy Kingdom is still very sloppy. The blade is already crushed.¡±


    ¡°Holy sword does not choose the sword¡­ but even so, there is a limit. This spear is also terrible.¡±


    ¡°If you let too much magic through, the sword itself may shatter.¡±


    Sir Leonard and Ms. Zamir glanced at me. I understand I understand.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take anything as long as it¡¯s big and sturdy.¡±


    It seems to me that these people are determined to have me make weapons as soon as we get back to the village. Help me, Sylphy!


    ¡°You can make it right away, can¡¯t you? In exchange for the reward for this escort, why don¡¯t you make them? I¡¯d like a weapon with a little more reach.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Sylphy was on their side too. How dare she.


    ¡°Me too.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    I tilted my head as Isla tugged at the hem of my clothes. I thought Isla didn¡¯t use any weapons.


    ¡°I want a staff with that thing.¡±


    ¡°That thing? I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s possible to use it with the facilities available at the moment, and don¡¯t magic staffs require some kind of special processing or decoration?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s true. I¡¯ll draw up some plans next time.¡±


    ¡°Oh, please be easy on me. I don¡¯t want to be too elaborate.¡±


    I don¡¯t know if I can achieve that level of precision if I¡¯m asked to design something too elaborate. But well, since I can make bolts and nuts, there is a good chance that I can reflect a high-precision design, right? Let¡¯s believe that, yes.


    We were greeted with cheers as we returned to the village through the huge gate. Then we were jostled by people and children who were not participating in the defense. Whoa, stop it! Who the hell touched my ass?


    ¡°Hahaha, you¡¯re very popular.¡±


    Sylphy, who wasn¡¯t being jostled, was laughing with amusement. Don¡¯t laugh at me, help me!


    ¡°Now, now, that¡¯s enough of you jostling Kosuke. We still have a lot of work to do.¡±


    Sir Leonard clapped his hands and rescued me from the people who had surrounded me. Sir Leonard¡¯s stock went skyrocketing in my mind.


    ¡°So, I need you to make me a sword as soon as possible.¡±


    The stock price plummeted. This old man is quite loyal to his desires.


    ¡°My spear, too, please.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind getting mine last.¡±


    These guys surround me. There¡¯s no way to escape! Well, it¡¯s not really a big deal, though.


    ¡°Please be more specific about what kind of weapon you prefer. For example, a sword can be light and sharp, heavy and sturdy, sharp, striking power, penetrating power, straight sword or curved sword, single-edged or double-edged, one-handed or two-handed, long or short. There are so many things to consider.¡±


    ¡°Hou, you know more than I thought. My preference is for a broad sword that is good for slashing and striking. I prefer single-edged swords.¡±


    ¡°I prefer a spear for stabbing. However, it is better if the blade is a little longer and can also cut.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care what it is, but I¡¯m not very good at making blade lines. I¡¯d prefer a striking weapon if possible.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    After hearing the three¡¯s opinions, I opened the crafting menu of the blacksmithing facility to see if there was anything that would fit. Yeah, there are none. The first thing I did was to take out the steel spear that was already in my inventory and show it to Ms. Zamir.


    ¡°This is the standard steel spear, but would you prefer it to have a longer blade?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s a pretty good spear, but¡­ you¡¯re right, I¡¯d like it to be at least twice as long as this one.¡±


    ¡°¡­Considering the durability, I think it would be heavier with a wider blade.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind. This one is just too light.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    I wondered if it was some kind of shortsword with an unusually long handle. I was skeptical, but if she said so, I¡¯d try to make it as ordered. Well, it¡¯s like I¡¯ve seen a spear like that in a manga or something¡­ Oh, that¡¯s right. It¡¯s the one from the manga where a boy and a youkai work together to fight a powerful giant yokai. It¡¯s the kind of spear that absolutely kills youkai. Should I make it in that image?


    [T/n: It was Ushio¡¯s Beast Spear from Ushio to Tora.]


    As for Sir Leonard¡¯s sword, I think it should be a falchion. It¡¯s wide, sturdy, heavy, and sharp. It¡¯s a bit like a barbarian sword, but it¡¯s what he requested, so it should be fine.


    I¡¯ve already decided on Shumer¡¯s weapon. The red oni¡¯s weapon of choice is probably the metal rod. Or, to be more precise, a crushing rod. It¡¯s an all-metal weapon with a lot of bumps and protrusions.


    By creating a concrete image, I was able to add Beast Spear, Falchion, and Metal Crushing Rod to the crafting menu. Hey, Beast Spear is too direct! Is this okay? Won¡¯t someone get mad?


    Well, I guess there¡¯s no way I could get in trouble in this world. There¡¯s no such thing as copyright! That¡¯s why I¡¯m going to select the items added to the crafting menu and create them. As for the required cost of the metal crushing rod, I¡¯ll try not to look at it. Hahaha, I¡¯ll have to go digging for iron again.


    ¡°It¡¯s done!¡±


    I took out two falchions, a beast spear, and a metal crushing rod and gave each one to them¨Dit¡¯s so heavy! The metal crushing rod is too heavy! I won¡¯t be able to carry it.


    ¡°Hou, these swords have a bit of a vulgar vibe, but they¡¯re very practical.¡±


    ¡°This is great.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha! This is good!¡±


    All three of them smiled satisfactorily as they held their new weapons in their hands. No, Shumer. How can you wield that heavy metal crushing rod so lightly with one hand? If I¡¯m not mistaken, it weighs more than 30 kilograms, you know? Ah, but she was wielding a much larger log just a moment ago¡­ That¡¯s probably just fine.


    ¡°Do you think Gizma will still come?¡±


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know. There seems to be a little bit of a pause, but they might come back again like they did the other day.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯d better make some bolts.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, do that. That would be the best way for Kosuke to be active.¡±


    The recovery team was disbanded, and everyone except for Sylphy and me headed back to the wall. Sylphy and I stayed in the workshop to mass-produce bolts. Well, Sylphy is just staying by my side, though.


    While I reserved the mass production of arrowheads at the smithing facility, I dismantled multiple dead bodies of Gizma in my inventory. In this way, I can recover the bolts that were shot into Gizma. It seems that some of the arrowheads have been smashed, so I use the blacksmithing facility to repair them. Sylphy was watching me without saying anything in particular. What is she thinking about? A woman¡¯s heart is complicated, you see.


    ¡°Sylphy.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°What kind of weapon is Sylphy interested in?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ any weapon that Kosuke made would be fine for me.¡±


    ¡°At least decide what kind of weapon you want.¡±


    I smiled back at Sylphy¡¯s answer. Sylphy laughed, too.


    ¡°Right, I¡¯d like a blade. Swords are good.¡±


    ¡°A sword.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, make me a good one that suits me. Right, how about that scimitar you were telling me about?¡±


    ¡°A scimitar.¡±


    That¡¯s the weapon I recommended to Sylphy myself. A beautiful woman like Sylphy would look great with an elegantly decorated scimitar. I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s better to call it a shamshir rather than a scimitar.


    Well, names are trivial, aren¡¯t they? However, even if it were made of iron or steel, a slender scimitar specializing in slashing power would be ineffective against Gizmas and armor-clad soldiers. Should I make it out of mithril? Isla is also trying to get me to make a staff out of mithril, so it might be a good idea to give it a try.


    ¡°Let¡¯s give it a try.¡±


    I¡¯ll use mithril to make a scimitar. I want to decorate it with gems. I want it to be sharp, strong, unbreakable, unbending, and a masterpiece that makes the most of the properties of mithril. I want it to have a blade that looks like pale moonlight, to match the image of Sylphy.


    ?Mithril Scimitar¨D¨DMaterials: Mithril Ore x 4, Gemstones x 5, Silver Ore x 2, Iron x 2, Steel Leaf Spring x 2, Leather x 1


    Oh, I¡¯ll give it a try. The Mithril Scimitar is now on the menu. Let¡¯s reserve a crafting session.


    ¡°The crafting time is too long!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m trying to make a special weapon for Sylphy, but it¡¯s taking an inordinate amount of time.¡±


    ¡°Hou? How long?¡±


    ¡°Four hours.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ long.¡±


    That¡¯s the longest crafting time I¡¯ve ever experienced. By the way, the second-longest was the metal crushing rod I made for Shumer, which took two and a half minutes.


    ¡°What kind of special product did you make?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to wait and see.¡±


    Normally, if you try to make a sword made of mithril, it will take several months, maybe even years. That¡¯s why mithril swords are so expensive. It¡¯s no wonder it¡¯s so expensive if you have to detain a top-notch craftsman for a long time.


    After this, I stayed on alert until past midnight, collecting the corpses of the Gizma that attacked sporadically, but the Gizma attacks had stopped by the time the date changed. The moon¡¯s color, which I could see from my vantage point, had somehow turned yellowish.


    It seemed that we had successfully survived Gizma¡¯s attack.

 CH 32

    Here¡¯s another chapter today, enjoy~


    The day after the attack, after finishing our breakfast with the food I had left in my inventory, Sylphy and I visited the wall again. Elven spirit archers and refugees equipped with crossbows were having breakfast, looking sleepy.


    Danan also seemed to have been on alert all night, but he showed no signs of fatigue. Is he a physical ghost?


    ¡°Good morning, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°Oh, good morning. How did it go last night after all that?¡±


    ¡°None of them showed up. We sent out scouts as soon as the sun came up, so I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll be hearing from them soon.¡±


    ¡°I see. Danan was in command all night, wasn¡¯t he? You should get some rest.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I will take a rest when the time comes.¡±


    While Danan and Sylphy were having this conversation, I was accessing the blacksmithing facility that had been set up here since last night. Yeah, it¡¯s done.


    ¡°Sylphy.¡±


    ¡°Yeah? What is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s ready, the special one.¡±


    I took out the Mithril Scimitar in its leather sheath from my inventory and handed it to Sylphy. It has jewels on the hilt and the sides of the sword mounting and elaborate carvings, giving it the appearance of a precious sword.


    Sylphy took the Mithril Scimitar from me and looked surprised at its lightness. Yes, for some reason, this Mithril Scimitar is very light. It¡¯s as light as a feather.


    ¡°Kosuke, is this really¡­?¡±


    ¡°Well, well, just try to pull it out.¡±


    Nodding to my words, Sylphy pulled out the Mithril Scimitar from its sheath. The beautiful curve of the sword shone pale in the morning sun. The blade is also thin and sharply honed. It was a sword that looked as if it had been made from the light of the moon.


    ¡°How splendid¡­ Your Highness, could that be?¡±


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s mithril. Kosuke, does this sword have an inscription?¡±


    ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t have one. I made it with the image of pale moonlight in mind, you know. In my world, moonlight sometimes looks like that. If I were to put it on, moonlight, moonlight¡­ Well, the blue moon isn¡¯t quite right, pale¡­ yes, how about the pale moon?¡±


    ¡°Pale moon, pale moon¡­ yes, that¡¯s good. From now on, this sword is Pale Moon.¡±


    Sylphy raises the Mithril Scimitar, Pale Moon. Then the refugees who were watching applauded and cheered. Oops, the reaction was unexpected, and I was surprised. Isn¡¯t that a great response?


    ¡°Mithril sword is one of the royal family heirlooms. It¡¯s enough to add an anecdote that it was brought by a marebito from another world. It¡¯s not surprising that people expect it to be a symbol of the revival of the Merinard Kingdom.¡±


    ¡°Whoa!¡±


    I was surprised to find that Isla was next to me. In his hand was a large piece of paper that looked like a drawing¡­ Oh, yes. I¡¯ve got it. Yes, and mithril ore as well. Yes, yes.


    ¡°Kosuke, bring out Gizma¡¯s body. I want to do a test cut.¡±


    ¡°Aye aye. ma¡¯am.¡±


    I took out one of Gizma¡¯s corpses that I hadn¡¯t dismantled yet because Sylphy told me to do so when I received the product from Isla. This is the one that was killed in close combat yesterday, without any bolts being shot into it. It¡¯s the one that Ms. Zamir killed because it has a hole in its face.


    ¡°Haaa!¡±


    When Sylphy swung the Pale Moon, the Gizma was successfully cut through the shell. Eh? Seriously? It¡¯s like cutting butter with a hot knife, but isn¡¯t it more than that? This one.


    Sylphy swung the Pale Moon in succession and tore Gizma apart in the blink of an eye. In less than a minute, Gizma was torn to pieces. No, that sword is too sharp, isn¡¯t it?


    ¡°What a wonderful sword. I¡¯ll have to be careful not to cut my own legs or arms.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness, I, Leonard, am always ready to help you train.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness, this Zamir is also at your service.¡±


    ¡°Umu, I shall have to ask you for it.¡±


    I guess I¡¯ll have to make a wooden sword for practice this time, huh?


    In the end, we spent the whole day on alert for another Gizma attack. In other words, I was to spend the day mass-producing crossbow bolts and maintaining operational crossbows.


    After being dismantled by Sylphy, Gizma was thoroughly washed and simmered with its shells in several large pots and served for lunch. The soup made from the boiled shells was delicious. I wonder if the broth comes from the shells¡­? Normally, the shells are processed and made into various tools, so stewing the shells and making soup stock like this is a kind of luxury food for nobles and royalty.


    Incidentally, Sir Leonard was in charge of making Gizma¡¯s stewed shell soup. He really is an old man who is loyal to his desires. He¡¯s a character you can¡¯t hate.


    And so.


    Even though I spent my time mass-producing crossbow bolts and maintaining the crossbows, I basically just made crafting reservations and zoned out. That¡¯s how bored I am. So, I checked my achievements, skills, and levels.


    The first thing I noticed was that I was now at level 12. Oh, it¡¯s gone up even more. Also, before I knew it, my strength and stamina were not only displayed on the gauge but also in numerical values. It looks like my current strength and stamina are both 120 each. My skill points have also increased to 6.


    is a new achievement.


    ?First Time Mixing¨D¨D: Mix an item for the first time. ¡ùUnlock Skills.


    ?First Creation¨D¨D: Create an item for the first time. ¡ùUnlock Skills.


    There are more firsts in this list. Mixing is easy to understand, but what¡¯s this creation about? Oh, item creation?


    ?First Mixing Table¨D¨D: Craft your first mixing table. ¡ùIt unlocks the numerical values for strength and stamina.


    I see? So now my stats are numeric. Is there anything else?


    ?Novice Hunter¨D¨D: Kill a total of ten monsters. ¡ùIncrease your strength and stamina by 10 points.


    This is the reason for the 120 strength and stamina. What¡¯re next, 100 monsters?


    ?Novice Weaponsmith¨D¨D: Create a total of 100 weapons. ¡ùThe quality of the weapon increases by 5% when it is created.


    It¡¯s hard to tell what a 5% increase in quality is¡­ It¡¯s not something you can tell by looking at it. A master might be able to tell. Anyway, I found out that if I continue to make weapons, achievements will be completed, and the quality will gradually increase.


    ?Fantasy Blacksmith¨D¨D: Create items using fantasy metals. ¡ùThe crafting time of items made with fantasy metals will be reduced by 10%.


    Oh, this is because I made a mithril weapon, which is significant, even if it is only 10%.


    ?Women¡¯s Tears¨D¨D: Gain the favor of 5 or more members of the opposite sex. It can¡¯t be helped if you get stabbed ¡ù Attack power against the opposite sex is increased by 5%.


    It can¡¯t be helped , my ass. I would get killed. I mean, I don¡¯t remember any of this, do I? Eh? Who is it?


    The only women I know, besides Sylphy, are Isla, the One-Eyed tribe, Melty the Sheep-type beast-man, Jagira the Cat-type beast-man, Pirna the Harpy, Gerda the Bear-type beast-man, Ms. Zamir the Lizard Woman, and Shumer the Red Oni-type girl. Oh, and those three guys who were being hunted down by Gizma. Zada the Lizard Woman, Lianes the Lamia, and Nakuru the Chestnut Squirrel Beastman¡­ Hmm, that¡¯s a lot! And maybe the others who I had treated for their injuries? And it doesn¡¯t mean the elven elders, too, does it?


    I-I don¡¯t know¡­ No, let¡¯s not think about it. Sylphy is the only one for me; that¡¯s fine.


    ?Survivor¨D¨D: Survives the Night of the Red Moon for the first time. ¡ùUnlock skill level up.


    Finally, I found something like this. What does that ¡°Skill Level Up¡± mean? Does that mean I can further increase the effectiveness of the skills I¡¯ve acquired? I¡¯d love to try this out.


    , the skills.


    ?Skilled Worker¨D¨D: Reduced crafting time by 20%.


    ?Disassembler¨D¨D: Increased the number of materials obtained when disassembling crafted items by 10%.


    ?Repairer¨D¨D: Reduced item repair time by 20% and reduced the number of materials required by 20%.


    ?Mass Producer¨D¨D: Reduced the number of materials required to create 10 or more of the same item by 10%.


    Logger¨D¨D: Increased plant material intake by 20%.


    Miner¨D¨D: Increased mineral material intake by 20%.


    Dismantler¨D¨D: Increased living organism material intake by 20%.


    ?Creator¨D¨D: Reduced the difficulty of item creation.


    The effects of the creator are vague, but I think I should take this one. I think it will be useful when making weapons and devices with complex mechanisms.


    Strong Cardio-pulmonary function¨D¨D: Increased stamina recovery speed by 20%.


    Agility¨D¨D: Increased movement speed by 10%.


    ?Strong Arm¨D¨D: Increased melee attack power by 20%.


    Excellent Archer¨D¨D: Increased attack power from ranged weapons by 20%.


    ?Iron Skin¨D¨D: Reduced damage taken by 20%.


    ?Survivor¨D¨D: Increased health by 10%, increased health recovery speed by 20%.


    ?Medic¨D¨D: Increased the effectiveness of healing items by 20%.


    ?Reptile¡¯s Stomach¨D¨D: Reduced hunger by 20%.


    ?Camel¡¯s Hump¨D¨D: Reduced dryness by 20%.


    The new addition is Medic, huh? The effect of recovery items is increased, hey. Isn¡¯t it useless if I prepare a lot of recovery items? I think it¡¯s a useful skill if you¡¯re low on supplies, though.


    Now, what should I spend my six skill points on? First of all, the Creator. This was an instant decision. Then, when I think about the future, I feel like I should get the Mass Producer too.


    If I¡¯m going to help Sylphy in the future, I will definitely be making many different things. So that¡¯s why I have to take this too.


    I also found out that it takes a lot of time to make mithril weapons, so I¡¯d better get the Skilled Worker too. Dismantler and Repairer are troubling¡­ So I¡¯ll put them on hold.


    It¡¯s not a loss to increase my own survival rate as well. It¡¯s directly related to life, after all. So, I think I¡¯ll take Iron Skin and Survivor, but let¡¯s try to level up my skills first. What¡¯s the best skill to upgrade? Well, I guess Miner. I think I¡¯ll be using mineral resources as much as I can in the future.


    Miner II¨D¨D: Increased mineral material intake by 40%.


    I spent two skill points to raise the level of Miner. Yeah, I¡¯m glad I tried that first. If I had taken Iron Skin and Survivor first, I would have only had one skill point left, which would have been pathetic. I think I¡¯ll take Iron Skin first. The 20% damage reduction is huge.


    Skilled Worker¨D¨D: Reduced crafting time by 20%.


    Mass Producer¨D¨D: Reduced the number of materials required to create 10 or more of the same item by 10%.


    Logger¨D¨D: Increased plant material intake by 20%.


    Miner II¨D¨D: Increased mineral material intake by 40%.


    Dismantler¨D¨D: Increased living organism material intake by 20%.


    Creator¨D¨D: Reduced the difficulty of item creation.


    Strong Cardio-pulmonary Function¨D¨D: Increased stamina recovery speed by 20%.


    Agility¨D¨D: Increased movement speed by 10%.


    Excellent Archer¨D¨D: Increased attack power from ranged weapons by 20%.


    Iron Skin¨D¨D: Reduced damage taken by 20%.


    This is how my skill set looked like. Yeah, I think it¡¯s pretty solid. If I were supposed to act alone, I¡¯d have a different skill set, but I don¡¯t really need to be in direct combat. I think that¡¯s it. It¡¯s good to be in the position of a producer who can defend himself.


    I also have one concern.


    ¡°The question is whether the attack was just an accident or not.¡±


    The attack occurred on the night of the seventh day. Yeah, it was just like the setting of a zombie survival game. In that game, every seven days, the red moon would rise, and a large number of zombies would attack. If that rule applied, then there might be another massive attack after seven days or the fourteenth night. I hope it¡¯s just a coincidence¡­ I hope so.


    If there will be a mass attack by unknown beings every seven days, I need to fortify the defenses against it. Should I talk to Sylphy about it? However, as for Gizma, it was based on proper evidence and signs¡­ I think I¡¯m overthinking this. For the time being, let¡¯s talk to Sylphy about it tonight.


    ¡°Fumu, an attack every seven days, huh?¡±


    ¡°I knew I imagined things, but¡­ I can¡¯t deny it given the unreasonable nature of my abilities.¡±


    After dinner, while drinking honey wine, I consulted with Sylphy about the red moon every seven days. Sylphy seems to like the Pale Moon so much that she carries it around with her. She drank the honey wine while polishing the blade and applying a thin layer of oil in order to maintain it.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think an attack of that scale is likely to happen, but we might want to be on the alert for the next week. Putting aside the Gizma, the current walls are too low to deal with humans. There are many monsters other than Gizma that can easily jump over such a wall, and if we consider the future, strengthening the wall will not be a waste.¡±


    ¡°Then?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I will advise Danan and the elders to strengthen the wall. Kosuke will do the main work, but we can also rely on the Merinard Kingdom citizens and the elves for the procurement of materials.¡±


    ¡°I see, thank you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing to be thankful for. It¡¯s only natural for me to take action to resolve Kosuke¡¯s concerns, and that in itself is in everyone¡¯s best interest.¡±


    After finishing her care of Pale Moon, Sylphy sheathed her sword and smiled softly. Mmm, precious. Lately, she often shows me her natural smile like this. It makes me feel proud to think that my existence has brought out this kind of smile.


    ¡°So, are we going to start building the wall tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I guess so. I¡¯d like to get the kingdom¡¯s citizens to collect clay and go mining.¡±


    ¡°Mining again, huh? Kosuke likes to dig holes.¡±


    ¡°We can never have enough ore, after all.¡±


    We need a lot of iron just to make all the crossbows into improved crossbows. There¡¯s still a lot more room for wood, though. I got a lot of material from Gizma, and as for the tough strings, there is no problem either.


    ¡°So let¡¯s get some rest for tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, yeah. I¡¯m going to get the staff that Isla asked for before I go to bed¡­¡±


    When I was about to get up from the couch, Sylphy suddenly pulled me by the hand and took my lips. It¡¯s sweet; the sweetness and scent of honey wine and even the smell of Sylphy combined to make my brain feel debauched.


    ¡°Kosuke, I don¡¯t like the fact that you¡¯re talking about another woman¡¯s name when you¡¯re alone with me.¡±


    ¡°Ueehh? Ah, yeah, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    I didn¡¯t mean to do that at all, but Sylphy seems to be in a bad mood. No, she¡¯s just pretending to be that way. Her eyes are smiling.


    ¡°Do I need to discipline a slave who can¡¯t think of his Master first? Kosuke?¡±


    ¡°Eeehh, yes. Is that right?¡±


    ¡°Then I will discipline you.¡±


    After saying that, Sylphy took me in a princess carry and started heading for the bedroom. Eh, hey, that¡¯s too strong. Isn¡¯t the position reversed now? Sylphy? Sylphy-san? Eh, hey, ah, aaaah!

 CH 33

    Here¡¯s sponsored chapter by Patreon, enjoy~


    ¡°I can¡¯t become a groom anymore¡­¡±


    ¡°Fufu, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll take you anyway.¡±


    The next morning, Sylphy smiled and comforted me as I wept, remembering my decisive defeat last night. Yeah, well, I¡¯m just faking it, though. I knew that Sylphy is a sadist by nature. But, I¡¯m normal, okay? It¡¯s true; I¡¯m not lying.


    Today, the two of us cleansed our bodies together and had a little ¡°kyaa kyaa ufufu¡± in the morning. Sylphy is in an excellent mood today. Not sure if it¡¯s because of the Pale Moon effect or because she kept the initiative in last night¡¯s night battle. If possible, I want it to be the Pale Moon effect¡­!


    Today¡¯s breakfast is prepared by me, the Master¡¯s faithful slave. But my repertoire is already running out. Should I try something new here?


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to be making breakfast?¡±


    ¡°Of course, that¡¯s the plan.¡±


    I took out of my inventory and set up the simple furnace that I used the other day for roasting pork chops. I¡¯ll also prepare the blacksmithing facility.


    ?Simple Furnace Upgrade¨D¨DMaterial: Wood x 10, Stone x 30, Iron x 10, Cutting Board x 1, Knife x 1, Cooking Utensils x 4.


    That¡¯s it. The cutting board is easy to make from wood, so I¡¯ll reserve it on the crafting menu. I wonder if I can use any knife? There¡¯s a kitchen knife in the crafting list at the blacksmithing facility, so I¡¯ll go with that. As for cooking utensils, I have the pots and pans Melty gave me the other day. Then, I need two more of them¡­ is it okay to use a metal bowl and grater? These are also made in an instant at the blacksmithing facility. And then upgrade it!


    ¡°It¡¯s as bright as ever.¡±


    ¡°¡­Can you tell me first before it shines? I can¡¯t see anything.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    The simple furnace has become a kitchen table! And so I took some ingredients from Sylphy¡¯s kitchen. I¡¯ve used grain flour, gabage, onil, peppar, garike, dikon, and honey before, but there are a few other ingredients and seasonings I¡¯m not familiar with. There is also a bunch more of Gizma¡¯s meat.


    ?Bread¨D¨DIngredients: Grain Flour x 1, Drinking Water x 1, Salt x 1


    ?Dried Pasta¨D¨DIngredients: Grain Flour x 2, Drinking Water x 2, Salt x 1


    ?Stew¨D¨DIngredients: Grain Flour x 2, Drinking Water x 2, Vegetables x 2, Meat x 2, Salt x 2


    ?Steak¨D¨DIngredients: Meat x 2, Black Pepper x 1, Salt x 1


    ?Salad¨D¨DIngredients: Vegetables x 3


    ?Curry¨D¨DIngredients: Grain Flour x 2, Drinking Water x 2, Vegetables x 2, Meat x 2, Salt x 2, Fruit x 2, Spices x 4


    This was the only thing I could make quickly with the ingredients I had on hand. Rather, only a few recipes are displayed in the crafting menu, and they seem to be very basic. This is the time when I should be using item creation, right? Or rather, all of them are requiring salt.


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°I think I can make it anyway. Should we start the morning with something special?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re going on a road trip today.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    I make two loaves of bread, one stew, two steaks, and two salads. If there are any leftovers, I can put them in my inventory. I¡¯ll make more curry and bread for lunch as well.


    ¡°Here we go. Shall we eat here?¡±


    ¡°Fumu, sometimes it¡¯s not so bad to have breakfast outside.¡±


    I set up chairs and a table in the backyard and put the crafted meal on the table. The stew is in a pot¡­ Hey, where did the pot come from? No, let¡¯s not poke into that; it¡¯s a little late for that.


    The steak and salad also came with wooden plates. I¡¯m not going to think about it. Just don¡¯t think about it. The bread was left out, though.


    ¡°Wow, these are pretty impressive for breakfast. So, what kind of meat is this?¡±


    ¡°Beef, maybe?¡±


    ¡°And what meat did you use to make it?¡±


    ¡°Hahaha. Gizma meat, of course.¡±


    ¡°¡­There¡¯s no point in thinking about it now.¡±


    Sylphy seems to have come to the same conclusion as me. That¡¯s my Master for ya! She¡¯s getting used to my abilities! My abilities are unpredictable and unreasonable, so we completely abandoned thinking and decided to eat the stew first. The spoons, forks, and knives for eating are all made by me. I made a certain number of them on the workbench a while ago.


    ¡°It¡¯s delicious. This meat tastes like chicken meat. The vegetables, such as these red carols, are sweet and delicious.¡±


    ¡°I obviously don¡¯t care about that since the meat and vegetables I put in are different.¡±


    By the way, the carol that Sylphy refers to is a yellow carrot-like vegetable. It¡¯s as long as a burdock, though. There are also potatoes in it that I supposedly didn¡¯t put in, and there¡¯s also white sauce in it even though I didn¡¯t put in any milk, but I don¡¯t care. If I care about it, I¡¯ll just lose. The Gizma meat is apparently becoming like chicken, but I don¡¯t care!


    ¡°The bread is amazingly fluffy. It¡¯s so soft.¡±


    ¡°It tastes good dipped in the stew. Although it¡¯s a bit unmannerly.¡±


    The freshly baked bread was indeed soft. It looks like French bread, but it¡¯s round. It¡¯s not as long as a baguette. I don¡¯t know what it¡¯s called. Anyway, it¡¯s definitely bread!


    The steak was totally beefsteak (cooked medium). Just plain delicious. I can¡¯t believe this was originally Gizma meat! Well, I guess Gizma¡¯s garike steak is just as good as this. It¡¯s like a huge lobster steak. The salad was just a regular salad. What I put in it and what came out were two different things, though! HAHAHAHA!


    So after a delightful and graceful breakfast, we headed to the wall as usual and then to my usual spot. It was a workspace right next to the gate. There, Isla was waiting for me, her eyes shining with anticipation. Her big eyes were sparkling brightly.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, your staff isn¡¯t ready yet.¡±


    ¡°Gaaah!¡±


    She looked astonished and then slumped her shoulders. I¡¯m sorry, I couldn¡¯t beat Sylphy¡­


    ¡°It was a pity, but I¡¯m in no hurry¡­ It¡¯s still a pity, though.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll do it as soon as I can.¡±


    When I was told with a terribly disappointed look on her face, I felt uncomfortable. Moreover, since the reason for this is because of my ¡°Kyaa kyaa ufufu¡± with Sylphy, it makes me feel guilty. While I was looking through Isla¡¯s design drawings, Sylphy brought Danan over. She had called him over before I knew it.


    ¡°I heard you were going to reinforce the walls.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Kosuke told me that. With the current height of the wall, aside from Gizma, it¡¯s not good enough for humans and other monsters, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. For those who are physically strong and have the ability to use magic enhancement, they can jump that height.¡±


    ¡°So what height should we use?¡±


    ¡°I would like it to be three to four times higher than it is now.¡±


    The current height is about 2.5 meters, including the walkway with the upper narrow chest wall, so 8 to 10 meters would be good. It¡¯s going to be hard to procure the materials, though.


    ¡°If we want to match the height of the village wall, it should be about three times higher.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    The village¡¯s wall is made of wood, but it is a strange wall with almost no seams. Everything seems to be a wall made by reinforcing the living tree with elven magic, and it is resistant to fire, magic, and physical attacks. I think it¡¯s about eight meters in height.


    ¡°So, do you need clay again?¡±


    ¡°Umu. I guess so?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we need clay.¡±


    I also think I should build another blacksmithing facility. Since I have the materials, I can make it. It would be better if I could operate the iron forge and the brick forge simultaneously. When I don¡¯t need to make iron, I can use both of them to burn bricks. I should also build a simple furnace for charcoal production.


    From then on, I spent my days¡¯ mining, making iron, and burning bricks. I woke up in the morning, cleaned myself up, had breakfast, and headed for the wall. When I returned, I threw the clay that the kingdom¡¯s citizens had collected into the blacksmithing facility and started to bake the bricks.


    ¡°I want a mithril sword too.¡±


    ¡°I wish I had a mithril spear so I could be of more use to everyone.¡±


    ¡°I demand a new crossbow, a new crossbow!¡±


    The old man, the lizard woman, and the cat woman, who are loyal to their desires, beg for new weapons.


    ¡°Fufu¡­ fufufu.¡±


    While rubbing her cheeks against her completed mithril staff, Isla smiled suspiciously.


    ¡°People can¡¯t live solely on meat. Now, we need some flour too!¡±


    Melty kidnapped me and made me grind the millstone.


    ¡°Are there any new weapons that can be used by harpies yet?¡±


    Pirna and the other harpies begged me for a new weapon. There were many others, but they were generally similar.


    ¡°Recently, I feel that everyone is becoming more aware of my abilities and less reserved.¡±


    ¡°It is a good thing that people are relying on you, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Sylphy, you should look me in the face when you say things like that.¡±


    Could you not say it while averting your gaze?


    Then again, on another day.


    ¡°Have our grandchildren been born yet?¡±


    ¡°Did you call us here to talk about such useless things? I mean, you¡¯re not my parents, are you?¡±


    ¡°Hohoho, don¡¯t be so cold. Sylphy-chan is like a grandchild to us.¡±


    ¡°Then it wouldn¡¯t be a grandchild, but a great-grandchild, would it? What a bunch of geezers.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a figure of speech. And what do you see in me that makes me such a geezer? I¡¯m in perfect shape, you know.¡±


    ¡°We are still young.¡±


    ¡°Your cliffs haven¡¯t changed in five hundred years, though. What a pity.¡±


    ¡°All right, I¡¯ll buy that fight. Let¡¯s go outside.¡±


    When I thought the elders summoned us, they demanded a great-grandchild, and we ended up watching a deathmatch-like fight that used a lot of spirit magic. Elders¡¯ spirit magic is just, really dangerous¡­ it¡¯s like a natural disaster.


    And seven days after the last attack, the fourteenth night after I arrived in the other world.


    ¡°Kosuke, is the moon red?¡±


    ¡°¡­It looks fine today.¡±


    I looked up at the moon from the top of the newly renovated walls. Today¡¯s moon looks bigger than ever, but it¡¯s yellow, or rather golden.


    ¡°The moon is beautiful, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, the moon is beautiful tonight. I¡¯d like to see a blue and white moon like the Pale Moon one, but I prefer the gentle light of this moon nonetheless.¡±


    Sylphy looked up at the moon with satisfaction. Well, there¡¯s no way I could tell. But that¡¯s okay. Even if the message isn¡¯t conveyed, it doesn¡¯t change the way I feel inside.


    ¡°What are you going to do from now on?¡±


    ¡°From now on, huh?¡±


    During the past week, Danan and Sylphy had sent out scouts to the Black Forest and the Omit Wilderness beyond. As a result of their investigations, they found that the Gizma that had entered the Black Forest was no longer there, and in fact, their numbers seemed to be decreasing in the Omit Wilderness.


    ¡°Are you going to reclaim the Merinard Kingdom?¡±


    ¡°¡­Well, yes. I would like to do that.¡±


    Sylphy is the royal bloodline of the Merinard Kingdom. It would be natural for Sylphy to want to liberate and reclaim the Merinard Kingdom, which is under the Holy Kingdom¡¯s control.


    ¡°If you want to do it, I¡¯ll help you. I¡¯m Sylphy¡¯s slave, and it¡¯s my job to help my Master.¡±


    ¡°Kosuke, you¡­¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, don¡¯t make me repeat it. It¡¯s so embarrassing.¡±


    It means that I don¡¯t want to leave Sylphy now. Geez, men are so simple, aren¡¯t they?


    ¡°But there is a practical problem. Even if all the people of Merinard in the elven villages agreed with my will, we would still be a small group of about three hundred people at most. There is no way we can defeat the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army stationed in the Merinard Kingdom.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by that? There are no limits to what you can do.¡±


    In group combat, numbers are power. It is very difficult for a group that is overwhelmingly inferior in numbers to defeat an overwhelmingly superior group in numbers. But that¡¯s only if the group¡¯s quality and tactics are exactly the same.


    ¡°If we are outnumbered, we just need to build a fort and fight. It¡¯s even better if we use traps. Besides, we have crossbows.¡±


    Dirty? Cowardly? Hahaha, that sounds like a compliment to me.


    In case of emergency, we could just bring out our tiger cub. Over the past week, I¡¯ve spent some time collecting dirt from the toilets in the refugee camp. I¡¯m secretly starting to mass produce that thing.


    ¡°When you say it like that, it seems like it¡¯s a piece of cake.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m an optimist, you know.¡±


    Now that I have all the materials and crafting supplies, I think there are plenty of ways for Sylphy and me to survive. I¡¯m sure Sylphy would be furious with me for saying this.


    ¡°¡­Yes. I will take back the Merinard Kingdom. I¡¯ve decided.¡±


    Sylphy declared so after looking up at the moon and pondering for a while. If she decides to do so, I will only follow her and help her. I¡¯m her slave, after all.


    ¡°I see. Then we should talk to Danan and the others first.¡±


    ¡°Right. All right, let¡¯s go, Kosuke.¡±


    ¡°Aye aye, ma¡¯am.¡±


    With a look of determination on her face, Sylphy started walking. I followed behind her¡ªa large planet with a golden moon, blue sea, and white clouds peeking through. The two stars that people call Runicule and Omicule were looking down on us.

 CH 34

    Here¡¯s another sponsored chapter by Patreon, enjoy~


    Yes, hello. I¡¯m Kosuke, the Otherworlder Survivalist. I¡¯m here in the Omit Great Wilderness. What am I doing here? Well, it¡¯s because of that, you see.


    ¡°Kosuke, set up a signpost around here.¡±


    ¡°Aiyo.¡±


    I replied in affirmation to Sir Leonard¡¯s words and immediately stacked three brick blocks on top of each other using the jumping feet technique. And on top of that, I placed a torch.


    This would make it more visible during the day and at night. The reason for using brick blocks instead of wood blocks is to prevent the Gizma from destroying them easily when they attack. Wood blocks would have been destroyed by their rush attack, after all.


    Well, ultimately, I could have left the top block alone and destroyed the other two. But, considering what would happen later, it would be a problem to leave an apparently abnormal object. The same thing will happen if Gizma eventually destroys the block, though.


    After setting up the torch, I jumped down from a height of three meters and placed a woodblock at my feet before landing on the ground. The drop is 2 meters. I don¡¯t feel like falling off a cliff at this height, though 3 meters is a bit dangerous.


    ¡°No matter how many times I see it, it¡¯s still weird¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you should be surprised anymore by what he does.¡±


    Jagira replied to Ms. Zamir¡¯s words with a shrug. You¡¯re adapting too much, aren¡¯t you?


    ¡°So this is the sixth signpost. Should we go a little further?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I think so. I think we can go a little further since we¡¯re not with the soldiers.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go a little further.¡±


    Sir Leonard and Sylphy exchanged some words, and it was decided that today¡¯s trip into the wilderness would be extended even further. We¡¯ll have to set up at least two more signposts.


    ¡°However, Kosuke-dono¡¯s ideas are very flexible¡­¡±


    ¡°It is certainly a good idea to build a road in the wilderness and then build a more secure fort.¡±


    Ms. Zamir and Jagira are saying this with a look of admiration or maybe amazement. Yes, that¡¯s exactly why we¡¯re here in the Omit Wilderness. To build a safe road and a suitable fort for defense in the Omit Wilderness. This is the first step I proposed to take in order to retake the Merinard Kingdom.


    It all started two days ago in the morning.


    ¡°I want to move toward the recapture of the Merinard Kingdom.¡±


    After she gathered the people in the usual meeting place, Sylphy declared so. The reactions of the people who heard Sylphy¡¯s declaration were varied. Danan, a huge man with horns like a raging bull, a bull beastman who was a member of the Merinard Kingdom¡¯s royal guard, crossed his arms and made a complicated expression.


    Melty, a sheep beast woman with curly horns on her head who used to be an internal affairs officer in the Merinard Kingdom, put her hand on her cheek and looked up as if in thought.


    Isla, a one-eyed girl with a small body, has her large eyes half open as usual, looking a little sleepy. A truth-seeker, a skilled alchemist, and a mage with a mastery of advanced magic, she was recognized for her talent and worked as a court mage in the Merinard Kingdom.


    The fox-faced man with the amused smile on his face is called Qubi. He wasn¡¯t in any particular official position, but his body movements were as light as a scout in the kingdom¡¯s army or even lighter, and he was strong despite his slender frame. The story goes that he was originally a slum dweller, but well. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s no ordinary person.


    And the one with a satisfied smile on his stern lion face is Sir Leonard, the lion beastman. He was a former nobleman of the Merinard Kingdom, and was said to be a warrior who was said to be the best in the Merinard Kingdom. It is said that the soldiers of the Holy Kingdom feared him as Leonard of the Twin Fangs.


    The one staring at Sylphy¡¯s face with an unreadable reptilian expression is the Lizard Woman, Ms. Zamir. She is said to be an outstanding woman who served as an instructor of spearmanship in the Merinard Kingdom, and her military prowess is said to rival that of Sir Leonard.


    Finally, the one with the fiercest expression on her face was Shumer, a former high-ranking adventurer from the Red-Oni tribe. She is a huge woman, even bigger than Danan, with red skin and two horns on her hairline and forehead. She was well over two meters tall, maybe even two and a half meters. Standing side by side with me, the physique¡¯s difference is such that I, who should be about 175cm tall, look like a child.


    There were seven of them and nine including Sylphy and me. The first one to speak was Qubi.


    ¡°It¡¯s good; it looks like the Princess is finally getting back into shape.¡±


    ¡°Agreed. I can¡¯t stand being put down by the pigs of the Holy Kingdom anymore.¡±


    Qubi and Shumer seem to be in favor of the idea.


    ¡°I also agree. We can¡¯t leave our homeland to be trampled underfoot by them all the time.¡±


    ¡°I will wield my spear as you wish, Your Highness Princess.¡±


    Sir Leonard and Ms. Zamir also agreed with Sylphy¡¯s decision.


    ¡°I would like to agree with Your Highness¡¯s decision, but the reality is that there are a lot of problems. The question is how to solve them.¡±


    Danan, the kingdom¡¯s citizens¡¯ actual representative, expressed his approval but took a cautious stance. That¡¯s true. I¡¯ve only been in this world for about two weeks, and there are easily three problems that come to mind.


    ¡°It will take time to prepare enough supplies to wage war. And no matter how much help we can get from the elves, there is a limit. Even now, we¡¯re almost unilaterally putting the burden on the elven villages.¡±


    Melty wrinkled the corners of her neat face and shook her head. She¡¯s in the position of distributing the daily rations to about three hundred Merinard citizens. She would like to say that even though she can barely cover it now, it is impossible for her to stockpile more for the war. I think so too.


    ¡°We should be able to do it with Kosuke¡¯s help.¡±


    That¡¯s what Isla¡¯s opinion is; it¡¯s kind of a messy statement based on her accurate insight into the true intentions of Sylphy and me.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s right. That¡¯s how it is. As for whether or not we can solve the problem, Kosuke is the key. I¡¯m sorry that I have to rely on you, but I really need your help.¡±


    ¡°As much as I can.¡±


    There are things I can¡¯t do. Maybe. It¡¯s important to take precautions.


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s go through the problems one by one. The first problem is the Great Omit Wilderness.¡±


    Everyone in the room nodded at Sylphy¡¯s words.


    ¡°I think it takes about ten days to get through on foot. Well, it would be better to start walking when the sun comes up and build a base ¨D a fort ¨D in a position where we can reach it in plenty of time before the sun goes down.¡±


    There are several ways to reduce the dangers of expeditions in survival games, but the most reliable and safest way is to build a base. A secure building and the furniture you need to spend the night. It is even better if you have a stockpile of food, medicine, and spare weapons in emergencies.


    ¡°It¡¯s easy for you to say, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Kosuke-san can actually do that.¡±


    Danan, who gave a cautious opinion, smiled bitterly, and Melty was smiling. Ah, that face of Melty¡¯s is scary.


    ¡°Let¡¯s build a road anyway. If there is a road that can be used to transport a cart, we can carry some supplies from the elven village without relying on Kosuke. The road should be about six blocks wide.¡±


    ¡°Are you serious about that?¡±


    It¡¯s not really that easy to build a six-block-wide road for ten days on foot. No matter how much material and time there is, it won¡¯t be enough.


    ¡°We¡¯ll build the road later. The road can also be used as an invasion route. If we were to build one, it would have to be after we take back the Merinard Kingdom.¡±


    Sylphy dismissed Melty¡¯s suggestion. As expected of my Master! Eh? But if it means later, does that mean we will make it someday?


    Let¡¯s not think about it now, yeah.


    ¡°We¡¯ll move during the day and spend the night in a sturdy fort. Surely that would allow us to make it through the Omit Wilderness safely.¡±


    ¡°But Gizma doesn¡¯t only attack at night, right? Safety along the way is also an issue.¡±


    ¡°The only way to do that is to bring a certain amount of fighting force with us when we move. Fortunately, I have a crossbow that Kosuke-dono made for me. It¡¯s easy to handle, and many of us actually shot at Gizma during the attack the other day. We should be able to handle it.¡±


    The three combatants, Sir Leonard, Shumer, and Ms. Zamir, exchanged their opinions. Yeah, I think it would be bad if we were taken by surprise with no defensive equipment at all.


    ¡°We can use Harpy¡¯s scouts during the day. We can manage it.¡±


    Isla murmured, perhaps anticipating my concern. I see, Harpy¡¯s scouts. Harpy scouts have excellent eyesight, and they are especially effective in places with few obstacles, such as the Great Omit Wilderness. However, they don¡¯t seem to be very good at night vision, so they¡¯re not very good at night battles.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, as long as we can convince the Harpy to locate the Gizma from above, we can use the crossbow to blow holes in it.¡±


    Qubi nodded at Isla¡¯s words. As long as the Merinard citizens are armed with crossbows, a Gizma or two will certainly not be a threat. They would undoubtedly be Swiss cheese full of holes before they even got close.


    ¡°It will be a difficult road ahead, but it¡¯s also our first step. We¡¯ll be using a lot of clay in the future. So I¡¯ll need you to collect as much as possible.¡±


    ¡°Understood. We will also stockpile as much food as possible.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I will ask the elders if they can increase the amount of food supply.¡±


    That¡¯s how we decided to build a base in the Great Omit Wilderness. The six members of the advance team were, Sylphy, Sir Leonard, Ms. Zamir, the cat-beast woman scout Jagira, Pirna, who was also a scout harpy, and I. Pirna is doing reconnaissance ahead of us.


    ¡°Even so, Kosuke, this bolt-action rifle is amazing!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t shoot it too much. The production of the bullets is not yet stable. And make sure you pick up the empty shell casings after you shoot it.¡±


    ¡°I know that.¡±


    While smiling, Jagira is holding an infantry rifle ¨D a bolt action rifle. This is one of the three rifles I made up in preparation for this expedition. One of the other two is equipped by me, and the other is kept in my inventory as a spare.


    It has a caliber of 7.62mm, a fixed magazine type, and a capacity of five rounds. The overall length is 1,100 mm, the weight is 3.9 kg, the rifling is a four-row clockwise rotation, the initial muzzle velocity is 760 meters per second, more than twice the speed of sound, and the effective range is 500 meters.


    The mechanism is the robust and reliable bolt-action type, and the design is¡­ to be honest, I¡¯m not enough of a gun maniac to be able to tell a bolt-action rifle apart by its appearance. I¡¯m not a gun maniac, but this is a very famous one. I think it was used by the small mustache-san¡¯s country during World War II.


    To be honest, it isn¡¯t easy to mass-produce this at this stage. After all, it takes eight hours to make one. If I could increase the number of workbenches and produce several simultaneously, it would not be impossible, but it would be tough. The material is not so difficult, though.


    Regarding this, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything I can do about it unless I upgrade my workbench in some way. It¡¯s one thing to push hard with numbers, though.


    Currently, I¡¯m not sure how to upgrade the workbench. I think it needs some kind of power¡­ I might combine it with a waterwheel or windmill or build up a steam engine¡­ I¡¯ll ask Isla if she can make something like a magic engine later.


    As for the bullets, I got a fair amount of lead, copper, and zinc for the bullets and shell casings. However, this was only for the operation of two or three guns, and if it¡¯s to be used for two or three hundred guns, the number will not be enough at all.


    On the other hand, I was able to make a lot more gunpowder than I expected. Collecting dirt from the toilet is a very painful process, but people appreciate it, and I get a lot of gunpowder. It¡¯s a win-win situation.


    An explosion is a man¡¯s romance, anyway.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like that weapon because it¡¯s very loud.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like it either.¡±


    Sir Leonard and Ms. Zamir, who were both warriors, did not seem to like the bolt-action rifle at all. It may be that they instinctively feel that this weapon is something that will destroy the existence of warriors and knights. If there were dozens or hundreds of these weapons, individual prowess would be an antique and obsolete.


    ¡°The power is remarkable, though.¡±


    Sylphy is also not a fan of bolt action rifles with noisy firing. She has a good ear. The sound of gunfire is probably unbearable for her ears.


    By the way, in terms of power, if I were to say that two shots were enough to kill Gizma, would that be understood? Gizma died after Jagira and I each fired one shot directly into its head. There was another one following us, but the same thing happened to that one. Furthermore, we had defeated Gizma, who was still some distance away, at least 100 meters from us.


    From the perspective of Sir Leonard and Ms. Zamir, who held their weapons in high spirits, as well as Sylphy, who was able to pull off the Pale Moon with ease, it would have been a disappointment. Instead, the crossbow-crazed Jagira became a bolt-action rifle crazed.


    We walked for another two hours. We made another signpost along the way and walked further until we arrived at a small hill.


    ¡°Fumu, the time is good, and the location is perfect, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is. A hill is a perfect location for a fort.¡±


    Indeed, it is a good location. There are few obstacles in the wilderness, so the view from the top of the hill is perfect. It would be a good location for a defense zone.


    ¡°Let¡¯s take a break here. After the break, Kosuke should start building the fort. The rest of you, search and be vigilant of your surroundings.¡±


    ¡°Aye aye, ma¡¯am.¡±


    After replying to Sylphy, I took out a table and chairs and started preparing a meal. The first thing we need to do is eat. At the same time, Jagira sounded her whistle, and the high-pitched sound echoed in the distance. She was calling Pirna back from a reconnaissance mission.


    Well, let¡¯s get some food first. After that, it¡¯s time to build a fun, fun base.

 CH 35

    Here¡¯s the chapter, enjoy~


    ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s quite tasty. This meat is grilled minced meat, isn¡¯t it? Moreover, this meat seems to be beef meat. It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve eaten beef.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nice since you can eat it just by grabbing it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s easy to eat.¡±


    What Sir Leonard, Jagira, and Pirna are enjoying is a hamburger. The recipe is as follows:


    Hamburger ¨D Ingredients: 1 Bread, 1 Vegetable, 1 Tomel, 1 Meat.


    This recipe produces two hamburgers. Two burgers. It¡¯s quite economical. By the way, Tomel is the vegetable equivalent of the tomato in this world and is exactly like the tomato itself, except that it is green even when fully ripe. I wonder where the lycopene disappeared to.


    As for the bread used for the hamburger, it was supposed to be French bread, but it turned out to be a soft bun with sesame seeds sprinkled on it, and it was supposed to be made of Gizma meat, but it turned out to be a beef patty. As for the vegetables, whether using Onil (purple onion), Dikon (black radish), or whatever, they turned out to be crisp lettuce. It¡¯s a wonder; it¡¯s incredible.


    My crafting skills are really sketchy¡­ No, it¡¯s all good, though.


    By the way, Ms. Zamir is silently biting into her hamburger. I¡¯m not sure if she¡¯s a person who doesn¡¯t talk while eating, or if she likes it too much that she can¡¯t talk about it. Somehow, it looks like the latter. The sparkle in her eyes is different.


    ¡°Two is not enough.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have another.¡±


    ¡°As for me, I¡¯m full.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have another as well.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes.¡±


    I took out a wooden platter from my inventory and piled the burgers on it. Eat as much as you want.


    ¡°But don¡¯t eat so much that you can¡¯t move.¡±


    As I said this, Sylphy also reached for the platter. I guess she liked it too. But these burgers are pretty big, aren¡¯t they? I¡¯m already full with two.


    After finishing the meal, I had to make a toilet. We¡¯re going to spend the night here, you see. So, toilets are essential. After eating and drinking, everyone will have to use the toilet.


    Naturally, there was no way to flush the toilet, so I had to dig a hole deep enough for the septic tank. It can¡¯t be helped. I¡¯ll make two separate bathrooms, one for men and one for women.


    ¡°First of all, we need a place to stay for the night.¡±


    Using brick blocks, I laid the floor, built the walls, and made the roof. The size of the blocks is an unadjusted cube of one meter on each side. It¡¯s thick for a wall, but if you¡¯re expecting an attack from Gizma or the Holy Kingdom army stationed in the Merinard Kingdom, thicker is better. Yesterday, I found out that if I reduced the wall thickness by half, the durability was also reduced by half. Verification is very important indeed.


    ¡°Is it done yet?¡±


    ¡°Just the building. I haven¡¯t finished the interior yet.¡±


    It¡¯s just a place where we¡¯re going to sleep today, so I¡¯m just going to make a dining room, two bedrooms, and a large room. I¡¯ll put hammock stands in the bedrooms. It¡¯s surprisingly comfortable to sleep in, you know. It¡¯s a bit cold if you don¡¯t wrap yourself in a blanket, though.


    ¡°Now, the next step is to build the walls.¡±


    It was decided that this fort, which would be our first base, would be big enough to hold all 300 refugees. This place, the first stronghold after leaving the Black Forest, could possibly become the final line of defense to prevent an invasion into the Black Forest.


    Also, the proximity to the Black Forest meant that we could easily receive support from the elves. When we liberate the Merinard Kingdom and move our headquarters to the other side, this fort will be handed over to the Black Forest¡¯s elves for them to use.


    In return, we would receive their full support.


    Regarding the size and design of the fort, I had a lot of discussions with Danan, Sir Leonard, Ms. Zamir, and other people with military knowledge and intellectuals such as Melty and Isla. As a result of the discussion, it was decided that the fort¡¯s size would be a square of 100 meters, the height of the walls would be 7 meters, and the thickness would be 3 meters.


    At the corners of the square, a diamond-shaped ridge wall was to be built so that enemies who tried to attack the gate could be attacked from the sides. The crossbow is an excellent ranged weapon, so there is no way not to utilize it. The crossbow is also useful for defending with the bow and arrow, which is the elves¡¯ main weapon.


    The first thing I did was to place a wooden block to determine the general shape temporarily. These crate blocks are a special kind of building block that can be recovered without destroying them. The material is light and very useful for making a rough guide for construction.


    After about thirty minutes of temporary placement, I asked Pirna to look at it from the air and discussed the ridge¡¯s shape with Sir Leonard and Sylphy. There seemed to be no problem, so I began the construction.


    First, I dug a hole. It was about five meters deep. The foundation work is very important in building a city wall. If you don¡¯t bury the foundation in the ground, it¡¯s easy for the enemy to dig through the ground and break-in.


    ¡°That speed is just crazy.¡±


    ¡°Even an earth magic user can¡¯t do that.¡±


    While watching me digging a hole, my guards, Jagira and Sir Leonard are saying whatever they want. I¡¯d like to say that to help me out, but they can¡¯t dig as fast as I can. They are rather a hindrance.


    After digging the hole, I put down the brick blocks¡ªlots of them.


    I¡¯m getting used to placing the blocks, but it¡¯s too much trouble to put them one by one¡­ I wonder if it would be possible to place multiple blocks at once. I¡¯ve been thinking about it for a while now, and all of a sudden, I¡¯m able to put 27 pieces of 3¡Á3¡Á3 bricks at once. What is it? Could it be that I¡¯ve unlocked some kind of achievement?


    I quickly checked and found out that a new achievement had been unlocked.


    ?Beginner Builder ¨D Place a total of 5000 building blocks. ¡ùUnlock the group placement feature. Unlock symmetrical mode.


    ¡°Oh¡­ why it doesn¡¯t unlock sooner?¡±


    The symmetrical mode is a feature that allows the user to place a centerline, the axis of symmetry, at an arbitrary point, and when a block is placed, the same block is placed on the opposite side of the centerline. This is a great way to make progress in the building. If you want to build a symmetrical structure, you can cut your workload in half or less.


    Note that symmetrical mode will not help you if you have already set up a symmetrical building. You can either destroy what you¡¯ve made so far and rebuild it, or you can set up blocks in the symmetrical mode now and fill in the unsettled areas on the other side later.


    I decided to go for the latter.


    ¡°Kosuke, why is there a wall being built on the other side?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got a new ability now. I can use my new ability to build.¡±


    ¡°¡­I see.¡±


    Sylphy seemed to accept the reality with a bit of a distant look in her eyes. You¡¯ve been with me the longest in this world, Sylphy. As for me? I¡¯ve already decided to accept the absurdity of this ability. It¡¯s come in handy. If I think about it too much, the crafting ability¡¯s absurd dark power will drive me insane and eventually lead to my death.


    Using the symmetrical mode and the grouping function, I started to build the castle wall.


    ¡°I was afraid I wouldn¡¯t be able to finish it by the end of the day, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s done.¡±


    I¡¯m sure there are still a few details that need to be corrected, but the wall is 100 meters square, seven meters high, five meters deep, and three meters thick.


    ¡°Now, I want each of you to inspect the wall. If you find any problems, please report them to me. Kosuke, continue with the maintenance.¡±


    ¡°Aye aye, ma¡¯am.¡±


    As the rest of the team dispersed to check the wall, I started to build the stairs to the wall, the storage room for supplies, and the dormitory. Once this is done, I¡¯ll dig a well. I hope it produces water.


    Speaking of digging a well, I¡¯ll also have to do a little underground drilling. I want to make an escape route to get out of the fort in case of emergency. But digging underground is hard work, you know.


    I¡¯ve been thinking about it, too. I thought, ¡°Why don¡¯t I just dig a safe underground passage and tunnel to the Merinard Kingdom without going all the way above ground?¡± I thought to myself.


    Yesterday, I tried to strengthen the foundation of the wall of the elven village. In conclusion, I almost died.


    No, digging is fine. I can dig quickly and easily. However, if I dig too deep, water comes out. The air becomes thin, and it becomes painful. Also, the soil would usually fall or collapse. I was almost buried alive.


    It seems that my unreasonable power only applies to the top of the shovel or the side and tip of the shovel where the soil is placed. There seems to be no effect on the backside, and no matter how much I dig with my shovel, the soil is still soil.


    I tried to find out what kind of unreasonable side it had, but it seemed to specialize in digging without regard to the hardness of stones, gravel, or soil. It seems the falling soil and air measures are not included.


    I was able to prevent the falling soil by placing building blocks, whether they were wood blocks or something else. As for ventilation, I guess I¡¯ll have to make big bellows or use wind magic, wind spirit magic, or wind spirit stones. That¡¯s what I thought. Once it¡¯s open, it seems to be relatively safe, so I think making air holes as needed will work.


    If I dive with Sylphy, it won¡¯t be a problem. There are several spirit stones in her bracelet, including the wind spirit stone, and the effect of the spirit stones can keep creating fresh air. I had been thinking about the tunnel strategy, but it was beneficial to know that it was complicated, dangerous, and required a lot of preparation.


    The dormitory and warehouse interior would not be used right away, so I would just make the building.


    ¡°Kosuke, the sun is about to set. You can finish your work there.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, got it.¡±


    I¡¯m about halfway done with the building. The only thing left is the dormitory. I heard that the wall protection was perfect. It was worth the hard work of getting covered in dirt.


    ¡°Here, Kosuke. Take off your clothes. I¡¯ll wash you with water.¡±


    ¡°Yes, lukewarm water, please ¨D Ugyaa! It¡¯s cold!¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, sorry, sorry.¡±


    She¡¯s laughing, but I¡¯m sure she¡¯s doing it on purpose. However, I¡¯m grateful that the spirit magic can provide water, so I forgive it.


    ¡°Hahaha, Kosuke, you need to work out a little more.¡±


    ¡°You need more muscle.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? I think it¡¯s about right.¡±


    ¡°Your frame is not bad. But it could be better if you strengthen it.¡±


    Sir Leonard, Jagira, Pirna, and Ms. Zamir look at my naked body and evaluate it as they please. Jagira seemed to prefer macho men. Pirna, on the other hand, is not so interested. Ms. Zamir¡¯s eyes are more like an instructor¡¯s than a girl¡¯s.


    Aren¡¯t I embarrassed? I¡¯m not a virgin, so I don¡¯t mind being naked. I don¡¯t mind exposing my skin when I¡¯m cleaning off the mud after a hard day¡¯s work. If you don¡¯t like it, don¡¯t look at it, hahaha.


    After the mud is washed off, hot air is blown over my skin and hair to dry them. It¡¯s perfect.


    ¡°Do you guys want to take a bath?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it in the morning.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to take a bath before I go to bed.¡±


    ¡°Me, too.¡±


    ¡°Me too, please.¡±


    The ladies seem to be taking a bath before going to bed. I won¡¯t peek, okay? If it¡¯s a naked Sylphy, I see her every night. I don¡¯t want to look at other women¡¯s naked bodies because they are scary. I¡¯d be easily beaten with one punch by anyone other than Pirna, and more importantly, I¡¯d make Sylphy angry.


    After this, I decided to have dinner and go to bed right away. I think I heard some shrill voices coming from the women¡¯s room, but I wonder if they had a girls¡¯ night out. As for me, if I don¡¯t go to bed soon, Sir Leonard will constantly be begging me for mithril weapons.


    I¡¯m going to sleep. Good night! I have to go to bed! So let go of my shoulder! Let go of me!

 CH 36

    Sponsored chapter by Patreon, enjoy~


    ¡°I¡¯m Sylphy¡¯s slave. Without Sylphy¡¯s permission, it¡¯s outrageous to use the precious mithril ore to make weapons. If you insist on it, please ask for her permission.¡±


    I said that and ran away. Even the old man Leonard, who is loyal to his desires, cannot force me to do something like that. In fact, the old man backed down when I told him so.


    ¡°Your Highness, please, please give me the mithril sword¡­!¡±


    ¡°Sir Leonard, it¡¯s not good to rush. Your Highness, I would be honored to receive one.¡±


    The subject involved has just been shifted from me to Sylphy. I couldn¡¯t believe they were going to go for a direct appeal so unabashedly¡­ It¡¯s just unbelievable. I thought it might be a bit like that. Just a little, though.


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡°Hieee¡­¡±


    I¡¯m frightened of the look that Sylphy is giving me. But wait a minute, Sylphy said she was going to protect me. Is that just a lie? I gestured desperately to her. Maybe she understood my gesture, or maybe she didn¡¯t. In any case, Sylphy let out a sigh, looking as if she had no choice. She then opened her eyes and spoke to Sir Leonard and Ms. Zamir.


    ¡°I have to admit that I¡¯ve been impressed with your work and dedication. But when it comes to weapons made of mithril, a thing is a thing. I can¡¯t simply say, ¡°All right, let¡¯s get them ready.¡± Do you understand? You can see from the Pale Moon that the mithril weapon made by Kosuke is a great sword as well as a treasured sword, and its value is immeasurable. If it¡¯s not done appropriately, it can be used by a single noble to control not just their own territory, but even their own country.¡±


    ¡°¡±Mmm¡­¡±¡±


    Sylphy¡¯s remark left Sir Leonard and Ms. Zamir speechless, but I was surprised myself. Eh? It¡¯s true that it was said to be classified as a national treasure, but is it really that much? Am I becoming a crazy crafter? Isn¡¯t that bad?


    ¡°In other words, if we¡¯re talking about giving away mithril swords or spears based on our values, the criteria will inevitably be strict. You¡¯ll need to have achieved something like defeating an enemy general or defeating a disaster-class monster.¡±


    Huh? There¡¯s something fishy going on here.


    ¡°But Kosuke is not a resident of this world. The values of this world do not bind him. For Kosuke, mithril weapons are just a little bit more difficult to make than ordinary weapons. If you deepen your friendship with him personally and pay him for his time and effort, he will surely make them for you. What¡¯s more, Kosuke is supposed to be my slave, but that¡¯s just a symbol to show my personal relationship with him. And the slave collar won¡¯t work either.¡±


    Eh, wait, Sylphy-san?


    ¡°It means that¡­¡±


    ¡°As Kosuke-dono¡¯s master, you do not intend to bind Kosuke-dono¡¯s actions in any particular way?¡±


    ¡°¡­Well, yes.¡±


    Sylphy said an unexpected thing in a whisper. At that moment! Sir Leonard and Ms. Zamir¡¯s faces turned to me.


    I ran away in a dash.


    ¡°Kuh. You¡¯re surprisingly fast!¡±


    ¡°What a weird way to run¡­!¡±


    I used all of my skills to run around the fort. While dashing as hard as I could, I used the shift key and forward movement to run faster than anyone could imagine and then used a soft command jump and my own jump to jump up on top of the building.


    However, my opponent is no different. The fact that one of them is a warrior known as ¡°the best¡± in the Merinard Kingdom and the other is a spear instructor for the royal family is no mean feat. I was slowly being cornered, and finally, I was trapped on top of a tower of wood blocks 10 meters above the ground in the middle of the square, piled up with ten woodblocks.


    ¡°Come on down, Kosuke-dono. You don¡¯t have to be afraid of us.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Kosuke-dono.¡±


    Sir Leonard and Ms. Zamir called out for me to surrender with soft, coaxing voices. ¡°Hush!¡± I threatened them. But I¡¯ve been cornered. What should I do now? Think, think, think, me!


    ¡°Kosuke-san, you seem to be in trouble!¡±


    While I was trying to think of a way to get out of this situation at 10 meters above the ground, Pirna the Harpy flew over to me. Oh, it is the help!


    ¡°I¡¯m on Kosuke-san¡¯s side. I can carry you and get you out of this situation!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great! But how?¡±


    ¡°I can hold Kosuke-san for a short distance and fly! I can fly up to the wall!¡±


    ¡°I see. Then¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, but I don¡¯t know¡­ I lack a bit of energy¡­ If Kosuke-san can make a new weapon that us Harpies can use, I¡¯ll have more energy¡­¡±


    ¡°I thought we were on the same side, but it turns out that a new predator has appeared.¡±


    ¡°Pirna! You must catch Kosuke-dono and bring him down.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s impossible for you to outrun us at your speed. We should just cooperate.¡±


    ¡°Fufufu, that¡¯s right. What should I do?¡±


    Pirna smiled an angelic devil¡¯s smile. Where are my allies! Are there no allies?


    ¡°How long are you going to be playing¡­ let¡¯s get some breakfast as soon as possible.¡±


    Jagira is yawning as she carefully polishes her bolt action rifle with a cloth. Sylphy was also grooming her Pale Moon beside her. On the other hand, Sir Leonard, Ms. Zamir, and Pirna are hunting me down. The haves and the have-nots. The epitome of society was here.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough. Come back, Kosuke.¡±


    When Sylphy, who had finished taking care of the Pale Moon, said that, Pirna, Sir Leonard, and Ms. Zamir walked to Sylphy and the others, saying, ¡°It was almost there,¡± ¡°It was a shame,¡± ¡°It was a regret,¡± and so on.


    I also tilted my head as I destroyed the wood blocks at my feet and landed on the ground.


    ¡°Well, Kosuke¡­ that was a lot of work, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    When I got to Sylphy, she said with a serious expression.


    ¡°Well, yeah. I guess.¡±


    Both of them¡­ or maybe all three of them. They were chasing after me with very serious tension; it was a little fun, although they were not joking around in any way. I felt like I was back in my childhood playing tag.


    ¡°In the future, there will inevitably be more and more people who will try to get close to Kosuke personally, like Sir Leonard and the others. Now that I, Danan, Sir Leonard, and other powerful and capable people are always around Kosuke, there are no direct appeals from so-called ¨D I don¡¯t like to put it this way ¨D¡­ so-called ordinary people.¡±


    Sylphy refers to ordinary refugees who do not hold any particular position or have any particular fighting skills.


    ¡°I swore to protect Kosuke. Therefore, I will take all possible measures to prevent anyone with such intentions from approaching Kosuke. For example, if I can¡¯t be around, I¡¯ll make sure to have one of Danan, Sir Leonard, or the spear instructor Zamir by your side.¡±


    ¡°The guards will be the ones extorting me for mithril weapons.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but you¡¯re going to have to do them both a favor on that one. Instead, I¡¯m going to ask them to protect Kosuke from now on, even if it means sacrificing themselves.¡±


    When I looked at him, Sir Leonard smiled at me, his lion¡¯s face turning into a big smile. The strong fangs peeked out, and it was rather scary. Ms. Zamir was staring at me with her reptilian face that showed no emotion. However, I think her eyes are shining very brightly.


    I see, so a warrior who is known as ¡°the best¡± in the Merinard Kingdom and the royal family¡¯s instructor of spearmanship will be my personal bodyguard. In fact, I don¡¯t mind making the weapon itself.


    The day before yesterday, I got some more mithril ore from mining, and I have enough materials to make a workbench if I want to. I can make two or three mithril weapons in a day if I add one more and schedule a crafting reservation.


    ¡°In that case, let¡¯s make some mithril weapons.¡±


    ¡°As expected of Kosuke-dono, you understand the situation perfectly.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    While the two of them looked satisfied, Pirna had a disappointed look on her face. Yeah, I understand how she feels. I totally understand.


    ¡°No, I¡¯ve already developed a new weapon for Harpy.¡±


    Then I took out the weapon from my inventory. Everyone but me tilted their heads when they saw what I took out.


    ¡°A club?¡±


    ¡°A club, huh?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I can use a club.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not just a club.¡±


    With a wry smile, I picked up the object on the table. Indeed, the object looks like a club. It also looks like a potato masher for mashing steamed potatoes. As some of you may have already noticed, this is the so-called stick grenade.


    ¡°It would be quicker to show it than to tell it to you, so please wait for me on the wall. I¡¯ll put the target outside.¡±


    ¡°By target, you mean it is a weapon to attack the enemy at a distance?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be accompanying you.¡±


    Accompanied by Sir Leonard, I set up the target logs outside the defensive wall and climbed on top of the wall. The logs have been set up in groups of several.


    ¡°This is a weapon called a stick grenade or throwing grenade. You throw it by hand and throw it near the target, and it explodes near the target to cause damage. I¡¯ll show you how to use it.¡±


    First, remove the safety cap from the tip of the handle. Then a weighted string will come out of the hollow handle. Wrap the string around the finger and grip the handle together with the weight. Now it is ready to be thrown.


    ¡°After three to four seconds of pulling out the string, the part at the tip of the handle will explode violently. Once you pull it out, the explosion won¡¯t stop, so you have to be very careful when handling it. Also, there will be a lot of noise, so keep that in mind.¡±


    After saying that, I threw the stick grenade towards the target. As soon as it leaves my hand, the string is pulled out of the handle, and the frictional heat ignites the fuse inside the bomb. It¡¯s like a match.


    The stick grenade landed on one of the groups of logs I had set up. And then it explodes.


    There was a thunderous roar that echoed in the pit of my stomach, and most of the logs that had been set up were shattered into tiny pieces. This is also a weapon used in small mustache-san¡¯s country, but it¡¯s not my hobby. If anything, I prefer the weapons of the land of hamburgers*.


    [T/n: I apologize, I didn¡¯t get about this one.]


    I knew a little bit about grenades from my previous research on the Internet. When I play survival games and such, I sometimes find guns and homemade bombs, so I was curious and searched for them. Has that ever happened to anyone before? Of course, it does.


    The reason why I chose a stick grenade, commonly known as a potato masher, was because I thought it was simple to operate, and the stick would be easy for Harpy¡¯s legs to hold. There may be more suitable weapons, but this was the only one I could think of that would be suitable for Harpy. I didn¡¯t have enough oil to make a Molotov cocktail.


    If I had an abundance of liquid fuel, I¡¯d like to make a flamethrower or something. I¡¯m thinking of making a bomb that is more optimized for Harpy to operate, yes. If it can be made a little heavier, I¡¯d like to increase the amount of gunpowder and make a type of bomb that can scatter fragments around the area, an ¡°air bomb for a harpy.¡±


    Now, while I was thinking about it, everyone who had been speechless with surprise seemed to have returned to their senses.


    ¡°Kosuke, that was¡­ kind of amazing.¡±


    ¡°It looks like the kind of explosive magic a high-ranking mage would use.¡±


    ¡°If all the soldiers have this, they will all have the firepower of a high-ranking mage.¡±


    ¡°Eh, Harpy¡¯s going to drop this from the sky? Seriously?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s amazing! Please let me try it out too!¡±


    Sir Leonard and Ms. Zamir are calm. Sylphy and Jagira are taken aback by the power, while Pirna is very excited. I also wanted Harpy actually to try it out, so Pirna¡¯s offer was a boon.


    ¡°This is a very dangerous weapon, just so you know. If you misuse it, you can¡¯t avoid instant death, and you might even get people around you involved. Be very careful with it.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    When I gave the warning with a serious face, Pirna, who was in a state of great excitement, straightened up and nodded with a faithful expression. So, I decided to put the bomb on Pirna.


    ¡°Yes, first of all, grip the handle with your foot.¡±


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s kind of ticklish to have my feet touched.¡±


    As a harpy, Pirna¡¯s feet are surprisingly muscular, or rather strong-looking, with sharp claws like a bird of prey. After confirming that Pirna had grasped the handle, I removed the safety cap at the end of the handle and tied the weighted string that came out of the hollow handle to the part of Pirna¡¯s ankle. I did this on both sides.


    ¡°How¡¯s the weight?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing at all. I can carry a lot more weight than that.¡±


    ¡°I see. How¡¯s the grip on the handle?¡±


    ¡°It could be a little thicker.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s good to know. Never let go of it except when you¡¯re throwing. If the string comes loose, it will explode.¡±


    ¡°I understand. Okay, I¡¯ll get started.¡±


    Pirna soared into the sky while creating a wind. It seems she is using magic to fly. The current wind pressure can¡¯t be produced with just those wings.


    Soaring high in the sky, Pirna dropped one of the bombs attached to both feet towards the target log. The bomb landed a little off the target and exploded. Some of the logs were still in place, but some of them were torn to pieces.


    The bombs seemed to be dropped at a higher altitude this time. Pirna drops the bomb as if she were throwing it from an altitude that no archers could reach. The bomb, accelerated by the power of Pirna¡¯s legs and gravity, fell on the spot where the logs stood.


    Then it exploded. The logs were splendidly torn to pieces. Hmm, this must have been more vicious than I thought. Pirna says that even heavier and more powerful bombs will work. time, I¡¯ll make some dummy bombs with different thicknesses and weights of handles and have her try them out.


    ¡°I did it!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s amazing.¡±


    ¡°That kind of power from that altitude¡­ will change the whole battlefield.¡±


    ¡°Amazing, though I¡¯m starving.¡±


    Everyone greeted the joyful Pirna when she returned, and¡­ Jagira was so hungry that she cowered. Sylphy seems to be pondering something with her arms crossed.


    I don¡¯t know what she is pondering, but it¡¯s breakfast for now. I also have to continue with the construction. Oh, I also have to make mithril weapons, dig a well, and¡­ there are so many things to do! So many things!

 CH 37

    Here¡¯s the chapter, enjoy~


    After breakfast, I got back to work. The first thing I need to do is to make dormitories and dig a well, but¡­


    ¡°There¡¯s something I want Jagira and Pirna to do for me.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    After eating breakfast, Jagira recovered and was full of energy. By the way, our breakfast consisted of baked bread, soup, salad, and steak. I made all of it in advance using the crafting menu and served it to them. You might think it¡¯s a bit heavy for breakfast, but the people here are basically manual laborers, so they gobbled it all up. In fact, everyone but Pirna and I had another serving.


    Well, that¡¯s okay. I took the ammunition out of my inventory and piled it up in front of Jagira. There were 500 bullets in total.


    ¡°I want you to shoot them all; I don¡¯t care if it destroys the gun. I want you to test its durability.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. But there is a danger. The barrel will naturally heat up from continuous firing. This will degrade the accuracy, and in some cases, there is a risk of the gun exploding. Besides, not only the barrel but also the firing mechanism and loading mechanism may be damaged. It¡¯s risky, but can you do it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    After placing the large basket on the table, Jagira filled it with ammunition and climbed on top of the wall. This is one to start with.


    ¡°As for Pirna, I want you to check the weight of the grenades. I want you to measure the limit of weight that you can hold and fly without any problem. By flying without a problem, I don¡¯t mean just being able to carry it, but assuming you¡¯re going to be dropping bombs from friendly territory to enemy territory over and over again. If it¡¯s too heavy, you won¡¯t be able to fly it as many times, and if you¡¯re not careful, you¡¯ll end up crashing in the middle of enemy territory, so I think it¡¯s best to have enough leeway.¡±


    ¡°I see, I understand.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave some tools, wood, iron, and stones in place, and I need someone to help out. And this.¡±


    I took out four dummies of stick grenades from my inventory.


    ¡°These are dummies without gunpowder. Please use them as a reference.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°Let me help you.¡±


    It appears that Ms. Zamir will be assisting Pirna. That¡¯s a relief for now.


    ¡°Then, Sylphy and Sir Leonard will be accompanying me.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    Everyone dispersed to their work. Now, I¡¯m going to build the dormitories.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to build the dormitories. Sir Leonard, you should also think about what kind of mithril weapons you want to use.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Leave it to me!¡±


    ¡°Kosuke.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    I turned around when Sylphy called me, but she seemed to have a serious expression on her face. What¡¯s wrong?


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°¡­No. Good luck with the construction.¡±


    ¡°Eh? Yeah, I got it.¡±


    What¡¯s going on? I don¡¯t know, but now that she¡¯s asked me to do my best, I¡¯ll do my best. But I¡¯m just going to build a tofu house. It¡¯s a certain shape and size, so there¡¯s nothing complicated about it.


    It¡¯s really just a place to put some stuff and sleep. There would be four two-person rooms and a living room that could accommodate eight people, and the same layout would be used for the two-story building. It was calculated that 16 people could live in one building. If I build 20 of these buildings, there will be enough housing for 300 people.


    To be honest, I would like to ignore the issue of livability. There are windows in every room. The windows are made of wood and have shutters. The building¡¯s size and layout were made yesterday under Melty, Qubi, and Isla¡¯s supervision. The number of shutters needed was already crafted, so installation was easy.


    ¡°But it¡¯s amazing how fast the building is being constructed, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is. I can only describe Kosuke¡¯s power as amazing.¡±


    Hahaha, even if you praise me like that, nothing will come out.


    The last thing the three of us, Sylphy, Sir Leonard, and I did was to check the finished dormitories, and then the dormitory construction was finished.


    The next step is to dig a well.


    ¡°Sylphy, please take care of me.¡±


    ¡°Leave it to me.¡±


    I dug the well by digging straight down. There was no need to worry about the air because Sylphy would use her wind magic to blow it in from above. To prevent the walls from collapsing, the walls will be fortified with stone blocks. They¡¯re easy to make with just stone and clay, and they¡¯re pretty sturdy.


    After digging down about 7 meters, water started to flow out. I dug another meter, and now the depth was 8 meters. I can use a hand pump for this. I¡¯ve read on the Internet that they can only be used up to 10 meters deep.


    By the way, I¡¯ve already made a hand pump. I made one and installed it in the well of the refugee camp, and they were delighted. It made me very happy as well.


    I promised Isla that I would install them in all the wells in the refugee camp. Also, Isla took one of them for research. She said she was going to gather some of the most skilled refugees to study it. The structure of a hand pump is surprisingly simple, I suppose.


    Now that we had a good supply of water, it was time to climb up. I took out the 10-meter long wooden ladder I had made in advance from my inventory and propped it against the stone wall¡¯s wall to climb out.


    ¡°Thanks for the good work.¡±


    ¡°Did you get the water?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes. I had to dig deeper than in the forest, though.¡±


    ¡°I see. We¡¯ll test it tomorrow to see if it¡¯s drinkable.¡±


    ¡°Spirit magic is surely an amazing thing.¡±


    It is said that water spirit magic can determine whether the water is drinkable or not. It seems that the well must be filled with water to a certain extent, and the water must be left for some time to become clear.


    ¡°You said we need to dig four wells in total, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s get a move on.¡±


    Despite the intermittent sounds of gunfire, I continued to dig the well. So far, it seems that the firing has been going smoothly. I repeat the same process and dig three more wells. Water came out of all the wells without any problems. That¡¯s a relief for now.


    ¡°I wonder why there¡¯s no vegetation in the Omit Wilderness when you can dig for water.¡±


    ¡°I heard that as a result of abusing the spirit stone¡¯s event disintegration attack, the spirit power of the land had been disrupted, and no plants could grow properly.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s doing that? The Elders?¡±


    ¡°Umu.¡±


    The power of the Spirit Stone is terrific! I hope it doesn¡¯t have any harmful effects on the human body. I¡¯m starting to get scared.


    Once the wells were completed, I proceeded to build the entire fort. The toilets will not be simple holes dug, but full-scale pumping toilets. There was a person among the refugees who were familiar with the structure, so I asked her about it.


    The royal capitals and large cities of the Merinard Kingdom were equipped with water and sewage systems using magic, and the toilets were flushable, but small and medium-sized cities and rural areas where such systems were not available used pumping toilets. She was a craftsman who had built toilets in such places several times.


    Well, that¡¯s good. Toilets are also related to gunpowder making, so I asked her quite seriously. I actually made one right in front of her, and she gave me some instruction. Perfect.


    ¡°Do you have a special attachment to toilets, Kosuke-dono?¡±


    ¡°No, not really. Cleanliness is important, you know. You can easily get sick if it¡¯s unclean.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    Dozens or hundreds of people live in a fort-like this. If public hygiene is not maintained correctly, it could quickly become a hellish picture of a plague. Real biohazards are a no-no.


    ¡°It¡¯s true that plague is a terrible thing.¡±


    Sir Leonard seemed to be convinced of my obsession with the toilet. Well, I¡¯ll use anything, even dirty bombs, against my enemies. In that sense, feces and pee are strategic materials.


    In fact, in the old days, the defenders would drop human excrement along with boiling water or hot oil during siege battles. And then they would paint the arrowheads with it. How horrible¡­ I shudder.


    I¡¯ve made as many toilets as I think I¡¯ll need. It¡¯s for up to 300 people. The number of toilets will naturally be numerous. And because of the gender ratio, there will be far more women¡¯s toilets than men¡¯s. I guess it can¡¯t be helped.


    Now that the toilets have been completed, it¡¯s time to build the farmland. However, as for the farmland, there are farmland blocks made from the soil of the Black Forest. So I¡¯m going to try using this one first.


    After all, it¡¯s the one I made with my crafting ability. I won¡¯t be surprised if Isla¡¯s eyes go blank again. No, it¡¯s a survival game ability that I pulled directly from the game. It wouldn¡¯t be strange to be able to harvest crops within three days after planting the seeds, I think.


    That¡¯s why I dug down with a shovel and placed farm blocks in the area I planned to turn into farmland.


    ¡°That¡¯s pretty fertile soil.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because the farmland blocks are made from the soil of the Black Forest. It¡¯s no wonder it looks the best when my abilities and the soil of the Black Forest are combined.¡±


    The next step is to cultivate the farm block with a hoe. I have to make ridges, there, there, and there.


    ¡°I¡¯m beginning to understand why Her Highness and Isla sometimes have trouble wrapping their heads.¡±


    ¡°Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°I love cultivating!¡±


    With a single swing of the hoe, a square meter of ground can be tilled and ridged to a reasonable degree, with just one swing. I use the command action to slide backward over the farm blocks and plow them up. More ridges appear¡ªmore plowing. More ridges appear. It¡¯s so much fun.


    Once I¡¯ve finished plowing, it¡¯s time to plant the seeds. This time, I prepared grain seeds. Not the corn kind that Melty always makes me grind, but the wheat kind.


    ¡°My head is starting to hurt.¡±


    ¡°Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°Planting seeds is fun!¡±


    I hold a bag of wheat seeds in my hand, and with a right click of the mouse, I instantly sow the seeds in a square meter of rows, and they germinate instantly, producing green sprouts. Sow the seeds. It germinates. Sow a seed. It germinates. It¡¯s very, very fun.


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯ve shot all the¡­ eh, fields? Eh? How come?¡±


    Jagira, who has a bolt-action rifle hanging on her shoulder with a sling, rolls her eyes at the field in front of her, or rather, the ongoing expansion of the field.


    ¡°¡­Your Highness the Princess, the first sprouts are already growing, but¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s what Kosuke does.¡±


    Oh no, I have to water it. I¡¯ve made a watering can, so I¡¯ll use¡­ well water. I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s a good idea to drink it, but I think it¡¯s safe to sprinkle a little on the field.


    I used both my own speed dash and the command action dash to get the water into the water tank. I poured some bottled water into the pump and pumped it out. Oh? What¡¯s with the clear water? Well, I don¡¯t have to worry about the details. Just start watering!


    I went back and forth between the well and the field several times and finished watering all the wheat. Hmm, this needs improvement. Maybe I should build a well for the fields and a tank to store rainwater.


    No, wait¡­? If the blocks can float in the air, maybe I can use ¡°that¡±¡­? No, but¡­ I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything like ¡°that¡±¡­ Should I just try it?


    The problem is to find a water source¡­ Oh man, should I have drawn water from the river? Can well water be used instead? I should just give it a try.


    I dug a hole 4 meters wide, 4 meters deep, and 2 meters deep next to the field.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m just experimenting.¡±


    I put stone wall blocks at the bottom, and then I put stone wall blocks around the edges. This creates a hole 2 meters wide, 2 meters deep, and 1 meter deep. Pour water into the hole with a bucket on the diagonal.


    ¡°Kosuke?¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Why is this hole filled with two buckets of water?¡±


    ¡°Haha, I wonder why.¡±


    As I said this, I filled the empty bucket with water and put it in my inventory.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been pumping water into the empty bucket for a while now, but it doesn¡¯t seem to be diminishing.¡±


    ¡°Maybe I¡¯m imagining things. It¡¯s probably just an optical illusion.¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    ¡°Sylphy, this is a well. It¡¯s a little strange well. Okay?¡±


    ¡°A-all right.¡±


    Perhaps sensing something in my uncompromising attitude, Sylphy nodded obediently. She¡¯s a good girl. I can¡¯t say that I¡¯ve created an infinite water source, so I¡¯ll just say that this is a strange well.


    I made it on a whim, but it¡¯s very dangerous. The source of the water is never-ending, no matter how much you draw. Isla¡¯s eyes will blank out again.


    Speaking of the torch¡¯s never-ending flame, that thing is infinite as a light source, but for some reason, the flame isn¡¯t hot enough for the torch I set up. When it¡¯s in hand, it can burn other things properly¡­ It¡¯s strange.


    ¡°Oops, that¡¯s right. How¡¯s the rifle, Jagira?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve fired all 500 rounds and haven¡¯t had any trouble. I think the accuracy is almost the same.¡±


    ¡°Seriously? All right, I¡¯ll keep that one. You take this one.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡±


    I took the bolt-action rifle that had completed 500 rounds of test firing and handed the spare new bolt-action rifle to Jagira. I think I¡¯ll make a quadruple scope next time.


    Even so, there is no problem at all with 500 rounds¡­ and it is difficult to judge whether the original performance is excellent or whether it is the crafted product that I made. However, it¡¯s a relief to know that it won¡¯t become useless after just one battle. This is not much of a sample, though.


    As I was thinking this while checking the bolt-action rifle I had received from Jagira, Pirna, and Ms. Zamir also showed up. They were astonished when they saw the field I had plowed. It¡¯s a good field, isn¡¯t it?


    ¡°Where did this field come from¡­?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s already sprouting and growing¡­¡±


    I bring the two stunned people back to their senses and ask them about their results. They said that they had decided on the best shape of the handle and the bomb¡¯s weight.


    ¡°It¡¯s pretty heavy, you know. Are you sure you can handle it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s about right. I can go back and forth as many times as I like, about 10 kilometers each way.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I see.¡±


    The prototype model was made by modifying a dummy stick grenade. A thicker piece of wood was added to the end of the handle, and it was processed into a T-shape. I see; it¡¯s easier to hold and throw this way. A metal weight was added to the grenade¡¯s tip, making the overall weight about four times that of a standard dummy grenade. It can hold a lot of explosives. The weight of the grenade is about six times that of a standard dummy grenade. It¡¯s probably about three kilograms.


    ¡°All right, I¡¯ll make some prototypes based on this. Ms. Zamir, I want you to think about the design of your mithril weapon.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    Now that the maintenance of the fort was finished, I would work on weapon development after lunch. I¡¯ve decided to have Sir Leonard, Ms. Zamir, Jagira, and Pirna scout the area around the fort. Sylphy will stay with me.


    ¡°Then, we¡¯ll go now.¡±


    ¡°Be careful.¡±


    Since Gizma was basically the only one in the area, the four of them would not fall behind. I take out the blacksmithing facility and workbench from my inventory and start developing sniper scopes and air bombs for the harpies.


    Since I got the Creator skill, item creation has become much easier. Even if I have a pretty vague idea of what I want, it¡¯s very easy to optimize and create a recipe. I¡¯ve noticed that items with recipes added by the item creation function take longer to craft than items that are registered from the start, and the materials are heavier. Well, I guess that¡¯s a reasonable disadvantage.


    ?Quadruple Scope ¨D Materials: Glass x 5, Iron x 1, Mechanical Parts x 4


    The materials aren¡¯t too heavy. However, the crafting time is long. It takes about 30 minutes¡­ Well, it can¡¯t be helped. Should I make ten of them to use my mass-producer skill? That way, I can save one.


    The improved workbench has been filled with scopes, so I¡¯ll make a new, improved workbench. I have the materials so I can make it quickly.


    ¡° is an air bomb for Harpy.¡±


    I thought about the design while looking at the samples that Pirna and Ms. Zamir had made for me. It¡¯s basically for anti-personnel use, so there¡¯s no need to make it shell-shaped, right? The shell should be thicker to improve the fragmentation effect, and the amount of gunpowder should be increased. The fuse should be the same type, but the string should be improved to make it easier to attach. I¡¯ll make the weight part into a hook so that it can be fixed just by wrapping it around and hanging the hook. By the way, the recipe looks like this.


    ?Hand Stick Grenade ¨D Materials: Gunpowder x 2, Iron x 1, Wood x 1, Mechanical Parts x 1


    ?Harpy¡¯s Air Bomb Type 1 ¨D Materials: Gunpowder x 6 Iron x 3 Wood x 1 Mechanical Parts x 1


    It¡¯s three times the cost of the stick grenade¡­ I hope the effect is worth it. I¡¯ll make about ten of them for now. I¡¯ll probably make about 30 stick grenades as well.


    When I finished reserving my crafting, I looked up and saw Sylphy staring at me with an expression that indicated she wanted to say something. What is it? She looked troubled and embarrassed.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ are you okay, Kosuke?¡±


    ¡°Okay with what?¡±


    The question is too vague for me to reply to. There¡¯s nothing hard about it, but¡­? Rather, I only realized that I¡¯m doing fine and lively.


    ¡°Kosuke lived in peace, in a safe country, didn¡¯t he? Well, to be honest with you, I got a little scared. Bolt action rifles and stick grenades are very powerful weapons. I hope you don¡¯t think it¡¯s too hard for you to create something like that, even for me.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see¡­ To be honest, I didn¡¯t think too much about it.¡±


    It¡¯s an honest feeling. It may be irresponsible, but I found enjoyment in creating powerful weapons until Sylphy told me to do so. I¡¯m making a weapon that is completely intended for use against people, in other words, a tool for killing people.


    ¡°I have a lot of responsibility for what I¡¯m doing if you put it that way. People in the Holy Kingdom are going to die in droves because of the weapons I¡¯ve made¡­¡±


    I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be greatly resented. In the future, it will be each and every soldier who will directly kill the enemy in the war to come, but I, who make the weapons, will have to bear many times, dozens of times, hundreds of times, or even more deaths than the soldiers.


    ¡°I¡¯m destined for hell, aren¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°Hell?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a concept in my world. There¡¯s a terrifying god called Enma-sama who judges the dead according to their sins and punishes them accordingly. Of course, it¡¯s not proven to exist.¡±


    I shrugged my shoulders and smiled. Well, what do you think? I¡¯m starting to wonder if there really is such a thing as a supernatural being in another world. I don¡¯t know if there really is a hell or something.


    ¡°I see, the afterlife¡­ In this world, when a person dies, their soul is said to turn into a star.¡±


    ¡°That sounds rather romantic.¡±


    There are stories of people turning into stars after death, even in my original world. Orion, for example.


    ¡°But if Kosuke is going to this place called Hell, I will be with you. Because I¡¯m the one who¡¯s forcing Kosuke to make weapons.¡±


    ¡°Should I be happy about that? As for me, I hope I¡¯m the only one who goes to hell. I can¡¯t bear to see you go to hell too, Sylphy.¡±


    ¡°Even the heaviest of sins is only half as heavy if both of us bear it. I won¡¯t let Kosuke be the only one to suffer.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a kind master. Then, I¡¯ll do my best to do good deeds so that Enma-sama in hell can lighten my sins as much as possible.¡±


    ¡°Yes, we will. It¡¯s not only about killing, but also about saving.¡±


    Sylphy smiles at me. Yes, her smile is always cute. From now on, I¡¯ll probably kill a lot of people. But I will save a lot of people for that. I want Sylphy to keep smiling.

 CH 38

    Sponsored chapter by Patreon, enjoy~


    We must not only focus on killing but also on helping people. Indeed, Sylphy is right. Sylphy¡¯s goal is to reclaim the Merinard Kingdom, not to kill all the people in the Holy Kingdom.


    Killing is a means but not an end in itself. I think I¡¯ve misunderstood that point somehow.


    ¡°However, it is easier to kill than to keep them alive, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Of course it is, I guess.¡±


    Sylphy smiled bitterly at my statement. In the end, what is required now is the power to reclaim the Merinard Kingdom from the Holy Kingdom. In other words, destruction, killing, and violence.


    ¡°In any case, you have to slap the Holy Kingdom in the face once, maybe two or three times, and make them think that it¡¯s not worth it to mess with the Merinard Kingdom. For now, it¡¯s only after that that we can steer the ship in the direction of keeping them alive.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. First, we have to win.¡±


    The flowery theories that violence does not produce anything or that we will not be invaded if we abandon fighting forces do not work in reality. The reality is that if you don¡¯t have violence and don¡¯t show it, you will be beaten unilaterally.


    Trying not to kill the enemy is a luxury that only the absolute winner can afford. At least, it¡¯s not something we can afford at this point. That¡¯s why I¡¯ve decided to reveal to Sylphy the weapons that I have already developed. It¡¯s important to share information.


    ¡°Basically, I think we¡¯re going to be fighting a defensive battle holed up in the fort.¡±


    ¡°Yes, we are few in number. It would be reckless to launch a field battle. If we use Kosuke¡¯s ability, we can approach the enemy in the shadows of the night and build up the fort before it gets light.¡±


    ¡°And we¡¯ll strike the enemy with Harpy¡¯s aerial bombardment.¡±


    Sylphy nodded at my words. The weakness of forts and fortifications is that they cannot be moved from the point where they are built. It doesn¡¯t matter how solid and powerful the fortress is from the enemy¡¯s point of view. If it¡¯s not located close to their base or transportation point, it¡¯s not a threat.


    The solution to this problem was to use my crafting abilities to create an overnight fort and Harpy to launch aerial bombardment.


    We will build our base near the enemy base, and when we are ready to defend it, we will use our harpies to bombard the enemy base. The enemy will be helpless against aerial bombardment from a position where arrows and magic cannot reach. It would be a one-sided, all-out assault. It could even be enough to decide the game.


    If the enemy is clever, they will try to destroy our base as soon as possible. But what awaits is more violence.


    ¡°What awaited the enemy soldiers was suppressive fire from improved crossbows and bombardment from stick grenades. Of course, there will also be aerial bombardment by Harpies. Also, I¡¯ve made something like this.¡±


    What I pulled out was an object that looked like a stick grenade. The difference between this and the stick grenade is that the handle is not hollow but a stake, and there is a string with a thin metal stake extending from the part of the grenade that connects to the warhead. Also, the warhead is larger and looks thicker.


    ¡°It¡¯s called an anti-personnel mine. It¡¯s a trap. You stick this stake in the ground, and then you stick the other stake in the ground as well, with the string stretched tight. Then if someone hooks their foot and pulls the string¡­ bang! The gunpowder in the warhead explodes, and the explosion sends the shattered metal shell flying around.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that¡­ very dangerous?¡±


    The intelligent Sylphy seemed to recognize the danger of this weapon right away.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s dangerous. You have to set it up and make sure you retrieve it after the battle is over. If you don¡¯t manage it properly, you¡¯ll be in big trouble. It doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s friend or foe; if you get trapped, it will explode.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s best not to use that weapon if at all possible.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I agree with you.¡±


    Our numbers are overwhelmingly small. I believe that anti-personnel mines will be a valuable weapon for making up the difference in numbers. They¡¯re also cheap to craft, though.


    ¡°Also, here¡¯s something else.¡±


    I set up a building block on the ground, a cubic meter of tightly bound red tubes. On the side is written ¡®TNT.¡¯


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an explosive block. If you set it on fire, it¡¯ll probably explode.¡±


    ¡°Probably?¡±


    ¡°I made it, but I haven¡¯t detonated it yet.¡±


    ¡°I see. So, what¡¯s the use of this fancy stuff?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to figure out a way to use it for traps, but I¡¯m stuck.¡±


    In this world, there are no materials that can be used for remote detonation at the moment. I¡¯ve been able to make a fuse, so I can pull the string and blow it up from a distance. I¡¯d like to find a safer and more reliable means of detonation, such as an electric detonator or a Redstone detonator*. I¡¯ll talk to Isla about this when I get back.


    [T/n: It¡¯s something from Minecraft, I think?]


    ¡°I wish there was a reliable way to detonate the bomb from a distance.¡±


    ¡°From a distance, or if you light it on fire, will it detonate?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I think it will.¡±


    ¡°If so, you can use fire arrows, fire magic, or magic tools. If you want to be sure, you should use a magic tool. You should talk to Isla about it.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Besides, if we can blow up this thing remotely, I dare say we should let the enemy take the fort and blow up the entire fort and the enemy army.¡±


    ¡°¡­Kosuke is surprisingly resourceful.¡±


    ¡°Not really.¡±


    I¡¯m also thinking of digging tunnels underneath the fort to blow it up. Bombing and demolition is a man¡¯s dream, isn¡¯t it?


    ¡°That¡¯s all I can think of right now. I¡¯ll tell you when I think of more.¡±


    ¡°Fumu¡­ Kosuke, are you going to improve the bolt action rifle?¡±


    As soon as I retrieved the explosive block, Sylphy said that.


    ¡°Improve?¡±


    ¡°I think it would be stronger if it could fire more and faster.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s great, Sylphy. You¡¯re right; there are weapons like that in my world. Or rather, the bolt-action rifle, which has a small number of bullets and can¡¯t fire in rapid succession, is only used for sniping, and the mainstream is the one that can fire in rapid succession with a large number of bullets, as Sylphy said.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Why don¡¯t you make one?¡±


    Sylphy tilted her head. It¡¯s so cute.


    ¡°The reason is that they consume too much ammunition. A rapid-fire gun is undoubtedly powerful, but it wastes a lot of ammunition. The current situation is that there are multiple rapid-fire guns. At present, it is difficult to produce enough ammunition to operate multiple rapid-fire guns because of the cost. In fact, it is difficult to equip and operate bolt-action rifles for all three hundred people. With the current production capacity, the maximum number of people who can operate it satisfactorily is about ten at most.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? In other words, guns are basically money-grubbing insects, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Especially the ammunition. As for the maintenance cost of the main unit, crossbows and bolt-action rifles are not so different, but the cost of procuring ammunition is too different.¡±


    If I could get a lot of lead, copper, and gunpowder, it would be a different story.


    ¡°I¡¯m already working on another gun, though it¡¯s not a bolt-action rifle. Like this one and this one.¡±


    With that, I took out of my inventory. There are four guns. The first is a pistol with a rotating magazine, a so-called revolver. The second is an automatic pistol with a replaceable magazine. The third was a long gun with two thick barrels lined up vertically. The last one was a gun with a similar design to the second one but with a thicker barrel. It had a single barrel.


    ¡°That¡¯s quite a lot, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°This one is a revolver pistol, this one is an automatic pistol, this one is an up-and-down double-barreled shotgun, and the last one is a development of the second one, a pump-action shotgun.¡±


    ¡°Fumu¡­ What¡¯s the difference between that and a bolt action rifle? This pistol is easy to understand, but can I try to hold it¡­?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine since it is unloaded.¡±


    After receiving my permission, Sylphy picked up the revolver and took a closer look at it. Oh, a brown elf looks good with a revolver¡­ Sylphy, with a serious expression, looks great because she is a cool beauty. This is good.


    ¡°It¡¯s surprisingly heavy, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a lump of iron. The pistol is a short-range weapon. That gun has six rounds; this one has up to eight. It fires a lead ball the size of the tip of a finger. At close range, it¡¯s powerful enough to kill a man with one shot.¡±


    By the way, both of these pistols are from the land of hamburgers. Personally, I like the pistol from the land of vodka, though.


    ¡°This is for close-range combat?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is. In my world, close-range combat with swords and spears had already become obsolete, so we basically fought with rifles that could fire repeatedly, and for close-range combat, we used guns like this or submachine guns capable of firing multiple shots in quick succession.¡±


    ¡°But this one can only fire six shots, right? Wouldn¡¯t that be a problem in a melee?¡±


    Yes, it¡¯s a question that is very typical of the inhabitants of a fantasy world that focuses on close combat. As long as the sword or spear doesn¡¯t break, it can be used over and over again.


    ¡°In the first place, in my world, such battles themselves rarely occur. Look at it this way, each one of us has a rifle with continuous fire. If you try to start a melee, you¡¯re going to get shot at and riddled with holes. The pistol is often used for self-defense in unexpected encounters where the rifle cannot be used. It¡¯s also a weapon used by cops¡­ or guards, I guess.¡±


    But even in the 21st century, there are still some crazy people who go on bayonet charges. The military in the land of tea is really crazy. (Compliment)


    ¡°I see¡­ How about that big gun over here?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t say I¡¯ve ever been in a close combat situation, but this is a gun for close combat. Well, it still has a normal effective range of about 50 meters.¡±


    ¡°Well, how is it different from a rifle?¡±


    ¡°Well, it can fire many different kinds of bullets. It can fire multiple bullets simultaneously, just like this pistol, or it can fire countless smaller bullets. You can also fire a single large bullet. Basically, the smaller the bullet, the lower the range.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ what kind of use is that?¡±


    ¡°Urban warfare, or indoor warfare when you go into a building where the enemy is holed up. Also, it¡¯s often used for hunting.¡±


    ¡°I see. Is that it?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s more. You want to see it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to see it all first, anyway.¡±


    ¡°All right. Let¡¯s go up to the wall.¡±


    I put the guns in my inventory, and Sylphy and I climbed up the wall. Then I took out a large weapon from my inventory and set it up. This is an installed object, you know.


    ¡°That¡¯s a pretty big crossbow.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s called a ballista. It flies an arrow as thick as a spear. We both have to turn this lever and squeeze the string. Let¡¯s try it.¡±


    ¡°Umu.¡±


    The two of us worked together to turn the lever at the ballista¡¯s back and pull the string. It takes a lot of strength, this thing.


    ¡°So, what now?¡±


    ¡°These are the ballista arrows.¡±


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s almost like a spear.¡±


    ¡°I know, right?¡±


    I set the ballista with the special arrows and move the pedestal to set the sights.


    ¡°To fire it, you have to pull this lever. Try to aim far and wide.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I got it.¡±


    Sylphy aimed at a rock in the distance with the ballista and pulled the firing lever. Bang! The string popped with a loud noise, and the arrow shot out with tremendous force. The arrow, like a spear in flight, hit the rock with great accuracy, and the rock shattered as the arrow pierced deep into it.


    ¡°That¡¯s a lot of power.¡±


    ¡°It flies farther than a crossbow, so it can attack enemies at a greater distance. I think it can destroy a fortress from a distance. This one is next.¡±


    I put the ballista in my inventory, and now I take out the iron cannon and place it on the parapet. The cannon is not that big. The barrel length is about one meter. The diameter is less than 5cm.


    ¡°What is this¡­? Is it a gun?¡±


    ¡°Close one. It¡¯s not a gun. It¡¯s called a swivel cannon. It¡¯s a weapon that shoots bigger bullets farther than a gun. It¡¯s more powerful than the ballista, but it¡¯s more expensive to manufacture¡­ As you can see, it uses a lot of iron, and the gunpowder and shells are very expensive. The power is great, though.¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s not suitable for mass production?¡±


    ¡°At least, not yet. I think that will change when we take back the Merinard Kingdom and acquire the mines.¡±


    Even so, I don¡¯t think there are many situations where we need firearms. As far as I have heard from Danan and Sir Leonard, a ballista seems to be sufficient.


    The weapons of this world, especially projectile weapons, are underdeveloped. The best weapons in this world are bows and arrows, throwing spears, and slingshots with poles, and weapons with mechanical structures such as stone-throwers, ballista, and crossbows are not well developed at all.


    I can only speculate, but I think the reason for this is magic.


    A skilled magician can unleash a powerful attack on an enemy from a farther distance than a bow and arrow. Naturally, the status of magicians becomes higher, and they turn to the side of the rulers. In essence, they are nobles and royalty.


    For them, as rulers, projectile weapons that could kill them from a distance are a threat. So the development of these weapons would not be a happy event for them. I suspect that the development of mechanical technology is being hindered by the magicians¡¯ hands, the nobles and royalty who have gained power.


    It may just be that it is not considered necessary because of magic and is not being developed. I really think this is the case when I see the elders bickering about natural disasters.


    ¡°Let¡¯s give this a try. I said earlier that it shoots big bullets, but this one is actually designed to shoot differently.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Hold on a second.¡±


    I select the special ammunition from my inventory and load it with a command action. It¡¯s more reliable than loading it on my own! I don¡¯t have the knowledge to load a front-loading cannon, after all. When I¡¯ve finished loading, I aim the swivel cannon.


    ¡°Let¡¯s shoot.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Boom! The sound of the cannon was far more powerful than the sound of a bolt-action rifle, and the wilderness was filled with countless small plumes of dust.


    ¡°Wow, that was amazing. Did it send a lot of small bullets?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, they¡¯re called canister ammunition. Canister ammunition is the big kind of ammunition shot by the shotgun I just showed you. They¡¯re used to overwhelm enemy troops coming into the fort.¡±


    If ten of these were installed on the fort¡¯s walls, the infantry would have no choice but to flee. It¡¯s impossible to deploy them with the current production capacity, though. In addition, the training is¡­ honestly speaking, the only way to learn it is to watch me load it with command actions. I don¡¯t have the knowledge, after all.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know when you started making these things¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been working on it during the renovation of the village wall.¡±


    All of them took a long time to make, and it was hard work. After all this work, the one that was officially adopted was the bolt action rifle after considering power, operability, ammunition consumption, and many other factors.


    The weapons I¡¯ve just shown are all prototypes, except for the ballista, which is almost done.


    ¡°Well, the ballista is the only one I¡¯ve shown you that can be officially adopted or mass-produced. In a sense, it¡¯s an extension of the crossbow, and it¡¯s relatively easy to learn.¡±


    A person of this world, if it is a subhuman who is proud of their power, might be able to roll it up by themselves, like Shumer. It might be interesting to try and make a large crossbow for Shumer.


    Also, I think I should mass produce some anti-personnel mines. There is no other weapon that is as effective as the anti-personnel mines in closing the numbers gap.


    ¡°I see¡­ but, how about that pistol? It¡¯s kind of a beautiful thing, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Oh, do you like it? I can make one for you if you want.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll make one.¡±


    Sylphy, who was not very interested in bolt-action rifles, was interested in the revolver, which suits her¡­ Isn¡¯t it sexy when she has a Pale Moon in one hand and a revolver in the other? I think I¡¯ll get her a cowboy hat or something.


    The silver-haired cowboy dark elf is too much of an attribute, yes. But I want to see it, don¡¯t you want to? I¡¯d really love to see it.


    As for ammunition, I¡¯ve made enough for my own use, and I can share it with Sylphy. I¡¯ll have to teach her how to use it. I don¡¯t want her to get injured or die from the gun going off.


    While I was thinking about this, I made an appointment to craft a revolver for Sylphy on the improved workbench when Sir Leonard and the others returned. They seem to be in a hurry.


    ¡°Welcome back. What¡¯s the matter, you¡¯re in such a hurry?¡±


    ¡°I heard a great noise, so I came back in a hurry. What was that noise just now?¡±


    Oh, it was because of the swivel gun, wasn¡¯t it? To be honest, I¡¯m really sorry.

 CH 39

    Hi my dear readers, I¡¯m sorry for any bad words since I¡¯m not good at composing words. I¡¯m also apologize for the late release. As you may know from the announcement on my Discord channel, my brother¡¯s newborn baby was diagnosed with liver disorders. The cost of the surgery isn¡¯t small. So, I want to help to ease my brother¡¯s cost burden for the surgery.


    And so, I made a goal for it on my Ko-Fi¡¯s page; I¡¯d really appreciate every penny you donate for it.


    I hope it won¡¯t annoy anyone, and that¡¯s all for it.


    Thank you very much, and here¡¯s my Ko-Fi¡¯s page: https://ko-fi.com/nyxtranslation


    NB: I didn¡¯t include different world cheat as it¡¯s the latest volume published for now.


    Here¡¯s the chapter, enjoy~


    For the time being, I decided to show all of the weapons that I¡¯m currently working on to the people in this fort. The people here will be the ones who will either be using my advanced weapons or seeing them up close during the upcoming liberation battle for the Merinard Kingdom. time, I¡¯ll have to show them to Danan, Melty, Isla, and Qubi, who are staying in the village as well.


    Each of them gave me a very different reaction. Jagira and Pirna, who are basically soldiers rather than warriors, reacted favorably. However, I could not get a positive response from Sir Leonard and Ms. Zamir, who are more of a warrior than a soldier.


    ¡°No, they¡¯re all amazing. If all of us had these weapons, we¡¯d be unbeatable, wouldn¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°These aerial bombs are amazing! I think it¡¯s great that we can attack them unilaterally from the sky.¡±


    It¡¯s like this. It¡¯s like they¡¯re simply happy to have a strong weapon. If they have a strong weapon, they can kill more enemies and increase their own survival rate. As a soldier, they must be happy.


    ¡°As for me, as a warrior, I believe there is nothing to be proud of to fight like that.¡±


    ¡°Even a well-trained body and well-honed skills are like a piece of paper in the face of Kosuke-dono¡¯s weapons.¡±


    Both of them had very subtle expressions on their faces. Ballistas and pistols are fine. It seems to be a range of weapons that the two of them can handle with their superhuman physical abilities and well-honed skills. No, I think that¡¯s amazing too, right?


    But anti-personnel mines, shotguns, and swivel cannons are out of their control. They can handle two or three bullets or ballista arrows flying at high speed, but they can¡¯t handle countless bullets or pieces of metal flying at once, no matter how much they try.


    I actually tried to shoot Sir Leonard with an automatic gun because he insisted it would be okay, but all the bullets were cut off by the falchions on both of his hands. What are you, an anime character or something?


    ¡°I can read the trajectory of a bullet by looking at your eyes and the muzzle.¡±


    ¡°The bullets are fast and small, but they are manageable compared to the close-range stabs unleashed by experts.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, well, if it¡¯s just a pistol, I think I can manage it¡­?¡±


    Jagira also agrees though she is tilting her head. Are you serious?


    ¡°Well, I can manage a pistol. However, the bullets from a bolt action rifle are too fast for close range.¡±


    ¡°You think?¡±


    Sylphy was also on that side. I¡¯ve been thinking about it for a while.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ am I going in the wrong direction with the weapon I¡¯m trying to make¡­?¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think you¡¯re wrong. I believe that the weapons that Kosuke makes are definitely strong ones.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve never seen such a powerful weapon for Harpy.¡±


    Jagira and Pirna denied my words, though.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s a weapon for humans. The idea is good, and it¡¯s definitely an excellent weapon, but it¡¯s the same whether it¡¯s held by humans or by us.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. Our strength is that we have better physical abilities than humans in general. I thought those hand grenades were a good weapon. We can throw them farther than humans. Although it was a bit too light.¡±


    Sir Leonard and Ms. Zamir commented bitterly. And Sylphy? She said.


    ¡°What I¡¯m worried about is if the Holy Kingdom steals Kosuke¡¯s weapon. I think it¡¯s unlikely that they will be copied immediately, but if the Holy Kingdom starts using the same weapon, it will become unmanageable.¡±


    ¡°Mm, it¡¯s certainly scary if it¡¯s captured.¡±


    It would be very bad if Earth¡¯s deadly weapons were reverse-engineered from the captured weapons and used in this world. As I mentioned to Sylphy one day, knowledge of weapons is a very dangerous thing.


    Crossbows could easily be copied from captured weapons, and the gunpowder used in guns and bombs could be solved with a material unique to this world or a magical method. After all, this is a world of magic and alchemy.


    I¡¯m not saying that there isn¡¯t a possibility that it will be analyzed by something like appraisal magic and then refined by alchemy.


    ¡°Mumumu¡­¡±


    ¡°Kosuke-dono started to groan.¡±


    ¡°Ah, it looks like it¡¯s going to be long. I¡¯m going to check the fields first.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll go with you too.¡±


    As Jagira and Pirna walked off towards the field, I thought about something.


    The first thing we have to do is to win. That¡¯s why I¡¯ve been thinking of a weapon that can kill people efficiently. To be able to win and retake, power is necessary. However, the weapons that I have created were originally designed for humans on Earth to kill each other. Naturally, it is a weapon that specializes in efficiently killing and injuring people. Of course, the user is also supposed to be a human. However, the target of the killings is human, but the user is subhuman. Should I rethink the concept of a weapon that is easy for subhumans to use?


    No, but I can¡¯t clear up the point that it¡¯s not good if it¡¯s captured. Hmm¡­ Do I need to reverse the idea in the first place? The first idea is the purpose for which I made the weapon. I¡¯ve been talking to Sylphy before about how we need to look at saving people, not just killing them.


    The weapons I¡¯ve made so far are based on the idea that we need to defeat the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army in order to retake the Merinard Kingdom. In other words, retaking the territory through the use of force, right? Let¡¯s try and reverse the idea here.


    In other words, instead of fighting to take back the Merinard Kingdom, let¡¯s try to find another way. A method other than the direct use of force¡­ Hmm?


    In other words, instead of fighting for the Merinard Kingdom and retaking it, perhaps we should seek its return through talks?


    No, I don¡¯t think so. The Holy Kingdom is a fanatical monotheistic religious state. It¡¯s a religious nation with a fanatical monotheistic belief system that is exclusive to subhumans. If the problem could be solved through talks, they wouldn¡¯t have invaded the Merinard Kingdom in the first place and made it a vassal state. It¡¯s rejected.


    So, do we give up on taking back the Merinard Kingdom? No, I don¡¯t think so. Sylphy and the others have a sincere desire to reclaim their homeland. I think it¡¯s essential to retake the Merinard Kingdom as a goal.


    Gnununu¡­ When I was thinking about it, Jagira and Pirna came back in a hurry.


    ¡°The field is amazing! It¡¯s growing like it¡¯s ready to harvest!¡±


    ¡°With a field like that, we could live in the Great Omit Wilderness. There¡¯s water, too.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it!¡±


    That¡¯s right, why don¡¯t we build the new Merinard Kingdom in the Great Omit Wilderness? I can build as many safe houses and roads as I want, and I can grow as many fields as possible using the farmland blocks. It can even be harvested quickly.


    I don¡¯t know how long the cultivation will last, but it won¡¯t be any worse than a normal field, even if it loses its effectiveness over time.


    We will build forts, roads, cities, and countries in the Great Omit Wilderness. Then, we can gather the subhuman people who are suffering under the rule of the Holy Kingdom and increase our national strength. The Holy Kingdom¡¯s people won¡¯t stand idly by. We¡¯ll use the weapons we¡¯ve developed to fight them off. And finally, we¡¯ll take over the territory of the Merinard Kingdom.


    It¡¯s a long shot, but I don¡¯t think we¡¯re in any hurry to take back the Merinard Kingdom. It has been a long time since the Merinard Kingdom was turned into a vassal state, and Danan and the others started their rebellion a few years ago. That¡¯s why some would say that we should hurry up, but if so much time has passed, the opposite would be true as well.


    In the first place, my crafting ability is clearly more suited to defense than offense.


    ¡°Kosuke, what¡¯s with the that¡¯s it you say earlier?¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t expect everyone to agree with me on that.¡±


    I don¡¯t know if everyone will agree with me, but I¡¯ll tell them what Jagira and Pirna said that sparked my idea. Then, everyone showed some interest in my idea.


    ¡°Fumu, I think it¡¯s not a bad idea. We are small in number. I think we can win the war with Kosuke-dono¡¯s weapons, but the truth is, I thought it would be difficult to maintain the cities and lands we occupied. I think it makes sense to set up a position in the Great Omit Wilderness and recruit allies to increase our numbers.¡±


    ¡°There must be many subhumans hiding in the Merinard Kingdom and its surrounding countries. If they know that Her Highness Princess Sylphiel is safe and sound and that she is cultivating the Great Omit Wilderness, there is a possibility that people will gather.¡±


    ¡°But then again, the Holy Kingdom won¡¯t be quiet about it, will they?¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, why don¡¯t we use Kosuke-san¡¯s weapon to drive them away?¡±


    My idea seemed to be generally well-received by everyone except Sylphy. What about Sylphy, then?


    ¡°¡­I want to take back the Merinard Kingdom as soon as possible.¡±


    Sylphy¡¯s squeezing voice suddenly cooled down the place¡¯s atmosphere, which had been in an agreeable mood.


    That¡¯s right, Sylphy is right. It is likely that the people of the Holy Kingdom have enslaved the elves of her relatives, and their dignity continues to be violated at this very moment. I can understand why she wants to reclaim it as soon as possible.


    ¡°But I think Kosuke¡¯s idea is more realistic. We are too few and too weak. If we rely on Kosuke to gain power and sprinkle death on the Holy Kingdom¡¯s people, we will have no future. Isn¡¯t that right? Kosuke¡¯s power is not omnipotent. It¡¯s good as long as we¡¯re attacking with plenty of materials, but if we¡¯re on the defensive and can¡¯t replenish the materials, it would be the end.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. It¡¯s not like my ability is to get as many useful things out of thin air. When I run out of supplies, I¡¯m just a regular guy who can move a little more strangely than most people.¡±


    In fact, if we keep on being attacked from all sides, relying on the numbers, there is a high possibility that we will run out of supplies sooner or later and get stuck. And the fighting ability of Sylphy and the others, who were relying on my abilities to fight, will be drastically reduced. If that happened, the inferior in numbers Sylphy and the others would have no choice but to be overrun. They would be completely overwhelmed.


    ¡°All right, let¡¯s go with that plan. We¡¯ll build a base in the Great Omit Wilderness and build up our strength. But I don¡¯t think that will be enough. We will need to infiltrate the Merinard Kingdom and draw the people into the Great Omit Wilderness.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. The Holy Kingdom¡¯s army, aside from the royal capital and large cities, does not have a large force deployed even in small villages. I think it is essential to visit the villages, free our people, and lead them to the new land.¡±


    ¡°There must be human compatriots hiding in the Merinard Kingdom. They can move around the Merinard Kingdom with relative safety compared to subhumans. They will be able to spread the word that we have established a base in the Great Omit Wilderness.¡±


    Sir Leonard and Ms. Zamir agreed with the plan that Sylphy had proposed. Jagira and Pirna also nodded.


    ¡°I agree with that plan. We¡¯d better think of some equipment for infiltration.¡±


    Camouflage clothing, a kind of camouflage cloak, and a backpack to carry a lot of stuff. A portable water purifier and portable rations that can be stored will also be useful. It might also be a good idea to build an underground shelter close to the Merinard Kingdom, where it would be hard to be discovered. It would be a temporary shelter and a place to stockpile supplies. Also, would it be a good idea to have a suppressor for rifles¡­? No, I think a crossbow would be sufficient. I¡¯d like to hear from Jagira and Qubi about this.


    ¡°You look like you¡¯re thinking about something again, Kosuke.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. I¡¯m thinking about infiltration equipment, building a shelter where the enemy can¡¯t find us.¡±


    ¡°You have a better look now than when you¡¯re thinking of weapons to kill people.¡±


    ¡°Do I? I guess so too.¡±


    It¡¯s certainly easier than thinking about weapons that kill people efficiently and in large numbers. The rescue operation is going to be basically left to the people. I¡¯ll have to maintain and expand the base.


    It¡¯s good to have a new goal and a firm direction. I haven¡¯t talked to Danan and the others about it yet, but I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll agree. I¡¯d like to talk to Isla about it as well, and once we¡¯ve finished harvesting the fields, we¡¯ll head back to the village.

 CH 40

    Sponsored chapter by Patreon, enjoy~


    The next day, after harvesting the fields, we once again crossed the wilderness to the Black Forest and returned to the Elven village without any trouble.


    ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯m so glad you¡¯re safe.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m back.¡±


    Sylphy nodded back at Danan, who welcomed her. In her waist was a revolver in a leather holster. It was a revolver I made this morning exclusively for Sylphy. I had given her a briefing on how to use the pistol yesterday, so she should have no problem handling it.


    By the way, Sir Leonard was able to block bullets from a .45 caliber automatic pistol without difficulty, but he said that it was difficult to deal with bullets from a revolver that uses .357 Magnum bullets when they were fired repeatedly. That¡¯s because the initial muzzle velocity is almost twice as fast. And the power is probably higher accordingly.


    ¡°So, how is it going?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t go into details yet, but it was okay.¡±


    ¡°So we won¡¯t be called ¡°toilet birds¡± anymore?¡±


    ¡°Maybe. Well, I guess another problem will probably come up.¡±


    Pirna was immediately surrounded by her fellow harpies. There was a reason why they were so eager for a new weapon for the harpy. Up until now, their missions on the battlefield had basically been aerial reconnaissance and ¡°bombing.¡±


    Of course, since there was no gunpowder, the bombs were only large stones, boiling water, or hot oil, and the purpose was to demoralize the enemy. If you are smart, you will realize that there is something more effective to use in this context.


    Yes, it¡¯s p*op. To be precise, it was something that was pumped out of the toilet. The girls repeatedly flew, enduring the smell, and kept flipping the bucket over the enemy soldiers. The nickname they were given by the enemy soldiers (mainly soldiers of the Holy Kingdom) was ¡°toilet birds.¡±


    By nature, harpies such as these girls are very fond of cleanliness. They bathe in water every day and take care of their feathers without exception. They also like to dress up and take care of their personal appearance, as many of them are female.


    For these women, being called a toilet bird was an abuse they could not stand. Besides, they simply don¡¯t like the idea of having to carry p*op again in a war, even if it is unavoidable. It¡¯s not just the girls; no one wants to be near something smelly and dirty.


    ¡°Thank goodness¡­ I¡¯m so glad¡­!¡±


    ¡°Thank God we don¡¯t have to carry smelly things anymore!¡±


    ¡°That stuff gets to your mind¡­ I mean, you can¡¯t escape the smell for a while.¡±


    The girls cried and rejoiced. The next bombs to be dropped will be aerial explosions¡­ which will certainly not smell as bad but will be more resented by the enemy soldiers. I think that¡¯s what Pirna was referring to when she said there was another problem. If I were an enemy soldier, I¡¯d call them shitbirds, fuckin¡¯ harpies, or toilet birds as well.


    If they get caught, they¡¯re going to be treated as badly as snipers¡­ Let¡¯s put safety first when operating these girls.


    Now that I¡¯ve talked about them enough, let¡¯s talk about completing the construction of the first base and the change in plans. The main figures were gathered in the usual place.


    In other words, there were nine of us: Sylphy, Danan, Melty, Isla, Qubi, Sir Leonard, Ms. Zamir, Shumer, and I. Besides, there were many other people who had come to watch this meeting. It¡¯s a meeting where their future course of action will be decided. The observers have no right to speak, but they can¡¯t be criticized for just listening. Well, it¡¯s the only method that can be used with the current number of people and situation.


    ¡°Well, first of all, we finished the construction of the first base without any problems. It¡¯s surrounded by a solid wall seven meters high and three meters thick and has accommodation for over three hundred people. As for water, several wells have been dug, and a water quality survey has been completed. The water was drinkable without any problems.¡±


    A murmur of joy could be heard from the observers.


    ¡°We also found out that we can cultivate the land thanks to Kosuke¡¯s efforts. As you all know, Kosuke¡¯s power is special. It grows in a slightly different way than normal soil, but¡­ it could make us self-sufficient in food quite quickly.¡±


    This time, a confused murmur was sounded. Well, of course. There¡¯s no way they could suddenly become self-sufficient in a wilderness field. Cultivating the wilderness is a very time-consuming process, after all.


    Rocks and stones have to be carefully removed, and the thirsty, thin soil has to be improved over several years, maybe even a decade. Even if they are told that they may be able to become self-sufficient at an early stage, they may wonder if it is true or not? That¡¯s what I thought.


    ¡°To be honest, we don¡¯t know the full extent of Kosuke¡¯s capabilities. There are many things that need to be verified. Therefore, I would like to send about fifty people to the first base to test the farmland operation that Kosuke will create. At the same time, we plan to begin construction of the second base.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ How many bases are we planning to build in the end?¡±


    ¡°Well, we are still in the process of figuring it out, but¡­ as you know, the first base will eventually be handed over to the elves of the Black Forest. So, our base will be the one after the second one in the true sense of the word. Is that clear?¡±


    Everyone nodded at Sylphy¡¯s words in response to Danan¡¯s question.


    ¡°There are three bases that we will definitely need: one to communicate with the elves, one to be our base of operations, and one to be our frontline defense. We¡¯ll also need several shelters for those who need to move between these locations. As we had originally planned, we would leave the base in the morning so that the moving personnel could spend the night safely, and we would build these small bases within reach before the sun went down. So, here are the locations of our frontline bases¡­¡±


    Sylphy looked around at everyone¡¯s faces and then opened her mouth again.


    ¡°It¡¯s located five days¡¯ walk from the Merinard Kingdom. It¡¯s in the middle of the Great Omit Wilderness.¡±


    The biggest buzz in the room was heard now. The shorter the march for the attack, the less tired the soldiers would be, considering the policy of retaking the Merinard Kingdom. Five days on foot would be very tiring, and the chances of being attacked by Gizma would be high.


    ¡°Excuse me, but what are your reasons for choosing that location?¡±


    ¡°Umu¡­ a change in our plan. First of all, we are small in numbers.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    ¡°With the weapons Kosuke makes, we¡¯ll win the war. Probably. But after we win the war, we will not have enough men to maintain the territory. Isn¡¯t that right?¡±


    Danan closed his eyes in response to Sylphy¡¯s question. That would be an affirmation, I suppose.


    ¡°I thought about reversing my plan after discussing it with Leonard and Zamir. But, of course, that doesn¡¯t mean that I despise Danan and the others. So I¡¯m going to stay here and discuss it until we¡¯re all satisfied.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ Five days from the Merinard Kingdom territory, you are aware of the Holy Kingdom army stationed in the Merinard Kingdom, as well as the invasion from the Holy Kingdom, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. We¡¯re going to use the Great Omit Wilderness itself as a natural strategic point. At the same time, we will send a small force into the Merinard territory from the Great Omit Wilderness to liberate the Merinard citizens from the local villages and towns.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re bringing citizens with casual clothes into the Great Omit Wilderness¡­?¡±


    Danan¡¯s face contorted. Perhaps he recalled his desperate march across the Great Omit Wilderness to the Black Forest.


    ¡°We¡¯ve thought of that, too. Kosuke will build us a safe and discreet shelter in the basement. It will be a safe and unobtrusive shelter in the basement where we can store water and food and pass the night safely.¡±


    ¡°I see. Then we can gradually gather the people from the Merinard Kingdom and build up our strength.¡±


    ¡°Yes. At the same time, I would like to make contact with our compatriots who are hiding in the Merinard Kingdom.¡±


    ¡°When you say compatriots, you mean¡­ humans. Are you planning to spread the information? The Holy Kingdom will be notified.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I want. That¡¯s why this is our frontline base.¡±


    If the Holy Kingdom army attacked based on the information, they would just take them head-on. Well, after marching for five days through the Great Omit Wilderness, where Gizma is running rampant, if it were me, I would definitely not want to attack the fort.


    ¡°¡­I understand the plan. In other words, Your Highness is going to change your plan to accumulate strength in the Great Omit Wilderness and then retake the Merinard Kingdom.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It will be a long journey. But we can¡¯t afford to fail. The sooner we start, the better.¡±


    ¡°As you wish.¡±


    Danan seemed to be satisfied with Sylphy¡¯s sudden change of plans. , Melty raised her hand and spoke up.


    ¡°I would like to ask you to elaborate a little more on the part of cultivation through the work of Kosuke, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°Umu, sure. I¡¯ll let you talk about that directly with Kosuke. Kosuke.¡±


    ¡°Eh? Me? Seriously?¡±


    Sylphy-san, did you force me to deal with Melty? Oh, she averted her gaze. She forced this on me!


    ¡°Ah, anyway, I want you to see this.¡±


    I put the bales of wheat on the side of the table. There were six of them. Each one weighed about 60 kilograms, so that¡¯s 360 kilograms of wheat.


    ¡°What are these?¡±


    ¡°They are bales of wheat, harvested from a plot of land 32 meters x 32 meters, or about one hectare, or ten are.¡±


    ¡°¡­Harvested? You were over there for less than a week, weren¡¯t you¡­?¡±


    ¡°Uh, yeah. Um¡­ the harvest was done in less than three days.¡±


    ¡°Are you serious about that?¡±


    Melty¡¯s eyes are frightening.


    ¡°That¡¯s what happened when I did everything from starting the field to sowing and watering with the soil I prepared! It¡¯s not my fault! I don¡¯t know what would have happened if someone else had done it. So, Sylphy said that I need to verify it.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ This is a tremendous amount of harvest from a single field¡­ May I see what¡¯s inside?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Melty stood the bale up, untied the rope with some effort, took up the lid-like part on the side of the bale, and opened it. Heh, I didn¡¯t know that bales were made that way.


    ¡°The grains are large and uniformly shaped¡­ Isn¡¯t it the highest quality?¡±


    ¡°Heh, really?¡±


    I don¡¯t know anything about that.


    I¡¯ve never seen a bale of rice in person before. To me, rice is sold in plastic bags at the supermarket, and wheat is already in the cupboard as powder. I¡¯ve never seen ungrinded wheat with my own eyes since I came to this world. I¡¯ve seen it on TV, though. Well, I¡¯ve seen barley used for barley rice. I was addicted to it for a while.


    ¡°All this in less than three days from a single field¡­?¡±


    Melty grabbed a handful of wheat and shivered. It¡¯s super scary. Also, Isla¡¯s eyes are dead again. What¡¯s going on?


    ¡°A-anyway, that¡¯s why, you know? I¡¯ve been told that I¡¯ll have to verify various things, such as whether this will happen no matter who plows my fields, what will happen if the land is just plowed without my soil, whether it can be harvested repeatedly, and what will happen if my soil is plowed just like a normal field by someone other than me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s something that needs to be verified. If we can harvest this much in three days, and if it can only be done by Kosuke-san¡¯s hands¡­ Fufu.¡±


    Melty¡¯s eyes scare me! It scares me! This could mean I¡¯ll be plowing fields all day, depending on the outcome! I¡¯m a crafter and a survivalist! I¡¯m not a farmer!


    ¡°Hahaha, by the way, what¡¯s wrong, Isla?¡±


    ¡°¡­Among the alchemy potions, there is one called the Cultivation Accelerator.¡±


    ¡°Ho?¡±


    ¡°The effect varies depending on the quality¡­ Kosuke¡¯s farmland is as good as if he had used the highest grade of cultivation booster like water.¡±


    ¡°Haha, my stuff is kind of cheating, so don¡¯t worry too much about it.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yeah.¡±


    She managed to recover. I have a few things I want to discuss with Isla and ask her. I also want it to be a barrier against Melty. I¡¯m really desperate.


    ¡°I understand about the field. Certainly, you need fifty people to verify this.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m glad you understand. Um, Sylphy? Anything else?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, yes. Are there any other questions?¡±


    Shumer raised her hand in response to Sylphy¡¯s words.


    ¡°Do you mean you¡¯re not going to beat up the Holy Kingdom?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we should not go head-on with them. But that doesn¡¯t mean we won¡¯t do anything. We have a mission to infiltrate the Merinard Kingdom with a small group and liberate the villages. This will be a very dangerous mission.¡±


    ¡°I see. I don¡¯t know how difficult it is. I don¡¯t care what it takes as long as I can give the Holy Kingdom people a run for their money. Your will to fight has not changed. But in order to have a decent fight, we need to make more friends and build up our strength first. Is that correct?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct.¡±


    ¡°Yes, then I have no complaints.¡±


    Shumer seems to be aloof, but there is a strong sense of vengeance in the back of her mind. I¡¯m sure the Merinard people here have something like that, to a greater or lesser extent.


    ¡°Is there anything else? Well, now we have a decision to make. We will open up new land in the Great Omit Wilderness and liberate the people of Merinard who are still under the rule of the Holy Kingdom. Then, we will accumulate enough strength to reclaim the Merinard Kingdom. It¡¯s going to be a long journey, but let¡¯s work together to overcome the hardships.¡±


    Everyone at the table nodded their heads at Sylphy¡¯s words, and the crowd cheered, shouting, ¡°Ooooh!¡±


    A new bridgehead has been secured in the Great Omit Wilderness, and the plan has been decided. How far can we cultivate the Great Wilderness, and how far can we penetrate the territory of the Merinard Kingdom before the Holy Kingdom finds out about our movements? It¡¯s a race against time from here on out.

 CH 41

    Here¡¯s the chapter, enjoy~


    Now¡­ I said it was a battle against time, but the Great Omit Wilderness is a kind of wicked land in the end. It was originally a country called the Omit Kingdom, but as a result of a war with the elves of the Black Forest and forced them to take it seriously, it was rained down with attacks of the disintegrating phenomenon caused by spirit stones, and the land was turned into nothing.


    The multiple uses of spirit stones beyond the limits of power disrupted the spirit¡¯s power, making it impossible for proper plants to grow and turn it into a wilderness.


    It is said that if you are lucky enough to win the first prize in the lottery, you may be able to dig up the ground and unearth some of the treasures of the time, but the Great Omit Wilderness is filled with large numbers of Gizma, giant ferocious insects that do not care about the disturbance of spiritual power.


    I¡¯ve given a long explanation, but what I want to emphasize is this.


    ¡°There¡¯s no one who likes to come to the Great Omit Wilderness. The only prey available is Gizma, and while Gizma is reasonably profitable, the materials are really bulky. The meat goes bad very quickly. Even if you go to the hinterlands, you¡¯ll only find Gizma.¡±


    Shumer, a former adventurer, said.


    ¡°In addition, beyond the Great Omit Wilderness lies the Black Forest, which is notorious among the Holy Kingdom people. There¡¯s no reason for us to enter the depths of the Great Omit Wilderness.¡±


    Qubi also quivered as he said this. In other words, as long as we do not go beyond the center of the Great Omit Wilderness, it is unlikely that the Merinard Kingdom will be able to detect our movements.


    So, what¡¯s the situation now?


    ¡°I think they¡¯re gathering from afar.¡±


    Isla, who has blasted several Gizma out of existence with thunderbolts from her mithril staff, lets out a small sigh.


    Yes, we¡¯re in a battle with a bunch of Gizma.


    Three days after the meeting, the fifty Merinard citizens, myself, Sylphy, Danan, Melty, Isla, Qubi, Shumer, and Pirna, left for the Great Omit Wilderness. We arrived at the first base that day, and for three days, I was forced to expand the farmland in the base.


    Three days later, we left Danan, Melty, and fifty Merinard citizens at the first base, leaving the harvesting and future testing to them, and the rest of us started moving deeper into the Great Omit Wilderness. After several hours of walking, Pirna, who was out scouting, discovered a large swarm of Gizma.


    We could have bypassed it, but after some discussion, we decided to eliminate the Gizma. This area would be the route between the first and second bases anyway. There was no better way to eliminate danger along the way.


    There were six of us, and we were told that there were about 30 to 40 Gizma, so we decided to quickly build an interceptor base on the spot and eradicate them.


    The construction of the interceptor base was simple. First, use the block jump to pack brick blocks 4 meters vertically, and then use that as a starting point to make a 10-meter scaffold with brick blocks on each side. The scaffold is made up of only one brick pillar, and it¡¯s a structure that can¡¯t be supported by the four corners, but the bricks I¡¯ve placed have the property of ignoring gravity and staying in the air.


    After I finished building the scaffolding, I set up a ladder on the pillar and asked everyone to climb up. Then, I¡¯ll go down and destroy the pillars as I go back up. With this, a floating interceptor base was created at three meters above the ground.


    There was no doubt that anyone could sneak underneath, so I made a four-block hole in the center of the scaffold to create a narrow chest wall. I also made one at the edge of the scaffold. Now it was perfect.


    Sylphy, Qubi, and I will use the improved crossbow. Isla will use her attack magic to repel the Gizma. As for Shumer? Shumer is throwing a lot of large stones that I had in my inventory with one hand. I wonder if she¡¯s using a stone thrower or something.


    It¡¯s no use using aerial bombs against an enemy of this caliber, so Pirna is in quiet spectator mode. I sometimes ask her to fly over and check the surroundings.


    ¡°However, this interception base is¡­ rather one-sided.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t even have to fight the insects properly.¡±


    Intercept the approaching Gizma with three improved crossbows, Shumer¡¯s stone-throwing, and Isla¡¯s magic. Even if we can¡¯t intercept them and they close the gap between us, we are on a floating base, and Gizma has no way to attack us. Besides, the antennae are not designed for attacking enemies who are taller than themselves, and their accuracy is not very good.


    Even if they crawled under the base, we could repel them through the hole I made in the center. I can retrieve the bodies before they pile up. There was nothing Gizma could do.


    ¡°Even though a lot of they surround us, there¡¯s no sense of tension.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but this is the way I fight. I¡¯m not a fan of the tense exchanges of life.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s your personality, isn¡¯t it? I¡¯m not going to deny it.¡±


    While saying this, Shumer laughed and threw a stone at Gizma. It¡¯s definitely more powerful than the improved crossbow. It shattered Gizma¡¯s tough shell and penetrated it.


    ¡°Kosuke, wouldn¡¯t it be faster to use a gun?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s faster. But if it can be done with a crossbow, then it is cheaper to do it with a crossbow. It¡¯s overwhelmingly cheaper.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true too.¡±


    It took us well over an hour to finish eradicating the Gizma. In the end, other groups of Gizmas gathered, and eventually, we killed about fifty of them.


    ¡°The material of Gizma is saturated.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t get magic stones from Gizma. That¡¯s why it¡¯s not popular.¡±


    ¡°Magic stones?¡±


    I tilted my head at Isla¡¯s words. Is it possible to use it for summoning magic? Or is it used to negotiate with the devil?


    ¡°It¡¯s a crystal form of magical power from the body of a monster. It can be used as a material for magic tools, a catalyst for magic, and an alchemy ingredient.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ so Gizma isn¡¯t exactly a monster, then?¡±


    ¡°One can¡¯t be defined as a monster just because it can produce magic stones. All creatures that harm humans are lumped together as monsters.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    That¡¯s a rough classification. I think it would be better to classify them more finely.


    ¡°In some cases, magic stones can be found in monsters that do not possess them. That¡¯s why it¡¯s difficult to classify them clearly.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Did the question appear on my face? Isla gave a supplementary explanation. Certainly, it is not easy to classify them if that is the case. I think even I would handle it with such a rough classification.


    While I was talking with Isla, Pirna, and Qubi came back from their scouting trip.


    ¡°It seems that Gizma is no longer in the vicinity.¡±


    ¡°The direction we¡¯re going is fine. We can head for the next point.¡±


    ¡°Umu, let¡¯s keep going then. Kosuke, take down this scaffolding.¡±


    ¡°Aye aye, ma¡¯am.¡±


    After removing the floating base, we once again started to conquer the wilderness. The base that I will be building today is going to be a small one for now and will be able to accommodate about 100 people. It will be about a third of the size of the first base. We plan to use this as a stepping stone to search for a suitable place to build the main base in a wide area.


    However, there is a possibility that this base will later become a base for various interactions with the elves of the Black Forest, in which case we will probably have to expand it. In any case, it was decided that the first priority should be to build the main base.


    We took a lunch break on the way, and after another two hours of travel, we found a suitable place to set up our base. As the first base, it was hilly terrain. This one is much gentler, though.


    ¡°This is where we¡¯ll camp.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to say this with a stern face, but you¡¯d better get to work. We don¡¯t have much time before the sun goes down.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes.¡±


    I¡¯m sad that I can¡¯t get my story across. Well, I don¡¯t want to stay out in the open either, so I¡¯m going to do as Sylphy says and start building. I can now use symmetrical mode and group installation mode, so it won¡¯t take too long if it¡¯s a simple building.


    ¡°It¡¯s amazing. The brick buildings are coming together in no time at all.¡±


    ¡°The carpenters and plasterers are going to be so disappointed.¡±


    ¡°Haha, that¡¯s impressive.¡±


    Qubi and Shumer, who are out scouting the area, are walking down the hill, watching me work. Let¡¯s build a perfect fortress before they come back.


    ¡°You¡¯re building really fast, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just insane.¡±


    Sylphy is impressed, but Isla¡¯s statement is really frank. Yeah, it¡¯s definitely abnormal for an ordinary person to see, isn¡¯t it? Isla is always able to give me a general perspective of this world.


    But I¡¯m going to use this ability to the maximum.


    I quickly make quarters and dig around with a shovel for a place to build a wall. Isla and Sylphy also helped me with magic for this. Sylphy used her earth spirit magic, and Isla used her earth magic to dig a hole five meters deep and three meters wide while I dug with my shovel.


    Once the hole is dug, the wall will be up in no time. First, I made a relatively complicated gate, and then I made a wall with a simple structure. Now that I can use symmetrical mode and group installation mode, it¡¯s effortless to set up symmetrical structures. It didn¡¯t take too long to build a 7m high wall with two gates. Each side is 50 meters long, so it is simply a quarter of the first base size. It¡¯s probably big enough for fifty people to stay here.


    Having consumed their magic, Sylphy and Isla rested here for a while. Pirna is out scouting again. I will continue to build a toilet, a watering hole for the infinite water source, a two-story dormitory, and a warehouse. After that, when I was about to build a field¡­ someone pulled my sleeve.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    Isla is pointing at the infinite water source with a blank stare. Oh, she noticed. It¡¯s too early.


    ¡°It¡¯s the water source. You¡¯ve seen the pump, right?¡±


    ¡°I know that. That¡¯s not the point. You should know that.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha. The world is full of wonders, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°I think what¡¯s mysterious is Kosuke¡¯s very existence. If you don¡¯t want to talk about it seriously, can I just dissect it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, please forgive me.¡±


    I explained the infinite water source to Isla, who stared at me blankly. However, even I don¡¯t understand the principle or mechanism behind it. If you sprinkle water with a bucket, somehow the water just keeps coming out! Combine the two, and you¡¯ve got a spot that can pump water endlessly! It¡¯s not my fault!


    ¡°This is one of the most absurd things I¡¯ve ever seen.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good. This is a miracle, a miraculous power given to me by some divine or spirit-like being.¡±


    ¡°Miracles¡­ It¡¯s certainly the domain of sacred magic when I think about it¡­¡±


    Isla pondered over my words. In the meantime, I plowed the field.


    I¡¯ve learned a lot about farmland in the past three days. First of all, it¡¯s best to use my ability to plant seeds on the land I¡¯ve plowed in the farm block. Most of the crops can be harvested in two to three days.


    Secondly, if I plow the farm block and someone else plants the seeds, the growth rate is not as fast as if I plant the seeds myself, but it is still fast. From the growth looks, it looks like it will be ready to harvest in about two weeks. This seemed to be the same growth rate when someone other than me plowed the farm block and planted the seeds.


    The other thing was that when I plowed the ground in the normal wilderness instead of the farm block, it seemed like it would take about two weeks to harvest the seeds I planted. If someone other than me planted the seeds, it would be about the same as normal farmland.


    Conversely, if I plowed the ground with my hoe, even the roughest and thinnest land would turn into the soil as good as a normal field. I was able to remove pebbles and other things up to about one meter underground. This hoe is so amazing.


    In other words, there is a high possibility that the factors involved in accelerating growth are either the farmland block or my planting the seeds. If the two were combined, I could harvest the crop in about three days. If either of these elements is present, it will take about two weeks to harvest. That¡¯s how I see it.


    Melty was smiling all the time while we were doing the verification, and Isla¡¯s eyes were dead all the time. Please don¡¯t give Isla more trouble¡­ Melty scares me, so I¡¯ll stay away from her for a while. I did mention that I need the rich soil of the Black Forest to create the farmland blocks. I don¡¯t think she¡¯s going to dig up the roots, and I don¡¯t think she can, but I¡¯m a little worried.


    ¡°Like the sacred magic, spirit magic draws its power not from the magic of the practitioner, but from some other place¡­ In the case of sacred magic, it is said to be from God, and in the case of spirit magic, it is from the spirit world¡­ Kosuke¡¯s power may also be¡­¡±


    Isla was mumbling something that sounded difficult as she put her hand on her small, thin chin. Is there an explanation for my crafting abilities, including the infinite water source, in Isla¡¯s mind? Okay, keep up your good work.


    With Isla mumbling beside me, I plowed the field and came up with the idea of making a bathing place. I need to think about drainage, but what to do? For now, I¡¯ll just run a drainage pipe through the wall and let it flow down the hill. I¡¯ll build a tank-like structure on the roof of the building and set up a water source there. I could run pipes to each shower room from the tank so that a certain amount of water will constantly be flowing, like a hot spring.


    As for the pipes, I could make holes in the block and install them. The fact that I can change the shape to some extent with my imagination is very useful in this kind of situation. Oh, the holes don¡¯t line up properly! Let¡¯s retry, retry!


    After a lot of trial and error, I was able to get the pipes to work, but the sun had set by then. We ate dinner with Qubi and Shumer, who had returned before I even realized it, and went to bed for the day.


    The bathing area was a big hit with the ladies.


    ¡°Kosuke, whether it¡¯s the toilet or this bathing area, you love to keep it clean. I¡¯m so pleased.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s wonderful that we can use water so luxuriously in the middle of the wilderness.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s good to be clean and refreshed, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s not easy being an adventurer, but I appreciate it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s really nice to be able to bathe in water. When flying in the wilderness, the sand and dust can make my wings rustle.¡±


    Besides, the fluffy Qubi looked like a different person when he was drenched in water.


    ¡°It can¡¯t help but look like this. But if I don¡¯t wash it properly, I¡¯m afraid of ticks and fleas.¡±


    ¡°I guess you¡¯re right. I¡¯ll wash your back.¡±


    ¡°Sorry. I¡¯ll take care of the tail myself, so don¡¯t touch it. I get an itch in my butt when someone else touches it.¡±


    The two of us even washed each other¡¯s backs. It¡¯s not so bad to have naked relationships.

 CH 42

    Sponsored chapter by Patreon, enjoy~


    In selecting the base¡¯s location, which may later become a major city, the most important thing is to have a large flat area. Whether to expand the base later or to intercept incoming enemies, it is more convenient to have a good view of the plain.


    Normally, a water source¡¯s availability would be an important factor, but I can make as many water sources as I want with my bucket. Nothing is more convenient than this if you just close your eyes to a bit of unreasonableness.


    Therefore, it took us a few days to explore the area using the small base as a starting point.


    ¡°This area looks good.¡±


    ¡°The view is also nice.¡±


    It was flat land as far as the eye could see, and for some reason, there was no sign of Gizma in this area. It was really strange not to see Gizma around.


    ¡°What do you think is the cause?¡±


    ¡°Do you think there¡¯s something out there that¡¯s driving Gizma away?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­?¡±


    Sylphy and Qubi discussed the cause. Shumer is tilting her head with an unclear look on her face.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ It might be different.¡±


    Isla looked around and then raised her staff. Then a dimly glowing ball appeared in the air. Oh, it seems like magic.


    ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an exploration magic that reacts to waves of magic power.¡±


    ¡°Fumu?¡±


    Sylphy tilted her head as Isla¡¯s explanation was too brief. Qubi and Shumer had similar reactions. Is it like passive sonar? While I was thinking about that, a part of the glowing ball turned red, and the entire ball shivered.


    ¡°What is it now?¡±


    ¡°I captured a wave of magic power that humans can hardly feel. Many monsters are sensitive to the vibrations of magical power. By using that characteristic, it can drive away monsters from you or vice versa.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying it¡¯s some kind of ward to keep out monsters?¡±


    ¡°That could be it. It¡¯s a very old form of warding.¡±


    ¡°Now I remember!¡±


    Shumer snapped her fingers.


    ¡°I remember this place. When we were on our way to the Black Forest, there was one night when Gizma didn¡¯t attack us. I think it was around here.¡±


    ¡°¡­Oh, that¡¯s right. There was one night like that.¡±


    ¡°I remember that too.¡±


    ¡°I have no memory of it.¡±


    ¡°Isla-Ojoochan was collapsing from overuse of magic at the time, after all.¡±


    I see. So this area has been like this for at least a few years, and Gizma has been gone.


    ¡°But why is there such a thing in this place?¡±


    ¡°This type of warding off monsters is useless if you don¡¯t release waves periodically. The device is designed to accumulate magic power and then release it all at once. However, the amount of magic power required is too great to be covered by the magic power of mages and magic stones. Therefore, it can only be installed in a place where magic power can be pumped out inexhaustibly from the earth¡¯s veins. It was abandoned about three hundred years ago when a more efficient warding device was invented.¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s a relic from the time when the Omit Kingdom still existed. We need to take control of it.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m surprised it¡¯s still working, but if something happens to change the nature of the waves, the Gizma might come in droves.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s scary.¡±


    We wandered through the wilderness, trying to locate this wave-type monster repellent device. The range of the wave seems to be quite vast.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s around here.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing here.¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s under the ground.¡±


    ¡°Kosuke, do your best.¡±


    ¡°Do your best!¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    When it comes to digging holes, it¡¯s my turn. However, I don¡¯t know how long it will take, so I need to build a base here as well. In terms of distance, it¡¯s probably only half a day from the second base.


    That¡¯s why I¡¯m going to build a base of the same size as the second base. It will be the third base, after all.


    ¡°It¡¯s really no different from the second base.¡±


    ¡°Please tell me it¡¯s standardized.¡±


    There are minor changes, you know. In the middle of the base, I built a water tower using an infinite water source to supply water to each facility. I also built a water source on the ground using a hand pump, though.


    ¡°Tomorrow, we¡¯ll use this as a base for digging.¡±


    ¡°That sounds exhausting.¡±


    ¡°Even if we helped, we¡¯d be slowing you down.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m going to take it easy. If there¡¯s anything I can do to help, just let me know.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a complete burden when it comes to digging holes, so¡­ leave it to me to watch the surroundings!¡±


    When it comes to digging holes, I¡¯m the main one who works. Isla and Sylphy are the assistants. Pirna will fly to the surrounding just in case, and Qubi and Shumer will be our guards. It¡¯s unlikely that Gizma¡¯ll attack us, but there¡¯s a possibility that there are guardians that the Omit Kingdom has put in place to protect the wards against monsters.


    ¡°What kind of guardians are there?¡±


    ¡°Mostly magical creatures like golems, gargoyles, dragon tooth warriors. Also sometimes undead.¡±


    ¡°Wow, that sounds like a fantasy.¡±


    ¡°Kosuke, this is not a fantasy; this is reality. Depending on the skill of the magician, all magical creatures are far more dangerous than Gizma.¡±


    ¡°I see. I¡¯ll prepare weapons so that we can always be prepared for an attack.¡±


    After I finished building the base, we decided to take the rest of the day off to prepare for tomorrow, so I decided to build another pump-action shotgun. I¡¯ll load one with shotgun shells and the other with slug shells. I could have alternated the rounds in one shotgun, though. With my abilities, it¡¯s easier to have both.


    After finishing maintenance, we all ate, bathed, and went to bed. I prepare all the meals. In my spare time, I use item creation to expand my cooking menu.


    ¡°Kosuke¡¯s food is delicious.¡±


    ¡°I like the Cream Stew.¡±


    ¡°As for me, I like meat.¡±


    ¡°For me is the Hot Dog! I really like it!¡±


    ¡°The food Kosuke cooks with his own hands, not with his powers, is pretty good too.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Maybe we should try that tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but my homemade cooking is only for Sylphy.¡±


    ¡°Stingy.¡±


    Isla mumbled, but I pretended not to hear her. No, it¡¯s too much trouble to make a home-cooked meal for this many people. I can easily make delicious food with my crafting abilities, so why bother?


    ¡°Hah, I¡¯m so tired.¡±


    I fell into bed. After eating, all that was left was to sleep. All I want to do is sleep, but I¡¯ve been feeling tired lately. Or, more accurately, I¡¯m stressed out. Or, to put it more directly, I¡¯m overwhelmed with sexual desire.


    I haven¡¯t touched Sylphy in over ten days. That¡¯s a lot of things to accumulate. But we¡¯re busy right now, taking the first step to retake the Merinard Kingdom. Sylphy and I are on the front lines all the time, and we spend our nights separately.


    The women seem to sleep together every night, so I can¡¯t go crawling into the night. As a matter of fact, Qubi and I don¡¯t sleep together. Since we have extra dormitories, we sleep in separate rooms.


    Incidentally, since I¡¯ve been able to talk to Qubi in a reasonably casual manner, I¡¯ve asked him about the sexual situation of subhumans. Basically, subhumans of the beastman type are in heat once or twice a year, and they don¡¯t get much motivation unless they¡¯re in heat. It¡¯s not that they can¡¯t, though.


    There are some beastman subhumans who can do it all year round, so I¡¯m just talking about the basics. I¡¯ve heard that one-eyed folks like Isla, oni-types like Shumer, and elves like Sylphi can do it all year round but have trouble having children. Instead, they have a long life span.


    The one-eyed folk is the second longest-lived race after the elves, with an average age of about 300 years, and the oni folk also generally live to be over 200 years old. There are also lamia and lizardmen, but unfortunately, he doesn¡¯t know much about these reptilian races. I¡¯ll have to ask someone next time. Maybe Sir Leonard.


    ¡°Kosuke, are you awake?¡±


    ¡°Hiyaahh?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t that I was thinking of anything sinister, but I was startled by the sudden call. When I looked in the voice¡¯s direction, I saw that Sylphy was glancing at me from outside the room. What¡¯s that cutie?


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? You look flustered.¡±


    I was thrilled to see Sylphy approaching me while smiling. It looks like my face is a little red.


    ¡°I¡¯m just surprised that you called me out so suddenly. What¡¯s wrong, Sylphy? What are you doing here at this hour?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m lonely. You know that, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Sylphy sat down on the bed. The sweet smell drifted softly to the air. My head is spinning just from that. Stay, still stay, me. Hang in there.


    ¡°How about you, Kosuke?¡±


    She says that with moist eyes. You¡¯re coming to kill me, aren¡¯t you, Sylphy-san?


    ¡°I thought so too. But it¡¯s difficult, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. But now that I think about it, it¡¯s a little late for that, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    I guess that¡¯s right. It¡¯s an open fact that Sylphy and I have such a relationship.


    ¡°Shumer encouraged me to do it to my heart¡¯s content without worrying about them.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    My stock in Shumer had gone through the roof. Now I¡¯m going to make her something she wants.


    ¡°Therefore, you know, right?¡±


    Sylphy¡¯s blushing face is cute, but I don¡¯t think I can take much more of it. The soundproofing is not perfect, so let¡¯s do it as quietly as possible. As much as possible.


    The next day. I staggered the time I left my room, got ready, and went to the breakfast table.


    ¡°¡­(blushing and staring).¡±


    ¡°¡­(grinning).¡±


    ¡°¡­(grinning).¡±


    ¡°¡­(blushing).¡±


    These are the reactions of Isla, Qubi, Shumer, and Pirna, respectively. Stop it, you guys. That look is killing me.


    ¡°You had fun last night, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Aye, I¡¯m jealous you have a partner.¡±


    ¡°¡­Filthy.¡±


    The knives of words plunge deep into my heart. Stop it! I¡¯m at zero HP! Pirna¡¯s face is so red she won¡¯t even make eye contact with me! Her reaction is heartbreaking too!


    ¡°Go-good morning, everyone.¡±


    ¡°¡­Good morning.¡±


    ¡°Good morning.¡±


    ¡°Good morning.¡±


    ¡°Go-good morning.¡±


    Sylphy, who appeared late, seemed to have noticed the subtlety of the atmosphere. Her face is red. Even her ears are red. Shumer¡¯s grinning expression remains unchanged, though she doesn¡¯t seem to be directly making fun of her as she did with me. Qubi seems to be trying to keep his expression in check, but he¡¯s overdoing it and looks like a Tibetan Sand Fox.


    ¡°L-let¡¯s have breakfast. Kosuke?¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡±


    Today¡¯s breakfast menu consisted of soup, bread, and a platter of assorted sausages. The soup was corn potage. Everyone begins to eat in silence, with only Shumer grinning. It was the perfect time for everyone but Shumer to bring the soup to their lips.


    ¡°I knew it would happen anyway.¡±


    ¡°Bufuhhh!¡±


    Everyone except Shumer spewed out the corn potage soup at the same time. It was a catastrophe.


    ¡°Y-y-you! From where?¡±


    ¡°Ahahaha!¡±


    Without answering my words, Shumer escaped with a platter of sausages. Isla is fainting in agony like a certain colonel* as if the corn pottage spewed by Sylphy in front of her got into her eyes, and Pirna is floundering in confusion. Sylphy turned red and chased after Shumer, while Qubi, who had reached the end of his patience, was laughing.


    [T/n*: Let me know if someone knows the reference of this.]


    ¡°How did this happen¡­?¡±


    No one could respond to my words.


    It was already the third day of digging in the area, despite the sad incident.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    I felt my shovel being blocked by something hard. I thought it was another rock, but it felt different. As I carefully dug around, I soon realized that it was clearly a man-made stone wall.


    ¡°Hey! I hit something!¡±


    I shouted from the bottom of the hole and called everyone else. Then, I dug around it and placed stone wall blocks to make space for us to plunge into the underground structure. In the meantime, everyone except Pirna came down to the hole I was digging. The harpy Pirna can¡¯t move properly in a closed space like a basement, after all.


    ¡°What did you find?¡±


    ¡°A stone wall. I think it¡¯s the wall of an underground structure.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ Isla, what do you think?¡±


    ¡°The height is right. I think it might be the right one.¡±


    The light sphere of detection magic that Isla created turned red on almost all sides.


    ¡°All right, we¡¯re going in now. Kosuke will make a hole in the wall. And I¡¯ll provide the lights. Once the hole is made, Shumer, Qubi, and I will enter in that order. Kosuke and Isla will follow after us.¡±


    ¡°Copy that.¡±


    After confirming that everyone was in position, I destroyed the stone wall with my pickaxe. At the same time, Sylphy illuminates the facility with light spirit magic, and Sylphy and the others enter the structure with Shumer in the lead.


    ¡°There¡¯s no abnormalities. I don¡¯t see any enemies.¡±


    After hearing Shumer¡¯s voice, Isla and I also went inside. It seems to be a rather large structure. The ceiling is high. And there are paths leading to the left and right. Is it a corridor?


    ¡°Isla, which way?¡±


    ¡°To the right.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Then I¡¯ll take the lead, followed by Qubi, Isla, Kosuke, and the princess will be the rear guard, okay?¡±


    ¡°All right. Leave the rear guard to me.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t make too much noise¡­ It¡¯s better not to shoot the gun here.¡±


    ¡°Ah, okay. The noise would be too loud for our ears.¡±


    I have no choice but to pull the improved crossbow out of my inventory. I should have made a silencer for the automatic pistol. It uses subsonic ammunition, so it reduces the sound considerably.


    We all formed a single line and proceeded down the corridor with caution. We found a few rooms along the way, but most of them were dilapidated, and we couldn¡¯t find anything of interest.


    ¡°I wonder what the facility was originally for?¡±


    ¡°The usual answer is the basement of the royal castle or a facility-related to the court mages. It could also be a dedicated defense facility.¡±


    ¡°If it is in the basement of the royal castle, there may be an underground treasure house. A warehouse.¡±


    ¡°It could be a dungeon full of grudges.¡±


    ¡°It would be troublesome if the undead were to appear, but then again, they wouldn¡¯t be near the monster wards.¡±


    ¡°The undead are extremely vulnerable to magical radiation before they settle into something. First of all, they can¡¯t spawn naturally in this area.¡±


    ¡°Undead are more fragile than I thought, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s worth it or not, but for now, we¡¯ve been exploring the basement for thirty minutes, filling my inventory with all the things I¡¯m interested in. Finally, we arrived at a room that looked like that.


    ¡°Is that it?¡±


    ¡°Definitely. I¡¯ve seen it before in old documents.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a golem, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    It¡¯s quite a large room. The ceiling is more than ten meters high, and the depth from the entrance is probably about fifty meters. The width of the room is about the same. It looks like a square room.


    There is a shining jewel floating on a large pedestal by the wall in front of the entrance. I guess that¡¯s a warding device to keep out monsters. However, there are two giant stone statues on either side of the place where the warding device is set up. Both of them are holding ridiculously large hammers that look like they can move.


    ¡°Is there any weakness in that golem?¡±


    ¡°They have a magic stone embedded in them somewhere, and they will keep moving until you destroy it. Once the stone is destroyed, it stops moving.¡±


    ¡°I see. But they don¡¯t move, do they?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll probably attack us when we enter the room.¡±


    ¡°They won¡¯t attack us as long as we¡¯re here?¡±


    ¡°Maybe.¡±


    ¡°How do they react if we attack them from here?¡±


    ¡°¡­Maybe they won¡¯t move if we attack from here.¡±


    ¡°All right, maybe we can do something about that.¡±


    The slug bullets loaded in the shotgun are what is called rifled slugs, so the power should be just about the same at this distance. If I shoot several times, it could destroy a stone statue. It would probably have a weak point in its head or chest anyway.


    Even if we don¡¯t destroy it directly, maybe I can dig underneath it and drop it further down and bury it. This might be smarter. How are they detecting the intrusion in the first place?


    ¡°Hey, how does it sense intrusion, that thing?¡±


    ¡°Golems are like humans. They recognize it with their eyes. That¡¯s why it¡¯s looking at us.¡±


    ¡°I see. Then I¡¯ll go up and cut a hole in the ceiling and bury its head.¡±


    Blocks can be placed up to five meters out of reach. There is no need to fight it straight, right?

 CH 43

    Here¡¯s the chapter, enjoy~


    ¡°This is terrible.¡±


    Whether it was in memory of the ancient mage who created the guardian golem or in pity for the golem that was dismantled by my pickaxe without being able to perform its duties, Isla closed her eyes and sighed as if offering a silent prayer.


    The countermeasure I took against the golem was very simple. First, I buried the golem¡¯s head with stone wall blocks from the ceiling to kill the sensor. , I blocked its arms and legs with stone wall blocks and solid concrete blocks to make it immobile and then dismantled its legs and arms with a pickaxe. Once the limbs were removed, the rest was my turn. In less than thirty minutes, the two marble golems were converted into materials.


    The core of the golem was embedded in the center of its chest, near its heart. According to Isla, it is made of a material called magic crystal stone, which is made by refining several magic stones, and then further processing it into a material called a magic kinetic stone, which is a powerful source of magic power. I¡¯m going to keep it because I might be able to use it for something.


    ¡°Somehow, the way you do things, you don¡¯t have any kind of irritating problems.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my way of fighting as a craftsman and survivor to balance out the peaks and valleys.¡±


    A true survivor is one who uses all means to do so safely and securely. Last-minute thrills and such things are nothing but risks.


    ¡°Well, the way Kosuke fights is¡­ it¡¯s kind of not like a head-on fight or anything.¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s good, though. If you can kill someone without getting hurt, there¡¯s nothing better than that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a lot of work, but the results are worth it. Kosuke¡¯s fighting style is closer to that of a mage or assassin than a warrior.¡±


    Indeed, my fighting style is not that of a warrior. I think Isla¡¯s right; I¡¯m more like a magician. I have to create a situation where I have an overwhelming advantage and hit the enemy one way or another. Being dirty is a compliment to me.


    In any case, after controlling our objective, the warding device, we also took control of the entire underground facility and obtained a variety of loot. It seems that this underground facility was the underground structure of the royal castle of the Omit Kingdom, and we found some materials that looked like it among the loot. We also found a few decaying bodies, but judging from what they were wearing, they didn¡¯t look like royalty.


    ¡°There¡¯s something like gold in the basement of the royal palace.¡±


    ¡°The problem is that our possession of gold is of no use whatsoever.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. Expensive art is of no use whatsoever. Jeweled ornaments are still good for the elves to use.¡±


    ¡°The majority of the weapons are also decayed. Well, I¡¯m sure Kosuke can repair them or cast them down, though.¡±


    ¡°As for the books, we¡¯ll have to read them to find out. But I doubt that there is anything useful when it¡¯s over 300 years old. I think it¡¯s valuable as a reference.¡±


    When we returned to the surface, Pirna, who had been left alone, greeted us with a big smile. Well, now we have a safe zone and a place to set up a base point.


    What do you think is going to happen once the location is secured? The construction of the main base, which is as plain as hell, will begin¡­


    Now, to set up the main base¡­ it¡¯s just a simple repetition of work. I woke up in the morning, retrieved the building blocks I had made while I slept from the improved workbench. Then, I silently build a path. What I¡¯m doing is, in essence, dividing the city.


    I had to build a town, a city, from scratch. It should be functional, efficient, and easy to expand. The detailed division of the city will be done with the input of Melty, people with knowledge of urban design, carpenters, plasterers, craftsmen, and former merchants. What I¡¯m doing is just the general, rough part. But that¡¯s all.


    ¡°This town is huge. Isn¡¯t it too big?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s big. According to Melty¡¯s plan, the primary plan is to have a capacity of three thousand people, right?¡±


    ¡°Three thousand people?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but blink my eyes. Three thousand people are ten times the number of people living in the Elf Village. The first base can accommodate about three hundred people, so this city is ten times larger than the first base¡­


    ¡°By the way, regarding the housing, the plan is to build one building, or rather, a large number of buildings that can accommodate four to five people per family per unit. In other words, instead of the kind of dormitory that can accommodate sixteen people in one room, it will be a house for an ordinary family.¡±


    ¡°Seriously?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve got the blueprints.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    Looking at the blueprints, each unit is not very large. With two bedrooms, a storage room¡­ no, a food storage room, huh? And each of living room and dining room. It¡¯s a simple house. It seems that they want me to use this structure as a basis.


    ¡°The idea was to create a housing complex with several units connected to each other, like the dormitory that Kosuke built at the first base.¡±


    ¡°In other words, apartments.¡±


    This is going to be a pain in the ass. If I use the symmetrical mode, I can make two rooms at a time, but how many of these will I have to make? It¡¯s a bit depressing.


    However, I can¡¯t keep complaining. Isla is holed up in the basement, working hard to maintain the warding device, and Qubi, Shumer, and Pirna are doing their best to explore the area. I¡¯ll have to work hard too.


    That¡¯s why I worked so hard. I worked very hard. Day after day, I dug the ground, made a path, built a house, dug the ground again, and built a wall. In the midst of all this, the one person who helped me heal was Sylphy. From morning to night, I worked hard crafting building blocks, placing them, and digging in the ground, and every night she would give me a boost.


    Sometimes she was kind; sometimes, she was strict.


    ¡°Sylphie mama¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not your mama.¡±


    I don¡¯t think it¡¯s any wonder that I regressed into a toddler. It¡¯s just digging holes and doing simple tasks day in and day out. Aside from me, Isla, who has finished the maintenance of the warding device, has been helping me with the construction with earth magic and crafting something on the wall that I built. It seemed to be something that would increase resistance to magic. I didn¡¯t understand the theory, but she talked about the magic of the earth¡¯s veins and warding devices.


    Qubi, Shumer, and Pirna left the three of us and returned to the rear. They were there as messengers to report progress and to bring men to the front. They said that thanks to the warding against monsters, Gizma would not appear in this area and that they had nothing to do.


    ¡°Don¡¯t bring Melty with you, okay? Don¡¯t ever do that, do you hear me?¡±


    ¡°Hahaha¡­ See ya!¡±


    ¡°Hey, answer me!¡±


    The three of them dashed off. I can¡¯t believe it; they¡¯re definitely coming back with Melty. It is definitely clear that there will be additional work.


    ¡°Sylphy.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here, with just you and me.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about¡­?¡±


    I was slapped in the head. However, her face was red, and she looked pretty happy. It was cute.


    Now that the three of us were left alone, we needed to figure out how to spend the night. I wondered if it would be a good idea to leave Isla alone and have a lovey-dovey time with Sylphy. That¡¯s why I consulted with Sylphy about the matter.


    ¡°Kosuke.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°Are you unhappy with me alone¡­?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    Sylphy misunderstood me completely. No, that¡¯s not what I meant. Anyway, there will be more people in a week or so, so why don¡¯t Sylphy and Isla sleep together until then? That¡¯s what I meant. It¡¯s scary for a girl to sleep alone in this huge ghost town, isn¡¯t it?


    I desperately tried to explain to her. Isla is definitely cute, but that¡¯s not the point. Sylphy is enough for me. Not just that enough, but it¡¯s an honor that¡¯s too much for me, or something like that anyway. Please convey my thoughts to her!


    ¡°I-I see¡­¡±


    My desperate persuasion seemed to have worked, and the misunderstanding seemed to have been cleared up, thank goodness. I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s because of this persuasion or not, but I feel like Sylphy¡¯s service to me, or rather her level of delicacy, has increased.


    ¡°¡­Mmm.¡±


    On the other hand, for some reason, Isla¡¯s mood became worse. I¡¯m not sure why.


    Still, Isla was scared to sleep alone, and she nodded in agreement to the suggestion that she sleeps with Sylphy. As long as there is the warding device, I know that neither Gizma nor undead can appear, but even so, the darkness, loneliness, and silence of the night can strike fear into people¡¯s hearts.


    Me? Sure, I¡¯m sleeping in another room, but we¡¯re in the same building. I¡¯m fine. I¡¯ve even got a torch to kill the insects. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯ll work, though.


    Another five days pass. There¡¯s no end in sight to my work. In the middle of the day, many people arrived at the planned construction site of the main base. Melty, Danan, Sir Leonard, Lady Zamir, and other major members of the group, as well as about 100 Merinard citizens. There was no presence of Qubi or Shumer.


    ¡°Oh, well, this is a big place indeed! It seems that the dividing of the land is almost finished. By the way, here¡¯s a more detailed plan¡­ Kosuke-san? Where are you going? Don¡¯t let him escape! Catch him!¡±


    ¡°Stop! Stooooppp!¡±


    I tried to escape in a dash, but Sir Leonard and Lady Zamir caught me. You guys, aarrgghh!


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Kosuke-dono.¡±


    ¡°It is the duty of the strong ones.¡±


    ¡°No! I don¡¯t want any trouble!¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t say anything rude. I won¡¯t do that.¡±


    Melty smiles and laughed. I thought those horns were sheep, but now I see that you¡¯re a devil-type sub-human, aren¡¯t you? That must be it. I won¡¯t be fooled!


    ¡°Kosuke-san, it seems that you are tired from your daily work. Don¡¯t worry; there¡¯s nothing to rush. I promise to work exactly eight hours a day, finish on time, and take two days off a week. See, it doesn¡¯t scare you, does it?¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true! Have I ever lied to you before?¡±


    Melty stares me in the eyes with a serious face. That¡¯s right if you put it that way. Indeed, Melty has never lied to me. I¡¯m not saying that I haven¡¯t been subjected to some very unreasonable conditions¡­ but it must not have been on a laughable level.


    ¡°¡­Okay. Is there some kind of reward for me?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Does Her Highness look like the kind of person who would let Kosuke-san work for free?¡±


    Sylphy was asked to speak, and she nodded with a very serious expression to Melty¡¯s words. Why did Sylphy listen to Melty¡¯s request? I thought that too, but in the end, Melty¡¯s request was originally to achieve Sylphy¡¯s ambition.


    With that in mind, I guess it¡¯s Melty who assigns the work, but it¡¯s Sylphi who will reward me. I see. It¡¯s certainly not a job that will line Melty¡¯s pockets. This one.


    ¡°For now, I¡¯m still relying on Kosuke¡­ Of course, I¡¯ll do whatever I can and give you whatever I can. I¡¯ve already gotten more than that from Kosuke.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Did you just say you¡¯ll do anything?¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°You did, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, she did. Her attitude of appreciating and rewarding those who work hard is indeed that of our princess.¡±


    ¡°I see. You¡¯ll do anything for me. What should I ask you to do?¡±


    I can¡¯t wait to see what she can do for me. Fiihihi¡­!


    ¡°Fufu¡­ well. That¡¯s fine. Melty, are you sure you¡¯re ready for this?¡±


    ¡°Of course I am. I am a loyal retainer of Her Highness.¡±


    Melty didn¡¯t seem to be phased at all by the fact that Sylphy noticed that she was being set up. This Onee-san is actually the most dangerous of all the people in this group.


    ¡°Hey, is it okay? I mean to do that. As a retainer?¡±


    When I asked Danan in a whisper, he smiled bitterly.


    ¡°As a retainer, I¡¯d give her less than a pass. But Melty and Her Highness the Princess are childhood friends. Melty¡¯s mother was the Princess¡¯s wet nurse. They are milk siblings or rather a milk sisters¡­ Sometimes they play together like that.¡±


    ¡°Heh, I don¡¯t know if they had a relationship like that. Sylphy doesn¡¯t talk much about her past, after all.¡±


    ¡°¡­Her Highness is going through a lot too. Please support her.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    I will continue to stand next to her no matter what. I don¡¯t need to be told again.

 CH 44

    Sponsored chapter by Patreon, enjoy~


    Now that there are 100 people and all the major members except for Qubi and Shumer, the real work of building the main base has begun. No, I¡¯m the one who¡¯s going to build it, though, right? It would take years to build a base of this scale by manual labor.


    ¡°We can¡¯t rely on Kosuke forever, but we need you to make the first step.¡±


    ¡°Well, yes.¡±


    I don¡¯t want to be the one to do all the work when building the town in the future. In fact, that would be bad in many ways. It¡¯s not a matter of the people¡¯s independence or anything like that; it¡¯s a matter of mass-producing unemployed people.


    For the time being, it is necessary to produce enough food to feed about 100 people, so I have to build fields. As for the fields, I plan to build them inside the defensive wall at the time of the first expansion. It will be easier to siege by enclosing a field that can harvest food in the base. The water is inexhaustible, after all.


    For the time being, the food can be covered by the 100 people who brought it with them and the amount I have in my inventory. However, the sooner, the better when it comes to the first harvest. I had to spend the whole day working in the fields.


    After I planted the seeds in the farm block, the people would take care of the rest. Watering, harvesting, replanting, and so on were all done by hand.


    ¡°This area of crops can be harvested in three days¡­ Well, that¡¯s terrifying, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°The concept of logistics is broken with Kosuke-dono.¡±


    In three days, we can harvest enough crops to feed everyone for the time being, and then we can harvest the same amount in about a week. I think the food storage will be overflowing soon.


    ¡°As the number of people increases, consumption will also jump. We need to plan our food production.¡±


    Melty, who was in charge of managing the harvested food, was very serious. As many as three hundred people could starve depending on her decisions, so her responsibility is very heavy. She can¡¯t afford to make any mistakes. It¡¯s painful to be hungry, you know.


    ¡°There were no abnormalities in the east. There¡¯s nothing remarkable about it. I¡¯ll try to go a little further tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°There were some decayed buildings in the north. There might be some ruins there.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been looking towards the west, towards that mountain that can be seen from here. The whole area looks like a rocky mountain, and there may be mineral resources lying there. I¡¯ve brought some ore samples with me.¡±


    Of the one hundred people, nearly half were capable of fighting. They form parties of several people and explore the surrounding area. Water and food can be secured at the base, so the search is mainly for mineral resources, ruins, and anything else that might be of value.


    ¡°What are the things that might be valuable?¡±


    I asked Sylphy and Isla, who were examining the reports coming in from the exploration team. Me? I was doing that. I¡¯m just taking a break. I¡¯m not skipping work, okay?


    ¡°There are ruins around here. The ruins of the Omit Kingdom often lie beneath the wilderness. Most of them are worthless, but there are some rare treasures among them.¡±


    ¡°Besides, due to the disturbance of the spirit power, the spirit power may be unevenly distributed in one point. In such places, special ores can be found.¡±


    ¡°We can use it to trade with the elven villages, and it¡¯s better to keep such supplies for later use. They are useful to us as well.¡±


    ¡°It can be used in alchemy and the making of magical artifacts.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    For Sylphy¡¯s later use, she is probably envisioning a business transaction with people other than elves. Merchants are a tough bunch. If we could get the resources and treasures that lie in the Great Omit Wilderness and the products made by the elves of the Black Forest to trade, even if we are enemies with the Holy Kingdom, there will be some people who will come to do business with us. Maybe.


    And so, for about a month, I built the main base.


    ¡°Well, I guess things are going well.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for your hard work.¡±


    I looked down at the main base with Sylphy from the top of the defensive wall and muttered to myself. The main base at the time of the first plan was a fortress city covered by a 500m x 500m wall.


    In front of us, a stone town ¨D no, a city ¨D had been built. The main materials were stones and rocks dug up in the wilderness and stone walls and concrete made by processing gravel and other materials. The buildings looked sturdy, but inside the walls, there was a large field in one corner. Several royal Merinard citizens were working hard in the fields.


    The sound of hammering could also be heard from another corner. Looking in that direction, several watermills could be seen spinning. That was the so-called artisan district. Until it took shape, Isla and I and some mages, alchemists, and craftsmen from the Merinard Kingdom had to work together. The city had water, food, and safety, but there was a critical shortage.


    ¡°It¡¯s really good to have the fuel problem solved, isn¡¯t it¡­?¡±


    ¡°There is a limit to how much you can carry from the Black Forest.¡±


    The distance from the Black Forest to this main base is about three days on foot. It would be better to use a carriage or something, but those things are not available with us, and the elves in the Black Forest don¡¯t have them either. And there are no roads. Therefore, we had to carry them, but it was hard work. There was also the danger of being attacked by Gizma.


    Fuel such as wood or charcoal is essential for cooking and keeping warm. However, in the Great Omit Wilderness, these are not readily available. There¡¯s nothing but rocks and dirt in the wilderness. Isla, the mages, and the alchemists solved this problem.


    ¡°I think we can manage just to cook and keep warm.¡±


    When we discussed the plan to transport firewood, Isla, who was usually relatively quiet, said something like that.


    ¡°This city is located at the convergence point of the earth¡¯s veins, or ¡°vein hole.¡± It¡¯s possible to generate enough magic power from the earth¡¯s veins to cook a meal.¡±


    ¡°The magic power of the earth¡¯s veins, huh¡­? But is it really that easy to do? That means deploying magic tools in every household, right?¡±


    ¡°With Kosuke¡¯s help, it¡¯s easy. If you can make an alloy of mithril, silver, or copper, it won¡¯t take much effort to make a heat magic tool. The structure is also simple. Absorbing magic power from the earth¡¯s veins is also easy if using an existing warding device. All we have to do is to build magic power accumulators in several places on the ground and distribute the magic power to each facility from there. By processing mithril, we can make a small but large capacity one. The alloy will be a little larger, but it will still be enough for one house at most.¡±


    ¡°I see. Kosuke?¡±


    ¡°If you want to make an alloy, just tell me the proportions, and if the alloy itself has a proper name, then it shouldn¡¯t be hard to make. Combining magical technology with my crafting abilities is also a subject that interests me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s certainly interesting. It will also lead to the investigation of Kosuke¡¯s abilities, and the construction of the city should be finished soon. If we succeed, it will also provide jobs for the residents, and I suggest we proceed with the research.¡±


    And so, for the latter part of the month, Isla and the other mages, alchemists, and craftsmen were involved in the development of various tools and processing machines.


    ¡±Shall we go to the artisan district?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    We descended the wall and headed for the artisan district. There is a wide range of products being made in the craftsmen¡¯s district, including household heaters, crossbow arrows, swords, farming tools, kitchen knives, pots and pans, planks made from logs, and woodwork such as tableware. The craftsmen used magical furnaces to extract iron from iron ore and process it and waterwheel-powered processing machines to make various crafts.


    ¡°The waterwheel seems to be working well.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it seems to be.¡±


    There are several variations of waterwheel-powered processing machines. There were saws powered by water wheels, lathes for cutting, bellows for blowing air into furnaces, hammers for forging, spinning wheels, millstones for grinding flour, and so on. At this very moment, new processing machines may be in the works.


    Incidentally, my workbench could have been upgraded using waterwheel power. Unfortunately, however, I could not move my water-powered workbench from its installation point. That would have caused a lot of problems, so I am now looking for another way.


    It is thanks to the infinite water source that we are able to operate so many water wheels. The infinite water source has allowed this base to have a certain amount of production capacity even without me. Of course, it¡¯s faster for me to do the processing of each item.


    However, the fuel problem can be solved with the heat magic device, but we still need to be able to procure wood as a material. I wonder if we should plant trees outside the main base. If I use the farmland block, the trees will probably grow at a high-speed rate. I wish I had an abundance of bones so I could try out that cheat item. Gizma¡¯s shell couldn¡¯t be processed into that.


    ¡°If we have food, water, a safe place to sleep, and the ability to produce, we¡¯ll be fine for now.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I think we can get by without relying on Kosuke¡¯s abilities. There¡¯s still a lot of things missing, though.¡±


    ¡°Now that the main base is complete, the next step is the front-line base¡­ which is where my true potential will come into play.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. And after that, the operation will finally begin.¡±


    Sylphy¡¯s eyes become sharp. For Sylphy, the future is the critical moment.


    The front base was to be built in the heart of the Great Omit Wilderness; two days walk from the main base. Although there were frequent attacks by Gizma, the experience of building several relay bases and strongholds was put to good use in the construction of the front base. Here¡¯s how it went.


    ?Intermediate Builder ¨D Installed a total of 5,000 building blocks. ¡ùUnlocked the Blueprint feature.


    I didn¡¯t understand it at first. What is the Blueprint function? That¡¯s what I thought. But considering that placing blocks in symmetrical mode was also unlocked at the time of the beginner builder achievement, I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s a feature that saves time and effort in the building system.


    I looked at the menu from top to bottom and figured out what the hell the Blueprint feature was.


    ¡°Hahahahaha! Now I don¡¯t have to worry about setting up a base anymore!¡±


    With a single action, I could set up barracks, erect walls in 10-meter increments, and set up relatively complex gates. There¡¯s no need even to dig a hole to set up the walls, all of which can be done in one action.


    In other words, the blueprint function was a function that allowed the registration of building templates and the installation of buildings from those templates. In short, it is like a copy and pastes function for buildings.


    By registering frequently built buildings in Blueprints, they can be installed instantly whenever desired as long as materials are available. Once the main base is blueprinted, it can be set up in its entirety in an instant whenever desired, as long as materials are available. As long as you are willing to do so.


    ¡°In this way, setting up buildings consumes a lot of materials.¡±


    ¡°So you end up digging, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Even if the installation is easier, in the end, I still have to dig for materials by hand. The first time I built a building, I had to make it by myself. There are plenty of stones and earth that can be found in the wilderness when digging for building materials. I also wanted to build a moat, so I had to replenish my supply of building materials while building the moat.


    Normally, I would dig a hole to build a wall and replenish the building materials in the process, but when I use the blueprint function to build a wall, I don¡¯t need to dig a hole. In this case, the building materials were insufficient because they were installed without digging holes.


    ¡°Where is the ground that was pushed to the foundation of the wall¡­?¡±


    Isla was holding her head as she dug up the foundation of the barrier with earth magic. It¡¯s a good idea to dig, but make sure you do it right.


    The front-line defense base is the second largest after the home base at 250m x 250m per side and can be garrisoned by about 150 people. There are three ballistae on each of the four corner ridges, four ballistae on each of the two city gates, and ballistae on the defensive wall at intervals of about 10 meters, for a total of 116 ballistae. When all of them are in operation, the total firepower can be estimated.


    ¡°If we can¡¯t get any people to come here, it will be like a papier-mache tiger.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true that just three hundred people can¡¯t operate a base of this size.¡±


    Sylphy smiled bitterly at my words. Since the maximum number of ballistas alone is 116, if three people are assigned to each ballista, that alone will be more than enough manpower for 300 people. If we can¡¯t secure enough manpower for the upcoming liberation operation, we won¡¯t fully utilize our defensive base.


    ¡°To operate this place properly, we need at least 500 people.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ I hope we can get that many people.¡±


    ¡°But I think we¡¯ll be fine with Sylphy as our leader. Sylphy is a princess, after all.¡±


    ¡°¡­I hope so.¡±


    Sylphy looked sternly at the direction of the Merinard kingdom beyond the horizon. It¡¯s something that¡¯s hard to feel confident about. Apparently, she doesn¡¯t really like her position as the princess of the Merinard Kingdom or something like that.


    The people of Merinard at the Elf Village call her Princess and respect her, but she herself seems to feel uncomfortable being addressed as such.


    She hadn¡¯t paid much attention to it until now, but now the time to fight against the Holy Kingdom is approaching. Should we take a step forward and ask about the situation? That¡¯s what I thought as I looked at Sylphy¡¯s profile lit up by the setting sun.

 CH 45

    Here¡¯s the chapter and thanks to the Ko-Fi donators for this chapter. 1/22 chapters. Enjoy~


    ¡°Hey, Sylphy. Can I ask you something?¡±


    ¡°Yes? What is it?¡±


    After finishing the day¡¯s work, we spent some time together and finished one ¡°battle.¡± Normally, we would be in bed together and just sleep, but I decided to ask her. In other words, I decided to take it a step further.


    ¡°Can you tell me more about yourself, Sylphy? In the past, after the Merinard Kingdom became part of the Holy Kingdom, Danan and the others came to the Black Forest and before I met them.¡±


    ¡°¡­Right. Where should I start? Did I tell you that I came to the Black Forest on behalf of the royal family?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you did. You said that when you turned ten, you had to learn how to live as an elf in the Black Forest or something like that.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It wasn¡¯t long after that that the Merinard Kingdom became part of the Holy Kingdom. I was still a child at the time and was not familiar with world affairs or anything like that. In hindsight, my father probably wanted to keep me in the Black Forest.¡±


    ¡°I see; that¡¯s very conceivable.¡±


    When you¡¯re a king of a country, you¡¯re probably familiar with the situation in the surrounding countries. Her father probably knew that the Holy Kingdom would invade the Merinard Kingdom in the not too distant future. It¡¯s not surprising that he prepared for this by sending his youngest daughter to the Black Forest, far away in the Great Omit Wilderness.


    ¡°About twenty years ago, the Merinard Kingdom was made a vassal state of the Holy Kingdom. After a fierce battle, the Merinard Kingdom surrendered, and many of its people were killed. It is said that my father and mother wished for the relief of the people in exchange for giving up the custody of the royal family members.¡±


    ¡°¡­I see.¡±


    ¡°It seems that this promise has not been kept, though. It was said that the Merinard people were not sold off to other countries as slaves, but after becoming a vassal of the Holy Kingdom, several villages in the frontier were destroyed. I¡¯ve heard that the inhabitants were supposedly killed by monsters, but I doubt it.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t trust them, too.¡±


    There is no evidence to convince anyone who is guilty, but it¡¯s definitely suspicious.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I also tell you about Danan and the others¡¯ rebellion in the Merinard Kingdom three years ago?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I heard about that.¡±


    ¡°At that time, I was still in the Black Forest. Refugees have been arriving in the Black Forest here and there since that time, and the only way I knew what was going on outside the forest at that time was by hearing about the situation in the Merinard Kingdom from those refugees. But one day, one of the refugees who had escaped told me that Danan and the others had risen in rebellion.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Sylphy lay back on the bed and stared at the back of her hand as if checking her own brown skin.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t stand it any longer. At that time, my body had already grown to the point where I could call myself an adult elf, and my skill with a bow and spirit magic had become adequate. I had also mastered the secret technique of using spirit stones to destroy things. I overcame the objections of the elders and the elven adults in the village and set off into the Great Omit Wilderness with as many spirit stones as I could carry.¡±


    ¡°A bull¡¯s eye, huh?¡±


    ¡°Looking back, I think it was shallow. What happened, in the end, was that Danan¡¯s rebellion had already been suppressed, and he had just escaped to the Great Omit Wilderness. It was lucky that we were able to join up.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a big place, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Fumu. The Holy Kingdom was pursuing Danan and the others. I used the Spirit Stone to destroy the pursuers and became known as the Witch of the Black Forest by the Holy Kingdom. Then, I returned to the Black Forest with Danan and the others. My skin and body became like this when I buried the Holy Kingdom¡¯s pursuers out of hatred and impulse.¡±


    ¡°Eh, seriously. What the hell kind of miracle happened to you?¡±


    As a result of killing with hatred and impulse, she fell into darkness and became like a dark elf? What is that? It¡¯s cool.


    Sylphy answered me with a bitter smile.


    ¡°Elves are much more like spirits than other human races. The emotions, the amount of magic power used, the surrounding circumstances at the time, the purpose of the spirit¡¯s exercise, and many other factors can combine to alter the body. When a person kills many people with hatred and rage as I did at that time, keeps receiving fear and resentment in their body, unleashes spirits for killing, and goes to the limit of destruction, their skin can become like mine now. The skin that used to be white turns black like this, the body becomes tougher, and the spirit magic becomes more effective when used for destruction rather than protection and healing.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. In other words, they evolve to specialize in combat. Elves are amazingly mysterious creatures.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like it when Kosuke says that.¡±


    Sylphy flicked the tip of my nose. Certainly, I might be no match for the wonders of the world.


    ¡°In the past, elves like me have been called corrupted elves, dark elves, fallen elves, or tainted elves. In the days when there were many conflicts, there were a certain number of elves like me, but nowadays they are rare.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see. I know exactly what you mean. Perhaps the reason you feel uncomfortable when Danan and others call you Her Highness or Princess has a lot to do with what you just told me?¡±


    ¡°¡­I have spent my entire life in the Black Forest, safe and sound, while the country is in the midst of a major uprising. The country is practically gone. I don¡¯t think I am worthy of being called Princess.¡±


    Sylphy took my hand and rubbed it against her cheek as if she was trying to be sweet. I stroked her cheek as she asked for it.


    ¡°This fight is more than what everyone asked for; it¡¯s my selfishness. I¡¯m going to sacrifice the lives of many people for my selfishness. I guess I will go to hell too.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll accompany you to the ends of hell, Master.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s reassuring¡­ I love you, Kosuke.¡±


    Instead of answering, our lips met, and we smiled at each other. The night had only just begun.


    Two weeks have passed since the front-line base was set up.


    A wide empty moat paved with wood spikes has been dug around the front-line base, and a drawbridge has been installed at the wall gate. And when the war comes, the drawbridge will be hoisted up, and crossbows and ballista arrows will rain down from the top of the defensive wall.


    In the basement, I¡¯ve built an escape route in case of emergency, and I¡¯ve also prepared a last resort that will be activated when we have to abandon the fort. I¡¯ve consulted with Isla, and we¡¯ve established a safe and secure way to blow up the explosive blocks from a distance. Hahaha.


    A little over fifteen hundred people, about half of the Merinard citizens who had taken refuge in the elven villages, were to be deployed to this front-line base. All of them were healthy and strong enough to endure battle. Of the combatants, including those who originally had combat skills and those who had trained after taking refuge in the elven villages, more than 80% were in the front-line base.


    Incidentally, the ratio of men to women was an astonishing 1:21. Of the 154 people, there were only seven men, including me. Me, Danan, Qubi, Sir Leonard, Worg the werewolf, a former guard, Indy the blue demon, a former adventurer, and Sykes the ape-man, an alchemist. To be honest, I feel extremely overwhelmed¡­


    ¡°Sykes, it¡¯s best not to go out alone too much.¡±


    ¡°I-is it that scary¡­?¡±


    This is a men¡¯s lounge set up in the front-line base ¨D it sounds rather fancy, but it¡¯s really a place for men to hang out. At the lounge, Sykes, an ape-man who was almost taken into the women¡¯s room, was holding his chest and breaking out in a cold sweat. His heart palpitations hadn¡¯t subsided yet.


    Sykes is much skinnier than I am¡­ Incidentally, as the name implies, the ape-people are beasts with the characteristics of apes, with slightly longer arms than normal humans, a dexterous tail, and a bit of hair.


    They are soft-spoken and mild-mannered.


    ¡°Sometimes even I can feel myself in danger.¡±


    Worg muttered as he bared his fangs. It¡¯s a scary face, but he¡¯s smiling.


    ¡°If there are so many different sub-humans, one of them is always in heat.¡±


    Indy, a former adventurer of the blue demon race, also smiled bitterly. He was a so-called adventurer spy, scout, or perhaps a thief. I heard that he has different skills from those of a military scout, but I don¡¯t know much about him. He¡¯s blue-skinned, thin, and macho, with a single horn growing out of his forehead. He was among those whose leg and arm were injured, and I healed him with my splint.


    His personality is bold or rather rough. Perhaps I should call it an adventurer¡¯s personality. He seems to get along well with Qubi and Shumer and is often seen hanging out with them.


    ¡°My life has become more stable, and my morale has been boosted by daily training¡­ but it¡¯s hard to say strongly considering what has happened and what is to come.¡±


    Danan, who was also seated at the same table, smiled bitterly. Although Danan and Sir Leonard are not as blatant as Sykes and the others, they have been approached by women in various ways.


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t have anything like that, though?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the princess¡¯s personal manservant.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not only that, but Isla, Melty, Shumer, Gerda, Pirna, and I¡¯m not sure, but the Harpies are after you too. I don¡¯t think anyone is going to talk to you because they all know that those people are after you.¡±


    ¡°Eh? That¡¯s new to me.¡±


    ¡°Are you insensitive?¡±


    I was astonished by what Qubi and Indy said. Eh? Seriously? I¡¯m being targeted by Isla, Melty, Gerda, Pirna, and the others? It¡¯s a joke, right? When I think about it, it¡¯s true that when Sylphy isn¡¯t around, one of those people is around me, but they don¡¯t act like it at all.


    ¡°The women have a lot to talk about in that area. When the time comes, you should be ready.¡±


    ¡°Eeh¡­ or is it better if the status between Sylphy and I is just a retainer?¡±


    ¡°Without Kosuke, we would not be able to survive. You¡¯re also a legendary marebito, so that¡¯s not a problem.¡±


    ¡°The elder of the Black Forest has recognized you as a marebito, so there is no problem with your status or anything like that.¡±


    ¡°Seriously, a marebito is amazing.¡±


    The position of a marebito seems to have a higher social status than I thought. It¡¯s incredible to be told that there is no problem with marrying into royalty. Isn¡¯t that amazing? But, I heard that there is some folklore like the so-called ¡°Hero of the legend,¡± and I guess it can be said that it is appropriate?


    ¡°Anyway, there is a serious shortage of men. If we don¡¯t infiltrate the Merinard Kingdom and bring in a man soon, Sykes¡¯ chastity will be in jeopardy.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just accept it?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no way I could accept everyone. And if that¡¯s the case, Kosuke will have to accept all of Isla and the others.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine with just Sylphy.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate that you are devoted to a single woman, but it is also a man¡¯s duty to accept women who are worthy of him.¡±


    ¡°What about Sir Leonard?¡±


    ¡°¡­I have given my heart to my late wife.¡±


    ¡°Double standards are not good, you know.¡±


    ¡°Umu.¡±


    Sir Leonard fell silent when Worg and Sykes interrupted him.


    Hmm, a harem, huh? I¡¯d be lying if I said I didn¡¯t admire it as a man, but I¡¯m not interested at the moment. It¡¯s not that I¡¯m not excited about it; it¡¯s just that Sylphy is more than enough for me.


    ¡°By the way, Kosuke, how is the construction of the underground shelter going?¡±


    ¡°A forceful change of subject, huh¡­ but okay. The construction is going well, or rather, it¡¯s already done. Once I¡¯ve made one, I can construct the next one in an instant as long as I have the materials.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a very useful ability as always. So, are we finally going to start?¡±


    ¡°Umu, we¡¯ve already started to select our personnel. We¡¯ll be announcing the start of the operation in the coming days.¡±


    ¡°I thought we were going to start with a tour of the outlying villages, liberating the people and protecting them at the base.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve already brought in the supplies. Food, water, and arrows.¡±


    ¡°What kind of food is that? Block cookies.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re delicious.¡±


    The block cookie is a block-type nutritional food that I created with my crafting ability. It¡¯s like a cookie about the thickness of a thumb, with dried fruit, honey, nuts, and oil kneaded into it and baked. The texture is one of its main selling points, as it crumbles when you bite into it.


    Eh? Have I heard of it before? What¡¯s that? I don¡¯t know. This is a highly functional nutritional food made from a pastry called shortbread, hahaha.


    By the way, all the ingredients for the block cookies are grown on the home base. Although we do grow some fields at the front base, this is for consumption and stockpiling at the front base. However, when we liberate the Merinard citizens and bring them here in the future, we will probably also protect them here for a certain period, so the stockpile is not only to prepare for war but also to regain the power of these liberated people.


    ¡°Kosuke, are you there?¡±


    The conversation was interrupted when Isla peeked out of the doorway with a voice that sounded like the rolling of a bell. According to what Qubi and Indy had just told me, this Isla was also targeting me¡­


    ¡°Kosuke?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing. What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve designed the magic stone engine. This time I¡¯m confident.¡±


    ¡°Hou, that¡¯s quite impressive. The question is, will it be properly registered?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine this time. Come.¡±


    ¡°All right. Okay, I¡¯ll be there.¡±


    The guys send me off with their replies. Grabbing the hem of my clothes, Isla started to pull me towards her lab. I don¡¯t need that kind of pull to keep up with you. I wondered if this was the move that Qubi and the others were talking about.


    As I walked along, tilting my head, Isla turned around and tilted her head as well.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°¡­No, it¡¯s nothing.¡±


    It¡¯s no use worrying too much about it. I don¡¯t know about it, and since the women will be discussing it with each other, it¡¯s not going to happen suddenly. First of all, let¡¯s not worry about it too much and enjoy the comfortable relationship we have now. Yeah.

 CH 46

    It¡¯s Ko-Fi Supporters¡¯ chapter (2/23), enjoy~


    Three days after the men¡¯s meeting, the troops assigned to liberate the Merinard citizens departed from the front-line base. One unit consisted of twelve people. All of them were armed with crossbows, with a well-balanced mix of those who knew the land, those who had skills as scouts, and those who excelled in combat.


    The purpose of their mission is first to liberate a remote village and second to gather information. The plan is to refrain from fighting the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army as much as possible.


    Six units with a total of seventy-two people left the fort, leaving the front-line defense suddenly quiet. This is because about half of the people have left the fort. Sir Leonard, Qubi, Worg, and Indy also went out. Danan, Sykes, and I were on standby.


    After the Liberation Army left, what we were left to do didn¡¯t change much. We¡¯ll take care of the fields, train, make new stuff, scout the area, and exterminate the Gizma if there are any. If they come close to the fort, they are a good target for the ballista. With the right shot, it could be a one-hit kill.


    Do I have to go out there? I consulted with the others.


    ¡°Using Kosuke¡¯s power will certainly help the operation. However, even if we succeed in the operation by using a special power that only Kosuke can use, it will only be an irregular case. We won¡¯t be able to accumulate any know-how on how to carry out the operation.¡±


    This is what Danan told me. Hmm, I can understand it, but not quite.


    ¡°Kosuke¡¯s power is indeed useful, or rather versatile. But the liberation mission is something that can be done by personnel other than Kosuke. I think Kosuke should do what only Kosuke can do.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I see. But the only thing I can do now is make arrowheads, preserve food, and develop new items.¡±


    ¡°If we have plenty of supplies, it will definitely come in handy in case of emergency. You never know what kind of unforeseen circumstances may arise. In the worst-case scenario, the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army stationed in the Merinard Kingdom could attack this fort. If that happens, there¡¯s no limit to the number of arrows and preserved food you can have.¡±


    ¡°It has become clear to me that alchemy and magic technology go well with Kosuke¡¯s abilities. If we develop our abilities in this direction, not only our abilities but also the technology of this world may develop dramatically. Even so, we are few in number. Rather than going to the front, Kosuke should move in the direction of securing a technological advantage.¡±


    This is what Sylphy, Melty, and Isla told me. I think it¡¯s not a bad idea to play an active role in the front-line.


    ¡°If I were to say it this way, Kosuke is our keystone. Honestly speaking, your personal safety is more important than mine. No matter how much Kosuke wants to go, we can¡¯t send you to the front.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, well, I guess you¡¯re right.¡±


    The main base and this front-line base both have a certain amount of production capacity, but even with both combined, my crafting ability is far superior in production capacity. Indeed, Sylphy and Danan can¡¯t risk losing me like that. If I were in their shoes, I would do the same.


    ¡°Thanks to the equipment Kosuke made, the Liberation Army is well equipped. It¡¯s Kosuke¡¯s job to believe in them and wait for them while making better ones.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It is Kosuke¡¯s job to protect everyone¡¯s place of return.¡±


    And just like this, I was told that I should exert my capabilities in the rear. So, while the liberation army was fighting on the front lines, I was immersed in developing new items with Isla, Sykes, and other engineers side by side.


    So, the next day after the liberation force went out.


    ¡°Are golems easy to make?¡±


    I asked in the workshop of the engineers at the front-line base. The people here were Isla, a former court mage who knew a lot about magic and alchemy, Sykes, an alchemist, and others with specialized skills in magic, alchemy, blacksmiths, woodworkers, and metal carvers. Except for Sykes and me, all of them are women.


    ¡°All I can say is, it depends. Tell me what you want to use it for.¡±


    ¡°No, I thought it would be easier to operate a ballista or crossbow if we could leave the pulling of the strings to the golem. There¡¯s an image of the golem as being powerful, and if it¡¯s just pulling strings, it¡¯s very simple to command, right? It could even be a golem with just arms.¡±


    The alchemists groaned at my suggestion.


    ¡°This is innovative. Normally, a golem is a humanoid puppet that moves. Even if it¡¯s just to make it walk, you have to set up a formula in the core that takes care of things like balancing it, recognizing what¡¯s around it and making sure it doesn¡¯t collide, and so on. As Kosuke mentioned, if the golem is only used for pulling strings or turning something, then the number of formulas to be written in the core will be small.¡±


    ¡°I think we can cut costs quite a bit in terms of materials. If it¡¯s just to write simple commands, it might be possible to get by with inexpensive materials, and if it¡¯s just to pull something or turn something, the size of the golem can be reduced.¡±


    Isla and Sykes responded positively to my suggestion.


    ¡°Actually, I was thinking about using the principle of leverage to pull strings. I¡¯ve drawn up a blueprint for it. I think this could also be used for a ballista.¡±


    The Lamia blacksmith said and spread out a sheet of blueprints on the table. We all looked at the blueprint. I see, a lever is attached to the crossbow so that the string can be pulled using the principle of leverage. Since the lever would be attached to the top of the crossbow, would it be difficult to aim? But I guess it can be modified with a better sighting device and lever shape.


    ¡°I like this lever-type crossbow. But what about adding a golem mechanism to a crossbow carried by an individual? Is it possible?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s possible to put it on a normal-sized crossbow. However, ballista-sized crossbows are no problem.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s try to modify the crossbows and ballista that are currently deployed.¡±


    ¡°As for materials, we still have iron and wood in reserve, so I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll have any problems. What is the golem¡¯s core made of?¡±


    ¡°I think the copper and mithril alloy used for the heating element will be enough. As for the material for the main body of the golem, we can try using clay and stone that have been given magical powers.¡±


    The blacksmith and woodworker decided to modify the crossbow using the principle of leverage, and the mage, alchemist, and sculptor decided to make a prototype of the golem mechanism to be attached to the ballista.


    If the prototype works without any problems, I¡¯ll start mass production with item creation. For example, in this case, I would be responsible for the crossbow modification kit and the mass production of the sculpted golem core.


    It¡¯s also my job to provide ideas for new items based on the knowledge I¡¯ve acquired from my original world, games, anime, and manga.


    ¡°Kosuke¡¯s ideas are interesting. His point of view is different from ours.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. This simplification of the golem seems to have a lot of applications.¡±


    ¡°It might be a good idea to use golem power instead of waterwheel power. The problem is the cost of magic power?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s also a question of how much it actually costs to run. If it¡¯s the main base, we can pump an inexhaustible amount of magic power from the vein holes, but it¡¯s not so easy here.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just provide the magic power from the shooters? Well, I can¡¯t use it, though.¡±


    ¡°I see. If we just pull the strings of the ballista, the consumption might be surprisingly low. Let¡¯s think of an absorption mechanism as well.¡±


    Everyone nodded at Sykes¡¯ words and began to take action. First of all, I added a tentative golem core element made of mithril and copper alloy processed into a sphere to the crafting list in Item Creation, and made some on the modified workbench, and gave them to Isla and the others.


    I joined the group of Lamia¡¯s blacksmiths, who had brought me this modification plan, and I decided to participate in the discussion of the modification plan for the improved crossbow. I don¡¯t know anything about magic, but I can be of some help in discussions about mechanical mechanisms like this.


    I feel like I¡¯m getting some mysterious looks from the people in this group, but I¡¯d like to think it¡¯s just my imagination. I think Lamia¡¯s blacksmith¡¯s tail is rubbing my leg to keep the others from finding out, but I¡¯m sure it¡¯s just my imagination. Other than that, I feel like there is a lot of body touches from everyone in general. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s just my imagination, right? I tell myself that and suddenly turn my gaze to Sykes.


    He¡¯s firmly flanked on both sides by engravers and alchemists, and he¡¯s being talked to at an absurdly close distance, which makes him tense. Hang in there¡­ super hang in there. I can mention Sylphy¡¯s name in case of an emergency, but I can do nothing to help you. How helpless I am¡­


    After much discussion and prototyping, the crossbow was quickly modified. By using the principle of leverage, the ability to fire repeatedly was improved, while the power remained unchanged. The mechanism is simple, so there are few malfunctions, and the levers and other parts are made to be sturdy, so there have been no problems so far.


    It¡¯s a little heavy for me to use, and the fact that I can easily reload it by command action means that I didn¡¯t get any benefits from it. Oh well, I guess it is what it is. The golem mechanism for the ballista took a little longer, but I still managed to complete the prototype in about five days. This one was more than effective, and combined with a modification that used the same principle of leverage as the crossbow, it was able to fire a tremendous amount of shots. The added bonus was that it could be operated by one person.


    With the armament upgrades steadily progressing like this, the first group of the liberation army finally returned to the front-line fort, with the latest news from the Merinard Kingdom.

 CH 47

    It¡¯s Ko-Fi Supporters¡¯ chapter (3/23), enjoy~


    ¡°Thanks for the effort this time. Are there any injuries?¡±


    ¡°The twelve members of the 5th Unit are all fine. There¡¯s no single scratch on them.¡±


    ¡°All right, let¡¯s hear the report.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The first unit that returned to the front-line fort had a total of forty-nine people, including twelve members of the liberation army and thirty-seven liberated people. Now, in the operation control room, the report was given by Jagira, a cat-beast woman who was the commander of the fifth unit, and Zada, a lizard woman who was the deputy commander ¨D one of the three people who were previously saved from being attacked by Gizma.


    ¡°Well, first of all, we had quite a hard time breaking into the Merinard Kingdom itself.¡±


    ¡°Oh, as I thought. Oh, don¡¯t worry about the way you talk. Just go on as usual for now.¡±


    ¡°Ah, no, that¡¯s not possible either. Well, as initially predicted, Gizma¡¯s assault seemed to be on the Merinard Kingdom¡¯s side as well, and all the forts between the Merinard Kingdom¡¯s territory and the Great Omit Wilderness were on heightened alert.¡±


    Jagira, who Sylphy told not to overreact to her tone, refused and proceeded to explain in her own polite tone. Sylphy is the highest-ranking person in this community, and as a member of the military, she cannot afford to disrupt the discipline. However, the term ¡°honorific¡± is quite questionable.


    ¡°However, the area where the Merinard Kingdom and the Great Omit Wilderness border is vast, so if we took advantage of the shade of night, we managed to get in.¡±


    From there, the six liberation units split up into three groups of two units each, each with twenty-four people, and began full-scale activities. Instead of using the city roads, they took the roadless roads in the forest and wilderness, with the troops led by Jagira and Sir Leonard heading for a village near the border. The other two groups went to a village a little further into the Merinard Kingdom.


    ¡°It¡¯s been three years, but we still had a map. We had decided on the route to take beforehand, and in case of unforeseen circumstances, we were supposed to retreat quickly or join up.¡±


    ¡°I see. So, how was the village?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the problem.¡±


    The purpose of the Holy Kingdom, which made the Merinard Kingdom a vassal state, was to seize the mines that produced high-quality rock salt and iron. The Merinard citizens, who are used as the Holy Kingdom¡¯s garrison soldiers and laborers, cannot be allowed to starve, and their international standing is at stake if they rule too outrageously.


    This is the reason why the rural areas in the outskirts of the country were given a certain amount of consideration so that the people could live as they did before the Merinard Kingdom was turned into a nation.


    ¡°However, the taxes were heavier, and the freedom of movement was restricted.¡±


    Zada, the lizard woman, added to Jagira¡¯s report.


    The actual treatment of the villagers was not good, as they were banned from traditional village festivals, forced to convert to Adelism, the religion of the Holy Kingdom that worships the sole god Adel, and forced to take a lower position as a servant to humans according to the doctrine of Adelism, which is based on human supremacy.


    To prevent the villagers from revolting, the weaker women and children were placed under the control of armed soldiers, and their families and friends were severely punished if any of them showed rebellious behavior. Sometimes a small child died because of it.


    ¡°It was so terrible¡­ So, how did the actual liberation operation proceed?¡±


    ¡°We attacked in the shadows of the night. We had good eyesight at night, and the soldiers of the Holy Kingdom had lights in their hands when they were on guard at night. It was a good target.¡±


    ¡°We didn¡¯t even have to draw our swords.¡±


    Many sub-humans have good night vision. Even if they weren¡¯t, sniping with a crossbow wouldn¡¯t have been a difficult task if the target was illuminated by lights. It¡¯s also been proven that the arrows of the improved crossbow can pierce the armor of the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army without any difficulty.


    ¡°Once we got rid of all the soldiers during the night, we just grabbed what we could and made it look like a bandit raid and came back quickly.¡±


    ¡°Sir Leonard¡¯s unit followed the other two units to the farther reaches of the Merinard Kingdom. The idea is to join up with them and help them with their operations.¡±


    ¡°I see, very well. If you notice any other problems with the equipment, please report them to Melty, Isla, and Kosuke.¡±


    In response to Sylphy¡¯s words, both Jagira and Zada pondered for a moment before opening their mouths.


    ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ It was hard not to be able to make a fire. We couldn¡¯t put anything warm in our stomachs.¡±


    ¡°Food, huh? Food is important, after all.¡±


    The quality of the food greatly affects morale. The block cookies are tasty, but you will naturally get bored if you eat them all the time. I also prepared some dried meat, which I made by using my crafting ability to process the steak further, but still, people want to have something warm in their stomachs when it comes to food.


    ¡°The other thing is the means of communication. I think it would be useful to have some tools to keep in touch with our friends who are far away.¡±


    ¡°Oh, a communication device. That¡¯s also difficult.¡±


    I wonder how many people in today¡¯s society have a complete understanding of how radios and cell phones work? At least I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t know anything about Morse code, and I have no idea how radio transmitting and receiving devices work. Should I have at least tried to make a transistor radio? I¡¯ve never even touched a transceiver.


    ¡°I only have a vague idea about communication, but I¡¯ll discuss it with Isla and the others as soon as possible.¡±


    I don¡¯t think I can make an earth-made communication device with my vague knowledge, so I¡¯m hoping for a magical approach. In the first place, even if I try to make something with Earth technology, there is still no sign that I can make a product that uses electricity.


    On the other hand, if I were to take a magical approach, I could use the Golem Core, an item that looks like an electronic control device, and I could also use magic power as a resource. I think this is the direction I should go.


    ¡°Is there anything else to report?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, there is not much more to report. In order to be certain, we didn¡¯t take any prisoners and shot all the enemy soldiers, and the villagers we liberated this time were restricted from going to other villages, so there was little information about the situation in the Merinard Kingdom. However, according to those who had been in charge of transporting the harvested crops to the towns, the towns and cities larger than the villages were almost exclusively inhabited by humans. He said he rarely saw any of the original Merinard citizens.¡±


    ¡°Twenty years is a very long time, isn¡¯t it? What happened to the people who originally lived in the city¡­?¡±


    ¡°According to the villagers, they may have been sent to work as laborers in the frontier settlements and mines. They may have heard the soldiers of the Holy Kingdom talking about such things.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ Depending on how you look at it, it might be a good thing.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Villages and mines are less protected than cities surrounded by high walls.¡±


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s also true.¡±


    While agreeing with Danan¡¯s statement, Sylphy had a somber expression on her face. Frontier development and mining work can be very dangerous work. And on top of that, they¡¯re dealing with the Holy Kingdom of human supremacy. The working environment is probably not the best.


    ¡°How are the liberated people doing?¡±


    ¡°There are a few people who are not feeling well, but they are generally fine. They were frightened at first when they heard that we were going to flee to the Great Omit Wilderness, but after we killed Gizma without difficulty and reached the underground shelter that Kosuke had set up before dark, their spirits lifted considerably. The block cookies were a big hit, too. The children and young people who had never eaten anything sweet were impressed.¡±


    ¡°Now, each family is assigned its own quarters and is fed.¡±


    ¡°I see. Today and tomorrow, after the liberated people and the rest of the unit has had a good rest, send them back to the main base.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    Jagira and Zada are leaving. I watched them leave and then exhaled.


    ¡°For the time being, it¡¯s a success.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s still a small step forward. But it¡¯s a big step.¡±


    Although there were many challenges ahead, we were able to take a step forward. In that sense, it is indeed a big step forward.


    ¡°So, I have two requests from the front lines. The first is a hot meal that can be eaten without starting a fire. The second is a tool to communicate with distant comrades without being noticed by the enemy.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ it¡¯s difficult.¡±


    ¡°A hot meal is one thing, but communication is quite a challenge¡±¡­


    Isla and Sykes crossed their arms and groaned when they heard the subject I had brought up. That¡¯s right; I can¡¯t come up with a good idea either.


    ¡°We¡¯ll start with one thing at a time. How about the hot meal?¡±


    ¡°How about making a portable miniature heating device?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not impossible, but there are twelve people in a unit, right? Wouldn¡¯t it require a large pot or something to cook a meal for that many people?¡±


    ¡°That is true. Should we give them a pot that can be used as a shield?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that would be too tight¡­ Well, let¡¯s try to develop it in that direction. What about the power for the heating element?¡±


    ¡°It can be powered by either the user¡¯s magic power or the magic stone.¡±


    ¡°Also, it¡¯s better to make it sturdy. Sturdiness is a priority, and weight should be taken into account whenever possible.¡±


    The first idea for a hot meal was to develop a portable heating device and a shield that could be used as a pot.


    ¡°Do you have a solution to this problem, Kosuke?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I believe there was a way to heat food by reacting quicklime with water. But I don¡¯t think it would solve the problem of the container.¡±


    ¡°Oh, quicklime. That¡¯s true; it also generates heat rapidly.¡±


    ¡°Interesting. Did they use quicklime for cooking food in Kosuke¡¯s world?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a widespread method. It is used to cook hot food in special situations, such as when traveling in an environment where the fire is not available¡­ in a vehicle, or in a situation where cooking is difficult due to a disaster. Of course, it was also used by military personnel to eat hot meals during operations.¡±


    Whether they use quicklime or not, I don¡¯t really know.


    ¡°In the end, it¡¯s one-time use. It would be too bulky to prepare a large number.¡±


    ¡°Whether we adopt it or not, it¡¯s not a bad idea to have more than one in development.¡±


    ¡°Yes, while we¡¯re working on it, we might develop other technologies that can be applied.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Well, sure.¡±


    Surely, it won¡¯t be a waste of time. It¡¯s better to do whatever we can do in the rear.


    ¡°, the communication system.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a tough one. Do you have any knowledge that might be useful, Kosuke-san?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been on the receiving end of it myself on Earth, but I only have a vague understanding of the principles. If that¡¯s okay with you.¡±


    I decided to tell them how communication works and its history, to the best of my knowledge.


    ¡°I think the easiest one is Morse code.¡±


    ¡°Morse code?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a simple code that combines short and long sounds, like ¡°ton, tsu, ton, tsu,¡± and it¡¯s used to communicate by sending it over a long distance.¡±


    I tapped the desk with my fingertips and lightly explained the concept of Morse code. But I¡¯m not very familiar with it, so I can only describe it like this.


    ¡°The ¡°ton¡± part means that magic is flowing for a moment, and the ¡°tsu¡± part means that magic is continuing to flow. In my world, we used electricity, but magic power is easier to understand in this world. See, there it is. The warding device at the main base. That thing also periodically emits a magic wave or something to chase away monsters, right? Similarly, it sends out waves of magic power over a long distance and uses that wavelength to communicate. It would be easier if the magic waves could be carried by voice.¡±


    After hearing my words, Isla, Sykes, and the other mages and alchemists started whispering about something.


    ¡°If you just want to send it, you can adjust the wavelength¡­¡±


    ¡°Receiving can be done by applying detection magic¡­¡±


    ¡°If you use a golem core¡­¡±


    They were actively discussing something. Why am I being left out of the conversation? It looked like the mage and the alchemist were doing that, so I decided to work with the blacksmith, the woodworker, and the engraver on a design for a pot that could be used as a shield. It¡¯s going to be heavy, but it should basically look like a Chinese pot, I guess. To keep it hygienic, let¡¯s add a removable cover and handle to keep the inside of the pot clean. Then, let¡¯s add a locking mechanism so that the cover and handle can be fixed using the pot¡¯s handle.


    The mage and alchemist group seemed to have finished while I was recommending the idea.


    ¡°I have a feeling we can do something with the golem technology. We¡¯ll proceed with the development, including the creation of a code.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see. Then let¡¯s get started right away. I¡¯ve decided on the design of the pot. Let¡¯s start with the prototype.¡±


    Thus began developing a pot shield, a portable heating device, a quicklime heating bag, and a communication device that would later be named the Golem Communication Device.

 CH 48

    It¡¯s Ko-Fi¡¯s Supporters¡¯ chapter (4/32), enjoy~


    Now that we¡¯ve decided what we¡¯re going to develop, it won¡¯t be up to me, but the mages, alchemists, and craftsmen. My job is to develop ideas, procure materials that are difficult to process or acquire, create mass-produced products, and confirm whether or not they can be registered in the crafting menu.


    What I mean by ¡°whether it can be registered in the crafting menu¡± is that experiments have shown that tools with some serious flaws cannot be registered in the crafting menu in item creation. In other words, if a new product can be registered in the crafting menu, it can be judged to be of a certain standard.


    Once I realized this, I took on the role of inspector for new products. It¡¯s a skill that craftsmen would love to have, right?


    So, to get back to the topic, once I finished coming up with ideas, I was free. I was free and bored. There are times when I am asked for my opinion on development, but as I said before, the actual development is left to the craftsmen. Of course, it would be faster if I were to develop the item creations myself. By far the fastest. And there are no glitches. However, there are still some problems with me doing everything.


    That¡¯s why I decided to stay out of the equipment used by the Liberation Army of the Merinard Kingdom (as we¡¯ve come to call it).


    That¡¯s why I only use item creation for things that I personally use, things that Sylphy uses, things that I¡¯ve been asked to make personally, and things that I think would be difficult to make outside of item creation ¨D bullets, for example. It was decided to limit it to such things.


    Nowadays, crossbow arrows and ballista arrows are produced by the blacksmiths at the main base, and food and flour milling are also included in the production of crossbows and ballista themselves. As for the improved crossbow, it seems that they are having a hard time making the steel leaf springs, though.


    Let¡¯s get back to the topic! What the hell is going on? No, I get it. I¡¯ll admit it. Yes, I¡¯m trying to escape reality. Let¡¯s just admit it.


    Eh? Why am I escaping reality?


    ¡°Why is there a human here?¡±


    ¡°I thought it was too good to be true! Why on earth did you bring us here?¡±


    ¡°Unh! Uh-uh!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s okay. Don¡¯t worry; everything is okay.¡±


    They were screaming. That¡¯s it, isn¡¯t it? I think they think I¡¯m from the Holy Kingdom, don¡¯t they? Look, look, look at this elf costume. It looks like a folk costume and smells like elves, doesn¡¯t it? Oh, it doesn¡¯t? Why not? Is that so?


    ¡°What¡¯s all the fuss about¡­ Eh, Kosuke-san? What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    As I was puzzling over what to do, a wolf-beast woman, Liberation Army soldier, armed with leather armor, a crossbow, and a sword approached us. I don¡¯t know her name, but she must have been a member of the fifth unit.


    ¡°Oh well, I¡¯m a human, remember? It seems like I¡¯ve been mistaken for a person from the Holy Kingdom.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see. Everyone, please calm down. This person is called Kosuke-san, and he¡¯s on our side. He¡¯s not from the Holy Kingdom; he¡¯s a marebito from a different world. He built this fort¡¯s magnificent walls, dormitories, fields, and our weapons all by himself.¡±


    ¡°No, no, not all of it, though, right? I got help from everyone to get the materials.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so humble. Oh, and this Kosuke-san is Her Highness Princess Sylphiel¡¯s lover, or rather spouse. He is also the one who gave us all the food, weapons, fighting techniques, and a safe base, so there is nothing to worry about. He is humble, kind, and has a very gentle personality.¡±


    ¡°When someone lifts me up that high, it¡¯s a little difficult. I¡¯m not that good of a person.¡±


    Hahaha, that¡¯s a joke again, she said, and she doesn¡¯t take it well at all. I¡¯m not that kind of saintly, super meritorious person. I¡¯m in love with Sylphy, and I¡¯m just trying to help her.


    But the liberated people, who had been wary of me, seemed to be reassured by her explanation, and even though they didn¡¯t completely let their guard down, they stopped being hostile. That¡¯s a relief.


    ¡°Well, you see. I¡¯m Kosuke, as I was introduced. I¡¯m not even from this world, let alone from the Holy Kingdom, so screw the Adel religion.¡±


    The liberated people were astonished by my statement that I don¡¯t give a shit about the Adel religion. Yeah, I think that¡¯s a good start.


    ¡°Anyway, is there anyone who is injured or sick? If someone has a broken leg or arm, I will take care of that too. You don¡¯t have to worry about paying for it because it¡¯s just a token of our friendship. In return, when you¡¯re feeling better, you should help other people.¡±


    ¡°Kosuke-san¡¯s treatment is excellent. Three years ago, when I crossed the Great Omit Wilderness, my leg was injured, and I¡¯ve been crippled ever since, but Kosuke-san healed me in no time at all.¡±


    Oh, so this was one of the people whose legs I had healed with the magical power of the splint. I see; that¡¯s why she¡¯s lifting me up so high. That makes some sense.


    With her enthusiastic praise, a few liberated people came forward to seek treatment. So, I popped chairs, and a portable hammock stood out of my inventory and made up a facility that looked like a field hospital.


    ¡°What¡¯s with the white clothes?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t doctors supposed to wear white?¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    It seems that in this world, doctors do not wear white coats just because they are doctors. I sat down in the chair and let the first patient sit in the chair facing me. Apparently, it was a child suffering from a cold.


    ¡°It could be because of tiredness from all the walking, or because of the change in the environment¡­ In the meantime, let him have some Cure Disease Potion and Small Life Potion.¡±


    So I took out a bottle of golden liquid and a small bottle of red liquid and handed them to his mother, who was accompanying him.


    ¡°Please let him drink it quickly. Don¡¯t worry; it¡¯s a potion approved by a former court mage and alchemists. It¡¯s actually safe.¡±


    The mother was bewildered by the sudden handing over of an expensive-looking potion, but she started to give the child the two potions, hoping that it would cure him. The Cure Disease Potion tasted like tea, and the Life Potion tasted sour. Not very tasty. The child who was being made to drink the potion had a delicate look on his face. Yeah, I know how it feels.


    ¡°Ah¡­ I feel so warm.¡±


    The pale child¡¯s face regained its vitality, and his eyes became brighter.


    ¡°The warmth in your body means it¡¯s working. You should rest as much as possible and eat well. Also, you might want to refrain from bathing today and wipe yourself with a cloth wetted with hot water. Don¡¯t let your body get cold, but keep yourself clean.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°Thank you very much. Thank you very much.¡±


    The mother bowed her head again and again with tears in her eyes. Yes, it¡¯s not uncommon for a child to lose his life from a small cold in this underdeveloped medical world.


    Perhaps because of the positive response of the first patient, other liberated people who had been watching the situation came forward to seek treatment.


    ¡°If you are in pain, please lie down on the hammock over there and wait.¡±


    The liberated people were treated quickly and efficiently. The fifth unit¡¯s protection seemed to be perfect, and no one seemed to have been injured during the move, but the overall nutritional state of the people didn¡¯t look good, and perhaps that was the reason why many of them were in bad shape.


    While administering Cure Disease Potion, I also administered Life Potion to those who seemed to have exhausted their strength. That seemed to help most of them recover. There was also one person with a broken leg, so I gave him a splint to heal it.


    ¡°O-Oh! My leg! My leg is healed! Thank you, doctor!¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, it¡¯s a bit much to be called a doctor. My treatment is a bit of a cheat, so don¡¯t ask any other real doctor to give you the same level of treatment.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know. I¡¯ve never heard of such a miraculous treatment. Alchemist¡¯s potions seem to work well, but they are expensive.¡±


    ¡°I guess so.¡±


    I¡¯ve been shown how an alchemist makes potions, and it¡¯s a lot of work. I don¡¯t know what it feels like to use magic, but I could tell that they worked with a lot of concentration. It seemed to take a lot of effort to infuse the herbs, crush them, and extract the potion.


    It¡¯s understandable that Isla would be upset when she saw me creating a top-notch recovery potion with as little effort as setting up the ingredients and microwaving it. I¡¯m really sorry.


    ¡°Is this all? If anyone else is not feeling well, please let me know while I am here. The rest of you should eat well, get some rest, and help each other out. That¡¯s it from me. Dismissed.¡±


    I said dismissed! Hey, don¡¯t cling to me! But I guess it¡¯s not so bad to be paddled by a cat-eared and dog-eared child. Heh heh heh, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re going to do, I¡¯m going to fluff your ears too. Enjoy my beautiful technique!


    ¡°Hah, I¡¯m so tired.¡±


    After finishing the treatment, I played hide and seek games with the little kids from the liberated people. Well, it¡¯s not bad to be a kid again. But aren¡¯t those guys too physically strong? They¡¯re so fast and so tough.


    Also, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s fair that they followed my scent in hide-and-seek and came to find me. No matter where I hid, they always found me quickly, and when I wondered why, I was shocked when they told me that I had to get rid of my smell. They will be good hunters in the future¡­


    ¡°The kids are so energetic.¡±


    Sylphy giggled happily when she saw me lying prone on the table. Yeah, Sylphy is really cute when she smiles naturally like this instead of smirking. I¡¯m going to eat her again this night.


    ¡°But, it seems that the environment was not good after all. The children are not so bad, but the adults are skinny.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it seems so. But now that they are with us, they will be fine. They¡¯ll be well-fed and regain their strength.¡±


    ¡°There were a lot of men. Though it seems that Sykes¡¯ troubles will continue.¡±


    There were some unmarried men among the liberated people this time. However, they were eventually sent back to the main base to rest their bodies, so the number of men on the front lines remained the same. Sykes¡¯ ordeal continues.


    ¡°A shortage of men, huh¡­? Well, that¡¯s a serious problem.¡±


    Sylphy also smiled bitterly. The ratio of men and women in the Merinard Kingdom, which originally numbered about three hundred, was about 1:20, so it was impossible for one man to marry several women. It would be nice if there were more men in the future.


    ¡°What about you, Kosuke?¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°Does Kosuke have any interest in women other than me?¡±


    Sylphy started to say something like that without looking at me. The atmosphere is rather serious. I think I should answer honestly here.


    ¡°I think Isla is cute, and Melty is beautiful in appearance. Pirna and the others are genuinely fond of me, and Gerda¡¯s gentle atmosphere is soothing.¡±


    ¡°What about Shumer and Jagira?¡±


    ¡°I think they¡¯re not really interested in me.¡±


    I think they just see me as a kindred spirit or someone who can provide them with something interesting.


    ¡°They¡¯re all cute and pretty, I know. But I think the one I like is Sylphy. I¡¯d be lying if I said I didn¡¯t have any interest in or fondness for other girls, but my number one is Sylphy, and I don¡¯t think I want anyone else.¡±


    If we had met in a different order, we might have had a different fate, though. I don¡¯t know about the future, but I don¡¯t think now is the time to do anything with them.


    ¡°I¡¯m not very feminine, am I? I¡¯m not even pretty.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about¡­? I think Isla and Melty would get mad if they heard that you said you¡¯re not feminine or pretty.¡±


    ¡°R-really?¡±


    Isla is petite and plain, and Melty has a nice body close to Sylphy, but she is not lovely or even scary. It might be different if I were to get to know her better.


    In this regard, Sylphy is already a nice body that I like, she is a good cook, and her true personality without the mask of the princess is charming and impeccable. It¡¯s also good that she is strong and dependable. I think it might not be good if I say so as a man. I think so, but!


    ¡°You don¡¯t seem to be aware of it¡­ Then I¡¯ll bring out the best of your cuteness.¡±


    ¡°W-what¡­? N-no! Kosuke, no¡­!¡±


    ¡°Kukuku¡­ I will make you unable to say that you are not feminine or pretty enough!¡±


    I attacked Sylphy. It was like a beast. I calmed her down as she resisted, praised her for being cute and pretty, and she even cried and begged for mercy, but I shook it off and accomplished what I had to do.


    ¡°Look, you¡¯re cute! Okay, let¡¯s go show everyone!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t! I can¡¯t! I can¡¯t let everyone see me like this!¡±


    Sylphy, who was dressed in a black gothic lolita-style frilly dress made by me, shook her head reluctantly while resisting my pull. Yeah, she¡¯s really cute. She¡¯s cute, but her strength is so strong that she doesn¡¯t even falter when I try to pull her.


    ¡°Melty! Melty!¡±


    ¡°Whoa! D-don¡¯t call her!¡±


    Melty appeared as soon as I called out to her. And she smiled like an onomatopoeic ¡°Dirty smile¡­¡± on her face. It¡¯s scary!


    ¡°Ara, araara¡­ well, well, well. You look great, Sylphiel. You should definitely show this to everyone.¡±


    ¡°Noooo!¡±


    Sylphy resisted, but Melty took her outside without difficulty. What is the trick she used¡­ ? And what about Sylphy¡¯s strength? Is Melty actually the strongest of them all?


    After that, Sylphy, who was dressed in a black gothic-style frilly dress, was taken out to the square by Melty, and everyone at the front-line fort gathered around her and told her she was pretty, cute, beautiful, and as expected from a princess, so she closed her heart and shut herself up in her room for a while.


    She did come out for supper. So cute.

 CH 49

    Here¡¯s the chapter, enjoy~


    The fact that my ability to create adorable (to the people of this world) and innovative outfits has been made public. Yes, I have done that. This was an ugly move under the circumstances of this liberation army, where the ratio of men to women is almost 1:20.


    ¡°Um, I¡¯m not a dressmaker, you know.¡±


    ¡°Please give up. It¡¯s like the harm of dressing the princess in such a cute costume.


    ¡°No way.¡±


    The days spent in the rugged fortress, with weapons in hand, watching out for Gizma and the armies of the Holy Kingdom, or incessantly producing new tools, arrows, and food, deprived the girls¡¯ moisture. Yes, fashion is a luxury.


    Now, in a sense, it was wartime. Luxury is not allowed. Although they can bathe every day, their clothes and equipment are basically the same. The materials are leather and iron. Also, the durable fabric was hemp-like and not pleasant to the touch. Of course, there were no cosmetics, and there were no flowers or plants that smelled good in this wilderness.


    Then, I dressed Sylphy in that frilly black goth-style dress. The dress was made of comfortable fabric with lots of pretty frills and lace. How on earth did she get that dress? It¡¯s you, right? It¡¯s you, isn¡¯t it? The women who had been admiring Sylphy for a while looked at me with great intensity.


    Their eyes were glowing. I thought I was going to shit my pants.


    I tried to run away, but they circled me, grabbed me by the shoulders, and brought me into the conference room. And so I continued to make various outfits, until now.


    Different colors of the dress I had made for Sylphy, different designs of dresses, various clothes made of comfortable fabrics, and even underwear. In any case, I was made to make anything and everything. There was no shortage of leaves and fibers to use as materials, as there was plenty to go around from the massive logging.


    But I didn¡¯t keep quiet about it either. Isn¡¯t it a healthy relationship if I just make things and hand them over? It¡¯s true that I shouldn¡¯t do anything too rash considering my power and position, but shouldn¡¯t I ask for a bit of compensation?


    My plea was much discussed and approved by the girls.


    ¡°I have no choice. Then I¡¯ll start¡­¡±


    ¡°Why are you taking your clothes off? That¡¯s not the kind of compensation I¡¯m looking for!¡±


    ¡°Tsk.¡±


    Melty-san, did you just click your tongue? Or rather, were you really aiming at me?


    ¡°What kind of compensation do you want then? There is no compensation that we can give you, Kosuke-san. All of the goods produced here were originally created by you, and we have very little private money.¡±


    ¡°I know that. I¡¯m not saying that there isn¡¯t something to be said for that kind of compensation, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s right to ask for a body in exchange for fashion. The compensation I want to ask for is, you know, Sylphy.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Melty and the others tilted their heads, not understanding the purpose of my question.


    ¡°Sylphy is not very active in such areas. She doesn¡¯t like to dress up or wear pretty clothes.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°So, here¡¯s the thing. From now on, I will provide you with clothes. In return, I was hoping you could help me dress Sylphy in the clothes I¡¯ve made for her. I want to see Sylphy in all kinds of costumes!¡±


    I clenched my fists and explained firmly. I want to see her in all kinds of costumes! Any boy who has had even the slightest exposure to fantasy would love an elf, you know? And it¡¯s a brown elf. It is a natural desire to dress her up in various ways.


    At that moment, I caught sight of Isla in the corner of the conference room. She opened her big eyes halfway and said with a stunning scowl.


    ¡°You look so desperate and perverted.¡±


    ¡°Gwah!¡±


    Isla¡¯s merciless words caused me to explode and scatter.


    ¡°But I¡¯m glad you want Her Highness to get dressed up. By the way, does Kosuke-san know the story of the Cycle and Zephyr?¡±


    ¡°Uuh¡­ no, I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°The story of the Cycle and Zephyr is¡­¡±


    Melty began to talk about the so-called north wind and sun. Cycle is the name of the sun in this world, and Zephyr is the name of the wind god.


    ¡°I see. In other words?¡±


    ¡°It is impossible for me to force her to change her clothes like I did yesterday. If I do it too much, she will become stubborn.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s unreasonable or not, but it might make her stubborn. And?¡±


    ¡°So, you know. What if Kosuke-san made a lot of otherworldly costumes and made us wear them, thereby arousing the jealousy of Her Highness and making her change her own clothes?¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that just make her jealous?¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so. I¡¯ve known her for a long time, so I¡¯m sure of it.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Well, if that¡¯s the case.¡±


    It doesn¡¯t feel like it¡¯s being taken advantage of or even being put on as well, but it seems like a much more gentle way to go than forcing Sylphy to wear the clothes again and again. I think I¡¯ll just let her get away with it. It would be good for the eyes to have Melty, who has a similar build and shape to Sylphy, wear various clothes.


    Hmm, I wonder if this or that would be good. As I was thinking about this, someone tugged on the hem of my clothes. What is it? When I turned my head to look at her, I saw her big eyes staring at me.


    ¡°Me too.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°I will also wear a variety of costumes. I¡¯ll help inspire Her Highness.¡±


    ¡°O-oh. I understand.¡±


    I nodded to Isla, who said this with a very strong will. Isla seems to be more suitable for costumes that are quite different from those of Sylphy¡­ Yeah, but if she wants to wear various kinds of clothes, that¡¯s fine. Isla is a cute girl, and although the direction is different from that of Sylphy, various outfits will look great on her.


    That¡¯s why I made various otherworldly ¨D or as I like to call it, modern ¨D costumes for her. No, it¡¯s more like a cosplay costume, yeah. Anyway, I made a lot of things.


    ¡°This costume somehow makes me feel more relaxed.¡±


    ¡°It might add to your administrative and teaching skills.¡±


    I made Melty a recruiter suit-like outfit. I made her wore a pair of glasses, and she looked like a career woman or a teacher¡­ Yeah, it would have been perfect if she wore black stockings, but unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t make stockings.


    ¡°It¡¯s kind of a different direction for me¡­¡±


    ¡°N-no, it looks good on you, you know?¡±


    In contrast, Isla is wearing a light blue smock, a pink skirt, and a yellow hat on her head, a little girl¡¯s style. The haircut and Isla¡¯s physique are so well matched that it smells like a crime.


    ¡°It¡¯s an outfit for children, no matter how I look at it. I demand a proper one.¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay, calm down. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    She gave me a stern look, and I pulled out another outfit for her to change into.


    ¡°T-this one?¡±


    ¡°Yes, come on, hurry, hurry!¡±


    ¡°Mmm¡­¡±


    She was frightened by the pinkish color of the costume, but she took it and went to change. There, I was poked in the shoulder.


    ¡°Try not to turn your head and look at the window over there. Just a glimpse.¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    Following Melty¡¯s advice, I glanced at the building window and saw Sylphy looking in from outside. She groaned, gnununu, and it¡¯s cute.


    ¡°Let¡¯s give it one more push. So, I¡¯ll be wearing a different outfit. It can be a little more sexy, okay?¡±


    ¡°That kind of thing is for Sylphy.¡±


    ¡°Tch.¡±


    She clicked her tongue again! Or rather, I think that a recruitment suit with a tight skirt and bare legs is sexy enough. While thinking about it, I gave Melty a new outfit as well. It¡¯s a Dirndl dress, one of the traditional European costumes. I think it would look great on Melty.


    ¡°I¡¯m off then!¡±


    Melty walks into the changing room with the Dirndl in her hand, looking very excited. I handed out the costumes I had improvised to the other girls. Among the costumes, the idol-like costume for Harpy and the shrine maiden¡¯s dress for the demon girl seemed to be the most popular. As for the Lizard Woman, she looked good in a cowboy or cowgirl style outfit. She also looked good in something that looked like a knight¡¯s uniform, so maybe a cool outfit would suit her.


    Lamia looks good no matter what she wears, but¡­ her lower body is a snake. However, she seems to prefer Arabian-style or dancer-style costumes that are more revealing and sexy. That said, Lamia-san is usually the only one who exposes a lot of skin¡­ I wonder if it¡¯s a racial preference.


    ¡°I¡¯ve changed my clothes.¡±


    Isla appeared from the next room, which served as a changing room.


    ¡°Bravo.¡±


    I clapped my hands, and Isla fidgeted, her cheeks reddening in embarrassment. I asked her to wear a pink, frilly, magical girl outfit. She also held a cute wand that looked like something a magical girl would carry, and she held it firmly in her hand. In fact, the wand is made of mithril, so it¡¯s very practical. It should be.


    ¡°Well, what do you think? These clothes are quite comfortable.¡±


    The next person to come out was Melty, wearing a Dirndl. Yeah, the bosom. It¡¯s amazing. It¡¯s a feast for the eyes. I couldn¡¯t help but admire it.


    That¡¯s when it happened.


    ¡°Kosuke¡­ you look like you¡¯re having a lot of fun.¡±


    Perhaps she finally couldn¡¯t take it anymore; Sylphy, her cheeks flushed, stormed into the meeting place, which had half turned into a fashion show.


    (It took her long enough¡­!)


    That¡¯s what everyone in the room must have thought. In fact, my actions and those of the women present were swift. I quickly took the costume for Sylphy to wear out of my inventory, and the women invited her into the building to secure the entrance and block the way out.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been waiting for you, Sylphy! I knew you would join us!¡±


    ¡°There are many clothes that I want you to try on. Since you¡¯re here, you have to try them on!¡±


    Sylphy seemed to realize that she had been set up at this point, but it was too late. There is no way out, including the window.


    ¡°You¡¯ve conspired¡­?¡±


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. See, everyone is dressed in otherworldly costumes, right? There¡¯s nothing to be afraid of.¡±


    ¡°Gnunu¡­¡±


    Perhaps she realized that there was no way to escape; she gave up and was taken by Melty and the others to the next changing room. From there on, she was no longer just mine¡­, but rather their dress-up doll.


    ¡°Since Sylphiel is so beautiful, you should wear more clothes and get dressed up. You always wear a leather battle dress, after all.¡±


    ¡°But then again, I¡¯m the one who¡¯s supposed to be leading everyone¡­ It¡¯s outrageous to be extravagant.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that because Kosuke-san is here. In fact, you should dress up more for Kosuke-san¡¯s sake.¡±


    ¡°I-is that so¡­?¡±


    Good, good, good Melty, tell her more.


    After being persuaded by Melty, Sylphy put on a variety of outfits. I like when she wears ribbed sweaters. It¡¯s really a great way to show off her body lines, kuhu¡­ guhyoguhyo.


    There was a commotion that temporarily stopped the development of new tools, but after the commotion, the women in the fort¡¯s faces became more lively, and morale was very high, so Danan only had to give me a few minor complaints.


    ¡°I can¡¯t even lecture you because morale is up as a result¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    In fact, there was no time to get excited about clothing, and the fact that the first unit had returned meant that it was not surprising that other units would return with the liberated people. Since we didn¡¯t know how many people would return, there was no such thing as too much preparation.


    A few days passed, and when the fever for clothing had subsided somewhat, a messenger arrived at the front base. It was Pirna, who was supposed to be a scout in the first unit.


    ¡°The 1st, 2nd, and 6th units jointly raided the rock salt mines in Vinnisk, overpowered the garrison, and freed about 800 people and their families who had been forced to work in the rock salt mines. They are now on their way back to the Great Omit Wilderness, but they don¡¯t have enough food, water, or anything else.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ good grief.¡±


    I looked up to the heavens when I heard the report. It is definitely Shumer and Sir Leonard who do this kind of sketchy stuff. I¡¯m sure of it.


    ¡°What¡¯s their course of action?¡±


    ¡°They said that they would liberate the pioneer villages between the rock salt mines of Vinnisk and the Great Omit Wilderness one after another and that they would head this way while supplying themselves with the crops of the liberated villages. They are expected to arrive at the shelter closest to the Merinard Kingdom in about a week.¡±


    ¡°In other words, the number of people will continue to swell. We¡¯ll never make it in time with our normal supply methods.¡±


    Sylphy glanced at me. Well, that¡¯s right, we have no choice but to do so.


    ¡°We¡¯ll start moving supplies from the home base and take the minimum amount of supplies stockpiled at the front-line base, which I put in my inventory. Along the way, we¡¯ll also gather supplies from underground shelters and plant a field near the nearest shelter for harvesting. That¡¯s about right.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ But letting Kosuke run into the territory of the Merinard Kingdom is a bad idea. You should stay in the shelter closest to the Merinard Kingdom and prepare to welcome them there. Let¡¯s just hope they can make it that far.¡±


    As for the number of people the underground shelter could accommodate and the number of supplies it could store, I had only envisioned up to fifty people in one settlement. About 800 people were completely unexpected.


    ¡°It¡¯s too different from what was planned in advance¡­ there must have been some unavoidable circumstances, but it¡¯s just too much.¡±


    ¡°There is no point in lamenting about it. Your Highness, I¡¯ll stay here and prepare for the reception.¡±


    ¡°Yes, please do. Pirna, tell the liberating unit what we have just discussed. But don¡¯t push yourself too hard. The worst thing that can happen is that you crash and no information gets through.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I understand!¡±


    Pirna saluted with her wings and flew out. Harpies fly in the sky, so their movement speed is much faster than on foot. They are indispensable for reconnaissance and messenger.


    ¡°Do you think the enemy will follow them?¡±


    ¡°Probably. We need a way to shake them off.¡±


    ¡°I have a few ideas, but I have no clear picture of what to do¡­¡±


    Thinking of countermeasures, I headed for the supply warehouse.


    Well, no matter which measure is taken, we are going to blow it up, yeah. When it comes to a small number of people fighting a large number of people, a ranged attack is the only way to go, right?

 CH 50

    Sponsored chapter by Patreon, enjoy~


    Our actions were swift.


    After throwing the minimum number of stockpiled supplies into my inventory and releasing materials that might be used to develop tools, I, Sylphy, and the five harpies from the fort, for a total of seven people, ran for the frontline shelter. Leaving the patrol against Gizma to the harpies, we ran at an unthinkable speed in a normal march.


    Sylphy has monstrous stamina, to begin with, and by combining command action movement with running, I can run at speed far faster than a marathoner, even at the speed of a jogger, and for a long time.


    Along the way, though, we run into Gizma.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have time to worry about it.¡±


    Dor, dor, dor, the pump-action shotgun fires rifled slugs at Gizma, eliminating it quickly. It takes only a moment for it to enter my inventory.


    ¡°After all, Kosuke can fight just fine, can¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°As long as I have the right weapon.¡±


    While reloading the ammunition I had shot, I ran again. On the first day, we passed through the first shelter, the second shelter, and reached the third shelter. The original plan was to move through one shelter in a day, so we were able to get here three times as fast.


    ¡°Let¡¯s take a bath, eat, and sleep.¡±


    ¡°A bath?¡±


    While Sylphy and the harpies are tilting their heads, I build a bathtub out of brick blocks. The size itself is the same as the infinite water source. In other words, it¡¯s 2 meters long, 2 meters wide, and 1 meter deep. I guess it¡¯s big enough for a temporary bath.


    ¡°Then, fill it with boiling water¡­¡±


    In my inventory, there is almost no passage of time. I have a large pot of boiling water in my inventory. I didn¡¯t prepare them for a temporary bath but for pouring them on during a defensive battle at the fort.


    ¡°After that, adjust the temperature with water.¡±


    Instead of setting up the bucket of water with a command action, I poured it into the boiling water to adjust the temperature. Fumu, this is about right.


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s take turns soaking in the bath.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s this? Hot water?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t have a bath culture?¡±


    I remembered that bathing and wiping the body with a wet cloth was the standard in this world. I briefly explained about bathing, handed them towels, and instructed them to go in one by one. In the meantime, I had to prepare food.


    ¡°Ah, bathing is such a luxury¡­¡±


    ¡°Soaking in warm water feels so good.¡±


    ¡°Yes, this is nice. But it is definitely a luxury. It must be difficult to prepare so much hot water every day.¡±


    I prepared the meal while listening to the voices of the harpies and Sylphy in the background. The harpies aren¡¯t very good with their hands, so something they can eat with their hands would be good. A hamburger and a salad sandwich would be fine.


    I think it was force majeure that I saw everyone taking a short bath while I was preparing the meal. Maybe it¡¯s because they¡¯re in a group of women, or maybe it¡¯s just the culture of this world, but they don¡¯t seem to mind being seen naked. Well, I didn¡¯t prepare any curtains or anything like that for the temporary bath! Yeah!


    While enjoying the feast for the eyes and also adding hot water to the bath, I served food to the harpies and Sylphy, who came up from the bath in turn, and I also took a bath. It was getting a little warm, so I added some hot water.


    Oh, one of the harpies¡¯ wings is floating. Hmm, it¡¯s beautiful. The color of the harpy¡¯s feathers varies from person to person. Pirna¡¯s feathers are generally bluish, while the harpies accompanying us now are pink, orange, blue, brown, and jet black. This feather is blue, so it must be Fronte¡¯s.


    The pink harpy is Bron, the orange harpy is Fitch, the brown harpy is Flame, and the jet-black harpy is Ray. They all adore me ever since I made an air bomb and actually tested its power in an experiment. It seems that they didn¡¯t like being treated like toilet birds.


    Hmm, Fronte¡¯s feathers are quite beautiful when I look at it this way. It felt good to slide my fingers over the feather, and it had the right amount of elasticity. Bird feathers are kind of cool, aren¡¯t they? Maybe there is a functional beauty here to grab the air and fly.


    I slowly relaxed my overworked legs in the warm water and got out of the bath after I was sufficiently warmed up. Naturally, I was completely naked, but I could feel everyone¡¯s eyes on me. No, no, no, a naked man is not something you want to look at while you¡¯re eating, you know?


    My body has gotten a little more toned since I came here, but I don¡¯t have a lot of muscle. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a body that would be pleasant to look at.


    ¡°Huh? That feather¡­¡±


    As I changed my clothes and moved to the table where everyone was eating, Ray, the black harpy, noticed Fronte¡¯s feather that I was holding in my hand. All eyes were now focused on Fronte¡¯s feather.


    ¡°Hiya! W-wait! Please throw that away!¡±


    Fronte, the owner of the feather, turned red and flapped her wings. It¡¯s so cute.


    ¡°No, I just thought it was beautiful. Wings are beautiful and cool, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°Hyuuu¡­¡±


    When I said that while sliding my fingertips over Fronte¡¯s feather, she turned over, covering her red face with her wings. When I look at it, the other harpies are also red-faced and fidgeting. What is it? Did I do something wrong?


    ¡°Sylphy, did I do something wrong?¡±


    ¡°Kosuke¡­ how would you feel if someone was teasing you with an enraptured expression, telling you that your fallen hair was beautiful?¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    I¡¯d either feel disgusted or insanely embarrassed. If I dropped a bunch of curly hair and the opposite sex teased me about it while smirking at me¡­ I¡¯d be so embarrassed.


    ¡°Truthfully, I¡¯m really sorry.¡±


    ¡°N-no¡­ I meant if you liked it, um¡­¡±


    Even though Fronte was still red in the face, she laughed and flapped her wings. Well, what should I do? This feather. I wonder if I should return it.


    ¡°P-please take good care of it, okay?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes.¡±


    I felt like I had to take it, so I decided to keep it in my inventory. The item¡¯s name is Fronte¡¯s Feather. Oh, is it a unique item? It¡¯s got a proper name.


    ¡°Um, well then, mine too.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯d like it¡­¡±


    ¡°M-mine too, please.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    For some reason, I got a feather from each of the other harpies. The colorful feathers gathered in my hands. Hmm, it¡¯s like a treasure. It¡¯s so beautiful. When I was a child, picking up a bird feather made me feel like I had found a treasure. Even a crow¡¯s feather is beautiful when I look closely.


    ¡°Kosuke¡­ your eyes are shining.¡±


    ¡°Eh? Really? No, I remember when I was a kid, I used to pick up bird feathers and put them in my treasure box. It¡¯s like going back to my childhood or something like that¡­ There was no Harpy in my world. And I also haven¡¯t seen many birds around where I live, so I haven¡¯t had the chance to get any.¡±


    While enjoying the touch of the harpies¡¯ feathers, I told everyone about my childhood. I didn¡¯t have much access to nature, so I used to read many insect books and animal books when I was a kid. Thinking about it, it was probably my behavior at that time that made me long for nature and survival.


    Anyway, every time I slide my fingers over the feathers, the harpies are twitching and writhing. Are they okay? Aren¡¯t they breathing hard? I¡¯m starting to get the feeling that I¡¯m in danger.


    ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s get some sleep in preparation for tomorrow. We should be able to reach the frontline shelter tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    That night I had a dream in which I was tickled all over with feathers. I don¡¯t remember exactly what it was, but it seemed like an erotic dream¡­ I wonder if I had this dream because the harpies writhing figure was kind of sexy.


    ¡°¡­I felt tired.¡±


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s probably just your imagination.¡±


    The next day, I felt kind of tired and leaned my head back. For some reason, Sylphy doesn¡¯t make eye contact with me. Hmm, for some reason, my lower body seems to be clearer¡­? Is it just my imagination? I think the reason my body feels sluggish is because I¡¯m still tired from yesterday.


    ¡°G-good morning!¡±


    ¡°Good morning. It¡¯s another beautiful day today.¡±


    ¡°Morning¡­¡±


    ¡°Good morning.¡±


    ¡°Morning.¡±


    The Harpies are in good spirits today. They are healthy, and their skin and feathers look strangely shiny. Did the bath work? I don¡¯t know why, but they all seem to be a little red in the face, and they approach me and stroke my body with the tips of their wings. My body is tingling for some reason, but why is this?


    ¡°Is there something strange¡­?¡±


    ¡°What? Don¡¯t worry about it. I don¡¯t care.¡±


    It¡¯s necessary, after all; I thought I heard Sylphy mutter. What is she talking about¡­? Could it be that while I was sleeping, the harpies did something to me? No, no, no, that can¡¯t happen. I¡¯m not a dead sleeper. There is no way I wouldn¡¯t wake up if they did something to me while I was sleeping. No way. It won¡¯t happen, is it?


    In the end, I couldn¡¯t get the truth, even though I tried to lure in Sylphy and the harpies. Gnunu, I¡¯m so confused.


    Giving up on finding out the truth, I prepared breakfast, cleaned up the temporary bath, and ran through the wilderness again. Perhaps the Gizma in this area had left to raid the Merinard Kingdom; we couldn¡¯t find a single one. At the moment, there may only be Gizma near the center of the Great Omit Wilderness.


    We ran on and on, passing the fourth shelter and reaching the frontline shelter around noon. Sylphy and I stayed here to build the fort, and she will be guarding me. The harpies will be scouting the area.


    Using the blueprint function, I quickly built the walls and constructed the dormitories. I also built a stockpile warehouse and a watering hole and installed last resort devices in various places. What¡¯s the last resort? That¡¯s the thing. Hahaha. Explosions are a form of art, aren¡¯t they?


    The next step is to enter the underground shelter and expand the deepest part to create an escape route. We¡¯ll need a way out when a large army surrounds us. Considering that 800 people, or even more than 1,000 if not more, will be escaping, the escape underground passage should be large enough. Of course, this underground passage will also be equipped with the last resort. If they come after us, we¡¯ll blow them up.


    , I laid out farmland blocks on the inside of the wall and sowed crop seeds. This will be ready to harvest in three days, so we should have some food to spare.


    After sprinkling the water, I set up the golem-style ballista on top of the defensive wall. I also put down about twenty arrows for the ballista as well. It rarely rains around here anyway, so they won¡¯t deteriorate that much.


    Once I had done this much, all I had to do was wait for the liberation unit to return. Flame, the brown harpy, is very good at night vision, so I asked her to scout out the Holy Kingdom¡¯s fort in the Merinard territory at night.


    Apparently, there is no major movement at the moment.


    That¡¯s how I spent three days in a temporary fort that was an extension of the frontline shelter. During these three days, I produced more improved crossbows and more crossbow bolts as well. In some cases, the liberated people would have to fight as well.


    The improved crossbow is a new model that uses the principle of leverage to pull the string. The item name registered in the crafting menu is Goat¡¯s Foot Crossbow. Is it because the shape of the lever resembles a goat¡¯s foot? It sure looks like it.


    By the way, I feel like I¡¯ve been sleeping strangely deep for the past three days.


    When I go to bed at night, I¡¯m completely sound asleep until the following day. I feel like I have a dream, but I¡¯m not sure what it is. I thought it was because I felt like I had an erotic dream. I wondered if I was pent up because it felt like an erotic dream, but it wasn¡¯t anything like that. In fact, I even feel refreshed.


    And not only the harpies but also Sylphy¡¯s skin seems to be glowing. After all, this might be some sort of method of putting me to sleep and doing various things to me while I¡¯m asleep¡­? I have a suspicion, but I have no way of knowing for sure. Should I ask Sylphy about this? I do think it¡¯s time to question her seriously.


    When I was frustrated with such thoughts, I received a report from the harpies who had been out scouting; the Liberation Army troops moved from the frontline forts. It was probably the same unit that left after us.


    I apologize to the 50 liberation troops who have arrived, but we need them to help us harvest the crops immediately. With the fifty people here and the sixty Liberation Army soldiers who have not yet returned from the Merinard Kingdom, a total of 110 is the maximum number of trained soldiers we can send to the temporary fort.


    In fact, there are a few more trained soldiers, but we have to devote a certain amount of troops to defend the main base, the frontline forts, and the smaller bases along the way, so the number is about the same.


    But if it¡¯s just to shoot crossbows, we can add another hundred or so. This is the number of trained soldiers who are capable of some degree of hand-to-hand combat.


    ¡°So Danan remains at the frontline fort.¡±


    ¡°We need someone to hold that place together.¡±


    Currently, only four people are able to work as generals who can be entrusted with the base: Danan, Sylphy, Sir Leonard, and Ms. Zamir. Sir Leonard is in command of the Liberation Army in the Merinard Kingdom, and Ms. Zamir is in charge of the main base. If Sylphy is here, then Danan can¡¯t move from the frontline fort.


    We waited for three more days, fortifying the temporary fort, sowing seeds in the farmland, and steadily building up our reserves.


    After the reinforcements arrived, I felt like my sleep had returned to normal. Yeah, I¡¯ll question Sylphy when things settle down. As I was crafting a quick meal, I received a report from the harpies who had been out scouting that they had found the liberated people.


    ¡°It seems they¡¯re being chased by the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army. The main army hasn¡¯t caught up with them, but they¡¯re being chased by fast cavalry.¡±


    ¡°It looks like Sir Leonard and Shumer are acting as their leaders. I suggest air support.¡±


    Fitch, the orange harpy, and Ray, the black harpy, give reports and suggestions. In response to this, Sylphy nodded powerfully.


    ¡°That¡¯s right; it¡¯s time to use it. Kosuke.¡±


    ¡°Oh, let¡¯s do it.¡±


    I took out the air bomb for the harpies and nodded. This is the official version of the Harpy aerial bomb, which has been tested several times since then, with adjustments made to the fuse operating time, the amount of explosives, and improvements made to the shell. The shape has not changed much, but the power has increased by about 30% compared to the prototype.


    After completing the reconnaissance, I attached the Harpy air bombs to the legs of the five harpies who had returned.


    ¡°I¡¯ll repeat it; your safety comes first. Make sure to drop the bombs from a high altitude where you won¡¯t be shot down. Also, take the utmost care not to involve your allies. It¡¯s a serious matter.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± said all of the harpies.


    With a cheerful reply, the five harpies took off and soared into the sky. And once they had gained enough altitude, they flew away in formation in the direction of the Merinard Kingdom. I followed them with my eyes as I climbed up the defensive wall, but they soon became invisible to my eyes.


    ¡°Is it okay?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ve probably done a lot of training with the simulated bombs. They¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°I hope it goes as planned.¡±


    I also worried about Sir Leonard, Shumer, and the others. I don¡¯t think that an old man who is faithful to his desires or a strong woman like Shumer can be beaten so easily, but if they are protecting the liberated people, they will be forced to fight hard.


    Moreover, it is said that the cavalry, which is the natural enemy of infantry, is chasing them¡­ If they manage to do well, they will be able to attack them with crossbows, I have distributed two hand grenades to each member of the team as hidden weapons, and if they use them, they will be able to manage it¡­ No matter how many warhorses the enemy may have, they will not be able to withstand a grenade, and the sound may scare them away. I¡¯d like to think they¡¯ll be okay.


    ¡°We should also prepare for defense.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    I really wanted to set up pitfalls and mines, but such traps might hurt the liberated people coming to the fort. I had no choice but to prepare an empty moat lined with wood spikes. The rest is ballista, crossbow, harpies aerial bombardment, and hand grenades to somehow drive back the Holy Kingdom army.


    If it seems impossible, we will abandon this fort and escape together through the underground passage to the frontline fort. In that case, we will pull the enemy into the fort and then carry out the last resort. I hope we don¡¯t have to go that far.


    ¡°A real war¡­ Let¡¯s see what happens.¡±


    I think we¡¯ve done all we can. The only thing left to do is to wait for our fate.

 CH 51

    It¡¯s Ko-Fi¡¯s Supporters¡¯ chapter (5/32), enjoy~


    From the top of the defensive wall, I stare in the direction of the Merinard Kingdom, the direction from which the Harpy bombers flew away. I don¡¯t know how big this planet is, so I don¡¯t know exactly how far it is from the surface. I¡¯ve heard that on Earth, it¡¯s about five kilometers. I wonder if it varies depending on the altitude.


    While thinking about this, I checked the mechanism of the swivel cannon. Everything is fine. The bolt-action rifle is also fine. The quadruple scope I¡¯ve installed is set to zero in on the target at a distance of 100 meters.


    This is actually another perk of attaching a quadruple scope to a bolt-action rifle in my inventory. Whenever I attach the scope in my inventory, it is always set to zero at 100 meters with virtually no error. I haven¡¯t tested to see whether it even adjusts for the temperature and other conditions at the time.


    ¡°You look nervous.¡±


    I was a little surprised when someone called out to me from behind. When I turned around, I saw Sylphy standing there in her usual leather bodysuit, fully armed with the Pale Moon, revolver, two Kukri knives, and a belt pouch containing a speed loader for the revolver. She also wore some sort of pouch on her waist.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. This will be my first war¡­ killing people. I¡¯ve said it before, but I¡¯m just a regular guy who¡¯s never been in a real fight before in my world.¡±


    ¡°You fought bravely against Gizma, though.¡±


    ¡°That thing is not human.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the same. Humans, sub-humans, and Gizma are all the same. They¡¯re all living beings.¡±


    ¡°It would be a lot easier if it were that simple.¡±


    I haven¡¯t reached that point yet. Maybe. But I don¡¯t know; I haven¡¯t really felt it since I came to this world.


    Wandering around the forest, getting beaten up by Sylphy, nearly getting beaten up and lynched by a mob of Merinard citizens, getting collared, sleeping with Sylphy, exploring the forest, working on various things to fight Gizma, getting along with everyone somehow, fighting off Gizma, and starting to work to reclaim the Merinard Kingdom¡­ How many days have I spent in this world?


    Has it been more than two months? Half a year has not passed yet. Is it about three months or four months? I¡¯m not sure.


    Every day is so different from life on Earth, so exciting, so dreamlike. In this world, I¡¯m a unique and special person, and many people need me. In this world, I¡¯m not one of the many others named Kosuke Shibata, but a unique being named Kosuke.


    [T/n: The author wrote the first name in Kanji and the second one in Katakana.]


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You look into the distance.¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t know. Maybe I¡¯m just na?ve in the face of battle.¡±


    Random thoughts popped in and out of my head. It seems that I am not in a proper state of mind, that¡¯s for sure. I put my bolt-action rifle in my inventory, took out a plastic bottle of water, and took a sip.


    ¡°Do you want a drink too, Sylphy?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll have some.¡±


    Sylphy took the bottle from my hand and gulped it down. Her throat made a gurgling sound, and she slurped it lustily.


    ¡°What is it? It¡¯s embarrassing when people stare at me like that.¡±


    ¡°Sorry.¡±


    I took the bottle from Sylphy and put it in my inventory. Then, I turned my gaze again to the direction from which the harpies had flown away. How far away are they? Would I be able to hear the bombs from here?


    As I was thinking about this, I was hugged from behind by Sylphy. She wrapped her arms around my body and tightened her hold on me.


    ¡°Kosuke, if you¡¯re in pain, don¡¯t push yourself. Though it¡¯s strange since I¡¯m the one who¡¯s making you do this. Kosuke has been helping me enough. No, ¡°enough¡± is not the right word. I should say that I rely on you a lot. And on top of that, no one is going to ask you to get your hands dirty with blood. I won¡¯t let them. So, Kosuke, please take it easy.¡±


    Sylphy¡¯s words were so sweet that they penetrated deeply into my heart. I guess that¡¯s true. This battle is only for Sylphy and the others, for the Merinard citizens. It¡¯s not my place as an inhabitant of a different world. I don¡¯t have ideals or a cause worth fighting for. The only reason I¡¯m taking part in this battle is for the sake of Sylphy.


    Thunderous sounds were heard. The meaning of that sound was obvious. It had finally begun ¡ª the world¡¯s first aerial bombardment. A one-sided slaughter carried out from a position where the enemy would never be able to counterattack.


    ¡°No, Sylphy. But I still have a responsibility.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    I touched Sylphy¡¯s arm that was around my body and squeezed it lightly.


    ¡°I can¡¯t just make a weapon that I know will be used in a fight, give it to someone, let them use it, and then say that I only made it and that I am innocent because I didn¡¯t directly kill anyone.¡±


    I pulled my own cheeks to get myself together. Be prepared, Kosuke Shibata. When it comes to this, I have to go as far as I can.


    Ruthlessly, overwhelmingly, efficiently. I¡¯m going to create a mountain of corpses and a river of blood to end this conflict.


    ¡°Now that it has started, I have to be reasonable. I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    ¡°¡­I see. Thank you, Kosuke.¡±


    Sylphy¡¯s arms tighten around me. The sound of distant thunderous bursts could be heard again. The battle is just around the corner.


    ¡°The bombing was a success! We¡¯ve dealt a heavy blow to the pursuing troops!¡±


    Fronte, who had just landed on the wall, exclaimed excitedly. The other harpies who went with her to bomb the target were generally in the same state. Maybe because of their excitement, the feathers on their bodies are standing up, making them look fluffy. At any rate, I handed them all plastic water bottles with the lids open for some drink.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re excited, but you need to calm down. You can¡¯t bomb someone calmly in that state of mind.¡±


    The harpies all looked slightly ashamed at my words. They seemed to have realized that they had been too excited when I told them. The feathers that stood upside just come back to normal as they sip water.


    ¡°Pirna and the others too, thanks for the good work. Drink some water and take a break. Have you eaten yet?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t eaten.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll bring you something easy to eat.¡±


    The harpies who had accompanied the liberation forces had also returned to the temporary fort. There are five of them. One harpy scout accompanies each liberation unit, and the fact that all of them have returned means that all of them have joined forces.


    I set out a table and put out wet hand towels and burgers.


    ¡°Pirna and the others can drink and eat and take a break. As for Fronte and the others, can you still fly?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we can still go!¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s rearm and set out again. As for the bombing targets, the first priority is those who are attacking the rear guard, and if those are not there, then focus on the enemy¡¯s supply units, after that, the enemy¡¯s main force. I¡¯ve prepared some bombs over there, so have them attached.¡±


    After listening to my instructions, Fronte and the others moved to the bombing area. After following them with my eyes, Pirna gave me a serious look.


    ¡°For some reason, you and Fronte and the others seem to be getting along quite well?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve spent a few days together. We had a lot of opportunities to get to know each other, and I guess that¡¯s the way it goes.¡±


    ¡°¡­Is that so?¡±


    Pirna brings the hamburger to her mouth with a subtle expression, as if she is feeling uncomfortable about something. That¡¯s a good way to eat; she must be hungry. They must be giving their food as much as possible to the liberated people.


    ¡°There were too many of them, but you guys did a good job. I¡¯ll ask you about the details when we get settled. How was the effect of Fronte¡¯s bombing?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, yes. I¡¯ll tell you.¡±


    It was this morning that Pirna and the others were chased by the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army. All the Holy Kingdom army soldiers stationed in the rock salt mines of Vinnisk have been cleared out, and Pirna said that the neighboring towns, suspicious of the lack of communication, sent personnel to the rock salt mines, which probably exposed their activities.


    It would be easy to track Pirna and the others once they were discovered. After all, there were over eight hundred people on the trail. There was no way they could hide it. Besides, the number of people has now swelled to more than one thousand. The speed at which they were moving was slow, and Sir Leonard thought it was inevitable that they would be pursued.


    ¡°The sixth unit led the liberated people, and the remaining four units acted as the main army. It was difficult to get food and water, but we managed to keep it up by telling ourselves that it was just a matter of persevering until we got back here.¡±


    ¡°You can rest assured of that. We have plenty of water and food. There is enough for everyone.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear¡­ So, it was after being chased.¡±


    The first thing I guessed was that it was because of the fast cavalry unit. About 100 cavalrymen charged at once from behind. Under the command of Sir Leonard, about forty improved crossbows fired arrows at them. More than half of the arrows fired hit the cavalrymen and their horses, and the first shot killed about 20 cavalrymen.


    This was followed by an attack of twenty grenades. The grenades exploded one after another, hurting the cavalrymen, but more than that, they sent them into a panic. Many of them were so startled by the sudden explosion that makes the horses stand up and shake off their riders.


    Another 20 hand grenades were thrown into the air. More than half of the cavalry troops fell in this attack, and the morale of the troops collapsed, and they retreated in disarray. Crossbow arrows were fired into their backs, causing more damage.


    ¡°The fact that you were able to repel the cavalry in the first attack was significant.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it was significant that we were able to crush the assault in reverse. The power of the crossbow and grenades may have threatened them, but the cavalry stopped charging. They just kept their distance and followed us. The enemy¡¯s main force has faster legs than the liberated people¡¯s movement speed, so I think they were planning to wait for the main force and push in numbers.¡±


    ¡°By the way, what is the size of the enemy army that is pursuing you?¡±


    ¡°There are 100 cavalry, 600 infantry, and 200 archers. That¡¯s an approximate number.¡±


    ¡°If they caught up to you, you¡¯d be in trouble.¡±


    Even if equipped with crossbows and grenades, and with the overwhelming military might of Sir Leonard and Shumer, they are no match for the violence of numbers. Even with the five units together, a force of less than 60 at best will probably be crushed by a single hit.


    ¡°Then Fronte and the others appeared just as the enemy were about to catch up with us. The distance between the pursuing troops and the rear guard was still a little distance, so Fronte and the others didn¡¯t hesitate to drop bombs near the front line of the enemy troops. The power of the official version was amazing. With one blow, the main force of the enemy army was half destroyed.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not something that iron armor can prevent.¡±


    The power radius of the Harpy aerial bomb is about 25 meters. If five people bombarded the area successfully so that the bombing range is not covered, an army of about 800 people in a dense formation would be destroyed by a single blow. Even if they are wearing metal armor, they can¡¯t escape instant death if they are near the hypocenter.


    ¡°The sudden bombing threw the enemy¡¯s main force into a state of confusion, and with another blow, the pursuing army was almost completely destroyed.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Seriously? So there was no point in sending Fronte and the others out again?¡±


    If both the cavalry and the enemy main force have been destroyed, it seems that they will not attack this fort anymore.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s pointless. It¡¯s just that more of the Holy Kingdom¡¯s soldiers will die.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    By the way, Pirna-san is a legitimate member of the military. What¡¯s the point of having mercy on the enemy soldiers?


    ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t take prisoners or anything?¡±


    ¡°When I was in the Merinard Royal Army, we did take prisoners, but I¡¯m not sure if we do now. We don¡¯t have any treaties on warfare or the treatment of prisoners of war.¡±


    Pirna says that even if they take prisoners and propose some kind of deal to the Holy Kingdom, it is doubtful that the Holy Kingdom will agree to a deal or even sit down to negotiate in the first place. Even with the people we freed this time, we only have a small force of about 1300 people at most.


    Aside from our actual fighting and production capabilities, 1300 people are about a small town¡¯s population. It¡¯s a small force, as small as a snot, from the perspective of the Holy Kingdom, which has a vast territory and many vassal states. They don¡¯t think they would come to the table on an equal footing.


    ¡°And even though they¡¯re still alive after that attack, they¡¯re probably on the verge of dying or losing some of their limbs¡­ I don¡¯t think we can afford to take care of those prisoners. I think it¡¯s the utmost mercy to let them die to shorten their suffering time as much as possible.¡±


    ¡°The world is a harsh place¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not something we should be worrying about. That kind of thing is the domain of Her Highness the Princess, the Internal Affairs Officer Melty, Danan-sama, and Leonard-sama.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    When I heard Pirna¡¯s words, I honestly gave up thinking about the captives. It may be ruthless, but this is the result of a battle, albeit a one-sided one. If you are a soldier, you have to accept your fate, no matter how harsh it is.


    ¡°So, now that I¡¯ve had enough rest, I¡¯m going to go too.¡±


    ¡°Eh? You¡¯re going?¡±


    ¡°Of course. It is a chance to make the Holy Kingdom¡¯s people pay for their sins.¡±


    Pirna said that with a smile, she and the remaining Harpies moved to the bombing area. It seems that she wants to kill the Holy Kingdom army and show no mercy¡­ Let¡¯s not make Pirna angry either. Yeah.


    While staring at Pirna and the others who were happily flying away with the air bombs, I promised myself that.

 CH 52

    It¡¯s Ko-Fi¡¯s Supporters¡¯ chapter (6/32), enjoy~


    ¡°I¡¯m back.¡±


    ¡°Oh, those bombs were amazing.¡±


    Some time after the second attack by the Harpy bombing squad was over, many refugees ¨D or rather, liberated people ¨D and Liberation Army troops returned. Many of them were covered in blood and mud, making for a pretty impressive sight. However, judging from the expressions on their faces, morale seemed to be high.


    Fronte and the rest of the standby group, the Harpies, are tracking down the enemy troops that have escaped, while Pirna and the others who came back earlier are resting their wings. Sir Leonard and Shumer were covered in blood, but it was all blood, and they didn¡¯t seem to have a scratch on them.


    ¡°This time, I was saved many times by these twin fangs that Kosuke-dono made for me.¡±


    Sir Leonard grinned, still looking bloody and fierce. Yeah, you look like a bloodthirsty lion when you smile like that; it¡¯s super scary.


    The two swords that Sir Leonard carries at his waist are the excellent mithril swords that I made at his request. Sir Leonard had a hard time deciding what kind of sword to use, but he chose a simple straight sword. The pair of swords were named ¡°Twin Fang,¡± the same as his alias, and he has been carrying them around with him ever since I gave them to him.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that. You should go and cleanse yourselves first.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I suppose so. It would be rude to stand in front of Her Highness with blood on my hands.¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. Kosuke, prepare a nice meal for us, okay?¡±


    The two bloodied people walked towards the watering hole, nodding obediently to my words. As I watched them walk away, Qubi and the others came up.


    ¡°Thanks for the good work. Are you guys hurt?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. The potions you gave us have healed us.¡±


    ¡°If it weren¡¯t for the crossbow and the hand grenade, we would have been in danger.¡±


    ¡°Thanks to the weapons and tools that Kosuke made for us, we made it out alive.¡±


    Indy, a former adventurer of the Blue Demon race, repeatedly nodded at the words of Worg, a wolf-beast man and former guard. The three of them don¡¯t seem to be as dirty with blood and mud as Sir Leonard and Shumer. I asked them why that was.


    ¡°Those two attacked with hand grenades and then ran into the cavalry¡­¡±


    ¡°If you do the same as them, you¡¯ll never live long enough.¡±


    ¡°As a warrior, I admire them¡­¡±


    Qubi, Indy, and Worg each smiled bitterly. They plunged themselves into it¡­ Are they the main characters in a warriors game or something?


    ¡°So, what was the battlefield like?¡±


    I took the table and chairs out of my inventory and handed the three of them water, hand towels, and burgers as I asked them what the actual battlefield was like. It¡¯s important to get some good information.


    ¡°Nggh¡­ ah! That¡¯s right, where should I start?¡±


    ¡°Should we start with the part where the Holy Kingdom army tracked us?¡±


    ¡°No, I think it¡¯s better to start with how we ended up attacking the mine.¡±


    ¡°Right. It all started when the first and second units liberated a settlement village.¡±


    The first and second units liberated a settlement village near the rock salt mine in question, and it seems that the timing was just right for the arrival of a replacement for the mine guards. There were many soldiers from the Holy Kingdom army.


    They waited until nightfall to quietly eliminate the patrol with crossbows and then attacked the Holy Kingdom troops who were resting. Sir Leonard and Shumer did a great job on all sides and quickly overpowered the Holy Kingdom army.


    ¡°The replacements were also transporting supplies for the security forces stationed in the rock salt mine. We saw this as an opportunity.¡±


    Sir Leonard thought that with a wagon and a large number of supplies, they could somehow bring the Merinard citizens who were being forced to work in the rock salt mine to the Great Omit Wilderness, so they contacted the people of the settlement village and confirmed the situation of the rock salt mine.


    They heard that some people from the village had already been sent to the rock salt mine and that the soldiers of the Holy Kingdom had told the villagers that the working environment was very harsh, and that several workers were dying every week, and that if they were sent there, it would be the end, and that they should follow obediently if they didn¡¯t want to be sent there.


    The surviving members of the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army were also interrogated to confirm the truth, and it was confirmed that what the villagers were saying was true. What happened to the surviving soldiers of the Holy Kingdom after the interrogation? Their punishment was left to the villagers. Yes.


    I don¡¯t have to tell you what happened to them, do I? That¡¯s what I experienced right after I arrived at the elf village. They didn¡¯t seem to have a Master to stop them, though.


    After this liberation mission, there is no telling when the next one will be carried out. Since they couldn¡¯t leave the rock salt mine workers, on which many died in just a week unattended, Sir Leonard hurriedly called up other units to carry out the liberation operation of the rock salt mine.


    This was the best chance to do so, as the liberation army¡¯s methods were not yet known to the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army. The summoned units marched into the rock salt mine and waited for night to strike. Divided into two groups, they climbed over the crude but sturdy log walls and advanced from both sides of the walls to quietly overwhelm the enemy. , they disposed of the patrol inside the rock salt mine using the same tactics and then attacked the barracks.


    The raid itself was completed quickly and smoothly, but the problem began there. Among the people working in the rock salt mine, there were quite a few injured and sick people who were too weak to walk properly.


    They were left unattended without proper treatment, and it was difficult to move them. But that¡¯s where my potions, which I had given to the liberation unit, came in handy. I had given them all kinds of potions, one for each person, just in case. This was not well received by the liberation unit at first. The potions in glass bottles were heavy and required a rather bulky potion bag to prevent them from breaking during transport.


    However, Isla and I overcame the opposition of the liberation unit and made everyone carry a potion bag. I don¡¯t know what Isla was thinking, but from my perspective as a survivalist, I thought that the presence or absence of the potion would significantly improve the survival of each individual.


    As it turned out, the potion saved not the members of the liberation unit but the weakened workers of the rock salt mine. Not exactly what I had in mind, but it turned out okay.


    With the recovered miners and more than 800 of their families, Sir Leonard and the liberation unit returned to the village they had liberated before the rock salt mine and began to retreat with the supplies and harvested crops of the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army.


    The liberated people included a certain number of former adventurers and soldiers of the Merinard Kingdom¡¯s army, so they armed themselves with captured equipment from the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army and took on the role of guarding the liberated people while liberating villages along the way and returning to the Great Omit Wilderness.


    ¡°We managed to make it back with the village¡¯s harvest and the supplies we captured.¡±


    ¡°It was a bit of a burnout for such a large group.¡±


    ¡°Thanks to Pirna¡¯s message, we knew we could make it this far, so we managed to keep our morale up. The problem was the liberated people.¡±


    In the past twenty years, no one has ever returned to the Black Forest beyond the Great Omit Wilderness. They seemed to have some hope when they saw our equipment, but there was a gloomy atmosphere in the air.


    If I were in the same position as the liberated people, I would have been anxious¡­ Suddenly, I was liberated from the people of the Holy Kingdom, and some strong-looking people were leading me, but the destination was a dead land where no one has come back for 20 years, and besides, I couldn¡¯t eat enough food, I didn¡¯t have a place to sleep, and I had to stay in the field¡­ Yeah, it¡¯s hard.


    Even in such a situation, the patience of the liberated people who managed to reach this fort without exploding is amazing.


    ¡°And when we saw the Great Omit Wilderness, we were finally spotted by the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army.¡±


    ¡°One of the Harpies on a reconnaissance mission spotted the Holy Kingdom army. There were about one thousand infantrymen and cavalrymen combined, so at first, I thought we were in trouble, but the cavalry was so few that we were saved.¡±


    ¡°If there had been two hundred more cavalry, we wouldn¡¯t have been able to do anything.¡±


    The rest of the battle went exactly as Pirna had told me. Harpies¡¯ aerial bombardment came after the cavalry had been crushed by crossbow fire and grenades, and the rest fled helplessly.


    ¡°Qubi, you managed to capture the Holy Kingdom¡¯s warhorse, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°It was just luck. The horse had lost its rider and was charging at me, but I jumped on its back and managed to calm it down.¡±


    I heard that the warhorse was now resting with the horse that had led the wagon.


    ¡°But¡­ I was prepared for this, and now I feel like I¡¯ve been let down.¡±


    ¡°Prepared?¡±


    ¡°I knew that the Holy Kingdom would attack here. I was ready to fight too. I¡¯ve never been able to point a weapon at anyone before. I¡¯ve never even gotten into a fistfight.¡±


    At my confession, Qubi and the others looked at each other with strange looks on their faces and then began to laugh while holding their stomachs.


    ¡°Oh, come on, it¡¯s not funny.¡±


    ¡°No, sorry, sorry. Well, you were prepared for that, weren¡¯t you? No, you¡¯re serious, Kosuke.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to be so prepared. Kosuke can make a lot of amazing weapons, tools, and potions. You should just leave that stuff to people like us.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. If there¡¯s no one else who can fight, you might have to muster up the courage to fight, but as long as people like us who can fight are alive and well, leave it to us.¡±


    Worg, Qubi, and Indy each said that and slapped me on the shoulder, back, and head. It hurts, you idiots!


    ¡°In the first place, there¡¯s no one in the Liberation Army who doesn¡¯t give Kosuke a second glance. Standing right in front of Gizma and taking its charge is some fucking nerve.¡±


    ¡°Not only that, Kosuke has amazing abilities, and you¡¯re using them correctly for the good of everyone without being conceited, yet you¡¯re not asking for much¡±


    ¡°You should know how much we owe you for that. If you fight in the front line, we¡¯ll have no place to go.¡±


    The straightforward praise and recognition made me feel like I was about to cry. Ah, this is not good. It might be because the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army retreated and the thread of tension was broken, but I¡¯m starting to feel the tears.


    ¡°Hey, hey, what¡¯s wrong? Is it something to cry about?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m just happy to be recognized, you know. It was worth all the hard work.¡±


    ¡°Haha, you¡¯re a little more sensitive than I thought¡­ Nggh.¡±


    As Worg bites into his hamburger, his eyes widen, and the wolf ears on his head stand up. I followed his gaze and saw Pirna and the other Harpies smiling at us. What is it? They were supposed to be smiling, but I felt a chill.


    Qubi and Indy were gone before I knew it. That was quick!


    ¡°You better have a good explanation for that! I swear! I¡¯m begging you!¡±


    Worg, who had been left behind, ran like a rabbit. He¡¯s a wolf, but how can he run like a rabbit?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you, Kosuke-san? Did they bully you?¡±


    ¡°Shall I go and bring them back here?¡±


    Pirna and the others, who had driven the three men away with just a glance, gathered around me and called out to me in concern. What do you mean you¡¯re going to bring them back? I¡¯m a little scared.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that. I was just touched when I heard that everyone recognized me. They didn¡¯t do anything wrong.¡±


    ¡°Oh, really? I thought they were bullying our benefactor, Kosuke-san.¡±


    ¡°Well, I guess I¡¯ll stop to bring them back here.¡±


    ¡°Kosuke-sama, I¡¯ll wipe your tears.¡±


    ¡°Fufu, cute.¡±


    In the blink of an eye, Pirna and the others surrounded me, stroking my head with their soft, warm feathers and wiping my eyes. I¡¯m starting to feel embarrassed about being so pampered.


    ¡°Ah, um, thank you. I¡¯m fine now.¡±


    ¡°Well, well, don¡¯t say that.¡±


    ¡°By the way, Kosuke-san, I heard you got a feather from Fronte and the others, and you¡¯re taking good care of it.¡±


    ¡°Please take our feathers, too.¡±


    Perhaps they had prepared them in advance, but all five of the liberation unit members handed me one of their feathers. The blue feather, the red feather, the yellow feather, the white feather, and the gray feather. The blue feather, by the way, belongs to Pirna.


    ¡°O-oh. Thank you. By the way, does Harpy have any special meaning in handing over their feathers to others?¡±


    ¡°No, not really. It¡¯s a part of our own body, and we don¡¯t give it to others without permission. You know, it¡¯s the same with other races, right?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know much about this world, but according to the common sense of my world, that¡¯s true.¡±


    It¡¯s not every day you get to cut off your own hair and give it to someone else. I¡¯ve never seen or heard of such a custom in detail, although it may have been given as a talisman to a lover going off to war.


    ¡°So, it has no special meaning, but Fronte and the others said that Kosuke-san was happy to receive it, so we wanted to show our gratitude.¡±


    ¡°Well, thank you.¡±


    I checked the texture of each of the five feathers and placed them in my inventory. As I thought, each feather has a unique name. The blue one is Pirna¡¯s feather, the red one is Shou¡¯s feather, the yellow one is Orio¡¯s feather, the white one is Aegis¡¯s feather, and the gray one is Dicle¡¯s feather. I wonder if there¡¯s a reason why the list doesn¡¯t show them all as ¡°Harpy¡¯s feathers.¡±


    I spent a while chatting with Pirna and the others, with lots of skinship, asking them about each other¡¯s experiences during the expedition.


    I wondered what would happen when I heard that nearly one thousand liberated people were heading this way, but it was fortuitous that we were able to get them into the fort more easily than I expected.


    No, I guess the hard part is yet to come. We¡¯ll have to send most of these people back to the main base, train the people who can fight, and do a lot of other things. There¡¯s going to be a lot more trouble, and this is where it all starts.

 CH 53

    It¡¯s Ko-Fi¡¯s Supporters¡¯ chapter (7/32), enjoy~


    Now that things have settled down, we have to deal with the next hundred or so liberated people. Well, there¡¯s nothing for me to do directly, though. The humans of the Holy Kingdom oppressed them until just before, so anyone can understand that they have a strong hostility towards humans. Of course, I can understand that too. It would be stressful for them if I just walked up to them nonchalantly.


    Nevertheless, I had to go out because I had something to do. It was inevitable that the liberated people would see me. So what to do?


    ¡°I think I should wear fake ear, fake ear + fake tail (dog type), or walking while saying, ¡°Fuck you, shitty Adel!¡± Ah, a mask would be nice too.¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯ll be fine as long as I¡¯m around, so it¡¯s best not to do anything weird.¡±


    ¡°Weird?¡±


    I thought about it pretty seriously, though! Sir Leonard is a terrible person.


    Pirna and the others consoled me and pampered me, and I recovered a lot of energy, and I went to the temporary command room where Sylphy and Sir Leonard were discussing the future plan.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get back to the topic. For now, the liberated people are being fed. We have a total of 992 people, of which 303 are young men, and 352 are young women. In this case, ¡°young¡± means those who are in good shape and ready to fight after training.¡±


    ¡°What about the remaining three hundred or so?¡±


    ¡°The remaining three hundred or so are those with limb problems, the elderly, and children. Among those with broken limbs and the elderly, there are many who could regain their strength with Kosuke¡¯s treatment.¡±


    Sir Leonard straightened his posture and answered Sylphy¡¯s question. This is the difference in response.


    ¡°My splints are buzzing.¡±


    I can¡¯t do anything about missing limbs, but I can heal the aftereffects of broken bones and torn muscles with my splints. Even old people, such as those with damaged knees or hips, can very likely be healed with splints. And it¡¯s a bit calculating, but when I heal such wounds, they are very grateful. In other words, there are many people who will be on my side.


    It¡¯s like killing two birds with one stone, increasing my strength and increasing my allies.


    ¡°As for the future plan, let the liberated people rest in this fort for a few days, preferably two days, and then send them to the rear. At that time, we will recruit those who will stay and fight in this fort. Leonard, how long do you think it will be before the enemy attacks?¡±


    ¡°Yes. The cavalry survivors will reach the fort on the territory¡¯s border by the end of the day. From there, they will send fast horses to the neighboring forts and the rear, extract and organize their forces, prepare their supplies, and attack this fort¡­ So, the earliest they could attack is ten days, and the latest within half a month.¡±


    ¡°I see. Kosuke, where do you think the best place to intercept them would be?¡±


    ¡°This temporary fort isn¡¯t bad, and I¡¯m inclined to make use of it now that it¡¯s been built. After all, the front-line forts are far better for defense. I think it¡¯s best to collect as much material as possible from this fort and retreat to the front-line fort as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ Yeah, that¡¯s right. The first priority is to send the liberated people to the rear. We will divide our forces into two groups: protect the liberated people and the other to maintain this temporary fort. The purpose of holding the fort is to prevent the liberated people from being pursued. We will stay here until the rear transport is complete and keep the Holy Kingdom¡¯s forces in check.¡±


    ¡°I think a week will be enough time to complete the rear transport to the front-line fort. The rest is to be sent back to the main base, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I think it¡¯s better to let those who have the will to fight stay at the front-line fort and train them.¡±


    ¡°Umu, let¡¯s go with that plan.¡±


    Sylphy nodded, and the course of action for the temporary fort was decided here. Now, then, I¡¯m going to start preparing various things, too.


    About one thousand liberated people were to rest in the fort for two days. In the meantime, I went to the underground shelter located between the temporary fort and the front-line fort and completed the task of expanding the shelter¡¯s interior. At the moment, the shelter was only supposed to hold about 50 people at the most, so it would be completely overcapacity if it had 100 people, let alone 1,000.


    The extermination of Gizma is progressing, but it is not yet complete. It was clear that we would not be able to pass the night safely without expansion. Fortunately, I have plenty of stone and soil, so there is no shortage of materials for expansion.


    Accompanied by Worg, Pirna, and a few other Liberation Army soldiers as guards, I worked hard to expand ahead of the liberated people.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t need a guard, did you?¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t feel safe going alone, and if something unforeseen happens, I will be screwed.¡±


    ¡°Well, I guess that¡¯s true.¡±


    I took care of Gizma on the road with my shotgun and rifled slugs. There is no time to be concerned about Gizma. As long as Pirna flies ahead and finds Gizma, there¡¯s nothing to be afraid of.


    We quickly ran through the wilderness, and I quickly began the expansion. The guards exterminated Gizma in the vicinity, and in four days, I had expanded four shelters. The capacity has increased tenfold to 500 people, and if pushed hard enough, it can accommodate around 1000 people.


    And on the fifth day.


    ¡°Welcome back.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for the hard work.¡±


    Danan and Isla greeted us. Jagira, with her bolt-action rifle, is on top of the wall. She and Worg are waving at each other. Oh, so they¡¯re getting along, huh?


    ¡°I¡¯ve already heard the situation via Harpy¡¯s message. I assume you¡¯ve completed the expansion, correct?¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s perfect. It can accommodate 500 people under normal circumstances, or even 1000 people if it¡¯s packed. It may be a bit cramped, but it¡¯s a hundred times better than camping out in the open.¡±


    ¡°I see. I¡¯m sorry for all the trouble. You should get some rest today.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll be heading back to the temporary fort tomorrow. I have to collect the materials for the temporary fort and do some minor work.¡±


    The temporary fort has had a good deal of work done to it, and if it is going to be abandoned anyway, I want to give it a proper send-off. Even if it¡¯s abandoned and be used as a bridgehead for the Holy Kingdom, I won¡¯t be angry.


    ¡°T-then there are things I want Kosuke to look at first.¡±


    Isla looked up at me with her big eyes and pulled my hand a little. The eyes are somewhat brighter, and it seems as if they¡¯re trying to ask me for praise. I have to admit; it¡¯s kind of cute.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s see it. I don¡¯t mind a little surprise.¡±


    ¡°I will show you how it¡¯s done.¡±


    ¡°Kosuke must be tired, so take it easy.¡±


    Danan snorted and warned Isla with a wry smile. It seems that while I was at the temporary fort, there was some major development.


    While Isla took me by the hand, I walked towards the development room.


    ¡°Oh¡­ please come in.¡±


    When I entered the development room, I was greeted by Sykes, the skinny ape-man alchemist, and the female engineers surrounding him.


    ¡°Isla¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nice that you¡¯re getting along.¡±


    Isla said, her large eyes swiveling away from me. I made Sykes as a sacrifice in this development area¡­ Well, you know, as Isla said, we¡¯re really getting along well.


    ¡°More importantly, I want Kosuke to see this.¡±


    I feel so sorry for Sykes that she said ¡°more importantly¡± as Sykes is less important. I won¡¯t forget your sacrifice, you know. Now, more importantly, Isla is confident in her work. Do you think I¡¯m terrible too? Don¡¯t worry about the details. Otherwise, you¡¯ll go bald.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    It is a box the size of a school bag. It¡¯s made of leather, a wooden frame, and metal parts, and seems to be designed to be carried like a school bag. Besides, there are a number of dials and switches lined up. I can¡¯t tell what it¡¯s for by looking at it.


    ¡°This is a prototype Golem communicator.¡±


    ¡°Golem communicator.¡±


    ¡°It allows you to talk to people at a distance. The golem encodes the words you speak and sends them away as a magic wave. The receiver receives it, analyzes the code, and generates sound.¡±


    ¡°Fumu.¡±


    In other words, you can encode your voice into data, send it on a magic wave, decode the data on the receiving end, and output it again as sound? Huh? I thought I was teaching them simple Morse code, but aren¡¯t we jumping to the realm of encrypted communication?


    ¡°How far can this thing reach?¡±


    ¡°We were able to communicate with the main base without any problems.¡±


    ¡°Seriously¡­ It¡¯s amazing! No, this is really great!¡±


    The distance from here to the main base must be close to 60 kilometers. It¡¯s amazing that a communication device of this size can communicate over such a distance, isn¡¯t it?


    Isla made a smug face in response to my praise.


    ¡°You can praise me more. You can pat me on the head, too.¡±


    ¡°Wow, wow! You¡¯re a genius mage and a genius alchemist!¡±


    ¡°Mufu~.¡±


    I pat Isla¡¯s head as she puts her hands on her hips and stretches her flat chest. This achievement is truly amazing. It¡¯s an achievement that makes me feel like I¡¯ll allow her to make that smug face for the rest of her life.


    ¡°Now we just have to see how far we can communicate.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, yes. So if you¡¯re coming back, I¡¯d like you to accompany me on this experiment.¡±


    ¡°I see; I¡¯ll just have to carry this thing on my back.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Can you do that?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    I try to carry the golem communication device on my back. It¡¯s pretty heavy, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll have any problem running with it.


    Eh? Sykes? While Isla and I were talking about the golem communicator, the women took him somewhere. I¡¯ll pray for her soul.


    Other prototypes were also made, including a portable thermal cooker, a pot shield, and a quicklime thermal cooking bag. Only the pot shield and the portable thermal cooker could be added to the crafting list through item creation, so it seems that there is still room for improvement in the quicklime thermal cooking bag and the golem communicator.


    ¡°Ahh! I¡¯m tired!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a little tired too.¡±


    As soon as I returned to this fort, I was stuck in the development room, trying to verify as much as I could here, find ideas for improvement, and produce materials for future research. Before I knew it, it was already dark outside. There¡¯s a nap room for craftsmen in the back of the development room, so I think I¡¯ll sleep there today. I could go to the room that Sylphy and I used, but she¡¯s not going to be there, and if I¡¯m going to sleep alone, it doesn¡¯t matter where I sleep.


    ¡°I¡¯ll eat and go to bed¡­ I¡¯ll take a bath tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    I took out something from my inventory that can be eaten immediately, and Isla and I immediately filled our stomachs with it. Today¡¯s menu includes pasta with meat sauce and potato potage soup. Both should be warm and tasty, but I¡¯m too tired to enjoy them.


    ¡°Shall we go to bed?¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Isla and I went to the nap room and threw ourselves into our separate beds. Oh, I can smell the good stuff in the bedroom¡­ Maybe because one of the female craftsmen usually uses this room. I let go of my consciousness while thinking about such useless things.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Is it morning?¡±


    I woke up when the light shone through the half-open door. I had a long run yesterday and was stuck in the development room as soon as I got here, so I don¡¯t feel too tired. But the warmth of Sylphy snuggled next to me soothes my soul.


    Hmm? Isn¡¯t there something wrong?


    I fearfully turn over the blanket to see what the warmth is that¡¯s snuggled up to me, and somehow, I find Isla crawling into my bed. She was hugging my body, her legs tangled around my right leg, sleeping happily. The only thing that saved me was that we were both properly dressed.


    No, Isla has taken off her robe and jacket and is wearing only a thin, white negligee-like garment and panties. There was no protection for her flat chest, so it was transparent. This was dangerous. If anyone saw us, they would definitely misunderstand us.


    And most of the time, this kind of scene will be witnessed by someone.


    ¡°Hmm? Someone¡¯s sleeping at the¡­¡±


    The blacksmith Lamia-san peeked out from the door of the nap room. She can see me turning over the blanket and Isla hugging me in light clothing.


    ¡°¡­Take your time.¡±


    Sususu¡­ and the figure of Lamia disappears as she dexterously retreats from her peeking position. Hey, wait, it¡¯s a misunderstanding, it¡¯s a misunderstanding!


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    I hurriedly reach out my hand, but the movement of my body wakes up Isla. Oh¡­ good grief¡­!


    ¡°Hey, good morning, Isla.¡±


    ¡°¡­Morning.¡±


    ¡°Can you explain to me why you¡¯re crawling into my bed in such light clothing?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­Kosuke went to bed first.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    Indeed, I think I fell asleep as soon as I threw myself on the bed. However, I think Isla was sitting on the bed across from me at that time.


    ¡°I thought I¡¯d sleep in the bed over there too.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°But the blanket was so thin it was cold.¡±


    ¡°¡­I guess that¡¯s fair to say.¡±


    I checked the blanket and found that it was indeed a bit thin. It¡¯s not a problem for me because I slept with my clothes on, but if I slept in thin clothes like Isla, I¡¯d be cold.


    ¡°So I hugged Kosuke and went to sleep. It was warm.¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you have slept with your clothes on?¡±


    ¡°My clothes would get wrinkled. Besides, I always sleep like this.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ but you shouldn¡¯t go into a man¡¯s bed. You¡¯ll be eaten alive.¡±


    ¡°Kosuke can eat me, though.¡±


    ¡°Eeh¡­¡±


    I was baffled by her straightforwardness. Isla¡¯s eyes, which look straight up at my face, are still a little drowsy and narrowed as if she had just woken up from sleep, but the light behind them really told me that she was not in a sleepy state.


    ¡°There¡¯s never a dull moment when I¡¯m with Kosuke. Your abilities, your knowledge, and your ideas always surprise and inspire me in some way. I want to be with you forever.¡±


    ¡°Uh, hmm, no, I¡¯m very happy, but I have Sylphy, you know?¡±


    ¡°I know. Her Highness the Princess and Kosuke are in love with each other. I don¡¯t want to get in between them, nor do I think I can. I just want you to allow me to be by your side.¡±


    The big eyes staring at me were moist, and Isla¡¯s soft cheeks were flushed with the big confession of her lifetime. I don¡¯t know how I should answer. But I do know that Isla is making this confession with great determination.


    From my ethical point of view, accepting this confession would be too insincere a choice ¡ª both to Sylphy and Isla. However, according to the ethics of this world, it is not dishonest or insincere for a man to have relations with more than one woman. As long as the man is worthy enough to provide for all of them, it¡¯s okay, or rather, it¡¯s an honorable man to provide for more than one woman.


    There is a saying that if you live in a country, you must follow its ways. I wonder if I should make up my mind now that I¡¯ve decided to live in this world. I don¡¯t hate Isla either¡­


    ¡°¡­Is it a no?¡±


    ¡°No, no, no. It¡¯s not a no, but it¡¯s not something I can just jump into as well. You see, I¡¯m not from this world, and I¡¯m still not comfortable with the gender relations in this world.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°So we¡¯ll start with friends.¡±


    ¡°¡­Weren¡¯t you my friend before?¡±


    Isla looked at me sadly.


    ¡°No, no, no, we were friends. We have always been friends. I¡¯m sorry for the way I said it. What I mean is, we are more than friends, but less than lovers?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about ¡°lover,¡± but does that mean that Kosuke will accept me?¡±


    ¡°Slow down, take it easy! You have to talk it over with Sylphy first! I¡¯ll talk to her too.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, okay. Pecking order is important. I have no intention of disturbing it either.¡±


    Isla smiles with a happy expression. Hmm, cute. Isla is so cute. I replied on the spur of the moment, but what should I explain to Sylphy¡­? No, I¡¯d like to ask her some questions about the Harpy¡¯s, so let¡¯s talk about it head-on.


    Besides, there are other things that need to be done rather than love affairs right now. Since Isla seems to agree with me, let¡¯s put all that aside for a moment and do what I have to do.


    It¡¯s not that I¡¯m trying to distract myself from the problem or make it go away. It¡¯s not good to be dishonest. It¡¯s not good, is it? Yeah. But I¡¯m not used to this kind of thing, so please forgive me if I run away or postpone it a little bit.

 CH 54

    It¡¯s Ko-Fi¡¯s Supporters¡¯ chapter (8/43), enjoy~


    After eating in the development room, I visited the waiting area where Danan was in order to return to the temporary fort again¡­ As soon as Pirna saw Isla and me, she shivered and said.


    ¡°¡­How is it?¡±


    ¡°Kosuke has accepted me.¡±


    While hugging me tightly, Isla replies to Pirna in a soothing voice. When Pirna hears this, she looks astonished. She is once again mumbling something about having been beaten. It¡¯s a little scary.


    ¡°What are you going to do, Kosuke?¡±


    Danan, completely ignoring the exchange between Pirna and Isla, began to ask me about my course of action. I respect Danan for ignoring the circumstances and saying that. And so, I¡¯ll also go along with it.


    ¡°I¡¯ll run back to the temporary fort. The liberated people should be arriving by now, so I¡¯ll leave it to you to prepare for their reception and transport¡±.


    ¡°Leave that to me. But are you planning to go alone?¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s too dangerous to go alone. If something unforeseen happens, there¡¯s nothing I can do.¡±


    ¡°Me! I¡¯ll go with you!¡±


    The stunned Pirna regains consciousness and begins to hop around*, flapping* her wings. There is a lot of onomatopoeia, but that¡¯s the only way I can describe it. I can feel the desperation in her voice.


    [T/n: he said pyonpyon and patapata here.]


    ¡°It would certainly be helpful if Pirna could scout ahead for me.¡±


    ¡°Right?¡±


    ¡°But I need at least one more person to accompany me¡­¡±


    To be honest, I feel uneasy about being alone with Pirna. It becomes like a single action + single action for both of us, and if something unforeseen happens, we might be stuck. The Harpy Pirna is always like that, so she might be okay with it, but I¡¯m pretty nervous about it.


    ¡°That¡¯s true. Then, how about we, the harpy unit, accompany you? If five of us go with you, two to take cover and three to scout ahead and keep an eye on the surrounding area, I think there will be no problem. The speed of movement will also be faster, and I think it is better to place personnel capable of aerial bombardment on the front line in case the enemy approaches the temporary fort.¡±


    Hmm¡­ if you say so, that¡¯s certainly true. I won¡¯t lose to Gizma as long as I¡¯m not taken by surprise. Even if they surround me, I can escape upwards through block jumping and shoot them with my gun unilaterally. As long as the harpies are on guard, there¡¯s certainly no problem with me running on the ground alone.


    When I looked at Danan, he seemed to think that Pirna¡¯s suggestion was reasonable and nodded back. And then there¡¯s Isla, who¡¯s still hugging me.


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    She was staring at Pirna. Even more so than before. On the other hand, Pirna, who is being gazed at by Isla, seems somewhat uncomfortable and averts her eyes. I wonder if this is like a crow that doesn¡¯t like a scares eyes balloon*.


    [T/n: One of a bird repellent devices.]


    ¡°Don¡¯t force yourself.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Ask Her Highness for permission first.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    I feel like they¡¯re talking about my chastity right in front of me, without any intervention from me. Danan? Hey, don¡¯t look away so blatantly.


    ¡°¡­You have to prepare yourself for what¡¯s to come.¡±


    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t forget you spat those words at me yourself, okay?¡±


    I know, in fact, Danan is being secretly pressed by the wives of widows with children. That¡¯s what Qubi told me. As for Qubi, I never heard and saw anything about him¡­ He often plays with children, though. Hmm? Maybe he¡¯s a pedophile¡­? I¡¯ll try to find out next time.


    After dumping the excess supplies in my inventory into the warehouse at the front-line fort, I started moving to the temporary fort with Pirna and the other harpy scouts.


    By the way, the number of harpies belonging to the Liberation Army is 18 in total, of which nine are stationed at the temporary fort, five are accompanying me, one is stationed at the front-line fort, two at the main base, and one at the first base closest to the Black Forest.


    The harpies at the front-line fort will be short-handed. Still, it seems likely that a number of them will be sent to help the liberated people. Those people will be used to send out messages to the various locations. In the first place, communication between the front-line fort and the main base has been established using golem communication devices, so there is no need to use harpies to send messages.


    ¡°Today, we¡¯re skipping one underground shelter and going to the second shelter.¡±


    ¡°If all goes well, we should meet up with the liberated people.¡±


    ¡°I think so.¡±


    Suppose the liberated people left the temporary fort two days after us. In that case, they should be able to reach the second shelter before sunset today if all goes well. The lodgings for tonight might be cramped. Many people may not be able to accept me right away yet.


    If I want, I can build a sturdy house on the surface¡­ or maybe I can just build an aerial base. Yeah, let¡¯s do that. That way, we can both have a relaxing moment. I felt much better when I thought about it that way. Okay, let¡¯s run as hard as we can.


    So, I ran as if I were flying, making full use of my own running and command actions to move, run, and jump. No, it¡¯s more like hopping.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that mysterious jumping move of yours really quick, Kosuke-san?¡±


    ¡°I guess so. You think it¡¯s creepy, right?¡±


    By using command actions to move diagonally and accelerate my jumps, as well as repeating subtle twists of the waist and jumps on my own, I¡¯m hopping around the wilderness at an apparently abnormal speed. To the casual observer, my movements look absolutely creepy. It¡¯s like the laws of physics go to hell.


    ¡°No, I won¡¯t go that far, but¡­ what¡¯s the principle?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know either.¡±


    I¡¯ve been trying to recreate the so-called ¡°Bunny Hop¡± or ¡°Bhop¡± or ¡°Strafe Jump¡± technique while moving, which I¡¯ve been doing a lot since the other day, and I¡¯ve finally managed to do it. I¡¯m jumping at an abnormal speed while changing my direction slightly in the air¡­ It¡¯s abnormal no matter how you look at it.


    ¡°It¡¯s just like the way we¡¯re flying, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t we fly too? If you ask us why we can fly, we can only answer that we can.¡±


    Pirna says so as she glides over me as I hop from one place to another. Certainly, considering the size of the body, it is unlikely that Pirna and the other harpies would be able to fly with the size of their wings. I wondered if they were using wind magic or something similar, but they don¡¯t seem to be consciously aware of what they¡¯re doing.


    ¡°If we continue like this, we¡¯ll be able to get there earlier than planned, right?¡±


    ¡°I guess so. Let¡¯s make a comfortable place to sleep and take a bath.¡±


    ¡°A bath sounds good. I heard from Fronte and the others that it¡¯s really nice.¡±


    ¡°Baths are good.¡±


    I¡¯d like to spread the habit of bathing to everyone. I¡¯ve heard that the main base can use an infinite amount of magic power. Since it can also use an infinite amount of water, wouldn¡¯t it be a good idea to build a public bathhouse? That sounds good, a public bathhouse. Let¡¯s build them. Then spread the culture of bathing to the whole world. Oh, I feel like taking a bath as soon as possible. Let¡¯s hurry up.


    ¡°Kosuke, Kosuke, can you hear me?¡±


    ¡°I can hear you just fine. Over.¡±


    ¡°No problem here too. As expected, there¡¯s no problem at this distance.¡±


    Arriving at the second shelter while the sun was still high, I left Pirna and the others to guard the area and search for the liberated people. I finished building temporary accommodation for Pirna and the others and me at five meters above the ground.


    Right now, I¡¯m waiting for Pirna and the others to arrive and testing the golem communication device.


    ¡°I will try to communicate twice tomorrow, once when I reach the third shelter and once when I reach the fourth shelter.¡±


    ¡°Yes. That would be great. Theoretically, it should be able to reach as far as the temporary fort. Still, I don¡¯t know how far it can actually go without problems.¡±


    It seems that the magic wave used in the golem communicator is of a special wavelength designed to reach a considerable distance, but how far it can actually reach is still unclear because there is no precedent. Theoretically, considering the output power and wavelength, we can guess how far it can reach, but we don¡¯t know if it will actually do so.


    ¡°In some cases, it might be better to use a relay station.¡±


    ¡°Relay stations? What does that mean?¡±


    In other words, the idea is to build a base station that can only receive and re-transmit magic waves between communicators to widen the reach. Suppose the receiver¡¯s antenna is larger and the transmitter¡¯s antenna is placed higher. In that case, the reach of the magic wave can be further expanded.


    ¡°The problem would be to secure the power to keep it running and to maintain it. Also, I think we need a special golem core.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but I think I can manage that. Kosuke¡¯s idea is interesting. I¡¯ll discuss it with Sykes and the others as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t get too worked up.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. You too, be careful.¡±


    ¡°Okay. See you tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, good night. I love you, Kosuke.¡±


    ¡°O-oh¡­ thank you.¡±


    The communication ended. Aaaaah! No, no, no! You can¡¯t do that, lady! I¡¯ll be so embarrassed if you throw out favors so straightforwardly! Aaaaah!


    ¡°I¡¯m back¡­ Kosuke-san, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    When I was writhing in agony, covering my face with my hands, Pirna, who had just returned, gave me a strange look. What a timing!


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Oh, Kosuke-san¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m glad you came too.¡±


    The place where we were staying was getting a bit crowded. Apparently, all the Harpies who had been following the liberated people on their migration had also arrived.


    ¡°I, Fitch, and Ray came here on a post-transportation mission.¡±


    Fronte, the blue-feathered harpy, smiles dazzlingly as she says this. Fitch, the orange-feathered harpy, and Ray, the jet-black-feathered harpy, nodded in agreement.


    ¡°We¡¯ll go lead the liberated people, right?¡±


    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll get the bath and food ready.¡±


    ¡°Oh, a bath? ¡­Um, can we come in too?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s okay.¡±


    ¡°Right, after you get the liberated people into the shelter, that¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°As expected of you, Captain, you know better.¡±


    Fronte and the others hugged Pirna, who permitted them. You can¡¯t stop bathing once you¡¯ve taken a bath, can you? I know, I know. I think the construction of public bathhouses is a must.


    ¡°I¡¯m off then.¡±


    ¡°See you later.¡±


    Pirna and the others are flying off again. After seeing them off, I prepared a bath in the aerial accommodation, prepared a meal, and then expanded the accommodation a bit. Fronte and the others would probably be staying here, too.


    Come to think of it, Fronte and the others seemed to be involved in the matter of my lack of sleep, didn¡¯t they? Should I get their testimony before questioning Sylphy?


    No, I don¡¯t know. If it¡¯s as I imagined, it might end up like stepping on a landmine¡­? But even if I questioned Sylphy, she might just say nothing. No, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the case with Sylphy. But still.


    As I was working and agonizing over the problem, the sun was beginning to set. I was worried about whether the liberated people would arrive in time, so I went outside and found that they had just arrived. As expected, a thousand people are quite a large number. Perhaps it was because it was already the third day they stayed at the shelter, but they formed a line and smoothly entered the shelter. From the looks of their faces, it seems that morale is not extremely low. Or rather, there are a lot of people looking up at the accommodation where they¡¯re staying.


    I waved my hand to show my friendship, but only a child waved back. Damn, I¡¯m not sad at all.


    In the meantime, Pirna and the others came back, washed their hands, and it was time to eat. Harpy and the others aren¡¯t very skilled with their hands, or maybe their wings. They are not very dexterous, so they prefer food that they can eat with their hands. They can use a fork and a spoon without any problem, but they¡¯re not good at twirling a fork to eat pasta or carving meat with a fork and a knife by themselves.


    ¡°Today, we¡¯re going to have doner kebab style.¡±


    ¡°The vegetables are fresh and delicious!¡±


    ¡°The sauce goes well with the meat.¡±


    Having a hamburger every time would be a bore, so this time I decided on a kind of grilled meat sandwich with lots of fresh vegetables, doner kebab style. I had time on my hands, so why not? For dessert, we had fruits of the forest brought in from the Black Forest. It looked like wild strawberries.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve had these berries.¡±


    ¡°We ate a lot of them when we were in the Black Forest.¡±


    The harpies chatted happily as they proceeded with their meal. Hmm, everyone is cute when I look at them this way. In this world, the percentage of beautiful girls, or rather the percentage of beautiful women, is strangely high. And the men are all handsome.


    Well, what I¡¯m trying to say is that it¡¯s a blessing to see cute girls enjoying themselves and eating delicious-looking food. I love it when they eat a lot of food.


    After the meal, the next step was to take a bath.


    ¡°Well, go ahead and take a bath. I¡¯ll be back later.¡±


    ¡°No, no, no. You go first. We can do it later.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I think you should be the first one to take a bath.¡±


    I didn¡¯t teach them the concept of the first bath, though. For some reason, Pirna and the others urged me to go in first. Hmm, maybe they don¡¯t want me to get in the leftover water or some such?


    ¡°No, if it bothers you, I can change the water. Ladies should be first in such matters.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go in together!¡±


    Fronte started to say something outrageous. That¡¯s not a good idea!


    ¡°That¡¯s good! I¡¯ll wash your back, too.¡±


    ¡°Eh, no, I don¡¯t think that would be a good idea.¡±


    Pirna agrees, and the other harpies are also on board. No, no, no, no, no.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay; it¡¯s okay.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Wait, wait, you guys should be a little bit more embarrassed ¨D Wait, you¡¯ve got more power than expected.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re doing this as a token of our gratitude.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re really grateful, you know.¡±


    Despite my rather serious resistance, a total of eight harpies dragged me slowly to the bathroom. No! No! Stop it! You¡¯re going to do something nasty on me and call it a service! It¡¯s just like in doujinshi! Just like in doujinshi!


    The whole body wash and massage using Harpy¡¯s feathers was very pleasant. Yes. Once I tasted this, it was unbearable¡­ I didn¡¯t have to worry about my chastity, but I was able to see everything.


    No, wait a minute. Don¡¯t massage there. I said no! That¡¯s out! I said out! Now I¡¯m worried about my chastity! As long as it¡¯s not real, it¡¯s safe. Otherwise, it¡¯s a deception!

 CH 55

    It¡¯s Ko-Fi¡¯s Supporters¡¯ chapter (9/43), enjoy~


    The next morning. I woke up feeling perfect. It was really refreshing. I slipped out of bed, got dressed, and stretched. Hmm, refreshing. Eh? Isn¡¯t Harpy-sans in my bed? No, there isn¡¯t. I refuse to go that far. No, it¡¯s not that I¡¯m dissatisfied with the Harpies, you know? They¡¯re all cute, and Isla too, but there¡¯s nothing underhanded about them, and there¡¯s no way I¡¯d feel bad about them giving me straight favors.


    But it¡¯s another thing to have that kind of relationship with them completely. In that sense, yesterday¡¯s bath was a close call¡­ I¡¯d like to think it was a close call, but I¡¯ll be sure to tell Sylphy about it. I swear by it as I break down the wall with my pickaxe.


    Ah, yes. I made my room almost a secret room by blocking the doorway with a wall. There was a block with a window and an air hole in it, but I made sure that nobody could get through, not even the harpies.


    The reason why I went this far was because I decided that if someone broke into my bedroom and tempted me, I would probably not be able to resist. I learned that in the bath. I can¡¯t argue with the idea that I¡¯m weak-willed, but I don¡¯t think a man who doesn¡¯t react to being forced into a straight favor and asked out is a normal man. At least I can¡¯t. That¡¯s why I had to shut it off from the beginning.


    If you want to laugh at me as a lousy guy, then laugh! Hahaha! Sigh¡­ Let¡¯s get breakfast ready.


    ¡°Good morning, Kosuke-san.¡±


    ¡°Good morning.¡±


    Pirna greets me in the morning, and the other harpies greet me in the same voice.


    ¡°Morning. Shall we have breakfast?¡±


    The girls¡¯ faces are bright as they reply, ¡°Yes.¡± I thought it would be awkward because of my blatant refusal to block the entrance, but it didn¡¯t seem to be the case. I felt a little relieved as I served them bread, salad, vegetable soup, and a platter of cut steak for breakfast.


    ¡°Kosuke-san, are you worried about what happened yesterday?¡±


    ¡°Well, yes. I think I was too blunt and stubborn.¡±


    I ran into the room as soon as I got out of the bath and sealed it off. I told Pirna and the others to forgive me if they were tempted any further because I was afraid they might try to touch me.


    ¡°That¡¯s what we say, but please don¡¯t take it too seriously. As for us, it¡¯s enough that you¡¯ve forgiven us to the extent that you¡¯ll make a move on us if we seduce you.¡±


    I think it¡¯s a man¡¯s fate that if he¡¯s invited by the opposite sex he likes, no matter how suspicious it may seem, he¡¯ll go along with it. No, maybe not so much? Isn¡¯t it true that no matter how beautiful a woman is, they won¡¯t go along with someone they don¡¯t feel comfortable with? No¡­? I can¡¯t imagine it because the assumption is too specific.


    Because I¡¯m a creature of unconditional forgiveness just because I like the way a person looks¡­ I even thought Sylphy was beautiful, even though she beat me up when I first met her. Even though I was quite cautious, I ended up getting my hands on her because she kept asking me out. I don¡¯t trust my reasoning, you know? Yeah. Rational, right?


    ¡°You guys are really aggressive, aren¡¯t you? It¡¯s a lot far from my common sense¡­ I don¡¯t mind it at all, but I¡¯m confused. Just wait until I get a little more comfortable.¡±


    ¡°Yes, we¡¯ll be waiting for you.¡±


    Pirna and the other harpies smiled smugly. Is this enough for them for now? U-u-umu¡­ it¡¯s okay, right? Even though Sylphy alone is too much, there are also Isla and the harpies¡­ ? And from what I hear, Melty and Gerda are also targeting me.


    Let¡¯s talk about this with Sylphy. Let¡¯s do that. To be honest, it¡¯s too much for me to handle. Way too much. But Sylphy was not familiar with romance or anything like that before she got involved with me¡­ Who should I talk to about this?


    Men are unreliable, and¡­ how about Qubi? If not, a well-educated woman¡­ Isla is well educated, but she seems to be biased towards magic and alchemy¡­ Melty? Is it okay? To consult with a woman who is supposedly targeting me about something like this?


    No, let¡¯s talk to Sylphy about this as well. Let¡¯s do that, yeah.


    After breakfast, we parted ways with Fronte and the others, completely dismantled the temporary lodgings, and started moving towards the temporary fort again. I made sure to register the temporary lodgings in my blueprint. I might use it in the future.


    ¡°Are we staying at the fourth shelter today?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll think about it when we get to the fourth shelter. At this pace, we should be able to reach the temporary fort, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I think we can.¡±


    After taking a short break at the third shelter and checking the communication with Isla using the Golem communicator, we were running towards the fourth shelter. We left quite early in the morning today, but it was still early in the morning when we reached the third shelter. I couldn¡¯t tell the exact time because my phone was already turned off, but considering the sun¡¯s height, it was probably just before 9 am. Running at this pace, we would be able to reach the temporary fort with enough time to spare. However, if I pushed myself too hard and couldn¡¯t reach the fort before sunset, that would be a bit of a problem.


    That¡¯s why I decided to postpone answering Pirna¡¯s question and concentrate on running.


    To be honest, staying at the fourth shelter would mean that it would be just Pirna and the others and me for the night. Pirna and the others seemed to agree, but I didn¡¯t know if I would be able to withstand the next temptation. I really don¡¯t want to spend the night with just them and me if possible.


    I don¡¯t know if my prayers were answered or not, but the journey went much better than I expected. There were a few battles with Gizma along the way, but with the mobility of the high-speed jumping, the attack power of the shotgun, and the defensive power of the blocks, Gizma was nothing more than a small fry to me.


    I quickly collected the corpses and was able to reach the fourth shelter before noon.


    ¡°It was fast.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised too.¡±


    The distance between the two shelters is about six to eight hours by human foot. It was about thirty to forty kilometers. If we arrived before noon, that means we ran through the two areas in less than six hours. I think it might have something to do with the fact that I was jumping through the wilderness, which is normally hard to walk through¡­ I¡¯ll try to measure my speed next time.


    ¡°The audio sounds clear.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s fine. If it reaches the fourth shelter, we¡¯re good.¡±


    It takes four days to walk from the front-line fort to the fourth shelter. It must be at least 100 kilometers away. Suppose we can communicate clearly over this distance. In that case, we can say that it is a very useful tool for military purposes.


    ¡°If you know the distance between you and the other person from the strength of the magic waves¡­ No, it¡¯s not necessary if you know each other¡¯s current location.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not impossible to do the calculation, but it will eat up a lot of the core¡¯s capacity. The basic functions will inevitably be degraded.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s one thing. We¡¯ll take a short break and head to the temporary fort.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, okay. Be careful.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, okay. Bye.¡±


    After finishing the golem communication with Isla, I had lunch with Pirna and the others.


    ¡°All the food that Kosuke-san serves is delicious, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad I can eat meat other than Gizma¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind Gizma¡¯s meat either.¡±


    Today¡¯s lunch consisted of a honey-roasted chicken sandwich and sliced pickles. I was wondering if it was okay for Harpy to eat chicken. I asked them before, but they said it was no problem at all. Rather, it seems that chicken meat is a common food for harpies.


    No, well, it¡¯s true. Even on Earth, the natural enemies of birds are usually larger carnivorous birds. That¡¯s about right.


    By the way, only three of the five harpies accompanying me are currently acting together with me. The other two are flying ahead of me to the temporary fort.


    It¡¯s probably still safe, but if the Holy Kingdom is already attacking the temporary fort, it¡¯s not safe to go in unprotected. There¡¯s hardly any Gizma around here anymore, and they¡¯re scouting ahead for us.


    So the ones eating with me are Pirna, Pessar, the brown-feathered harpy, and Torch, the green-feathered harpy. Ahead of us are Ygrett, a white-feathered harpy, and Eyjar, a dark-reddish feathered harpy. In fact, there are two types of harpies, small birds and large birds, with the small birds being faster and more maneuverable and the large birds being less fast but better at navigating long distances and more powerful. Pirna and the others who are still here are small birds, while Ygrett and Eyjar, who were sent ahead of us, are large birds.


    ¡°I was looking forward to taking a bath with just us and Kosuke-san tonight, but¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity. Well, the sooner we arrive, the better.¡±


    ¡°The original itinerary was for three days, so why don¡¯t we take it easy?¡±


    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s take our time.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not how it works.¡±


    I shook my head with a bitter smile. Pessar looked serious but is actually a lazy bum, while Torch is a pampered child. Although they are not here, Ygrett is somewhat ladylike or noble. Eyjar was a taciturn girl.


    ¡°That¡¯s true. Unfortunately, we don¡¯t have the luxury of time to play around.¡±


    Pirna, who had finished her chicken sandwich, left her seat and began to check the condition of her wings. Seeing this, Pessar and Torch also began to check the condition of their own wings. They always check their wings before flying off. They said this was because the slightest irregularity in the wings could cause an accident in flight. There might be some kind of flying secret in each of their wings.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, then.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    After dismantling the temporary accommodation, we started to move again.


    ¡°Kosuke! You¡¯re back!¡±


    ¡°Y-yes.¡±


    And as soon as I arrived at the temporary fort, I was hugged by Sylphy. Hey, it¡¯s strong, so strong, it¡¯s creaking!


    ¡°Thank you for your hard work, Kosuke-dono. Did the liberated people arrive at the front-line fort safely?¡±


    ¡°I think they¡¯re probably arriving by now. Let¡¯s try to communicate with Isla.¡±


    ¡°Communicate?¡±


    Sylphy released me and tilted her head when she heard an unfamiliar word. I see, Ygrett and the others have not reported about the Golem communicator.


    ¡°You see, you said you wanted a way for the liberation unit to exchange information with other units that are far away. That¡¯s why Isla and the others created the Golem communicator. We were able to communicate without any problems around the fourth shelter, but I wonder if we can do the same here?¡±


    I activated the golem communicator and tried to call out, but there was no response. It seems that the magic wave can¡¯t reach them.


    ¡°Hmm, it looks like the magic wave can¡¯t reach them from here. It seems that the magic wave can only reach the fourth shelter from the front-line base, so it can reach a distance of about four days on foot.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so it¡¯s a four-day walk. That¡¯s great, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°If we set up relay stations, we should be able to communicate over a much wider area. I believe Isla and the others are working on it now.¡±


    ¡°Fumu, I see¡­ warfare is going to change fundamentally.¡±


    If you have golem communication, you can use it as a decoy to ambush and pincer attacks all you want. In terms of defense, you can quickly tell when the enemy is attacking. If we can make something like a headphone and have Harpy fly with a miniaturized Golem communication device, we¡¯ll have an early warning and control device.


    Sharing information from a bird¡¯s eye view of the entire battlefield from the sky, where the enemy¡¯s movements are transparent¡­ is nothing more than a nightmare for the enemy. The Harpy has good eyesight and will be able to see where the ambushers are. And then the aerial bombardment will crush the enemy¡­ I think we just need Harpy, aren¡¯t we?


    Well, if I were on the enemy¡¯s side, I¡¯d go for a better anti-aircraft attack. There¡¯s magic in this world, so it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if there were some kind of attack magic that specialized in anti-aircraft. If we want to continue to operate Harpy, we should be aware of the strengthening of the enemy¡¯s anti-aircraft capabilities.


    ¡°As for the liberated people, I confirmed that they arrived safely to the second shelter yesterday, and they seem to have departed safely, so I think they will be fine.¡±


    ¡°I see. By the way, how did you get from the front-line fort to here in two days¡­? That¡¯s as fast as a centaur.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s certainly fast¡­ No, it¡¯s really fast. And you don¡¯t look tired at all.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s true¡­¡±


    In order to resolve the doubts of Sir Leonard and Sylphy, I will show them my newly acquired continuous jumping movement. It¡¯s easy once you become accustomed to it, isn¡¯t it? The important thing is rhythm.


    ¡°It¡¯s an interesting move¡­¡±


    ¡°As always, I don¡¯t know anything about Kosuke¡¯s ability¡­ Isn¡¯t he accelerating unnaturally in the air?¡±


    I wonder if the light will go out of his eyes again when I show it to Isla? Hmm¡­ I¡¯m really starting to want to show her something. Surprising Isla is somehow becoming a pleasure for me.


    ¡°That¡¯s all I have to report. Is there anything unusual over here?¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s the thing.¡±


    It seems that there is movement in the border fort bordering the Great Omit Wilderness. A large number of supplies are being brought in from somewhere, and they seem to be steadily preparing for battle.


    ¡°According to the survey of the Harpies, it looks like that. The number of enemy soldiers is likely to exceed 5000. It looks like they¡¯re going to start moving in a few days.¡±


    ¡°Hou, 5000¡­ that¡¯s tough.¡±


    Even so, with a solid fort, crossbow, ballista, and aerial bombardment, it may be manageable.


    ¡°However, there is no need to fight them properly. Just set some traps, and let¡¯s get out of here.¡±


    ¡°Trap?¡±


    ¡°Yes, a trap. I¡¯m going to do it, and I¡¯m going to do it thoroughly.¡±


    Kukuku¡­ Let¡¯s use this temporary fort as their tombstone. Oh, no, we have to declare war on them first, right? In case you¡¯re wondering, we¡¯re not barbarians; we¡¯re a civilized race of people. Let¡¯s make our position clear. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any room for discussion, though.

 CH 56

    It¡¯s Ko-Fi¡¯s Supporters¡¯ chapter (10/43), you can also read up to 4 chapters ahead by joining our Patreon. Enjoy~


    ¡°Assuming that conflict is inevitable, the question is, how do we settle it?¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    It¡¯s easy to start a war. The hard part is to end it. There are many factors involved, such as the exhaustion caused by the war, the depletion of supplies, the support of the people, the interests of the nation such as securing key points, and the pride of the leader and the nation.


    ¡°The leader of this side will, of course, be Sylphy, but who will be the leader of that side?¡±


    ¡°The supreme leader will naturally be the Holy King Alfred III, but in this case, it will be the consul who rules the Merinard Kingdom.¡±


    ¡°Aureus, the consul in charge. He¡¯s a pig who¡¯s very good at squeezing his people to the breaking point and lining his pockets.¡±


    Sir Leonard has a gentlemanly demeanor, but his words are harsh now, perhaps because he has some sort of history.


    ¡°It would be better for the leaders to meet with each other and make peace, but¡­ they won¡¯t agree.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. There is too much difference in the size of the forces.¡±


    From the enemy¡¯s perspective, a small force of about 1300 people would be like an insignificant insect. I don¡¯t think they will come to the negotiating table as equals.


    ¡°It¡¯s also impossible to ask a third party to act as an intermediary.¡±


    ¡°For the same reason. There is nothing to be gained by mediating with someone who has no influence. We must expand our power and have enough influence to compete on equal terms with other nations.¡±


    I knew this before it started, but it¡¯s not an easy thing to say. But well, there are things you can do if you choose to.


    ¡°Just for the record, is there a custom in this world to have a verbal battle before starting a war, or rather a declaration of war?¡±


    ¡°Before the war begins, messengers and commanders who have raised the white flag meet face to face and recommend surrender to each other from horseback or engage in verbal warfare, I believe.¡±


    ¡°Do you think they will do that this time?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. In their eyes, we are the remnants of the rebel army that was destroyed three years ago. We¡¯ll be treated as bandits causing mayhem.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ is there no room for discussion at all?¡±


    ¡°If it were possible to talk to them, the Merinard Kingdom would not be a vassal state.¡±


    Sylphy shrugged her shoulders with a sarcastic smile. Hmm, is that so?


    ¡°Well, for now, we just have to show them our power. Kosuke, you can start your operations as you see fit.¡±


    ¡°Aye aye, ma¡¯am.¡±


    What I¡¯m going to do, and I don¡¯t need to make this clear now, is to blow up and demolish this fort. I¡¯m going to set up explosive blocks all over the place and blow up this fort without a trace so that it can¡¯t be used. Not even the soldiers of the Holy Kingdom.


    The problem is how to detonate them. So far, there are only two ways to detonate the bomb remotely, safely, and reliably. The first is to use a time fuse. The first is to detonate the explosive block at the specified time.


    Experiments have shown that explosive blocks within their area of effect will detonate in a chain, so if I place them properly, I can detonate all the explosive blocks by blowing up the first one.


    The other is a switch explosion using a mithril copper alloy circuit that I made with Isla¡¯s help. By connecting the explosive block to the detonation tool with wires made of mithril copper alloy, which has high magical conductivity, the explosive block can be instantly detonated by pressing a switch.


    This can also be linked to the trap switches of building blocks, so it is possible to use it so that when someone steps on the floor, or presses a switch on the wall, then boom!


    The problem is the high cost of the material. The amount of metal used to wire the mithril copper alloy is trivial, but if you extend it to 100m or 200m, the amount consumed will be pretty high. It takes a lot of courage to use it in an almost disposable way like this. Well, I couldn¡¯t turn my back on it, though.


    ¡°Now, what should I do¡­?¡±


    The ideal way to do this is to blow up the fort when the entire army of the Holy Kingdom is inside. Nonetheless, there are no more than 500 people that can fit in this fort. If it were the main base, there would be plenty of room, but in this fort, there would be less than 1000 people at most. Even so, it must be attractive to them to have a fort where they don¡¯t have to worry about being attacked by Gizma.


    They¡¯ll be wary, but once they see that we¡¯re gone, they¡¯ll definitely have a certain amount of people in this fort.


    ¡°We can either set a trap in the back of the pantry or use a timed detonation¡­ Well, timed detonation is better.¡±


    It would be better to set the trap to detonate in the middle of the night after sunset. There is no such thing as a time bomb in this world yet. There should be no way to be alarmed. They should explore the fort thoroughly, and once it is confirmed that no one is hiding there, the fort will be used.


    It would be better to set the fuse to detonate in the middle of the night and retreat. The explosives must be placed in such a way as to destroy the fort and cause widespread damage completely.


    ¡°Well, the best way to do that would be to plant an explosive block inside the wall.¡±


    I hollowed out the inside of the three-meter thick wall and placed the explosive blocks evenly. Explosive blocks were also placed in the walls of the internal facilities. It¡¯s got ¡°TNT¡± written all over it, but nobody would think it¡¯s dangerous. No one would think of setting it on fire just to test it. Right?


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Kosuke? Why are you frozen in place like that?¡±


    As I was pondering over the placement of the explosive blocks on the dormitory wall, Sylphy, who had been following the installation work, called out to me with concern.


    ¡°No, I was worried that some idiot might set it on fire before it blows up.¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯ll be fine¡­ but if you¡¯re worried about it, why don¡¯t you put a ¡°no fire¡± sign on it?¡±


    ¡°That would look suspicious.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but laugh at Sylphy¡¯s suggestion. I¡¯d be afraid to enter a fort with walls marked ¡°no fire¡± here and there. Well, I guess I¡¯ll just leave it at that. It¡¯ll be okay, I guess. I can¡¯t drag them all in anyway, and if even one of the explosive blocks explodes, it will trigger a bomb that will blow the fort to bits. Dragging them into it is just a bonus; if we can dismantle this temporary fort, then we¡¯ve achieved our goal.


    There¡¯s a saying that the strategist drowns in deceit, so let¡¯s make sure we place the blocks properly so that we can blow them up, yeah.


    ¡°Hey, can you tell everyone to refrain from lighting fires? If the bomb explodes while we¡¯re around, it¡¯ll be a disaster.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s true.¡±


    It wouldn¡¯t be funny if we all died in an explosion due to a careless mistake.


    The installation of the explosive blocks and the collection of materials was completed without delay. And the next day, the Harpies, who were out scouting for the enemy first thing in the morning, detected the enemy¡¯s movement.


    ¡°It¡¯s a total of 5500, with 1000 cavalry, 4000 infantry and archers combined, and 500 Transportation Corps.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s more than five times the number of liberated people who escaped. They are not planning to attack the Black Forest, right?¡±


    ¡°It seems that the troops are probably based on the premise of capturing this fort. I think they intend to use this fort as a bridgehead to pursue us.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the ETA?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll probably camp a short distance from the fort before sundown and attack it tomorrow morning.¡±


    ¡°Fumu¡­ How do we move?¡±


    If we make a mistake, it won¡¯t be good. If a thousand cavalrymen chase us, we will be in trouble.


    ¡°We can escape from the underground passage. Do you think we can resist here until about noon tomorrow and then escape?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ running away without any resistance at all might look suspicious.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. They know we have information through the Harpy¡¯s eyes.¡±


    ¡°I see. There is a big difference in strength between them and us, so it would be rather unnatural for us not to run away¡­ Well, let¡¯s leave immediately now. Kosuke, can you set the time fuse tomorrow night?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I can.¡±


    ¡°Then do so. Leave a certain amount of food and other supplies in the storeroom so that we can pretend that we have escaped without taking anything.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    The retreat was hurriedly started, and thirty minutes later, everyone was ready to leave. The remaining force in the fort was about fifty people. All of them were reasonably well-trained soldiers who had been notified in advance of the enemy¡¯s movements and that they would be retreating immediately depending on the enemy¡¯s movements, so there was no confusion.


    ¡°I¡¯d really like to see the results of the battle with my own eyes.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I also want to see the results of the battle, but I don¡¯t want the two of us to put ourselves in danger together.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±


    I think it¡¯s okay for Sylphy and me to escape even if we¡¯re pursued by cavalry, and after the explosion is confirmed, they¡¯ll be in chaos, so I think it¡¯s safe to say that it¡¯s outrageous for the supreme leader and the key to logistics to remain in a dangerous place, said Sir Leonard. Well, of course, it is. He was absolutely right.


    So I decided to build a watchtower that could accommodate about three people in a position that could clearly monitor the fort and leave three of the Harpies there. They¡¯ll also have a timed explosive device to blow up the fort when they find out about the situation in the fort.


    ¡°So, Your Highness. Please refrain from observing and staying in there.¡±


    ¡°All right, all right. Stop reminding me over and over again.¡±


    Sylphy returns a wry smile to Sir Leonard, who has a straight face.


    ¡°You too, Kosuke? It would be best if you never did that. If you break your promise, I¡¯ll tell Melty.¡±


    ¡°All right, I won¡¯t do that.¡±


    Both Sylphy and I are weak against Melty. Sylphy is in the sense of a childhood friend, and I am in the sense of a black corporate boss. I think Melty is the strongest of the Liberation Army.


    We parted ways with Sir Leonard and the other troops who were retreating and moved with the Harpy squad to a small rocky hill a short distance away. Here, we wouldn¡¯t be attacked by Gizma, and we¡¯d have a good vantage point.


    ¡°I think I should hollow out the rock pile to make it less conspicuous.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s a good idea.¡±


    It¡¯s important to be flexible. I built a scaffold in a position where it could not be seen from the temporary fort, made an entrance, and carved out a room inside the rocky mountain with a pickaxe. Then, I built some peepholes so that I could see into the temporary fort, set up a water hole and furniture, and installed an explosive device just in case, and the watchtower was complete.


    ¡°Did I go a little overboard?¡±


    ¡°It would be a shame to blow it up, that¡¯s for sure. But it will be troublesome if the Holy Kingdom army discovers and uses it later on.


    ¡°That¡¯s true, too.¡±


    It seems that the three who will be stationed here are Pirna, the brown feather Harpy¡¯s Flame, and Pessar.


    ¡°We¡¯ll meet up with you the day after tomorrow after we confirm the results of the battle.¡±


    ¡°Umu, be careful.¡±


    ¡°Be really careful. Make sure you don¡¯t get hurt or anything.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    We parted ways with the three of them and pursued Sir Leonard and the others with the rest of the harpies. I did a series of jumps, and Sylphy ran as usual. The harpies are flying. It took me a while to make the watchtower, but we were able to meet up with them before they arrived at the fourth shelter. It seemed they were just taking a short break for lunch.


    We also had a light lunch, and we all walked to the fourth shelter. On the way there, the Golem communicator on my back started ringing. As the Liberation Army soldiers looked at me with interest, I picked up my Golem communicator and began to communicate.


    ¡°This is Kosuke.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s connected. I was worried.¡±


    It was a message from Isla. There¡¯s no mistaking her voice.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. It seems it couldn¡¯t reach the temporary fort after all.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Is everything okay? Are you hurt?¡±


    ¡°Everyone is fine. There was some enemy movement, and I¡¯ve set a trap in the fort and are now retreating. Pirna and three other Harpies will stay behind to monitor the fort, check the battle results, and then join us. The rest of us are heading to the fourth shelter and should be arriving soon.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, okay. What is the size of the enemy?¡±


    ¡°5500 including the Transportation Corps. 1000 cavalry, 4000 infantry combined with archers and 500 Transportation Corps.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a lot.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ But I think we will be fine. The front-line fort is perfectly defended, after all.¡±


    ¡°¡­Okay. I¡¯ll let everyone know.¡±


    ¡°Please.¡±


    I finished the communication and put the golem communication device back on my back. Naturally, curious eyes were focused on me. Right? I know that.


    ¡°As you can see, this is the latest creation of the research and development department, a tool that allows you to talk to people in distant places. That¡¯s a communication from the front-line fort. I don¡¯t know how it works in detail. It will be placed in frontline units in the future.¡±


    I explained as much as I knew before they started asking questions, but they ended up asking a lot of questions. No, I don¡¯t think you can carry it on your own. At least not for a while.


    Oh, but radio broadcasting might be a good idea. We could make a special device to receive it and set up a high-powered antenna at the main base where we can use plenty of magic power and broadcast it on a special frequency. We could broadcast the day¡¯s news or music from liberated people who are good at singing or playing instruments. I¡¯ll definitely make a plan when I get back, yes.


    While I was thinking about these things while explaining, we arrived at the fourth shelter. Sylphy and I have set up a simple lodging outside the shelter, so it¡¯s just the two of us tonight. I¡¯m looking forward to a lot of things, but first I have to talk to her about something. About the Harpies, about Isla, and about the upcoming war.


    I guess I¡¯m not tense enough since the war comes after my love life. Well, since we haven¡¯t directly exchanged lives¡­ I guess I should really be a little more worried.


    Well¡­ what should I say?

 CH 57

    Here¡¯s the chapter, enjoy~


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since we¡¯ve spent time together like this¡­ It¡¯s been about a week, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s about right.¡±


    We were sitting together on a wicker couch that looked a little different from the one in Sylphy¡¯s house but similar in use while sipping honey wine. Speaking of which, I heard that they have started making liquor from crops at the main base. I wonder if they are making ale from wheat and distilled liquor from potatoes.


    ¡°Normally, it¡¯s time for Kosuke to make something or, if not that, go to bed¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, we have a lot to talk about today. There are things I want to ask and things I want to talk about. You¡¯ve been working a lot these days, haven¡¯t you? You must relax once in a while.¡±


    ¡°Fufu¡­ Yes, that¡¯s right. The situation isn¡¯t conducive to relaxation, but it may be better to just relax as usual in times like these.¡±


    ¡°I think so.¡±


    I sipped my drink with the smiling Sylphy and slowly talked about what had happened during our time apart. While I was away from the temporary fort, the crops in the temporary fort¡¯s fields had grown to their full potential, and Sylphy had joined in the harvest. After the harvest, they had a potato stew using the freshly harvested crops, or rather potatoes.


    The potatoes cultivated in this area, or rather in our fort, are taro-like. Apparently, they were originally grown wild in the Black Forest, but the elves bred them over a long period. They are delicious, even just boiled with salt.


    ¡°The wolf-type beastmen were especially enthusiastic when digging for potatoes. They were digging up potatoes with lively faces.¡±


    ¡°I thought wolf beastmen liked meat, but they also like potatoes and sweet things, huh?¡±


    They also like to dig in the ground. They are also quite diligent in collecting clay.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯ve heard that wolves and dogs are also like that, so maybe they still have some instincts deep inside them.¡±


    ¡°They get angry if you treat them like dogs, though.¡±


    If you treat them like dogs, they get angry. They say that they are not domesticated dogs but proud wolves. But there are some that look more like a shiba inu or chihuahua than a full-fledged wolf¡­ In the first place, there are too many individual differences in the appearance of beastmen in this world. There are some that have a completely animal face, and some that are human with a little bit of animal ears in them.


    For example, Sir Leonard and Worg are completely animal in appearance. Sir Leonard has a lion face, and Worg has a Siberian husky face. Danan is said to be a bullfighter, but he only has a pair of magnificent horns on his head, and the rest of him looks like a big man. Gerda, the bear-beastmen, and Jagira, the cat-beastmen, look like women with bear ears and cat ears, and Melty looks like a woman with curly horns. However, when it comes to bear beastmen, those who lost their limbs and could not be healed looked like bipedal bears¡­ If there is even one animal feature on any part of the body, they can be considered beastmen. It¡¯s a bit of a no-brainer.


    Harpy like Pirna and the blacksmith Lamia are very easy to understand. No, there¡¯s a lot of difference between them, though. Pirna and the other harpies have different body sizes between the small bird species and the large bird species.


    Pirna and the other harpies have bird wings and bird feet from the midpoint of their arms and thighs, while their faces and torso are almost human. Their breasts are generally modest in size. I guess large breasts are dead weight for these girls flying in the sky, I guess.


    Why do I know their body shape? Because I¡¯ve seen them. Plenty of time.


    ¡°How about you, Kosuke?¡±


    ¡°Well, you know. I didn¡¯t have to do anything special on the way to the shelter expansion. I just hunted Gizma when they appeared, and when I got to the shelter, I worked on expanding it and went to sleep. As soon as I arrived at the front-line base, Isla took me to the research and development department and gave me the Golem communicator. Isla had a big smug look on her face, though.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, that¡¯s just like Isla. But that¡¯s something great, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is. I think it can be used in many ways. I¡¯ve been thinking about it¡­¡±


    Let¡¯s talk about the Golem radio broadcasting idea that I just came up with.


    ¡°I see, it¡¯s not just for military use. That¡¯s a good idea, and I agree with you.¡±


    ¡°Some people may be anxious about living in an unfamiliar place, so it would be good if we could ease their anxiety.¡±


    Well, the radio broadcast itself has military implications, too¡­ It can also be used for propaganda. Well, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a bad thing to unite the minds of the people as long as it is not too much.


    ¡°So, you know¡­ Isla confessed to me. She said she wanted to be with me forever.¡±


    ¡°¡­Well, that took longer than I expected. Did you give her an answer?¡±


    There is no sign of anger, dismay, or any other negative emotions on Sylphy¡¯s face as she listened to my story. No, I don¡¯t know what she thinks on the inside, do I? Yeah.


    ¡°Oh, um, well¡­¡±


    I don¡¯t know what I should say in this situation. Do I have to tell Sylphy that I accepted another girl¡¯s confession? No, what about that¡­? No, no, no, it¡¯s wrong to think in terms of the ethics of my original world. There are rules, or rather ethics, of this world, too.


    ¡°Isla knew that Sylphy and I were in love, and she didn¡¯t want to get in the middle of it; she just wanted me to stay by her side.¡±


    ¡°Okay, so?¡±


    ¡°Well, you see¡­ we went from being friends to being more than friends, or lovers¡­ To put it simply, I accepted her. I like Isla, too, and she¡¯s a fun person to be with. But I asked her to wait a little while before we make love or have a physical relationship like I did with Sylphy, and she agreed.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ Well, because the person I love is Sylphy. For example, if you were to tell me that while you were away from me, another man confessed to you, and you accepted and had physical relations with him, I would be sure to die of despair, jealousy, and anger. I absolutely hate it. Absolutely hate it. If you do that, I will definitely kill that man, and then I will die too. So I won¡¯t do that either.¡±


    I hate just thinking about it. It makes me want to die.


    ¡°Hahaha, love is heavy. But don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s never going to happen. I¡¯ll strangle such an insolent man to death on the spot. In the first place, no man would ever say such a thing to a woman with a partner.¡±


    ¡°Is it okay if you don¡¯t have a partner?¡±


    ¡°I think we¡¯ve talked about this a bit before, but it¡¯s a man¡¯s duty to take many wives.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that too convenient for men?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not too convenient. If you take many wives, you have to take on more responsibility. An unworthy husband who lets his wife and children starve is an unworthy man. Such a man will be abandoned by his wife and disinherited. And he will be pointed back at for the rest of his life.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s scary.¡±


    I thought that men could cheat all they wanted, but it wasn¡¯t like that. I heard that if you get carried away, you will be expelled from the community.


    ¡°The same goes for men who put their hands on women who have partners or take them by force. So I¡¯m pretty sure nothing like what Kosuke was worried about will happen.¡±


    ¡°But that system, on the other hand, allows those with power and authority to do whatever they want, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    A man who is so strong and powerful that no one can stand against him will be able to do whatever he wants, regardless of the finger-pointing at him.


    ¡°Hahaha, you¡¯re right. By the way, Kosuke, when do you think is the moment when a man is most vulnerable?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s ¡­ Ah.¡±


    I guessed. I¡¯ve guessed it.


    ¡°Do you think women will let a man like that do what he wants forever? That¡¯s what I¡¯m talking about. It¡¯s better to think about the size of your body when doing anything.¡±


    ¡°Hiehh¡­¡±


    I¡¯ve learned that I shouldn¡¯t get carried away.


    ¡°So, about Isla, I don¡¯t mind it. She¡¯s cute, and she has always worked hard for me. I¡¯ve known her for a long time, and I believe she¡¯ll get along well with Kosuke and me.¡±


    ¡°I-is that so?¡±


    It¡¯s a little light¡­ No, I wonder if it¡¯s supposed to be like this. U-umu.


    ¡°You should be actively trying to make a baby with Isla.¡±


    ¡°You should try to be a little more subtle about it.¡±


    ¡°Put a little more effort into it.¡±


    ¡°Are you listening to me?¡±


    It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen Sylphy grinning at me. Is she making fun of me? You will have to remember it later.


    ¡°And one more thing about the Harpies¡­ Sylphy, the last time you were with them, did you do anything with me after I went to bed?¡±


    ¡°I did.¡±


    ¡°I see; I should imagine things¡­ Eh, you did?¡±


    Sylphy confessed her actions without hesitation, and I couldn¡¯t help but make a quick retort.


    ¡°Fronte and the others were very interested in it. I had Kosuke sleep deeply with spirit magic, and we did a lot of things.¡±


    ¡°What did you do to me?¡±


    ¡°Hahaha. Well, I was just using you as teaching material.¡±


    ¡°Teaching material? For what?¡±


    I asked her about it, but she just laughed and said nothing.


    ¡°So, now that I know about Isla, what are you going to do about the Harpies? They adore you too, don¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°I know about that somehow, but I don¡¯t know what to do either. I don¡¯t know how to take care of them all.¡±


    ¡°No, Kosuke can take care of all of them. I mean, we¡¯re all being fed by Kosuke right now.¡±


    ¡°¡­Is that really what you¡¯re saying?¡±


    The crops that are enough to feed the entire liberation army and the weapons to hunt the Gizma are basically all supplied by me. I¡¯ve also built most of the housing. The clothing is also made from cloth that I weave on my loom. So I¡¯m in charge of the Liberation Army¡¯s food, clothing, and shelter.


    ¡°If you want, you¡¯ll be allowed to take all the women who adore Kosuke.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t; I¡¯ll dry up.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but keep a straight face. For me, Sylphy alone is enough.


    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±


    Sylphy giggles.


    ¡°But I think Kosuke should take care of the Harpies. There is no better way for Kosuke and the Harpies to be on good terms in the future. Or perhaps the Harpies in the Liberation Army don¡¯t want anyone but Kosuke as a companion. For the sake of the future, I can say that Kosuke has no choice but to accept the Harpies.¡±


    ¡°Eeehh?¡±


    ¡°Harpy¡¯s ability to fly will be indispensable to us in the future. To have them is to have the greatest strength of the Liberation Army. Isn¡¯t that right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I guess so.¡±


    There is no doubt that Harpy¡¯s air force is the trump card of the Liberation Army right now. There is almost no way to intercept them as they unilaterally attack with bombs from high altitudes.


    ¡°And we have to nurture the next generation. It is also convenient for me that the father is Kosuke.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s very realistic of you.¡±


    Sylphy¡¯s words made me involuntarily chuckle. I think Sylphy is also a royal family with noble blood in this way. In other words, Sylphy wants to keep the Harpies, who will become more influential in the Liberation Army, in her family through me.


    ¡°Of course, if Kosuke doesn¡¯t want it, I won¡¯t force it on you. But you don¡¯t hate Pirna and Fronte and the others, do you?¡±


    ¡°Well, yes. I guess so.¡±


    I think it¡¯s a natural reaction for me also to like the girls who are straightforward with their favors. They are all cute.


    ¡°Sylphy is more like¡­ a mistress? Or concubines? I was surprised that Sylphy was more tolerant of such things.¡±


    It was an honest thought that came out of my mouth.


    I knew that Sylphi loved me, but I thought that she wanted to be a little more exclusive, or wanted to be alone with me, or something like that. However, when she heard my words, her reaction was fierce.


    With a loud bang, the cup of honey wine in her hand was slammed on the table.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, Kosuke.¡±


    And then, with a terrifyingly strong force, she pinched my face between her hands and turned it towards her. I felt the bones in my neck make a cracking sound. It hurt. Sylphy¡¯s stern expression filled my vision.


    ¡°I love you, Kosuke. If I could, I would monopolize you. I want to be alone with you forever.¡±


    The stern expression instantly lost its power, and her ears drooped.


    ¡°But I also understand the feelings of everyone who adores Kosuke. I really understand. So, I¡¯ll do my best to¡­¡±


    Sylphy couldn¡¯t seem to put it into words any further. Hmm, if it¡¯s good enough for her, then it¡¯s good enough for me to respond to her as much as I can. If that¡¯s what Sylphy wants, should I do that?


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s the right answer, this kind of thing.¡±


    ¡°¡­You¡¯re right. I really don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll work it out, the two of us, or all of us, together.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    It may be difficult to find a way for everyone to be happy, but we can go hand in hand to make everyone happy. There are examples in this world where men with multiple spouses are doing well, and I guess we just have to learn from good precedents.


    ¡°It would be best if I could find someone to talk to. What about Melty?¡±


    Sylphy looked uncomfortable at my words. What¡¯s with that reaction?


    ¡°I¡¯ve already consulted with her. She¡¯s even given me some advice.¡±


    ¡°Oh, really?¡±


    When I think about it, I don¡¯t think the idea of taking in the Harpies and the others is very Sylphy-like. The mastermind may be Melty¡­ Isn¡¯t she the strongest in many ways?


    ¡°Let me talk with her about it next time.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡±


    But I¡¯m feeling a bit nervous now¡­ I wonder what kind of recklessness she¡¯ll say. I shivered with cold just by thinking about it.

 CH 58

    Sponsored chapter by Patreon, enjoy~


    ¡°Now that the heavy talk is over, let¡¯s talk about the war.¡±


    Since we have finished talking about love, the next topic is war. For me, this is much easier to talk about than love. In other words, I don¡¯t feel like I¡¯m a relevant person in it.


    ¡°Yeah, I think we should talk about that too.¡±


    Sylphy¡¯s face became serious as she listened to what I had to say. Hmm, the temperature is so different.


    ¡°The conclusion of my talk with Sir Leonard in the morning was that whether we are negotiating or asking other countries to act as intermediaries, we need to show our strength first, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. The current us is an insignificant remnant of the rebel army to them. It can be said that we are the bandits who are preventing them from ruling their own country. They would never negotiate with such people properly.¡±


    I wouldn¡¯t negotiate with such people either, even if I were in their shoes, Sylphy said. Hmm. We¡¯re like terrorists in their eyes. We have our own agenda and justice, but they have their own agenda and justice, too, I guess.


    ¡°By showing off our power, you mean, frankly speaking, going around killing soldiers of the Holy Kingdom, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. You don¡¯t like it, Kosuke?¡±


    ¡°The fewer people die, the better, but it¡¯s not going to be easy.¡±


    The Holy Kingdom has already conquered the Merinard Kingdom and established effective control over it as a vassal state. It has already been twenty years since the Merinard Kingdom was made a vassal state. Unless you¡¯re a long-lived species, you¡¯re probably already forty to fifty years old, even if you were young back then. Many of them may have died due to lifespan, injury, or illness.


    There is a possibility that the current generation of Merinard citizens is less aware of their role in the war due to the passage of time. After twenty years, there are probably citizens of the Holy Kingdom who have emigrated from the Holy Kingdom and have already put down roots. It is easy to predict that reclaiming the land will not be a straightforward task.


    ¡°We¡¯ll just have to find a way to make it work¡­ Speaking of which, have you been able to make contact with any of the former Merinard human soldiers that are hiding out in the Merinard Kingdom?¡±


    ¡°There are no such reports. If they¡¯re hiding, it¡¯s probably in urban areas, so we haven¡¯t been able to contact them this time. They¡¯re not supposed to be anywhere near towns or cities.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ Well, you can¡¯t put words in people¡¯s mouths. The capturing of the rock salt mine will have a certain amount of buzz, and rumors will gradually spread¡­ No, if you want to spread rumors, it would be better to start from here.¡±


    ¡°Spread it from here? What do you mean? You want to infiltrate a spy?¡±


    Sylphy tilted her head. Infiltrating a spy is indeed one way to do it. But the beastly Merinard Kingdom people seem to be controlled half as slaves, which would be a very risky strategy.


    ¡°How about spreading leaflets from the sky? Like ¡°In the center of the Great Omit Wilderness, there is a new land created by Sylphy. Merinard¡¯s citizens, now are the time to unite.¡± something like that.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re using Harpy again? Kosuke sure is loving the Harpy, isn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°Aerial maneuverability is simply powerful, you know?¡±


    Of course, I like the Harpies, but it¡¯s not because I like them that I actively incorporate them into my operations. It is simply because they are useful that I incorporate them into the operation.


    ¡°But it might be a useful way to make our claims and intentions known to the public. Paper is an expensive thing¡­ but since it¡¯s Kosuke, you can make a lot of it, can¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I can easily afford it.¡±


    It¡¯s easy to make a lot of paper with crafting ability using fibers from various grasses and leaves. It¡¯s hard to write on each sheet of paper by hand, but if it¡¯s printed with woodblocks, we can easily mass produce leaflets.


    ¡°I¡¯ll suggest it as soon as we get to the front-line base.¡±


    ¡°That would be great.¡±


    As I was about to refill my honey wine, I realized that the bottle was nearly empty. It seemed that I had drunk quite a bit before I realized it. Speaking of which, I feel like I¡¯m pretty drunk. I¡¯m still far from my limit, though.


    ¡°The honey wine is running out, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, do you want some more?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ it¡¯s enough already.¡±


    Sylphy smiles seductively at me. No, I think she¡¯s actually inviting me. It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve spent time with her like this. Let¡¯s be sincere with each other.


    Pirna¡¯s POV


    We spent the night after Kosuke-san and Her Highness left, and the three of us have been on watch duty towards the temporary fort since this morning. Yesterday, we were able to eat the delicious hamburger that Kosuke-san left for us, but starting today, we¡¯ll have to live with block cookies, dried meat, and dried fruits. The block cookies are pretty tasty, but they can¡¯t compete with the hamburgers.


    ¡°Captain, do you think Kosuke-san will accept us?¡±


    Pessar asked me this as she looked towards the temporary fort. This girl is always cheerful and a bit talkative. She has a cheerful personality and is a good mood maker in the unit.


    ¡°I-I hope he does.¡±


    Flamme grinned, her cheeks turning a faint shade of red. She is probably imagining what it would be like to have that kind of relationship with Kosuke-san.


    She has excellent night vision and good eyesight. She is also a skilled flyer and can fly quickly and almost silently. She is a very talented girl, but she is a bit reclusive and imaginative, or to put it more bluntly¡­ she¡¯s a lecher who doesn¡¯t seem it and doesn¡¯t talk about it.


    Feathers that extend from the head like a wolf-beastman or a-cat beastman are moving up and down. It¡¯s very easy to tell when she¡¯s getting delusional because those feathers move.


    ¡°From what Fronte and the others have told me, Her Highness is positive that Kosuke-san is willing to have a relationship with us, and Kosuke-san seems to be interested in us, so I¡¯m sure it will be fine.¡±


    I had been told that, when they were asked desperately, Kosuke-san had been put to sleep with dark spirit magic, and then they¡¯re allowed to ¡°study¡± various things¡­ When I first heard that story, I was so frustrated that I almost went into a rage. But afterward, in the bath with Kosuke-san¡­ fufufu, he was so cute.


    He never called us toilet birds; in fact, he respected us very much. And he also gave us unparalleled power. At first, I asked him to make a weapon that we could use, but what he made for us was far more impressive than I could have imagined.


    ¡°Kosuke-san is wonderful, isn¡¯t it¡­?¡±


    Flamme murmured with an enraptured expression as she put her hand on her cheek. Kosuke-san is a very mysterious man. He has black hair and eyes as black as the night sky, mysterious powers, weapons and tools that I¡¯ve never seen or heard of, knowledge of cooking, and flexible ideas.


    His character is hardworking, kind, and sincere. His attitude toward women is also not abrasive, or rather, he has an untrained mind. But he also has the courage to take on Gizma head-on. Mmm, I don¡¯t want to be like Flamme, but thinking about Kosuke-san makes me want to see his face.


    No, no. I¡¯m in the middle of an important mission. The surveillance mission is boring, but we mustn¡¯t neglect it. Kosuke-san will be disappointed in me.


    ¡°I agree with you, but we have to prioritize the mission right now.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but it will be boring for a while.¡±


    ¡°Still. You don¡¯t want Kosuke-san to be disappointed, do you?¡±


    ¡°T-that¡¯s true.¡±


    Because the Holy Kingdom army can¡¯t discover us, we can¡¯t just fly in and watch what the Holy Kingdom army is doing. I will keep an eye on the direction of the temporary fort from this monitoring station.


    There was no movement for a while, but after about two hours, the Holy Kingdom army appeared near the temporary fort. They surrounded the fort and seemed to be on the lookout for attacks from the fort. However, they soon noticed that there was no sign of anyone in the fort, and the infantry began to close the distance slowly, shields at the ready.


    ¡°There are no siege weapons in sight, right?¡±


    ¡°The last time we repelled them, they were still some distance away from the fort, so maybe they didn¡¯t see the fort.¡±


    The Holy Kingdom¡¯s army was in chaos after our bombing, and they probably didn¡¯t have time to worry about it. The number of survivors must not have been that many.


    ¡°Oh, the sign was pulled out.¡±


    ¡°Looks like they¡¯re taking it to their commander.¡±


    The signboard in front of the gate of the temporary fort had written the demands of our liberation army and a warning. Our demands are the return of the Merinard Kingdom, the deportation of the Holy Kingdom army and the Holy Kingdom people, and the release of the Merinard citizens. As for the warning, we consider the invasion of this temporary fort to be a hostile act by the Holy Kingdom¡¯s forces, and we will enter into a state of war. It¡¯s not a warning; it¡¯s a declaration of war.


    The person who seems to be the commander of the Holy Kingdom army who saw the contents of the signboard slammed the signboard into the ground and trampled it.


    ¡°Ah, geez. It¡¯s a terrible thing to do.¡±


    ¡°I guess it¡¯s only natural for them to do that.¡±


    It seems that the Holy Kingdom army did not bring any ladders with them. The gates are tightly closed, and they seem to be discussing how to get in. Even if they tried to climb up, the walls were almost impossible to find a foothold, and the slope was so subtle that it would be difficult to climb up.


    After struggling for a while, they seemed to have succeeded in getting in by hooking a makeshift rope to the wall. If there were a mage who could use wind magic, it would have been easier to get in, but I don¡¯t know if there is one in there.


    ¡°It looks like there is no mage?¡±


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t see anything like one.¡±


    ¡°I guess they decided they don¡¯t need mages against us.¡±


    The mage corps is the tiger cub of the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army. Right, they wouldn¡¯t want to come to a remote region like the Great Omit Wilderness.


    It was not long before the soldiers were inside, and the fort was overrun. The gates were opened, and an avalanche of infantry troops poured in. All that was left of the temporary fort was a little food and some furniture. Kosuke-san had removed all traces of the watering hole, and the well that had been dug to hide the unnaturalness had been filled with poison and dirt. The water was too muddy to use, though, since it had just been dug.


    The cavalry troops were running after Sir Leonard and the others¡¯ tracks, but they probably wouldn¡¯t be able to catch up with Kosuke-san and the others. They couldn¡¯t risk being attacked by Gizma, so they couldn¡¯t follow too closely.


    After a while, the cavalry came back. The infantry was moving around in and around the fort, but there was no advance sign. It seems that they will stay here today. I guess they were satisfied with the fact that they got the whole magnificent fort intact. It can be used as a bridgehead for the invasion of the Great Omit Wilderness.


    But that would be the death of them.


    Nothing happened, the sun went down, and night came. It seems that they decided to take up positions around the fort, as it was impossible for an entire army of over five thousand to enter the fort. Until the sun went down, they dug a moat and built earthen mounds to prepare for Gizma. Bonfires were also burning brightly.


    ¡°Is it really going to explode?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think Kosuke-san will fail to finish the job.¡±


    ¡°T-that¡¯s right. I don¡¯t think Kosuke-san will¨D¨D.¡±


    Before Flamme could say anything else, it happened.


    First, there was a flash of light and then a burst of flame. Then came the roar and impact. The explosion did not happen once, but many times in a chain. Each time, there was a deafening roar and a pounding impact on the chest.


    Pessar, Flamme, and I were just overwhelmed by the sight. It must have been a very short time between the start and the end of the explosion, but I felt like I had been watching the scene for a very long time.


    ¡°A-amazing¡­¡±


    ¡°Wow¡­ there¡¯s no trace of the temporary fort.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s much more impressive than I expected, Kosuke-san¡­¡±


    As Flamme said, the explosion had literally left no trace of the temporary fort. All that remains is the ground that was gouged out by the explosion, the debris of the fort, and the corpses of the Holy Kingdom army spread out around it. Kosuke-san said that the damage to the Holy Kingdom army outside the fort might not be significant, but there is no such thing as a safe soldier as far as I can see.


    ¡°E-eeehh¡­ C-Captain, what should we do?¡±


    ¡°Flamme, please scout under cover of darkness as planned. Try to be as undetected as possible, and maybe you¡¯ll be okay, but keep your altitude, so you don¡¯t get shot with a bow.¡±


    ¡°Y-yes¡­¡±


    Flamme flew almost noiselessly from the entrance. She¡¯s always so unsure of herself, but she¡¯s really good at what she does. I wish she could be more confident.


    ¡°Captain Pirna, as expected, Kosuke-san is amazing.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if ¡°amazing¡± is the right word.¡±


    How much damage has been done to the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army¡­? At the very least, the soldiers in the fort will certainly not be alive. If there¡¯s someone who¡¯s alive, they must be something other than a human.


    A few moments later, Flamme came back. She looked pale as if the scene had been too horrific.


    ¡°How was it?¡±


    ¡°T-there¡¯s no trace of the fort, and I¡¯d say less than twenty percent of the troops were still moving.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s almost a total destruction¡­¡±


    If it¡¯s 20 percent of the 5500, that means about 1000 are still moving, but how many of those 20 percent are in a completely decent condition?


    ¡°The Holy Kingdom¡¯s army has lost its ability to fight.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I think that is correct.¡±


    ¡°What about us?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll all recheck in the morning, blow this place up and head back. We¡¯ll sleep in shifts today and keep watch.¡±


    Pessar, who replied, ¡°Yes,¡± will be the first watch, Flamme, who is strong at night, will be in the middle, and I will be the last watch. With our wings, we should be able to meet up with Kosuke-san by the end of the day tomorrow. I¡¯ll have to make sure to report the results of the battle properly.

 CH 59

    It¡¯s Ko-Fi¡¯s Supporters¡¯ chapter (11/47), enjoy~


    The next day, I spent a lot of time with Sylphy. After I cleaned myself up well and removed the temporary accommodation, I met up with Sir Leonard and the others who were staying in the fourth shelter, and we started having breakfast. Today¡¯s menu consisted of barley porridge with lots of vegetables and meat, and fried Gizma meat with garike. Porridge is easy to eat, but it¡¯s not very filling. That¡¯s why I decided to use Gizma meat.


    ¡°The bomb is scheduled to explode tonight, but will it work?¡±


    ¡°It is unlikely that they will follow us too closely, is it? We are in the Great Omit Wilderness, after all. Even if the cavalry charged out alone, they would fall prey to the Gizma if they could not return to safety before night fell. Inevitably, they will be stationed around the temporary fort.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°The wind spirits have already erased the traces of our movement. They won¡¯t be able to track us.¡±


    Sylphy covered up the footprints and other traces we left in the wilderness with wind spirit magic. It¡¯s a magic that blows the wind to erase footprints. It¡¯s very useful magic in this dry wilderness.


    ¡°So, after we eat, shall we quickly move to the third shelter?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    There was nothing worth mentioning on the way to the third shelter. There was a Gizma, but Sir Leonard instantly cut it down. But still, the sharpness of the twin fangs is amazing. It tore up Gizma¡¯s armor like it was a piece of paper.


    ¡°Hahahaha! I¡¯m going to tear you to pieces!¡±


    Sir Leonard is also in high spirits. It looked like he was randomly slashing, but he was thinking about securing useful materials and slashing them properly.


    After reaching the third shelter, I had some extra time to think about the design of the public bath building with the others. My image was a public bathhouse, but with everyone¡¯s input¡­ It became something more than a public bathhouse.


    ¡°Is it like Thermae*?¡±


    [T/n: It¡¯s a Romans public bath.]


    ¡°Thermae?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m talking to myself.¡±


    I thought of having separate men¡¯s and women¡¯s changing rooms and bathrooms, but I thought it would be better to have space where people could do some light exercise and talk. So, I decided that it would be a good idea to warm up those areas as well, so I made them warmer through the hot water pipes, and if there were drinks and snacks available, it has turned out to be a very Roman-style bathhouse. I wonder if it would be safe to operate it, though it would require a lot of manpower.


    ¡°It¡¯s also important to create jobs.¡±


    ¡°Well, we have plenty of manpower.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    There will be a huge increase in manpower after this operation. Not all of them will become soldiers, and then they will need jobs.


    By the way, I don¡¯t have enough heat source to boil water, so, unfortunately, there will be no bath today. The amount of hot water in my inventory is not enough to fill this bathroom. Even if you look so disappointed, I can¡¯t do what I can¡¯t. You¡¯ll just have to be patient with the bathing.


    After we all ate dinner, we all watched the direction of the temporary fort. It should be time for the explosion.


    ¡°Do you think it will work?¡±


    ¡°The fuse was triggered and then covered up by the block placement, and I don¡¯t think it can be disarmed. They don¡¯t know the dangers of explosive blocks, of course.¡±


    ¡°I see. So you¡¯re confident.¡±


    ¡°Confidence, or rather¨D¨D.¡±


    There was a flash of light in the distance. The soldiers of the Liberation Army shouted, ¡°Oh!¡± The flashes continued over and over, and after a considerable delay, a thunderous boom, boom, boom, boom sounded. It must have been 60 kilometers away, but it must have been more powerful than I thought.


    I casually checked the achievements.


    ?Lady-Killer¨D: Gain the favor of 20 or more members of the opposite sex, Nice Boat. ¡ùIncreased attack power against the opposite sex by 10%.


    ?First Kill¨D: Killing a human for the first time. Murderer. ¡ùIncreased attack power against humans by 5%.


    ?Tough Guy¨D: Reaches level 20. A level where you can play a leading role in an action movie. ¡ùIncreased physical ability by 50%.


    ?Assassin¨D: Killing 100 humans without being detected. Now you¡¯re a great assassin. ¡ùUnlock the takedown feature.


    ?Bomber¨D: Killing 100 living creatures with explosives. Boom! It¡¯s fun, isn¡¯t it? ¡ùIncreased damage dealt by explosives by 10%.


    ?Mass Murderer¨D: Killing more than 1,000 people at once. You did it! ¡ùIncreased attack power against humans by 10%.


    ?Champion¨D: Killing 3000 humans alone. If you do this, you¡¯re not just a murderer, are you? ¡ùIncreased all abilities of allies within a 100m radius by 10% and increased favorability.


    The comments are so annoying! What¡¯s with the Nice Boat¡­? Stop it! It¡¯s not funny!


    [T/n: Nice Boat refers to a meme spawned from a 4chan comment about a Japanese programming decision to air pleasant stock footage rather than the final episode of the anime School Days due to the episode¡¯s similarity to a recent tragedy in the country. Amidst the outrage over the decision, a 4chan commenter wrote ¡°Nice boat¡± about a portion of the stock footage, quickly turning into a meme in the community.]


    I mean, I¡¯ve reached level 20? I thought it was 12 or something when I saw it before¡­ Wow, it¡¯s 22 before I even knew it. I¡¯ve also gained ten skill points. I¡¯ll have to get the skill later.


    Rather, the range of the champion¡¯s effect is unclear. What¡¯s the classification of an ally¡­? And isn¡¯t a 50% increase in physical ability a bit of a problem? It¡¯s like I¡¯m wearing invisible power armor or something. Whoa, my strength and stamina were 120 each. Now they¡¯re 180. Is this supposed to be multiplied by the final value?


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you, Kosuke? You look weird.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s just that¡­ 3000 people died from that blow.¡±


    ¡°Wha? Is that true? How do you know that?¡±


    ¡°Oh, by the way, I never told you about achievements and skills.¡±


    I briefly explained to Sylphy about achievements and skills¡­ I couldn¡¯t do it lightly. It was quite a challenge. It¡¯s hard to convey this concept.


    ¡°Well, you know what? A mysterious entity is probably watching my actions, and if I meet certain conditions, I get a sort of title and a corresponding increase in ability.¡±


    ¡°In other words, Kosuke can receive power from the gods based on his actions?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ and by defeating enemies, or maybe creatures, I can accumulate some sort of achievement value, and depending on that, I can freely improve my abilities to some extent.¡±


    ¡°So you gain power by making sacrifices to the gods?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s how it works. I don¡¯t know if the other guy is a god or not, though.¡±


    I didn¡¯t realize how hard it would be to explain levels, skills, points, etc., to someone who doesn¡¯t understand any game-like concepts. And I was dazzled by the stares of the Liberation Army members who were listening to my conversation.


    ¡°You mean the marebito was an apostle of a god?¡±


    ¡°Which god¡¯s apostle is he? Is it the god of smithing?¡±


    ¡°No, could it be the god of food?¡±


    ¡°Maybe the god of war.¡±


    ¡°It seems like it could be anything. Could it be the god of chaos?¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    They¡¯re convinced that I¡¯m somehow an apostle of the god of chaos. When I asked what kind of god the god of chaos was, I was told that he was a very mischievous god who suddenly threw people into strange lands, gave them trials, and led them to strange fates. He¡¯s also said to be one of the most powerful gods among the gods, generously giving his power to those who overcome the trials he gives them.


    Well, that sounds right. It¡¯s so true. I see¡­ the god of chaos. I¡¯m going to punch you in the face one day. Just you wait.


    Once we¡¯ve had our fun, we¡¯ll just go to bed. No, the explosion is far away, and there¡¯s nothing I can do about it. Today, Sylphy and I have set up a temporary lodging place and are having a lovey-dovey time. It¡¯s the longest time we¡¯ve been apart, and one night won¡¯t make up for the loneliness that¡¯s built up. Uehehe.


    The next day, it was about mid-afternoon when Pirna and the others joined us on our way to the second shelter. We didn¡¯t hear anything like an explosion, but they had blown up the watchtower.


    Then the girls told us the actual situation of the explosion and destruction of the temporary fort. Of the 5500 members of the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army, there were less than 1000 survivors. The temporary fort, which was the center of the bombing, was blown up without a trace, and the Holy Kingdom¡¯s troops who were positioned around it were devastated.


    I¡¯m not sure how they died, but I heard that most of the corpses were either missing limbs, blown apart, or ruptured, making for a truly horrific sight. Pirna and the others said that it would take a very lucky person to be caught up in that and still be alive.


    ¡°And then, just after midnight, Gizma arrived¡­¡±


    ¡°A-ah¡­¡±


    The Gizma¡¯s devoured the soldiers of the Holy Kingdom regardless of whether they were dead or wounded, and it was like a hellish banquet. The majority of the wounded died by morning, and the survivors fled in the direction of the Holy Kingdom¡¯s fortress as soon as dawn broke. I¡¯m not sure how many will survive, as Gizma was said to be chasing after them.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s a total annihilation¡­ I didn¡¯t think Kosuke-san¡¯s power was as strong as that.¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I expected either.¡±


    I¡¯ve underestimated the power of the explosive block¡­ It¡¯s super dangerous stuff. I¡¯ll be careful with them from now on.


    As soon as we arrived at the second shelter, I made a temporary accommodation as usual and immediately contacted the front-line base with the golem communication device to inform them of the defeat of the enemy army.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I think the accuracy of the information is the best because Pirna and the others have definitely confirmed it with their own eyes.¡±


    ¡°So¡­ Kosuke, are you okay?¡±


    ¡°¡­What?


    ¡°You killed a lot of people. Are you feeling bad about it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Maybe I don¡¯t feel it. I was two days¡¯ walk away, and I didn¡¯t actually see it happen.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ I¡¯ll spoil you when you get back. Have a safe trip home.¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah.¡±


    Sylphy¡¯s gaze is stabbing at me from the side; the gaze is hurting me! The communication is over, but the gaze!


    ¡°Does Kosuke want to be spoiled by Isla?¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t know.¡±


    I try to imagine being spoiled by a girl with a body as small as Isla¡¯s. I don¡¯t know how she plans to spoil me, but well, in order, maybe she¡¯ll hug me and stroke me? Perhaps it¡¯s not as bad as I thought.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t sound so bad, does it?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ shall I spoil you, too?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    After this, I spoiled her like crazy. Sylphy is more like a baby than a spoiled child¡­ Are you trying to get me to open a dangerous door? I did the same thing to her, switching offense and defense.


    ¡°T-this is¡­¡±


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not bad, is it?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah. It¡¯s not bad.¡±


    Speaking of which, Sylphy was still at an age where she could be considered a child in the Elf sense of the word¡­ The spoiled Sylphy was so cute it was hard to believe she was from this world.


    Sir Leonard asked me why, but I resolutely kept quiet for the sake of Sylphy¡¯s honor.


    ¡°Kosuke, I want you to be moderate. It is not advisable to put a burden on Her Highness¡¯s body.¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a burden on her body at all. And I don¡¯t think it¡¯s burdening her mentally either.¡±


    ¡°What the hell did you do to her¡­?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I can¡¯t tell you.¡±


    The women¡¯s gaze is painful. No, no, no, no, I just spoiled Sylphy as much as she wanted! The only repercussion was that Sylphy blew herself up!


    ¡°Y-you¡¯re so intense, huh?¡±


    ¡°I prefer it to be gentle, though?¡±


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t mind being violent¡­¡±


    That¡¯s what Pirna and the others are like. Sylphy! Hurry up and come back!

 CH 60

    It¡¯s Ko-Fi¡¯s Supporters¡¯ chapter (12/47), enjoy~


    I dismantled the temporary accommodations while Sylphy, who had finally come out of her bed, was being taken away by several women, including Pirna and the others, who were whispering about something. It¡¯s important to recycle resources.


    Should I just leave it as it is? No, no, the scouts of the Holy Kingdom might find out the location of the shelter, so that would be a bit of a problem.


    In the meantime, the secret meeting seemed to be over, and Sylphy¡¯s face turned bright red up to her ears. And the women who were talking to Sylphy were giving her a somewhat gentle look. This is the one that was completely heard out, I know. Is it a public execution?


    ¡°You¡¯re not guilty in this case, right, Kosuke?¡±


    ¡°Not guilty.¡±


    ¡°Not guilty, I hope.¡±


    ¡°N-not guilty, I guess.¡±


    And I was judged not guilty by everyone. I did it. Sylphy¡¯s face is red, and she¡¯s shaking.


    ¡°U-u-ugh!¡±


    ¡°Whoa! It¡¯s the rampaging Sylphy!¡±


    When Sylphy went into a rage, we ran off towards the first shelter. As a result, we were able to make up for the delay, which may or may not have been a good thing.


    ¡°Hah¡­ hah¡­¡±


    ¡°By all means¡­ by all means¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    When we arrived at the first shelter, it was just me and the Harpies who were still feeling strong. Thanks to my strong cardiopulmonary function, I could escape, while the Harpies were just fleeing into the sky and flying comfortably.


    ¡°You¡¯re a tough guy, Kosuke-san.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m only running, though.¡±


    If I acquire more skills, I¡¯ll be able to run faster and longer. When I expand my production system, maybe I¡¯ll increase my agility or strong cardio-pulmonary skills. My increased mobility will be useful for many things in the future.


    And the night at the first shelter. Today, I built another temporary accommodation, and I¡¯m alone with Sylphy¡­


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡°Sylphy?¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    Maybe she¡¯s learned from her mistake this morning, but she¡¯s keeping a delicate distance from me. If I approach her forcibly, she will threaten me with a ¡°Hush!¡± So, I stopped forcing myself to get closer and sat down on the edge of the couch and watched each other. Well, I¡¯m sitting on the edge of the couch, examining my skills while pretending to be in a daze.


    Skilled Worker¨D: Reduced crafting time by 20%.


    ?Demolition¨D: Increased the number of materials obtained when demolishing crafted items by 10%.


    ?Repairer¨D: Reduced item repair time by 20% and reduced the number of materials required by 20%.


    Mass Producer¨D: Reduced the number of materials required to create 10 or more of the same item by 10%.


    Logger¨D: Increased plant material intake by 20%.


    Miner II¨D: Increased mineral material intake by 40%.


    Dismantler¨D: Increased living organism material intake by 20%.


    Creator¨D: Reduced the difficulty of item creations.


    Strong Cardio-pulmonary function¨D: Increased stamina recovery speed by 20%.


    Agility¨D: Increased movement speed by 10%.


    ?Strong Arm¨D: Increased melee attack power by 20%.


    Excellent Archer¨D: Increased attack power from ranged weapons by 20%.


    Iron Skin¨D: Reduced damage taken by 20%.


    ?Survivor¨D: Increased health by 10%, increased health recovery speed by 20%.


    ?Medic¨D: Increased the effectiveness of healing items by 20%.


    ?Reptile¡¯s Stomach¨D: Reduced hunger by 20%.


    ?Camel¡¯s Hump¨D: Reduced dryness by 20%.


    Now, this is the current list of skills available. The skills I¡¯ve already acquired are marked with . The ones that I don¡¯t seem to need at the moment are¡­ Reptile¡¯s Stomach and Camel¡¯s Hump. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll need Demolition at the moment either. I wonder if I¡¯ll even need Repairer too?


    The most important ones are Logger, Miner, and Dismantler, which simply increase the amount of resources I get, and Mass-Producer, since I tend to make a lot of the same thing these days. I don¡¯t seem to be able to raise the skill level of the Creator for now.


    In terms of combat, I¡¯d still choose the Excellent Archer. I don¡¯t do melee combat. If I were to think about combining the two, I¡¯d probably want to raise the Agility and Strong Cardio-pulmonary functions as well to ensure an out-range strategy.


    However, I have ten skill points available right now, so if I were to raise my skill level from I to II, I would only be able to raise five skills. Logger, Dismantler, and Mass Producer are the most important ones, and then the Excellent Archer¡­ No, I¡¯m unlikely to be fighting, and I can compensate for my attack power with weapons. Should I just increase Agility and Strong Cardio-pulmonary function here?


    Skilled Worker¨D: Reduced crafting time by 20%.


    ?Demolition¨D: Increased number of materials obtained when demolishing crafted items by 10%.


    ?Repairer¨D: Reduced item repair time by 20% and reduced the number of materials required by 20%.


    Mass Producer II¨D: Reduced the number of materials required to create 10 or more of the same item by 10%, or 20% for 100 or more items.


    Logger II¨D: Increased plant material intake by 40%.


    Miner II¨D: Increased mineral material intake by 40%.


    Dismantler II¨D: Increased living organism material intake by 40%.


    Creator¨D: Reduced the difficulty of item creation.


    Strong Cardio-pulmonary Function II¨D: Increased stamina recovery speed by 40%.


    Agility II¨D: Increased movement speed by 20%.


    ?Strong Arm¨D: Increased melee attack power by 20%.


    Excellent Archer¨D: Increased attack power from ranged weapons by 20%.


    Iron Skin¨D: Reduced damage taken by 20%.


    ?Survivor¨D: Increased health by 10%, increased health recovery speed by 20%.


    ?Medic¨D: Increased the effectiveness of healing items by 20%.


    ?Reptile¡¯s Stomach¨D: Reduced hunger by 20%.


    ?Camel¡¯s Hump¨D: Reduced dryness by 20%.


    Now I have 0 skill points. I¡¯m also interested in Survivor and Medic, but they¡¯re both combat-oriented skills. If I hadn¡¯t met Sylphy and the others and had been a solo survivor, I might have expanded in that direction.


    Now that I¡¯ve finished acquiring the skills¡­


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    Sylphy is still looking away, but before I know it, the distance between us is closing. It seems that while I was dazed, she closed the distance between us. She¡¯s so cute.


    I did my best to appease the cute and adorable Sylphy, and we spent the night getting along.


    We were able to return to the front-line base while the sun was still high. It seems that the fact that we had already defeated the soldiers of the Holy Kingdom army had been conveyed to everyone through Isla, and there was a tremendous welcome.


    ¡°Good to see you back safely.¡±


    Danan, who had stayed behind to command the front-line fort, greeted us. Isla is right next to him.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s thanks to Kosuke. Do you have anything to report?¡±


    ¡°Yes, there is a lot to report. I¡¯ll prepare a meal in the conference room, if that¡¯s okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, okay. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Sylphy urged me, Sir Leonard, and Pirna to go to the conference room together. Isla lined up beside me and stealthily grabbed the hem of my clothes. When I looked at her, Isla, who normally has no expression, smiled slightly.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Kosuke.¡±


    ¡°¡­Nothing.¡±


    I writhed in agony at Isla¡¯s teasing and cuteness, but I managed to maintain my composure. What a cute creature.


    When I arrived at the conference room, I sat down next to Sylphy, who had already taken a seat. Isla sat beside me as a matter of course, and Pirna sat beside her. Danan and Sir Leonard were seated on the opposite side of the table. I feel like there¡¯s a bias in the way we¡¯re seated, but I don¡¯t care. Yeah.


    ¡°Well, where should we start? Shall we start with the war report?¡±


    ¡°I guess so. Pirna.¡±


    ¡°Yes. The 5500 soldiers of the Holy Kingdom who attacked the temporary fort were almost completely wiped out in one night by the trap set by Kosuke-san. The next morning, only seventy-two people, less than a hundred in number, retreated on foot on their own.¡±


    ¡°What about the rest?¡±


    ¡°It was difficult to count the number of corpses, as some had blown up without a trace, some were severely damaged, and others had been devoured by Gizma who had appeared in the middle of the night. In any case, I don¡¯t think there were more than seventy-two survivors who escaped on foot.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ We¡¯ll have to think about defeating Gizma.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. There could be another Gizma outbreak.¡±


    ¡°Is it safe to dispose of the bodies?¡±


    ¡°If we leave them alone, they will be cleaned up by Gizma. The only question is whether or not the Gizma will multiply again after they¡¯ve had their fill.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Intercepting another horde of Gizma would indeed be troublesome. It¡¯s also a hindrance to the liberation forces conducting operations in the Merinard Kingdom territory.


    ¡°By the way, how much damage can the Holy Kingdom suffer from the loss of 5500 people that were destroyed this time?¡±


    Danan and Sir Leonard answered my question one after the other.


    ¡°Three years ago, the number of troops of the Holy Kingdom army stationed in the Merinard Kingdom territory was approximately 12,000 to 15,000. I think that if we combine the damage from last time and this time, we have defeated about half of the troops stationed in the Merinard Kingdom territory.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know the current total number of soldiers, so this is just a guess. However, I don¡¯t think that the number of soldiers is much higher than it was three years ago when our rebellion was crushed. This damage could have an impact on the effective control of the Merinard Kingdom.¡±


    ¡°In other words, heavy damage?¡±


    ¡°That would be the case. Unless they receive large-scale reinforcements from the home country, they will not be able to attack with a large army for a while. Our activities will also become much easier.¡±


    I see. It¡¯s a great deal more than I thought.


    ¡°What happened to the liberated people?¡±


    ¡°Most of them have moved to the main base. They will rest for a while over there, and those who have regained their strength will be given various jobs. We will train those who wish to and have them stand on the battlefield as our comrades.¡±


    ¡°I see. You said most of them?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we have about a hundred experienced soldiers and former adventurers who have offered to stay and work here as soldiers. They are in training now. We also let those with broken legs and arms stay here.¡±


    ¡°I see. I¡¯ll treat them tomorrow.¡±


    Danan looked at me, and I nodded. He probably left them here for me to treat. I can heal them quickly unless they¡¯ve lost a limb or something.


    There were about 100 soldiers and former adventurers¡­ Speaking of which, there seemed to be quite a few male soldiers with weapons. The shortage of men will be somewhat better now.


    I wonder if Sykes is drying out? I¡¯m worried.


    ¡°Melty will take care of those who have moved to the main base point. If anything happens, we should be contacted by the golem communicator, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, indeed. Communication with the main base has been established.¡±


    ¡°Let me try to get in touch with her tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good. Melty¡¯s probably missed you, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°I guess so. I haven¡¯t seen her for a while, so it might be a good idea to have a long talk with her.¡±


    Sylphy smiled as she said that. This kind of natural smile of Sylphy¡¯s used to amaze people who saw it at first, but lately, everyone has gotten used to it, and it¡¯s accepted naturally. I wondered how long it had been since she had a natural smile.


    ¡°By the way, I have an interesting proposal from Kosuke. You can tell them, Kosuke.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that came out of the blue. All right.¡±


    First of all, I decided to talk about the idea of radio broadcasting using the Golem transmitter. The idea is to build a high-powered communications tower at the main base, release a special magic wave, and use a low-cost dedicated receiver to broadcast the information widely. The only thing I can offer is an idea, so I¡¯ll leave the technical issues to Isla and the research and development department.


    ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s not technically difficult. We can use the magic power of the vein holes in the main base to send magic waves far and wide. Relay devices are also being developed.¡±


    ¡°Fumu, that¡¯s a good idea. I think the idea of reassuring the liberated people and healing their minds is a wonderful one.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it will be useful in many ways.¡±


    As for the radio broadcast, everyone accepted it favorably. The problem, however, was the next suggestion.


    ¡°I am thinking of mass-producing paper and printing a large number of leaflets using woodblocks and distributing them in the major cities as information warfare. That way, we can quickly spread the word about our activities to the people of the Merinard Kingdom, don¡¯t you think? I also think that we can direct our supporters to the Great Omit Wilderness.¡±


    The reply to my suggestion was as follows.


    ¡°Impossible.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not going to work, is it?¡±


    ¡°I guess not.¡±


    The answer was a straightforward one. Why?


    ¡°I think it¡¯s not a bad idea¡­?¡±


    Sylphy also tilted her head. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a bad idea either. The reason for this was explained by Isla.


    ¡°Your Highness, Kosuke. Not many people can read.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. The majority of commoners can¡¯t read. In addition, the literacy rate of the Merinard citizens has declined further in the last twenty years.¡±


    ¡°This is because the number of places where the Merinard citizens can receive education has decreased.¡±


    Not only for me, who came from a different world but also for Sylphy, who was naturally educated as a member of the royal family and as a resident of an elf village, the low literacy rate of commoners in this world was completely out of consideration.


    ¡°¡­So the leaflets campaign will be frozen for now.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    I guess it¡¯s a good thing that radio broadcasting is going to be accepted¡­ If we liberate the Merinard Kingdom, we¡¯ll have to deal with the education issue as well.

 CH 61

    It¡¯s Ko-Fi¡¯s Supporters¡¯ chapter (13/52), enjoy~


    After spending the night at the front-line base, the next day, I started treatment in the morning. It was Super Doctor Kosuke time.


    ¡°O-oooh! M-my legs become straight!¡±


    ¡°My knee was in so much pain for so long!¡±


    ¡°My tendons were cut, and my fingers were stuck¡­¡±


    ¡°Now I can fight again!¡±


    It¡¯s the unparalleled splints, but yeah. People with poor prognosis after broken bones, crushed knees, and crippled legs, or cut tendons in their arms and crippled hands are healed with the help of splints that can be easily made with cloth and pieces of wood. As long as they don¡¯t lose their limbs, my splints can fix anything.


    ¡°It¡¯s a strange power no matter how many times I see it.¡±


    Sir Leonard, who was escorting me just in case, raised his voice in a half-amused manner. I have also treated Sir Leonard in this way.


    At first, the injured people were skeptical when I told them that I would heal their injuries, but as I healed two to three of them, they began to look at me with respect. Haha, you should be more respectful.


    The treatment was completed in less than an hour, and in the square where the treatment was taking place, people who had been able to move freely for a while began to enjoy the wonders of a healthy body, running around, jumping, and wielding practice weapons.


    ¡°Everyone¡¯s face is brighter now.¡±


    ¡°They were touched when they were able to move their bodies again. Maybe this is what Kosuke-dono¡¯s power should be used for.¡±


    ¡°Maybe so.¡±


    I guess it¡¯s ideal to use my power not to kill people but to keep them alive. However, to live also means to fight. I don¡¯t know what the person who sent me into this world is thinking, but I guess I¡¯ll just have to do what I can.


    Danan, the commander of this fort, will take over their care once they¡¯ve been healed, and I¡¯ll head to the research and development department next. I¡¯ll have to develop further possibilities for the golem¡¯s communication device, radio broadcasting, and the magic power system.


    ¡°Hmm, welcome.¡±


    ¡°Oh, long time no see, everyone.¡±


    ¡°Long time no see.¡±


    ¡°Long time no see.¡±


    ¡°Oh, long time©`.¡±


    I look around, but there¡¯s no sign of Sykes. C-could it be?


    ¡°¡­Where¡¯s Sykes?¡±


    When the rest of the research and development department heard my words, they averted their gaze from me. Wait?


    ¡°He¡¯s a little sick and bedridden.¡±


    ¡°Too little compassion, huh? You guys.¡±


    ¡°Ahaha.¡±


    I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a laughing matter. Is that the kind of future that awaits me? I¡¯m scared¡­ I¡¯m starting to shake. It¡¯s going to be okay, right, Isla?


    ¡°I¡¯ve given him the proper medication. He¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    I don¡¯t know how she misunderstood my gaze, but she started saying that. Is it really okay to solve it with the help of medicine? It¡¯s not like you¡¯re going to break down from kidney deficiency or die of hunger.


    ¡°Uh, let¡¯s see. Let¡¯s put Sykes matter aside. Yeah.¡±


    We¡¯re not getting anywhere. Sorry, Sykes. You¡¯ve been a good man.


    ¡°So, uh, what are you working on now?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve been working on the development of a magic wave transmitter, golem powering of various devices, development of magic guns, mass production of magic swords, and crystallization of magic power from veins.


    I know about the magic wave transmitter and golem powering, but the last three are new to me. I also gave up some information about my gun to the research and development department to see if it can be used as a reference for something, but I was afraid that they would use it to develop their own magic gun.


    ¡°The magic gun is based on the bolt action rifle that Kosuke made. We¡¯re looking for a way to fire bullets with magical power.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. As for the firing mechanism of the magic gun, we are trying out the fire magic type, wind magic type, and the combined type. The problem with all of them is pressure leakage.¡±


    The Lamia blacksmith and the rat-beastman magician then showed me the blueprints of the gun. Hmm, this certainly looks like it¡¯s based on a bolt-action rifle, but shouldn¡¯t this be based on a muzzle-loading gun instead of a bolt-action rifle?


    ¡°I have a gun that might be more helpful with this method, so I¡¯ll make a few and deliver them tomorrow. Here¡¯s what it looks like¡­¡±


    I explained how a muzzle-loading gun works, as far as I knew. It doesn¡¯t have to be loaded with gunpowder, and if you just push the bullet into the chamber, it should reload at a speed that not much different from a crossbow. Then, the magic bursts at the very end of the barrel, and it fires. As long as the bullet and barrel are well made, there is no need to worry about gas leaks, so the only problems will be the firing mechanism and the barrel¡¯s strength.


    ¡°I see; it¡¯s simpler this way.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s reconsider this method.¡±


    I¡¯ll make a muzzle-loading rifle and bullets this evening and leave them with the girls tomorrow. The next step is the mass production of the magic sword.


    ¡°The mass production of the magic sword and the crystallization of the magic power from the vein is a plan that is being carried out not here but at the main base.¡±


    ¡°The magic power in the vein hole is inexhaustible. We are trying to use it to produce high-quality weapons and to extract magic crystals that can be used to power various magical tools.¡±


    ¡°Is that technically possible?¡±


    ¡°The mechanism for pumping and collecting magic power from the vein holes can now be imitated by analyzing the warding device. In addition, we are developing a mechanism to converge and crystallize the magic power. By continuously irradiating existing iron and steel armor with high-powered magic power, we encourage it to turn into magic iron and steel. It¡¯s still in the experimental stage.¡±


    ¡°There is no doubt that if this were to be realized, a lot of progress would be made. If we can mass-produce magic iron and steel armor, that alone will improve the war potential of the entire Liberation Army.¡±


    Compared to ordinary iron and steel weapons, magic iron and steel armor is stronger and less prone to losing its sharpness, and if it is armor, it is more resistant to magic. Hmm, I don¡¯t think I can help with something like that.


    No, wait a minute. In the survival game of the world made of blocks, there are elements that can add various effects to the equipment, right? There was an achievement for being a fantasy blacksmith, so my ability itself may correspond to a magical element. By preparing materials and building materials that are tinged with magical power, I could be able to demonstrate my abilities in that direction.


    There is no such workbench in my crafting menu at the moment, but there is a good chance that if I put such a thing in my inventory, it will be registered as a craft.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to ask you a few questions. Would you be willing to give me a small collection of magical materials?¡±


    ¡°Hmm? What do you need them for?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s just an idea.¡±


    I¡¯ll consult with Isla and the rest of the research and development department about what I just thought of.


    In fact, my abilities allow me to handle mithril and its alloys, which should not exist in my former world, so there is a possibility that I can create a workbench that can be used to create such magical items, and if I can create a workbench, there is a possibility that I can craft something useful.


    ¡°Interesting.¡±


    ¡°As for your abilities, it seems like anything is possible, so there¡¯s a lot of potentials there.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just give it a try? If you can make something out of it, we might be able to steal the technology from that product.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, you should try it. I¡¯m interested in the magic products that Kosuke makes.¡±


    Everyone seemed to be on board with my suggestion. It was decided that we would all gather the materials we had on hand and bring them tomorrow for experimentation. Hmm, the possibility of a new crafting table. I¡¯m looking forward to it.

 CH 62

    T/n: I¡¯m not sure about the title, but it¡¯s probably a hum.


    It¡¯s Ko-Fi¡¯s Supporters¡¯ chapter (14/52), enjoy~


    After the meeting at the research and development department, I had free time. It¡¯s not even noon yet, but there¡¯s no more work I have to do today or places I have to show up. There won¡¯t be any attacks by the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army or Gizma for a while, and there¡¯s plenty of time to produce food and stockpile military supplies.


    As for mass-producing something, now that there are more people available, it would be better for the Liberation Army members to make everything by themselves, except for things that I have to make, in order to give work to the increased manpower.


    That¡¯s why I¡¯m going to be a free man for a while. I¡¯ll be able to devote more time to developing new items in the crafting field, which I haven¡¯t done recently, and to understanding and mastering my own abilities.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯d like to try my hand at making miso and shoyu.¡±


    ¡°Miso and shoyu?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t imagine what they would be like from the name alone.¡±


    After the meeting with Danan and the others, Sylphy joined me, and we headed to the warehouse where we were stockpiling food, accompanied by Sir Leonard, who had come along with Sylphy to protect her. The reason for this was to find some beans that could be used as ingredients.


    ¡°I¡¯m hoping to find some soy-like beans.¡±


    ¡°What kind of bean is a soybean?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a bean in a pod, about the size of the tip of your little finger. They are not often eaten as they are. The ones that are not fully ripe are delicious when boiled in salt. I think they were basically boiled and then processed into various shapes for use.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, then I think oil beans are close to that.¡±


    ¡°Yes, oil beans, I think.¡±


    ¡°Oil bean.¡±


    ¡°They must be cultivated in this fort for obtaining oil. The beans can be stored well and are not inedible if boiled, so they must be stockpiled.¡±


    When we arrived at the food warehouse, the warehouse manager gave me a 10kg bag of oil beans, a lot of salt, and 3kg each of wheat and barley before they were ground into flour.


    ¡°Are those all the ingredients?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we boil them, mash them, mix them and ferment them.¡±


    The first thing to make would be miso. The only problem is the koji mold, but I think I can handle that with my crafting skills. Compared to changing Gizma¡¯s meat to look like beef, I think I can easily skip the fermentation process with koji bacteria. I¡¯m sure it will.


    ¡°The question is, which crafting table can I use to make it?¡±


    I don¡¯t think it¡¯s the blacksmithing facility. I can¡¯t say that the improved workbench is definitely different, but it¡¯s probably not. I suspect the cooking and mixing tables. I put all the ingredients I had in my inventory and checked the crafting menu for the cooking and mixing tables.


    ?Soybean Flour ¨D Ingredients: Soybeans x 2


    ?Soy Milk ¨D Ingredients: Soybeans x 2, Water x 2


    Soy milk and soybean flour were found in the crafting menu on the cooking table. Even if there¡¯s only soybean flour, there¡¯s no rice cake¡­ The soy milk can be made and processed to make tofu. For now, I¡¯m going to make soy milk and soybean flour.


    ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°Soybean flour and soy milk. I think it¡¯s a mixture of roasted and ground beans, boiled, mashed, squeezed, and strained. It¡¯s very nutritious.¡±


    ¡°¡­This powder is fragrant. I think it can be used for a lot of things.¡±


    ¡°The soy milk here is a little green. It looks healthy.¡±


    Sylphy and Sir Leonard immediately reach for the soy milk and soybean flour. You guys are relatively undeterred.


    ¡°Soybean flour is often used in sweets. It was used to mash and knead grains to make soft rice cakes, which were then dipped in soybean flour mixed with sugar, or to drizzle honey over the dipped rice cakes and eat them. Soy milk was consumed as a health drink. It is rich in nutrients. However, there are many foods made from soy milk.¡±


    But there¡¯s no miso. What about the mixing table? I looked at it, but there was nothing like it here either.


    ¡°Mmm¡­ I should have the ingredients, but I can¡¯t make it.¡±


    So does that mean the workbench doesn¡¯t support it? No matter how much I imagine it, it doesn¡¯t add to the item creations either. If that¡¯s the case, I just need to make a special crafting table.


    Maybe some equipment for fermenting and aging¡­ brewing barrels? If I can make alcohol on a mixing table, I think a mixing table could work.


    Then it¡¯s barrels, barrels. Barrels for brewing in item creation. Come out with the barrels! Barrel.


    ?Brewing Barrel ¨D Material: Wood x 10


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°No, I just got a workbench I can use for brewing.¡±


    ¡°Brewing, huh? Can you make liquor?¡±


    ¡°I think so.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go and get some grapes and wheat!¡±


    Sir Leonard dashed off to the nearby food warehouse. How much wine and beer do you want to drink, old man?


    ¡°Will you be able to make honey wine too?¡±


    ¡°Maybe.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll get the honey.¡±


    Sylphy also dashed off to the food warehouse. You guys like to drink, don¡¯t you?


    That¡¯s what brewing barrels are for. It¡¯s very good that the material is cheap. I¡¯ll try to make two or three.


    ¡°Hmm? Are they stacked?¡±


    Normally, workbench-related items don¡¯t stack in inventory, but brewing barrels seem to stack in inventory like other materials and items. So is this a consumable item?


    ¡°I thought materials were light, but not so much if they can¡¯t be used repeatedly.¡±


    The brewing barrel is ready, so I take it out and try to access it. When I did, the brewing menu came up.


    ?Miso ¨D Ingredients: Soybeans x 2, Grains x 2, Salt x 2, Water x 2


    ?Shoyu ¨D Ingredients: Soybeans x 1, Grains x 1, Salt x 2, Water x 4


    ¡°Yay!¡±


    But the ingredients for miso and shoyu are almost the same¡­ The crafting time for shoyu is so long: 19.2 hours¡­ No, it¡¯s originally 24 hours, but it¡¯s been reduced by 20% by Skilled Worker skill. Originally, it would have taken years to process. So miso is about half of that.


    Incidentally, the number of soybeans needed to make a single batch of miso was about 200 grams. With 200 grams of soybeans, I was able to fill the barrel to the brim.


    The law of conservation of mass is still in force today.


    ¡°Kosuke, I¡¯ve brought you some honey.¡±


    ¡°I also brought grapes and wheat.¡±


    When the miso and shoyu had been prepared, the drinkers returned. I took care of the ingredients they brought and accessed the menu of the brewing barrels.


    ?Elven Honey Wine ¨D Ingredients: Honey x 2, Water x 6


    ?Wine ¨D Ingredients: Grapes x 10


    ?Ale ¨D Ingredients: Wheat x 4, Water x 4


    ?Beer ¨D Ingredients: Barley x 3, Hops x 1, Water x 4


    Well, it looks like I can make it, huh? I understand elven honey wine and wine, but ale and beer are distinct. But I don¡¯t have any hops¡­ I wonder if any of the medicinal herbs that Isla and the elves shared with me could be a substitute for hops. Which one is it? I¡¯ll check it out later.


    By the way, the crafting time for the ale was amazing; it was 8 minutes. That¡¯s fast. was the elven honey wine, which took 30 minutes. The beer took 4.3 hours, and the wine 8.6 hours.


    ¡°The ale was ready to drink, you say? And the other drinks will be ready tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Are you overjoyed?¡±


    ¡°No, I never thought it would be this fast¡­ with Kosuke, brewing can be done in such a short time. I¡¯m glad the honey wine will be ready soon, too.¡±


    Sir Leonard was delighted, and Sylphy smiled happily. Sir Leonard didn¡¯t know it, but Sylphy is quite a drinker. She¡¯s still a child in terms of elven age, but she¡¯s older than me¡­ It¡¯s hard to say.


    ¡°I¡¯m also curious about the miso and shoyu that Kosuke prepared.¡±


    ¡°It has a unique flavor, but it¡¯s delicious. Well, it may or may not work for everyone.¡±


    However, shoyu is a versatile seasoning. I think everyone will fall in love with it soon. Miso is quite difficult to use, isn¡¯t it? I can only think of miso soup and vegetables marinated in miso. Also, chan-chan yaki*?


    [T/n: It¡¯s product of Hokkaido in Japan. This is the dish which seasoned salmon with the vegetables and was burned.]


    It¡¯s also good to grill meat or fish marinated in miso. Maybe I can combine it with shoyu and use it for grilled dishes. It would be good to just dip vegetables in it and nibble on them.


    While we talked about this, the ale was ready, so I pulled out a ceramic mug and poured it from the barrel.


    ¡°So¡­ it¡¯s a subtle way of saying victory.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve done nothing to deserve it.¡±


    ¡°So here¡¯s to Kosuke.¡±


    ¡°Cheers.¡±


    ¡°I feel embarrassed, but. Cheers.¡±


    We lightly clinked our cups and slurped down the ale. Hmm, I¡¯ve never had it before, but unlike beer, it¡¯s not bitter. I think it¡¯s a little sour, but the aroma is fruity and good. I think I¡¯m more comfortable drinking this than beer.


    ¡°Hmm, I¡¯ve never had an ale before, but it¡¯s not bad.¡±


    ¡°I agree.¡±


    ¡°Kosuke¡¯s ale is excellent. Compared to this, cheap ale from a tavern is like horse piss.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s how good it is.¡±


    While drinking, the brewing process continues. The barrel can be mass-produced with the improved workbench, so it is being mass-produced to great acclaim. And I have a lot of produce to brew. I¡¯ve got the same amount of miso and shoyu and as much elven honey wine, wine, ale, and beer as I can handle.


    As a result, I have 20 barrels each of miso and shoyu, 25 barrels of elven honey wine, 20 barrels of ale, and 5 barrels of beer. And since I did it right near the pantry, it was noticeable.


    ¡°Leonard-sama, is that ale, by any chance?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes, it is. It is a fine ale that Kosuke made for us. You must drink it.¡±


    ¡°Is that okay?¡±


    ¡°No problem. We¡¯ll all drink it.¡±


    ¡°Her Highness has given her permission. Now drink!¡±


    ¡°Thank you!¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t had ale in ages!¡±


    ¡°How long has it been since you¡¯ve had a drink?¡±


    The liberated people who had been freed during this mission and remained here to fight, as well as the liberated people who I had just healed, were all involved in the big party. The food warehouse was opened up, and I quietly prepared some ale after having some of the stockpile thrown out.


    Don¡¯t I have to drink? If I don¡¯t, I¡¯m going to die of acute alcohol poisoning from all the alcohol being poured on me by everyone in the room, so I¡¯ll refrain. I have to make ale for everyone to drink! So, I refuse to drink at this time.


    ¡°Hahaha!¡±


    Sylphy is already ruined from drinking all the unfamiliar ale that is offered to her. She is laughing with amusement.


    ¡°The fermentation is too fast¡­¡±


    ¡°As expected of Kosuke-san!¡±


    ¡°La~ LaLa~.¡±


    Isla opened the barrel of freshly brewed ale and observed the fermentation with eyes that have lost their light. Pirna dexterously held the ceramic mug with her wings and slurped down the ale. The brown feathered harpy Pessar is drunk and starting to sing¡­ and has a pretty good voice.


    ¡°What is going on¡­ Your Highness, Kosuke¡­?¡±


    Danan, who heard the commotion and rushed to the location, was at a loss for words when he saw Sylphy laughing and I silently making ale. I took a new ceramic mug out of my inventory, poured some ale into it, and offered it to him.


    ¡°Well, drink up.¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    Danan didn¡¯t respond to my words; he just let out a deep sigh and accepted the mug. Yes, it can¡¯t be helped if he¡¯s angry about the lack of discipline, but Sylphy is already drunk. Drink up for today, and we¡¯ll get on with things tomorrow.

 CH 63

    It¡¯s Ko-Fi¡¯s Supporters¡¯ chapter (15/52), and you can also read up to 4 chapters ahead by joining our patreon here = https://www.patreon.com/nyxtranslation


    Enjoy~


    ¡°Ehehehe, Ko-su-ke.¡±


    I lent my shoulder to Sylphy, who had completely lost her identity after drinking something she wasn¡¯t used to, as we made our way to our private accommodation. It¡¯s our private space, and I¡¯ve put a lot of thought and care into making it soundproof. I wondered if it was okay that we were the only ones living in a special building, but everyone said yes, so I built it without hesitation.


    ¡°Sleep tight, okay? I¡¯ll leave you some water.¡±


    ¡°Nyuun¡­¡±


    I put Sylphy on the bed, put a jug of water and a ceramic mug on the table next to her, and went back to the living room to sit on the wicker couch.


    ¡°Phew¡­¡±


    The floor plan of this building is almost the same as that of Sylphy¡¯s, although the materials used are different. The only difference is that there is no cross hallway and no backyard, just a direct line to the bathroom.


    I looked at the window, but the sun was still high in the sky. I had a meeting with Isla and the others in the morning, followed by miso and shoyu and brewing alcohol, and then a party. I ate lunch on the spot, and when everyone was drunk enough, I got out of there as quickly as possible. I left all the ale behind.


    ¡°It looks like wheat production will increase¡­¡±


    There¡¯s a theory that agriculture developed in ancient times on Earth ¨D that the cultivation of wheat flourished because the people wanted to drink ale, not eat bread. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s true or not, but when I see everyone enjoying drinking rather than eating, I think it might not be so wrong.


    Sylphy is sleeping peacefully, and I have no urgent business to attend to, so it¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve relaxed. I set up a hammock stand in the living room, and while laying on it, I accessed the improved workbench I had placed between my eyes and tried out some item creations to see if I could make some interesting items.


    ¡°Hmm, I can¡¯t make mithril bullets. I haven¡¯t made a bayonet for my bolt-action rifle yet.¡±


    There was a sword-attaching device, so it should be possible to make one.


    ¡°The material is mithril iron alloy¡­¡±


    I¡¯ve been told by the blacksmith Lamia that adding even a very small amount of mithril to the iron makes it stronger and more resistant to rust, which is very useful. When I actually tried it, I found that it was stronger than steel, so I¡¯ve been replacing more and more of my equipment with mithril iron alloys.


    ?Bayonet for Bolt-Action Rifle (Made of mithril iron alloy) ¨D Material: Mithril Iron Alloy x 1, Wood x 1, Mechanical parts x 1


    So it needs mechanical parts, huh? Oh, is it for the bayonet¡¯s locking mechanism? I see.


    The number of bolt-action rifles currently in production has increased slightly to fifteen. It would be a good idea to make 20 of them as spares. The only people actually using them are me, the cat-beastman Jagira, and a few other Liberation Army soldiers with excellent shooting skills.


    I¡¯d like to add a few more shooters, but I can¡¯t procure ammunition for training¡­ Assuming that 30 bullets are consumed in one training session, if there are 10 of them, the number of bullets consumed at one time is 300. What if this many people train every day? It would be a complete depletion of materials. Well, for now, the training is done once a week, so it¡¯s manageable.


    Even so, the weekly consumption of me, Jagira, and three others are 150 rounds. I can see how much a weapon like a gun is a money-grubber. With a crossbow, you can retrieve the arrows after target practice, and the arrowhead can be sharpened or cast into a new arrowhead if it¡¯s a bit crushed.


    What if this becomes a double-barreled gun? I don¡¯t even want to think about it! The day is far away when we¡¯ll be able to operate ammunition-hungry weapons like assault rifles and submachine guns.


    Whether or not I actually make them, it¡¯s useful to add various things to the crafting list in Item Creation. I haven¡¯t actually made any, but I¡¯ve already added over 100 weapons to my crafting list. Not only swords but firearms and weapons as well. I¡¯ve actually made some of the better ones and kept them in my inventory. For example, I made a mithril weapon for myself.


    ¡°Fufufu¡­ It¡¯s exciting to have a dedicated weapon.¡±


    I took out a so-called shortsword from my inventory. With a wide blade, the length of the blade is from my elbow to the tip of my middle finger. It¡¯s a double-edged sword made of mithril with a simple flange and handle. I might as well name it piercing sword.


    Eh? Is it not hidden? Let¡¯s not worry about the details.


    ¡°Fufufu, what a beautiful sword.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, beautiful. That¡¯s made of mithril, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right¡­ Whoa!¡±


    As I grinned at the mithril shortsword, before I knew it, Isla was standing right next to the hammock stand. Huh? When did she come in? I didn¡¯t notice her at all.


    It was dangerous, so I stored my sword in my inventory for the time being and stored the improved workbench as well.


    ¡°You came in out of nowhere.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I¡¯m here to talk to Her Highness.¡±


    ¡°O-oh.¡±


    What will the conversation be about? I want to hear it, but I also don¡¯t want to listen to it¡­ No, I shouldn¡¯t hear it, yeah.


    ¡°Sylphy is completely ruined and asleep.¡±


    Isla wasn¡¯t at the party, was she? I guess she¡¯s not good at drinking. I don¡¯t think I¡¯m very good at it either.


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Isla muttered with her usual blank expression and sat down next to me. The hammock swayed a little. For some reason, she started to pull on my arm. From the way she was pulling on my arm, it seemed she was planning to put me on her lap.


    ¡°H-hey.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    I tried to stop her, but Isla was stubborn. It could not be helped, so I decided to stop resisting and just accept her lap pillow. I can¡¯t help but feel the warmth and softness of Isla¡¯s thighs against the right side of my face. Although it was through her clothes.


    ¡°Well, under what situation is this?¡±


    ¡°I told you I would spoil you when you got back.¡±


    ¡°¡­I see.¡±


    It seems that she is dutifully following what she said in the golem communication. Isla¡¯s hand strokes my head. I can¡¯t see her face, but I can sense that she¡¯s enjoying herself.


    ¡°Are you feeling heavy?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±


    But this position is slightly difficult for me. From sitting next to each other, I¡¯m lying sideways with my upper body on her lap. This is hard for my back.


    ¡°This is fine.¡±


    I placed a cushion against the wall, asked Isla to sit on it with her legs stretched out, and spread her legs a little so that I was completely in between them. This is a crotch pillow, not a lap pillow.


    ¡°It¡¯s a little embarrassing, but it¡¯s nice to be able to see Kosuke¡¯s face.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right.¡±


    The good thing about this position is that we can see each other¡¯s faces, and the legs of the person on the pillow don¡¯t get numb. With a slight blush on her cheeks and a faint smile on her face, Isla began to stroke my head. Aah, this kind of thing is also nice. This is the feeling of being spoiled by Isla, who at first glance looks like a little girl¡­ Is this what you call motherliness?


    ¡°Isla is an adult, right?¡±


    Hmm? Of course. I¡¯m already thirty-two years old.¡±


    ¡°To my senses, you don¡¯t look that old at all¡­¡±


    To put it bluntly, she looks like a junior high school girl or even younger than that. I¡¯m sure she¡¯s not taller than 150cm. Her limbs are thin and tiny. I think her haircut also makes her look younger. Her large eyes may also be the reason why she looks so young.


    ¡°I really wonder about Kosuke. People are creeped out by odd figures like me.¡±


    ¡°Maybe that¡¯s true. But, it doesn¡¯t bother me at all.¡±


    I¡¯ve had a lot of exposure to the so-called monster girl genre. And I¡¯m not afraid of them; instead, I like them a lot. The light class starts with Elves, Angels, Demon girls, and Animal-ears girls, and the middle class includes One-eyed girls, Lamia, Harpy, Arachne, Slime girls, different skin, black and white eyes, and so on.


    There are many criteria for classifying people in this area, so this is just my standard. By the way, I¡¯m a person who can go all the way to the middle.


    When I reached out and touched Isla¡¯s cheek, it was very soft. It was so smooth and puffy. She blushed a little, gently put her own hand on my hand, and rubbed her cheek against my hand. I can¡¯t help it; her reaction is so cute.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t Isla pretty spoiled too?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess so. Shall we switch?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s not do that.¡±


    It¡¯s not good for a guy to be in this position with a girl. It¡¯s dangerous for the back of the head.


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    Whether she noticed it or not, Isla made a normal, disappointed face. It seems that Isla likes skinship. Sylphy tends to enjoy the conversation more. No, she likes skinship, too, though. She¡¯s a real sweetheart.


    By the way, how long are we going to continue this? Are we going to do this until Sylphy wakes up? Isn¡¯t that going to be a complete disaster? Please help me, Sykes! What am I supposed to do at a time like this!


    I spent about an hour and a half flirting with Isla while having such conflicts in mind.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ You¡¯re here, huh?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Sylphy woke up while yawning, and Isla, who was once again patting me on the crotch pillow, exchanged a short conversation, and then Sylphy disappeared straight to the bathroom. She must have had a lot to drink and needed to get something out.


    ¡°I think you¡¯re on edge, but we talked about it to some extent yesterday.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    So, last night, after having a meal, Sylphy wandered out. I wonder if she went out to talk with Isla. Did she come here today to continue the talk?


    ¡°Can I ask what the discussion is about?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going to discuss how to divide Kosuke.¡±


    ¡°Divide?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness will take the right half, and I will take the left.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re joking, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course I¡¯m joking.¡±


    Don¡¯t make jokes with a straight face. It¡¯s bad for my heart. I thought I was going to be cut in half by the Pale Moon. Sylphy, who came out of the bathroom, sat on a wicker couch and tapped her side. Apparently, she wanted me to sit down.


    I stood up and sat down next to her. Isla sat down next to me. I was sandwiched on both sides by Sylphy and Isla.


    ¡°Now¡­ how are we going to share Kosuke?¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    ¡°How about if Isla has priority while the sun is up and I have priority after the sun goes down?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not fair. I want to sleep with Kosuke too.¡±


    ¡°Fumu¡­ how about we take turns for one day?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good. If someone can¡¯t be around because of work, the one who is around getting all the money?¡±


    ¡°I guess that¡¯s the only way. I have a lot of work to do, Isla has a lot of work to do, and Kosuke also has a lot of work to do.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, okay. Your Highness is the main wife, and I am the concubine?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I suppose so. However, there will be more in the future. Pirna and the other harpies.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll talk about it when the time comes. Fortunately, the Harpy culture is originally about sharing one man with many people. We can learn a lot from them.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Lamia and Harpy are basically all women, anyway.¡±


    Hugging my arm, Sylphy and Isla are discussing my sharing plan in stereo. Me? I¡¯ll just shut up and hold my breath. This kind of thing is never going to be a bonus if I interfere. I¡¯m a machine that serves them. Yes.


    ¡°Do you have anything to add, Kosuke?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, your opinion is also important.¡±


    I was trying to keep my breath down, but they talked to me. Damn, as expected, there¡¯s no such thing as stealth at this distance.


    ¡°It¡¯s best if you two get along like sisters.¡±


    I think so from the bottom of my heart. It¡¯s not good for the relationship to become strained. It¡¯s mainly my mental health that¡¯s at stake.


    ¡°Fumu, I see¡­ just like the sisters. Then you can stop calling me princess, Isla.¡±


    ¡°What do I call you¡­?¡±


    ¡°Maybe you should call her Sylphy-anesama.¡±


    Maybe Sylphy is a little older than her.


    ¡°Sylphy-anesama.¡±


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s kind of awkward. Is it okay if I call you Isla as before?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s fine. Sylphie-anesama.¡±


    ¡°Fufu¡­ anesama. I was the youngest child, and I used to wish I had a sister. Well, that came true in an unexpected way.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    A harmonious atmosphere prevailed. It seems that their relationship is fine. I want them to share me like this. I¡¯m happy that Sylphy and Isla get along so well; it makes me feel at peace. Yeah.


    ¡°Wait, wait, wait. Isn¡¯t this happening too fast?¡±


    I was trapped on the bed. My clothes had been stripped off before I could see them by Sylphy and thrown into the corner of the living room next to me. And in front of me were the glowing eyes of Sylphy and Isla.


    ¡°It¡¯s not too early, though. Sooner or later, we¡¯re going to have this kind of relationship.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I¡¯ve been prepared for this. I¡¯ve also prepared some medicine. Nkuh¡­ fuh.¡±


    ¡°What kind of medicine? Are you sure it¡¯s safe?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to worry about. It¡¯ll take a while for it to kick in.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll show you where Kosuke¡¯s weakness lies.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    ¡°Wait, wait¡­?¡±


    It was useless to resist.

 CH 64

    Here¡¯s the chapter, enjoy~


    ¡°¡­How¡¯s your condition?¡±


    ¡°Last night was too much for me. I can¡¯t stand.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m carrying her.¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡°¡­Danan, I¡¯m sorry about yesterday.¡±


    Danan interrupted me when I appeared in the conference room carrying Isla in a princess¡¯s carry early in the morning, and when he heard what Isla and I had said, he fell silent. Then he looked away. He¡¯s going to pretend he didn¡¯t see it.


    Sylphy apologized for yesterday¡¯s party, and Danan just shook his head in response. It seems that he does not really mind it.


    ¡°Ah¡­ now that we have gathered, I would like to propose a change of plans for today.¡±


    Danan, who pretended not to have seen Isla and me, began the conversation with a serious face. Oops, the guy who just turned his back on reality has a very serious face! Well, yeah, we¡¯re the ones who are at fault, aren¡¯t we?


    ¡°Change of plans, huh? What exactly are you planning to do?¡±


    ¡°Umu, due to Kosuke¡¯s plan, the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army stationed in the Merinard Kingdom suffered a major blow. Perhaps the situation is that they cannot grasp the current situation, and the fortresses bordering the Great Omit Wilderness are almost empty of strength. So, I¡¯m thinking that we should change our plan to take out the forts on the border of the territory first by setting up an aggressive attack from here.¡±


    ¡°Fumu¡­¡±


    ¡°Fumu¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    The people gathered in the conference room, including Sylphy, were all thinking about it.


    Well, it seems to me that the first plan was to hide in the Great Omit Wilderness to accumulate strength and then gradually liberate remote villages to increase manpower little by little.


    The reason for doing so was that we were too small in number. Even if we had conquered the enemy¡¯s base, we didn¡¯t have the strength to maintain it. However, by liberating the rock salt mine, we were able to secure an unexpectedly large number of men. Not all of them would fight as soldiers, but the number was already more than four times that of the time when the total number of soldiers was only about three hundred.


    The enemy¡¯s strength has been drastically reduced, so they won¡¯t be able to fight back as much, and the more we win, the more our influence will increase, and the less influence the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army will have in the Merinard Kingdom. As a result, the number of Merinard citizens who would come to our side would increase.


    Normally, a sudden increase in population could cause severe starvation, but we can make up for it with my abilities. As for the attack on the fortress, Danan must be confident that he can manage to take out the almost empty fort.


    In fact, it would probably be easy for him to break into the fort if I were to help him. If I could just get to the bottom of the fort through a quick underground passage, I could just send the troops inside and take control.


    The other participants seemed to have thought of what I had thought of, and looking around at the participants¡¯ faces, they all seemed to be positive about Danan¡¯s proposal.


    ¡°How many people can we actually mobilize?¡±


    ¡°The most we can mobilize right away is about two hundred people. But if we only need to shoot crossbows, we can add another two hundred men in a week.¡±


    Danan replied to Sylphy¡¯s question without hesitation. Hmm, four hundred, huh?


    ¡°Four hundred, huh¡­? I believe there are three forts on the border of the territory, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. If we have enough crossbows, arrows, and supplies, we should be able to maintain them. In addition, the three forts that Harpy¡¯s scouts confirmed prior to this assault had a total troop strength of about 6500. If we subtract the 5500 that was destroyed this time, there are only about 1000 left. The strength of each of the forts should drop to less than 400 by a simple calculation.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it something that can be calculated simply like that? Much less, the enemy is holed up in the fort. Considering the melee force is 200, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s going to be that easy.¡±


    Sylphy¡¯s concern was understandable. Obviously, the defender has the advantage, and in the first place, the opponent is holed up in the fort. It is quite impossible to destroy and subdue them with less than the same number of soldiers. Well, that¡¯s if you think about it normally.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a problem because we can use the weapons that Kosuke made to our advantage. In particular, the bombing by the Harpies will quickly make defense tactics using forts obsolete.¡±


    If the two sides are shooting within range of each other¡¯s arrows, the Goatsfoot crossbow, which uses the principle of leverage, should be able to compete quite well against the bow used by the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army. Even considering the fact that the other side is camped on top of a protective wall, the power and range should be more than evenly matched.


    Furthermore, if the Harpy Bombing Squad launches aerial bombardment on the walls and gates, the Holy Kingdom¡¯s forces will hardly be able to take advantage of the fort¡¯s defense. And no matter how much the fort is destroyed, it can be easily repaired by me.


    ¡°Fumu¡­ This strategy. You are assuming that Kosuke is going to be on the front lines, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    Sylphy narrowed her eyes at Danan¡¯s words. Is it possible to call it intimidation? Sylphy emits a kind of intense pressure that makes those who see it feel a chill. It¡¯s not actually directed at me, but it¡¯s making me shiver.


    ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll allow it?¡±


    ¡°No. But it¡¯s necessary.¡±


    Danan replies, accepting the pressure of Sylphy¡¯s words without hesitation. As the tension between the two increases, another person speaks up.


    ¡°I agree with Danan. I think we have to start taking a stand at some point. Otherwise, I don¡¯t think we can turn the situation around. And if we want to win, we should do it quickly before they take countermeasures.¡±


    It was Sir Leonard. Just like Danan, he is unfazed by the deadly pressure from Sylphy. You guys are amazing.


    ¡°Countermeasures, huh? Isla, what do you think?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s difficult. When it comes to Harpy¡¯s aerial bombardment, a single shot can be defended with advanced earth magic. I think if they use their precious materials to make defensive magic tools, they can defend against one-shot as well.¡±


    ¡°Do you think the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army will be able to take perfect countermeasures with that method?¡±


    ¡°Impossible. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s possible to secure such a large number of mages who can use advanced earth magic, and it¡¯s not practical to deploy such magic tools to all 10,000 units of soldiers. If I were them, I would think more in the direction of shooting down harpies and falling bombs than defending against aerial bombardment. Wind magic or combined attribute lightning magic with longer range could be a possibility.¡±


    ¡°How long would that take to counter?¡±


    ¡°They would have to create whole new magic. It will take a long time. Probably several years.¡±


    ¡°I see. What about the crossbow?¡±


    ¡°It is powerful, but not so powerful that magic barriers can¡¯t protect it. The bolt action rifle is impossible to prevent with magic. It has too much penetrating power and can easily penetrate.¡±


    ¡°Fumu¡­¡±


    Overall, based on what Isla said, there is a possibility that in a few years, the aerial bombardment by Harpy will be countered in some way. Whether you see it as having a few years or only a few years.


    ¡°¡­It can¡¯t be helped. However, if Kosuke goes to the front, I¡¯ll go to the front too. I will not accept any objections.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness¡­¡±


    ¡°As for the importance of our bodies, will there be much difference between Kosuke and me? If either of us dies, the Liberation Army will not be able to stand. Then, if I protect Kosuke and Kosuke protects me, the survival rate will increase greatly. Isn¡¯t that right?¡±


    It¡¯s true that with Sylphy by my side, I¡¯ll be able to manage even if enemy soldiers surround me on the battlefield. On the contrary, there must be a certain amount of situations where I can help her by being with her. It will definitely be more survivable than taking me to the front alone.


    ¡°In the first place, do you think I can be easily beaten? When did I become a weak and fragile princess in your mind? Danan.¡±


    ¡°¡­As you wish.¡±


    The result of the argument was a painful split. Danan agreed to let Sylphy accompany me to the front, while Sylphy agreed to let Danan accompany her.


    The only problem was that they decided to send me to the front without asking my opinion at all! No, it¡¯s fine, but¡­ isn¡¯t it good? It¡¯s not good. Yeah. But I guess it can¡¯t be helped. That¡¯s how much they expect from me. I¡¯ll do my best not to drag them down¡­ I¡¯m scared of the battlefield, though.


    The decision was made to go on the offensive, and each of us had to move in a hurry. I had to increase food production, mass-produce various equipment, mass-produce arrowheads, and mine the mineral resources scattered in the wilderness. And at night, I¡¯ll make love with Sylphy and Isla.


    Yeah, I want them to go a little easier on me. I feel like I¡¯m going to dry out. Also, Isla, don¡¯t use that potion. I can¡¯t keep up with it. Do you have a potion for me, too? First of all, let¡¯s not even think about using that potion. Okay?


    Isla was working tirelessly with the research and development department on various research and development projects. There seemed to be no inventions that would be ready in time for the mission.


    Yes, the magic-related materials that everyone had brought in were collected, and a new workbench was added to the list of crafting items.


    ?Granting workbench ¨D Materials: Mithril x 5, Gemstones x 12, Magicalized Stone x 20, Magicalized Wood x 10, Magicalized Clay x 10 ¡ùThere are no materials!


    Yeah, it¡¯s as you can see. I can manage mithril and gemstones, but I don¡¯t have enough of the various magicalized materials to make it. It was decided to have them made using the magic power of the vein hole in the main base. It seems to take a long time, and I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to make it in time for the mission.


    However, I¡¯m looking forward to the granting workbench¡­ and to what it can do. Is it possible to add some kind of magical effect to weapons?


    Sylphy, Danan, Sir Leonard, Pirna, and others seem to be busy with training and meetings. They seem to be actively communicating with the main base using golem communication devices. There¡¯s Melty, Ms. Zamir, Gerda, and Shumer over there. They are probably communicating about the training of soldiers and the movement of supplies.


    It was one day, about a week after I had been busy.


    ¡°What¡¯s the situation here?¡±


    ¡°Kosuke, when you come back, you will say ¡°I¡¯m home,¡± right?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m home. So, what¡¯s the situation here?¡±


    I apologize to Sylphy, who was sitting on the couch and ask her to explain again. Why did I ask that you say?


    ¡°Welcome back, Kosuke-san.¡±


    ¡°Welcome back.¡±


    ¡°W-welcome back! Danna-sama!¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Pirna, Pessar, and Flamme were standing in the kitchen with Isla. They are the three harpies who witnessed the explosion of the temporary fort last time. It seems that Isla is taking the lead in cooking dinner. I wondered if they could cook with their harpy wings. I thought, but they¡¯re handling the utensils with more dexterity than I expected.


    ¡°Before we go to the battlefield.¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°They want to have that kind of relationship with Kosuke.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s pretty straightforward.¡±


    ¡°You never know when you¡¯re going to die on the battlefield.¡±


    I was shocked as if I had been hit on the head. I had been taking it easy, but what we were heading now was a battlefield. A real battlefield where people kill each other. No one knows what will happen or who will die there.


    When I looked at Sylphy, her mouth twisted into a grin. I haven¡¯t seen that smile in a while. I¡¯m sure she saw through my agitation.


    ¡°We Harpies are especially hated by the people of the Holy Kingdom.¡±


    ¡°I-if we fall in the middle of the enemy army¡­¡±


    ¡°It would be lucky if we were killed right away.¡±


    Pirna smiled bitterly, Flamme shuddered, and Pessar laughed indifferently. Isla stared at them without saying a word.


    ¡°Sylphy¡­¡±


    ¡°Two, three, four, five, or more is the same thing, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s the same.¡±


    And no, it¡¯s not. That¡¯s not what I¡¯m saying.


    ¡°You¡¯re a troublesome fellow, Kosuke.¡±


    Sylphy grinned and slurped down a ceramic mug filled with honey wine. What¡¯s the fun in that?


    ¡°I¡¯m having a rather serious problem.¡±


    ¡°Kosuke, you are indeed a marebito with rare abilities, but you only have two arms, and they are of limited length. Besides, we¡¯re warriors. Me, Pirna, Pessar, Flamme and Isla. We can take care of ourselves, and if we fall because of our inability to do so, it¡¯s our own fault. There is nothing for Kosuke to feel responsible for who lives or dies on the battlefield.¡±


    ¡°But if you don¡¯t go into battle, you won¡¯t die.¡±


    ¡°How can that be? Even if I stay holed up in the Great Omit Wilderness, they¡¯ll come for me.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re fighting the empire, aren¡¯t they? They can¡¯t afford to touch you here.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true, Kosuke. We are safe because there is a war going on with the empire. If they make peace with the empire and can allocate their forces elsewhere, the Holy Kingdom will start expanding to the western part of the continent again. If they do that, they will surely try to cross the Great Omit Wilderness and invade the Black Forest. I guarantee that.¡±


    ¡°The war with the empire has been going on for a long time. Both sides are exhausted. They could move to make peace at any moment.¡±


    Isla, who came from the kitchen carrying a large pot, said so. Pirna and the others nodded nervously.


    ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s have dinner.¡±


    With a single word from Sylphy, everyone was seated at the table, and Isla poured the contents of the pot into bowls and started serving it to everyone. Today¡¯s menu is some kind of porridge. It was probably made of wheat. It was yellowish in color and had a sweet aroma. It¡¯s a strange soup-like porridge.


    ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a traditional Harpy dish. It is good for nourishment and digestion.¡±


    ¡°Fumu¡­ itadakimasu¡­¡±


    I scooped it up with a spoon and put it in my mouth. It was like a slightly sweet porridge. It had a strange texture¡­ somewhere between soup and porridge. It¡¯s not powdery, and it¡¯s thicker than I expected. I wondered if there was an egg in it.


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s delicious. It¡¯s more like a sweet than a meal.¡±


    Corn potage soup is sweet, but it¡¯s sweeter than that. But it¡¯s not as sweet as candy. It has a pleasant aftertaste, and it also has a refreshing feeling, as if it contains some kind of herb. The feeling of it going into my stomach smoothly was also quite pleasant.


    ¡°Yeah, it feels a lot more like cooking than the random dishes I make. It¡¯s a traditional dish.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? I¡¯m glad!¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯m glad you like it.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad you enjoyed it since I gave birth to it.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Did she give birth? Did she give birth to it? What? Eat¡­ eggs! Eggs?


    ¡°C-could it be?¡±


    ¡°Kukuku¡­ yes, this dish is made with Pirna¡¯s eggs.¡±


    ¡°What¡­ did you say?¡±


    Eh? Seriously? Is that okay? No, is it ethically acceptable? I mean, you guys are eating it without a care in the world. Eh? Eeh?


    ¡°It¡¯s a fertilized egg, after all.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a waste if you don¡¯t eat it.¡±


    ¡°I-it¡¯s fine, you know.¡±


    ¡°Delicious.¡±


    I was struck by culture shock. It¡¯s such a shock that I don¡¯t care if I¡¯m going to a battlefield or not. They eat the eggs they¡¯ve laid. Oh¡­ is that the culture? I see.


    ¡°You don¡¯t eat fertilized eggs, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we do.¡±


    ¡°O-of course.¡±


    ¡°O-oh.¡±


    That¡¯s a problem, right¡­? I mean, how do you tell the difference between a fertilized egg and an unfertilized egg?


    ¡°Fertilized eggs don¡¯t come out of the belly.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Because when you¡¯re pregnant, your belly grows.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Kosuke¡¯s got a funny look on his face.¡±


    ¡°Isla used to make that face when she first met Kosuke.¡±


    So you¡¯re saying that unfertilized eggs grow inside the belly as fetuses, and fertilized eggs come out as eggs? That¡¯s messed-up biology, Harpy. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on. Or, in the case of this theory, this unfertilized egg is an¡­ egg, so let¡¯s not think about it too much. I feel like I¡¯m opening a bad door.


    ¡°Would you like a refill?¡±


    ¡°P-please eat a lot.¡±


    ¡°Since it¡¯s a special occasion, don¡¯t forget to eat all of it!¡±


    In spite of my anguish, Pirna and the others smilingly offered me a refill.

 CH 65

    Sponsored chapter by Patreon, enjoy~


    There is a word that means ¡°to gather together.¡± It¡¯s a word with an image of many people gathering together, or everyone surrounding each other, or something like that. Yeah.


    What is it, you ask? You¡¯re probably wondering. Of course, you would. Well, it¡¯s just my opinion about what happened last night after we ate Pirna¡¯s and other Harpy¡¯s traditional food, yeah. I don¡¯t think I would be dealing with five people at once.


    However, even though I had to deal with five people, it was easier than when I dealt with Sylphy and Isla¡­ It seems that the nourishing effects of the traditional dishes were real.


    ¡°Good morning, Danna-sama.¡±


    ¡°G-good morning, Danna-sama.¡±


    ¡°Morning, Danna-san.¡±


    When I woke up, my whole body was wrapped in warm feathers. It was because Pirna and Flamme were hugging me on my left and right arms, and Pessar was hugging me around my waist. Pessar-san, that¡¯s not a good place to be.


    ¡°Where are Sylphy and Isla?¡±


    ¡°They are already up and ready for breakfast.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    The feel of the feathers rustling against my skin was tickling and comforting. It was warm, and it made me want to fall asleep again.


    ¡°A-are you feeling all right?¡±


    ¡°Strangely enough, I don¡¯t seem to have any problems. I¡¯m more worried about you girls.¡±


    Even though it was the first time, I was so intense that I didn¡¯t even try to fool myself with medicine as Isla did.


    ¡°Oh, we¡¯ll lay eggs.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be fine in that sense.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    I talked with Pirna and the others while wrapped in a natural down comforter until Sylphy and Isla came to call me. No, but you can¡¯t go there, Pessar-san. It¡¯s not good there. I said no, it¡¯s just a physiological phenomenon.


    ¡°You look tired this morning.¡±


    ¡°Love is heavy.¡±


    I¡¯ve been taken care of in various ways this morning.


    Sylphy was boiling a bath for me, so I took a bath to flush out all the stuff from yesterday. The three of the Harpies washed me all over, and it was a real treat. I was a little tired, though.


    ¡°Hahaha, you just have to take it in stride. It¡¯s just the beginning.¡±


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t understand the meaning of Sylphy¡¯s words and asked her back. Then, Pirna and the others came out of the bath at just the right time.


    ¡°Pirna, how many people did you have in total?¡±


    ¡°All eighteen, I think.¡±


    ¡°Fifteen to go. Good luck, Kosuke.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding, right?¡±


    I feel my face tense up. You want me to take on all of the Harpies? I think that¡¯s a bit of a quandary. I¡¯m not sure if I can support all of them, but I¡¯m not that worthy of them. I mean, that number is simply going to be out of control due to my mental fatigue.


    ¡°Kosuke-san, we¡¯re serious.¡±


    ¡°E-everyone adores you, Danna-sama.¡±


    ¡°Danna-san is our savior, after all.¡±


    I turn my gaze to Sylphy. She quietly shook her head.


    ¡°It seems that this is the culture of these Harpies in the first place. They share one man with a few to a dozen, or even dozens or hundreds of others.¡±


    ¡°Y-you¡¯re kidding.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true. A Harpy¡¯s child is a Harpy. Harpies are born only to women. It¡¯s not uncommon for a generation of sisters to be born to the same partner.¡±


    ¡°What a fantastical biology that is!¡±


    In the end, it took me several days to deal with all the Harpies, including Fronte and the others. Sylphy¡¯s and Isla¡¯s attacks were just as fierce as their rivals, so while my heart was full, my body was in pain.


    ¡°¡­Let¡¯s do our best.¡±


    ¡°¡­Oh.¡±


    It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen Sykes in the research and development department, so I shook his hand firmly. It seems that he saw my face and realized what the situation was.


    ¡°The only way is to build a shelf in your mind¡­ You must build it in your mind.¡±


    ¡°What senpai says carries a different weight¡­ Oh, take this. It will help your tired body and keep your strength up.¡±


    ¡°Your kindness will be greatly appreciated¡­¡±


    I handed Sykes a newly developed stamina recovery potion. The recovery effect is not drastic, but its duration is very long, and it also gradually returns the lowered stamina and life to normal values.


    ¡°¡­Good luck!¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    It was the next day that the invasion of the Merinard Kingdom was declared.


    ¡°You look very tired. I hope you¡¯re okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, I¡¯m fine.¡±


    I wondered if my eyes were too tired. As soon as we met in the conference room, Danan was worried about me. In addition, the skin of several Harpies, including Sylphy and Isla on either side of me, and Pirna next to them, is glowing. I think they¡¯re sucking the life force of me.


    ¡°It¡¯s not easy being popular.¡±


    An old man with a lion¡¯s face is smirking at me. What are you laughing at? I¡¯ll send you back to the main base one day and make you and Danan dedicate yourselves to the widows. Remember that.


    [T/n: Lmao.]


    ¡°This time, it¡¯s an all-out war. Our goal is to take the three forts in one fell swoop with all of our major forces.¡±


    ¡°Umu. What about our forces?¡±


    ¡°We have 200 elite soldiers who can also fight in close combat and 300 crossbowmen who have completed their crossbow training, making a total of 500.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s quite an increase.¡±


    ¡°Yes, there are more liberated people who want to participate in the battle to reclaim the Merinard Kingdom than we thought. Even with defensive troops at each base, we still have this many people.¡±


    When he said defense troops, he meant about fifty crossbowmen who had also learned to use ballista. It¡¯s not much, but crossbows, ballistae, and a seven-meter-high wall should be enough to deal with Gizma.


    ¡°There is no problem when it comes to transportation, as long as Kosuke-dono is present.¡±


    Ms. Zamir, whom I have not seen in a long time, says so with a face as emotionless as ever. She is a so-called lizardman¡­ no, a lizard woman. She is a woman, but her face is completely that of a reptile.


    When she was in the Merinard Kingdom, she was an expert spearman who served as a spear instructor for the royal family, and when Danan and the others rebelled in the Merinard Kingdom three years ago, she fought on the front lines and defeated many soldiers of the Holy Kingdom army with her spear.


    She was not able to participate in the previous liberation operation because she was in charge of guarding the main base with Melty, and she was not able to be involved in the subsequent defeat of the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army, so she strongly requested Sylphy and me to definitely participate in this operation to retake the Merinard Kingdom territory.


    Incidentally, like Sir Leonard, she¡¯s also equipped with a mithril weapon that I made. Mithril is quite sturdy as a metal, so there was no need to make it as big and thick as the Beast Spear I had given to Ms. Zamir before.


    Even so, she requested a large-bodied spear with a long blade, so the result was more like a long-bodied jumonji spear¡­ rather than a longsword with a long handle. It is also equipped with a sharp mithril blade at the spearhead, making it an incredibly aggressive piece.


    She was using this spear, named Meteor, to exterminate Gizma around the main base as if to relieve her exasperation.


    ¡°It is a problem that the burden is only on Kosuke.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not so much a burden, but it¡¯s still distorting.¡±


    It seems that it would take a lot of work to take in and out supplies for 500 people every day. But I¡¯m the only one who can do the job, so I have to do it.


    ¡°It¡¯s no secret that we¡¯re a group that relies heavily on Kosuke. We should make every effort to eliminate the need to burden Kosuke as soon as possible.¡±


    Sylphy smiled bitterly. For the time being, the other group members seem to be thinking the same way, and they all have a bitter expression on their faces. As for me, I don¡¯t feel bad about the fact that someone is relying on me.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s the lineup this time?¡±


    ¡°Me, Kosuke, Danan, Ms. Zamir, Isla, and Melty will be with us. Sir Leonard will be staying at home this time.¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. I was there last time.¡±


    Sir Leonard nodded obediently. Well, I¡¯ve heard that he went on quite a rampage in the last liberation mission. As for the Harpies, not all eighteen of them are going out, and three of them will remain at the front-line fort. Since the Golem communication device is now sufficient to communicate with the main base, it seems that they will simply stay as scouts.


    Other former Royal Army soldiers such as Worg and Gerda, as well as former adventurers such as Shumer and Indy, will all be going out.


    In addition, the rifle squad, consisting of Jagira and four of her subordinates who had completed bolt-action rifle training, would be under my command along with the Harpy Bomb Squad.


    The forces using my special weapons, such as bolt-action rifles and Harpy aerial bombs, were to be under my command. If they weren¡¯t with me, they wouldn¡¯t be able to resupply.


    ¡°The basic tactic is to surround the fort after Harpy¡¯s aerial bombardment has weakened the enemy¡¯s resistance, and Kosuke digs a hole in the shadows of the night to send troops into the fort and control it.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going to try to kill the messenger as much as possible. We need to take out two of the three forts before the situation is exposed. Even if we have to use our precious aerial bombs, please try to destroy the messengers from the first fort we capture.¡±


    ¡°Aye aye, ma¡¯am.¡±


    ¡°Are there any more questions? No? Then let¡¯s move.¡±


    ¡°Leave me in charge of this place.¡±


    Sir Leonard saw us off, and we began our military campaign to retake the fort at the territory¡¯s border.


    The necessary supplies were already in my inventory. The Liberation Army soldiers had already finished their preparations for the march, so the march began immediately after the meeting.


    At the front was an elite force of former Royal Army soldiers led by Danan. There were about 100 soldiers in the group, 40 heavily armed infantrymen armed with strong armor, large shields, and one-handed weapons, and 60 light infantrymen armed with crossbows, spears, daggers, and light armor made of Gizma shells. These were soldiers who excelled in group combat.


    Behind them followed 300 Liberation Army soldiers led by Sylphy and her second-in-command, Ms. Zamir. Like the light infantry, they were armed with spears, daggers, and crossbows, and in a sense, were the main force. Basically, the crossbow is the main weapon, while the spear and dagger are self-defense weapons for when they are involved in close combat. Their skill level is one step below that of the light infantry led by Danan, but they are reasonably proficient at crossbow shooting.


    In the meantime, Shumer¡¯s army of 100 rangers, made up of former adventurers, acted as the guard. Their armaments are all different, but their individual combat abilities exceed those of Danan¡¯s elite soldiers. They are difficult to operate, but they are strong in melee combat. They will be mainly used as a raiding force inside the fort.


    In addition, there are five riflemen led by me, fifteen members of the Harpy Air Force, and ten members of the Mage Corps led by Isla. There are also about ten civilian officers, including Melty, but they are not counted as part of the force.


    ¡°Melty seems to be strong, though.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a weak maiden, you know?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes, you are.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s with that reaction?¡±


    What kind of joke is it that Melty is a weak maiden who can easily subdue Sylphy and turn her into a dress-up doll? I can¡¯t help but feel that she would be able to take down the enemy soldiers if the situation called for it.


    The march was going very well. Every once in a while, Gizma appears, but a volley of crossbows quickly exterminates it. Then I¡¯m sent on a run to collect Gizma. Would you guys mind drawing them out a little more before you exterminate them?


    ¡°Thanks for the effort, Kosuke.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Kosuke, what¡¯s with the inexplicable jumping motion?¡±


    ¡°Oops, here comes the trouble!¡±


    Apparently, Isla has been watching my strafe jumping for some time now. What? Even if you ask me, I can¡¯t explain it either. It¡¯s a trick that utilizes command actions like a bug.


    ¡°They¡¯re getting along very well, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°I guess so.¡±


    ¡°Do you think I should join you?¡±


    ¡°No, you can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s with you, Sylphy?¡±


    I think there is some kind of horrible conversation going on behind me as I struggle to explain to Isla, but I¡¯ll pretend it¡¯s just my imagination. Melty is aiming for me too, after all¡­ and my spine is starting to tingle.


    I made eye contact with Jagira, who was walking nearby and asked her for help, but she averted her eyes. What kind of a subordinate abandons her superior.


    In the end, I couldn¡¯t give enough of an explanation to satisfy Isla, so I had to jump up and down in front of her. It seems that if I can¡¯t explain it, she¡¯ll just observe it herself and come to her own conclusions.


    ¡°Inexplicable.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    But, like the rest of my abilities, Isla was unable to discover the principle behind it. I was too tired from all the jumping around for nothing.


    ¡°It makes me uneasy to look at.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s bizarre.¡±


    ¡°To be honest, it¡¯s a little creepy.¡±


    My glass heart was on the verge of breaking.


    ¡°They¡¯re terrible people, aren¡¯t they? Here, let Mama comfort you.¡±


    Melty smiles benevolently and opens her arms as if to say, ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll give you a hug.¡± A magnificent pair of breasts, comparable to Sylphy¡¯s, jiggled excessively.


    Huh, this Kosuke is not going to be caught by such an obvious fishing hook¨D¨D.


    ¡°Mamaa! Guehh.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t fall for that obvious fishing hook, you idiot.¡±


    When I was going to jump into Melty¡¯s chest, letting my instincts take over, Sylphy grabbed me by the back collar, and my neck tightened up. In addition, Isla, who had crept up on me before I knew it, puffed out her cheeks and punched me in the side. It doesn¡¯t hurt, but I can feel her dissatisfaction.


    ¡°You¡¯re very flirtatious, aren¡¯t you, Kosuke?¡±


    ¡°To put it bluntly, I feel like I¡¯m too nervous about getting excited.¡±


    It¡¯s only the first day, but we¡¯re getting closer and closer to the battlefield. It would be strange not to be nervous. When I¡¯m really nervous, I get excited and start talking a lot.


    ¡°That¡¯s a problem. Sylphy, please take good care of him.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need to be told.¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s too much for you, I can help you if you want.¡±


    ¡°No, thank you.¡±


    Sylphy and Isla hugged me from both sides and warned Melty. Isn¡¯t the way these two are wary of Melty a bit unusual?


    ¡°Fufufu¡­¡±


    ¡°Fuuh!¡±


    ¡°Shaaaa!¡±


    Melty leaks a leisurely smile, and Sylphy and Isla threaten her. Isla let out intimidation¡­ wait, can that be called intimidation? I¡¯m not sure. It¡¯s cute, though.


    At that time, a voice from the front said, ¡°The destination is in sight.¡± It seemed we had arrived at the first shelter. The shelter has a capacity of 500 people, or up to 1000 if it¡¯s packed tight, so the Liberation Army members should all be able to find a place to sleep without any problems. I¡¯ll have to prepare some food when we get there.


    ¡°Let¡¯s getting along from now on too, Kosuke-san.¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah?¡±


    ¡°Fuuuh!¡±


    ¡°Shaaa!¡±


    Their menacing looks to Melty were unstoppable.

 CH 66

    It¡¯s Ko-Fi¡¯s Supporters¡¯ chapter (16/60), enjoy~


    After arriving at the first shelter, we stayed there for the night and then continued to the second, third, and fourth shelters to reach the former fifth shelter, or rather the point where the temporary fort was located.


    More than two weeks had already passed since the explosion of the temporary fort, so we were prepared for anything. We knew that the decomposing corpses would probably be a mess.


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s not as bad as I thought, huh?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s still a bit of a smell, but¡­ I guess that means the Gizmas took care of it nicely.¡±


    The more you approach this place, the greater the number of Gizma. Probably, they came to devour the corpses of the soldiers of the Holy Kingdom who died in the explosion of the temporary fort. However, considering the fact that they cleaned up the corpses in such a neat manner, I guess they¡¯re good cleaners.


    The dead bodies of Gizma that we killed in this area were collected and dismembered, but the meat was discarded.


    I don¡¯t feel like eating the meat of a Gizma that has devoured the corpses of the Holy Kingdom¡¯s people, or rather, there are many problems with it. I¡¯ll use the shells and leg tendons as materials, though.


    We went a little further from where the temporary fort was set up and built a new temporary fort around where the smell of death was no longer present. Using my blueprinting function, it was only a matter of seconds.


    ¡°It¡¯s a nightmare for the enemy.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    Suddenly, a fort appeared within a stone¡¯s throw. In fact, it took less than half a day to walk from the new temporary fort to the nearest bordering fort.


    The distance from the fourth shelter was a bit longer, but it could not be helped. We had many battles with Gizma on the way, so by the time we reached this place and set up the fort, the sun had already set.


    ¡°T-the number of enemies on the defensive was about 350.¡±


    ¡°Their morale seemed to be low.¡±


    After dinner, Flamme, the light brown Harpy, and Capri, also a light brown Harpy, reported the results of their reconnaissance in the conference room of the temporary fort. Basically, Harpies don¡¯t have much night vision, but Flamme and Capri were unusually night-sighted for Harpies.


    Flamme has feathers like animal ears sticking out of her head, so I guess she¡¯s a horned owl. I wondered what kind of Harpy Capri was. Is it a night hawk? She¡¯s an unusual girl who speaks in a pseudo-Kansai dialect.


    ¡°After resting, we will set out at dawn. We¡¯ll encircle the enemy fort in the early morning and cut off their message.¡±


    ¡°A morning sortie? That sounds good.¡±


    Ms. Zamir smiles fiercely. No, she might have been trying to put on a big smile, but when she smiles, it looks like a ferocious smile to me because she has a lizard-like face.


    ¡°The plan is the same as we talked about before we left. We will surround the fort and make it impossible for them to send a message. Then we¡¯ll bombard it with Harpy aerial bombs and cut down the enemy¡¯s resistance. If they surrender, then good. If they don¡¯t surrender, we¡¯ll wait for night, and Kosuke will dig an underground passage into the fort, send in the soldiers, and conquer it from the inside.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s simple. There are two entrances to the fort, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve confirmed it from the air, so I¡¯m sure. Right? Flamme.¡±


    ¡°Y-yes. There¡¯s one gate on the north side and one on the south side.¡±


    ¡°If we¡¯re going to surround them, we¡¯ll have to split our forces in two.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll hold the north side with 100 former kingdom soldiers led by me and 150 crossbowmen, half of the entire crossbow force. I want Her Highness to lead the remaining troops and hold the south side.¡±


    ¡°Do I have to hold the south gate with you, Princess?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Please.¡±


    ¡°Aiyo.¡±


    ¡°We, the mage corps, will join the blockade of the north side. The south side will be able to defend itself against arrows with Kosuke, but the north side is inadequately defended against arrows with the current formation.¡±


    ¡°That would be a great help.¡±


    The north side will be blocked by 100 elite troops and 150 crossbowmen led by Danan, and ten mage corps led by Isla. The south side will be blocked by 150 crossbowmen led by Sylphy and Ms. Zamir, 100 former adventurer corps led by Shumer, and 15 Harpy air corps and five riflemen under my command.


    Isla and the others were said to be able to use wind and earth magic barriers to protect their allies from the enemy¡¯s arrows. Sylphy and I are indeed on the south side, so we can do whatever we want with the enemy¡¯s arrows. If I wanted, I could build a wall higher than the enemy¡¯s fort and beat them to a pulp one way or another. I¡¯m not going to do it, though.


    ¡°So, now that we¡¯ve confirmed, let¡¯s break up. Get a good night¡¯s rest in preparation for tomorrow. Is that clear?¡±


    Danan looked at Sylphy, Isla, Harpies, and the others. The reason he doesn¡¯t look at me is because he knows exactly who is in control. I almost burst into tears at Danan¡¯s concern.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±


    ¡°No problem.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡±


    Sylphy grinned, Isla nodded blankly, and Pirna smiled on behalf of the Harpies. Is Danan really okay with this? It seemed that Danan was convinced by their reply, although there was a look of uncertainty on his face. I also hope that their reply will be followed through.


    Well, to tell you the truth, I don¡¯t mind it that much. Beautiful women, beautiful girls, they want me, they sneak into my bed at night and¡­ take me into their bed. At first, the ethics I developed in Japan got in the way of many things, but after a week, I got used to it. I¡¯m even enjoying it now, hahaha.


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    Danan gave me a pitiful look. Please don¡¯t give me that look; it affects me¡­


    It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve had a peaceful night since everyone has been behaving themselves. I feel like I¡¯m sleeping in an oversized bed that¡¯s too big to be called a king, though. I¡¯m warm from the body heat of Sylphy and Isla and the feathers of Harpy-sans. Yes.


    Then we got up while it was still dark, finished eating, and started marching. Since we couldn¡¯t use fire, the rest of the Liberation Army soldiers seemed to have eaten block cookies and dried meat. We ate hot meals from my inventory, though. At least with Sylphy here, we deserve this kind of treatment, right?


    We set out and walked for several hours. We arrived at the fortress on the border of the territory before dawn had even broken.


    ¡°It was still early in the morning.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not quite dawn yet, but it¡¯s getting light. It¡¯s too late to panic now.¡±


    We¡¯ve already split up from Danan and the other detachment. By this time, Danan and the others should be in a position to blockade the northern gate. On the wall of the fortress on the border of the territory, the soldiers of the Holy Kingdom seem to be moving around busily, and the bell is ringing intermittently. This may be a signal that the enemy is attacking the fort.


    ¡°Okay, Kosuke. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to call them to surrender or something?¡±


    ¡°No. It¡¯s useless.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ let¡¯s get as close as we can with the crossbows.¡±


    ¡°Umu. Advance!¡±


    At Sylphy¡¯s signal, the crossbow corps advanced to a point about 70 meters from the wall. With its relatively strong leaf spring, a Goatsfoot crossbow is sufficient to shoot the enemy on the wall at this distance. In fact, the crossbow soldiers were trained to shoot at targets set up on the city walls at this distance.


    ¡°Kosuke.¡±


    ¡°Aiyo.¡±


    Then I set up walls to protect us from the arrows. It seemed that the enemy was not yet ready to intercept, but Ms. Zamir escorted me. Arrows flew at us sporadically, but I didn¡¯t even get a glimpse of them.


    After the shielding was set up, the crossbowmen started firing back. Perhaps it was the effect of their training, but the enemy¡¯s damage seemed to be increasing. Although we are not without damage, we seem to have the overwhelming advantage in the firefight.


    ¡°Kosuke-san, we will go too.¡±


    ¡°All right. Get ready for battle.¡±


    The legs of the Harpy Air Force were equipped with aerial bombs. The process itself is very simple. The aerial bombs for Harpy have been further improved since then, so that instead of having to tie them, you can simply hook the hooks of the aerial bombs to the harnesses that the Harpies have equipped.


    After the Harpies grabs the handle of the air bomb, they can hook the hook on the cord that activates the fuse. That¡¯s all it takes to complete the sortie, so the time it takes for each person to detonate the bomb is sufficient for about ten seconds.


    ¡°We¡¯re off, then!¡±


    ¡°Safety first!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    As Pirna and the others flew away, Sylphy instructed the crossbowmen to prepare for the explosion. It would be foolish to get injured by flying debris or anything else. Until the bombing is over, we must stay completely hidden behind shields and concentrate on defense. Me, Sylphy, Ms. Zamir, and the other civil officers also hide behind the shields I¡¯ve set up.


    As I looked up at the sky, I saw the Harpies soaring and dropping aerial bombs.


    ¡°They¡¯re coming! Everybody get down!¡±


    At Sylphy¡¯s command, the crossbowmen completely hid behind cover and covered their ears. I told them to keep their mouths open beforehand, but I¡¯m not sure how effective that would be.


    A tremendous sound and impact came through. It¡¯s even through the shielding; it was amazing.


    After confirming that the explosion had stopped, I peeked out from behind the shielding and found the enemy fort in ruins. The walls had collapsed and were in shambles. The gate was half destroyed as if it had been intensively bombed. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on inside, but I¡¯m sure it¡¯s in a terrible state.


    ¡°Uh¡­ what should we do about this?¡±


    ¡°Wait¡­ Danan, what¡¯s the situation over there? The enemy¡¯s resistance is gone, and the south gate has been destroyed. It¡¯s easy to get in.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re in the same situation. Should we move in?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s do it. We¡¯re going in in five minutes.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    As soon as Sylphy finishes communicating with Danan on the golem communicator, Pirna and the other Harpies return.


    ¡°You did it! It¡¯s a great achievement!¡±


    ¡°Most of the enemies have been blown away.¡±


    ¡°Praise us, praise us.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes. Well done.¡±


    While I was dealing with the Harpies, Sylphy and Ms. Zamir instructed the former adventurers to prepare for the raid. Shumer also seems to be very excited with the large gold crusher in her hand. I don¡¯t know how many Holy Kingdom soldiers are left, but I wonder if those guys will get raided after being hit hard by the bombing¡­ It¡¯s pitiful.


    ¡±Then we¡¯re going in! Follow me!¡±


    ¡°Oooh!¡±


    Sylphy took the lead and charged into the enemy fort. There is nothing to stop them, as the attack from the top of the defensive wall has already stopped. Perhaps Sylphy used some kind of magic, and the half-destroyed gates of the fort were blown inward with a flash of light and a bursting sound. What a scary thing.


    And for a while, I kept hearing the sounds of battle, or rather, the angry voices of the raiding troops inside the fort. It was only for fifteen minutes or so, but it was a while.


    Then, with a battle cry of ¡°Waaah!¡± A new flag was raised above the half-destroyed castle gate. It was the flag of the former Merinard Kingdom.


    ¡°It seems that our control is complete.¡±


    ¡°It seems so. It¡¯s a bit disheartening.¡±


    The only thing I did was set up a shield and take Harpy¡¯s aerial bombs out of my inventory. Of course, I helped with the bombing, but Melty and the other civil servants helped too.


    ¡°Even so, I have to repair that wrecked thing¡­¡±


    The battered walls and the gates of the fortress, which were already in a ridiculous state after Sylphy¡¯s crushing blow, were rather depressing to behold. It even feels like it would be easier to clear the land and rebuild it with the blueprint function.


    ¡°Please do your best. I¡¯m rooting for you.¡±


    ¡°Hey¡­?¡±


    I replied absent-mindedly and was about to walk towards the fort when Melty grabbed my arm. I tilted my head and wondered what was going on, but she leaned in close to me and whispered softly in my ear.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you a reward if you want, Kosuke-san?¡±


    ¡°Hyiee.¡±


    She whispered in a seductive voice, and I shuddered.


    ¡°Block!¡±


    ¡°No, Kosuke-han, you can¡¯t. Do you want to see the princess get mad at you?¡±


    However, Pessar and Capri, the light brown-feathered Harpy, intervened between Melty and me. It¡¯s a nice cut.


    ¡°Kosuke-san will have something to do inside, so please leave this to us.¡±


    ¡°O-okay.¡±


    I decided to obey Pirna¡¯s words and head into the fort. There¡¯s a lot of sound of chirping and ufufufufu in the back. I feel like I heard something behind me, but I¡¯m sure it was just my imagination. I ran towards the fort without looking back.


    ¡°Whoaaaaa!¡±


    ¡°Kosuke, it¡¯s perfect.¡±


    ¡°No, this scene must be hard for the unaccustomed person¡­¡±


    The scene inside the fort was kind of awful. Bloodstains with no physical damage to the body are pretty good, but there are also pieces of flesh and body parts that I can¡¯t understand. It¡¯s bad. It¡¯s so bad that my vocabulary is rapidly deteriorating. This shows how much consideration is given to the player when it comes to gore in games. And the smell. The smell is awful.


    ¡°It¡¯s mostly because of the bombs.¡±


    ¡°Surely, this wouldn¡¯t happen with a normal weapon. It could be with magic, though.¡±


    ¡°Anyway, we can¡¯t even use the fort in this state. Let¡¯s get rid of it as soon as possible.¡±


    With Danan¡¯s order, former soldiers of the Merinard Kingdom and former adventurers cleaned up the Holy Kingdom soldiers¡¯ corpses around the fort. They seem to be gathering them in one place and burning them.


    Sylphy has been rubbing my back for a while now. Thank you, Sylphy.


    ¡°Oh, how do you burn the bodies you¡¯ve collected?¡±


    ¡°Burn them with magic. Then bury them in ashes.¡±


    Normally, they would try to identify the bodies as much as possible and at least keep the hair, but this time, many of them had been blown up by aerial bombs, so they couldn¡¯t do that.


    ¡°What about the prisoners?¡±


    ¡°About twenty. Some were fortunate enough to be unharmed or lightly wounded, some were unconscious, and a few surrendered when the battle turned into a melee. Most of those who survived the raid and moved around chose to resist and were killed. From the perspective of the devoted Adel worshippers, surrendering to a subhuman is unthinkable and disgraceful.¡±


    ¡°Seriously? Religion¡¯s terrible.¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡±


    But still, when it was all over, it was really quite disheartening. I think Harpy¡¯s aerial bombardment was too much of a punishment. It seems that there was hardly any battle at all. It is said that there were less than fifty men who could fight properly when they entered the fort.


    ¡°Kosuke, please repair the fort.¡±


    ¡°The enemy may still be lurking, so I¡¯ll be your escort.¡±


    Ms. Zamir stood beside me, carrying a shining mithril cross spear. I¡¯ve heard that she happily reamed out the soldiers of the Holy Kingdom army. Rather, more than ten of the fifty enemy soldiers disappeared in the presence of the mithril cross spear Meteor.


    ¡°It¡¯s a magnificent spear. It was wonderfully sharp.¡±


    Perhaps she noticed that I was looking at her Meteor; Ms. Zamir smiled at me. It scares me.


    In this way, we had taken a solid step toward the recapture of the Merinard Kingdom.

 CH 68

    It¡¯s Ko-Fi¡¯s Supporters¡¯ chapter (18/60), enjoy~


    ¡°We are not bandits. We are the liberation army working to liberate all the people controlled and oppressed by the Holy Kingdom. Therefore, we will not kill you who are not soldiers of the Holy Kingdom, and we will not unilaterally take your cargo. I hope you understand that first.¡±


    Melty smilingly explains our position to the leader of the Pence Trading Company ¨D the fat old man who just fainted. The three people at the negotiating table are the fat man, Melty, and Danan.


    Since Sylphy is a royal family member, it would be problematic for her to sit in on these negotiations with a single merchant. Therefore, she should be watching the situation from a distance.


    Me? Actually, I¡¯m sitting at the negotiation table too. I¡¯m just a normal human in appearance. So I was placed in this seat after removing the slave collar in the hope that I might be able to relieve the tension of the other party, even if only a little.


    ¡°U-um¡­ but, this cargo we¡¯re carrying is for supplies to the fort ahead¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, I understand. It¡¯s a fort on the territory border, right? We already occupy it, so the cargo won¡¯t have any place to go anyway.¡±


    ¡°Wha¡­!?¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t believe it? The fact that we¡¯re in this position is more than enough proof.¡±


    The fact that we¡¯re in this position proves it. If the Holy Kingdom army in the fort is still alive and well, there is no way we can relax in a place like this, right? And that¡¯s what Melty is saying.


    ¡°You have to see it with your own eyes to be convinced. Yes, I understand that. You don¡¯t have to worry about it because it will be taken care of. But for now, it¡¯s your load.¡±


    ¡°H-huh¡­¡±


    The merchant¡¯s uncle has become so confused that he¡¯s almost turning into a talking machine. Well, of course. If I were in his shoes, I¡¯d do the same. I mean, Danan is sitting in front of him, a very strong and stern man, and 400 soldiers surround him.


    It would be impossible to maintain a normal state of mind. At least, if I were in the old man¡¯s position, I couldn¡¯t.


    ¡°Unfortunately, we don¡¯t have a lot of money in circulation under the rule of the Holy Kingdom. So we would like to pay you with this.¡±


    With that said, Melty placed a small cloth bag on the desk, opened her mouth, and spread its contents out on the table. There was a hard clinking sound.


    ¡°These are precious gems polished by the elves of the Black Forest. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°T-this is¡­ Can I hold it with my hand?¡±


    ¡°Yes, feel free.¡±


    The merchant took out a handkerchief-like cloth from his pocket, picked up one of the large red gems, and began to look at it closely. The polished gem was made by an elven jeweler. The payment was a raw gem. Everyone was happy to polish the gems. Yes.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it nice?¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course. It is a fine item.¡±


    Then the two began to exchange arguments. The merchant¡¯s uncle seemed to recover his pace as he negotiated.


    ¡°This is the total price.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s too cheap. That¡¯s not enough.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s way too cheap. It¡¯s an elven item, you know? Give us more.¡±


    ¡°The gem is indeed of good quality and artistry, but there is no proof that it is an elven product. This is about right.¡±


    ¡°That would be the same for all gems. There should be no doubt about where we come from, right? If so, the origin of this item is obvious. That¡¯s about it. I don¡¯t think you should be too greedy. That is the final decision.¡±


    ¡°Ugh¡­ I understand.¡±


    In the end, Melty seemed to have pushed through. I wondered if eight polished elf gems for five carts worth of supplies was a fair price or not. I have no idea.


    ¡°Where should we take this stuff?¡±


    ¡°Right, we¡¯re heading to the fort on the western territory border.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to carry it there. You¡¯ll have to accompany us.¡±


    ¡°¡­Eh?¡±


    ¡°The fare will be charged.¡±


    Melty adds one more gem to the frozen expression of the merchant¡¯s uncle¡¯s hand. You can get a gem just for carrying it; that¡¯s a great deal! We¡¯re headed to a battlefield, though!


    ¡°O-oh¡­ I see, so you guys already have the west fort under control, huh?¡±


    The merchant¡¯s uncle smiled wryly as he said this, though he looked pale.


    ¡°No? We¡¯re going to conquer it now.¡±


    ¡°U-uh, how about us?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll follow us, okay?¡±


    Melty smiles. It¡¯s scary! I feel a strong will to kill if you refuse here!


    Ah, the merchant¡¯s uncle¡¯s face was beyond pale and turned grey¡­ and he glanced at his colleagues and guards, who all wore despairing expressions. That¡¯s right, that¡¯s what I would do if I were in their shoes.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll make sure you guys don¡¯t get caught up in the fighting.¡±


    She said with a smile, but I think that for them, standing on the battlefield with us would be fatal in itself. If the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army saw them, that would be a problem in itself, and if they saw them bringing in supplies after we had conquered the fort, that would be completely out of the question. There¡¯s an excellent chance they¡¯ll take it as an act of self-interest.


    ¡°You¡¯re Pence Trading Company, aren¡¯t you? We¡¯re counting on you. Let¡¯s be happy together with us¡­¡±


    And then Melty gave a most exquisite smile to them.


    ¡°So what¡¯s it all about?¡±


    ¡°I think it means that they¡¯re all in this together, and we can¡¯t let them get away with it.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, so that¡¯s it.¡±


    After the negotiations, we started marching again, and after gaining some distance, we decided to set up camp. We set up camp in the grasslands beside the road, and now it was time for dinner. Today¡¯s meal was barley porridge made with vegetables brought by the merchants we had met during the day and Gizma¡¯s meat that I had sneaked out so that they wouldn¡¯t find it.


    They also brought a large amount of salt, so there was plenty of salt in it. It was quite delicious. The merchant and his guards are eating the same thing, but the mood over there is like a funeral. I can understand why. Yeah.


    Melty will be serving drinks later, so they can drink today and forget about the pain.


    ¡°I think she¡¯s trying to use Pence Trading Company as a foothold to advertise our power.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. And maybe she¡¯s trying to use Pence Trading Company as a springboard.¡±


    ¡°Merchants have a lot of connections and a good ear, don¡¯t they?¡±


    Melty is probably aiming for Pence Trading Company¡¯s connections and information network. The one who was negotiating with Melty today was a mid-level manager at the Pence Trading Company¡¯s Miline branch in the city of Miline¡­ in other words, he was a section chief, a subsection chief, or a lead manager on-site.


    So Melty is trying to use him as a foothold to get into the Pence Trading Company.


    ¡°What is the size of the Pence Trading Company?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. But, I don¡¯t think a merchant company that delivers goods to the military is a weak small business.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. Normally, the most powerful local merchant association would be used.¡±


    Sylphy nodded to Isla¡¯s opinion.


    I see. Well, it¡¯s true that when they have branches across the city, it¡¯s a sure sign that it¡¯s a big company. Even in Japan, a store with branches in several cities has its own power, and I suppose it¡¯s not that different even if the world is different.


    ¡°Well, if we leave it to Melty, she¡¯ll do fine.¡±


    ¡°Is that what you want, Sylphy?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s the right person for the right job, Kosuke. I can do some things, but I don¡¯t think I can compete with Melty in that department.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. It¡¯s best to let her do what needs to be done.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    I decided not to think too much about this matter. If I poked around in the bushes, a snake might come out. And that snake is not a poisonous snake, but a giant snake that could swallow me whole. Yeah, let¡¯s not get involved. Knock on wood, knock on wood*.


    [T/n: It¡¯s the English phrase ¡°knock on wood¡± to prevent bad luck.]


    After meeting Miguel and the others from Pence Trading Company on the first day, we had no trouble getting to the west fort¡­ We made the first one as Alpha Fort¡­ so we¡¯ll make this one as Beta Fort. We arrived at Beta Fort.


    The closer we got to Beta Fort, the more pale Miguel and the others became, but when we got within striking distance, their complexions returned to normal. Their expressions seemed to be calm. I wondered if they had reached enlightenment. Or had they regained their composure? Maybe they¡¯ve gotten used to working with us for three days.


    ¡°So, this time we¡¯re not fighting at night; we¡¯re going in head-on?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to show them what we are capable of.¡±


    I muttered to myself as I watched the crossbow soldiers engaging the enemy on the defensive wall of Beta Fort in front of me, and Melty, who was also watching the battle, answered in a calm voice. Incidentally, beside him, the mid-level manager of the Pence Trading Company turned pale and trembled like a puppy.


    Approximately 200 soldiers are guarding Beta Fort. In contrast, we have a force of about 400. Suppose the difference in strength is twice as large. In that case, it is usually more advantageous for those who defend themselves by staying in the fort¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s one-sided.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    There was a very strong wind that kept blowing behind us. Because of this wind, the enemy¡¯s arrows can¡¯t reach us, and the bolts from our crossbows are flying fast and furious. The hit rate seems to be dropping, though.


    ¡°Is this also spirit magic?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Isn¡¯t it pretty good?¡±


    Sylphy looked proud of it. The spirit magic of Sylphy causes this huge wind that is blowing behind us. It seems that the spiritual power of the wind is strong in this area of the plains, and Sylphy says that it can keep blowing like this all day long. Spirit magic is impressive.


    ¡°They¡¯re hiding.¡±


    ¡°Well, if the attack can¡¯t reach them, then so be it.¡±


    If I were to be shot at from out of range, even I would stop fighting back and concentrate on defense. But that¡¯s a bad idea.


    The Harpies flew out from behind the left side of our formation, soaring into the sky at great speed under the influence of Sylphy¡¯s big wind. Then they dropped the bomb. There was a loud noise as if lightning had struck, and the walls and gates of the castle were half destroyed.


    ¡°Their aim was a little off, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s probably because of the wind. Look, the second bomb is falling.¡±


    ¡°Wow¡­ My God.¡±


    The first blast confirmed the location of the impact, and the second blast compensated for it, destroying the gate completely. Aside from the uncle, who is positioned at the right rear of the camp, how do the people of the Pence Trading Company feel as they watch this battle¡­ or rather one-sided overrun?


    ¡°The Holy Kingdom¡¯s army without mages is fragile.¡±


    ¡°Mage troops are the tiger cub of the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army, after all. It¡¯s unlikely that they are deployed in the rear territories.¡±


    ¡°How can there be none at all?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, if there are any, it is either in the capital or in the northeast near the mainland of the Holy Kingdom.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard of the Holy Kingdom¡¯s mage corps from time to time, but are they that strong?¡±


    To be honest, I¡¯ve never seen their magic itself, so even if someone told me about the tiger cub¡¯s mage corps, I wouldn¡¯t have much of an idea.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that the strength of each mage in the Holy Kingdom is not great, but I heard that there is a powerful magic called chorus magic in which multiple people chant the same magic, which is troublesome.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, yes. The magic power of each of them is less than a third of mine. I can take on up to five of them.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°But if ten people use chorus magic, my magic barrier will be broken, and I will be defeated. The other side¡¯s magic barriers will block my attacks, and I won¡¯t be able to defeat them.¡±


    ¡°In other words, the more people there are, the more vicious they become.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. The more this increases to fifty, one hundred, two hundred, the more powerful it becomes. And they will launch a series of wide-ranging destruction magic from within their powerful magic barriers.¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s like a moving fortress.¡±


    ¡°Right, a moving fortress. Let¡¯s see which one is stronger than my ability.¡±


    If they are a moving fortress, then I am also a moving fortress. My defensive abilities are probably second to none.


    While we were talking about this, the war situation was tilting more and more in our favor. Our elite troops rushed into Beta Fort, whose defensive capabilities had been temporarily paralyzed by the bombing of its walls and gates.


    Few arrows were fired to intercept them, and the Beta Fort allowed two hundred elite troops to enter. The enemy had just been beaten to a pulp in a one-sided battle of arrows and then bombed. For a while, the sound of metal clashing against metal, shouting, and screaming continued to echo. Eventually, it ended, and a battle cry was raised.


    The flag of the Merinard Kingdom was raised above the defensive wall, as the gates¡­ had been completely destroyed.


    ¡°Another victory, huh?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, well deserved.¡±


    Sylphy muttered with deep emotion, and Isla nodded with a natural look. At the same time, I was feeling indescribable. A lot of people died again today because of the weapons and bombs I made. Sylphy and the others seemed to be proud of me, but as a person who had been educated to respect peace as a matter of course in Japan, I had some thoughts.


    However, living and dying is a fact of life on the battlefield. These days, I try to think that the Liberation Army soldiers did not die because of the weapons I made. I¡¯m sorry for the soldiers of the Holy Kingdom, though.


    ¡°Once the cleanup is done, we¡¯ll go inside. Prepare yourself, Kosuke.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Because I might go hoek again, right? I understand. The uncle of the trading company, do your best and stop trembling, too, okay?

 CH 69

    It¡¯s Ko-Fi¡¯s Supporters¡¯ chapter (19/60), enjoy~


    ¡°Hoeeeeeeek!¡±


    ¡°Uncle, that¡¯s disgusting.¡±


    ¡°Please spare me¡­ hoeekk¡­¡±


    The inside of the Beta Fort was still, or should I say, very splattered. Human parts are splattered here and there, and the smell of blood and guts fills the air. I think only people who are used to rough stuff like this would be able to handle the smell. In other words, it¡¯s a hard scene for me and the merchants as ordinary people. Even the guards look pale.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry if this was a little harsh. But no one wants to be like that, right?¡±


    Melty smiles at the merchant¡¯s uncle as she says this. The scene on her back is incredibly horrifying. It is a violent horror, colored with blood, violence, and smiles. She¡¯s totally trying to scare him, right?


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The enemy we should defeat is the Holy Kingdom and its army, not merchants and civilians like you.¡±


    ¡°Y-yes.¡±


    ¡°Of course, if you continue to support the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army to the fullest extent, civilians may not be limited to that.¡±


    ¡°Hyiee¡­¡±


    I turned away from Melty, who was like a cat shaking a captured rat and immersed myself in cleaning and maintenance work in the fort. Unfortunately, there was nothing I could do about it, though it would make a hole in the merchant¡¯s stomach. There¡¯s nothing I can do. Good luck, Uncle.


    This time, the damage inside the fort seemed to be worse than last time. I guess it¡¯s because the aerial bombardment was swept away by the strong winds of spirit magic and fell inside the fort. Either way, though, it won¡¯t make much difference since we¡¯ll be clearing the land, and I¡¯ll be rebuilding the structures.


    As I walked around dismantling the half-destroyed structure, I saw bodies draped with cloth and Liberation Army soldiers gathered around them.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re war casualties. Some knights were quite skilled¡­¡±


    ¡°We lost three people.¡±


    The quality of the soldiers in the Liberation Army, which is made up of sub-human soldiers with superior physical abilities, is higher than that of the soldiers in the Holy Kingdom Army, which is basically made up of ordinary humans. In particular, the difference is more pronounced in hand-to-hand combat.


    However, in the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army, or rather among humans, some possess more magic power than normal humans.


    It¡¯s not as if they can use magic as a mage, but those who have a lot of magic power unconsciously use it to strengthen their physical abilities, and they can sometimes display combat abilities that exceed those of ordinary subhumans.


    And in the army of the Holy Kingdom, those who have been blessed by the gods are taken up as holy knights and saints. This time, it seems, there was a man who survived the bombing, and he killed three Liberation Army soldiers.


    ¡°If it weren¡¯t for Zamir-sama, we would have been struck even harder.¡±


    ¡°But if it were up to Zamir-sama, she would have killed him instantly.¡±


    It is said that the holy knight or saint was killed by Ms. Zamir in two strikes. She used flowing movements to block the attack and then thrust the mithril jumonji spear, Meteor, into the face. Ms Zamir is amazing¡­


    So the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army was shaken up by the fact that their most skilled soldier had been killed, and the Liberation Army pushed in and overran them unilaterally after that.


    ¡°Our army is overwhelming, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yes. So far, we¡¯ve been able to create a favorable situation for ourselves and draw the enemy into it.¡±


    ¡°Well, yes. There are no factors to lose at the moment. Especially the Harpies, they are the key to our success.¡±


    It¡¯s great that the Harpies¡¯ eyes can detect the enemy¡¯s information ahead of time, and they can exchange information with the Golem communicator. And the power of their aerial bombardment is vicious. If it weren¡¯t for the Harpies, it wouldn¡¯t be so easy.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a matter of how far we can go before the Harpies take action.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that easy to deal with, is it?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, it should be. But I don¡¯t know. There are geniuses among humans, too.¡±


    That¡¯s true, too. There is no possibility that a revolutionary countermeasure against the Harpies will suddenly be devised. We can¡¯t be too careless when I think about it.


    After delivering the supplies for the wagons to Fort Beta, the merchants were released. They left Fort Beta as if they were running away. Since Melty had threatened them so much, I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be very vocal about how dangerous it is to antagonize our liberation army.


    As for the Holy Kingdom army prisoners, after treating them and disarming them, we decided to release them with a minimum of water and food. At the same time, they were given a letter of notification from the liberation army.


    I didn¡¯t have a chance to look at the contents in detail, but it¡¯s a recommendation to the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army to leave the country ¨D in other words, it¡¯s almost like a declaration of war.


    It said that the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army should leave the Merinard Kingdom and free the Merinard people. It¡¯s the same kind of thing as the sign we put up in front of the temporary fort.


    ¡°Will it be all right? Won¡¯t the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army come pouring in at once?¡±


    Danan shook his head as if to dismiss my concern.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think they can afford that. If the fortress on the border of the other territory is dropped, the losses incurred for the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army will exceed 7000. This is probably close to half of the Holy Kingdom troops stationed in the Merinard Kingdom. The only thing they can do is to send a request for support to the home country and then fortify their defenses.¡±


    ¡°So we can expand our territory as much as we want?¡±


    ¡°There are limits, though. If we take a city, we¡¯ll have to devote troops to maintain it. Our numbers are small, after all.¡±


    ¡°I see. That will be the problem in the end.¡±


    In order to maintain the fortress and the city, soldiers must be devoted to the maintenance of the city. We can¡¯t just get rid of the Holy Kingdom army and be satisfied afterward.


    Among the city residents, there would be enthusiastic supporters of the Holy Kingdom and the Adel religion, as well as the families of the soldiers. These people are potential anti-Merinard and anti-liberation forces, so we have to be prepared to deal with them if they get violent.


    ¡°We also need to increase the number of supporters¡­ It¡¯s going to be a tough job.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to think that the original Merinard citizens would be supportive, though¡­¡±


    Twenty years have already passed since the country was made a vassal state. Many people have already left this world, and of course, some have been born in the Merinard Kingdom, which belongs to the Holy Kingdom.


    Twenty years is a long time. There might be some people who would accuse Sylphy, saying that the daughter of a royal family was doing nothing and just hiding in the Black Forest.


    In reality, Sylphy probably wasn¡¯t hiding in the Black Forest for so long, and she was probably just a child twenty years ago, so I don¡¯t think she deserves the blame, but I don¡¯t know if the people who have been oppressed for twenty years would feel the same way I do.


    Anyway, the control of Beta Fort is over, and the process after this is the same as that of Alpha Fort. Collect the corpses, incinerate them, and repair the fort so that it can be used. The only difference was that there was a funeral for the deceased soldiers of the Liberation Army.


    ¡°Is this the funeral of the Merinard Kingdom?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s more like a warrior¡¯s funeral on the battlefield.¡±


    My question was answered by Sylphy. How can I describe their funeral¡­? Well, I guess it¡¯s cremation.


    Unlike the incineration of the corpses of the soldiers of the Holy Kingdom, the body is placed on a kind of bed made of straw and logs, and offerings of wine, food, flowers, weapons, and a small amount of money, and after praying for the repose of the soul, the offerings are burned.


    ¡°It is said that the dead who are sent in this way will reach Omicle and begin a new life there.¡±


    Isla said, pointing to a giant planet in the sky. It¡¯s an earth-shaped planet that takes up about 30% of the sky.


    ¡°So that planet is the afterlife for the people of this world?¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    As she looked at the blazing flames and rising smoke, Isla nodded. The Harpies sang a funeral song. The Lamia played an improvised drum. The Beastmen clapped their hands and played body percussion to create a unique rhythm. I was overwhelmed by the scene.


    It looked very primitive, but it was very overwhelming. It even felt solemn. I felt something that appealed to my instincts. It was something completely different from just wearing mourning clothes and listening to scripture that I couldn¡¯t understand.


    The fire eventually died out, and only ashes remained. The weapons and the bones of the corpse that had been offered along with the fire were also buried in the ashes, and there was not a shadow of them to be seen. Hmm? Can iron weapons and bones be reduced to ashes by the flames of a bonfire?


    I wonder if this ritual might have really sent them to Omicle, that planet in the sky.


    ¡°What do you do when the funeral is over?¡±


    ¡°Banquet.¡±


    ¡°We eat and drink and mourn for the dead.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s not so different from my place.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I guess the customs of similar people, or even races, don¡¯t change that much in a different world.¡±


    ¡°Yes, there are some idioms with similar meanings.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, interesting.¡±


    While talking about this, we entered the banquet. We¡¯re having a special all-you-can-eat steak dinner today! There will be alcohol! And there¡¯s still plenty of Gizma meat left to use!


    The day after the fort was conquered and the funeral was held, it was decided that we would take the day off to rest. This was decided because they were probably tired from the march and the attack on the fort. Some of the Liberation Army soldiers are still training. Are you guys okay? You just walked around and shot a few crossbows, so you¡¯re okay? I hope so.


    There are less than half a dozen Liberation Army soldiers who seem to be training¡­ No, that¡¯s a lot, huh? Not even half of them, but more than 30% of them are training, right? Seriously¡­ As for me? Well, whatever.


    ¡°Here, Kosuke-san. Aahn.¡±


    ¡°Aahn¡­ Yeah, delicious.¡±


    ¡°Aahn.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah. Here.¡±


    ¡°Mmm, delicious.¡±


    ¡°M-me too, Danna-sama, aahhn.¡±


    ¡°I want to feed you, too.¡±


    And like this, I¡¯m spending time with Isla and the Harpies. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a very worthwhile rest? I think it¡¯s the best. I can feel my heart being healed after watching the battle.


    Sylphy, unfortunately, is in a meeting with Danan and Melty. She¡¯s working hard, and when she comes back, I¡¯m going to spoil her to the fullest ¡ª just the two of us. I¡¯ve already talked about this with Isla and the Harpies. And that¡¯s why we¡¯re doing this while we can.


    It¡¯s so fun to be flirted with by everyone! I don¡¯t even care about my old world anymore.


    I wonder what it¡¯s really like. I wonder how I¡¯m being treated in the original world? Did I actually die suddenly? Or have I mysteriously disappeared? Or am I supposed to have never existed in the first place? If I had to pick one, I¡¯d say the third state is the most preferable. That way, no one will be sad. I don¡¯t have any siblings or parents, but I do have a few close friends. If I were to be treated as dead or missing, I might have caused them some trouble. That¡¯s my only regret.


    ¡°Kosuke?¡±


    ¡°Hmm? What is it?¡±


    ¡°You looked kind of sad. What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Do I look sad? I was thinking about the world back home.¡±


    Isla and the Harpies¡¯ expressions clouded over at my words.


    ¡°Do you want to go back?¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t really think so. Everyone is always with me, and I never feel lonely.¡±


    If anything, Sylphy was always there for me.


    ¡°Kosuke-san¡­¡±


    ¡°Eehheh, we¡¯ll take care of you so much that you won¡¯t even have time to be lonely.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. We¡¯re a family now. Don¡¯t be shy to ask for attention, Danna-san.¡±


    Isla and the Harpies clung to me tightly and stroked me with their wings. Hmm, I think I¡¯d be good for nothing if I were pampered like this. But it¡¯s a man¡¯s nature to lose himself in a woman, isn¡¯t it? I¡¯ll be careful not to do that, though.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    One of the Harpies raised her voice and turned her gaze towards the door.


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    There was Sylphy with a tearful face, and long ears pointed up. She was sad because she felt like she was left out. We all had a very, very hard time comforting her.


    ¡°K-Kosuke is mine, you know.¡±


    I stroked her head as she hugged me, tears streaming down her face.


    ¡°Hmm, I know. We¡¯re just sharing a little.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. We all know that.¡±


    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±


    After a while, she came to her senses and wrapped herself in a blanket in the corner of the room, and turned into a caterpillar in embarrassment. I¡¯ll mention again that I had a hard time comforting her.


    ¡°You¡¯re pretty, Sylphy.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness, you are so lovely.¡±


    ¡°Stop it!¡±


    ¡°Fufu, don¡¯t tease her too much, or she¡¯ll turn into a caterpillar again.¡±


    I agree with you all, but don¡¯t do it again. She will really turn into a caterpillar again.

 CH 70

    It¡¯s Ko-Fi¡¯s Supporters¡¯ chapter (20/60), enjoy~


    After a day of rest, we decided to leave Fort Beta, leaving a defensive force there as well. Gerda stayed behind to help organize it.


    ¡°I¡¯ll call you if anything happens, so please be there to help.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll leave this to you.¡±


    ¡°Take care.¡±


    We left 100 crossbowmen, 20 heavy infantry, half of which were heavy infantry, and five from the Harpy Air Force at Fort Beta, and we headed for Fort Alpha. With this, our strength in the main force is now about 380 strong. There were some casualties in the last battle, so the number was a little less.


    ¡°We still need more men.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the problem. We can only hope that time will solve this problem.¡±


    In order to control and maintain the base, it is necessary to have more troops. No matter how overwhelming the power to defeat the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army and drive them out of their forts and towns, it will not matter much if there are not enough people to control the forts and stare down the surrounding areas effectively.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got our hands full just occupying the forts currently.¡±


    ¡°As for the ability to maintain security in the surrounding areas¡­¡±


    ¡°We have captured a good number of warhorses in the past battles. We¡¯re going to put together a patrol unit to help maintain security.¡±


    There was no mention of cavalry. Well, I heard that cavalry takes a long time to train. Considering our current situation, the best we can do is simply use the horses as our legs and dismount to fight when the time comes.


    We don¡¯t have the luxury of raising cavalry now, especially in terms of time. There should be no shortage of fodder for the horses, though. We can grow as many crops and grass as we want.


    As we discussed what we would do after taking over the three forts on the territory border, we headed for Fort Alpha.


    At the moment, we had two main plans.


    The first was to continue to conquer the surrounding forts and expand our control area as much as possible. The merit of this policy is that by recovering the territory of the Merinard Kingdom, we will be able to increase our influence with the people of the former Merinard Kingdom and gain the fields, roads, and cities that have already been developed.


    The downside is that there will be a strong backlash from the new Merinard citizens who were born outside and moved into the Merinard Kingdom after it was turned into a dependency.


    ¡°As for me, I don¡¯t want to take a policy of oppressing the new Merinard citizens.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true, but that would not satisfy the old Merinard citizens.¡±


    ¡°I suppose so. That¡¯s what I think, too.¡±


    We will restore the old territory and free the old Merinard citizens. And make those who made their fortune by treating subhumans like slaves pay a reasonable price. I think it¡¯s a necessary process.


    ¡°It¡¯s been twenty years. If we do it right, most of the new Merinard citizens will go bankrupt.¡±


    ¡°Many of them will fall into slavery because their private property will be confiscated.¡±


    ¡°Can you run a healthy nation in such a state? I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    ¡°Obviously not. We¡¯ll just have to find the right balance.¡±


    ¡°In other words, you¡¯re throwing the whole thing at me, aren¡¯t you? I understand.¡±


    Danan¡¯s face twitches as Melty smiles at him. It¡¯s hard for an ex-knight with a hundred years of experience in the field to maintain a level head in the face of Melty¡¯s dark smile.


    ¡°The other plan seems more realistic. Although it will put a strain on Kosuke.¡±


    ¡°Well, if you want me to do it, I will.¡±


    The other plan is to maintain the three fortresses on the territory¡¯s border, keep the surrounding towns and mines under control, and aim to expand the power of the former Merinard citizens by gathering them. At the same time, we will open up a new land by cultivating the Great Omit Wilderness. This is a solid move anyway.


    ¡°In fact, even if we were to expand our power to the limit, we wouldn¡¯t have enough troops to control it, would we?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. There will still be people who want to regain power in the main base and frontline bases and join the liberation army, but there should only be 300 more at best. In addition to maintaining security, it would be difficult to expand our forces any further if we wanted to have enough troops to deal with the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s important to decide on the final landing point.¡±


    ¡°Although it is still the ultimate goal to reclaim all of the Merinard Kingdom territories.¡±


    Even though she said this, Sylphy looked as if she was having difficulty. In fact, reclaiming a territory that has been effectively controlled for twenty years is no small feat. The reason why the Holy Kingdom was able to do it was because their country had such a large population.


    Although we are winning well, we are only a weak force of fewer than 1500 people.


    ¡°In the end, we¡¯ll run into the problem of not having enough people.¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped, you know.¡±


    It¡¯s not only Sylphy but also Danan, and Melty smiled bitterly. It¡¯s a weak point for us.


    ¡°We have to try to expand our power based on the three forts on the territory border for a while.¡±


    All of us nodded at Sylphy¡¯s words. But first, we have to take down the third fort. After Alpha and Beta, I guess Gamma is next. I wonder what will happen to the battle for Gamma.


    After taking three days to reach Fort Alpha, we took another day off to rest and started moving toward Fort Gamma. The army consisted of 20 heavy infantry led by Danan, 59 light infantry, 100 crossbowmen, 98 rangers including Shumer, five riflemen including Jagira, five harpy air force, five mages including Isla, three civil officers including Melty, and myself, Sylphy, and Ms. Zamir.


    The number of light infantry and rangers had been reduced because of the casualties from the previous battle. We want to fight with as few casualties as possible.


    ¡°I¡¯m a little worried that Harpy¡¯s support will be thin.¡±


    ¡°I think we¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    We¡¯ve deployed five Harpy air force members in each of the Alpha and Beta forts, so we only have Pirna and five others as our direct cover. If the Alpha and Beta forts are attacked, the Harpies can fly over the distance of three days on foot in about two hours, and if they can withstand the attack for two hours, five reinforcements can be flown in.


    With the bombing support of ten Harpy air forces, they should be able to repel the attack unless the enemy numbers are more than ten thousand. We¡¯ve also deployed a considerable amount of aerial bombs to both Alpha and Beta forts. If they lose and are captured, we¡¯ll be in trouble, but I¡¯ve heard that Beastman soldiers can normally use large grenades of that weight.


    If the need arises, they can be thrown from the top of the fort¡¯s defensive wall, so they should be fine. We have not only crossbows but also regular grenades, so I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll lose much.


    We walked for three days. This time, we didn¡¯t run into anyone on the way and reached Fort Gamma smoothly. Well, it¡¯s the Great Omit Wilderness ahead, and according to the prisoners, no one has come near this area since Gizma¡¯s big attack. I guess it¡¯s no surprise.


    ¡°What kind of strategy are we going to use this time?¡±


    ¡°For now, we¡¯ll start with a firefight as usual. We¡¯ll attack them unilaterally to reduce their numbers.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to take any risks, right?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s right.¡±


    We arrived at Fort Gamma while the sun was still high in the sky, quickly established a position, and entered the firing battle. Again, it¡¯s a one-sided situation, as Sylphy is using spirit magic.


    ¡°Kosuke, this time we¡¯re going to fight too.¡±


    Jagira, holding a bolt-action rifle with a quadruple scope, appears in front of me with four of her subordinates. We¡¯ve been saving them for the battle of Alpha and Beta Forts. If I don¡¯t let them fight here, they¡¯ll be dissatisfied.


    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s do that. Aim for the ones that look like commanders and the ones that look like junior officers giving orders to the others.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    Our second primary unit, the riflemen, scattered around the fort. Then, thunderous gunfire began to echo from everywhere. At the same time, enemy soldiers began to bleed on the walls.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t the riflemen supposed to operate in close groups?¡±


    ¡±We¡¯re not putting up a barrage, so there¡¯s no point in being too close together.¡±


    In fact, it is better to disperse and take the line of fire from various positions than to concentrate all together. This is even better than a bow because it can attack from a much greater distance.


    Unlike the crossbow, which is an extension of the bow at a glance, it is difficult to understand what a bolt-action rifle is actually doing when you see it firing. The first time they see it, they won¡¯t be able to relate the gun¡¯s firing to the death and injury caused by it. I¡¯m sure the soldiers of the Holy Kingdom who are being shot at will be confused as to what¡¯s going on.


    ¡°How many enemy soldiers are there?¡±


    ¡°I heard less than three hundred.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I wonder if they¡¯ll surrender.¡±


    It¡¯s impossible to defeat all three hundred of them in a firefight alone. There¡¯s nothing we can do if they¡¯re holed up in the fort. So, eventually, we have to get into the fort and finish them off with hand-to-hand combat¡­


    ¡°They¡¯re shutting themselves inside.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t do anything about it. It¡¯s natural to think that we don¡¯t have any siege weapons at first glance, and if we can¡¯t win in a firefight, it¡¯s common sense to siege.¡±


    And if that¡¯s the case, we know what we¡¯re going to do. It¡¯s a bit of a pattern, but the Harpies are going to start aerial bombardment. There were only five of them this time, so they would have to go out again and again.


    ¡°Bombing is so fun!¡±


    This is it. No, you guys. It¡¯s not fun to make mincemeat out of a few to a dozen people with one of those bombs¡­ No, I guess it¡¯s okay. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s much better than being negative like me.


    ¡°They¡¯re settling a long-standing grudge. Leave them alone.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. In the Holy Kingdom, the more different they look from humans, the more harshly they oppress them. Harpy, Lamia, and Lizardmen are among the most severe. Even the One-Eyed race, like me, had a pretty bad time.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    Revenge. I am not going to say that revenge is vain or useless. Sure, there¡¯s nothing left behind, but at least it clears your mind and makes you feel better. I think it¡¯s important to feel refreshed, yes.


    But I don¡¯t think it¡¯s right to enjoy killing people. It¡¯s dangerous to find pleasure in killing an unspecified number of revengeful people from the Holy Kingdom. Revenge has to end somewhere. I guess that wouldn¡¯t be such a problem if you knew exactly who you were getting revenge on¡­ It¡¯s complicated.


    I¡¯ve never been in a situation where I wanted to kill someone, and maybe my idea is just a beautiful fantasy.


    ¡°You¡¯re making a difficult face.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking a lot about it¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm, but don¡¯t think about it too much right now. It¡¯s dangerous.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    We¡¯re in the middle of a battle, after all.


    The commander of Fort Gamma, who had been heavily bombarded by the Harpy, offered to surrender before our infantry could move in. This is a development we¡¯ve never seen before.


    ¡°I guess that¡¯s because he didn¡¯t die in the bombing.¡±


    ¡°Oh, the bombs have killed commanders before?¡±


    ¡°Maybe so.¡±


    If the person who can decide to surrender is dying in the bombing, then they can¡¯t surrender and has to fight. Maybe because there were only five Harpies in the air this time, there was not enough firepower.


    The surrendered soldiers of the Holy Kingdom army are currently being disarmed. The Mage Corps is also inside, treating the seriously wounded. There are no casualties on our side. A few people were injured by arrows that broke through the strong winds of spirit magic, but all of them were lightly wounded.


    ¡°The enemy commander was lucky that he wasn¡¯t in command on the defensive wall.¡±


    ¡°If he had been, the riflemen would have killed him.¡±


    The results of the riflemen¡¯s battle were spectacular. In the short time, they made the enemy retreat into the fort; they had defeated less than fifty soldiers of the Holy Kingdom army. They are indeed impressive.


    ¡°It was over before we shot the second clip¡­ We didn¡¯t shoot enough at all.¡±


    They were not happy. No, the five of them did less than ten rounds of fire and inflicted less than 50 casualties; what kind of hit rate is that? That¡¯s almost one shot one kill.


    If they were placed in the right defensive positions, five of them could finish off more than a hundred opponents, couldn¡¯t they?


    ¡°Looks like you¡¯re done disarming. Let¡¯s see what the enemy commander looks like, shall we?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t really want to meet him.¡±


    Just because I am a human who works with Sylphy and the others, they might say something about me. From my perspective, it was them who were doing subhumans oppression with their human supremacy policy.


    When we entered the fort, the situation was better than the previous two forts. At least there were no blown-off limbs or pieces of flesh scattered everywhere in sight. There were some bloodstains here and there, though.


    ¡°Your Highness, the commander of this fort, is in here.¡±


    ¡°I see. Then¡­¡±


    ¡°Kosuke shouldn¡¯t see him.¡±


    We were about to enter the building where the commander was supposed to be when Isla stopped me.


    ¡°Kosuke is different from the rest of our group. He may be the key to our ability to use weapons and tactics that we have never used before.¡±


    ¡°¡­I see. That¡¯s true, too.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. From a security point of view, it¡¯s best to keep Kosuke¡¯s presence unknown to the Holy Kingdom¡¯s military.¡±


    Isla¡¯s opinion was right, and I was assigned the task of looting¡­ or rather managing the supplies in the warehouse without meeting the enemy commander. Once the supplies in the warehouse are put into my inventory, I can list them.


    I can make a list just by counting the number of items I have in my inventory. If I rearrange the things in the warehouse, I can organize the warehouse and check the contents of my inventory. It can kill three birds with one stone.


    ¡°It¡¯s really useful, that ability. Although I don¡¯t envy you.¡±


    ¡°This ability has made Melty take notice of me and sometimes puts me to a great deal of work.¡±


    As Melty was present at the meeting with the commander, the two civil servants who accompanied her to the fort were in charge of organizing and listing the warehouse. There are also a few civil servants left at Alpha and Beta forts which are managing the daily supplies.


    ¡°This fort has a lot of supplies. It may be that this fort has just received supplies.¡±


    ¡°Erichburg is nearby, so they must be getting supplies from there.¡±


    ¡°Is there a town called Erichburg?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It is a major transportation point for this whole area. The roads to the neighboring villages and towns are concentrated there.¡±


    ¡°Well, then I guess our immediate goal is to conquer this town.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. If we want to use a road that is suitable for moving a large army, we have no choice but to go through Erichburg.¡±


    I listened to them talk about the geography of the area and the area¡¯s specialties and went about organizing the warehouse. It was a bit amusing to see Melty, who had returned after the meeting, give a shocked look to the two civil servants¡¯ girls who had somehow got along with me.

 CH 71

    Here¡¯s the chapter, enjoy~


    Having taken control of the three forts and secured a bridgehead to strengthen our influence over the Merinard Kingdom, we decided to concentrate on gaining a foothold. To tell the truth, Danan wanted to go as far as securing Erichburg, but no matter what he thought, we didn¡¯t have enough troops to maintain control over the city of Erichburg and its surroundings.


    ¡°I guess we can only think of it as good fortune for now that we were able to secure a fort on the territory border.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing to be pessimistic about, you know. The fact that we have seized these three forts also means that we have completely secured control of the Great Omit Wilderness. The rest is up to you, Kosuke.¡±


    ¡°Up to me¡­?¡±


    That means I¡¯ll have to make full use of my abilities to create an environment where people can live in the barren wilderness, right? It¡¯s really a painstaking job.


    ¡°For the time being, I think we should proceed with the fortification of the three forts on the territory border.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ but we should also proceed with the development of new settlements.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s still too much room for more forts, isn¡¯t there?¡±


    ¡°As soon as word spreads throughout the Merinard Kingdom that we have taken down the fort at the territory¡¯s border, the number of people will increase. If we don¡¯t have enough when the time comes, it¡¯s no longer worth talking about.¡±


    ¡°With Kosuke¡¯s ability, the establishment of the settlement will be finished in an instant. It should be enough time to set up the settlement. The first priority is to fortify the forts in order to fully protect the settlement. No matter how many settlements we build, if the fort is overtaken, it will just be destroyed.¡±


    Danan and Melty were exchanging opinions about the future course of action.


    For now, they have agreed to maintain the current situation and consolidate our foothold. However, they are still debating what direction to take to consolidate our foothold. If Sylphy were to interfere, the plan would be decided, so for the time being; she seemed to be ready to stand idly by. Isla is out of her seat to treat the wounded soldiers of the Holy Kingdom army.


    Regardless of which plan is adopted by Melty or Danan, I¡¯m destined to be used. I¡¯ll give up on that. I¡¯m not going to complain as long as I get some time to rest.


    ¡°Where are we going to build a new settlement, anyway? Haven¡¯t you even chosen a location yet?¡±


    ¡°No problem at all. The search around the main base is in progress. We¡¯ve already selected a possible location.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m interested in that, too. Can you tell me about it?¡±


    Sylphy, who had been watching the conversation between Danan and Melty, asked. I¡¯m curious too.


    ¡°Yes, there are some rocky mountains a short distance away from the main base, and according to my research, it seems that good quality stone and ore can be collected.¡±


    ¡°I see, so we can expect to produce materials. What else?¡±


    ¡°The search has revealed another vein hole, a collection of veins in the ground. If we can duplicate the warding device to keep out monsters, we can increase the number of safe settlements like the main base.¡±


    Oh, a new vein hole. I¡¯m pretty sure that a vein hole is a kind of power spot that can draw an inexhaustible supply of magic power from the ground to power a magic tool. The main base is benefiting from this, and magic tools that are powered by magic power can be used as much as you want. It¡¯s definitely a useful thing.


    ¡°I see¡­ Kosuke, what is the status of your stockpile of materials?¡±


    ¡°Stone is fine, but clay and wood are running low. Whether it¡¯s fortifying forts or developing new settlements, I¡¯m a little short on supplies.¡±


    Clay can be found in the Great Omit Wilderness, but wood cannot be found there. We can¡¯t just ship it in from the Black Forest; we need to replenish it.


    ¡°Shall we cut down the trees in the forest around here?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Let us go into the forest with a scouting party and cut down some trees while we¡¯re at it.¡±


    The forest is also within sight of Fort Gamma. So far, we¡¯re completely out of the Great Omit Wilderness, and the vegetation is lush. Even after all this time, I¡¯m still worried about whether it¡¯s really safe to stay in the Great Omit Wilderness for a long time.


    ¡°This time, I¡¯m going to follow Danan¡¯s plan. The first thing we need to do is to strengthen the fortifications on the territory border. We can¡¯t afford to have the fort taken back by a counterattack. As Danan said, there is still the main base, but the frontline base¡­ is no longer the frontline. Well, at any rate, there is still room in the frontline base to receive personnel. Securing a settlement will not be an urgent issue.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness¡­¡±


    ¡°I understand what Melty is trying to say. It is also important to build more settlements. But for now, we can¡¯t afford to lose and have our fort taken away at any cost. Since we don¡¯t have many men, we want to reduce the risk of losing them.¡±


    ¡°Very well.¡±


    Melty also seemed to be convinced by what Sylphy had to say.


    ¡°So, let¡¯s move in that direction. Melty, use the golem communication device to contact the main base and gather supplies and personnel to the front. Danan, deploy the personnel and plan the fortifications. Make sure Kosuke is ready to proceed with the work as quickly as possible.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    ¡°As you wish.¡±


    Each of them begins to move. I have to go out and cut some trees¡­ I¡¯ll need Ms. Zamir to escort me.


    ¡°Gyoogegege!¡±


    ¡°Gyoogogogo!!¡±


    ¡°What the hell is that?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s Goblins.¡±


    I left Fort Gamma with Ms. Zamir and the Liberation Army soldiers, and we spent about an hour and a half scouting the nearby forest while cutting down trees. About an hour and a half later, we found ourselves surrounded by green-skinned, disgusting life forms. So this is the goblin that is vying with the slime for the nickname of ¡°the worst of the worst¡± in the fantasy world. I see.


    They have ugly faces that don¡¯t seem to have any intelligence, small bodies with green skin, deafening voices, and some of them don¡¯t even have loincloths to cover their crotches. Hide your shoddy things, you bastard. Don¡¯t just let it sway around like that.


    ¡°Ms. Zamir, do these creatures even understand what we are saying to them?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a saying; it¡¯s like trying to talk to a Goblin.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that mean?¡±


    ¡°It means it doesn¡¯t make any sense.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    It¡¯s useless to expect a dialogue. Well, that¡¯s what it looks like.


    ¡°I won¡¯t let them touch you, Kosuke-dono. So you can rest assured.¡±


    ¡°Aiyo.¡±


    I took out my Goatsfoot crossbow from my inventory and started shooting at the Goblins as I watched Ms. Zamir charge into the crowd of Goblins with her Meteor at the ready. It¡¯s powerful enough to smash through Gizma¡¯s armor. It seems that Goblins with no armor can¡¯t even stand a chance.


    ¡°Oryaaaaa!¡±


    ¡°Gyoogoge!¡±


    ¡°Gyowaaahh!¡±


    Ms. Zamir, who plunged into the crowd of Goblins, swung her silver crossed spear and chopped off the heads of the Goblins, tore their bodies in half, and pierced their brains with the blade. Sometimes she would even use her spear blade to pierce the throats of the Goblins that were attacking her, and she would go on a rampage.


    ¡°I guess we¡¯ll just have to leave Ms. Zamir alone now.¡±


    I muttered as I shot a bolt into the back of a Goblin that turned its back and tried to flee. I guess that¡¯s what you call the lion¡¯s share of the action.


    In the end, the battle was over in less than five minutes. There seemed to be about thirty Goblins. We were a party of five, myself, Ms. Zamir, and three light infantrymen, so did they think they could get away with it if they surrounded us with six times as many? I guess that¡¯s what they thought.


    The result was a literal annihilation without being able to escape. Pathetic.


    ¡°Weak.¡±


    ¡°Compared to Gizma, they¡¯re just small fries. However, they¡¯re still a bit clever, so we can¡¯t lose our guard.¡±


    ¡°I see. It¡¯s true that if they get together and beat us up, we¡¯ll be in danger.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not uncommon for a novice adventurer to be killed by Goblins because they underestimated them.¡±


    And then they get turned into Goblin nurseries; I get it. I don¡¯t know if Goblins in this world are like that or not. I don¡¯t even want to hear about it much!


    I stored the Goblin corpses in my inventory in case they could be used for something and continued to cut down the trees. The trees around here seem to be a lot thinner than in the Black Forest. I guess you could say that their vitality is different. Well, it¡¯s all the same once you cut them down, though.


    ¡°It¡¯s a strange power to see again and again.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s useful, so it¡¯s okay. It¡¯s best just to accept it and use it without worrying about it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    We proceeded through the forest, cutting down trees with scone after scone. I can¡¯t shave the whole tree, so I have to be moderate. It¡¯s like thinning a tree. I don¡¯t have the expertise, so I¡¯m just doing it.


    ¡°Compared to the Great Omit Wilderness, this area is safe, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°The Great Omit Wilderness is just too dangerous. The depths of the Black Forest are even more dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Come to think of it; I think I¡¯ve only been to the shallow parts of the Black Forest.¡±


    ¡°They say there are Dragons in the depths.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s scary.¡±


    But I want to see them. Because Dragons are Dragons, you know. For a boy, they are just like beetles and stag beetles.


    But Dragons*, or Dragons? Is there anything that can be done about Dragons with my current equipment? Would it work if I made some anti-tank grenades? A bolt-action rifle is not going to help.


    [T/n: He said Ryu at the first one and Doragon at the second one.]


    I want to get an anti-material rifle, or at least a heavy machine gun. I think if I put a bunch of .50 cal into it, I can kill it. But how hard are Dragon scales?


    ¡°Are you planning to defeat the Dragon?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re sharp.¡±


    ¡°There are two reactions to the mention of Dragons. The first is to forget about it and not even think of approaching it, and the second is to think of what they would do if they met one. I didn¡¯t see any fear on Kosuke-dono¡¯s face, and it looked like you were thinking about something. So, have you come up with a way to defeat it?¡±


    ¡°No, not at the moment. However, I can think of a few weapons that might work. Can you hurt a Dragon with a mithril weapon?¡±


    ¡°I think so.¡±


    ¡°Then we can kill it.¡±


    An anti-material rifle might work, too.


    If I make the barrel and the bullets out of mithril and make them strong enough to penetrate the Dragon¡¯s scales, it should be possible. And since the Dragon is a living creature, it has its own vital points. It¡¯s the brain, the medulla oblongata, the heart, and so on. I¡¯m sure we can defeat them if we hit them there. It would be even better if we could plant a delayed fuse and make the warhead explode inside the body.


    ¡°I see. If there is ever a time to kill a Dragon, please let me accompany you.¡±


    ¡°I shall rely on you.¡±


    Ms. Zamir bared her fangs and smiled. I was scared of her at first, but I wasn¡¯t anymore once I got used to her. There are quite a few of them, you know, lizardmen. No, lizard women.


    ¡°Is there a farming village near here?¡±


    ¡°Looks like it. Other units should be heading there. It¡¯s a bit far from here.¡±


    ¡°The direction is different.¡±


    The forest we entered was to the northeast of Fort Gamma, and the farming village was to the northwest, so the distance is definitely far.


    ¡°I¡¯m honestly not familiar with this kind of governance. How do you do it?¡±


    ¡°The basic idea is to send soldiers on patrol to hunt down monsters and bandits, that¡¯s it. The rest is tax collection during harvest time.¡±


    ¡°Is that all?¡±


    ¡°The state gives peace to the people utilizing military force, and the people work hard in the peace given by the state. That¡¯s all. Of course, the state takes various measures to ensure that the people live out their lives in good health, and the people sometimes petition the state for assistance.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    It seems to be out of my hands after all. I might be able to lend some wisdom if Sylphy or Melty consulted me.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure that Kosuke-dono¡¯s power will be of great help to the people.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Well, I¡¯m quite good at civil engineering.¡±


    ¡°You could build waterways and roads, walls to protect villages, warehouses to store crops, and enrich thin lands.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m good at.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps it is your mission to continue to make such things for the sake of the world and people, without getting involved in bloody wars.¡±


    ¡°Mission?¡±


    I don¡¯t think there is such a thing. From the comments of the achievements, it¡¯s obvious that this is just for amusement. I think that person is just throwing me into this world and watching me with a grin.


    ¡°If there is such a thing, I don¡¯t give a damn. I can¡¯t do anything like abandoning Sylphy and the others now.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness is well-loved, isn¡¯t she?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    I don¡¯t want to be told to leave now. I have to take responsibility for what I¡¯ve done to Isla, Pirna, and the others. I¡¯m not going to listen to what the guy who threw me out without any explanation has to say now.


    ¡°Is this enough logging for you?¡±


    ¡°Considering the future, it¡¯s still not enough.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s continue. Hopefully, we¡¯ll have better luck next time.¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡±


    ¡°Around here, it¡¯s probably a Charging Boar. It¡¯s a monster that can¡¯t do anything but ram into you, but its meat is delicious.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great. I¡¯d love to catch one.¡±


    ¡°When it comes out, I¡¯ll take it out with one thrust.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s see how you do it.¡±


    After this, we went around cutting down trees until the sun began to set. As for the Charging Boar? Hahaha, we didn¡¯t catch anything, damn it.

 CH 72

    Sponsored chapter by Patreon, enjoy~


    When we returned to Fort Gamma after logging, Sylphy and the others had gathered for another meeting. When I tried to walk past them, I was grabbed by the shoulder.


    ¡°Kosuke, I¡¯d like to hear your opinion.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    It seems that Sylphy saw that I was trying to go past her. I failed in my attempt and was dragged along unceremoniously. The Liberation Army soldier and Ms. Zamir, who had accompanied me, sent me off with a smile. Do not think you have beat me¡­


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter with you all? You look so difficult.¡±


    ¡°At Fort Alpha, refugees¡­ no, volunteer soldiers have gathered.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like they¡¯re¡­ from the Holy Kingdom, is it?¡±


    Then you wouldn¡¯t have said they were refugees in the first place.


    ¡°Yes, mostly Beastmen, but there are some human soldiers from the former Merinard Kingdom mixed in.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? You mean the ones that split off because they didn¡¯t want to go to the Great Omit Wilderness?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Danan nodded his head in agreement with my words. I see, if there are humans mixed in, we would have been able to explore the movements of the Holy Kingdom, and it has been quite a while since we started fighting the Holy Kingdom army. It¡¯s not surprising that a lot of preparations are needed to make in order to take action.


    ¡°How many are there?¡±


    ¡°One thousand people.¡±


    ¡°What? Can you repeat that?¡±


    I think I heard a great number.


    ¡°One thousand people.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a lie, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°There are about 300 people that can fight. The remaining 700 are their families and other non-combatants.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a problem.¡±


    I believe the main base had a capacity of 3000 people when the first phase of construction was completed, so there should be enough room to accommodate them, but it¡¯s a long way¡­ It takes about a week to walk.


    ¡°Melty, do we have enough food?¡±


    ¡°To be honest, it¡¯s a bit tight. We have a stockpile of food at our main base, but it isn¡¯t easy to bring it up here. We need to build a food production base as soon as possible. That too, somewhere close to the front lines.¡±


    ¡°The main base is a long way from here¡­¡±


    The original plan was to retreat to the Great Omit Wilderness, so I thought it wouldn¡¯t be a problem if we made food at the main base in the rear. In fact, since we¡¯re operating out of the Great Omit Wilderness, we¡¯re in a state where our supply lines are stretched thin. This is not good.


    ¡°We could set up a base just outside the border of the Great Omit Wilderness and a little further into the Great Omit Wilderness.¡±


    ¡°I think we should do that.¡±


    ¡°Fortunately, most of the Gizma have been exterminated in the Merinard Kingdom side of the Great Omit Wilderness. There should be little danger.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t reinforce the fort anymore.¡±


    The unexpected always happens. The current situation is that the sudden increase in the number of allies is more troublesome than the enemy.


    ¡°Still, what amazing timing. It¡¯s as if someone guided them to¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Qubi.¡±


    ¡°Qubi? I haven¡¯t seen him in a while.¡±


    ¡°He went undercover and got in touch with a former member of the Merinard Kingdom military.¡±


    ¡°Sneaking in by himself, that¡¯s amazing.¡±


    Is he a spy or something? A spy fox?


    ¡°Anyway, that¡¯s the situation. I¡¯d like to hear your opinion.¡±


    ¡°My opinion, huh¡­? First of all, what direction are we discussing?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m of the opinion that we should seize Erichburg at once, with the help of the volunteer army.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m against it. We¡¯ve got a lot on our plate right now, and I think we should be ready for anything.¡±


    ¡°But that would also give the Holy Kingdom time to get ready. The enemy¡¯s advantage is in numbers. If they attack three forts at the same time, it will be tough. The moment we start to defend ourselves, we may be crushed.¡±


    ¡°But¨D¨D.¡±


    Sylphy smiled in annoyance as she watched Danan and Melty argue with each other.


    ¡°They¡¯ve been doing this for a while now, and they can¡¯t seem to decide what to do.¡±


    ¡°What do you think, Sylphy?¡±


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯m thinking of adopting Danan¡¯s opinion, but I¡¯d like to hear Kosuke¡¯s as well.¡±


    Danan and Melty turned around quickly and made contrasting expressions at Sylphy¡¯s words. Danan looked as if he was going to say, ¡°You know what I mean, Princess,¡± while Melty looked as if she was going to say, ¡°Why is my opinion being rejected?.¡±


    ¡°I want you to look at this map first.¡±


    ¡°The map of the area? This is the fort, and the surrounding towns and villages can be reached by¡­ These lines are roads, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes. There are other smaller roads, but these are mainly the larger roads that the army can travel.¡±


    ¡°¡­I see. Erichburg is really a major transportation point, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    As far as the map shows, there are no other routes for the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army to go south once we have captured Erichburg. If we can capture Erichburg, we can isolate the forces of the Holy Kingdom south of Erichburg.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. If we hold Erichburg, it will be difficult for the Holy Kingdom to adopt a strategy of overwhelming us with a large army.¡±


    ¡°So all we have to do is defend Erichburg solidly?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. In the end, we will be able to reduce the number of forces devoted to defense, which will allow us to devote more manpower to maintaining security.¡±


    Danan clenches his fists and makes a strong argument. Melty, on the other hand, looks a little disappointed.


    ¡°What¡¯s Melty¡¯s biggest complaint?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯m unhappy; it¡¯s just that I¡¯m worried about ruling afterward if we do manage to capture it. Even if we capture Erichburg in the shortest possible time, there will still be soldiers of the Holy Kingdom south of Erichburg. There is a possibility that they will cause mayhem, looting, or even banditry in various places.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a problem that will always be with us if we go forward with the war. If they do that, the reputation of the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army will suffer as a result, and if we defeat them, our own reputation will be enhanced.¡±


    ¡°I hope it goes that easily.¡±


    Melty doesn¡¯t think it will go that well. It will certainly be a different kind of hardship than before. Up until now, all we had to do was to be careful of Gizma, who would just barge in and be stupidly straightforward.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s much to worry about. With Harpy, which can scout a wide area from above, and the Golem communicator, it should not be difficult to hunt down bandits.¡±


    ¡°Umu, I think so, too.¡±


    Danan agrees with my view. Even when hiding in the mountains and forests, Harpy¡¯s eyes are not easily fooled, and if we have a strong unit that can communicate with each other using golem communicators, it will not be difficult to hunt down the bandits.


    ¡°Not everything can be solved by force¡­¡±


    Melty glared at Danan and me with a look that seemed to say, ¡°You muscle brain!¡± Hyiee¡­ Scary!


    ¡°Well¡­ Kosuke, are you sure you agree with Danan¡¯s plan too?¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah¡­ It¡¯s a basic tactic in war games to capture key transportation points. I think it¡¯s better to capture it when you can, even if you have to put off your internal politics so that it will be easier later on.¡±


    It¡¯s a basic tactic in strategic simulation games to seize key transportation points. If the opponent has more mobilized forces, it is even better.


    We¡¯re much better at defending our bases than we are at fighting in the field, and even if they bypass the Erichburg by surprise, we can use the Harpy¡¯s wide-area search capabilities and the Golem¡¯s communication speed to defeat them individually.


    ¡°What are the volunteers doing now?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re staying at Fort Alpha. We¡¯re planning to leave as many as possible in Fort Alpha who can help us and send the non-combatants back with an escort.¡±


    ¡°Do we have enough food and stuff?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be able to get by with the harvest from the fields Kosuke has planted. We¡¯ll be sending some extra supplies from Fort Beta.¡±


    ¡°My inventory is still well-stocked, so if the need arises, I can just make a run for it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d rather have Kosuke set up a supply base. That way, we don¡¯t have to walk non-combatants to the main base, which is far away.¡±


    ¡°That sounds good. I¡¯ll start working on it tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Please do so. Danan and I will stay here and organize a force to attack Erichburg. Kosuke, move to Fort Alpha and set up a production base there.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    I¡¯m sad to be separated from Sylphy again¡­ even though I have no choice.


    ¡°Isla will be with you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, there might be some injured or sick people.¡±


    How long will we be separated this time? It seems like a long time to capture a whole city¡­ Hmm, I¡¯m going to miss her. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t miss Isla and Harpy because they¡¯re here. I like them, but for me, Sylphy is the most important.


    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t look so lonely. It will shake my resolve.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a choice.¡±


    ¡°Um, you two? Can you guys do that in private, please?¡±


    ¡°Fufufu. Are you jealous?¡±


    ¡°¡­Sylphy? Don¡¯t get too carried away.¡±


    Melty whispered something into Sylphy¡¯s ear as she turned her chest with a smug look on her face. As soon as she did, sweat began to appear on Sylphy¡¯s face. What is it?


    ¡°Are you okay with that?¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t do that!¡±


    ¡°What should I do then?¡±


    With a strange impatient look, Sylphy clutches at Melty and begins to wobble. What the hell is this? I¡¯m so curious!


    ¡°Oh¡­ I guess that¡¯s it for the meeting. Kosuke, get some rest for tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Danan hurriedly left the meeting room, looking uncomfortable. Danan seemed to have heard something.


    ¡°Hmm, do you like that one? Or would you prefer that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry!¡±


    Sylphy was half-crying. Melty, what kind of her weaknesses does she have¡­? You can never be sure with Melty.

 CH 73

    It¡¯s Ko-Fi¡¯s Supporters¡¯ chapter (21/63), enjoy~


    The next day, after spending a lovey-dovey time with Sylphy, me, Isla, and two other mages, ten light infantry, and Pirna and two other harpies started moving from Fort Gamma to Fort Alpha.


    Last night, Isla and the others left us alone, perhaps out of concern for me and Sylphy, who would be separated for a while. Thanks to them, we were able to spend some quality time together for the first time in a very long time. To be more specific, I was able to enjoy Sylphy, who spoiled me so much. It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve felt like a regressed infant. She was so cute that I had a nosebleed.


    When she woke up in the morning and became calm, she was so flustered. That¡¯s what makes her cute.


    ¡°Kosuke?¡±


    ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°You seem to be in a daze, so I called out to you. You¡¯re in danger of falling.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s dangerous to fall. Try to be more alert.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    We were being driven in a carriage. It was the one we had captured at Fort Gamma. The carriage was not very big, but it was very comfortable. The horse-drawn carriages are not that big, but with two horses, the speed is quite fast. I think it¡¯s partly because the luggage that should be loaded is stored in my inventory.


    ¡°At this pace, we should be at Fort Alpha by the end of the day.¡±


    ¡°Wow, three days on foot turned into one day. That¡¯s fast.¡±


    The scenery outside the carriage seemed to be quite fast. From what I remember, horse-drawn carriages don¡¯t seem that fast, but maybe the horses in this world are stronger than the horses on Earth.


    ¡°However, there¡¯s nothing I can do about the vibration of this carriage.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s much better thanks to Kosuke¡¯s cushions.¡±


    The road between Fort Gamma and Fort Alpha is neither a flat stone pavement nor a paved concrete surface. It was just bare ground that had been stepped on in the usual way. Therefore, the slightest unevenness would cause the carriage to shake badly. If it weren¡¯t for the cushions, it would have been a pain in the ass in about ten minutes.


    ¡°It seems that the carriage has no suspension or anything¡­ Well, that¡¯s obvious.¡±


    ¡°Suspension?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a device that uses spring force or something to keep the carriage from swaying.¡±


    ¡°Kosuke, can you make one?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know the detailed structure either, but¡­ it might be possible.¡±


    I accessed the carriage and found a menu of upgrades.


    ?Primitive Wagon Upgrade ¨D: 10 Mechanical Parts, 20 Wood, 8 Steel Leaf Springs.


    ¡°I think I can do it.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    ¡°No, not while it¡¯s running¡­¡±


    I have a feeling that upgrading while the carriage is running will cause an accident. The horse will be startled by the light and start to freak out.


    ¡°We¡¯ll stop.¡±


    ¡°A-alright.¡±


    From Isla¡¯s perspective, the fact that the carriage shakes less is a big deal. It¡¯s a little early for a lunch break, but I think we should eat while we¡¯re at it.


    At Isla¡¯s signal, the three carriages gradually slowed down and finally came to a stop on the side of the road. The people in the other carriages seemed to be fed up with the shaking of the carriages and came down rubbing their bottoms.


    ¡°It¡¯s a little early for lunch, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°Kosuke will modify the carriage. So it won¡¯t shake so much.¡±


    ¡°Really? The cushions that Kosuke-san gave us helped a lot, but that¡¯s very welcome.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going to have lunch a little early. Kosuke, bring out the food.¡±


    ¡°Aiyo.¡±


    Following Isla¡¯s instructions, I pulled out a food package from my inventory.


    This is a wooden box containing dried vegetables, dried meat, baked bread, flour, and other foodstuffs, and salt, spices, and other seasonings. Well, originally, it was supposed to be three servings of food for five people.


    This was a prototype to improve logistics efficiency and to package and manage the food that could be stored. In addition to this food pack, we will need pots and dishes, which will be provided to the soldiers as equipment. This pack will only contain the food.


    ¡°We¡¯ll take care of the cooking, and Kosuke can modify the carriage.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Once the food packs, pots, and pans are out, I start upgrading the carriage. I told the soldier taking care of the horses to untie them from the carriage and separate them. When I upgrade it, it glows brightly. If the horse gets spooked and goes into a rage, the horse and I are in danger.


    Fortunately, I have all the materials I need, so the upgrade will be done as soon as the horse is separated.


    ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s so bright.¡±


    Even though it was daytime, the area was brightly lit. When I look directly at it, I get dizzy even in the daytime. I crawled underneath the covered wagon to see what was going on. It seemed that a spring made of steel leaf springs had been inserted between the axle and the body of the carriage. I wondered how much this would reduce the shaking. I¡¯ll have to ride it to find out.


    ¡°Is it done?¡±


    ¡°Just one for now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡±


    Isla, who always has a blank expression, smiles slightly. It seems that the vibration of the carriage was a serious problem for Isla¡¯s small body.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get your hopes up too high. We don¡¯t know how effective it will be.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, okay. I¡¯ll be happy if the vibrations are reduced even a little.¡±


    By the way, I wondered why the axle of this carriage didn¡¯t break even though it was subjected to such a vibrating impact. When I thought about it, I took a closer look and found that the axle was made of wood. What? Why doesn¡¯t it break?


    ¡°Isla, if this axle is made of wood, how come it doesn¡¯t break when it vibrates like that?¡±


    ¡°The wood has been carved with magic to strengthen its durability and repair itself. That¡¯s why it won¡¯t break.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been strengthened by magic?¡±


    ¡°Yes. The axle is the most expensive part of the carriage.¡±


    I see. My image of a carriage axle is that they break a lot, but in this world, they strengthen them with magic so that they don¡¯t break so easily. This makes the axle more expensive, but it¡¯s more cost-effective than having to buy several new axles or having one break and render you unable to move.


    With Isla watching over me, I finished upgrading the other two carriages, and then it was time for lunch. Today¡¯s menu is¡­ I wonder what this is? It looks like something that was just thrown together and boiled.


    ¡°Baked bread is hard, so if it can be cooked, it¡¯s easier to eat it cooked like this and crumbled into porridge.¡±


    ¡°I also stewed dried vegetables and meat to make a broth.¡±


    ¡°I also made dumplings out of grain flour and added them.¡±


    In other words, it was a combination of all ingredients. No, the taste is surprisingly edible¡­ but when I think about it, it¡¯s hard to eat a normal meal on the battlefield, even if you¡¯re boiling it.


    In the past, when I was on Earth, if you look back fifty years, the food in the army was almost the same as this. Nowadays, the food is made into porridge because of the ability to boil it, but if it weren¡¯t for that, we would have had to gulp down hard, salty, dried meat while chewing on hard, crusty bread.


    It would be difficult to make a decent meal available anywhere without retort food or at least canned food. With the current level of technology, it would be impossible.


    ¡°What do you have in mind?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been trying to think of a way to make good food available everywhere.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s hard. So it¡¯s not gonna happen now.¡±


    Eventually, I¡¯d like to try my hand at bottling, canning, and retorting food, but that will take a long time. It might be faster to solve something in a magical way than that. If I could make a tool that could transport food in large quantities while keeping it fresh, that would be the solution.


    ¡°Wow, it¡¯s not shaking as much.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s definitely a lot better.¡±


    With the upgrade to the suspension, the carriage¡¯s vibration was considerably improved. It still shakes quite a bit, but it¡¯s a huge difference compared to when there was no suspension. If there are cushions, it won¡¯t bother you at all.


    It was well received by the lightly armored infantry of the Beastmen who was acting as our guards, and the carriage ran quite fast. Perhaps because of this, we were able to arrive at Fort Alpha just as the sun began to set.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s overflowing with people.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, they¡¯re even camped outside.¡±


    Isla was right; there were several campsites built outside of Fort Alpha. Apparently, they couldn¡¯t fit in Fort Alpha. It seemed that the people camped out in the tents were members of the Liberation Army. I guess they gave up the safe sleeping quarters in the fort to the refugees.


    I parted ways with Isla and the mages, who were on their way to treat the refugees, and headed for the food warehouse with the light infantry. The place was crowded with refugees looking for food, and it was quite a mess. It was a struggle to get to the food warehouse, and if it weren¡¯t for the light infantry, I might not have made it there.


    ¡°Aah! Kosuke-san! We¡¯ve been waiting for you! Hurry up and take them out!¡±


    ¡°O-okay! Calm down!¡±


    A goat-type Beastman civil servant girl wearing round glasses clung to me in half tears. She was mentally trapped because the supplies had almost run out despite many calls for food.


    I began to pull supplies out of my inventory into the near-empty food pantry. There were mostly bags of grain, crates of potatoes and vegetables, and crates of ready-to-eat block cookies. The rest was dried meat made from Gizma meat. It¡¯s supposed to be made of Gizma meat, but it looks like dried beef or pork, but who cares? With my ability, this level of unreasonableness is just the beginning.


    Anyway, the only thing left was the salt. It was kind of sad to see only ceramic jars of salt lined up in the corner of the warehouse.


    ¡°Please keep the order! There are enough supplies to go around for everyone, so calm down!¡±


    The girl from the civilian staff, who had looked like she was about to cry earlier, raised her voice and started distributing supplies to the refugees. The light infantry also agreed to help, so I decided to leave, saying I would go outside to build sleeping quarters.


    ¡°Hey, good work.¡±


    A voice called out to me as I passed through the crowded area near the food storage. I turned around to see a fluffy fox man. I hadn¡¯t seen his face in a while.


    ¡°Long time no see. I heard you¡¯ve been sneaking in alone.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m good at sneaking around, you know. I am the right person for the job.¡±


    Qubi, whom I hadn¡¯t seen in a while, looked as aloof as ever. It¡¯s not like he¡¯s lost weight or been injured. It looks like he did really well.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re okay, anyway. What are your plans now?¡±


    After resting here for a few days, I¡¯ll go to Fort Gamma and meet up with the princess and the old man Danan. I¡¯m going on a reconnaissance mission.


    ¡°Well, be careful. Oh, yeah, have some of this.¡±


    ¡°Oh, is that honey wine I smell? Thanks.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    Qubi hurried away with a bottle of honey wine in his arms. I think he¡¯s going to drink somewhere soon. I watched him go and walked back out of the fort. As I did so, a werewolf accompanied by his subordinates came walking towards me from the front. Perhaps he had noticed me, but I raised one hand in greeting.


    ¡°Long time no see. You had a tough time.¡±


    ¡°Yes, well. Well, thanks to Kosuke-dono, it seems that things have settled down.¡±


    The pantry was nearly empty. My inventory is pretty low, and I¡¯m seriously going to have to do something about the supplies.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to set up a supply base with a large farm tomorrow, so we should be able to afford it in a week. Have you selected a location yet?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, no. But there¡¯s a stretch of flat land from this fort to the Great Omit Wilderness.¡±


    ¡°It could be anywhere.¡±


    Worg nodded at my words. So why don¡¯t we build one adjacent to this Fort Alpha? In the end, this place will also become the ¡°rear,¡± and if that¡¯s the case, I think it¡¯s better to build it in a location where it¡¯s easy to get security out of Fort Alpha. It might be good to build it on the Merinard side instead of the Great Omit Wilderness side. There seems to be a surplus of land, and the refugees here will be the ones who will work in the farmland. It would be a safer option than building a farm in the Great Omit Wilderness.


    ¡°All right, I¡¯ll think about it and discuss it with Sylphy and the others in the evening.¡±


    ¡°Please do.¡±


    After parting ways with Worg, I set up my usual temporary lodging place a short distance away from where the Liberation Army soldiers were camped. It¡¯s a base on stilts, very safe, and has a large bathroom, so it¡¯s easy to use, you know. I¡¯ve been upgrading it little by little to reflect the feedback from the users.


    The Harpies and Isla will probably sleep in the same temporary lodgings as I do, so it should be fine, but I wonder what the others will do. It¡¯s easy enough to make a place to stay, but I wonder what I should do. If I wanted to, I could build one for the soldiers stationed at Fort Alpha, who have camped outside¡­ but there¡¯s no way to clean up after them. I can¡¯t just leave them outside the fort.


    For now, I¡¯m going to build a dormitory for the light infantry and mages who have worked with me up to this point. If I make it a little bigger based on the temporary accommodation, it will be fine¡­ The capacity is about 20 people. It¡¯s good to have a large space, yes.


    As soon as Isla, Pirna, and the others come back, I¡¯ll prepare a meal for them. I have to put the futon in the bed, and it needs some maintenance even after it is built.

 CH 74

    It¡¯s Ko-Fi¡¯s Supporters¡¯ chapter (22/63), enjoy~


    In the end, I decided to build the production base near Fort Alpha, about a three-hour walk to the Merinard Kingdom side.


    There was a possibility that it would become a battleground when the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army attacked Fort Alpha, but it was judged that the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army, which had been sent to defeat us twice and had lost three forts, would be extremely unlikely to send more troops to defeat us.


    ¡°So now we can do as we please in the Merinard Kingdom.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t be too careless, though.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    Harpy scouts are flying in the sky above, and about thirty soldiers are stationed here. There are dormitories for the workers in the center of the production base, warehouses to stockpile supplies, barracks to protect them, and small forts with defensive walls. While we are defending the fort, we can call for reinforcements with the golem communicator or bomb the fort with harpies from inside. Maybe.


    ¡°By the way, it¡¯s unusual for Isla to accompany me, isn¡¯t it? At times like this, a strong individual is usually assigned to escort me.¡±


    This time, my escorts were 30 soldiers, three Harpies, and Isla. Is it a decision that the 30 soldiers will cover for the strength aspect?


    ¡°I¡¯m the strongest person in Fort Alpha. That¡¯s just fine.¡±


    ¡°Eh? Seriously?¡±


    ¡°Yes, seriously. I¡¯m a former court mage, after all.¡±


    It¡¯s true that Isla¡¯s magic is great, but is it that great? But when I think about it, the majority of the people in Fort Alpha are ordinary soldiers, and the rest are only Qubi and Worg. The main force is in Fort Gamma.


    ¡°If I were to get serious, I could take out fifty soldiers of the Holy Kingdom army by myself. Maybe.¡±


    ¡°Maybe?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not good at close combat, after all.¡±


    I guess that¡¯s true. Isla¡¯s body is small, and if she is exposed to physical violence at close range, she will not be able to do anything about it.


    ¡°Kosuke, what do you want the farm to look like?¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. I¡¯m thinking of making a big area around this base. A fence around the farmland will be enough, right?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I don¡¯t want thick brick or stone walls like the ones in the Great Omit Wilderness. Just a wooden fence or wall would be enough.¡±


    ¡°There are plenty of materials around, so that should be fine.¡±


    This area is close to the forest, and if you go away from the road for a while, you will be in the forest. The fort, the starting point of the production base, was also set up a short distance away from the road.


    ¡°It will be hard to cut down all of those.¡±


    ¡°Fufufu, no problem! I¡¯ve created a secret weapon for just such an occasion.¡±


    So I took out an ax from my inventory. It¡¯s an ax with a silvery-white metal blade.


    ¡°That ax, could it be¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a logging ax made from mithril.¡±


    By the way, the required materials were as follows.


    ?Mithril Logging Axe ¨D Material: Mithril x4, Wood x1


    The materials are surprisingly cheap except for the fact that it uses mithril and that it takes a long time to make. I also made a mithril pickaxe, mithril shovel, and mithril hoe. The materials used were the same as for the logging ax.


    When did I make them? Well, if I make a crafting appointment before I go to bed at night, or rather before I go to my bedroom, it will be ready in the morning. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m going to do that ¡°thing¡± every night, though.


    ¡°Kosuke¡­ you stupid?¡±


    ¡°Awful.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a waste of mithril.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as waste. I¡¯ll show you the power of this ax. And I have some mithril left over.¡±


    I mined that canyon to the point of turning it into a mere mountain stream. When the dust settles, the inventory of mithril becomes overwhelming. The amount of mithril used to make mithril copper alloy, and mithril silver alloy is negligible.


    ¡°Share it with me later.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to ask Sylphy. I heard it¡¯s very expensive and I can¡¯t decide on my own.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡±


    I swing the mithril logging ax into the tree while Isla breathes heavily with enthusiasm.


    ¡°Soryaa!¡±


    *Don**don**don*


    ¡°Kosuke¡­¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s more convenient, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but¡­¡±


    When Isla sees that a fine tree has been reduced to several logs by a single blow from mithril¡¯s logging ax, she gives me an indescribable look. It¡¯s a good thing; the ax that could finish logging in a single blow is as good as a cheat mod. The other mithril tools are great, too.


    ¡°Anyway, that¡¯s how logging gets done.¡±


    ¡°But what about the stump?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah!¡±


    I swung the mithril logging ax at the stump, and it shattered without a trace. All that was left was a lovely sapling.


    ¡°Oh, if you plant this, another tree will grow.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    The light is missing from Isla¡¯s eyes after a long time.


    It¡¯s good; in two actions, the tree can be handled, including from the stump to the roots. This makes it a breeze to clear out the forest and turn it into farmland!


    There was a time when I thought so, too.


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s a lot of trees¡­¡±


    ¡°There are also some monsters that are coming.¡±


    In order to create farmland, we first cut down the trees to open up the land, but it takes a lot of time and effort because we have to turn a certain area into a field. Even if I could cut down the trees with one blow, the numbers are still numbers.


    And then the monsters attacked as if they didn¡¯t like the fact that we were clearing the forest. Goblins, big wolves, big insects, tentacled meat pillar-like things, crustaceans and slugs, turtle-like things that shoot stone cannonballs, and other strange creatures are pouring in.


    ¡°That tortoise-like creature was dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Rock Smasher is rare. They don¡¯t come out around here.¡±


    I wondered if it was possible to use a crossbow with a steel leaf spring to cut through the thick carapace, but Isla used lightning magic to kill it with a single blow. The rest of the 30 soldiers surrounded it and killed it by piercing its head with their spears. What a poor turtle.


    ¡°The meat is delicious.¡±


    ¡°I see. Well, shall we all eat the meat of that turtle for dinner tonight?¡¡¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    It was a pretty big turtle, so we could probably get enough meat for everyone. I¡¯ll dismantle it in my inventory later.


    After three hours of clearing a large area of land, it was time to use mithril¡¯s shovel.


    ¡°I¡¯ll use it to collect the soil from the forest.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Why? Why not just plow it up?¡±


    ¡°We can make farm blocks out of the forest soil. The harvest will be much faster if we put down farm blocks, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes. But this isn¡¯t a wilderness; it¡¯s a rich forest, so even if we just plow it, the harvest might be better than in the wilderness.¡±


    ¡°¡­I see, that¡¯s one way of thinking about it. So let¡¯s start by digging up half of the land and laying down farm blocks, and then just plowing the other half. Then we can observe how it grows.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I think that would be a good idea.¡±


    That¡¯s what we decided, so Isla and I started digging up the soil in the forest.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a mithril shovel.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s weird.¡±


    Yeah, you can dig up an area of about five meters by five meters with one dig. It¡¯s amazing.


    ¡°How can it be¡­?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know either.¡±


    When I said that with a frown, Isla smacked me on the butt with her staff, it hurts. Well, that¡¯s good, because it¡¯s convenient.


    ¡°Oh, by the way, you know that magical material? Are those things available?¡±


    ¡°The material for Kosuke¡¯s granting workbench? Those should be collected at the Central Wilderness Fort¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to have it sent over to here¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no time to go back there, after all.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the problem.¡±


    Basically, under the current circumstances, I¡¯m forced to stay near the front lines, so I don¡¯t have a chance to go back over there. I really need to get a carriage to take me back there.


    ¡°Yeah? But can we use a wagon in the wilderness?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not impossible to use it. It¡¯s just that it¡¯s very dangerous if you step on a big stone or something, so you can¡¯t go too fast.¡±


    ¡°With Gizma around¡­ we¡¯ll just have to find a way to get back at some point, right?¡±


    ¡°You can also get them here. Some merchants deal in magical materials, so it might be faster to do so.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    While chatting like this, we dug up the soil in the forest and set up farmland blocks in the dug-up areas. Once that was done, it was time for the hoe to come into play.


    ¡°That¡¯s it, that¡¯s it.¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    With a single swing of the hoe, an area of 10 meters by 10 meters was plowed at once. Something like a shockwave flies and plows the ground. This is pretty powerful. Can it be used as an attack?


    So I tried to use it when a group of Goblins came out, but it only plowed the ground under their feet. And the Goblins attacked me like crazy. It was a close call.


    ¡°The hoe can only be used to plow the ground.¡±


    ¡°Then what happens if Kosuke wields a mithril sword?¡±


    ¡°It was nothing but a slash.¡±


    It seems that no matter how unreasonable the performance of mithril equipment is, it will not benefit me in terms of combat. I¡¯m really not cut out for combat, am I?


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. We¡¯ll protect you, Kosuke.¡±


    ¡°Please.¡±


    It¡¯s not that I can¡¯t fight at all, though. I can shoot a crossbow, I can shoot a gun, and when it comes down to it, I can use my strange movements to toss and turn. But I guess my powers aren¡¯t really suited for direct combat. No, if I improve my skills or complete some combat-related achievements, I might be able to turn into one. I shouldn¡¯t give up.


    Actually, I¡¯m not that desperate, and I don¡¯t want to do direct combat because I hate pain, I don¡¯t want to do anything dangerous, and I don¡¯t want to be exposed to gore.


    However, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea for me to keep making weapons that can kill enemies with me in a safe place while Sylphy, Isla, Pirna, and the others are smearing their hands and feet with blood when necessary.


    No, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s acceptable to stain my own hands with blood, either. I feel like I¡¯m making things easier for myself by forcing everyone else to do hard, scary, and unpleasant things. According to Sylphy and the others, it¡¯s more like I¡¯m the one who¡¯s helping them reclaim their homeland and their pride.


    The difference in our perceptions, or rather the gulf between us, is probably due to the difference in our positions¡­ I need to stand on that side, and Sylphy and the others need to stand on this side, or it seems like it will never be filled.


    ¡°Kosuke?¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°You look like you¡¯re in pain. Are you tired? Do you need to rest?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, not like that. I¡¯ll tell you later.¡±


    It¡¯s easy to say it¡¯s nothing here and cover it up, but it¡¯s never good to hide and accumulate such a lump in my heart. I¡¯ll tell Isla, Pirna, and the others about it before I go to bed today. That¡¯s what I decided in my mind, and I continued to wield the silvery-white hoe.

 CH 75

    It¡¯s Ko-Fi¡¯s Supporters¡¯ chapter (23/63), enjoy~


    After finishing today¡¯s work, I returned to my room. Thanks to the fact that I¡¯m always making the same food, I feel at home even when I move from place to place, which makes me feel at ease. Today, since I was going to consult with them, all the Harpies who had come to support the development of the production base, as well as Isla, decided to gather.


    Today¡¯s three Harpies were Rey, a jet-black-feathered Harpy, Pessar, a brown-feathered Harpy, and Capri, also a brown-feathered harpy.


    After bathing and eating, we sat side by side on a rattan couch and relaxed.


    ¡°So, I heard that Kosuke wanted to talk to us about something today; what¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s anything to discuss.¡±


    With that, I decided to confess what I had been thinking about during the day. It¡¯s not that I can¡¯t fight, but I¡¯m hiding behind everyone else and letting my hands get bloodied. I am aware that my personality and abilities are not suited for combat, but I still feel guilty because I feel like I am forcing everyone to do something they don¡¯t want to do.


    After hearing my confession, Isla and the others pondered for a while. They must have been trying to find their own words.


    ¡°I know exactly how Kosuke feels.¡±


    Isla was the first to open her mouth and stared at me. Because of the close distance between us, I could clearly see the reflection of my face in her large eye.


    ¡°I have the power of a court mage, but I also possess the power of an alchemist. And my body is small. That¡¯s why they wouldn¡¯t send me out on dangerous hunts.¡±


    ¡°Because if Isla collapsed, there would be nothing they could do if anyone got injured or sick.¡±


    The jet-black-feathered harpy, Rei, mutters in a quiet voice. Isla nodded at the murmur.


    ¡°So, I couldn¡¯t do anything too dangerous. The people around me wouldn¡¯t let me, and I was aware that I couldn¡¯t do that myself. Same with Kosuke now.¡±


    ¡°Same for sure¡­ How did you get over it?¡±


    ¡°I endured.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    It was a very simple answer.


    ¡°Even if you distract yourself and force yourself to move, the situation will deteriorate, and it won¡¯t get better. I thought about which would help everyone more, if I stepped forward and used my power, or if I stayed in the village and helped everyone. Then I thought that no matter what I thought, it would be better for everyone if I stayed in the village. So I endured.¡±


    ¡°Mmm¡­¡±


    I know that too. I know that, but it¡¯s hard to say whether it¡¯s enough to convince me. That¡¯s why I¡¯m struggling.


    ¡°If you¡¯re feeling guilty, why don¡¯t you ask the person you¡¯re feeling guilty about?¡±


    Pessar gives me a straightforward answer. But, to ask everyone, ¡°How do you feel about me staying in my safe zone?¡± I want to refrain from doing that.


    ¡°At least there¡¯s no need for Kosuke-sama to feel guilty about us Harpies. In fact, I¡¯m grateful that you¡¯ve taken such good care of us.¡±


    Rey, who usually doesn¡¯t talk much, speaks an unusually long line. I can¡¯t see any sign of concern in her dull black eyes as she stares at me. I feel as if she¡¯s really sincerely saying that.


    ¡°Well, I think so too. It¡¯s all thanks to you that we¡¯ve become so active, and everyone has taken notice of us.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. We weren¡¯t strong enough to hunt the big beasts of the Black Forest, and we were clumsy with our hands, so we were a burden when we were in the village. There were times when we accompanied the hunters, but back then, there were no communication devices, so even if we passed on information, we often found that the target had already escaped or had moved on by the time we arrived.¡±


    I¡¯m good at hunting rabbits, though, Pessar said with a laugh. Apparently, they can catch small, lightweight animals by plunging down from the sky. I guess they are all like giant birds of prey.


    ¡°If it weren¡¯t for Kosuke, we would have been killed in the Black Forest fighting Gizma or killed by monsters deep in the forest. Even now, thanks to Kosuke, we are able to eat and sleep in a safe and clean place. There is no way anyone would try to force Kosuke to fight after knowing that.¡±


    ¡°In other words, you worry too much.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just like you¡¯re doing everything alone.¡±


    ¡°I think Kosuke cares too much about things that don¡¯t matter!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s pretty harsh.¡±


    Too much thinking, I¡¯m overthinking? Hmm, I wonder if that¡¯s true. If that¡¯s what everyone says, then I guess so. I do think I¡¯m making a big contribution to everyone¡¯s life and the fight.


    ¡°In the first place, Kosuke has the wrong idea. The people who are out there fighting are not being forced to fight. They are fighting because they want to. It¡¯s not dirty work. They are throwing themselves into the fight to restore pride to themselves and everyone else.¡±


    ¡°Mm¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. In the first place, the people who are fighting, including us, don¡¯t think that they are dirtying their hands, feet, and wings. They¡¯re fighting for themselves and for everyone else.¡±


    ¡°Mmm¡­¡±


    In other words, it¡¯s wrong to think that I¡¯m making everyone¡¯s hands dirty.


    ¡°It is fine for people to think that you are great or that you are doing your best, but it is not the same if you are apologizing for what you have done for them.¡±


    ¡°Different.¡±


    Pessar and Rey also said that to me. Is my way of thinking wrong to begin with? It¡¯s hard to say. It¡¯s going to be very difficult to figure out how much war and the killing that goes along with it can be justified.


    ¡°The more Kosuke thinks about it, the more you get stuck. It is best to do what you can without thinking too much about it.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t that make me sound like an idiot¡­?¡±


    ¡°¡­No, you¡¯re not. You¡¯re just being too nice.¡±


    I think there was a subtle pause, or is it my imagination? When I looked at the Harpies, they averted their gaze or smiled at me. I¡¯ll just pretend it¡¯s my imagination for the sake of my mental health.


    ¡°No more hard talk! It¡¯s been a while since it¡¯s been our turn, so let¡¯s get along!¡±


    ¡°Hmm, we should.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t think too hard; just let us do our thing.¡±


    Pessar pulled me by the hand and led me to the bedroom, Isla pushed me from behind, and Capri followed with a smile on her face. Rey was ahead of everyone else and had opened the door to the bedroom. It was perfect coordination.


    ¡°¡­Please go easy on me.¡±


    The girls didn¡¯t respond to my words, only smiled at me. This is dangerous.


    Thanks to the effects of the mithril tools, the cultivation progressed at a rapid pace. In just three days, a vast expanse of farmland and an irrigation system for agriculture had been created.


    ¡°I think Kosuke¡¯s watering hole is outrageous.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it a little late for that?¡±


    The main obstacle in managing vast farmland is the water used for farming. Naturally, clean water is preferable, and above all, there must be enough water to cover the entire farmland. The infinite water source I¡¯ve created can easily meet both of these requirements.


    ¡°The fact that you can expand it as much as you want is amazing and dangerous at the same time.¡±


    ¡°Dangerous?¡±


    ¡°To the ruler, it¡¯s worth it to kill anyone who has control of Kosuke and take you away.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s scary.¡±


    ¡°And Kosuke¡¯s fields can be ready to harvest in a week. It depends on the crop, but you can harvest two years¡¯ worth of crops in a month. If there is a surplus of crops, they can be sold elsewhere or used for animal husbandry. The value of Kosuke is immeasurable, even if it¡¯s just for your agricultural abilities.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    When I think of it that way, my abilities are undoubtedly outrageous. The chicken that lays the golden eggs¡­ is like a merlion that keeps spitting out gold coins. I¡¯m sorry for the dirty analogy, though.


    ¡°If the Holy Kingdom learns of Kosuke¡¯s existence, they may come to steal you away at any cost. The unexplainable power that Kosuke uses is similar in nature to miracles performed by priests and saints.¡±


    ¡°Seriously?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s why we need to hide Kosuke¡¯s existence at all costs.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that impossible?¡±


    The fact that I built this production base will be known throughout the Liberation Army, and eventually, people who don¡¯t belong to the Liberation Army will visit this place. I think it¡¯s only a matter of time before the Holy Kingdom finds out about my existence.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s impossible. That¡¯s why we have to be even more careful about protecting Kosuke.¡±


    And then Isla hugged me tightly around the waist.


    ¡°Isla-san?¡±


    ¡°Personal protection.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see.¡±


    I can¡¯t help but feel that something is very wrong, but I¡¯m happy to be hugged by Isla, so I¡¯ll leave it at that. It¡¯s a little difficult to walk, and the warm stares of the Liberation Army soldiers are piercing me, but I mustn¡¯t worry about it.


    I¡¯ve sent a message to Fort Alpha as soon as I¡¯ve finished the maintenance of the production base, so the workers of this production base should be arriving here today.


    The capacity of this production base is 500 people, so there is not enough room for all the people who have gathered here. The other half of the people should be sent to the central base or the main base in the rear.


    At the main base and the central base, it seems that processing machines and metal refining furnaces using waterwheel power and magic power have started to operate, and they are short of craftsmen to handle those machines. Therefore, the remaining personnel is generally people with such skills and their families.


    Also, I heard that they are starting to build roads that connect the main base and the central base to the various bases and shelters. In order to make it possible to move carriages at least, they are putting in people who can use earth magic and are working on it. I thought I¡¯d be sent out sooner or later, but if they can do it themselves, so much the better. I don¡¯t know if I can do everything myself.


    ¡°By the way, how is the invasion of Erichburg going?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, they¡¯ve finished organizing and should be leaving tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Oh, well. I don¡¯t have to go this time, do I?¡±


    ¡°No, they¡¯re doing it without Kosuke. It will be an all-out battle, with Alpha, Beta, and even the central fort deployed to help.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ It should be alright.¡±


    The thought that someone I know might die without my knowledge makes me nervous. I think that if I were there, I might be able to handle it.


    ¡°There are crossbows, aerial bombs, and hand grenades. Sir Leonard has also gone from the central fort, and Danan and Zamir are also there. They will surely protect Sylphy.¡±


    ¡°I hope so¡­¡±


    ¡°It may be frustrating, but sometimes it¡¯s important to stay in the rear and stand firm. With Kosuke behind them, everyone can fight with peace of mind.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right.¡±


    Still, things that make me uncomfortable make me uncomfortable. I hope everyone is okay.

 CH 76

    It¡¯s Ko-Fi¡¯s Supporters¡¯ chapter (24/63), enjoy~


    Sylphy¡¯s POV


    After gathering and organizing the forces from the rear bases and forts, we started marching towards Erichburg.


    The force consisted of 300 volunteers from the former Merinard citizens that Qubi had brought with him, 500 crossbowmen who had joined us after completing their training in the rear, 30 elite heavy infantry, 50 light infantry, and 130 scouts made up of former adventurers. The number was slightly increased due to the fact that there were several former adventurers of medium rank or higher among the former Merinard citizens that Qubi had brought with him. In addition, there were ten from the Harpy Air Force, five mages, and five riflemen. In total, there were about 1000 people in the army.


    Since Kosuke was not accompanying us this time, we needed to prepare my logistics properly. Fortunately, we have the supplies that Kosuke prepared for us, so all we have to do is carry them. We managed this by using carriages that we had seized from each fort.


    Since we would be passing through several towns on the way to Erichburg, we planned to seize them and requisition more carriages. We will not take them by force but rather negotiate and pay a fair price. I¡¯ll leave that to Melty, and there will be no problem.


    By the way, the 300 volunteers will basically be accompanying us as Transportation Corps soldiers in the rear. They¡¯re still halfway through their training.


    ¡°Your Highness, we will soon be in Mitters Town.¡±


    ¡°Fumu¡­ Is there any movement from the enemy?¡±


    ¡°They have no intention of retreating. They are forcing the residents to arm themselves and are prepared to fight back. And it seems they¡¯re pushing the residents forward.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re using untrained people, huh¡­?¡±


    The way the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army is doing this is almost disgusting. As soon as it starts, it seems that the riflemen will come into play.


    ¡°There are about 30 enemy soldiers, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch the militia, just the regular soldiers of the Holy Kingdom army.¡±


    ¡°Very well.¡±


    Mitters town used to be a campground for merchants trading with the elves of the Black Forest. It became an inn town, and as farming villages were developed around it, their crops were brought in, and the inn town became a town. It is a town with such a history.


    The number of soldiers of the Holy Kingdom guarding the town was about 50, plus about 100 conscripted militia, who closed the town¡¯s gates and deployed their forces on the defensive wall. It seems that there are only about ten archers in the regular army of the Holy Kingdom who can attack from a distance.


    According to Pirna of the Harpies¡¯ reconnaissance, the enemy is gathering bricks and stones for protection. Those who can¡¯t use bows and arrows are probably planning to fight back with stone-throwing. The crossbows are superior in both range and power, so it¡¯s easy to shut them down completely, but I wouldn¡¯t want to hurt the conscripted militia.


    ¡°Seal all the gates. We will then issue a surrender order.¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡±


    On my orders, the soldiers surrounded Mitters Town and sealed off the town. There is no time to take a leisurely approach to warfare. I called out to the wind spirits and prepared to deliver my voice throughout Mitters Town.


    ¡°Listen! Residents of Mitters Town. We are the Merinard Kingdom Liberation Army, and I am the leader, Sylphiel Danal Merinard! The Witch of the Black Forest may be a better description for you.¡±


    Hearing my declaration, a kind of murmur could be heard from Mitters Town.


    ¡°Our goal is to liberate the territory of the Merinard Kingdom and free the unjustly oppressed sub-humans. We will show no mercy to the soldiers of the Holy Kingdom, but we have no intention of harming the innocent people, burning their towns, and looting their property.¡±


    There seemed to be widespread unrest among the conscripts. The Holy Kingdom¡¯s army commander is screaming and scolding the soldiers, telling them not to be fooled. I think that¡¯s a bad move in this situation.


    ¡°The same goes for the militiamen who were forcibly conscripted. If you lay down your arms and give up your will to fight, we will not harm you or capture you. As for the generals of the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army, as long as you do not resist, I promise to take you prisoner, disarm you, and release you safely.¡±


    It seemed that some of the regular soldiers of the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army were beginning to get flustered. Some of them looked at each other and started to lower their weapons.


    ¡°Shoot the commander.¡±


    ¡°Ha¡­ do it.¡±


    ¡°Copy that.¡±


    Gagagagan! The sound of bolt-action rifles firing in rapid succession echoed, and the heads of the officers of the Holy Kingdom army who had been admonishing the soldiers on the castle walls were blown off. The soldiers of the Holy Kingdom army, who were bathed in the splattered blood and brain plasma, raised a scream that seemed to tear the silk. What a voice a man can make¡­ though I don¡¯t know how to feel.


    ¡°In terms of the number and quality of the soldiers, you have no chance of winning. I will give you half an hour¡¯s grace. If you want to surrender, lower the flag of the Holy Kingdom, raise the white flag, and open the gates. If there is no response from you, we will launch an attack. I expect you to judge wisely.¡±


    I ended the effect of the wind spirit magic that had been diffusing my voice and crossed my arms. From here, it¡¯s a matter of waiting for a while.


    Mitters Town chose to surrender shortly afterward. Perhaps it was a good thing that the morale of the Holy Kingdom army, whose commander had been killed by the riflemen, had fallen to the bottom of the earth and that we had promised not to loot the town.


    The Liberation Army soldiers entered the streets of Mitters Town and overpowered and seized the military facilities. Naturally, they also confiscated the supplies that were stored in the military facilities.


    ¡°Danan, give strict orders to the soldiers not to cause any trouble.¡±


    ¡°As you wish. We may have to make an example out of some of them.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m asking you to make sure that doesn¡¯t happen¡­ okay?¡±


    ¡°Very well.¡±


    Danan grinned and started to say something outrageous, so I made sure to keep him on his toes.


    Melty, accompanied by Zamir as her escort, happily went out into the town. They must have gone to procure wagons and supplies from the merchants of the town. They probably used the cash they had confiscated from the fort and military facilities, as well as the jewels they had received in advance from Kosuke, to get them.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad we were able to take control of the town without any problems for now.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I hope we can continue like this all the way to Erichburg.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it will work out that way.¡±


    Leonard¡¯s words soon became a reality as he stood in front of us.


    ¡°You are prepared to fight to the bitter end, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it seems so.¡±


    It took us another three days to march from Mitters Town to Erichburg. In terms of location, it was about a five-day walk from Fort Gamma. We were advancing to the town of Mayswood, just before Erichburg, while suppressing small villages along the way.


    ¡°The enemy force is about 2000, huh?¡±


    The Holy Kingdom¡¯s army had concentrated its forces on the town of Mayswood to intercept us. There are 2000 of them. That¡¯s twice the number of soldiers we have.


    ¡°It looks like they are planning to besiege the city and fight a defensive battle completely.¡±


    The city of Mayswood was built in the middle of a forest that produced high-quality timber and developed through forestry and timber processing. Since monsters can spring up from the nearby forest, it is equipped with a strong defensive wall. This time, they are trying to use that wall to repel us.


    ¡°They are not going to follow the surrender order, are they?¡±


    Although we gave them the same advice to surrender as we did in Mitters Town, it seems that they have no intention of surrendering this time.


    ¡°It is fortunate at least that there is no conscripted militia.¡±


    ¡°Yes. We¡¯ll overwhelm them with firepower first.¡±


    ¡°Very well. Crossbowmen! Advance!¡±


    As soon as I called out to the wind spirits to start blowing a strong tailwind, 500 crossbowmen stepped forward and started shooting. A burst of crossbow shots pierced the Holy Kingdom soldiers on the defensive wall, and the strong headwind stalled the arrows fired by the Holy Kingdom soldiers. Some of the arrows reached our crossbowmen, and some of them were wounded, but none of them seemed to be in any danger of death.


    In less than ten minutes, the enemy¡¯s return fire became sparse, and they were completely hidden behind the defensive wall. For now, the shooting war is a one-sided victory for us.


    ¡°After all, the crossbow is amazing. I don¡¯t think we¡¯re going to lose in a shooting war.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. But they¡¯re holed up now.¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. We¡¯ll do what we always do. Send in the Harpies.¡±


    ¡°And what about the target?¡±


    ¡°Tell them to prioritize killing and wounding the enemy soldiers. Minimize damage to facilities and civilians as much as possible. And make sure no one falls.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    Danan moved away from me.


    ¡°Even if you¡¯re not around, you¡¯re still able to protect us¡­ Kosuke.¡±


    Harpies equipped with aerial bombs in both feet soar high into the sky. Soon, they will start raining death down on the generals of the Holy Kingdom army. If that happens, the outcome of this battle will be decided.


    There¡¯s no shortage of wood to make a battering ram around here. I gave the order before the battle began, so by now, the Transportation Corps soldiers should have cut down the large trees and completed the battering ram. After the Harpies eradicate the wall¡¯s defensive forces, we can use the battering ram to break down the gate.


    If Kosuke were here, he could have bombed the gate and blown it up, but now that Kosuke is not with us, we can¡¯t afford to waste the Harpies¡¯ precious air bombs.


    The bombing by the Harpies began. The sound of air-shaking explosions rang out repeatedly, and the Liberation Army soldiers cheered.


    ¡°Once again, the Harpies¡¯ military prowess comes first.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll claim it¡¯s Kosuke¡¯s merit, not theirs, though.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    For us, the Liberation Army, Kosuke is genuinely our lifeline. At the same time, it is also fatal kryptonite.


    ¡°From now on, will you keep Kosuke in the rear, where he will be safe?¡±


    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s what I intend to do.¡±


    ¡°I have a feeling that Kosuke will not be happy about this.¡±


    ¡°I think so, too. But, you know, if I put him in front of me, he¡¯ll get hurt.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s always safe to keep him in the back either.¡±


    ¡°Then what do you think I should do, Leonard?¡±


    Leonard shrugged his shoulders at my question and then answered.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s best to keep him close to the princess at all times. It is the safest way for both of you to be happy. I have failed because I didn¡¯t do so in the past.¡±


    Leonard lost his wife in the war against the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army. His territory was attacked by a separate force of the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army, which bypassed the main force of the Merinard Kingdom¡¯s army, and his wife wielded her sword until the end of the attack and died.


    ¡°I will consider it favorably.¡±


    ¡°It would be good to do so, I think. The quality of the food will be better with Kosuke here.¡±


    With a laugh, Leonard walked away toward the battering ram that had been brought from the rear. He will probably have another bout with Zamir for the best spear.


    ¡°Kosuke¡­ wait for me.¡±


    This Mayswood will fall soon. If so, Erichburg will be within a stone¡¯s throw. The liberation army will be able to breathe a sigh of relief once Erichburg is under control. Until then, we have to be patient.


    ¡°I still have a lot of work to do.¡±


    I gripped the hilt of my Pale Moon and looked up at the defensive wall of Mayswood, which had been torn to shreds by the bombing of the Harpies.


    ¡°Begin the assault! Show the Holy Kingdom army what you can do!¡±


    With the soldiers shouting, I headed for the city gates. First, let¡¯s take this place down. Let¡¯s focus on that.

 CH 77

    It¡¯s Ko-Fi¡¯s Supporters¡¯ chapter (25/63), enjoy~


    ¡°Well, then Erichburg is already within your reach, huh?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. There were a good number of wounded in this battle, but the death toll was low. The potions that Kosuke and Isla made for us have healed most of our injuries, so we¡¯ll take a few days to rest and get control of Mayswood before we attack Erichburg.¡±


    Sylphy¡¯s voice echoes back from the golem communicator.


    The Liberation Army, which started from the Gamma Fort about a week ago, went northward through the former Merinard Kingdom territory while suppressing villages and towns along the way, and completed its invasion today to the city before Erichburg, which is the key transportation point.


    ¡°So¡­ are you okay? Are you sure you don¡¯t want me to go? I¡¯ve already built a supply base, so there¡¯s nothing I really need to do here.¡±


    In fact, there¡¯s almost nothing left for me to do in the backline, and for the past few days, I¡¯ve been busy mass-producing things that I can only mass-produce, such as Goatsfoot-style reinforced crossbows, aerial bombs for Harpies, ammunition, and parts for bolt-action rifles, and gathering materials for them.


    I don¡¯t know if I feel like collecting latrine dirt for a while!


    ¡°Yes¡­ I¡¯d like you to strengthen the defenses of Erichburg once we conquer it. Can I have you head this way?¡±


    ¡°All right! I will leave tomorrow if possible, the day after tomorrow at the latest!¡±


    ¡°Fufu¡­ I¡¯ll attack Erichburg before the excited Kosuke arrives here. There¡¯s still a good amount of the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army that exists south of Erichburg. Be careful on your way.¡±


    ¡°Sylphy, be careful too. Don¡¯t get hurt.¡±


    ¡°Okay. See you later.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, good night.¡±


    I finished the communication and put the Golem communicator on standby.


    ¡°Are we moving tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the plan. Isla should just¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going too.¡±


    ¡°No, I mean, what if someone gets hurt or sick?¡±


    ¡°The potions will work, and we have the former alchemists and apothecaries. So it won¡¯t be a problem.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I see. Are you sure about that?¡±


    ¡°Kosuke traveling alone is a bigger problem. You need an escort.¡±


    Isla did not change her decision to come with me. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want her to go with me. On the contrary, it¡¯s very reassuring. It¡¯s just that it¡¯s lonely to be alone. No, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be going alone. I¡¯m sure the three Harpies will follow me.


    ¡°What about transportation¡­? Should I run with Isla in my arms?¡±


    ¡°You want to bounce around like that? It will make me throw up.¡±


    Isla made a small cross mark in front of her mouth with a look of disgust on her face. Oh, so she¡¯s going to throw up. Well, it¡¯s not surprising that she got sick. I¡¯ll be moving at a great speed while jumping around, after all.


    ¡°Well, we¡¯ll take a carriage then. Do we have an extra one?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no problem with one carriage. The purpose is to deliver supplies to the front lines.¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡±


    The amount of supplies a single carriage can carry is negligible, but it¡¯s a different story with me on board. My inventory can carry a tremendous amount of goods. In fact, I still can¡¯t see the bottom of the amount of supplies that can be stored in my inventory. I wonder if I can store as much as I want?


    ¡°What happens tomorrow will happen tomorrow. Today is just you and me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. The sun has already set.¡±


    Basically, people in this world don¡¯t work after dark. It¡¯s inefficient and dangerous to work at night. In addition, it costs money because you have to turn on the lights. Therefore, when the sun goes down, they go home and spend time with their families and loved ones to nurture their bond.


    By the way, today we are going to spend time alone together, as Isla said. Rey, Pessar, and Capri are sleeping in separate rooms today. It seems that the decision was made after a discussion without my knowledge.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be your Onee-san today.¡±


    ¡°Onee-san?¡±


    I parroted back to Isla, who looked up at me. She looked like a little girl. The difference in height between Isla and me is a head and a half¡­ no, maybe two.


    ¡°I¡¯m actually a big sister, you know. I¡¯m older than you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true too.¡±


    Apparently, Isla is thirty-two years old. The One-Eyed race as Isla is also a long-lived species, although not as long as the elves. I¡¯m twenty-four¡­ No, I¡¯m twenty-five if you include the time I spent here. Since I¡¯m 25 years old, that means Isla is seven years older than me.


    By the way, I checked and found that the calendar in this world is much the same as on earth. I didn¡¯t ask about the details such as the number of hours in a day or whether there is a leap year, but a month is about thirty days, and a year is divided into twelve months. There is no problem in saying that they are almost the same.


    ¡°So, what is Isla-Oneesan like, and what is she planning to do?¡±


    ¡°Isla-Oneechan.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Kosuke is much younger than me. You should call me Isla-Oneechan.¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s a little¡­¡±


    Calling her Onee-chan at this age is just¡­ too much. I don¡¯t want her staring at me like that. I¡¯m not going to give up! Aaaa, don¡¯t cry. Aaaahh. I can¡¯t! You can¡¯t cry, young lady! That¡¯s not fair!


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah?¡±


    ¡°Isla-Oneechan¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Fufu.¡±


    Aah! She laughed at me! She made me say it, and now she¡¯s laughing!


    ¡°You¡¯re so cute. Come here, Onee-chan will spoil you.¡±


    Isla smiles at me with an excited face and looks at me gently as she opens her arms and prepares to accept me.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s just too much.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to be spoiled by Onee-chan?¡±


    Isla gives me a sad look. Isn¡¯t that cheating?


    ¡°That¡¯s not how it was supposed to be.¡±


    ¡°Come here.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    I had no room to resist.


    ¡°Aaaaahhhh!¡±


    I woke up in the morning and rolled around on the bed, screaming. Last night, I was carried along by Isla¡¯s pace from beginning to end. I can¡¯t help but feel like I¡¯ve made a tremendous mistake.


    ¡°Good morning, Kosuke. Breakfast is ready.¡±


    ¡°Good morning, Isla.¡±


    ¡°Isla-Oneechan.¡±


    ¡°Spare me.¡±


    ¡°Fufu¡­¡±


    Isla doesn¡¯t say anything; she just smiles, approaches me on the bed, and uses magic to clean the bed and me. I think magic is really useful when you see it like this. I would love to use it if I could.


    ¡°After breakfast, we will move quickly. It will take three, maybe four days to get to Erichburg from here by carriage.¡±


    ¡°¡­Okay.¡±


    The breakfast Isla made for us was a kind of barley porridge. I¡¯ve had a lot of opportunities to eat barley porridge since I came here. I don¡¯t mind it. It¡¯s not as bad as I thought.


    After finishing the meal, I dismantled the temporary accommodation and prepared to leave.


    ¡°Good morning! Eh, huh? You¡¯re cleaning up the house. Are you going somewhere?¡±


    Just as I finished dismantling the temporary accommodations, a brown-feathered harpy Pessar swooped down from the sky.


    ¡°Kosuke is going with me to the front line. Sylphy has approved it.¡±


    ¡°I see! Then I¡¯ll go tell everyone!¡±


    Pessar flew off in a hurry. I haven¡¯t even said good morning to her yet.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to the warehouse.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    I haven¡¯t heard of any food shortage on the front lines, but I¡¯m sure there¡¯s plenty of grain and potatoes that can be stored. If so, we can sell them to fund the military.


    I explained the situation to the former internal affairs officer who was in charge of the warehouse and threw more and more of the preservable harvest into my inventory, except for the immediate necessities. We had already completed two harvests at this food production base, and the empty warehouse was now filled to overflowing with grain.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to the front, so it¡¯ll be a week after the next harvest.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I understand. But still, it¡¯s an extraordinary harvest rate.¡±


    ¡°Right?¡±


    If I plow a farmland block and plant a seed, the crop will be ready to harvest in three days. If I did not plant the seeds, the crops would be ready to harvest in a week.


    And the experimental field that I just plowed up from the forest soil takes a week after I plant it. If someone other than me planted it, it is expected to take twice as long. It¡¯s still growing, though, so I can¡¯t be sure.


    I walked around the warehouse with Isla, who was silently watching me work, and when we got out of the warehouse after collecting the supplies as instructed by the manager, we saw two carriages parked in front of the warehouse. The one sitting on the driver¡¯s seat was Qubi.


    ¡°Hey, I heard you¡¯re going to the front.¡±


    ¡°Are you going too, Qubi?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be escorting you, escort. There are still a lot of Holy Kingdom troops on this side of Erichburg.¡±


    Qubi says this while waving his hands in the air. And the other carriage seems to be operated by a human man, not a subhuman, and inside the carriage are about eight soldiers of the Liberation Army armed with crossbows and swords. They were mostly human men, with only two subhumans.


    ¡°There are a lot of humans here, aren¡¯t there?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you before? I used to be involved with humans in the royal capital of the Merinard Kingdom. That¡¯s what I learned back then.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    I¡¯ve heard that he wasn¡¯t originally a soldier, but what kind of background does Qubi have? It¡¯s a bit of a mystery after all this time. I have a feeling that he¡¯s a former member of the underworld, but I don¡¯t think I need to go to the trouble of digging up his past.


    As soon as Pessar and the others who were not present flew in, the hastily organized supply transport unit departed the supply production base and began to head towards the front lines.


    ¡°This new type of carriage is great; my ass doesn¡¯t hurt even though I¡¯m the coachman.¡±


    ¡°The ride is good, too. The old carriage was terrible. I thought I was going to break my ass.¡±


    ¡°Your ass is already broken from the beginning.¡±


    I wonder what a subhuman ass like Qubi¡¯s would look like? I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve never really looked at a man¡¯s ass. I¡¯ve seen Sylphy, Isla, and the Harpies naked, and their hips are the same as humans.


    As for our route this time, we¡¯ll spend the day running between the production base and the Gamma fort and then head north along the same route that the Liberation Army took.


    We could have started from the production base and gone north, but that would have been risky because we would have passed through some villages and towns that the Liberation Army had not yet conquered. So we decided that it would be safer to take the same route that the Liberation Army had taken, even if it meant taking a slightly longer detour.


    ¡°Hopefully, nothing will happen to us.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, if we take the same route that the Liberation Army took, there won¡¯t be any trouble.¡±


    Isla, do you know that? That¡¯s called a flag.


    While thinking about Isla¡¯s words, I checked the contents of my inventory and made preparations to deal with any problems that might arise.

 CH 78

    It¡¯s Ko-Fi¡¯s Supporters¡¯ chapter (26/63), enjoy~


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Kosuke.¡±


    ¡°I just thought that flags are just an occult thing.¡±


    A few days later, we were leaving the city of Mayswood without any trouble and traveling to Erichburg.


    What happened on the way, you ask? No, there really wasn¡¯t any trouble. The route that the Liberation Army took had been cleared and free of monsters, or should I say that there were no attacks by monsters at all, and there was no such thing as encountering the guerrilla forces of the Holy Kingdom Army.


    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t underestimate the importance of intuition, such as bad premonition or bad sign. Some people can sense these things from the slightest sign that they themselves are not aware of.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ that¡¯s how it works.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, yes. But of course, it could be just your imagination, or you could make a mistake by worrying too much. Just do everything in moderation.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    Then I heard a thunderous sound¡­ in the distance. It¡¯s probably the sound of Sylphy and the others fighting ¨D or perhaps the aerial bombardment of the Harpies.


    ¡°It¡¯s the bomb, isn¡¯t it? It looks like the princess is doing something fancy.¡±


    ¡°I guess so. It looks like they were preserving it until Mayswood, so they¡¯ll be playing it big today. However, even though they¡¯re being pushed this far, the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army isn¡¯t making any moves?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that they don¡¯t want to; it¡¯s that they can¡¯t. Kosuke has blown away all of the cavalries that they can¡¯t afford to attack us.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you mean their mobile forces have been destroyed?¡±


    ¡°Even if they are not, the Liberation Army, or rather the Harpies and crossbows, are too strong. If they don¡¯t at least take measures against the Harpies, the Holy Kingdom army won¡¯t be able to defeat us.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    The Liberation Army, which is equipped with powerful long-distance weapons such as crossbows, is extremely strong in defensive and siege battles. But if the enemy wanted to fight in the open, they will be detected immediately by the Harpies flying in the sky, and if they are crowded on the plains, they will be a good target for the Harpies¡¯ aerial bombardment.


    Then there was the option of laying low, but again, this would be detected by the Harpies, who were on the lookout from the sky, and if they were detected, they would immediately be reported to the main force by a communicator, and countermeasures would be taken. An ambush whose existence and location are known is no threat to us. In fact, they are just easy targets.


    ¡°Still, I don¡¯t think we¡¯d be safe from a charge by a bunch of cavalries.¡±


    ¡°Well, there will be damage, but will it be that bad? I can only see the Harpies¡¯ bombing and hand grenades stopping the cavalry charge.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, explosions are effective against cavalry. If the sound of those bombs sends the horses into a panic, they won¡¯t be able to charge.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    That makes the Liberation Army very strong, doesn¡¯t it? Is it possible that I¡¯m worrying too much? This world is a different world with magic. I wonder if there will ever be an opponent that¡­ crossbows won¡¯t work on and bombing won¡¯t work on? A dragon, maybe? Or something like a hero or demon king?


    As for me, well, if I know it¡¯s coming, can I manage to withstand it? I¡¯ll just have to defend myself and run away.


    Hmm? When I think about it, my endurance, defense, and survival abilities are as good as a dragon¡¯s, with some conditions¡­? I¡¯ll try not to think about it too much. Yeah.


    ¡°Won¡¯t the Holy Kingdom army just start throwing out their tiger cubs?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. There is a possibility that the mage troops will be deployed.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, will that be okay?¡±


    ¡°There are other mages besides me, so it¡¯s probably safe. As long as we can prevent the Holy Kingdom¡¯s mages from using their magic without fighting back, we should be fine.¡±


    ¡°But if we can¡¯t prevent them¡­ Oh, we have the riflemen.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. They can¡¯t aim their magic if they can¡¯t see the enemy.¡±


    ¡°No matter how many magic barriers they have, they can¡¯t prevent bullets from a bolt-action rifle. A mage who is standing still with magic is a good target, right?¡±


    There¡¯s no way that Danan and Sir Leonard, who has been tormented by the mage troops of the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army, have not taken measures to counter them. Probably, even if they had been deployed, they would have been beaten to a pulp by the riflemen.


    Even as I speak, the distant thunderous sound continues. They¡¯re playing a really big game¡­ Since I¡¯m arriving, maybe they¡¯re planning to spit out the entire inventory. No matter how much they destroy the defensive wall, I can fix it in no time.


    ¡°Let¡¯s proceed with caution. If we run into another unit that¡¯s trying to flank or hinder Sylphy and the others, we will be trapped.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s for sure. Well, I think it¡¯s okay because the Harpies are watching, but let¡¯s be as careful as we can.¡±


    The carriage moves forward with the sounds of battle in the distance.


    Sylphy¡¯s POV


    ¡°They¡¯re very tenacious in their defense.¡±


    ¡°If they lose this place, the southern part will be cut off. They must be desperate.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s it?¡±


    The strong wind that continues to blow from behind us nullifies most of the arrows of the enemy archers, but the crossbow bolts that we fired hit something like an invisible wall before they could reach the enemy soldiers on the defensive wall and were bounced off.


    ¡°It¡¯s a shame we couldn¡¯t kill them all with our shots.¡±


    ¡°They were surprisingly quick to react.¡±


    The invisible wall is the work of the Mage Corps, the tiger cub of the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army. It seems that they are using magic to put up barriers to prevent our attacks.


    ¡°So they now use their magic without having to expose themselves to the wall.¡±


    ¡°What an impudent bunch.¡±


    In the beginning, the mage troops of the Holy Kingdom exposed themselves on the wall to unleash attack magic on our troops, but while our mage troops were blocking them, Jagira and the riflemen shot them.


    It was heartening to see the enemy¡¯s mage troops, who had once tormented the forces of the Merinard Kingdom, fall to the ground, but when they realized that the riflemen¡¯s attack could not be blocked by magic, they quickly hid behind the walls.


    After that, it was like this. Both sides are plowing the soil of the battlefield with their arrows having little effect on each other.


    ¡°This is Pirna; we have confirmed the target.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead, drop two bombs in turn.¡±


    Pirna and the rest of the Harpy squad, circling in the sky, are ordered to attack via the Golem communicator.


    ¡°Copy that. We¡¯ll start the bombing.¡±


    At my signal, an explosion erupts as if to wipe out the enemy on the defensive wall. It seems that we were able to inflict some damage on the enemy, but most of the damage was done by shattering the magic barriers.


    The enemy might have been relieved that they had prevented it. However, a second bomb went off with a slight delay.


    ¡°It seems that the second bombing could not be prevented¡­ and the mage troops are like insects before the bombing.¡±


    Leonard¡¯s mouth twisted in amusement.


    This double bombing is a bombing tactic where the first bomb destroys the magic barrier and the second bomb wipes out the enemy soldiers along with the mages. It is a technique for anti-mages that was devised through discussions with Isla and the other mages.


    ¡°The effect is confirmed. The damage to the enemy soldiers at the target point, including the mage, is enormous.¡±


    ¡°Good. Re-arm and continue to attack the enemy soldiers. The first priority target is the mage.¡±


    ¡°Copy that.¡±


    Now, the enemy has lost their only hope of a mage unit. I¡¯m sure their morale will drop drastically.


    ¡°What are we going to do now? Should we break down the gate?¡±


    ¡°No, there are still several air bombs that Kosuke entrusted to me. Kosuke said he would be joining us by the end of the day, and he also mass-produced weapons, bombs, and ammunition while he was over there. There was no need to take the risk of losing our troops. Let¡¯s just bomb them to death slowly, like choking them with cotton.¡±


    ¡°¡­Cotton is a bit extreme, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not cotton; it¡¯s more like a steel wire with thorns or something. As for me, I¡¯d prefer to burst through the gates.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t. You may not die so easily, Leonard, but your men will.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s regrettable.¡±


    Leonard said with regret and stroked the hilt of his twin swords at his waist. Both Leonard and Zamir want to go forward and fight after Kosuke has made them mithril weapons. I don¡¯t know how they feel about that, but I can¡¯t bear to let my soldiers die for nothing.


    However, in this situation, the Harpies would be in sole control. Not only us, but even the other soldiers would have nothing to do. At any rate, we¡¯ll just have to destroy them with the Harpies¡¯ aerial bombs.


    If we get too close to the defensive wall during the bombing, we might get caught in the blast, so we can¡¯t do anything to the enemy until the bombing is over. So, let¡¯s instruct the soldiers to make a battering ram. If the enemy surrenders, it will be useless, but if not, we will need it to break down the gates.


    The relentless bombing has been going on for a while, but it won¡¯t last forever. If Kosuke were here, though, he might be able to turn Erichburg into a pile of rubble.


    ¡°What about the remaining enemy soldiers?¡±


    ¡°It seems that a good number of them have retreated from the defensive wall and taken refuge in civilian buildings. We destroyed the barracks and other buildings, but we avoided warehouses that might have contained supplies, so we think they are hiding there as well. Even so, I think we were able to destroy most of them with the bombing.¡±


    ¡°All right. Go back to the main camp and rest your wings.¡±


    ¡°No, we¡¯ll continue to circle above and continue our reconnaissance mission.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t push yourself too hard.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    I finished my communication and looked up to see Leonard with a fierce smile on his face, his fangs bared. This warlike and gluttonous nature of his is beyond sick.


    ¡°So that¡¯s how it is. It¡¯s going to be a city battle; watch out for surprise attacks. I¡¯ll go too.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°Would it not be better if I were to act as bait? Well, I¡¯ll just lead the troops to the lord¡¯s mansion, calling for them to surrender.¡±


    ¡°I think that would be dangerous. ¡°


    ¡°It¡¯s necessary in order to achieve our goal.¡±


    It¡¯s not in my nature to just give orders from behind and sit back and relax. The Merinard royal family has made the mistake of losing this country once. If I don¡¯t step forward, at least in times of battle, the soldiers and the people will not be satisfied. That¡¯s all I can do.


    Soon after, the battering ram was ready, and the gates were breached. Leonard and Zamir were happy to charge in, but Danan and I ran down the main street after clearing the area. We were accompanied by an elite force of heavy infantry and light infantry.


    There was no one on the main street to block our invasion. The inhabitants were probably holed up in their houses, or else they would have fled the city long ago. The news of our march to the north must have reached Erichburg long ago.


    ¡°It seems that the lord¡¯s mansion has its own defensive forces.¡±


    What should we do? Danan asks me with a glance. The answer is obvious.


    ¡°Push through!¡±


    ¡°Your Highness!¡±


    With the help of the wind spirit, I put on an invisible wind robe and ran out. The enemy soldiers who were deployed in front of the lord¡¯s mansion were shooting arrows at me as I surged forward.


    ¡°Arrows?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s magic! They¡¯re coming! Ready your spears! Hold your ground!¡±


    The wind swirling around my body deflects all of the arrows that fly at me. The enemy commander seemed to be quite good, and instead of focusing on attacking with arrows, he chose to immediately form a spear line against us as we rushed forward.


    As I ran, I commanded the wind spirit to turn the wind robe I was wearing into a storm and hit the enemy group before we made contact with the spear line. With that blow, several people were blown away, and the spear line was disrupted.


    ¡°Aaaaaaah!¡±


    I jumped into the spear line that was disrupted and had holes in it and swung the Pale Moon that I pulled out of its sheath in all directions.


    The pale blue blade cut through the body, arms, and legs of the soldiers of the Holy Kingdom army, along with their armor. The cut-off limbs and upper body fly in the air. In just a few moments, the whole area was covered in blood.


    ¡°Your ears, your black skin¡­ you¡¯re the witch!¡±


    One of the soldiers said so. The next moment, I chopped off her head with the Pale Moon.


    ¡°Drop your spears! Fight with your sword¡­!?¡±


    I cut down the enemy soldiers standing in front of me, pulled out the Kukri knife from its sheath at my waist with my left hand, and threw it at a man who looked like a commander behind the lines. The spinning Kukri knife pierced the face of the commander guy, and the guy fell down violently as if he had been beaten.


    ¡°Mizel-sama! You!¡±


    A man who looked like a knight, who was standing beside the man, turned red and charged at me. I pointed the muzzle of the revolver I pulled out of the holster at my waist at the man.


    *Dor**Dor**Dor*! A thunderous sound echoed, and the man charging at me was blown backward. There was a hole in his armor, so he couldn¡¯t have survived.


    I could feel the morale of the enemy soldiers dropping rapidly, probably because the man who looked like the commander I had just killed and the man who looked like his bodyguard had been killed as well.


    ¡°Drop your weapons and surrender. If you do, I will not take your life.¡±


    The soldiers surrounding us looked at each other, and when they saw Danan and the others charging at them with even more ferocity, they dropped their weapons.


    Soon after, Erichburg fell, and the flag of the Merinard Kingdom was raised at its gates. It was only later that Kosuke arrived in Erichburg.

 CH 79

    It¡¯s Ko-Fi¡¯s Supporters¡¯ chapter (27/63), enjoy~


    When we arrived in Erichburg, the flag of the Merinard Kingdom was already hanging above the castle gate. When our carriage arrived at the gate, we were stopped by the Liberation Army soldiers who were guarding the gate.


    ¡°Good work.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve heard all about you. Please continue straight down the main street. The enemy has already surrendered, but the city is still not completely under control, so please be careful.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    After the exchange between Qubi and the soldiers, the carriage started moving again.


    ¡°This city seems to be quite large, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Erichburg is a major transportation point and used to be the base of a margrave who ruled the southern part of the Merinard Kingdom. Even after it became a vassal state of the Holy Kingdom, its role remained unchanged, and the city continued to grow. In other words, it is one of the most important cities in the Merinard Kingdom.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ It¡¯s going to be quite a challenge to control and rule here, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    I don¡¯t know what the population of this city is, but it can¡¯t be more than two or three thousand. Or perhaps there are 10,000 inhabitants.


    ¡°Yeah, I think it¡¯s tough. Melty won¡¯t have time to sleep for a while.¡±


    ¡°I guess I should be worried, but Melty will be able to do it with ease while laughing¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s true.¡±


    While I was talking with Isla, the carriage started moving again and left the castle gate, which still smells of blood and guts. From the outside, it was obvious that the top of the wall had been damaged, so they must have bombed the top of the wall relentlessly. You don¡¯t need to think about what would happen to a person if a bomb fell on their head¡­ So that¡¯s what the smell was.


    I put my fears out of my mind as much as possible and looked at the city from inside the carriage.


    ¡°There¡¯s no pedestrian traffic.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no wonder since the city was turned into a battlefield a while ago.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess so.¡±


    If I were a resident of this city, I¡¯d stay indoors until things calm down. You never know what a soldier excited by battle might do to you. Sylphy told me that they¡¯re pretty strict about military discipline, but even that isn¡¯t perfect. In the first place, the inhabitants of this city probably don¡¯t know anything about it.


    The carriage proceeded for a while and stopped in front of a large mansion. There was a faint smell of blood in the air as if there had been a battle here.


    Guided by a soldier standing guard, the carriage passed through the mansion gate and entered the grounds. It¡¯s quite a large mansion. There¡¯s even a gorgeous carriage.


    A carriage parking lot, huh? We got out of the carriage as it seemed to have stopped at a space that looked like a carriage parking lot. I help Isla, who is short, to get down. Given Isla¡¯s height, it¡¯s quite a height to get down from the carriage to the ground.


    ¡°Kosuke!¡±


    ¡°Sylphy!¡±


    Sylphy walks towards us, waving her hand as if she was watching us from the window. She seemed to be uninjured. I ran up to her and hugged her.


    ¡°¡­Why are you avoiding me?¡±


    ¡°No, I smelled blood right now¡­ I washed it off, but it¡¯s still sticking to me.¡±


    ¡°Blood? Did you get hurt?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s the enemy¡¯s blood.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    I can¡¯t get the image of Sylphy getting a hand-wound at all. In my mind, Sylphy has a strong image of an absolute powerhouse¡­ when it comes to fighting. Other than that? Well, of course, she¡¯s a cute girl, yeah.


    ¡°And you¡¯re just looking the same as before, Kosuke?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, as you can see. I didn¡¯t get hurt or sick.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been taking care of him.¡±


    Before I realized it, Isla stood right beside me, stretched her thin breasts with a smug look on her face.


    ¡°I¡¯m Kosuke¡¯s Onee-chan.¡±


    ¡°Bufuh!¡±


    ¡°Onee-chan?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but spurt out at Isla¡¯s words, and Sylphy gave me a dubious look when she saw us. Isla began to whisper something to Sylphy.


    Stop, don¡¯t talk about that here! Even if you¡¯re whispering in a small voice, I¡¯m sure Qubi can hear you! Look! He¡¯s smirking. He¡¯s smirking!


    ¡°Oh¡­ So, you¡¯re into that sort of thing, huh, Kosuke?¡±


    Sylphy smiles happily.


    ¡°No, no, no, Sylphy is tired from the battle, isn¡¯t she? So I¡¯ll spoil you today.¡±


    ¡°Bah! What are you saying out loud?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do whatever it takes to take control.¡±


    ¡°Are you forgetting that we have the advantage in numbers and power? Kosuke.¡±


    ¡°Ah yeah!¡±


    Sylphy, Isla, and even the Harpies are all in this city. What¡¯s more, the Harpies are all good at spoiling¡­ This is not good! If I don¡¯t do something, my dignity will be ruined¡­! Far from being a little brother who is pampered by his Onee-san, it could jump over it and opened a dangerous door of a baby play.


    ¡°W-well, let¡¯s just calm down, okay? We¡¯ll talk about it later in the evening when things have settled down. We have other priorities right now, right?¡±


    ¡°I suppose so.¡±


    Qubi and the guards seemed to be going to meet with Danan to make arrangements for tonight¡¯s lodging and so on, and they asked the soldiers where they were and walked away.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s the situation now?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve almost got it under control. There is a possibility that some of the soldiers are hiding in the city, so we¡¯re calling for voluntary surrender.¡±


    If they surrender by noon tomorrow, they will be disarmed and released. If they do not surrender by then, they will be treated as enemy soldiers as soon as they are found, assuming they are still willing to fight. It is also reported that the same action will be taken against civilians who are harboring soldiers of the Holy Kingdom.


    ¡°There is a possibility that the soldiers are threatening them. We¡¯ll deal with that on a case-by-case basis.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s kind of hard.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s tough. But once we get through this, there won¡¯t be any major battles for a while. We¡¯ll probably have to focus our efforts on settling the southern part of the country.¡±


    Sylphy leaves the work of the area to her subordinates and stands firmly at the base of the lord¡¯s mansion¡­ Simply put, she has nothing to do.


    ¡°Danan and Melty told me that the top management should not get involved in such small matters and stand firm.¡±


    ¡°Is that how it is?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s about it.¡±


    Isla nodded at my words. Actually, there are many things she could do, such as deciding how to deal with the people of the Holy Kingdom who ruled here or how to handle prisoners of war. I guess they¡¯re trying to lay the groundwork for Sylphy to decide on that first.


    ¡°What should I do? Do you want me to go and repair the wall?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s better to wait until we have full control of Erichburg. I don¡¯t want anything to happen to Kosuke if you¡¯re caught off guard during the repairs. The damage to the city walls is not fatal.¡±


    ¡°I see. Should I take the supplies out to the warehouse first?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s probably a good idea.¡±


    That¡¯s how I ended up heading to the warehouse district of Erichburg with Sylphy. Isla went separately to check on the mage troops who had come to this area.


    ¡°There are quite a lot of supplies here.¡±


    ¡°I guess they were thinking about a siege.¡±


    The warehouses in the warehouse district were stocked with a large amount of preserved food, bows and arrows, armor, and medical supplies. They might have been planning to hold a siege, as Sylphy said.


    ¡°If they are going to hold a siege, it means they have reinforcements, right?¡±


    Normally, a siege is done because there are reinforcements available. The siege tactic is to stay in the base, endure, wait for reinforcements from allies, and then strike back at the enemy. Otherwise, the entrances and exits would be blocked, and they would have to starve to death. Oh, if winter is coming, could it be possible for the enemy army to retreat from the cold?


    ¡°I wonder. Danan and Melty seemed to think that it would be difficult to send reinforcements right away.¡±


    Based on the damage inflicted by the Liberation Army on the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army and the confiscated materials of the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army, the enemy¡¯s military strength in the Merinard Kingdom was calculated, and the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army should have already lost half or more of its strength.


    If they were to counterattack the Liberation Army on this basis, they would either need to receive significant reinforcements from their home country or mobilize the people of the Merinard Kingdom on a large scale to gather conscripted soldiers. Neither of these things can be done in a short period, and the conscription would be a major blow to the territory¡¯s economy. I don¡¯t think they¡¯re going to do it that easily.


    ¡°The casualty rate of the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army in the past battles has been extraordinary, right?¡±


    The difference in the kill ratio between the Liberation Army and the Holy Kingdom Army is staggering, especially because of the bombing by the Harpies. It seems that the Liberation Army has suffered some deaths in this battle, but it is probably only a fraction of the deaths of the Holy Kingdom Army.


    ¡°Yes¡­ the enemy¡¯s morale also seems to be quite low.¡±


    It seems that the survivors of the previously liberated fortresses have been informed of the battle against the Liberation Army, and it seems that fear of us is widespread among the ordinary soldiers of the Holy Kingdom Army. I¡¯ve heard that the rain of death that the Harpies are bringing down is breaking the bodies into pieces.


    ¡°¡­Bombing must be scary.¡±


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s indeed scary.¡±


    I don¡¯t want to be the target of Harpy¡¯s bombs, either. Even Sylphy will die if the Harpies bombard her and overwhelm her surroundings¡­ Wait, will she die? It seems that she will move with great speed and get out of the killing zone before the bombs fall.


    ¡°This is a vacant warehouse.¡±


    I was led to a large warehouse in the corner of the warehouse district, which was almost completely empty.


    ¡°Is it all right to put food in here? What about bombs and crossbows and stuff?¡±


    ¡°I think we should set up a site somewhere and have Kosuke build a warehouse. It should be well guarded.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. The military facilities have been destroyed by bombing this time, too, right? Should I just destroy them and build new ones?¡±


    ¡°It might be better to do it like that. We can¡¯t afford to have them taken out or sabotaged.¡±


    The safest thing would be for me to keep the aerial bombs in my inventory, but then they wouldn¡¯t be able to start bombing without me. It would be more convenient to store ammunition in a fixed location in the military base.


    ¡°Tomorrow will be a busy day for me.¡±


    ¡°You may be asked to repair the walls, rebuild damaged facilities, and possibly even reorganize the city.¡±


    ¡°Seriously.¡±


    Erichburg seems to be an old city with a long history, and I¡¯ve heard that it has been expanded many times, so I¡¯m sure there are inefficient roads and buildings blocking the way. But that¡¯s not a problem for me. Putting all the stuff in inventory, destroying the building, and rebuilding it in another location with the same structure is a piece of cake. It might take less than 30 minutes per building.


    If the shape of the house didn¡¯t matter, it could be done much faster.


    ¡°Please make sure that you tell Melty not to do anything reckless to me¡­ I don¡¯t want to be overworked and die of exhaustion.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡±


    I think the power relationship between Sylphy and Melty is apparent in the fact that she doesn¡¯t say ¡°leave it to me.¡± Melty is like the secret boss of the Liberation Army¡­ I don¡¯t know how capable she is, but she¡¯s definitely physically strong.


    Even so, Sylphy is the supreme authority of the Liberation Army, right? So, it will be okay, right¡­?


    ¡°If Melty says it¡¯s necessary, it should be necessary, so¡­ it may be burdensome, but please do it.¡±


    Sylphy smiles as if she¡¯s noticed my gaze.


    ¡°Then you¡¯ll have to make up for that, maybe this evening.¡±


    ¡°Fufu, will it really work out that way? But first, I need to take a bath.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t there one in the lord¡¯s mansion? A bath.¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡±


    ¡°Well, then, I suppose I¡¯ll just have to set up the usual accommodations in the big yard.¡±


    ¡°That sounds good.¡±


    After leaving the list of released supplies to the Liberation Army soldiers guarding the warehouse, Sylphy and I went to the lord¡¯s mansion to relax.

 CH 80

    It¡¯s Ko-Fi¡¯s Supporters¡¯ chapter (28/63), enjoy~


    Thanks to the consideration of Isla and the Harpies, I spent the night alone with Sylphy, and the next day I began to work vigorously. At night, Sylphy, Isla, and the Harpies would heal me. So I¡¯m full of energy every day¡­ I feel like I¡¯m being sucked dry, but I¡¯m full of energy!


    By taking advantage of the fact that the residents have been evacuated, the houses have been demolished and moved to new locations, the walls have been repaired and strengthened, the originally long moat has been deepened, and the millstones have been used to grind grain all day long.


    But I am fine.


    ¡°Your eyes are dead¡­¡±


    ¡°You were grinding the millstone all day long. So I can understand how you feel.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll refrain from doing that again.¡±


    After several days of completing tasks that needed to be done quickly, I was given a day off. Today¡¯s companion, or rather escort, was Qubi. Originally, my escort was to be Sir Leonard or Ms. Zamir, but they were absent because they were leading their respective troops in a campaign to sweep the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army south of Erichburg.


    Although the control of Erichburg is over, there might still be soldiers of the Holy Kingdom army hiding somewhere, or spies of the Holy Kingdom army might have entered the city somehow. Therefore, I need an escort when I spend my vacation in the city.


    I really wanted to take a look around the city with Sylphy or Isla, but they were both busy with their own work.


    ¡°And even if it was a day off, where would we go? It¡¯s not like we¡¯re going shopping.¡±


    ¡°Well, I guess so.¡±


    In my case, I can make almost anything I want with my crafting abilities. If it¡¯s a rare material that can¡¯t be obtained easily, I might as well buy it¡­ I don¡¯t have access to any magic material after all. It seems to be prepared in the backline, but I never had the chance to go there, and I ended up not being able to get it while I was building the production base. I couldn¡¯t get in touch with the merchants who deal in it¡­


    ¡°Do you want to go to the brothel?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m interested, but I¡¯m afraid of getting caught, so I¡¯ll pass.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    If I have the energy to vent in a brothel, then I¡¯ll be ¡®fine,¡¯ which means my nightlife could be in trouble. Also, I have a feeling that it will simply affect my future days off. It¡¯s a choice that smells of death.


    ¡°A bar then?¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s better to make the delicious drinks and snacks myself¡­ But actually, I don¡¯t want to go to a place where pretty girls and pretty Onee-sans entertain me for the same reason I don¡¯t want to go to a brothel.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true, too.¡±


    My kids are a little bit out of the ordinary, so the slightest trace of them can be detected. Well, even if I¡¯m interested, it¡¯s only for curiosity. Sylphy and the others are good enough for that kind of thing.


    ¡°Then, maybe we can go play.¡±


    ¡°By playing, you mean gambling? What kind of games are there?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡±


    I asked him about it, and he said it was some kind of dice game. Apparently, you can play it at a bar table or a gambling den.


    ¡°I see. I guess there are dice games everywhere.¡±


    ¡°Do you want to go?¡±


    ¡°No, thanks. I¡¯m an amateur, so I might be an easy target if I go.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    Gambling is designed so that the dealer can profit from it. What can I, an amateur, do against a fierce competitor who is making money even in that environment? The answer is that I¡¯ll be plucked up until the hair on my ass.


    ¡°Even if I get a day off, there¡¯s not much to do.¡±


    ¡°How do you usually spend your time?¡±


    ¡°Developing new items?¡±


    ¡°Can that be considered as a day off¡­?¡±


    ¡°Thinking up and creating new things can be a lot of fun, you know?¡±


    Whether or not it will actually be used by the Liberation Army, I have made some powerful weapons. You never know when you might need it.


    ¡°What are you going to do on your day off when there is no rest, no drinking, no gambling, and no brothels?¡±


    ¡°Just wander the streets randomly¡­?¡±


    ¡°Again, that¡¯s not a day off, is it?¡±


    While talking about this, Qubi and I wandered around the city. It¡¯s been more than a week since we conquered Erichburg. The people seem to have settled down to a certain degree and are enjoying their new daily lives. The people who had used subhumans as slaves until now seemed to have a hard time with their daily lives, though.


    ¡°Are things settling down in the city?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Although there are still some troubles.¡±


    ¡°I guess so.¡±


    It¡¯s because the subhuman slaves, who were treated as slaves like livestock until now, are now forced to be treated as ordinary people. The subhuman slaves have been freed from their status and are now under the protection of the Liberation Army.


    I think we can feed them for the time being, but they have spent a long time as slaves, so they have no property. We can¡¯t just free them and say, ¡°You¡¯re free! And do your best!¡± For the time being, the Liberation Army would take care of their food, clothing, and shelter and support them so that they could stand on their own.


    At the same time, they are also seizing and confiscating the property of those who have been making money by forcing the sub-humans to work in harsh conditions. I don¡¯t know what the standards are for this, but I think they are making a lot of progress as Melty goes out into the city every day with a happy face. It¡¯s like the inevitable decline of a prosperous person¡­ Well, it¡¯s more correct to say that if you¡¯re going to suffer the retribution of what you¡¯ve done, it¡¯s better to say that you deserve it.


    ¡°Melty seems to be working very hard. Is she going to be okay?¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ well, I think she¡¯s going to do just fine. She¡¯s a tough girl, and she¡¯s not stupid.¡±


    According to Qubi, there are several merchants who are former citizens of the Holy Kingdom who have read the current situation and are actively cooperating with Melty or the Liberation Army. In addition, even though they are the people of the Holy Kingdom, not all of them are persecuting subhumans.


    ¡°There are many kinds of people among the Holy Kingdom¡¯s citizens. There are those who are religious, those who are not, those who persecute subhumans like me, and those who are not.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true, I suppose.¡±


    There are two types of masters who use large numbers of subhuman slaves: those who overwork subhumans to make money and those who use subhumans heavily to create a good working environment and working conditions.


    The former are mercilessly destroyed, while the latter are given preferential treatment and used as workplaces for the freed subhuman slaves.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t there a limit to that?¡±


    ¡°The point is, they¡¯re giving away the concessions and whatnot that were held by the merchants they shut down in order to coerce them. In order to make a profit from the new concessions, they need to bring in their own people.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­? So what happens to the ones who get destroyed?¡±


    ¡°Basically, their property will be confiscated, and they¡¯ll be sent north of Erichburg.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s terrible.¡±


    ¡°I think they¡¯re lucky they¡¯re not executed.¡±


    ¡°Execution.¡±


    Indeed, the rule of law does not extend to all parts of this world, and the areas under the rule of the Liberation Army today are all like ¡°law? Is it delicious?¡±


    The Sylphy Liberation Army, which has conquered the area south of Erichburg by force, is in a position to physically eliminate subhuman racists and Adel believers if they wanted to. The current way of doing things without raining blood may be quite moderate.


    When entering the commercial district, there are stores that are energetically doing business and others that are quietly shutting their doors. The difference between the two is probably the result of Melty¡¯s work.


    ¡°Is everything alright?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m worried about the future.¡±


    To be honest, I don¡¯t know anything about governing a country, so I can¡¯t do anything about it. The only thing I can do is create things so that people don¡¯t starve so that they can live safely and so that they can resist foreign enemies.


    ¡°You should talk to the princess or Melty about such things. It¡¯s too much for me to think about.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    It¡¯s not something that two idiots like us who don¡¯t know the first word in politics can¡¯t help with. I¡¯ll talk to Sylphy and Isla about it this evening.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been wondering, how much stuff do you carry around with you?¡±


    ¡°Oh, the contents of my inventory? Hmm, it¡¯s quite a lot.¡±


    I can¡¯t say I have a complete grasp of the contents myself. There are many things that can be found in my inventory: wood, stone, clay, minerals, living organism materials such as leather and tendons, parts, alloys, weapons, ammunition, tools, clothing, food, Harpies¡¯ feathers¡­?


    ¡°If you have time, why don¡¯t you try to organize it? I¡¯m curious to see what¡¯s in there too.¡±


    ¡°Fumu¡­ that¡¯s good too. I can only do that when I have time. But I need some space to spread out the stuff.¡±


    ¡°You know, there¡¯s a vacant lot near the west wall that was cleared the day before yesterday.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that place, huh?¡±


    It was a so-called slum area, and there were a lot of dilapidated shacks. The plan was for me to clean it up and build a new one. The slum dwellers seemed to have been given homes elsewhere in the city, so it wasn¡¯t much of a challenge to clear the land.


    After a short walk from the commercial area, we came to a large vacant lot.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see, let¡¯s get it all out.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll watch from a distance.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    I don¡¯t want to get caught under a log or something. So, I silently spit out the contents of my inventory into the vacant lot. There was a lot of wood, stone, clay, and minerals. Especially, there is a lot of timber, especially since I cut down a lot of it the other day.


    ¡°Your stuff is outrageous, by the way.¡±


    ¡°I know, right?¡±


    After the wood, stone, and clay were released, the following items were fibers, bent branches, refined iron and steel plates, glass, mechanical parts, leather, strong tendons, gunpowder, and other intermediate materials.


    ¡°There¡¯s a lot of stuff around here I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s called intermediate materials. These are things that are made by processing the basic materials and then processing them further to make various things. I don¡¯t think it can be used by itself for anything.¡±


    The next thing is construction blocks, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s ever materialized into an item before, has it?


    ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°This is a building block. One of these blocks is one meter wide, tall and deep.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s like a die.¡±


    The materialized construction block was shaped like a die and came out of the inventory in pieces. When it comes to the actual construction blocks, they look like blocks that cause pain if stepped on.


    ¡°The foodstuffs are a pain in the ass when you take them out.¡±


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t take them out then.¡±


    The next step was to arrange the weapons. There are many items that have been in storage since they were made. There are swords, bows and arrows, firearms, ammunition, bombs, cannons and cartridges, crossbows, ballistae, and stone-throwers.


    ¡°There are some very disturbing items here. A lot of it I¡¯ve never seen before.¡±


    ¡°Not all of the weapons I¡¯ve made have been practical.¡±


    Mainly because of the cost. The cost of ammunition, especially for firearms, is really outrageous. Bombs are much more efficient when using the same amount of gunpowder¡­ and efficiency is a bit of a problem when using them against people.


    The rest is furniture, small household items, clothing, and tools.


    ¡°Hey, these pickaxes, shovels, axes¡­¡±


    ¡°They are made of mithril.¡±


    ¡°This is driving me crazy.¡±


    I finished removing most of the items from my inventory. A corner of a large open space has become a chaotic mess of materials and stuff. The only things left in my inventory were food and Harpies¡¯ feathers.


    ¡°Is that all?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s almost it.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ It¡¯s amazing.¡±


    ¡°Even so, it must be a lot less.¡±


    In fact, after arriving in Erichburg, I consumed quite a lot of materials for repairs and such, and I also stored most of the food and weapons, and ammunition used by the Liberation Army in the warehouse.


    ¡°Your ability can do almost anything without materials, right?¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Well, that¡¯s true. It¡¯s not like I can create everything out of nothing, though.¡±


    People in the Liberation Army have been misunderstanding me a lot lately. I¡¯m not a magician who can create anything with magic.


    ¡°That¡¯s right; I heard you say that before.¡±


    Qubi put his hand on my shoulder. I turned around and saw Qubi swinging his fist at me.


    ¡°Gah!?¡±


    Qubi¡¯s fist strikes me in the jaw, and my vision wobbles. Then something wrapped itself around my neck and choked me. I dug my nails into the thing that was strangling me, but I couldn¡¯t reach the fur at all.


    ¡°What¡­!?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, dude. I¡¯m not going to kill you, so you can relax.¡±


    As Qubi said this, my vision began to darken rapidly. I wonder if my carotid artery is being compressed, but my consciousness is¡­ shit.


    My consciousness was cut off there.

 CH 81

    It¡¯s Ko-Fi¡¯s Supporters¡¯ chapter (29/65), enjoy~


    Sylphy¡¯s POV


    ¡°You still can¡¯t find them¡­?¡±


    I clenched my fist on the table and strengthened it. Forgetting the pain, a hand was gently placed on my clenched fist and stroked it.


    ¡°Calm down.¡±


    Isla turned her large eye to me and stared at me quietly. Yes, if I don¡¯t calm down, I may never find what I¡¯m looking for. I take a deep breath.


    It all started before noon. A strange report had come in to the command center.


    ¡°A large number of materials and supplies have been left in a vacant lot to the west. Please give us instructions on how to deal with it.¡±


    That¡¯s the content of the report. In fact, the number of materials was enormous, ranging from building materials to preserved food, weapons, arrows, and other unfamiliar items. Perhaps the things there made it easy for the reporter to associate them with Kosuke.


    Although the existence of Kosuke and his abilities are classified, he was very conspicuous from the Elven village in the Black Forest.


    It is safe to say that almost no one in the Liberation Army is unaware of his abilities. It¡¯s an open secret, including his relationship with me, Isla, and the Harpies. So it made no sense to put a lid on it now.


    Let¡¯s get back to the story. For the time being, we were able to secure the supplies before the residents looted the place. We even had to use warehouses and empty houses that we had not originally planned to use.


    The problem was the source of these supplies. Among the supplies, there were pickaxes, shovels, and logging axes made of mithril. No matter how I looked at it, it was something that Kosuke had been using. Moreover, there were many weapons that Isla and I had never seen before. They were probably prototypes that Kosuke had made and kept secret for some reason.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s the machine gun that Kosuke was talking about for a while.¡±


    Isla said, inspecting what looked like an unidentified weapon. Kosuke indeed talked a bit about a machine gun. He said it was a powerful weapon that could fire bullets at great speed. However, the ammunition consumption is so high that it is impossible to put it into actual use at this stage.


    There are other weapons that look like guns but are very large, and others that look like guns but have no muzzle and a bulging tip. The fact that he keeps so many of them secret from everyone reaffirms that Kosuke has a strong personality despite his easygoing appearance.


    Anyway, as it turned out, Kosuke had vomited out the entire contents of his inventory into the vacant lot to the west and disappeared without a trace.


    The first thing that came to my mind was that Kosuke had returned to the world after doing his job. That¡¯s what I thought. With the Liberation Army having secured all the way to Erichburg and Kosuke having obtained a large number of jewels¡­ or the raw materials for spirit stones, the village of the elves could be said to be almost safe.


    Kosuke appeared in this world at the time when the Elven village in the Black Forest was facing a crisis. The crisis that was looming over the Elven village was judged to have been prevented, and the spirit or¡­ some other great being that summoned Kosuke to this world may have brought him back to the original world. I thought that a large number of materials might have been thrown out into the vacant lot at that time. That¡¯s what I thought.


    However, Isla immediately rejected my idea.


    ¡°It¡¯s strange to see all that stuff placed there. Kosuke must have kept fresh food and leftover dishes in his inventory. Strangely, there are no such things in there.¡±


    Indeed. If everything were removed from Kosuke¡¯s inventory, it would be strange not to find such things. And there are no Harpies¡¯ feathers that Kosuke cherished.


    ¡°I sense an act of manipulation. And he is nowhere to be found.¡±


    That¡¯s right. The man who was supposed to be by Kosuke¡¯s side as an escort, Qubi, had also disappeared along with Kosuke. The control of the city of Erichburg is almost over. We are still on alert just in case, but as far as the city is concerned, safety has almost been established. It can be called a safe zone.


    We have been patrolling closely to maintain security, and economic activities have resumed. Even so, I thought it would be imprudent to let him walk alone, so I assigned Qubi as his escort.


    In fact, it would not be easy to harm Kosuke even if he was attacked by something while walking around alone¡­ But Kosuke is definitely an important person.


    But it is strange that even Qubi has disappeared.


    ¡°Did someone take him away along with Qubi?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. He is more sensitive to such dangers than the most elite scouts.¡±


    Danan, who had been stern and silent until now, opened his mouth.


    ¡°So, is Qubi tracking down the missing Kosuke?¡±


    ¡°Without any notice? He¡¯s a smart guy. I¡¯m sure he wouldn¡¯t make such a mistake. He would have contacted someone immediately.¡±


    ¡°So the culprit is Qubi.¡±


    Isla suddenly started to say something outrageous. Qubi is the culprit? Did he take Kosuke away?


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. What would be the point of Qubi doing such a thing?¡±


    ¡°It means that Qubi was the enemy. He was pretending to be an ally.¡±


    Then Isla closed her eye, crossed her arms, and thought about it. Although Isla is brilliant and a genius, she sometimes skips the process and starts saying outlandish things. However, in such cases, Isla is usually right.


    Isla, who was deep in thought, would not answer me for a while.


    ¡°Qubi has been working with us since the time of the rebellion three years ago, hasn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes, it¡¯s precisely before the rebellion, during the preparation phase.¡±


    ¡°And then, after the rebellion, after surviving the forced march through the Great Omit Wilderness with almost no preparation, after a time of hiding in the Black Forest, and now betraying us¡­ how is that possible?¡±


    It¡¯s been three years. It¡¯s not just three years that were spent in idleness. It must have been three years full of hardship. He has overcome those three years by working together with us. That must be it.


    He was indeed an elusive guy, but he was a man who was well-liked by children.


    He was the kind of guy who could talk to anyone, who had a good eye for detail, and who could find and solve problems ahead of time. There was a lot I didn¡¯t know about his origins, but that was true for the others who had survived the forced march into the Great Omit Wilderness.


    That was why I was not wary of him.


    ¡°We can¡¯t find the carriage¡­¡±


    ¡°All right¡­ keep searching. But don¡¯t go too deep into the north. I don¡¯t want to lose any of you on top of this.¡±


    ¡°¡­Understood.¡±


    Pirna¡¯s voice from the golem communicator was cut off.


    ¡°It¡¯s not right¡­ No matter the type of carriage, it can¡¯t be faster than Harpy¡¯s wing.¡±


    The search for Kosuke proceeded on the assumption that Qubi had betrayed us. I¡¯m not sure of the reason why or how the contents of Kosuke¡¯s inventory were thrown out, but if Qubi was the culprit, it could be predicted that he was trying to weaken Kosuke¡¯s abilities. After spitting out the contents of his inventory, Kosuke is just a human being who can move a little weirdly.


    ¡°I can confirm that a carriage leaving from the west gate headed north¡­¡±


    Danan looked at the map and snorted.


    We are now almost certain that Qubi has betrayed us, and we are searching for Kosuke. This is because Qubi¡¯s men, made up entirely of human beings, have also disappeared, as have Kosuke and Qubi.


    They had departed from Erichburg in carriages with falsified transfer orders to join Leonard¡¯s troops advancing to the southwest of Erichburg. According to the soldiers who checked the carriage, Qubi was also in the carriage. There was no sign of Kosuke, but he was said to be carrying a box of supplies for the march.


    Qubi is well respected in the Liberation Army, but he doesn¡¯t have any special position. The soldiers who checked on them at that time saw them off without any particular question.


    I suppose that¡¯s true. They were regular soldiers of the Liberation Army, and there was nothing suspicious about their orders at first glance. The letter was official and stamped with a seal. So the lack of security awareness against internal crimes was exploited.


    The problem was that neither I, Danan, nor Melty had written such an order. It was my role to stamp the document, but I don¡¯t remember putting my stamp on such a document, and I carry my seal with me.


    Upon closer inspection, there were subtle differences in the stamps, but it would have been difficult to distinguish them without a great deal of suspicion.


    In the first place, not all of the soldiers monitoring the comings and goings of people and carriages were properly trained as gatekeepers. The current situation is that there is not enough manpower to do so. Considering the incident that occurred this time, we have to be very careful about counterintelligence in the future.


    ¡°We¡¯ve found the carriage! It¡¯s in the northwest woods!¡±


    That was when it happened. Pirna¡¯s voice came from the golem communicator. Danan and I leaned forward, but Isla only narrowed her eye a little wider.


    ¡°Are they running through the woods?¡±


    ¡°No, they¡¯ve stopped. It looks like the horses are still tied up.¡±


    ¡°Lead the nearest unit and keep an eye on it. Do not approach carelessly. The enemy may be armed with crossbows and rifles.¡±


    ¡°Copy that.¡±


    The communication was cut off.


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°Why are they stopping? It¡¯s not very convenient to abandon the carriage, hide in the forest and flee to the sphere of influence of the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army¡­¡±


    ¡°I suppose so.¡±


    It¡¯s hard to stay away from Harpy¡¯s eyes even if you are in the forest. It may be possible for Qubi alone to do that, but it is extremely difficult for a squad of more than a dozen people to continue to evade Harpies¡¯ search.


    If that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s still more reliable to go north as fast as possible and aim for the sphere of influence of the Holy Kingdom army.


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s teleportation magic. The carriage is empty.¡±


    ¡°Teleportation magic?¡±


    When I asked Isla, she nodded her head.


    ¡°It is not impossible to teleport several people over long distances. It can be done by gathering the magic power of more than a dozen people into one spatial magician and then assisting them with magic stones. There is a possibility that they used an artifact from the gods.¡±


    ¡°You think such a thing was used?¡±


    ¡°If they knew how important Kosuke was, they could have done something like that. With Kosuke¡¯s power, only 3000 subhumans can fight this far. We¡¯ve proven that. With the war against the Empire dragging on, the Holy Kingdom must be desperate for power.¡±


    There was some question about how Qubi had prepared such a thing, but¡­ silence dominated the scene. It was the Golem communicator that broke through it.


    ¡°Report! The target carriage is completely empty!¡±


    ¡°¡­I see. Search the surroundings. But it¡¯s close to the sphere of influence of the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army. Keep your guard up.¡±


    ¡°¡­Copy that.¡±


    Isla¡¯s prediction was correct, the carriage was empty, and there was no trace of foot traffic around. It was as if they had just vanished from the scene. Perhaps that¡¯s exactly what happened.


    ¡°Kosuke¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry; they won¡¯t kill him right away. If they wanted to, they wouldn¡¯t have taken him away. They would have killed him on the spot.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±


    I was about to say, why are you hesitating, when I became speechless. The reason was that Isla¡¯s eye tinged with a dim light.


    ¡°I will find out where they are, I swear it. And I¡¯ll make sure they pay for what they¡¯ve done.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah¡­ There must be something I can do.¡±


    ¡°It will need Sylphy¡¯s help, too. It¡¯s because you¡¯re the one who has the most connection with Kosuke.¡±


    ¡°All right, anything I can do to help, just let me know¡­¡±


    With a grin, Isla turned her head towards me and directed her eye containing a dim light.


    ¡°You said you¡¯d do anything?¡±


    ¡°Eeh¡­ eh? Yeah?¡±


    I regretted a little bit that I had said something rash. What on earth will she make me do¡­?

 CH 84

    T/n: Lime¡¯s way of speaking is childlike here, but I¡¯m just going to make it clear because it¡¯s tough to follow her original way of speaking.


    And here¡¯s the chapter, enjoy~


    ¡°Lime, where are we going?¡±


    I asked about the destination while following Lime, who showed me a variety of ways to move. I mean, I can understand the ¡°poyopoyo korokoro¡± because she bounces and rolls. But the sliding movement, the ¡°shubaba.¡± How does she do that?


    ¡°Lime and the others home.¡±


    Oh, I see, home. That¡¯s not what I want to hear, is it? Well, I have to follow her for now, but¡­


    ¡°Lime and the others, you say? Are there many people there?¡±


    ¡°Hmm? There¡¯s Big Lime, Big Beth, and Big Poizo!¡±


    ¡°Big..?¡±


    What does it mean by ¡°big?¡± Is there some kind of main body? No way. No, it¡¯s a slime¡­ Also, there¡¯s Beth and Poizo? I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s the three of them living together.


    ¡°Do the three of you live together, Lime, Beth, and Poizo?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. If a scary person finds us, we have to change our house.¡±


    ¡°Scary people?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. They are terrible. They hit us with magic, pour poison into us, and pour oil into us to scald us.¡±


    In a voice that sounded like she was angry, Lime said something quite tragic. Are they all right with magic, poison, and oil?


    ¡°That¡¯s terrible. Are Lime and the others okay?¡±


    ¡°Lime and the others won¡¯t die so easily. We don¡¯t get injured easily. We¡¯re very good at it.¡±


    When she said that, Lime spread out on the floor and became transparent and invisible. And then she immediately returned to normal.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that skillful?


    ¡°Excellent.¡±


    ¡°Nfuh.¡±


    Lime makes a joyful sound as I praise her. In fact, if I didn¡¯t know it was a pretend death, I¡¯d probably think she was dead¡­ She was just like a puddle of water.


    So, while chatting with Lime, I proceeded through the dark underground passage. But I was mostly just listening.


    I didn¡¯t know the details because Lime¡¯s words were vague and Lime¡¯s own memory or knowledge was unclear, but it seems that Lime and the others have been hiding in the underground of this royal capital ever since the Merinard Kingdom was defeated by the Holy Kingdom and made a vassal state. It seems that Lime and the others can only live in places where there is plenty of water, and it was impossible for them to escape across the Great Omit Wilderness to the Black Forest.


    ¡°Besides, there¡¯s the king and the others in the back. We can¡¯t leave them, can we? No?¡±


    ¡°Is the royal family of the Merinard Kingdom still in the castle?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Hou¡­¡±


    This was a new piece of information. According to Sylphy, Danan, and others, they told me that the royal family of the Merinard Kingdom had been taken to various parts of the Holy Kingdom as slaves¡­ What does this mean?


    I¡¯m not sure if Danan¡¯s information is wrong or if Lime¡¯s information is inaccurate¡­ I¡¯ll have to check this out.


    ¡°This is the entrance.¡±


    ¡°This is the entrance¡­?¡±


    Lime bounced beside the lattice set into the floor. It¡¯s a pretty big lattice. They don¡¯t seem to have rusted at all, even though the underground is very humid. I wonder if it¡¯s not made of steel.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can get through here¡­¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you just do it like this?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t just do that¡­¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t, huh¡­¡±


    Lime shows me how to liquefy half of her body and bypass the lattice, but I can¡¯t do that. I¡¯m not that inhuman, you know.


    ¡°Is it okay if I break the floor next to the lattice?¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Maybe?¡±


    ¡°Maybe?¡±


    ¡°Maybe big Lime will be angry at you? Maybe?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll apologize when that happens. I¡¯ll fix it anyway.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you to apologize, too.¡±


    I was so relieved to hear her bouncing around and saying kind things. Lime is so cute. She makes me feel relaxed. I wonder if I can make her mine? I guess I can¡¯t since she¡¯s not a dog or a cat.


    Anyway, in order to proceed, I used the stone ax to destroy the floor next to the lattice so that I could go down. It took a while, but the excavation was completed without any problems.


    ¡°It was amazing! Kosuke is amazing!¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, I know, I know.¡±


    I was praised by Lime, who bounced up and down with excitement, and I felt pleased as well. In the Liberation Army, even if I did a lot of things, people would just look at me warmly and say, ¡°Oh, again.¡± Or maybe it was more like an enlightened look.


    I descended to the bottom of the lattice on a stone floor excavated in the shape of stairs. It¡¯s not that high. Maybe five meters? I didn¡¯t want to jump, but it was high enough that I wouldn¡¯t be able to jump down. Like me, Lime came down the stairway through the stone floor.


    ¡°Do you usually go down by slipping on that lattice?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. I¡¯m always slipping and jumping down! It¡¯s fun, you know?¡±


    ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s all right to jump from that high¡­?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±


    It seems that Lime is fine with jumping from a height of five meters. She¡¯s quite strong in physics, as expected of a slime.


    The place we went down was like an underground sewer. I thought it was a sewer, but it didn¡¯t smell too bad.


    ¡°What is this place? Isn¡¯t this a sewer?¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Sewer? That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°Eh, really?¡±


    It doesn¡¯t smell that bad. I was expecting more of a smell that would make me throw up.


    ¡°The water that flows here is the water that Poizo and the others have cleaned. It¡¯s beautiful, right?¡±


    ¡°Hou¡­¡±


    So Poizo is treating the sewer, huh? Considering its name, is it a kind of poison slime?


    ¡°Is your home still far away?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re almost there.¡±


    Lime bounced up and down and started to move, so I followed her. After a short walk, I saw a light ahead. That peculiar light was familiar to me. It was similar to the magic light that Isla had used.


    ¡°I¡¯m home¡­ I brought Kosuke¡­¡±


    When I entered the light-filled room, I was momentarily dazzled by the brightness. No, it¡¯s not that I¡¯m dizzy; it¡¯s just that the underground passage is too dark. The torches were bright enough, but my eyes were used to the darkness.


    When I entered the room, there were three women there. No, there was something that looked like a woman.


    ¡°Yees, welcome back.¡±


    Lime dives into the rich bosom of something that looks like a light blue woman who says that in a bright voice and disappears. Disappear? Eh? What¡¯s happening?


    ¡°Hmm, you¡¯re certainly human.¡±


    The slender humanoid made of red slime looked at me in some confusion and said something like that.


    ¡°You seem to be surprised-nanodesu.¡±


    This time, a bubbling green slime humanoid makes such a sound. Yes, I am surprised.


    ¡°I never thought it possible, but there really is such a creature as a slime girl¡­¡±


    I thought there might be a slime that could talk, but I didn¡¯t think it really existed until I saw Lime. And where did Lime go?


    ¡°Where¡¯s Lime?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Lime, you know?¡±


    The light blue humanoid slime¡­ Lime smiled at me. Then she separated her body parts and created the same one that had been accompanying me a while ago.


    ¡°The Lime that was with you and this Lime are the same beings. I¡¯m Beth, by the way.¡±


    ¡°We can split our bodies to create a duplicate body. I¡¯m Poizo-nanodesu.¡±


    The red humanoid and the green humanoid also introduced themselves. I have a lot to think about, but for now, I¡¯ll just introduce myself.


    ¡°I¡¯m Kosuke, and I¡¯m a member of the Liberation Army, and I¡¯m¡­ Princess Sylphiel, or should I say Princess Sylphy? I¡¯ve been working with Sylphy. I was captured by the Holy Kingdom army for various reasons and escaped from a cell, where I met Lime or Lime-san? Nice to meet you all.¡±


    ¡°You can just call me Lime.¡±


    Lime smiles cheerfully as she says this. Hmm, it is soothing.


    ¡°The Liberation Army of Her Highness Princess Sylphiel. I¡¯ve heard rumors. The military and the church are doing their best to hide the war situation, but the rumors of the Liberation Army are all over the capital.¡±


    ¡°It was said that they attacked all the way to Erichburg in a short period, defeating the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army at a furious pace. Is that true-nanodesu?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. We had already conquered as far as Erichburg. Now, while defending Erichburg, we are exterminating the Holy Kingdom army from south of Erichburg¡­¡±


    The three of them were interested in what I said, and I told them what I knew about the Liberation Army¡¯s war situation. The three of them listened to my story in silence with great interest. Maybe they were hungry for outside information since they were holed up in the underground like this.


    ¡°I see. So what¡¯s your relationship with Her Highness Princess, Kosuke? Are you close friends?¡±


    Lime, who had been listening to my conversation with little interest, asked me with a glowing expression. She¡¯s getting close to me. The other two were also interested and gave me an overtly exciting look.


    ¡°Sylphy and I have a very close relationship. We even share a bed.¡±


    ¡°You share a bed with her?¡±


    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s right. Of course, we are in that relationship. ¡°


    ¡°In that relationship.¡±


    Close, close, Lime, you¡¯re so close. I know you¡¯re curious, but it¡¯s too close. The other two are also so close that they¡¯re touching my neck and forehead.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°We can share information by touching each other.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just between us-nanodesu.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ Is it really only between slimes?¡±


    ¡°There is nothing we can¡¯t do. All we have to do is go in there and rub a little bit.¡±


    ¡°Get in where? What does that mean? Hey? I¡¯m scared.¡±


    ¡°You want to try it? It¡¯s addictive, you know?¡±


    No way, Lime extends her thin, thread-like tentacles. It¡¯s scary!


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll pass.¡±


    ¡°It feels so good, you know.¡±


    Lime retracts the thin tentacle in disappointment. It¡¯s scary¡­ As I thought, these girls are probably some kind of dangerous creatures with a voice like ¡°Tekeli-Li.¡±


    ¡°You should not do that, Lime. He won¡¯t be able to come back for about three days. With mine, he can be back in a day.¡±


    ¡°I can make it in half a day-nanodesu.¡±


    ¡°Your stuff is addictive¡­¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about it for now. Yes, stop!¡±


    They started to talk about something horrible, so I forced them to break the conversation.


    ¡°So, I¡¯d like to ask you some questions as well, if that¡¯s okay.¡±


    The three of them looked at each other at my words and, at the same time, turned their gaze towards me.


    ¡°Kosuke¡¯s not hiding anything, is he?¡±


    ¡°As long as you tell us everything.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll answer whatever we can too-nanodesu.¡±


    They said that and stared at me. Ah, yes. That¡¯s right. About who I am, what role I play in the Liberation Army, and why I was kidnapped, of all people. I¡¯ve been deliberately hiding those things from you, haven¡¯t I? Yeah, that¡¯s right.


    ¡°Kosuke, can you trust us?¡±


    ¡°Just so you know, if we wanted to do something about you, we would have done it by now.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re on your side. We are still protecting the capital and the royal family, you know-nanodesu?¡±


    There was another mention of royalty. That¡¯s something that¡¯s bothering me.


    ¡°All right, I¡¯ll tell you everything. But in return, please provide me with the information I want. Is that okay with you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, that¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°Finally. Now, spit it out.¡±


    ¡°Beth is so impatient. Just take your time-nanodesu.¡±


    Lime is smiling, Beth is looking high and mighty for some reason, and Poizo is taking it in stride. I think I¡¯m starting to understand the relationship between the three of them.


    ¡°Okay, so I¡¯m going to tell you the story¡­ and it¡¯s going to sound pretty ridiculous, so be prepared.¡±


    And so I began to tell my story ¡ª the story of my arrival in this world and my encounter with Sylphy.

 CH 85

    Sponsored chapter by Patreon, enjoy~


    ¡°Kosuke is a marebito?¡±


    ¡°It really exists. I thought it was a fairytale.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem to be a lie. It is indeed a mysterious power that cannot be thought of with common sense-nanodesu.¡±


    After listening to my rather long story, the three of them reacted in different ways. They seemed to believe me because I showed them all of my abilities that I could show them during the course of my talk. As for my crafting ability, I couldn¡¯t show them properly because I didn¡¯t have a workbench or materials.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad everyone believed me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s amazing how things can come out of thin air.¡±


    ¡°That subtle, creepy movement is also unusual, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°There are actual torches that won¡¯t go out-nodesu.¡±


    The three of them, Lime, Beth, and Poizo, said these things as they tasted the Gizma meat from my inventory. By the way, when I say tasting, I don¡¯t mean they just munch the meat. It seems that they are pushing the Gizma meat they received from me¡­ into the center of their body, right around their stomach, and digesting it slowly.


    ¡°Mmm, it¡¯s delicious.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never had fresh Gizma meat before.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not something that comes around very often-nodesu.¡±


    ¡°Um, are you guys sure you want it raw?¡±


    The girls were taking the raw Gizma meat into their bodies. Won¡¯t it give them a stomachache? Is it okay because they are slime?


    ¡°It tastes better when it¡¯s not cooked.¡±


    ¡°We can eat it grilled, but we prefer it raw-nodesu.¡±


    ¡°I mean, how do you guys live underground? What do you eat?¡±


    ¡°We manage the sewers while hiding underground. We get our nutrients from the sewer.¡±


    ¡°Seriously?¡±


    I was kind of wondering if that was true, but it¡¯s shocking to hear it directly from their mouths. I see, so they get their nutrition from the sewage treatment¡­


    ¡°Do you have any idea how rude that is? Just so you know, we¡¯re clean.¡±


    ¡°Lime and the others are clean.¡±


    [T/n: Lime said Raimutachi here.]


    ¡°Sewage becomes clean water for us. We take care of the dirt, the poison, and the disease-nodesu.¡±


    ¡°I see. That¡¯s how it works.¡±


    That being said, all three of them have beautiful light blue, red, and green bodies without any cloudiness, and they don¡¯t smell bad at all. In fact, I can even feel a fresh fragrance in this room with the three of them.


    ¡°¡­So you¡¯re convinced that¡¯s the way it is.¡±


    ¡°Normally, people are reluctant to listen to that, you know?¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t you call us dirty?¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s terrible. But you see, compared to my crafting abilities and inventory, your purification constitution is pretty cute.¡±


    It¡¯s not too far off from the image I have of slime, and it¡¯s easy to imagine that sewage would contain a lot of organic matter. The slime would be able to take in such things and grow further or absorb and decompose this and that contained in the sewage and make it non-toxic.


    While I was thinking about this, Lime came up to me quickly and nibbled my left hand with her own. Lime¡¯s hand is a little cool, puffy, and soft, and it¡¯s a strange feeling.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t mind being touched, do you?¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t mind. It¡¯s so soft and puffy.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Lime is very puffy.¡±


    The anxious look on her face changed to a smile when she heard me say that I didn¡¯t mind.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m just testing to see if you really don¡¯t mind being touched.¡±


    Before I knew it, Beth had come up to me and took my free right hand, and started to nibble on it. The texture was quite different from Lime. It was very elastic and slippery to the touch. If Lime is soft and puffy, this one is smooth and slippery. It has good elasticity and is quite nice to the touch.


    ¡°You are both too easy.¡±


    Poizo is saying this from a little distance away, but I can tell she¡¯s getting a little nervous.


    ¡°Hey hey, Poizo, you¡¯re just scared.¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯m not scared-nanodesu!¡±


    ¡°Then come on. Here, try this.¡±


    ¡°Gnununu¡­. I¡¯ll make you regret this-nodesu!¡±


    ¡°Ubooaaa!¡±


    Poizo rammed into me with great force, and I was blown away¡­ but actually not. Poizo slammed into my body with great strength and wrapped my body in a gooey mess. It¡¯s like my body is covered in Poizo from the neck down except for my arms.


    ¡°Fufufu, how about this-nanodesu?¡±


    Poizo, which had been wrapped around me, changed its shape and seemed to be hugging me from behind. When did she get behind me? That¡¯s not the level of movement I¡¯m expecting. The slime is amazing.


    ¡°Beth is smooth and slippery, and Poizo is sticky and plump. There are personal differences in the texture of the same slime.¡±


    ¡°I can change the texture to some extent, but do you feel it that way?¡±


    ¡°I can change the texture as the same as Lime.¡±


    ¡°Me too-nodesu.¡±


    ¡°Lime can be like Beth or like Poizo.¡±


    ¡°Really? Lime is amazing.¡±


    ¡°Ehehehe.¡±


    Lime hugged me, smiling, and I hugged her. And before I knew it, Beth was hugging me on my left arm as well, and Poizo was still hugging me from behind. Almost my entire body is covered in slime except for my head. Is this okay? Am I going to be digested?


    ¡°I can¡¯t move, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Kosuke, are you a little dirty?¡±


    ¡°Just in case. I¡¯ll clean you up.¡±


    ¡°Relax your body and let yourself go.¡±


    I felt as if my whole body was being permeated with slime. Until now, it had been a feeling of plumpness and smoothness touching the skin, but now the boundary between the two is gone, and my whole body feels wet.


    ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s quite a taste.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a little dusty. Also, you¡¯ve got dirt on you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll get sick if you don¡¯t clean yourself up-nodesu.¡±


    ¡°Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait! Uwhoaa!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t panic.¡±


    What should I say? It¡¯s too difficult to express in words because it¡¯s an unknown experience. It¡¯s a strange sensation as if my whole body is being softly rubbed and licked. The slime penetrated even into my flimsy, shabby clothes, and it felt as if I was literally being sucked all over.


    ¡°Hmm? Hee? Huh?¡±


    ¡°Oyaoya¡­ Well, well¡­ I see-nanodesu.¡±


    ¡°What are you thinking about? Wait, hey! Don¡¯t go there!¡±


    My scream echoed in the basement filled with magical light.


    Erichburg¡¯s Side


    In Erichburg, far away from Kosuke¡¯s current location.


    ¡°Mmm!?¡±


    ¡°¡­..!?¡±


    Sylphy and Isla, who had been making difficult faces in the operation room, suddenly looked up as if they sensed something.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°I think I heard Kosuke scream¡­¡±


    ¡°Kosuke¡­ worries.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t hear anything, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Ara? The flowers in the vase¡­¡±


    Melty¡¯s gaze caught sight of a flower in a vase in the corner of the operations room, and the flower was scattering.


    ¡°¡­We need to find Kosuke as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s urgent.¡±


    With even more determination, Sylphy and Isla decided to search for and rescue Kosuke.


    ¡°Uuu, I can¡¯t become a bride anymore¡­¡±


    After having my entire body ¡°cleaned,¡± I was holding my knees in the middle of a basement full of magical light.


    ¡°It¡¯s fun.¡±


    ¡°Fufu, you¡¯re so pitiful.¡±


    ¡°We went a little overboard-nodesu.¡±


    Lime is puffing away with a delighted expression, Beth is smirking dangerously as she watches me hugging my knees, and Poizo is smiling as she spits out a few remorseful words. I can¡¯t be too careless.


    ¡°So, now that I¡¯ve told you the truth, isn¡¯t it your turn to tell me the truth?¡±


    Strangely, my clothes and skin are not wet at all, even though I was covered in slime. What the heck is going on?


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°Lime is not good for this. Do you want me to talk to him?¡±


    ¡°I leave it to you-nodesu.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll talk.¡±


    ¡°Then Lime will be Kosuke¡¯s chair.¡±


    Lime comes up to me and transforms a part of her body to look like that thing that can spoil people. The headrest is the part that rests on her ample breasts. It¡¯s a thing that can spoil a person, plus a boob pillow¡­ Is it okay to? This is¡­


    ¡°I don¡¯t know where to start. I think I should start with the fall of Merinesburg twenty years ago.¡±


    Beth then began to speak. Twenty years ago, on the day that the Holy Kingdom defeated the Merinard Kingdom.


    ¡°First of all, let me tell you the position of the three of us. We are the protectors of the royal family living in Merinesburg. We¡¯re akin to the royal guard.¡±


    ¡°The royal guards are the ones who protect the royal family from the light, and we are the ones who protect them from the shadows-nodesu.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t move from here, but we¡¯re actually invincible.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I mean. The three of us can¡¯t go far from Merinesburg, but we are practically invincible within Merinesburg. We can break in anywhere, appear from anywhere, and never die.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    I guess they can get through anywhere water can get through. As long as the main body is left here and the duplicates are sent out to work, there is no way they can be destroyed. In the first place, there is no guarantee that the Lime and the others in front of me are the main body. Could it be that Lime and the others in front of me are duplicates?


    ¡°As for our origins¡­ does it interest you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m interested.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll talk about it soon enough. But for now, let¡¯s talk about what we have to talk about first-nodesu.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s do that.¡±


    When I urged her to go ahead, Beth nodded and opened her mouth again.


    ¡°Twenty years ago, the Holy Kingdom invaded the Merinard Kingdom in search of territory, subhuman slaves, and the custody of Elves. Probably they didn¡¯t like the fact that we are a multi-species nation like the Empire, though. The army of the Merinard Kingdom fought well, but the difference in numbers was obvious. Soon after, the Merinard Kingdom was defeated, and the royal capital fell into the hands of the Holy Kingdom.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and?¡±


    ¡°As you know, the Merinard royal family is of Elven descent. Why would a human want an Elven slave?¡±


    ¡°I know. Sylphy told me. It¡¯s disgusting, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Elves and humans produce children with high magic power. It seems that the nobles of the Holy Kingdom are secretly taking the blood of the Elves into their own veins to maintain their magic power.


    ¡°I¡¯ll skip that part if you don¡¯t mind. In any case, the royal family of the Merinard Kingdom knew about it, so they offered themselves to bring relief to their people.¡±


    ¡°¡­I see.¡±


    They gave up their own bodies for the relief of their people. The fact that they lost the war and couldn¡¯t protect the people may be their downfall as a leader, but when they lose, they gracefully give themselves away¡­ I don¡¯t know how to judge that.


    ¡°What happened to them?¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t even a negotiation. Who do you think you are, a subhuman lower than a human, to stand up to us, lose, and then impose conditions on us? That¡¯s what they said.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s to be expected. But then why are the royal families in this castle?¡±


    I said so, urging her to continue with the story.

 CH 86

    It¡¯s Ko-Fi¡¯s Supporters¡¯ chapter (32/66), enjoy~


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what happens next.¡±


    This time, Poizo began to speak.


    ¡°The people of the Holy Kingdom did not listen to His Majesty, but he persisted in his negotiations. But in the meantime, the Holy Kingdom¡¯s people have enslaved the people of the Merinard Kingdom and taken them out of the country.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that story too.¡±


    I¡¯ve heard that there were several farming villages that perished in unnatural ways after the Merinard Kingdom became a vassal state of the Holy Kingdom. I¡¯m sure something similar was done in the royal capital Merinesburg as well.


    ¡°When His Majesty saw the reality of the situation, he had no choice but to give up on the negotiations. And he didn¡¯t like the idea of giving their royal blood to the Holy Kingdom.¡±


    ¡°Royal blood?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. The royalty has the strongest magic power among the Elves in their bodies. If the Holy Kingdom took that bloodline away, there was a high possibility that the quality of the Holy Kingdom¡¯s magic power would improve dramatically-nodesu.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a fishy story¡­¡±


    In other words, it is possible that the royal family¡¯s seeds and wombs could be used to increase the number of magicians with strong magic powers systematically. Sylphy¡¯s story was that the Holy Kingdom was actually doing something like that.


    ¡°So, what happened?¡±


    ¡°The Holy Kingdom did not agree to His Majesty¡¯s negotiations, but threatened His Majesty and the others with enslavement and brutal execution if they did not agree to the Holy Kingdom¡¯s demands-nodesu.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s repulsive.¡±


    ¡°Absolutely. And then, His Majesty made his decision. He paid for it with his life and his magic power by closing a corner of the castle with ice, along with the rest of the royal family-nanodesu.¡±


    ¡°Closed it with ice?


    ¡°Yes. If His Majesty and the others were still alive and able to negotiate, there was a high possibility that the people would be further harmed. So His Majesty decided to stop any further violence by freezing and sealing all the royal families-nodesu.¡±


    ¡°¡­I see.¡±


    It¡¯s clear as day that there will be more casualties whether they comply with the Holy Kingdom¡¯s demands or not. Then, he can protect his family and make the negotiation itself impossible. That way, no one will be killed in the negotiation process.


    It would only postpone the problem, but it would be the worst move for the Holy Kingdom. The Holy Kingdom probably wanted the blood of the royal family more than anything else. If they can¡¯t negotiate with or interfere with the other party, there¡¯s no point in killing the Merinard citizens for nothing. It would be better to treat them as slaves.


    Even for the enslaved people, it¡¯s better than dying, and as long as they¡¯re alive, they have a chance to turn the tables. In a sense, it¡¯s a rational decision. The people who will be left behind will have a hard time, but I¡¯m sure many lives will be saved by doing so.


    ¡°But it¡¯s magic, isn¡¯t it? Isn¡¯t it possible that the effect of the magic will fade over time or that it will be forcibly removed?¡±


    ¡°Of course, that possibility is not entirely out of the question. But it is great magic that His Majesty, who possesses great magic power, has devoted his life to using. It¡¯s not that easy. And we¡¯re protecting it too-nanodesu.¡±


    ¡°If the Holy Kingdom tried to do something about it, we will drive them away¡­¡±


    Lime said, while using a tentacle-like part of her body, she poked and prodded my chest. That¡¯s an expression of how to drive them away¡­?


    ¡°I see¡­ so what about the fact that the Merinard royal family is being taken away by the Holy Kingdom?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s propaganda to discourage the Merinard people from rebelling-nodesu.¡±


    ¡°But there was a rebellion three years ago, wasn¡¯t there?¡±


    ¡°It was a rebellion that occurred regardless of the existence of the royal family. It was the result of the former Merinard citizens rising up against the harsh rule of the Holy Kingdom-nodesu.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what the Holy Kingdom¡¯s officials said.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    I think it¡¯s inefficient to treat slaves so harshly that they start a rebellion, but¡­ Isn¡¯t there an option to rule without sacrificing them, without killing them, and with moderate treatment so that they don¡¯t start a rebellion?


    There¡¯s probably none; it¡¯s the Holy Kingdom, after all. It¡¯s natural for them to think that different races should serve humans, considering their national religion is the racist Adel religion.


    ¡°However, is it possible that the existence of the royal family is not leaked to that extent¡­?¡±


    I think Poizo and the others should just tell the outside world. That¡¯s what I think.


    ¡°¡­We are not allowed to leave the grounds of this castle by contract-nodesu.¡±


    ¡°And since the Holy Kingdom took over, no subhuman has been able to get near this castle.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve been isolated and struggled here.¡±


    There¡¯s a word I¡¯ve been wondering about, contract.


    ¡°What is this contract?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not ordinary slime-nodesu.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    When I asked, Lime looked into my face and smiled. Even if they say they are not ordinary slime, I¡¯ve never seen any other slime.


    ¡°Normal slimes can¡¯t talk, mimic human form, or create and control multiple bodies like us. We are water spirits who made a contract with the previous king and fused with slime.¡±


    ¡°So Lime and the others were the results of a demon-combination of water spirits and slime¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a demon; it¡¯s a spirit.¡±


    ¡°Ouch, it hurts; I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Lime slapped me on the stomach. It¡¯s very painful.


    ¡°So you¡¯re like a water element slime?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what it is. Originally, we were supposed to guard the castle and protect the royal family.¡±


    ¡°So, what brings you here?¡±


    ¡°We used to treat sewage using our slime characteristics, sort of a side job.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s safer to leave the main body here now, so we¡¯re mainly working here. When it comes to guarding the royal family, we only need to interfere with the magicians-nodesu.¡±


    ¡°If we remain in the open, we¡¯ll get oiled, burned, poisoned, or hit with magic.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s terrible.¡±


    So, the three of them are hiding in the castle¡¯s basement, protecting the royal family and watching for an opportunity. And the royalty ¨D in other words, Sylphy¡¯s family, her father sacrificed himself and has been freezing his body and soul in this castle for the past twenty years, waiting to be released.


    ¡°Can Sylphy help the surviving royalty?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps. His Majesty said that someday Sylphiel-sama might lead the Elves of the Black Forest to retake the Merinard Kingdom-nodesu.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    This is becoming a reality, and maybe Sylphy¡¯s father had the foresight to see it through.


    ¡°I understand the situation now. Well, if that¡¯s the case, what should I do now¡­?¡±


    I think it¡¯s not impossible to get back to Sylphy and the others if I get the right equipment. I can move around as much as possible without using the city streets, and when I need to rest, I can build a small underground shelter to rest. I don¡¯t even have to go through the gates to get out of the royal capital. I can just dig my way underground.


    In fact, this sewage system will probably continue to the outside of the royal capital. If Lime and the others can guide me, it should be easy to get out of the royal capital.


    However, since I¡¯m deep inside the enemy¡¯s camp, I feel like I want to do some kind of sabotage. If I could take away the Holy Kingdom¡¯s funds and military supplies, wouldn¡¯t that be a big help to Sylphy and the others? It¡¯s also a good way to assassinate important people¡­ Whether or not I can do it, I¡¯m not sure.


    I¡¯m not a good assassin, and I¡¯ve never even used a weapon against a human being. It can¡¯t be helped.


    But if I go too far, there is a possibility that the Holy Kingdom will send reinforcements from their home country? But that¡¯s only a matter of time, isn¡¯t it? Would it be better to expand the damage¡­? Hmm, I¡¯m troubled.


    But still, the Lime chair is comfortable. This is the thing that totally spoils people. Also, the back of my head feels amazing. It¡¯s a slime, so I guess it doesn¡¯t have boobs or anything.


    ¡°Does it feel good?¡±


    ¡°It feels really good. It¡¯s wonderful.¡±


    ¡°Ehehehe.¡±


    Lime grinned and tapped me on the stomach. For some reason, Beth and Poizo were watching this with subtle expressions on their faces. I don¡¯t know what it is, but I sense a jealousy aura. I¡¯m very keen on that kind of thing these days.


    ¡°By the way, Lime, Beth, and Poizo let me in quite easily, didn¡¯t they? Didn¡¯t you ever wonder if I¡¯m from the Holy Kingdom?¡±


    ¡°Now that you mention it, I wonder why. It¡¯s so strange to hear you say that.¡±


    ¡°Somehow, I get a pleasant feeling from Kosuke-nodesu.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that¡­? Oh, by the way, I think Sylphy once told me that spirits strangely liked me.¡±


    That was the night I met Sylphy, I believe. It was when Sylphy healed my bruises from being beaten up with spirit magic. I wonder if it¡¯s some kind of constitutional thing? Or is it because I¡¯m a marebito? It seems that Sylphy didn¡¯t know why, and if Beth and the others, who are half spirits, don¡¯t know, then it seems difficult to know either.


    ¡°In any case, I¡¯ll have to contact Sylphy and the others and let them know I¡¯m okay. So I need the Golem communicator¡­¡±


    I¡¯ve already registered the craft, so as long as I have the materials and an improved workbench, I should be able to make one. I¡¯ll have to figure out a way to compensate for the lack of power. I wonder if I can use item creation to make a high-powered golem communicator instead of a portable one. I¡¯ll have to give it a try.


    So, first, I need to build a simple furnace to make a workbench, then I need to make iron, and then I need to find a mining point¡­ Hmm, there¡¯s a lot to do. I don¡¯t know the geography of the underground passages and sewers, and I should probably ask Lime and the others for help. As for the price, I have plenty of Gizma meat, can¡¯t I pay them with this?


    If not, I¡¯ll have to negotiate. If I go missing, Sylphy, Isla, and the Harpies might do something dangerous. No, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a problem. They¡¯re all older than me. I¡¯m sure they won¡¯t do anything rash. Maybe.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ve decided on a plan. The first thing I need to do is get my strength back.¡±


    ¡°Regain strength?¡±


    ¡°What exactly?¡±


    ¡°I need to gather various materials in the basement so that I can make various workbenches and items. Will you help me?¡±


    ¡°Fumu, is that so¡­?¡±


    Beth made a thoughtful gesture and touched a part of her body to Poizo and Lime. They¡¯re exchanging information, aren¡¯t they? What? What are they exchanging?


    ¡°Yes, we can help you with that. Of course, you¡¯re not going to tell me it¡¯s for free, are you?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll give you what I can. I still have Gizma meat if you want it.¡±


    ¡°I want something delicious.¡±


    Lime looked into my face and smiled at me. For some reason, it sent shivers down my spine. Is it just my imagination?


    ¡°For now, we are satisfied with Gizma¡¯s meat. In the future, you should bring out more delicious food-nodesu.¡±


    ¡°Also, I want you to tell us all about the outside world. We¡¯re starving for entertainment.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, it must be very boring to live underground like this.¡±


    Starving for entertainment, huh? Maybe I should try to make a Reversi game, chess, shogi*, or cards. Oh, sugoroku* would be good too.


    [T/n: * = Japanese chess and Japanese board game.]


    ¡°So, are you sure you want to help me?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°It would be a good way to pass the time.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s giving and take-nodesu.¡±


    All three of them readily agreed. Well, well. I can see where this is going. I think I can make it. First of all, I should take the day off to relax and calm my mind and body. Ever since Qubi kidnaped me, I¡¯ve had too much to think about, and I¡¯m feeling tired. It¡¯s not efficient to force myself to move at a time like this, and I might make an unexpected mistake.


    All right, I¡¯ll do my best tomorrow!

 CH 87

    Chapter 87 ¨C Collecting Junk Is A Survivalist¡¯s Specialty


    ¡°How¡¯s it?¡±


    ¡°Very good.¡±


    After finishing my meal with a hamburger and water from my inventory and serving Gizma meat to the slime girls again, I was lying on the bed today.


    This red bed is smooth and comfortable, and it pushes back against my body in a way that is no less comfortable than the bed I crafted¡­ no, to be honest, it¡¯s definitely two steps better than the bed I made.


    ¡°What about the pillow?¡±


    ¡°Excellent.¡±


    The light blue pillow that supports the back of my head is a bit softer and plumper than the bed. But its elasticity and the way it conforms to the shape of my head will provide me with better sleep than a low-resilience pillow.


    ¡°So, how do you like it-nodesu?¡±


    ¡°The texture is wonderful¡­¡±


    The green mucus covers my body to the fullest extent. It¡¯s as if I¡¯m taking a warm bath, and there¡¯s nothing unpleasant about the way it feels against my skin. It is quite strange to call it a blanket, but it is as comfortable as falling asleep in a warm bath.


    Although this is a dangerous thing that can lead to drowning, there is no way I could drown in this situation. In other words, I can enjoy that dangerous feeling to the fullest at this moment.


    The bed, made up of three different kinds of slime, each with a different texture, continued to give me irresistible pleasure. And now I was completely naked. I felt guilty about treating the slime girls in such a state.


    ¡°Is it the same even if you¡¯re naked?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s less of a hassle to take them off from the beginning since we can penetrate your clothes and touch your bare skin anyway.¡±


    ¡°You should take the clothes and clean them-nodesu.¡±


    What about using the slime girls as a bed in the first place? I said that, but then again, do I have to sleep on the stone floor with just that flimsy blanket? I certainly don¡¯t want to do that.


    The wood I had on hand was already insufficient to rebuild a bed, and I didn¡¯t have enough fiber to make a futon. Would I rather be naked in a bed made up of slime girls or wrapped in a flimsy blanket and sleep on a stone floor? Which would I choose? I was conflicted, for about three seconds.


    You don¡¯t want to sleep on a stone floor, do you? I don¡¯t like it. So I apologetically and embarrassingly took off my flimsy, shabby clothes and underwear and left them to the girls.


    ¡°Do you want me to clean you up while you sleep?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll make sure your body is clean.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll make sure you have a pleasant sleep with a pleasant scent-nodesu.¡±


    The smell of Poizo¡¯s body drifted softly from the blanket, and my consciousness rapidly became distant. If I get used to it, I won¡¯t be able to sleep in a normal bed; I thought as I let go of my consciousness.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    ¡°Umm¡­?¡±


    I feel like I had a very strange dream, but I can¡¯t remember anything because it was just a dream. I think it was a dream in which I was licked all over by many puppies or kittens or something¡­


    ¡°Kosuke, are you awake?¡±


    I was a little startled when someone called out from above me. The next thing I knew, Lime was looking into my face and smiling at me. I¡¯m sure slime doesn¡¯t have a lap or anything, but it¡¯s as if I¡¯m on her lap.


    ¡°You are awake. Good morning.¡±


    ¡°Good morning-nanodesu.¡±


    Beth and Poizo look into my face as well. My body is still wrapped around theirs, and it¡¯s very comfortable. I¡¯m tempted to go back to sleep, but that would not be good for them. I¡¯m sure they have things to do.


    ¡°Good morning, you three. It was a very comfortable sleep.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just natural.¡±


    ¡°Yes-nodesu.¡±


    With Beth and Poizo¡¯s help, I slipped out of their bodies and stood on the stone floor. Completely naked.


    ¡°Can I have my clothes?¡±


    ¡°Yes-nanodesu.¡±


    Poizo handed me the clothes and underwear that had been floating around inside her body. The clothes and underwear I received were strangely not wet, and I had no problem wearing them and feeling comfortable in them.


    ¡°I¡¯m feeling light¡­ and I feel refreshed all over.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re massaging and detoxing you, you know?¡±


    ¡°You look pretty tired.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve absorbed it all-nanodesu.¡±


    ¡°Absorbed¡­? T-thank you?¡±


    I don¡¯t know what they absorbed from me¡­ I think I slept really hard, but what did they do to me while I was asleep? My whole body is definitely feeling better, but¡­ I¡¯ll try not to think about it too much, yeah.


    ¡°What are you going to do today-nodesu?¡±


    As I finished getting dressed, Poizo asked me what I would be doing today. I thought about it for a while before answering.


    ¡°First, I need to gather some materials. I think I can convert some of the junk into materials, so I¡¯m wondering if there¡¯s a place where large amounts of garbage and such are gathered?¡±


    ¡°Yes, there are. Sometimes people dump that stuff in the sewers.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be awful if it got stuck?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. It¡¯s a lot of work for us to move it, you know?¡±


    ¡°Once we get a certain amount, we just digest it all at once.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a lot to digest, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°The three of us can digest almost anything-nodesu.¡±


    I don¡¯t know what kind of junk it is, but I¡¯m sure it¡¯s something made of wood, iron, or ceramic. The fact that they can digest such things is frankly incredible. But in this world, broken iron products would be recycled, right? No, what about iron that has been recast so many times that its quality has degraded? I¡¯ll have to take a look.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be your guide today.¡±


    ¡°Eh, I want to go too.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t afford to neglect the royal guard and patrol-nodesu.¡±


    ¡°Mmm, okay.¡±


    Beth is going to accompany me today. I thought that I would be accompanied by a duplicate like Lime yesterday, but it seems that her main body will come with me as is.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. Ah, do you want to eat breakfast first?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll eat as we walk. What about you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve had enough-nodesu.¡±


    ¡°Me too.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    I never think about why they don¡¯t need breakfast. If they don¡¯t think about it, I won¡¯t think about it either. There¡¯s no point in thinking about something that doesn¡¯t make sense. I don¡¯t want to sleep on a stone floor.


    Beth shows me the way, and I start walking through the sewer. Even though it¡¯s sewage, there¡¯s hardly any unpleasant smell. I asked her about it, and she told me that it was because the sewage was being processed by the slime girls further upstream.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it going to smell bad downstream?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s designed to prevent the smell from flowing back that way.¡±


    In short, there is a sewage tank where the sewage from the castle is pooled and treated again, and the sewage from the city is located beyond that, so the smell of the sewage from the city does not flow back into this sewage.


    ¡°In other words, the castle¡¯s sewage system is always clean because Beth and the others are maintaining it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. We¡¯re doing a good job, aren¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°By the way, how¡¯s the sewage treatment in the city?¡±


    ¡°Ordinary slimes are in charge over there. They can take in and digest pretty much anything, and there are also small rat and insect-shaped monsters in the area, so it¡¯s pretty dangerous.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s scary. Are there any such things here?¡±


    ¡°Sometimes there are, but we get rid of them. Why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°I need the skins. The skins are used to make furnaces and stuff.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. If I find one, I will hunt it down and keep it for you.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    Beth is a little high-handed, but she¡¯s basically a nice, kind girl. No, all the slime girls are nice and kind. Poizo is the only one who seems to have an ulterior motive or to have some sort of scheme in mind. But Poizo doesn¡¯t seem to have any hostility towards me either. I think it¡¯s best just to let her do what she wants.


    ¡°The three of you are quite different in color and texture, is there anything unique about you?¡±


    ¡°Characteristics. Well, I¡¯m the best at magic out of the three. Not only can I use water magic, but I can also use light magic and fire magic. I specialize in magic. I¡¯m also resistant to magic attacks.¡±


    Beth made an expression of pride and stretched out her breasts. Her breasts, which are a good size, swayed. Hmm, it¡¯s not actually the boobs, but it does attract my eyes¡­ and that¡¯s what men are supposed to do.


    ¡°Is that so? Come to think of it; you do use light magic with great dexterity. And what about the other two?¡±


    ¡°Lime specializes in the ability of slime. She can change the viscosity and hardness of the slime, and she is the one who can produce the strongest physical force. Also, if it¡¯s just water magic, she¡¯s as good as me.¡±


    ¡°Hoho¡­ what about Poizo?¡±


    ¡°Poizo is skilled in healing magic and in the use of poisons and medicines. She is also the best at digestion. She can synthesize various ingredients from the food she has digested so far to create medicines and poisons. Poison gas, for example.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ that¡¯s great too. Specializing in magic, physics, medicine, and poison, huh? Since you are a slime, physical attacks will probably be ineffective, which will be extremely troublesome for the people of the Holy Kingdom.¡±


    ¡°In the last two decades, our defenses haven¡¯t been breached. I¡¯m reasonably confident. For the first three years or so, we went at it pretty hard. The damage on the enemy side was so great that they gave up by the time ten years had passed.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great.¡±


    The Holy Kingdom probably doesn¡¯t want to let the blood of the Elven royalty slip through their fingers, so they put in a good amount of effort to try and capture them. The three of the slime girls must have incredibly high fighting skills to beat that.


    We walked for a few dozen minutes while talking about this. We probably hadn¡¯t walked for more than an hour.


    ¡°Here we are.¡±


    ¡°This is pretty amazing!¡±


    I looked up at the piles of stuff in the room I was shown and couldn¡¯t help but exclaim in admiration.


    Shattered wooden boxes and barrels, rusted metal objects, dirty cloth-like objects, hardened metal chunks that were probably coins, discolored leather bags, and so on. Anyway, there was a lot of junk piled up.


    ¡°Can I have all this?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s all junk.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s like a treasure trove for me.¡±


    With permission granted, I began to take more and more of the junk into my inventory, dismantling it one by one into materials. Shattered wooden boxes and barrels are turned into wood and scrap iron, rusted metal objects are turned into scrap iron, dirty cloth-like objects are turned into a fiber, hardened metal chunks that may have been coins are turned into unrefined copper and silver, and discolored leather bags are turned into leather.


    The junk in my inventory is being transformed into useful materials.


    ¡°It¡¯s amazing. All that junk has disappeared without a trace.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s quite a collection of treasures. There were a lot of leather goods, so all I need is some clay to make some iron products¡­ Oh, and I need fuel.¡±


    The problem is clay and fuel. Clay can be obtained by digging a hole in a wall somewhere, but I don¡¯t know where to dig¡­ The fuel shortage is even more serious. There is no hope for an abundance of fuel underground. Without fuel, there is no way to make steel.


    ¡°Fuel. I have a lot of oil in my body, so why not use it as fuel?¡±


    ¡°Eh¡­? Are you sure about that?¡±


    ¡°Of course, there¡¯s a limit. But since I¡¯ve been around since the last generation¡­ I¡¯ve already got three hundred years¡¯ worth of sewage treatment. I don¡¯t think it will be a problem for Kosuke to use it by himself.¡±


    ¡°Is that so¡­? No, but it can¡¯t just be burned. It has to be at least as hot as charcoal.¡±


    ¡°You can do whatever you want, you know. It can be done if you put fire magic into it.¡±


    ¡°I-is that so¡­?


    Magic is amazing! I mean, it¡¯s still a bit unethical to burn Beth¡¯s body, but if she doesn¡¯t mind, it¡¯s gonna be okay, right¡­? I¡¯ll take that as a yes. Yeah.


    ¡°And then the clay¡­ Do you have any idea?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I have no idea. I think Lime knows more about that kind of thing since she patrols the sewers as well as the underground tunnels. She has a wider range of activities than Poizo and me.¡±


    ¡°I see. Well then, let¡¯s go back.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Oh, and next time I find a piece of junk like that, I should bring it to Kosuke, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯d be great.¡±


    Whatever it is, it¡¯ll be used as some kind of material. I think I¡¯ll go back and ask Lime about an excellent place to mine. I was worried about whether or not I could gather materials in this underground place, but it looks like I can manage!


    The question is whether or not it¡¯s safe to operate a simple furnace or blacksmithing facility underground like this¡­ I¡¯m afraid of dying from carbon monoxide poisoning or something. At any rate, I actually need to try that out to know for sure.


    I¡¯ve heard that Poizo is well versed in handling medicines and poisons, and I wonder if there¡¯s anything she can do about it. Maybe she can neutralize or absorb the carbon monoxide generated¡­ Yeah, I¡¯ll ask her about it when the time comes.


    First of all, the clay. I feel like I¡¯ve been digging for clay ever since I came to this world¡­ Clay is a friend of civilization, isn¡¯t it? Yup.

 CH 88

    Chapter 88 ¨C Please Drive Safely


    ¡°Walk, walk; I¡¯m so glad Kosuke and I went for a walk.¡±


    Back at the slime girls¡¯ waiting room, it was decided that Lime would accompany me and show me the places that looked like good mining points. Lime, who had been chosen to guide me, was bouncing around in front of me in a good mood.


    While Beth kept her upper body humanoid and crawled along at my walking speed, Lime seemed to like to take the form of a large bun and bounce along. I guess this is where their personalities come out.


    ¡°As I said before, I need some clay first. Will that be okay?¡±


    ¡°Probably? There¡¯s some part in the underground passage that¡¯s broken. And the clay is spilling out there.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good. How far away is that?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, about 30 minutes¡¯ walk at this speed?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s pretty far.¡±


    If it is a thirty-minute walk, the distance traveled is probably less than three kilometers. It was the same with the black forest and then the establishment of the base after that, why the clay is so delicately far away¡­ Well, if it¡¯s about 30 minutes, it¡¯s within the acceptable range. If I can learn the route, I will be able to shorten the time. I can build a direct road if necessary.


    ¡°Are there any places where I could mine for ore?¡±


    ¡°Hmm? What kind of places in particular?¡±


    ¡°You know, where there¡¯s bare rock.¡±


    ¡°No? I wonder?¡±


    ¡°Seriously¡­ well, it¡¯s obvious, huh?¡±


    If you want to build an underground passage, it will obviously be in the way, or maybe they built the castle in a place where there is no such thing in the first place. No, even if there were, there is magic in this world¡­ and it might have been hollowed out with good earth magic or something.


    ¡°Poizo can use a little bit of earth magic, you know? Since she can use it, she might be able to help you if you ask her.¡±


    ¡°I guess so. If Lime doesn¡¯t have any idea, there¡¯s no point in digging around in the dark.¡±


    It is possible that if I just keep digging underground, I might hit bedrock, but I¡¯m afraid of digging underground¡­ There are breathing problems and lighting problems.


    The lighting problem seems to be solved now that I know that the torches I installed don¡¯t deplete oxygen for some reason, but it¡¯s still dangerous. Also, I don¡¯t have enough materials to reinforce the mine. I¡¯m afraid of being buried alive.


    ¡°Hey hey, Kosuke, why aren¡¯t you scared of Lime and the others?¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Is it because there is no reason to be afraid?¡±


    I answered in confusion at the sudden question. I¡¯m not sure why she¡¯s asking me that. I feel like I can only say that I am not afraid because I am just not afraid.


    ¡°The people of the Holy Kingdom are afraid of Lime and the others.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that because the people of the Holy Kingdom equate Lime and the others with the monster slime? If I had seen the monster slime first, I might have been afraid of Lime and the others, too.¡±


    ¡°Do you think so?¡±


    ¡°Maybe.¡±


    We walked through the dimly lit underground passage while having a loose conversation. Incidentally, I had brought along a reasonably sized piece of wood with lighting magic applied to it as a light source. I told Beth about it, and she put it on right away. It glows for about six hours, so it¡¯s handy, isn¡¯t it?


    I had Isla do the same thing for me when I was working on reinforcing the defensive wall before. I guess my experience came in handy.


    We proceeded through the dark sewer, got Lime to pull me up and climb the wall, destroyed the stone floor next to the iron bars again, and crawled up to the underground passage to continue.


    The slime girls agreed that it was okay to destroy the stone floor next to the iron bars. The people from the Holy Kingdom knew that Lime and the others were probably hiding in the underground passages of this castle, and no one would bother to go down to such a dangerous place.


    In addition to that, it is unlikely that anyone would step into a hole that is obviously leading to a sewer, so there is no problem. It¡¯s a good thing because even if they do come in, the advantage of the land is completely on the side of the slime girls, and they have nothing to fear.


    ¡°It¡¯s the kind of carelessness that will get you killed, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a matter of carelessness; it¡¯s a matter of today¡¯s flexibility.¡±


    ¡°Is that so¡­?


    The top half of Lime¡¯s body extends from the giant slime bun and makes a smug face. It¡¯s incredible how much mass is emphasized on top of the folded arms.


    No, don¡¯t be fooled, me. That¡¯s just slime. They¡¯re not boobs. Theirs are fake breasts that can be reshaped and resized as desired.


    In the first place, they have no tits, no ass, no thighs, no nothing. No matter what shape they are, they are just a part of their body. I should not be led to look at them.


    That¡¯s¡­ No, I wasn¡¯t being led. It¡¯s just because I can¡¯t go against my male instincts. I¡¯m sure the innocent Lime has no such intentions. I feel a great sense of self-loathing because it seems so.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Oh, you want to touch me?¡±


    ¡°No, I won¡¯t touch you.¡±


    Don¡¯t make that smile while puffing. This reaction is innocent but is not without the intention of seducing me, right¡­? I-I don¡¯t know. I can¡¯t read Lime¡¯s thoughts. Help me, Sylphy.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    ¡°¡­.!?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°I think Kosuke just asked me for help¡­?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ We need to hurry.¡±


    ¡°As long as we can locate him, we¡¯ll have a chance¡­ I¡¯m counting on you, Isla.¡±


    ¡°Leave it to me.¡±


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    After resisting Lime¡¯s innocent temptation, I finally arrived at the clay mining site and decided to start mining. Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t have any iron tools yet, so a shovel made of stone was my companion.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s do it!¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡±


    I thrust the stone shovel into the clay that was exposed through the hole in the stone wall of the underground passage. Next to me, Lime is also digging with a part of her body propped up against the clay wall. Digging, you say¡­? Eh?


    ¡°Lime?¡±


    ¡°Hmm? What is it?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯re digging the dirt.¡±


    ¡°Even Lime loves to dig in the dirt. Even the armor of the Holy Kingdom¡¯s knights could be dug up.¡±


    ¡°I-I see¡­ keep it up.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Lime transformed parts of her body into multiple shovel-like shapes and scraped away the clay walls with speed reminiscent of me using an iron shovel. The quintessential physics-specialized slime¡­ this one is strong.


    We dug side by side for a while, but Lime¡¯s mining speed was faster than mine. If only I had mithril¡­ or at least an iron shovel!


    ¡°It¡¯s Lime¡¯s victory.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can win, though¡­¡±


    ¡°Is the contest over?¡±


    Yes, I think the contest is over. We¡¯ve been digging for about an hour, and I think Lime has dug twice as much as I have. No, I had to collect the clay that Lime dug up too, right? In the first place, I used a stone shovel. I can¡¯t be blamed for losing because I¡¯m not in serious mode yet.


    ¡°Fufu, I¡¯ll win next time.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll be more serious.¡±


    ¡°O-ou.¡±


    Lime was digging out the clay at an amazing speed, but apparently, she wasn¡¯t serious yet. F-fufu, I still have two more transformations left. I¡¯m not yet serious. Don¡¯t worry; I¡¯ll win next time.


    ¡°Are we done?¡±


    ¡°I think we have enough for the time being. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m building a big wall.¡±


    ¡°I see. So we¡¯re going back?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess. Let¡¯s take a short walk and go back after that?¡±


    ¡°Yes! Let¡¯s go take a walk and go home! I think Kosuke is getting tired, so Lime will carry you home!¡±


    Lime clung to my body with a quick movement, and before I knew it, I was in the position of a king sitting on a throne. The cushioning against the back of my head is excellent¡­ No, I shouldn¡¯t worry about it. It¡¯s just a part of Lime¡¯s body. Yeah.


    ¡°Time to depart!¡±


    Lime, holding me in her arms, begins to slide smoothly. This is a very new kind of ride¡­ What is it? It¡¯s like a wheelchair with no shaking at all.


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s quite comfortable. Can¡¯t you go any faster?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Then.¡±


    ¡°Whoa, whoa, whoa.¡±


    What used to be the speed of a brisk walk becomes the speed of a gallop¡­ or maybe a little faster? It¡¯s about the speed of a normal bicycle. The underground passage is not that wide, so it feels much faster.


    ¡°Amazing, amazing, it¡¯s so fast.¡±


    ¡°Mufu, I can still do better.¡±


    ¡°Eh? No, just this much is enough.¡±


    ¡°Then.¡±


    ¡°Whoaaaaaaaa©`!¡±


    The speed increased to that of a bicycle pedaled with great energy. Even though we are carrying a piece of wood that has been enchanted with lighting magic, the illuminated area is not very wide. It is as if we are plunging at high speed into the darkness, unable to see what lies ahead. This is just¡­


    In other words, it¡¯s horrifying. If anything, it¡¯s as if a wall is suddenly coming at me out of the darkness, and I have to turn almost at a right angle. The inertia is absorbed by the soft and pliable body of Lime, but scary things are still scary.


    ¡°Fast, fast, fast! This is really scary!¡±


    ¡°Eh? I was just about to do more.¡±


    Lime might be a speed freak. I¡¯ve heard of speed-crazed slimes¡­ No, I think the metal guys in some famous RPGs might be like that*.


    [T/n: I¡¯m just a nerd, so let me know if anyone knows about this xD]


    By the way, why do the metal guys in that world have such weak¡­ but subtle fighting abilities? I feel like if they were fast enough and hard enough, they could kill a Hero with one hit.


    Lime and the others are like that when they appear in the game. They¡¯re like back bosses or hidden bosses. Or they¡¯re the kind of bosses that you can¡¯t fight, and you have to use gimmicks and stuff to avoid them. If you push yourself, you can beat them or get rid of them, but it¡¯s like an endless spring.


    It¡¯s very reassuring to be friendly to them. If you stay under their protection, your safety is guaranteed.


    ¡°Should we head back now?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, okay.¡±


    After some trouble with Lime trying to slip through the bars with me on board and me being left behind, Lime and I returned to the slime girls¡¯ room.


    ¡°Welcome back.¡±


    ¡°Welcome back-nanodesu.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m back. It was a nice walk.¡±


    ¡°It was quite a thrill¡­¡±


    ¡°I took Kosuke for a ride, and he went flying.¡±


    The two girls looked at me with pity as if they had guessed what had happened from my appearance and Lime¡¯s words. They should have warned me beforehand¡­ I was seriously scared.


    ¡°Did you get what you wanted?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, no problem. I¡¯ve got enough clay. I¡¯m going to make a simple furnace.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll get you some fuel.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    I opened the crafting menu and selected ¡°Simple Furnace¡± to start crafting.


    ?Simple furnace¨D¨D: Animal Hide x 3, Stone x 20, Clay x 5, Wood x 5.


    Good, good, I have enough materials. I quickly built a simple furnace and set it up in the corner of the room. The slime girls shouted in surprise, ¡°Oh!¡± I guess I¡¯ve only shown them food. I also showed Beth and Lime how to store items, though.


    ¡°This is a simple furnace. It can be used to make basic iron tools.¡±


    ¡°I see?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure how great it is-nodesu.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    It¡¯s just a small, crude furnace.


    ¡°Try this.¡±


    ¡°Oh, thank you¡­ Is this part of your body?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The fuel Beth gave me was a kind of shiny red charcoal. It was surprisingly heavy, and if it burned like coal or coke (Carbon Fuel), it would certainly be a good source of heat.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be grateful to use it.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, go ahead. I don¡¯t think there will be any toxic emissions when you burn it, but be careful, okay?¡±


    ¡°All right. Leave it to me.¡±


    Poizo nodded at Beth¡¯s concern about the poisonous gas. After confirming this, I opened the menu of the simple furnace and put Beth¡¯s magic fuel in the fuel section. Yeah, I put it in my inventory, and it said ¡°Beth¡¯s Magic Fuel.¡± It¡¯s no ordinary fuel, after all.


    ¡°How is it?¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s good. It seems that just one of these can burn for three hours. I¡¯ve used a lot of fuel in the past, but Beth¡¯s magic fuel is the most efficient.¡±


    ¡°Fufu, it¡¯s obvious.¡±


    Beth seemed to be in a very good mood, probably because she was happy that her creations were well received.


    I then put the scrap iron that I had collected from the junk into the materials box and started to cast it as an iron resource. Thanks to a good heat source, I feel like I¡¯m getting a fast return on my iron resources.


    When I had enough resources, I crafted an anvil and a hammer, and now I started making iron tools. The three slime girls seemed to be interested in the anvil, hammer, steel pickaxe, shovel, ax, and other metal tools that suddenly appeared over time.


    ¡°It¡¯s amazing how easy it is to make something like this. It¡¯s incredible-nodesu.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s so shiny and pretty!¡±


    ¡°I thought the story of Kosuke alone supporting the Liberation Army¡¯s logistics was a bit fanciful, but this makes sense now.¡±


    Once the basic tools were in place, it was time to build a basic workbench, make small tools, and assemble various parts.


    ?Basic Toolbox ¨D Material: Sturdy Wooden Box x 1, Metal Tools x 8, Mechanical Parts x 2


    ?Vise ¨D Material: Iron x 20, Mechanical Parts x 10


    ?Basic Workbench ¨D Materials: Wood x 10, Nails x 40, Vise x 1, Basic Toolbox x 1


    Combine the finished items to create the basic workbench. The next step would be to upgrade the workbench by a step¡­


    ?Workbench Upgrade¨D¨D: Mechanical Parts x 10, Steel Leaf Springs x 5, Leather Straps x 2


    ?Simple Furnace Upgrade¨D¨D: Animal Hide x 5, Brick x 50, Whetstone x 3, Machine Parts x 10


    ¡°Hmm, I¡¯m running low on materials.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I want to make a more advanced workbench, but I need to upgrade the furnace in order to do so, and I need a whetstone for that. Besides, I¡¯m fundamentally short of iron and leather.¡±


    Aside from the clay to make bricks, the animal hides and leather straps from the leather goods in the junkyard were not enough. I had a lot of scrap iron, but I used most of it to make basic tools and a simple workbench.


    ¡°I have an idea about the iron. But the whetstone¡­¡±


    ¡°I have some idea. I¡¯ll go get some tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°The only way to get the leather is from the big rats that sometimes come from the waterway.¡±


    ¡°I feel bad for relying on you three¡­ So, I¡¯ll bring out some food for you today.¡±


    The three of them looked at each other and smiled at the same time.


    ¡°Well, I won¡¯t hesitate then.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯ll savor it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all about to give and take. We¡¯ll have lots of it tonight.¡±


    ¡°Oh, leave it to me.¡±


    There are still more non-perishable food items in my inventory. Fufu, I have enough food storage.


    By the way, I feel like their gaze is strangely entwined with my body, but it¡¯s just my imagination, right? They can¡¯t eat my body, right? No, I guess they can eat me, but please spare me. It¡¯s not funny at all.

 CH 89

    Chapter 89 ¨C Different World Mining Town?


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    ¡°Good morning, Kosuke.¡±


    ¡°Morning.¡±


    ¡°Good morning-nodesu.¡±


    When I woke up, I was immediately approached by the three slime girls. I think I had another weird dream last night¡­ in which I was picked up by the giant slime girls and groped by them. And they will take turns.


    The reason I had this dream was because I was being gazed at by the three slime girls yesterday. There is a theory that sleep is the brain¡¯s way of organizing information while you sleep. I¡¯m sure the gaze and the thought of being eaten came out in my dream.


    ¡°But it¡¯s still embarrassing to be taken care of while naked¡­¡±


    ¡°In that case, we¡¯re always naked.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t wear clothes-nodesu.¡±


    ¡°So we¡¯re even?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a matter of us being even.¡±


    Beth had washed my clothes today. When I received them, they were slightly warm and comfortable to wear. It¡¯s not as fresh-smelling as Poizo¡¯s, but¡­ it¡¯s a kind of thing that subtly shows individuality.


    ¡°What do you want to do today?¡±


    ¡°After breakfast, I¡¯d like to find out what Poizo was talking about regarding the iron.¡±


    ¡°All right, then. I¡¯ll show you the way-nodesu.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to get the whetstone. And while I¡¯m at it, I¡¯ll bring you anything else that might be of use.¡±


    ¡°Lime will do her best, too.¡±


    Beth is going to get some supplies, and Lime is going to work hard. What kind of work is that? When I asked her what her work was, she told me that it was patrolling the underground passages, guarding the area where the royalty slept, and sewage treatment. Apparently, she has to stay in this room and concentrate her mind on manipulating the duplicate.


    ¡°I can¡¯t imagine what that¡¯s like, but it¡¯s a lot of work.¡±


    ¡°Lots of work?¡±


    ¡°Lime is a hard worker.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s the hardest worker of the three of us-nodesu.¡±


    ¡°Oh, really?¡±


    I thought she would be the most playful of the three, but she¡¯s not. After breakfast, I started walking through the sewers with Poizo. The slime girls said they didn¡¯t want breakfast today either. I asked them why.


    ¡°We¡¯ve had enough.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s enough.¡±


    ¡°Eating too much is not good either.¡±


    They said something like that. Apparently, they get their nutrition from the sewage system, so maybe they just need to eat Gizma meat once a day?


    But then Beth seems to be acting suspiciously, and I get the feeling that Poizo is grinning at me. Lime? Lime is the hardest to read because she¡¯s always smiling like she¡¯s delighted.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Is there something on your mind-nodesu?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing important. How far is it to our destination?¡±


    ¡°Not exactly as far as you think. It takes less than thirty minutes on foot-nodesu.¡±


    ¡°I see. Well then, shall we walk after dinner for some exercise?¡±


    ¡°Yes-nanodesu. I want you to tell me about the outside-nodesu.¡±


    ¡°Good. So where should we start?¡±


    We talked about the things I saw and heard while I was with Sylphy and the others. Poizo gave the impression of being calm, but she seemed to be quite curious. Especially, she showed a strong interest in the story of my original world ¨D Earth.


    ¡°What Kosuke is talking about is interesting-nanodesu. I remember that when you first saw us, Kosuke didn¡¯t seem surprised at all-nodesu. There were no spirits or monsters in your original world, were there? Why is that-nanodesu?¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s because slime existed as a fictional existence, and there were various works that featured characters who personified such slime.¡±


    ¡°Kyarakuta*? Work? Nanodesu?¡±


    ¡°Hmm! I don¡¯t know how to explain it!¡±


    [T/n:* Character.]


    In this world, there are legends, fairytales, and fables. Is there even a concept of storytelling? I asked her if there was such a thing, and she said there was. Then it¡¯s easy to talk about. I tried my best to explain it to her.


    ¡°In other words, you were convinced that we were like that because you saw and heard us as fictional beings in a story that didn¡¯t actually exist-nodesu.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Poizo accurately read and summarized my poorly defined explanation that lasted over five minutes. I wonder if I would have conveyed the message better if I were a former salesman? It seems I have poor speaking skills.


    ¡°But the similarity is just that, a similarity-nodesu. In fact, I think we are completely different-nanodesu.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. There are many different types of slime girls. On the other hand, there were several types of slime girls in the same category, so when I saw Poizo and the others, I might have just thought, ¡®Oh, so that¡¯s the type¡¯.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a possible story-nodesu.¡±


    There are so many different types of slime girls, you know. Some have no core; some can split, some talk, some don¡¯t, some mimic only formally, some perfectly mimic everything, including clothing.


    In the first place, I think they form a grand category of slime girls, or rather, slime types. Yeah. They are basically strong characters who can do anything. In that sense, there was a foundation that could easily accept Lime and the others.


    ¡°But then again, normal people are afraid of things that are different from themselves, you know-nanodesu?¡±


    ¡°The first time I saw Lime, I was terrified. There are two types of slime: weak and strong. If she were the belligerent type, I would have had to run for my life in this dark underground passage. However, the first thing I heard from her was ¡®it¡¯s delicious¡¯.¡±


    ¡°¡­That was a good call by Lime-nodesu.¡±


    If it had been Beth or Poizo, they wouldn¡¯t have bitten into Gizma meat cautiously and said, ¡°delicious!¡± First impressions are crucial, aren¡¯t they?


    For example, if the first time I saw Lime and the others had been in the form of people from the Holy Kingdom turned into minced meat, I don¡¯t think I would have been so relaxed about them. I think Lime¡¯s ¡°delicious¡± was a factor that considerably lowered my level of caution towards the slime girls.


    ¡°We¡¯ve arrived-nodesu.¡±


    ¡°Here?¡±


    Poizo led me to a large space. There was the sound of water flowing. I wonder what this space is. It smells a little like a sewer.


    ¡°This is one of the sewage tanks in the castle¡¯s underground sewer system-nodesu.¡±


    ¡°The water looks clean for a sewage tank. It does smell a little, though.


    ¡°That¡¯s because I was working hard to purify the sewage-nodesu.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    While we were having this conversation, Poizo began to put parts of her body into the sewage tank. The light didn¡¯t reach the tank, so I couldn¡¯t see what was happening to Poizo¡¯s body, but Poizo tilted her head as if she was looking for something.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°As I said before, this is a sewage tank-nodesu. A lot of things fall into this sewer from the castle, and there are quite a few metal objects in it-nodesu.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°I can dissolve metals if I try, but it¡¯s a bit troublesome-nodesu. Therefore, I store them in the sewage tank as long as they do not affect the flow of sewage-nodesu. Once they have accumulated to a certain extent, I digest them all at once-nanodesu.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just like the junkyard, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right-nanodesu. In particular, since the occupation of the castle by the people of the Holy Kingdom, the manners of garbage disposal have been bad-nodesu. How did they get such a thing? Sometimes, they throw away things that make you wonder why they¡¯re there-nodesu.¡±


    ¡°Such as?¡±


    ¡°Tax documents, bills of delivery, and other suspicious documents, as well as human and subhuman corpses-nanodesu.¡±


    ¡°Whoa.¡±


    There were all kinds of things that looked bad in various ways that had been thrown. Or rather, don¡¯t just throw such things into the sewer¡­ When I was shivering, Poizo pulled something out of the water.


    ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a piece of what used to be metal that had accumulated at the bottom of the sewage tank-nanodesu.¡±


    ¡°Eeh¡­¡±


    It was a brownish-stone-like, not-so-bright object that was hard to describe. It was molded into a block shape, probably because Poizo had made it that way in the water.


    ¡°Can this be the material¡­?¡±


    ¡°You have to try it-nanodesu.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s try it anyway.¡±


    I put it in my inventory, and it showed up as swamp iron ore. Swamp¡­? No, this isn¡¯t a swamp, is it? It¡¯s a sewage tank. However, since it¡¯s labeled as iron ore, it must be some kind of iron ore. I don¡¯t know much about it, but¡­ I¡¯ve heard that iron can be found at the bottom of swamps, ponds, and springs.


    I¡¯m sure the process is different from this one, though. Can you think of it as something like that¡­? Well, it¡¯s a case involving a slime girl? It¡¯s nonsense to take out my original world¡¯s common sense and logic to think about it, right?


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter-nodesu?¡±


    ¡°A-ah, I¡¯m sorry. I think I can use it, so can you keep collecting it?¡±


    ¡°All right-nodesu. Just leave it to me, okay-nodesu?¡±


    Poizo was humming as she landed one brownish object after another. Is it some kind of seafood to them?


    I silently store the indescribable swamp iron ore in my inventory. I wonder if it will smell weird when I melt it down¡­? I¡¯m worried.


    The work itself was finished in about 30 minutes. The amount of iron resources that can be obtained from this swamp iron ore is unknown, though I got quite a lot.


    ¡°Is that all?¡±


    ¡°There are three more sewage tanks just like it if you need them-nodesu. But they are farther away than here-nodesu.¡±


    ¡°I see. If there aren¡¯t enough, I¡¯ll consider going there.¡±


    ¡°All right, then. Shall we go back-nodesu?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯d like to try it.¡±


    ¡°What are you going to build now-nodesu?¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m going to make a workbench and some parts for upgrading to a blacksmithing facility. I also want to make weapons¡­ It seems difficult to get strings for a crossbow, so I think a gun would be better for me.¡±


    ¡°A gun? What is it-nodesu?¡±


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s a weapon from my world.¡±


    On the way back to the slime girls¡¯ room, I talked to Poizo again about the world I came from. I told her about the weapons when we spoke about the Liberation Army, but I didn¡¯t go into too much detail. Poizo seemed to be interested, so I told her.


    Poizo is a good listener, or maybe it¡¯s just that she¡¯s so happy to talk to me.

 CH 90

    Chapter 90 ¨C Secret Maneuvering And Development


    As it turns out, swamp iron ore is a pretty good material. From the background of its formation, it is probably because the swamp iron ore collected from the sewage tank is basically all metal. However, the quality of the metal is not good, and when melted in a simple furnace, it produces not only iron resources but also small amounts of copper, silver, gold, lead, zinc, and other resources.


    In my case, the simple furnace converts them into various resources internally, so I can use them individually. For me, it was a convenient material that allowed me to obtain several metal resources at the same time.


    ¡°This looks good for iron.¡±


    ¡°That was a good thing-nodesu.¡±


    As I began to process the swamp iron ore, Poizo smiled at my words as I checked how many resources I had accumulated. She was a little worried about whether it could be used properly or not.


    ¡°I knew there was a lot of metal in the mix-nodesu.¡±


    ¡°I see. It would certainly be a big problem if I tried to use it like iron.¡±


    There are too many impurities in it to be of any use at all. It¡¯s one of the strengths of my abilities to be able to use this kind of low-quality ore without any problems, I suppose.


    As I was doing this, Beth came back with a burlap sack full of something. It looks like something heavy.


    ¡°I¡¯m back. I have brought you the whetstone.¡±


    Then she sets the sack down on the stone floor and starts pulling out what looks like a whetstone, a leather saddle, a bundle of leather straps, and a clean-looking cloth.


    ¡°It¡¯s amazing. Where did you get all this from?¡±


    ¡°From the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army quarters, stables and forge.¡±


    ¡°Did you steal it?¡±


    ¡°You should say that I took it back. They were the ones who took everything that was in this castle before.¡±


    It¡¯s been 20 years, and I think the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army prepared the whetstone and the saddle¡­ Well, it¡¯s a necessity, so let¡¯s not worry about the details. Yeah.


    ¡°This will make a better workbench. Thanks, Beth.¡±


    ¡°Just remember, it¡¯s not something I can do very often.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    If she does this often, they will be wary. It could be distracting, though. But if there is a theft like this, Qubi is going to be cautious. He¡¯ll know about my escape for sure.


    ¡°So no one found you, right?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think anyone found me. It would be a big deal if they found me.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    I hope Qubi doesn¡¯t find out about this¡­ He¡¯s a careful man. Well, it seems better to assume that he is aware of it and act accordingly. But Beth did a good job. I never thought she could get the material as well as the whetstone¡­ The saddle is useless as it is, but it can be used as material if I disassemble it.


    When it comes to uses, there are a few.


    ¡°There is no use for the gold at the moment.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s sparkling.¡±


    I took out the gold resource that I had extracted by melting the swamp iron ore into an ingot and played with it in the palm of my hand.


    Unfortunately, gold is really useless for anything under the current circumstances. It¡¯s heavy and soft, but it might work surprisingly well as warhead material for guns¡­ Well, that¡¯s the realm of hobbies. Precious metal bullets.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that the empire uses barred gold and silver as currency-nodesu.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it seems that the Holy Kingdom has some of these near the border of the Empire.¡±


    ¡°Really? Well, no wonder they process it like that, but then again, we have no use for it.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you just go out to the city and buy something, Kosuke?¡±


    ¡°No way he can do that¡­ No, that¡¯s not so bad, too, is it?¡±


    ¡°Eeh?¡±


    Beth started to say something like that to Lime¡¯s words. No, no, it¡¯s not safe.


    ¡°I¡¯m against it-nodesu. I think that if Kosuke dresses appropriately, he will not be found and detained so easily-nodesu. But if he is found and detained, it¡¯s the end-nodesu.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. But I think he¡¯ll be fine once the heat dies down. In a week¡­ or even ten days, people will usually think you are dead.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand anything you¡¯re saying.¡±


    ¡°The people of the Holy Kingdom are scared of us.¡±


    ¡°They think the three of us are slime without intelligence or reason. Didn¡¯t Kosuke escape from his cell into the tunnels?¡±


    ¡°They know very well that we are in the underground passages of the castle. In such a place, a prisoner who doesn¡¯t know anything about it escapes. What do you think-nodesu?¡±


    ¡°¡­Do you think they¡¯ll think I¡¯m dead?¡±


    ¡°Yes-nodesu.¡±


    Poizo nodded in agreement. Beth is saying that it might be a good idea to wait ten days to cool down, give people time to think that I am definitely dead, and then go out on the city with a solid disguise to avoid suspicion.


    ¡°But the risk is not zero, you know-nodesu.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s the right thing to do unless you have something you really want.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. I wouldn¡¯t bother taking the risk. But it¡¯s worth considering, and I should at least be prepared.¡±


    ¡°Do you want to do that?¡±


    Therefore, I had to make preparations to enter the city of Merinesburg at the same time. As a result of the consultation, I decided to disguise myself as a human mercenary or adventurer who came here from the conflict zone between the Eastern Empire and the Holy Kingdom.


    ¡°Because you look like a human man. That¡¯s probably the best choice if you¡¯re going to travel alone and not look suspicious.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s always better to have a good cover story-nodesu.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve made a lot of money, so you¡¯re traveling around the world looking for a job as an officer?¡±


    ¡°Something like that would be fine. Or maybe you¡¯re about to run out of money, and you want to exchange the imperial coin you¡¯ve been saving as a souvenir.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s do that.¡±


    While we were thinking about the cover story, Lime did not say anything. She was lying in my chair¡­ or rather, she was taking a nap with me in her arms. It¡¯s amazing how the size and shape can change. I wonder what it is, this overwhelming feeling of being surrounded by motherhood.


    Lime is getting bigger overall, and the contrast between her and me is like a child and an adult, but the fact that she¡¯s taking care not to crush me accidentally, and the fact that she¡¯s trying to protect me, I can kind of feel it.


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    I feel like Beth and Poizo are giving me a suspicious look. Is it just my imagination?


    ¡°¡­What are you going to do from now on?¡±


    ¡°From now on, huh? Hmm¡­¡±


    ?Workbench Upgrade¨D¨D: Mechanical Parts x 10, Steel Leaf Springs x 5, Leather Straps x 2


    ?Simple Furnace Upgrade¨D¨D: Animal Hide x 5, Brick x 50, Whetstone x 3, Machine Parts x 10


    I have clay, and I can make bricks. Beth has procured some leather and whetstones, so I should have no problem upgrading the simple furnace. If the simple furnace can be turned into a blacksmithing facility, I can make steel leaf springs to improve the workbench. However, it will take time to make the parts.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to stay here today and work on things. I have all the materials I need, so I¡¯ll take my time improving the workbench and the simple furnace.¡±


    ¡°Right. Then we¡¯ll stay here as well and focus on managing the duplicates.¡±


    ¡°Yes-nodesu. We¡¯ll also gather information-nodesu.¡±


    The two of them closed their eyes and began to sit still, just like Lime. It seems as if they are asleep, but is this the state in which they concentrate their efforts on managing the duplicates?


    There¡¯s no need to disturb them. I slipped out of Lime¡¯s arms and opened the crafting menu for the simple furnace and workbench. I need to mass produce bricks and mechanical parts first.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got a lot of time on my hands, though.¡±


    Basically, crafting is a hassle-free process. All I have to do is reserve the required number of crafts and then wait. Once I finished that, I had nothing to do.


    I looked at my status screen, but since I hadn¡¯t been doing any direct combat lately, my level hadn¡¯t risen, and my achievements hadn¡¯t increased. I was expecting to see more achievements related to women, but that didn¡¯t seem to be the case. There¡¯s no increase in building achievements, and there are no new workbenches to build¡­ Kuh, it¡¯s frustrating that I can¡¯t build a new workbench, so I just leave it there.


    In the meantime, the parts have been made, and I immediately upgraded the simple furnace.


    A flash of light burned my eyes.


    ¡°I forgot!¡±


    ¡°Hey, w-what¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°It was so bright.¡±


    ¡°What is it-nodesu?¡±


    I was so careless that the flash of light blinded me. From the sound of their voices, it seemed that the three of them were also startled. I¡¯m really sorry.


    ¡°I forgot that when I upgrade the simple furnace or the workbench, it glows like crazy. I forgot.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s troubling¡­ Are your eyes all right?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯ll heal by itself.¡±


    I¡¯ve looked directly at it before, and my eyes went agh! I¡¯ve had that happen before, but it went away. In fact, my dizzy eyes are slowly recovering, and I should be fine.


    ¡°It¡¯s a full-fledged facility now-nodesu.¡±


    Poizo looked at the smithing facility, looking interested. Poizo seems to be on the same page with Isla.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    Lime, still sleepy, wriggled over to my side, took me in her arms again, and began to snooze.


    ¡°I can¡¯t seem to get out.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s worried because you¡¯re doing something dangerous. Just stay in her arms.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯m in danger, though¡­¡±


    It¡¯s just a little bright in this dark place¡­ Oh well. It¡¯s still in the distance that I can control the blacksmithing facility and the workbench. I¡¯ll continue to make steel leaf springs and equipment for disguise. A sturdy-looking sword with a not-too-long blade and a circular shield made of wood and iron will be fine. What about armor¡­? Should I go with chainmail and a set of light armor?


    I really want to use the bastard swords and two-handed swords that everyone loves, but I lack muscle strength by far. I can only use a shortsword. I mean, it¡¯s just a disguise. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m actually going to fight with it, so it has to be light.


    If I wanted to fight for real, I¡¯d make a gun. The mass production of bullets is the key, though. Speaking of bullets, I need to make gunpowder as well¡­ That means I need a mixing table, and that requires a lot of glass.


    And to make glass, I need sand¡­ Well, I can get some sand by decomposing the soil, so it¡¯s manageable. I have a lot of it in my inventory, and I¡¯ll use it to make sand for glass.


    The glass is fine, but the problem is the stable manure¡­ There is a sewer system right there, so I¡¯m sure it can be collected. I¡¯ll have to ask Poizo or Beth later.


    Now that I have the equipment, I can start thinking of ways to communicate with others, escape plans, and maybe even distraction plans.


    But whatever it is, the first thing to do is to make contact. The golem communication device¡­ The problem is mithril. Can¡¯t I use pure gold or silver as a substitute for the mithril copper alloy? I¡¯ll talk to them about this too. I don¡¯t know anything about magic after all.

 CH 91

    Chapter 91 ¨C She Saw The Liberation Army¡¯s Commotion


    Slime Girl¡¯s POV


    ¡°Damn it! They¡¯re everywhere¡­!¡±


    A man was cursing in his office, which is a step into the luxurious¡­ no, the bad taste of the rich. The man¡¯s name is Barrington-Seil-Ortlinde. He is a priest who wears white silk vestments embroidered with gold thread. He is one of the cardinals who wield authority in the Holy Kingdom, and he is one of the people who want and are seeking that position.


    In fact, he is a commoner and believes in money more than anything else. Although he pretends to be a devout follower of the Adel religion, it is an open secret that he is a man who values money above all else.


    Barrington-Seil-Ortlinde is in a horrible mood these days. There is no need to think about the reason. The reason is that he has been tormented for the past few months by the Liberation Army, which has suddenly appeared from the Black Forest, far beyond the Great Omit Wilderness.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    It all started with a series of raids and desertions that took place in several remote villages and rock salt mines. Someone took advantage of the shadows of the night and attacked the Holy Kingdom¡¯s holy soldiers, killing them all. The village was looted, and every single subhuman who had been working there was taken away.


    At first, it was thought that a large group of mercenaries or bandits had drifted in from somewhere else. The question arose in my mind, ¡°How can they treat a mercenary group and a bandit group in the same sentence?¡± I wondered, but to the clergy of the Holy Kingdom, both were similar.


    A little while later, as the reality of the damage became more apparent, his ugly, pig-like face became even uglier. No, it would be disrespectful to the pig to say that he looked like a pig. But his name is too long, so I will call him the White Pig Bishop from now on. That¡¯s better.


    The reality of the damage was enough to make the white pig bishop furious. It seems that the sub-humans were not taken away but left by themselves. It turned out that the village had not been looted but that the sub-humans who lived there had taken everything with them.


    In other words, this was a rebellion of the sub-humans. That was the conclusion of the white pig bishop. The people around him had also come to that conclusion.


    There had been another rebellion about three years ago, and he had managed to put it down. The damage was not small, though.


    ¡°Not again! Those subhumans! I¡¯m going to discipline them so that they¡¯ll never dare to rebel again!¡±


    The white pig bishop immediately sent out a retaliatory force. It seems that they killed a few dozen soldiers, but they were only slaves without proper weapons. If he sent well-armed troops, they would be able to destroy them in no time. That seemed to be his thinking.


    However, only the commander of the army, who was a subordinate of the white pig bishop, had a difficult look on his face. That was to be expected. The report from the scene indicated that there was a high possibility that someone trained in the art of killing soldiers was involved in the escape.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s dangerous to think of it as just a simple slave rebellion, sir.¡±


    He was laughed out of the room. What a foolish thing to say.


    There may be some armor taken from the soldiers, but these are just slaves who have been forced to work hard. They would be exhausted, and their morale would not last long. The commander of the holy knights, who was not on good terms with the soldiers¡¯ commander, said so. The white pig bishop agreed with the holy knight¡¯s words, and the commander of the soldiers had no choice but to hold his tongue.


    That was the beginning of it all.


    No one doubted that the escaped slaves had been defeated, but an unbelievable report came back from the fortress guarding the border between the Great Omit Wilderness and the Merinard Kingdom.


    All the pursuing troops were wiped out, the damage was extensive, only a few survived, and they were begging for instructions. That¡¯s what it said in summary.


    The white pig bishop was puzzled. Even though the number of escaped slaves had swelled to about one hundred, how could they wipe out an almost equal number of fully armed soldiers? He wondered.


    It¡¯s true that some sub-humans exceed humans in physical ability and magic power. However, the difference is enough for a human with magic power to counter or even overwhelm them in some cases.


    And yet they were defeated? And wiped out? What kind of joke is that? And. I also thought the same.


    But since the report was sent to him in an official document, he couldn¡¯t help but believe it. It was hard to believe without seeing it with his own eyes, but there was no way he could see it. The white pig bishop instructed the commander of the soldiers and the commander of the holy knights to organize an army and destroy the escaped slaves.


    It would take time to organize the army, gather supplies, and move a large army of 5000 people. This alone required a great deal of money to be spent, apparently. The white pig bishop was not in a good mood. But if he had to send over 5000 troops, there would be nothing to stop him. He muttered to himself. I also thought the same.


    The result was disastrous.


    To his surprise, most of the more than 5000 soldiers he had sent did not return. Of the few who did manage to reach the fortress on the territory¡¯s border, most of them were so weak in body and mind that no one could explain the situation properly.


    What he learned from the questioning was that a splendid fort had been built in the middle of the Great Omit Wilderness, that some people claiming to be the Liberation Army had been in the fort, and that the fort had caused a huge explosion that wiped out the Holy Kingdom army.


    What happened after that? When he asked about it, he was told that the surviving soldiers were all delirious and could no longer speak properly.


    When the white pig bishop heard the report, he collapsed. He would have been happy if they had just died, but it seems that the world is not so easy.


    From there, the ¡°Liberation Army¡± began its rapid march. Fortresses on the territory¡¯s border were taken down one after another with lightning speed, and in the south, rumors spread, and subhuman slaves escaped one after another. The movement was not only in the southern part of the Liberation Army¡¯s sphere of influence but was now spreading throughout the Merinard Kingdom.


    The damage to the Holy Kingdom¡¯s forces stationed in opposition to the Liberation Army is so great that it is only a matter of time before the white pig bishop is dismissed as governor of the Merinard Kingdom. It seems that the white pig bishop is desperately trying to keep information about the current situation in the Merinard Kingdom from reaching the Holy Kingdom, but he cannot put his foot in everyone¡¯s mouth.


    One day, when the white pig bishop was sick to his stomach with stress, a carriage appeared from the south and entered the royal castle in the royal capital of Merinesburg. The people on that carriage were spies from the Holy Kingdom. They were not the white pig bishop¡¯s subordinates. They were the subordinates of a certain cardinal of the home country.


    There was one Fox Beast man who had infiltrated the Liberation Army, twelve human men, and one human man who had been detained and packed in a box.


    The Fox Beast spy said that he was an important figure in the Liberation Army. The details were not disclosed, but the saint, a subordinate of a certain cardinal, would be coming to pick him up soon, and he was asked to make sure that he would not be captured by the Liberation Army by mistake or escape himself.


    The white pig bishop, dripping with sweat, agreed to do so. The saint who visited him soon was said to be a person called the ¡°Saint of Truth¡± who had received the grace of falsehood detection from God. Also, her superior, the cardinal, seems to be a political rival of the white pig bishop.


    In other words, he¡¯s dead in the water.


    As for me, I was curious about this important figure of the Liberation Army, so I sent one of my duplicates to the cell where he was taken.


    The Fox Beast spy had insisted that if they were going to detain him, they should never take off the blindfold, restrain him so that his hands and feet were out of sight, and keep a lookout on him at all times. He even said that if he couldn¡¯t do that, he and his subordinates would keep watch.


    However, the white pig bishop refused to do so. Using his position as an umbrella, he silenced the Fox Beast spy and his subordinates, who tried to protest and put him in a cell like any other prisoner, saying that he was an important person. He had no regard for the advice of the Fox Beast spy.


    He was probably more concerned with how to get past the coming saint.


    When the packed man was put in the cell, he observed the room for a while, made a gesture as if he was searching for the presence of people in the surroundings, and then immediately went into action.


    I don¡¯t know how he did it, but the shackles that bound his hands and feet disappeared in an instant. There seemed to be no flow of magic. How on earth did he do that?


    Next, he stripped the wood from the shabby bed, pulled the straw from the straw pillow, and gathered the stones from the stone wall of the cell. And before long, he had a crude stone ax in his hand. I couldn¡¯t make sense of it. How did he do it? When did he make it? The questions almost filled me up.


    ¡°Hey, is there anyone else here? This is the new guy, Kosuke.¡±


    Apparently, his name is Kosuke. He seemed to have called out to see if there were any prison mates, but unfortunately, there was no one else in the cell except for him and me. The officer who had thrown him into the cell probably didn¡¯t come here often either.


    Perhaps satisfied with the lack of response, he began to pound the stone floor with a crude stone ax. It made a rather noisy sound. The officer, however, has left this cell and moved to another cell. There was no one here to condemn him.


    But still, what the hell is he doing?


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s a scenario that won¡¯t work for me.¡±


    He muttered something like that. What the hell is he talking about? I don¡¯t know.


    While I wondered inwardly, he kept pounding the floor with his stone ax and finally started to destroy it. I don¡¯t understand. There was no way he could break the floor with such a crude stone ax.


    He continued to dig through the floor, completely dismantled the bed, turned off everything in the cell, built a fire for some reason, and went back into the hole. Before I knew it, he even had a magnificent torch in his hand. When did he¡­?


    After a certain amount of digging, he blocked the hole with a stone floor, though I don¡¯t know how he did it. Oh no, I¡¯m left behind. Perhaps he will reach the underground passage. I had to track him down¡­ I managed to catch up with him in the underground passage and made contact with him.


    It¡¯s been about a week since then.


    He and I have been getting along well. He has created various things with his magic powers and is ready to escape.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    ¡°Gnunu¡­ It feels bad; it¡¯s terrible! What should I do¡­?¡±


    The white pig is dripping fat and sweat. To be honest, I don¡¯t really want to watch him, but since he is the leader of this place, I can¡¯t neglect to monitor him. However, it seems that he won¡¯t be able to stay at the top for much longer.


    With the expansion of the Liberation Army, the southern part of the Merinard Kingdom has completely escaped the control of the Holy Kingdom. The subhumans have been escaping one after another, and they are heading to the south one after another. And from time to time, the people of the Holy Kingdom escape from the south as refugees. There are not many of them, though.


    The Fox Beast spy and his men left for the north as soon as they discovered that Kosuke had escaped. I don¡¯t know if they went to meet up with the saint, to report to the cardinal, or if they fled because they feared revenge from Kosuke and Her Highness the Princess.


    It was determined that Kosuke¡¯s escape destination was the underground passages of the castle. That¡¯s right, if part of the cell floor was a brand new stone floor, anyone could see that it was suspicious.


    No one seemed to be able to figure out how it was done, but when the new stone floor was destroyed, it led to an underground passage, so it was determined. And they think that he would have been killed by us long ago.


    Incidentally, the hole has already been sealed up by a mage who uses earth magic.


    ¡°If this continues¡­ If I don¡¯t do something about this¡­¡±


    He lost control of the southern part of the Merinard Kingdom to the Liberation Army, half of the troops entrusted to him by the Holy King were destroyed, and he lost an important figure in the Liberation Army who the cardinal¡¯s spies had kidnaped. He seems to think that he can somehow get away with this failure, but it will be impossible.


    The saint who is about to visit him is a saint of truth who can see through any falsehood. Moreover, it seems that the Holy King, who grasped the current situation through the report of her superior, the cardinal, took the situation seriously and ordered the saint of truth to hold a hearing against the white pig bishop.


    If the saint holds a hearing, the white pig bishop will undoubtedly become a mere white pig, and the pig will be dealt with like a pig. There¡¯s a lot of dust that will come out if you hit him, and he has some suspicious documents with him. It might be interesting to put them in a place where they can be seen quietly.


    I don¡¯t know what the Holy Kingdom will do after that. But I don¡¯t think they will just leave it at that. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll make a move.


    In the meantime, we have to get the man back to where he belongs. And as soon as possible. But it¡¯s too bad, really bad. We don¡¯t know why, but we are strongly, strongly attracted to him. It must have something to do with the fact that he is a marebito.


    In fact, he plays a little trick on us, just a little, while he sleeps.


    He feels uncomfortable, or rather, he is dimly aware of it, but he doesn¡¯t say anything. He probably thinks that since he has a relationship with the princess, the court mage, and the Harpies, it¡¯s no big deal to have three more of us. And we¡¯re taking advantage of it.


    There was a knock at the door, and the white pig bishop shuddered. It seemed that the time had come for the white pig bishop to become just a white pig.


    I¡¯ll have to keep a close eye on the situation and report back to Kosuke. And today, I will be the only bedding provider. Kosuke loves my pillow, so I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be happy with it.

 CH 92

    Chapter 92 ¨C Preparation And Special Training


    ¡°And so, it seems that the leader of this place has been removed from his position as Archbishop and the position of Governor of the Merinard Kingdom.¡±


    ¡°And a saint has been appointed to take his place-nanodesu.¡±


    ¡°Temporary.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Lime passes on the information she has gathered to Beth and Poizo, who in turn pass it on to me. The reason why Lime leaves the reporting to the two of them is because she is aware of her own poor language skills.


    ¡°She is the smartest person in all of us, you know.¡±


    ¡°Lime is always controlling a far greater number of duplicates at the same time than we are-nodesu.¡±


    ¡°Maybe she¡¯s multitasking too much and causing a processing error¡­¡±


    ¡°Processing error?¡±


    Lime tilted her head at the unfamiliar word. It¡¯s cute.


    ¡°Anyway, today¡¯s MVP is Lime.¡±


    ¡°Reward.¡±


    ¡°Reward? Reward, huh? Then if there¡¯s anything I can do, I will do it.¡±


    ¡°Would you like me to be your bed today?¡±


    ¡°Eeh? It¡¯s fine with me, but¡­¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped.¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped-nodesu.¡±


    ¡°Yay!¡±


    Lime bounces happily on the spot. The water bag on her chest also bounces. Kuh, I won¡¯t lose, I won¡¯t lose to it. No, it¡¯s impossible to win. My eyes are drawn to it¡­ I¡¯m so weak.


    That night, as expected, I went to bed with my entire body wrapped around Lime, which had increased in volume.


    ¡°Um, Lime-san? That¡¯s the delicate part¡­ Wait, hey, you can¡¯t; I said you couldn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re doing this every night, though?¡±


    ¡°Every night?¡±


    I was shocked by the revelation.


    ¡°You usually fall asleep right away, don¡¯t you, Kosuke?¡±


    ¡°How can I sleep with all this going on¡­ Poizo-san?¡±


    ¡°Pyu, pyupyu¡­ nanodesu.¡±


    In the direction of the poorly whistling Poizo comes the cool, refreshing smell that I always smell before going to bed. I always fall right asleep when I smell that because it¡¯s so comforting! So that¡¯s it!


    ¡°Kosuke.¡±


    Beth comes up to me with an expression that says, ¡°It can¡¯t be helped.¡± That¡¯s the kind of look that comes from someone who¡¯s willing to help!


    ¡°Be-Beth!¡±


    ¡°Sometimes, you just have to give up.¡±


    ¡°Nooo!¡±


    There are three slime girls around me that I don¡¯t think I could beat even if I stood up straight. And I¡¯m naked and already taken in.


    There is nothing I could do about it.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    It¡¯s been a week since the shocking night. A week has passed since the slime girls stopped playing tricks on me as if they had learned from that incident. I was protected by them¡­ It¡¯s been a week since I made a shelf in my mind that give and take are important.


    I have not been playing around this week. I¡¯ve been making various things that I¡¯ll need, consulting with the girls at times, and working with them to prepare. Yes, I¡¯ve been preparing for the escape.


    ¡°Do you have your equipment ready-nodesu?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Everything is in order.¡±


    The swamp iron ore in the sewage tank has done an excellent job. Aside from the quantity, it was a blessing for me that it was a low-quality ore with many different metals mixed in.


    It may not be used for normal blacksmithing work, but with my ability, I can extract multiple kinds of mixed metals individually. Iron, copper, silver, gold, lead, zinc, and many others. Some of them I have no use for right now, though. And unfortunately, there was no mithril in the mix. If there was even a little mithril in the mix, I could have alloyed it with copper to make a golem core for communication.


    ¡°I wonder if there¡¯s any mithril anywhere. I just need a little bit.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s difficult. Mithril is a very precious commodity.¡±


    ¡°Maybe in the treasury here?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s already been looted and taken away by the Holy Kingdom.¡±


    ¡°I will never forgive the Holy Kingdom.¡±


    ¡°Yes, unforgivable.¡±


    This is the one that haunts me when I get here. I asked the slime girls if I could substitute it with another metal, and they told me that mithril was an essential ingredient in the making of high-performance magic tools. Beth, who knows a lot about magic, said that if you want to make a magic tool with the performance I mentioned, you won¡¯t be able to substitute it with any other metal.


    So, in order to get in touch with Sylphy and the others, I had to go into the city and get some kind of mithril product. Since I didn¡¯t need that much mithril, I decided that a mithril ring, just a ring without any magic, like an engagement ring or wedding ring, would be good.


    Mithril products are very expensive, but it seems that mithril rings are widely available, as they are not so difficult to process. They are often used for engagement rings for noblemen.


    Another thing I can think of is the Cross of Light, which is an Adelian talisman, or rather symbol. It¡¯s not a cross, but a disembodied cross, if I may say so. It is the symbol of the Adel religion. As the name suggests, it is supposed to symbolize the light brought by the main god Adel.


    This symbol is also available in the cheapest iron, the most common silver, the most expensive gold, and the highest grade mithril. These are sold in Adelian church facilities.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to get too close to it.¡±


    ¡°But it is guaranteed-nodesu.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to pay a lot of money for it.¡±


    ¡°Required money?¡±


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s plenty of fake empire currency available.¡±


    Beth had procured some real empire currency for me a few days ago, and I had used the gold and silver I had on hand to forge something that looked exactly the same.


    The imperial currency is a very simple bar-shaped metal coin that looks a bit like a large mahjong dotted piece. However, since it is made of gold and silver, it is very heavy. There are several types of gold and silver coins depending on their weight, and the weight of the coin is visually represented by the hole drilled in the coin.


    Five bars of gold with one hole and one bar of gold with five holes weigh the same. If you scrape them off, the scales don¡¯t balance, and it¡¯s obvious. And the value of such coins decreases.


    Is this kind of money called ¡°weighing money¡±? No, this is a measuring coin because it expresses the quantity by the number of holes drilled under a certain quality¡­? But in the end, it is a weighing coin because it is weighed in the market. I¡¯m not sure! Well, I guess it doesn¡¯t matter either way. Yeah. It doesn¡¯t matter as long as it can be used.


    ¡°And then, equipment?¡±


    ¡°Yes, equipment.¡±


    I¡¯m an ex-mercenary who came from the battlefields of the Holy Kingdom and the Empire in the East. I¡¯ve come all the way to the Merinard Kingdom in search of a place to serve as an officer or to earn a living. Fortunately, there is an actual rebellion going on in the Merinard Kingdom, and it should not be surprising that a mercenary with quick ears would have drifted here in search of a battlefield.


    And you know what? If you want to call yourself a mercenary, you need to have typical mercenary equipment.


    ¡°First of all, a sword.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a good choice.¡±


    It¡¯s a slightly wide shortsword. A two-handed sword? A greatsword, you ask? That¡¯s cool. But I¡¯m more of a hands-on kind of guy.


    The total length of the sword, including the hilt, is a little shorter than my arm. A sword that¡¯s too long isn¡¯t very handy. I made it in my smithing facility, so I think it¡¯s of good quality.


    ¡°Next is the shield.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s ordinary-nodesu.¡±


    ¡°Ordinary and simple. It¡¯s perfect.¡±


    It is a circular shield made of wood and leather with metal reinforced edges, which could be found anywhere. There¡¯s not much else to say about it, except that it can hold two throwing knives on the back of the shield. Oh, and it has a belt so I can carry it on my back.


    ¡°And the spear.¡±


    ¡°Is it your main weapon?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    After all, the spear is a convenient weapon. It can attack the enemy from a distance and can also be thrown. It¡¯s really wonderful. It is one of mankind¡¯s oldest hunting tools and weapons. I¡¯ve never seen an actual battlefield, but I¡¯ve heard that spears were used more often than swords and katana on the battlefield.


    In fact, it¡¯s quite easy to use. I think this is more suitable for me than a sword.


    ¡°You still lack confidence-nodesu.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s just you girls are too strong¡­¡±


    ¡°Lime, strong.¡±


    It¡¯s not good to call myself a mercenary if I can¡¯t actually handle a sword or a spear. So, in the past few days, I¡¯ve been practicing martial arts with the slime girls. I was reluctant to point a serious weapon at them, but they are slimes. They can¡¯t take a slash or a thrust at all. In a way, they were the ideal training partners.


    And they are strong. Sharp attacks came at me from unexpected angles. I get knocked down; I get rolled over; I get knocked down again. It¡¯s very painful¡­


    ¡°There¡¯s healing magic, though.¡±


    ¡°We can all use it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the only one who can give you medicine, though-nodesu?¡±


    ¡°I want you to take it easy, take it in moderation.¡±


    ¡°Are we not?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t we in for it?¡±


    There was no such thing.


    At least, it is an order that I should train to the extent that I can call myself a mercenary and not be suspected. They said that if not, I wouldn¡¯t be able to protect myself, and they couldn¡¯t let me out because it would be too dangerous.


    The thoughtfulness of the strict but kind slime girls was deeply felt. Physically.


    ¡°You¡¯re moving in mysterious ways¡­¡±


    ¡°Hahahaha! I¡¯m not going to be beaten up forever either!¡±


    ¡°But once I know the trick, it¡¯s a piece of cake.¡±


    ¡°Uboah!¡±


    Using command actions, I could pretend to step forward and slide backward, slide forward while thrusting, surprise attack using double jumps, and assault using my own running ability plus command action dashes¡­ It only worked at first, and I was quickly dealt with.


    ¡°I think that charge is not bad for initial kill-nodesu.¡±


    ¡°If you use it finely, it¡¯s not bad for evasion or for attacking. You just need to adjust your timing slightly.¡±


    ¡°But it doesn¡¯t work on us?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s fair to get all worked up and try to overpower you.¡±


    If my sliding movement shifts the distance between us, I can attack with a wider distance range. As if to illustrate this point, the mucus tentacle spear flies at me. I can¡¯t do anything about it, and my whole body is struck down, and I¡¯m blown away. It hurt so much.


    As a result of being rolled and blasted like that for another week or so, my hand-to-hand combat skills have skyrocketed. No, there¡¯s no indication of that on my status screen or skills screen, though¡­


    No change in achievements either. I got some combat training, but I didn¡¯t kill anything, so no level increase. It seems like there should be an achievement for living underground for more than a few days or something. It would be a great help if I could get night vision with it, but apparently, things don¡¯t work that way.


    ¡°Then there¡¯s my trump card.¡±


    ¡°The one that makes the most noise-nodesu.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    I took out of my inventory a long gun with a large banana-shaped magazine. It is probably the most famous assault rifle in the world, using 7.62¡Á39mm steel shells. This is an improved version of it.


    It is highly productive, robust, and powerful. I chose this rifle because I might have to go head-to-head with an enemy in armor. If it was a handgun, it might be blocked by armor made of steel plates.


    Eh? Isn¡¯t it difficult to operate a double-barreled gun because of the cost? That¡¯s true. If it¡¯s used by dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of people, even with my production power, I can¡¯t keep up with the ammunition production.


    But if it¡¯s just me, it¡¯s a different story. I can manage to get enough ammunition for one person. If that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s only natural to focus on performance, power, robustness, and ease of use.


    It should have a large number of rounds, be able to fire multiple rounds, have a magazine for easy reloading, and have the power to penetrate armor.


    At any rate, the Guinness World Record for the ¡°most widely used military gun in the world¡± is no mean feat. The fact that it has the performance to be chosen by so many soldiers makes it a Guinness record.


    Incidentally, gunpowder could not be made from untreated sewage, but as a result of trial and error with Poizo, it was possible to produce a large amount of gunpowder from half-treated sewage.


    Naturally, I also made a good number of hand grenades and the like. No matter how many I have in hand, I¡¯m never in trouble.


    ¡°It¡¯s incredibly powerful, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my trump card.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t work on Lime and the others, though?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s almost nothing that works on you girls¡­¡±


    I smiled back at Lime, who was swaying.


    The only thing that works for them is magic and fire. If I could blow them up with explosives, it might give me a chance, but I would be no match for them if I had only physical means of attack.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a little over two weeks since I was brought here¡­ and I¡¯m finally ready.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re going tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m going to the city.¡±


    I nodded in response to Beth¡¯s words.


    ¡°Be careful, you know. If Kosuke gets caught, there¡¯s nothing we can do-nodesu.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want any souvenirs.¡±


    ¡°Really? I can get you something, you know?¡±


    ¡°I just want you to come back in time.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    ¡°That would be the best.¡±


    Lime said sweetly, tilting her head, and Beth and Poizo nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Leave it to me.¡±


    With the three of them saying that, I can¡¯t afford to screw up.


    Whatever it is, it¡¯s tomorrow. I will be in the city of Merinesburg tomorrow. I want to get whatever mithril products I can find and come back safely. And if possible, I¡¯ll find out what¡¯s been going on. I¡¯ll try not to overdo it. That¡¯s about it.


    It all starts tomorrow.

 CH 93

    Chapter 93 ¨C Sunlight After A Long Time


    ¡°Check the equipment.¡±


    Lime raised her hand with a big smile on her face and declared the equipment in check.


    ¡°Armor good, helmet good, miscellaneous bags good, sword, spear, shield good.¡±


    The armor was made of leather, reinforced in important places with steel plates. The helmet looked like a common piece of armor, but the red tasseled ornaments made it a real eye-catcher. Eh? Is it okay to stand out? No, it¡¯s a mercenary helmet. However, I thought it would be unnatural if I didn¡¯t have something that stood out, so I put a red tassel on my helmet.


    ¡°And the purse?¡±


    ¡°The main one is under my armor, and the sub is in my bag.¡±


    The main purse is full of gold coins, and the sub purse is full of coins and silver. The small coins and silver coins had fallen into the sewer, and before they rusted, Poizo and Beth had kept them. The only thing in my wallet was the empire bar coin, so I asked them to share it with me because I was afraid people would wonder how I had gotten to this point of living.


    Payment is¡­ I¡¯ll leave it to your imagination.


    ¡°Let¡¯s recap the setting-nodesu.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a mercenary from the east. I came here looking for a place to serve or to fight.¡±


    This is as it was in the beginning. I¡¯ve thought of a setting in case they ask for more details.


    ¡°Black hair, is it rare?¡±


    ¡°Yes, they are rare, but that doesn¡¯t mean they don¡¯t exist, does it?¡±


    In this world, there are not many people with black hair. But that doesn¡¯t mean there aren¡¯t any. There¡¯s one in a thousand or ten thousand people in this world. I¡¯m not sure if there are more than a few in a larger city. So that¡¯s on that scale.


    ¡°You don¡¯t look very strong.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m more of a runner.¡±


    I¡¯ve been training with Lime and the others, and I¡¯ve gotten to a point where I can fight, but only a point. My fundamental muscular strength seems to be as good or less than human by this world¡¯s standards.


    However, thanks to my abilities, I can run fast and long. This is my strength.


    It may look a little unnatural to run with command actions, but if I tell them that it¡¯s a special way of running and that it¡¯s a secret, they are likely to accept it as such. Beth said that there are many magic and magic tools in this world, and no one knows all of their effects.


    ¡°It looks like it¡¯s about right. Now you just have to make sure you get in from outside the royal capital.¡±


    ¡°Right. If I don¡¯t have my pass, I could get into trouble.¡±


    ¡°Out of the way, out of the city.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    I heard that some of the underground passages from the castle¡¯s basement extend eastward to the outside of Merinesburg. So I¡¯m going to go outside of Merinesburg through that and go inside from the city¡¯s east side.


    ¡°In some cases, I¡¯ll spend a few days up there. If I¡¯m caught and not killed immediately, I¡¯ll be thrown back into the underground of the castle. Then I¡¯ll make a scene, and you can come and save me.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so selfish, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I just don¡¯t think I can do everything right on my own.¡±


    Besides, Beth and the others are a lot stronger than I am. So if I can rely on them, I will. I¡¯ll do whatever it takes to get to Sylphy alive.


    ¡°So, are we leaving now-nodesu?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°This way, then.¡±


    The four of us start moving. Apparently, all three of them were going to see me off.


    ¡°Speaking of which, this is the first time we¡¯re walking together.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°Basically, we don¡¯t need to move much-nodesu.¡±


    ¡°The little one is enough.¡±


    ¡°I guess so.¡±


    In a mock battle, or rather a training session, I fought the first Lime duplicate I encountered. Of course, I was beaten to a pulp. Even though they are small, the little Lime is very strong¡­ and the training is for multiple battles, so Lime, Beth, and Poizo each came out with two duplicates. Of course, I was rolled over helplessly.


    We walked for a while, chatting about trivial things, and when the underground passage was about to end, the three of them stopped.


    ¡°This is the end.¡±


    ¡°The underground passage is treated as ¡®inside the castle¡¯ even if it¡¯s not directly underneath because the royal family passes through it, but it seems this is the limit.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t go any further.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    I can feel a slight flow of air. The surface seems to be close.


    ¡°The entrance is cleaned regularly, so I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything in there, but you have to be careful just in case-nodesu.¡±


    ¡°Cleaning?¡±


    ¡°We make the little ones attack and scare them away.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s scary.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s supposed to destroy itself after a while, so there¡¯s no danger. But, if not, goblins and the like will take up residence.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s troublesome¡­ Okay, I¡¯ll go then.¡±


    I rechecked my equipment and turned to the three of them.


    Lime doesn¡¯t hide her lonely expression.


    Beth has a worried look on her face.


    And Poizo looked calm.


    ¡°Goodbye, well, it¡¯s not a goodbye, though. I¡¯ll be back.¡±


    ¡°Please come back safely.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, go ahead. Take it easy, okay?¡±


    ¡°Take care of yourself-nodesu.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll be off.¡±


    After saying a temporary goodbye to the three of them, I began to walk towards the surface for the first time in a long time.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    ¡°Whoa, bright¡­¡±


    It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen the sun¡­ Oh, is that the name of some kind of god in this world? Well, whatever. Anyway, the sunshine burned my eyes after living underground for more than two weeks. I felt a dull ache behind my eyes. I think I¡¯d better rest here for a while until I get used to it.


    ¡°The air feels better.¡±


    The air in Lime¡¯s room was aromatic, so it didn¡¯t bother me too much, but there was still something about the smell of sewage. But there was none of that here.


    As my eyes became accustomed to the place, I took a look around. Yes, it¡¯s a cave. It¡¯s behind a rock, and if I didn¡¯t know better, I wouldn¡¯t be able to find it. I wonder if I¡¯ll be able to find this place again after I leave here¡­ Well, the worst thing I can do is go into the sewers of Merinesburg.


    Of course, it would be smelly, and it would be dangerous. In fact, I¡¯ve seen many of the giant rats that the slime girls have hunted down in the sewers, and all of them were as big as large dogs and had sharp fangs that looked dangerous.


    Besides, there were also slimes in the sewage. Admittedly, they were not as powerful as the slime girls, but even so, I heard that most physical attacks were ineffective, so I needed to take countermeasures. In case you¡¯re wondering, I¡¯ve made a countermeasure weapon, but as the assault rifle, it¡¯s a backup plan.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to go.¡±


    Now that my eyes have adjusted to the situation, I start to take action. Fortunately, the target was easy to find. Even in this forest, not far from Merinesburg, the spire of the royal castle in the center of the capital was clearly visible through the trees.


    Even though it was close to the city, there was no telling what might be there in the forest. Monsters inhabit this world. The only ones I¡¯ve encountered so far are lizards, Gizma, and goblins, but I¡¯ve heard that there are many other types of monsters in this world. So there was no better way than to be cautious.


    ¡°But taking too long to get through the forest by being too careful would be a bad idea.¡±


    After thinking about it, I decided to run and get out of this forest as quickly as possible.


    My running speed is much faster than that of a normal person. If I just use running and command actions together, I can almost double my speed. If I add strafe jumping to it, I¡¯ll be as fast as a horse. There were not many monsters that could keep up with this speed.


    That¡¯s why I ran through the forest. This forest was not that deep. In other words, it¡¯s nothing compared to the Black Forest. So it was not going to be hard to run through it.


    ¡°Whoa.¡±


    After about ten minutes of running, I finally made it through the forest.


    On the way, I found goblins and other unfamiliar animals and monsters, but I passed them with style. Some of them were chasing me, but I was able to beat them to the punch.


    Hmm¡­ I wonder if it would be better to just run home instead of worrying about making a golem communicator? While thinking about this, I started to circle around the towering walls of Merinesburg. Soon, I found a road, so I decided to take it and head for the city gates.


    Perhaps because it was so close to the capital, there was a good amount of traffic on the street. Some people were wary of me suddenly appearing out of nowhere, but when they saw me carrying my spear and walking towards the castle gate without paying attention to the people around me, they lowered their guard and started walking the same way.


    I wondered if they saw me as a bandit or a thief! But when I saw that they didn¡¯t seem to be bothered by me at all, I guess they were convinced that I was an adventurer or something. So it was just as I had planned.


    ¡°Fumu¡­¡±


    When I turned my attention to the people passing by on the street, I noticed a conspicuous number of horse-drawn carriages with escorts carrying large loads. Of course, there are not many of them, but the sight of them hurrying away from the capital to the east strangely attracted my attention.


    They were probably nobles, clergymen, or wealthy merchants and their families. Those who could afford it seemed to have sensed the danger and had already begun to flee.


    However, the number of people entering the capital seemed to be twice as many. Perhaps the Holy Kingdom has begun to accumulate troops and supplies in Merinesburg. But, first, they are gathering adventurers and mercenaries.


    I think that the soldiers that the Holy Kingdom sent out to Erichburg were basically the regular Holy Kingdom army. Of course, that¡¯s not always the case in a siege on the city¡¯s defensive walls, where it seems that all those who could fight were sent out, but at least there were no troops recruited from adventurers, mercenaries, or farmers.


    Maybe they are just starting to recruit those people.


    ¡°Hey, are you a mercenary too?¡±


    As I walked along, observing the flow of people, I was approached. He was about the same age as me, solidly built and armed. He was holding a spear in his hand that looked much higher than mine.


    ¡°That¡¯s about it. You too?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am. Are you alone? That¡¯s unusual.¡±


    ¡°My unit was destroyed on a battlefield in the east. There were only a few of us left, and we were disbanded, so I came here. I was looking for a place to serve or a job. What about you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a member of a mercenary group called the Black Feather Brigade. I¡¯m an executive, you know?¡±


    He then grinned and showed me what looked like a dog tag with a black feather emblem on it. But, unfortunately, I don¡¯t know anything about it.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t know. I was too busy with my own affairs to keep up with the world.¡±


    ¡°What? I thought we were pretty famous.¡±


    He seemed a little disappointed to see that I wasn¡¯t at all surprised by his confident display of the group¡¯s credentials. But he didn¡¯t seem to be offended.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. So, why are you, the executive, talking to me? I mean, what are you doing out here all alone?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not alone; you see those guys with weapons over there and over there? They¡¯re all members of my group. I¡¯m guarding the gate. Besides, I¡¯m in charge of recruiting people like you.¡±


    ¡°Heeh¡­¡±


    There are indeed several people who look like that standing near the street at a certain distance, keeping an eye on things. At the same time, I raise my guard against the man.


    The man¡¯s story sounds reasonable, but he also clarifies that he is targeting lone travelers like me. A lone traveler is in a weak position in this world anyway. In any case, they have nowhere to turn.


    Even if they suddenly disappear, no one will pay attention to them as long as no bodies appear. That¡¯s what I mean.


    ¡°Hey, hey, don¡¯t be so cautious. I don¡¯t mean to take your stuff and kill you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s impossible to be careless, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true, too.¡±


    The man chuckled. It¡¯s possible that someone will get drunk and find themselves undressed after having a good time with their new friends. It would be nice if that were the end of it, but it could be even scarier.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s good to be cautious. We¡¯re staying at a place called Mera¡¯s Ledge Pavilion. Come and visit us if you feel like it. Just tell them you¡¯re with Raman, and they¡¯ll understand.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll remember that. My name is Ko.¡±


    Hearing my alias, the mercenary who had introduced himself as Raman left with a satisfied look on his face. He must have gone back to his job as a scout and security guard. I walked for a while and muttered to myself.


    ¡°There are all kinds of people out there.¡±


    Perhaps Raman will participate in the upcoming battle between the Liberation Army and the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army. In the end, he will be a member of the Holy Kingdom¡¯s forces. If so, that good-natured man will become an enemy of Sylphy and me. If he becomes my enemy, I won¡¯t show him any mercy. Unless he¡¯s fortunate, he¡¯ll die.


    Without a chance to cross swords or spears, he will be blown up by Harpy¡¯s bombs or fall down by crossbow fire¡­ Then, if he is lucky, he may have a chance to cross swords with the elite of the Liberation Army. But he is no match for Sir Leonard or Ms. Zamir.


    ¡°That¡¯s unpleasant, isn¡¯t it? Geez.¡±


    Operating under the enemy¡¯s power, blending in with the enemy. Of course, there will be good guys. Someone to be respected and loved may be found. But sooner or later, they will all turn into enemies. The forces I belong to will overrun them and the women within them.


    ¡°It¡¯s so unpleasant, Geez.¡±


    I said again, from the bottom of my heart, and let out a sigh. The gates are almost there.

 CH 94

    Chapter 94 ¨C Black-Haired Mercenary


    ¡°Next.¡±


    The farmer in front of me, his cart full of vegetables, had completed his inspection to enter the capital, and eventually, I was called in.


    I stepped forward in silence and presented my spear and sword to the gatekeeper. I learned from watching the people being inspected that they were supposed to leave their weapons at the gate while inspected.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen you before. Take off your helmet, too.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    ¡°¡­Black hair?¡±


    I took off my red tasseled helmet and showed it to the gatekeeper, who stared at my face. I didn¡¯t do anything special to my face, is there some kind of physiognomist going around? No, the slime girls hadn¡¯t mentioned anything like that. There shouldn¡¯t be anyone here in Merinesburg who could stare at my face long enough to make a sketch, and since I¡¯m supposed to be dead, there shouldn¡¯t be any arrangements.


    ¡°Is that unusual?¡±


    ¡°Well, yeah. Are you a mercenary? What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. The name is Ko.¡±


    ¡°Fumu, red tassel, black-haired mercenary Ko¡­ What is the purpose of your journey?¡±


    Behind the gatekeeper, who was asking me questions, a man who seemed to be a civil servant was running his pen over what looked like a ledger. I wonder if he¡¯s using that ledger to keep track of who¡¯s coming and going.


    ¡°I¡¯m looking for a place to work and a job, you know. Isn¡¯t this place reeks of that? Around here?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I¡¯m sure you won¡¯t have any trouble finding work. Are you staying long?¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m going to look for a job around here for a week or so.¡±


    ¡°Well, then, the city tax is one silver coin.¡±


    ¡°Hey, hey, that¡¯s pretty high¡­¡±


    I took out a silver coin from my bag and placed it on the hand of the gatekeeper. A single silver coin is enough to pay for two days¡¯ lodging at a standard inn, I believe. The gatekeeper didn¡¯t listen to my complaint, and instead of a silver coin, he offered me a piece of iron with engraved letters on it.


    ¡°If you present this pass for seven days, including today, you will not be charged for entry and exit. Think of it as paying a week¡¯s worth of tolls all at once.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°The pass doesn¡¯t mean you won¡¯t be checked in and out, though. The pass is for temporary visitors without business. If you use it to move large items in or out, you¡¯ll be subject to additional taxes.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡±


    The system seems to be quite well designed. But what if I buy a carriage for transportation after I enter the capital and buy groceries for long-distance travel and end up with large luggage? I wonder if they will deal with that on a case-by-case basis.


    ¡°Don¡¯t wield a knife so carelessly in the capital. If you do, I¡¯ll have you tied up and thrown in jail.¡±


    ¡°All right, all right. May I come through?¡±


    ¡°You may pass. Next.¡±


    After receiving my sword and spear back, I stepped into Merinesburg. The main members of the Liberation Army, their enemy, are supposed to be subhumans. Although there are human members, they are few in number. Since I was a human being, I guess I wasn¡¯t the target of much alarm.


    I¡¯ve heard that black hair is relatively rare, and there¡¯s no way a person with such hair color would be suitable for spying. So I guess it¡¯s understandable that people don¡¯t pay much attention to me. Maybe I¡¯m just lucky.


    There are two main things that travelers do when they arrive at a town in this world. The first is to find a place to stay, and the second is to eat. Beth said that it would be good to look for an inn first, as there are often restaurants and bars attached to the inn¡­


    ¡°Err¡­¡±


    I wandered my gaze to a place near the gate that would not interfere with traffic. There they were.


    There was a group of slightly dirty boys looking towards the gate as I wandered. As I turn my feet in the boys¡¯ direction, some of them seem to have noticed my presence. One of them, who seemed a little afraid of me with my weapon, walked boldly towards me.


    ¡°Brother, do you need a guide?¡±


    ¡°Yes, a place to stay. I want a place with a clean bed. I don¡¯t want a place with lice. If the food is good, so much the better.¡±


    When the boy came up to me, I threw him a copper coin.


    ¡°If the inn looks good, I¡¯ll give you two more.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, I got it. This way, brother.¡±


    As soon as the boy heard about the extra reward, he smiled and walked away. The rest of the boys looked at him enviously. It seems that three copper coins are enough for one meal in this world.


    The least valuable currency in circulation around here is the copper coin. Ten of these coins are large copper coins, ten large copper coins are silver coins, ten silver coins are small gold coins, ten small gold coins are gold coins, ten gold coins are large gold coins, and ten large gold coins are platinum coins.


    It is said that ordinary people use only small gold coins at most and that only nobles and merchants rarely get their hands on gold coins and above. The prices in this world are not comparable to those in my original world: the earth, or Japan, so it is difficult to describe them in Japanese yen.


    Incidentally, I don¡¯t know at what rate the fake imperial bar gold coins and silver coins are exchanged for cash. Lime and the others didn¡¯t know either. I have a feeling that it will be quite a lot of money. In some cases, it might be better to wait and see without exchanging all of the money. I¡¯m afraid of being robbed or something.


    While I was thinking of such useless things, the boy led me to a certain inn. The inn¡¯s sign said ¡°Ruffin¡¯s Inn.¡± Hmm, from the outside, it looks like a nice inn. There seems to be a space to park a carriage and a stable in the back, so it seems to be more of an inn for merchants than for adventurers or mercenaries.


    ¡°Is this it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is. I¡¯ve heard that the beds are clean and the food is good. I¡¯ve never stayed here, though.¡±


    ¡°I bet.¡±


    There was no point in doing this, so I went inside the inn with the boy. As soon as we entered, there was a small counter for reception, where an old lady wearing an apron was waiting for us.


    When she saw me, she smiled and said.


    ¡°Welcome to Ruffin¡¯s Inn. Are you staying?¡±


    ¡°Yes, do you have a room available? The boy here told me the beds are clean, and the food is good.¡±


    ¡°Of course. The sheets are freshly washed every day, and we put a lot of effort into the food.¡±


    The old lady nodded confidently.


    ¡°How much does it cost?¡±


    ¡°Seven large copper coins per night. Eight large copper coins if breakfast and dinner are included. Both include the cost of hot water for cleansing.¡±


    Eight large copper coins with meals is a little expensive. But the service seems to be good, so I¡¯ll decide on this place.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be staying here for three days for now.¡±


    I gave her two silver coins and four large copper coins. In addition, I gave the boy two copper coins as well. When the boy received the copper coins, he smiled happily.


    ¡°Thank you very much. Could you please write your name in the innkeeper¡¯s book?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    I wrote down my name and occupation as Ko, a mercenary. Hmm, it¡¯s obviously not Japanese, but I can read and write it. I¡¯ve never had the chance to write like this before, but it¡¯s strange.


    ¡°Yes, sure. Razaela!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    When the old lady called out to the back of the room, the girl who was called Razaela came running from the back. She was a cute girl with a simple impression. She was wearing an apron of the same design as the old lady but a different color. She looks like a typical town girl.


    ¡°Please show this guest to his room. Room 202.¡±


    ¡°Y-yes¡­!¡±


    The girl is a little scared of me in my armored helmet, holding a spear. Well, it can¡¯t be helped, can it? Obviously, I am looking like a mercenary or an adventurer, and those people are known to be rough.


    ¡°The girl took the key from the old lady and started to lead me with a little nervous movement.¡±


    ¡°T-this way, please¡­¡±


    The voice was muffled and small. The old lady, who had been handing the boy a loaf of bread, noticed my gaze and bowed her head with a wry smile on her face. Apparently, I was to be her training subject.


    I followed the girl, who was wearing a one-piece dress just below her knees, through the corridor overlooking the cafeteria and up the stairs. Naturally, I can¡¯t see inside the nervous girl¡¯s skirt. Even if I could, I wouldn¡¯t look because I¡¯m a gentleman.


    ¡°H-here, this is your room.¡±


    ¡°Oh, may I check inside?¡±


    ¡°Y-yes!¡±


    I can¡¯t help but chuckle at her cautioning me and enter the room.


    It¡¯s not a very large room. It is probably not more than eight tatami mats. It¡¯s a room with a bed, a space to put a few things, a small chair, and a desk. I checked out the bed, and at first glance, it looked clean. It looks good. I take off my helmet and put it on the desk, and put my spear up against the wall.


    ¡°Ah¡­ black hair.¡±


    I heard the girl muttering behind me.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that unusual?¡±


    ¡°Eh, um, I¡¯m sorry!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not mad at you. It¡¯s a nice room. It¡¯s clean and I can sleep comfortably.¡±


    ¡°Y-yes, thank you.¡±


    ¡°Can I have the key?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    With a quick, nimble motion, the girl holds out the key with both hands. I took the key with a smile on my face because the girl looked so funny.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so nervous. I won¡¯t suddenly go crazy.¡±


    ¡°Y-yes, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±


    ¡°When is the meal scheduled?¡±


    ¡°Uh, well, between sunset and the ringing of the night bell, and between sunrise and the ringing of the morning bell.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I guess I¡¯ll just have to come back when the sun goes down. Will you wake me up in the morning?¡±


    ¡°Yes. We check the rooms of guests who have not eaten.¡±


    ¡°I see, I understand. Do I have to ask for the cleansing water after dinner?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I will bring it to your room. If you leave it in your room, I¡¯ll collect it the next morning.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, thank you.¡±


    The girl bows her head and leaves the room. She was a little stiff at first, but she got used to it in the end. It¡¯s good that she can get used to my presence, but I think it¡¯s dangerous to use me as a standard. Well, that old lady¡­ seems to have a good sense of what¡¯s going on around her, so I guess it¡¯s okay.


    ¡°So, what should I do now?¡±


    If possible, I would like to get the items I want as soon as possible, but I also want to find out what¡¯s going on in the city. I don¡¯t want to rush into anything and end up with something bad. Well, I can find out at a glance if I put it in my inventory.


    First, I¡¯d like to exchange money and lunch¡­ I guess I¡¯ll ask the landlady about it. I¡¯ll leave my helmet, spear, and shield here. I¡¯ve got a spare in my inventory. I¡¯ll also leave my bag. In the bag, I have a minimal change of clothes and a few other small travel items that won¡¯t raise suspicion. I¡¯ll lock it up, so no one will see it. Just in case, though, right?


    I locked the door to my room and went downstairs, still in my armor and with only my sword on my hip.


    ¡°Are you going out?¡±


    When I went downstairs to the lobby, the landlady was at the counter as before. She was writing something in a notebook.


    ¡°I wanted to have lunch and exchange some money. Where do you recommend to exchange the empire currency?¡±


    ¡°Empire currency?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I was on the eastern battlefield before I came here. That¡¯s where I got the spoils of war.¡±


    I see, the landlady said admiringly, her gaze sweeping over my figure from head to toe. It didn¡¯t seem to be in a disgusting way, but simply out of surprise and admiration.


    ¡°I don¡¯t look that strong to you, eh?¡±


    ¡°Ahaha, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°The landlady has a good eye. I¡¯m not that strong. But I am confident in my legs.¡±


    ¡°You mean you¡¯re a scout?¡±


    ¡°And other things, too. Anyway, on that note, did you know any reliable money changers?¡±


    ¡°In that case¡­¡±


    The landlady introduced me to a certain money changer a little further away from the inn. She even wrote down the address and a simple map for me. She smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s my way of thanking you for giving the girl confidence. Thank you.¡±


    I left the key with the landlady and went outside, where I saw the boy from earlier with a large wooden cup in his hand, chewing on a piece of hard bread. When he noticed me, he forcibly stuffed the hard bread into his mouth, slurped down the contents of the cup in one gulp, and started munching.


    I waited for him to swallow the bread, his eyes black and white, and waved the map the landlady had drawn for me.


    ¡°To where it says here. Two coppers.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m on it, brother!¡±


    He took the paper from my hand and stared at its contents.


    ¡°Can you read?¡±


    ¡°Only a little. I know the address and the map.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s this way!¡±


    The boy said cheerfully and started walking. I followed behind him and started walking. Now the question is, do I need to have lunch first, or do I need to exchange money first?

 CH 95

    Chapter 95 ¨C Money Changer


    ¡°Um, I think it might be¡­ around here.¡±


    ¡°That one?¡±


    The boy led me through the alley where Ruffin¡¯s inn was located, crossed the main street, entered the alley on the other side, and walked a little further to find the money changer I wanted. It was not a very fancy store, but the signboard with the design of a balance was polished and the area around the store was also clean. It seemed to have a good atmosphere.


    ¡°It looks like a good place. So here¡¯s your reward.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, thank you.¡±


    The boy took the two coppers with a smile on his face. He was about to leave, so I decided to call out to him before he did.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to ask you to show me another place if you¡¯ll wait until I¡¯m done exchanging money.¡±


    ¡°Eh? Really? I¡¯ll wait, I¡¯ll wait! Where would you like me to take you?¡±


    ¡°A good restaurant. I¡¯ll buy you a meal.¡±


    ¡°Really? I will wait for you, brother!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, come on. Don¡¯t disturb the store.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    The boy smiles and walks a little further away from the store. Well, this is fine, I guess. It was a lucky day for the boy who summoned up what little courage he had and approached me. While buying him a meal, it would be a good idea to gather information from him. He would probably talk at least as much as I paid for him.


    When I entered the money changer, the inside was surprisingly stuffy. There were two well-built men who looked like guards. There was also a sharp-eyed middle-aged man ¨D probably the clerk ¨D at one of the counters, and a young woman behind him. There seemed to be other people in the back, but that was about as far as I could see.


    The atmosphere inside the store is¡­ well, it looks more like an office than a store.


    ¡°Welcome. Are you borrowing? Cash in? Or do you want to exchange money?¡±


    The sharp-eyed man called out to me with a smile on his face. Apparently, this money changer is also in the finance business. I nodded and moved to the counter where he was standing.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to exchange some empire currency; is that possible?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Please, have a seat here.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    I took a seat as he asked and pulled out a leather bag containing fake currency from under my armor. After some hesitation, I decided to exchange all the money. I can¡¯t use the empire¡¯s currency as it is, and more importantly, if I¡¯m going to get information about the items I¡¯m trying to get from this money changer, I might as well show that I have money.


    The money changer clerk¡¯s eyes widened at the amount of gold bars that came out of my leather bag.


    ¡°Well, well, well, this is going to be a big transaction, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    As the money changer clerk looked at the young woman, the young woman retreated into the back of the room, her footsteps pattering. What is it? The money changer smiled bitterly as if he noticed my quizzical gaze.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to alarm you. I was just having tea prepared for you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid to drink it.¡±


    I¡¯ll be frank with him. I don¡¯t think I¡¯d want to touch a drink served to me after I¡¯ve shown them a lot of money. In this world, it¡¯s common for people to drug someone.


    ¡°Hahaha, don¡¯t worry. We¡¯re a credit-first company¡­ So, you¡¯re going to exchange all of this into the Holy Kingdom currency?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I intend to do. Oh, I came here through the introduction of the landlady of Ruffin¡¯s Inn. Just so you know.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ The Ruffin¡¯s Inn¡­ would you mind if I checked the currency right away?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    After I nodded, he put on a pair of white gloves and began to inspect each empire bar of currency, weighing them and using a small hammer to make sure they were not forgeries.


    It would be a huge loss for them if they were to be caught with fake money. Aside from being legitimate, the gold and silver content and weight are perfectly imitated, so it is unlikely to be treated as a forgery. If it had some magic anti-fake feature, I would have been out of luck, but fortunately, there was none.


    So, knowing that there was no way I could get an appraisal result that it was a forgery, I calmed down. The money changers are inspecting the currency with even sharper eyes, though. A young woman brings me a cup of tea, which I bow to her lightly, but do not sip. I think it¡¯s okay, but I don¡¯t want to cross a dangerous bridge.


    After a few moments, the money changer exhaled and closed his eyes as if he was done with his appraisal.


    ¡°No, excuse me. It¡¯s rare for this much empire currency to be brought in. After all, we¡¯re far from the battlefield here.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it took me quite a while.¡±


    ¡°From the eastern battlefields?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, loot from over there. That¡¯s not so unusual, is it?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll get you the details now.¡±


    He then began to write something on the document. He seemed to be carefully counting the empire currency, which was divided into different types and writing down the number. I brought in mostly bars of gold and a few bars of silver. I don¡¯t know how much the total amount will be.


    ¡°Here is the bill.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    I was a little surprised when I saw the bill. I expected the total to be at least one large gold coin, but it turned out to be more than I expected: two large gold coins, three gold coins, five small gold coins, seven silver coins, and five large copper coins. That¡¯s a lot of money.


    ¡°I knew it would be a lot of money, but it¡¯s more than I expected. So that¡¯s what you paid for it after commission?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m taking a commission of about seven percent.¡±


    Seven percent, huh? I think it¡¯s quite high for a commission, but this is a land quite far from the empire. There are probably few uses for the empire¡¯s currency. If it¡¯s seven percent, it might be rather reasonable.


    Well, since I don¡¯t know the market price, I can¡¯t be too picky. I¡¯ll accept it.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know the market price. I¡¯ll accept it.¡±


    ¡°All right. Then sign here.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    I sign the bill and complete the transaction. It¡¯s fake currency made from underground swamp iron ore anyway. If I¡¯m being ripped off, it won¡¯t hurt a bit.


    After confirming my signature, the money changer handed the documents to the female clerk and instructed her to bring the money from the vault. I let out a sigh and sipped my tea, which was probably already cold.


    This would be a good time to start.


    ¡°Can I ask you something?¡±


    ¡°Yes, as long as I can answer.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s actually, uh¡­ a personal matter. I¡¯m in need of a mithril ring or piece of jewelry.¡±


    ¡°Mithril.¡±


    The money changer clerk parroted back, and the sharp gaze he had been directing at me rolled a little. That¡¯s just as expected. If it¡¯s a noble lady who says it, it¡¯s understandable, but if you¡¯re wearing leather armor and have a sword on your hip, you¡¯re obviously a mercenary or an adventurer. It¡¯s strange to think that a man like that would want mithril jewelry. I think so too.


    But I have a perfect cover story that I¡¯ve been working on with the slime girls.


    ¡°Well, you know. I mean, you know, it¡¯s kind of a condition¡­ you can guess.¡±


    ¡°I see, I see.¡±


    The money changer clerk nodded his head, his eyes relaxing. In other words, he thought this:


    ¡°He¡¯s probably going to use it to offer an engagement to a woman back home.¡±


    In fact, this kind of thing was not uncommon. A young man runs away from his home village or town, and after his success, he brings back expensive jewelry and asks his beloved for her hand in marriage. It is said that the highest quality jewelry is mithril jewelry, that is, rings, necklaces, hair ornaments, and so on.


    ¡°But mithril is¡­ quite difficult to find.¡±


    The money changer clerk, who had been looking convinced, clouded his expression and pondered.


    ¡°Difficult, huh¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s in short supply. It is said that they used to purchase mithril jewelry from the elves of the Black Forest, but their contact with each other has been cut off for twenty years, and there are no mithril-producing mines in the Merinard Kingdom.¡±


    ¡°Seriously¡­ can¡¯t I get it somehow?¡±


    ¡°In the marketplace, you can get it for as little as one large gold coin, so I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll have any problems with your money, but it¡¯s hard to get it when you don¡¯t have it¡­ Ah.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    The money changer clerk raised his voice as if he had thought of something.


    ¡°Sometimes the customer is an ardent believer of the Adel religion.¡±


    ¡°Do I look like one?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Right?¡±


    ¡°But you can show your faith, can¡¯t you?¡±


    Then he made a circle with his index finger and thumb. In every world, the hand sign for money is the same!


    ¡°If you wrap two large gold coins, you can receive a mithril rosary as a sign of faith. The church here is the home of faith in the Merinard Kingdom. Therefore, there should be a mithril rosary available.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­ what can I say? How can I ask you to sell me a mithril rosary for two large gold coins?¡±


    ¡°Just say, I want to spread the light of faith in my homeland and receive the light of Adel, the Lord God, so that I can take my beloved as my wife.¡±


    ¡°You are indeed a merchant. You¡¯re a good talker.¡±


    ¡°I am honored by your compliment.¡±


    The sharp-eyed money changer clerk smiles and bows his head condescendingly.


    While we were talking, a young female clerk appeared from the back with a nervous look on her face. She seemed to be carrying a wooden tray with the money on it.


    ¡°Here is the currency you exchanged. Please check.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Two large gold coins, three gold coins, five small gold coins, seven silver coins, and five large copper coins were indeed on the tray, just as they had been written on the bill earlier. I checked them one by one, and after putting them in my purse, I put them in my inventory once to make sure there was no fake money mixed in. There was no problem, apparently.


    ¡°Thank you for your help.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s been a pleasure doing business with you. Please do not hesitate to entrust us with your empire¡¯s currency as well as gold and silver treasures when you get them.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡±


    After putting my wallet under my armor, I left my seat and left the money changer. The boy who was guiding me came running towards me, his face brightening up as if he had seen that I was safely out of the money changer. If he were a beastman, his tail would be wagging.

 CH 96

    Chapter 96 ¨C To The Cathedral


    I finished my meal at the restaurant the boy led me to and returned to the inn.


    Eh? You asked me what I thought of the meal and the information I got from the boy? Oh, yes. The meal was, well, it was meat, bread, and soup. It wasn¡¯t bad, and it was generous, but nothing to write about, to be honest.


    In this world, if you use a lot of salt and pepper, it¡¯s considered a gourmet dish. In addition to salt and pepper, the Elven villages of the Black Forest had honey and various other seasonings, and they seemed to be advanced by world standards. And the food that I create with my craft goes above and beyond that. Well, yeah. Let¡¯s not get our hopes up for the inn¡¯s food either.


    And as for the information I got from the boy¡­ well, it was just small talk. It¡¯s not like he¡¯s an informant or a know-it-all. However, there is no doubt that mercenaries and adventurers like me are gradually gathering in the area.


    In addition, the church knights in their beautiful armor had arrived a while ago. They¡¯re probably guards for the saint.


    Are they strong? I asked the boy if they were strong, but he said he didn¡¯t know. I¡¯ve heard that church knights are unbeatable, but if that were the case, they would have won the war against the empire long ago, he said. It seems that they are generally considered to be an elite group of knights, but the boy seems to think it¡¯s just spitting in the eye.


    Hmm, I can¡¯t really judge. I¡¯ll have to ask Beth or Poizo when I get back to the underground.


    So, I¡¯ve had my meal, and I¡¯m back at the inn.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to do¡­¡±


    I glanced out the window of my room and estimated the height of the sun. It was a little past noon, around two o¡¯clock in the afternoon. There is still time before sunset, but should I go to the church now and get the mithril rosary¡­?


    I think I can get there in plenty of time, but I feel like I¡¯ll miss the point if I rush too much. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ve had my fair share of nervousness and mental fatigue today, so I should probably just stay in my room and be quiet.


    However, I can¡¯t craft or kill time in this small room. How do mercenaries and adventurers kill time in general?


    I thought about asking the landlady or the inn girl, but would that be unnatural? I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s a great warrior, but a mercenary or adventurer who makes enough money to stay at this inn will ask how to kill time in general¡­ Yes, it¡¯s strange.


    No, wait, what? I¡¯ve got some free time on my hands, so I¡¯m thinking of going somewhere to hang out; any suggestions where I can go? I¡¯ve never been to Merinesburg before. It wouldn¡¯t be unnatural if I didn¡¯t know where to go since I¡¯m new to this Merinesburg.


    So I asked the inn girl, who was passing by just as I left my room.


    ¡°A place to hang out, huh?¡±


    ¡°Yes, a place to hang out, or rather, a place to kill time. I¡¯ve never been to this city before.¡±


    The girl seemed to be afraid of mercenaries and adventurers, so I tried to be as gentle and friendly as possible. Let¡¯s see. But¡­


    ¡°U-um¡­¡±


    For some reason, she averted her eyes with a troubled look. Why?


    ¡°Well, do you have any idea?¡±


    ¡°No, I mean, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t have any idea. Do you want to ask me about that?¡±


    ¡°Eh.¡±


    ¡°Eh.


    I feel like our conversation is fatally out of sync.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m fine with tourist spots, stores that sell something interesting, or bookstores¡­¡±


    At my words, the girl¡¯s face turned red after a puzzled look on her face. Why¡­? Oh, uh¡­ you mean? Is it possible that she misunderstood me?


    ¡°It may be my fault for misleading you, but I wouldn¡¯t ask a girl of your age about something like that¡­¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry¡­!¡±


    The girl¡¯s face turned red, and she apologized. Yeah, that¡¯s what mercenaries and adventurers do for fun in this world. I understand well.


    Even so, I wouldn¡¯t ask a girl of her age where a brothel is. No, I wouldn¡¯t. I¡¯m not a sexual harasser old man.


    ¡°Um, let¡¯s pretend that never happened. Yeah, for both of us. So, do you have any suggestions for places I could go?¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah, sure. Well, if you walk down the main street towards the center of the city, you¡¯ll come to the central square. There are bards and jesters there.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I wonder if there are any bookstores?¡±


    ¡°A bookstore¡­? I don¡¯t know what it is. However, in the northwest part of the city, where the nobles and wealthy merchants live, there should be stores that sell such things and jewelry.¡±


    ¡°I see. That¡¯s right¡­ What about weapon shops?¡±


    ¡°Those kinds of shops are located around the south gate of the city.¡±


    ¡°I see, thank you.¡±


    With that, I pushed a few copper coins at her. It¡¯s a tip. She looked a little troubled, but in the end, she accepted it. Isn¡¯t there a culture of tipping? But she accepted it, so I guess it doesn¡¯t matter.


    ¡°After going to the central square, I will take a peek at the craftsmen¡¯s district. I¡¯ll be back around dinner time at the latest.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes. Take care.¡±


    I left the room key with the landlady at the reception desk, waved my hand to the girl who saw me off and left the inn for the central square.


    So, was it enjoyable¡­? Well, it was subtle. Not at all. The bard was a so-called storyteller. They played guitars or lute-like instruments and sang about local heroic tales¡­ I didn¡¯t know the original story, but I couldn¡¯t understand the point of humor or the point of excitement.


    To be honest, I enjoyed the comedians more. There were also jugglers and tricksters.


    The weapon shop was¡­ empty. The shelves were empty. It seems that the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army is collecting weapons, so there are only so-called ¡°decorative weapons¡± left. If there was a weapon you wanted, you had to have it custom-made.


    There was a market near the craftsmen¡¯s district, so I dropped by, but a group of housewives complained about the recent price hike of groceries. The shopkeepers were also grumbling about the high prices, but I guess they were retorting that the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army was gathering supplies and there was a shortage. As expected, the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army continues to move toward the recapture of Erichburg rather than another invasion¡­


    I¡¯d like to get back before the army starts moving. I might as well take a serious look at running back home. Taking into account my running ability, I think I¡¯ll be able to make it unless something goes wrong.


    However, it¡¯s not good that I¡¯m completely out of luck if something goes wrong, right?


    I guess I¡¯ll just have to take one thing at a time. I¡¯ll get the mithril rosary, go back underground, build a large golem communicator, and contact the Liberation Army. Let¡¯s focus on that.


    Well, Qubi has information about the Liberation Army¡¯s weapons, tactics, and golem communicators¡­ I guess there¡¯s nothing I can do about that now. We¡¯ll just have to be careful in our operations while being aware of the fact that he knows about it.


    I don¡¯t think they can be imitated, though. Crossbows may be imitated, but it seems that projectile weapons are not welcome in the Holy Kingdom, so they will not be used on a large scale for a while. Bombs and firearms can¡¯t be imitated due to technical problems, and the Golem communication device will be impossible unless the Golem Core can be mass-produced. In the first place, the formula for creating them is too complicated to be copied.


    I can do whatever I want with my crafting abilities, though. These are exactly the kinds of things that are cheats.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    The next day.


    It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve slept alone, and it¡¯s kind of lonely. Since coming here, I¡¯ve hardly ever slept alone¡­ I feel like that alone is more than enough to make my coming to this world worthwhile. I¡¯ve been through many painful and scary experiences, but it more than makes up for it. Yeah.


    I got ready, put on my leather armor, and went downstairs to the cafeteria. I had dinner yesterday at the Ruffin Inn¡¯s cafeteria, and it was even better than the restaurant where I had lunch yesterday. Maybe it was just that the restaurant yesterday was too delicate. Perhaps it was just that yesterday¡¯s diner was more quantity-oriented than quality-oriented.


    ¡°Well¡­¡±


    The smiling landlady saw me off, and I left the inn in the early morning. I¡¯ve been in this world for a while now, and early to bed and early to wake up has become ingrained in my body.


    I had already researched the location of the church of the Adel religion. I had asked the boy who was guiding me about it yesterday. As it was a religious facility that supported the country¡¯s foundation, it was built in a very conspicuous and easily recognizable place. It was right next to the royal castle.


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but look up at the majesty of the building. Religious buildings are usually solemn and have an atmosphere that overwhelms those who see them. This cathedral, as well as many others, had a magnificent appearance.


    ¡°But what¡¯s this all about?¡±


    The majestic and magnificent cathedral was filled with a somber atmosphere. Knights in matching armor flanked the entrance and the path leading to the cathedral. No matter how you look at it, they are on high alert.


    I was a little scared, but I called out to one of the knights on guard.


    ¡°Excuse me, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a holy day service and preaching by the saint. We¡¯re on guard for that¡­¡±


    I felt a sharp gaze piercing me from behind the face of my helmet.


    ¡°Are you some sort of mercenary or adventurer?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I know it¡¯s not good to carry a weapon in my hand¡­ but I¡¯d like to leave it before entering the cathedral.¡±


    ¡°Umu. You can drop it off at the entrance of the cathedral.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°May the Holy Light be with you.¡±


    The church knight made a sign, and I bowed and headed for the cathedral. Hmm, it seems I came at the wrong time. I didn¡¯t expect to run into the saint of truth when she was here¡­ No, this time, it seems to be just a worship ceremony and a sermon, so unless they want to pinpoint her for questioning, it won¡¯t be a problem.


    I¡¯d be lying if I said I wasn¡¯t curious as to what kind of person the saint was, and I¡¯d be suspicious of the church knights if I turned around and went somewhere else. If I keep as low a profile as possible, there will be no problem.


    It¡¯s okay; it¡¯s okay. Nothing is going to happen. If it does happen, with this many church knights, I should be fine just standing in a corner and being quiet. No problem, no problem.


    I don¡¯t know, I feel like I¡¯m raising a flag, but I think I¡¯ll be fine.


    I left my sword belt as well as a bag and leather armor that I could use to hide my weapon with the church knight who was guarding the entrance to the church and stepped into the cathedral with only my wallet.


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    The high ceilings, the religious paintings, the glittering stained glass, the golden glow of the cross. It was so overwhelmingly majestic that even I, a man of no religious faith, couldn¡¯t help but be amazed. This is amazing.


    I don¡¯t know much about the doctrines of the Adel religion, but I was almost moved, so I guess for the people of the Holy Kingdom, who are true believers, the cathedral is even more wonderful than that. Well, I feel a little bad when I think about how many subhumans were sold, oppressed, and robbed of their property in order to build this gorgeous and majestic cathedral.


    Be that as it may, there is no doubt that this cathedral has artistic value. I really hope that this cathedral won¡¯t be destroyed after the Liberation Army takes back Merinesburg.


    So I took a seat at a proper table.


    ¡°O God, forgive my sins. O God, protect me. O God¡­¡±


    The person next to me was mumbling and praying to God with bloodshot eyes. I looked around anxiously to see if other people were doing the same, but it didn¡¯t seem to be the case. It seems that this person sitting next to me is the only one who is not normal. Honestly, it¡¯s scary.


    While I wondered what I should do or whether I should change my seat, the sound of bells began to ring loudly, and the doors of the cathedral closed. The inside of the cathedral became silent, and a tranquil atmosphere began to drift around. To put it bluntly, it seemed as if it would be unacceptable to leave my seat and move to another place.


    The people next to me were still bloodshot-eyed but quiet, so I decided to be patient.


    After the bells finished ringing, several people who looked like priests appeared from the back of the cathedral. They were uttering some kind of blessing words, but I couldn¡¯t make out the meaning, whether it was the old wording or some other factor. Maybe it¡¯s not a word.


    Then, after a sort of blessing speech, a girl dressed in a pure white robe appeared from the back of the cathedral. She walked to the lectern with a graceful, shuffling gait, opened her closed eyes, and looked around at me and the other believers in the cathedral with her crimson eyes.


    She is a beautiful girl. She has shining blonde hair that extends to her waist, crimson eyes like red jade, rich breasts that assert their existence even under the thick holy robe embroidered with gold thread, and skin as white as white porcelain. It¡¯s no wonder she¡¯s called a saint; she has a divine atmosphere.


    Her crimson gaze caught mine, and for some reason, I thought I saw a hint of confusion. But it was only for a moment. No, perhaps I was mistaken.


    At any rate, there was no trouble like suddenly being surrounded by church knights and being taken away, and the worship ceremony seemed to start without a hitch. Now, I¡¯m looking forward to hearing what they have to say.

 CH 97

    Chapter 97 ¨C Critical Hit


    ¡°God created the mother to love her child, and the child to feel safe in her arms¡­¡±


    The saint¡¯s soothing voice echoed dignifiedly through the cathedral. This cathedral is huge and spacious. It¡¯s not as if she¡¯s shouting, but why does her voice carry so well? Is she using some kind of magic tool, or is it a structural feature of the cathedral, or is it just that her voice is so good?


    Eh? The content of the sermon? To be honest, I¡¯m not really interested in that. There are many quotations from the Bible and other scriptures, and as I don¡¯t know the original source, it¡¯s kind of hard to get into my head. However, from the story¡¯s content, I think that Adel is a being with advanced genetic engineering technology.


    In particular, the process that explains the creation of subhumans and monsters, or their development, seems to be just the same.


    For example, subhumans are originally sinners. The Lord God Adel apparently branded the sinners as beasts and ordered them to serve humans and work hard. When the sinner has paid for their sins sufficiently, the brand of the beast disappears, and they are allowed to become human again.


    Paradoxically, subhumans who still retain their beastly characteristics are sinners who have not been forgiven by Adel and must work hard to serve humans. Also, among the subhumans, the ones who are farther away from humans in terms of appearance are the ones who carry the most serious sins.


    The words ¡°criminal,¡± ¡°experimental,¡± and ¡°mutant¡± flashed through my mind. I don¡¯t know if Adel actually told the sinners that he would bring them back after they paid for their sins, and I don¡¯t know if he actually had the technique to remove the brand of the beast. But the way things are going, I think he was a real fraud.


    I can¡¯t believe that all subhumans are born sinners. I don¡¯t think they¡¯re any different from humans except for a slight difference in their appearance. There may be some differences in their natural abilities due to their appearance, but it¡¯s the same for humans.


    Some people are blessed with good physiques and are strong, some people are fast, some people have good noses and eyes, and some are smart¡­ There are so many differences in natural abilities. Even the appearance of the person is different.


    ¡°This is the end of my sermon.¡±


    It seems that the sermon ended while I was absorbed in the sermon¡¯s content, or rather in my thoughts about Adel.


    I thought that this would be the end of the sermon, but the people who had been listening to the sermon in the cathedral began to line up in order of their seats. Apparently, the saint was going to give some kind of blessing to everyone present.


    To be honest, I don¡¯t want to get too close to the saint, but¡­ it looks like everyone is going, so if I¡¯m the only one sneaking out, I¡¯ll probably stand out. It seems that the church knights are keeping a close eye on the cathedral as well, so it would be best to refrain from any conspicuous actions.


    ¡°Please forgive me¡­ forgive me¡­¡±


    The next guy next to me is still¡­ or the guy behind me in line. He¡¯s still mumbling, and it¡¯s scary. What kind of sin did he commit, you ask?


    Well, it seems that the saint will soon be bestowing her blessings on him, so he can do his confession or whatever he wants. Yeah.


    Little by little, the line moved forward, and eventually, I could see the head of the line. Apparently, the saint would say something to the believers, and the believers would bow their heads and accept the call, then put some copper coins in a box as they left.


    There¡¯s money here too! I checked the weight of the wallet on my chest, thinking uselessly, ¡°Living in a city costs money, doesn¡¯t it¡­? Well, a few copper coins are fine. You can listen to the saint directly and receive a blessing. A few copper coins might be a small price to pay for that.


    The saint is like the top idol of the Adel religion, I guess. If you think that the cost of attending a live solo performance and handshake session by the saint is roughly equivalent to one meal, isn¡¯t it cheap?


    ¡°Next¡­¡±


    While I was thinking about that, it seemed that my turn had come. Eh? You want me to stop thinking about things that don¡¯t matter and start thinking about what to do in case of an emergency? You could say that, Colonel*. Since I can¡¯t predict what will happen at all, don¡¯t you think it is a waste of brain resources to think and worry about it?


    [T/n: Sorry again, I don¡¯t know about the reference.]


    The only thing I can do is to maintain a high degree of flexibility and respond flexibly. In other words, just go with the flow.


    Don¡¯t worry; I¡¯m confident in my ability to improvise.


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Err.¡±


    The saint¡¯s beautiful face and crimson eyes remained motionless as she stared at me.


    No, I said I was confident in my improvisation, but how should I react to this?


    I looked at the priestesses at her side to see what to do, but they too had a puzzled look on their faces. I can¡¯t seem to rely on them for this.


    ¡°Um, Saint-sama?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re¨D¨D.¡±


    When the saint was about to say something, that was the moment.


    ¡°Kiieeeeeeeee!¡±


    A strange sound like a monster bird came from behind me. I tried to turn around to see what was going on a moment later, but the mumbler behind me almost pushed me away.


    So what can I say¡­? I wasn¡¯t thinking about anything in particular when I acted. It was more like a reflex. I¡¯ll admit I was a little annoyed with the guy.


    ¡°Gugehh!?¡±


    I just elbowed him as hard as I could where his head was probably. It was just a coincidence that I hit him right in the middle of his face, right under his nose ¨D in other words, in his middle. It was a heartfelt blow for me and a painful one for him.


    But it wasn¡¯t enough to mow down his consciousness with a single blow, and he waved whatever was in his hand around aimlessly in extreme pain and confusion. It was a shocking blow to me, just like the elbow strike that I had delivered to him.


    ¡°Guohh!¡±


    I felt a tremendous impact on my side. I looked over and saw that the man was holding something that looked like a knife in his hand, and it was sticking out of my side.


    ¡°Y-you¡¯re kidding¡­¡±


    I was pulled down and pinned down by something.


    No, no, not me, I¡¯m the victim. It hurts, it hurts.


    It¡¯s not the wound on my side that hurts; it¡¯s the feeling of being held down. What, it¡¯s not a big wound? No, I don¡¯t think so. It was a deep stab, and that spot might have been in my liver. If so, it¡¯s a fatal wound.


    Rather, not being able to feel the pain of the stab wound, isn¡¯t this a bad thing? Could it have been poisoned or something? That thin knife is unlikely to be lethal unless it sticks very well, and it¡¯s been poisoned, hasn¡¯t it?


    Assassination with a poisoned knife, the target of this assassination must be the saint. That means that this grumbling bastard is the white pig guy¡­ Oh no, I¡¯m getting sleepy.


    You¡¯re kidding, right? In a place like this¡­? It¡¯s not like I¡¯m being hunted down by a bunch of people from the Holy Kingdom who know who I am; it¡¯s just an accident.


    I don¡¯t think I¡¯m going to be able to stay conscious. Hang in there. Hang in there, me. Me, or rather, my skills!


    Hang in there, my skills! I mean, Iron Skin-san, do your job! It¡¯s stuck right in there! Oh no, I should have taken the survivalist route¡­ Is this the end of my adventure?


    That was my last thought.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    It was a white ceiling. It had some kind of intricate and prestigious carvings on it. It¡¯s a rare experience to feel like you¡¯re in an expensive place just by looking at the ceiling.


    ¡°An unknown ceiling.¡±


    Apparently, I am still alive, so I spit out the typical line. It¡¯s one of the lines I¡¯d like to say at least once in my life.


    So, what the hell is going on?


    That mumbling bastard stabbed me with a knife and knocked me out. And now I¡¯m lying in a room with a very high ceiling. The bed was fine, the covers were fine too, and it smelled like the herbs I used to smell when I made potions with Isla.


    It seemed that I had been treated well. Considering the situation, I should assume that I was taken to either an Adel church facility or the royal castle for protection.


    I see, so it was by chance that I saved the saint from the murderous blade of an unscrupulous person. It¡¯s a little surprising that I wasn¡¯t abandoned and treated well.


    No, even if it¡¯s just for the sake of protecting the saint, the church couldn¡¯t just abandon me even if it is a suspicious rootless mercenary.


    I writhe in my bed, puzzling over how I should behave. I touched my hand to the area where I had been stabbed but felt no pain or discomfort. The bandage seems to be wrapped around it, but I think the wound has already healed.


    As I sat up and tried to look around the room, my eyes met with crimson eyes.


    ¡°Whoa!¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    There was the saint.


    Her hair shines like gold thread, her skin is as white as white porcelain, and her eyes are as crimson as red jade. Even when wearing a thick, pure white holy robe, it is still possible to see her slender body.


    She is a beautiful woman with a character that is the complete opposite of Sylphy¡¯s.


    ¡°Um¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    The saint is just staring at me as if she were a doll or something, not even a flinch. In other words, she¡¯s staring at me intently.


    ¡°You will make a hole in me if you stare at me like¨D¨D¡±


    ¡°You.¡±


    A voice that sounded like a bell interrupted my words.


    ¡°Are you a god or an apostle?¡±


    ¡°What the hell are you talking about?¡±


    The saint asked me with a straight face, and I had to reply with a straight face as well.

 CH 98

    Chapter 98 ¨C The Saint Has A Poisonous Tongue


    ¡°Mm¡­ I¡¯m a saint, you know? I¡¯m a saint of the Adel religion. I don¡¯t think you should use that kind of language.¡±


    ¡°No, whether you¡¯re a saint or a nobleman, if you suddenly say something like that to someone¡¯s face, I think it¡¯s inevitable that they¡¯ll think you¡¯re crazy.¡±


    ¡°Huh, disrespectful¡­¡±


    The saint is astonished, seemingly making an onomatopoeic sound. I guess she¡¯s never been treated like this before.


    ¡°I mean, under what circumstances is this?¡±


    When I looked around the room carefully, I saw that there were sisters dressed in inconspicuous black nuns¡¯ uniforms waiting near the room¡¯s doorway, right next to the bed, and one by one at that place in the opposite direction of the saint. They, too, looked surprised and shocked at my language.


    ¡°How much do you remember?¡±


    The saint, who had recovered from her shock, recreated a blank expression as if to mend her face and asked me. Even if you ask me to what extent.


    ¡°When it was my turn to receive the blessing of the saint in the cathedral, the guy behind me made a weird noise and¡­ was clearly not normal, so I elbowed him, and he stabbed me?¡±


    ¡°The fact that you can wield your power without cowering in fear is what makes you a self-proclaimed mercenary.¡±


    ¡°Self-proclaimed?¡±


    ¡°Self-proclaimed, right?¡±


    As if to gauge my intentions, the red jade eyes look into my eyes. Her eyelashes are long and beautiful. A beautiful girl that is comparable to Sylphy¡­ beauty¡­? That¡¯s what I think of this girl.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like there is any proof, so let¡¯s just call it what it is. So, I¡¯ll ask again, why am I being nursed in such a nice room by the saint herself? I¡¯m not sure, but it seems that that dagger was coated with poison, and the place where it was stabbed was dangerous, but I¡¯m surprised I survived.¡±


    ¡°It was probably a good thing that I immediately pleaded for a miracle of antidote and healing on the spot. Even so, I am amazed at your vitality to be alive after being stabbed in the liver with a dagger coated with basilisk poison. Are you some kind of cockroach or something?¡±


    ¡°Cockroach means a G word*, right? You¡¯re talking like that to the man who saved your life!¡±


    [T/n: Cockroach in Japanese is Gokiburi!]


    What an amazing = Impoliteness! There¡¯s something strangely life-giving about it, and I don¡¯t think it¡¯s because I have the life force of a G, but it¡¯s because of my abilities!


    ¡°If you don¡¯t respect the others, they won¡¯t respect you back.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good point¡­.! Thank you for saving me in any way you can.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome. Thank you for saving my life. You have saved my life.¡±


    ¡°So we¡¯re both saved.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m a precious saint, and I deserve to be protected. In fact, you are the one who is in debt for bothering me, the precious saint. My prayers are expensive.¡±


    The saint looked at me as if to say, what the hell are you talking about?


    ¡°What an unreasonable world we live in¡­ Isn¡¯t life equal before God?¡±


    ¡°Equal. That¡¯s what I call a joke.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a funny girl, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m flattered.¡±


    While we were exchanging glances, the sister right next to the bed gave a deliberate cough.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the story. Are you a god or an apostle of one?¡±


    ¡°What the hell are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not supposed to use the same phrase more than once.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re being very harsh¡­ How did you get into this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s obvious to my eyes. You are surrounded by a divine and powerful glow that is incomparable to that of the damn Pope and the pig cardinals.¡±


    ¡°Your words are abominable, Saint-sama.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me. I was being honest.¡±


    I looked at the sisters who were waiting for us, but they kept their eyes down as if to say no action. It seems that this saint is rather uncommunicative when it comes to official matters.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this some kind of misunderstanding?¡±


    ¡°I still see it. To be honest, it¡¯s so bright.¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s just your imagination. I saved the saint and got stabbed, so it¡¯s like a temporary distraction. Well, I¡¯m pretty popular now too.¡±


    ¡°¨D¨DFuh?¡±


    ¡°Did you just snicker at me?¡±


    My glass heart was cracked. I¡¯m sorry, I got carried away. I got carried away just because Sylphy, Isla, the Harpies, the slime girls, and other beautiful girls liked me a little. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m a trash bug.


    ¡°Do you mind? I¡¯m a saint. I am a noble being. Sometimes I am forced to deal with the son of a nobleman whose face is better than yours. At best, I drink tea with them, and when they ask for more, I make them regret it.¡±


    ¡°That sounds like a lot of work.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard work. It¡¯s painful to be forced to deal with those trash which are no better than a cockroach, who spout uninspired pick-up lines when they open their mouths, who lick and ravish my entire body with a lustful gaze, and who try to touch my skin whenever they can. My eyes can ¡®see¡¯ a lot of things, so it¡¯s not easy.¡±


    The light gradually faded from her eyes, which had been shining like red balls, and they became cloudy like red glass balls rather than red balls. This is a bad thing. It¡¯s the kind of thing where you¡¯re under a lot of stress.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s really something. Thank you for your hard work.¡±


    ¡°Thank you very much. So, are you a God¡­ or an apostle?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you allowed to use the same phrase twice?¡±


    ¡°Actually, you¡¯re not allowed to use the same line twice. And this time, I¡¯m asking you to identify yourself as an apostle, so that counts separately.¡±


    ¡°What are you¡­ Sigh!?¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t use that trick anymore. Now, please give up and answer me.¡±


    The saint leaned forward with no expression. This girl is very aggressive.


    ¡°More importantly, you still haven¡¯t explained to me why I¡¯m here and why I¡¯m being cared for so well.¡±


    ¡°You fought off a thug who tried to kill me but was stabbed with a poison dagger. Somehow, through my prayers and God¡¯s miracle in response, you survived.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°It should have been a serious wound that no human being could have survived, but somehow you survived, and I can¡¯t leave you behind. You¡¯re the one who protected me, a precious saint, in front of the masses.¡±


    ¡°Do you really like using the phrase ¡®great and precious saint¡¯?¡±


    ¡°About three days ago. So, you have been kept in this room at the back of the cathedral for three days now, and we have been taking care of you, dressing you, cleansing you, cleaning you, and everything else. It¡¯s been three days since I came to check on you in between my duties, and you woke up.¡±


    ¡°I thought I heard some unpleasant words.¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t cleanse yourself well, you¡¯ll get sick. I had to cleanse every inch of you. You were dripping profusely on the first day due to the effects of the poison.¡±


    ¡°Stop.¡±


    My heart is broken when people talk about abominations without expression and without hesitation. My heart is made of glass, you know?


    ¡°What does it feel like to have an unsullied maiden like me looking at your asshole? Are you sad? Embarrassed? Or does it excite you? You pervert.¡±


    The saint, who had been expressionless until now, let out a big smile.


    ¡°Hey, Sister! Sister! Do something about this girl! Help me!¡±


    I called for help from the other sisters in the room, but they quickly turned their heads away. Even if she is a devout child of God, she is only a mere mortal in the face of status and power. No one would risk their own lives to reach out to the poor lamb. God was dead.


    Or rather, it¡¯s been three days. That¡¯s not good. No, I said I¡¯d spend up to five days in the city, so I guess I don¡¯t have to worry about Lime and the others yet. As soon as I regain consciousness, I¡¯ll get out of this evil place as quickly as possible.


    ¡°F-for now, I¡¯d like to thank you for saving my life. It¡¯s not good to be taken care of any longer, so I¡¯ll take my leave¡­¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    When I tried to get up, the saint pressed my chest and pushed me down on the bed.


    ¡°W-what are you¨D¨D¡±


    ¡°The basilisk¡¯s poison has entered your body. It¡¯s in your liver. Your organs are almost dead, and it is a wonder you are still alive. If you force yourself to move now, you will die. It would not be worth the effort to let you die so easily after taking the trouble to keep you alive.¡±


    The saint told me this without any expression and stared at my face. I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s so hard to handle.


    For now, I glanced at the menu and checked my status. My physical strength and stamina gauge is almost zero, and I¡¯m repeatedly losing and gaining a little¡­ It¡¯s not like I¡¯m slowly recovering or slowly losing, but I¡¯m just barely keeping the balance between natural recovery and damage. That¡¯s right, my condition is poisonous (chronic).


    ¡°Indeed, it seems that I am getting weaker. It¡¯s not easy to move around when even a saint¡¯s thin arm can knock me down.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. At the moment, you are barely alive, thanks to the effects of the miracle I pleaded for and the blessings of this cathedral, which has become a sanctuary. If you take even a single step outside the cathedral, your organs will immediately rot, and you will vomit blood and die.¡±


    ¡°Oh no, that¡¯s scary.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯ll have to stay here for a while longer. Okay?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s very kind of you to offer, but I have my reasons.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll die, you know?¡±


    ¡°Ugh.¡±


    The words of the saint were very heavy, as she had actually seen on the status screen that my physical strength and stamina were in a desperate struggle. If the miracle of the saint and the effective thumbing of the facilities of this cathedral are keeping me in my current state, I may really die of bloodshed the moment I leave the cathedral, as the saint said.


    ¡°¡­Thank you for your help.¡±


    ¡°Honesty is a virtue. I always try to be honest too.¡±


    The saint nodded with a blank expression and then stared at me. It¡¯s very unsettling to have a pretty girl stare at you with no expression.


    ¡°Why are you staring at me so intently?¡±


    ¡°Because I haven¡¯t heard the answer yet.¡±


    ¡°Answer?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll fold it if you don¡¯t stop playing dumb.¡±


    ¡°Fold what?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re an apostle, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Without reacting to my reaction at all, the saint said nonchalantly and stared at my face.


    Ah, geez. I don¡¯t know what to do. It seems that she is convinced that I¡¯m a marebito because she sees something that Isla can¡¯t see, this saint.


    ¡°Well, I am¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Oh, no. The poison is making me dizzy. It¡¯s too early to wake up. Good night.¡±


    I slumped down on the bed, closed my eyes, and decided to sleep it off. I demand time to think, time to think!


    ¡°Mmm¡­¡±


    I opened one of my eyes and looked at the saint; she puffed out her cheeks in frustration. It¡¯s not as if her facial muscles are dead. It might just be that the expressionlessness has stuck to her face from her past experiences. It¡¯s a tough job, isn¡¯t it?


    And since she doesn¡¯t try to force me to wake up and ask me about it, she may be a kind girl at heart. I can¡¯t help but notice that she¡¯s a bit of a sadist.


    ¡°Saint-sama, it¡¯s time to go¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no use; I¡¯ll come back. Next time you¡¯ll have to talk to me.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s try to be positive.¡±


    ¡°Very well, then.¡±


    The saint got up from the chair beside the bed, and I heard the rustling of her clothes and the sound of quiet footsteps moving away from the bed. Then I hear the sound of a door being opened and closed.


    I opened one eye to check the room again and saw that the saint and the sister at the doorway had disappeared. The sister by the bed seems to have stayed put.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°No, no. This is also God¡¯s will. If you need anything, please don¡¯t hesitate to call on me.¡±


    ¡°Yes, thank you.¡±


    The sisters seemed kind, even though they had abandoned me a while ago. Anyway, I need to rest my body first¡­ If I had a potion, I might have been able to handle it, but I don¡¯t have one¡­ I couldn¡¯t get the materials for the workbench. If I drink the antidote that Poizo made and gave me, I might get a chance.


    I¡¯ll have to try it later. Yeah.

 CH 99

    Chapter 99 ¨C Brightness And Destiny


    Hi, it¡¯s me, Kosuke. I managed to get out of bed to do my business on the toilet. So please, Sister, don¡¯t stare at me while I do my business just because you don¡¯t want anything to happen to me.


    ¡°It¡¯s my duty, don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    It¡¯s okay if you say that and give me a sly, kind smile, but please don¡¯t do it, mainly because it¡¯s cutting into my spirit! Even when I insisted, Sister-san was completely unaffected. She never throws away her responsibilities. She is very strong.


    The meal consisted of grated fruit and slightly salty water. It does not satisfy my stomach.


    ¡°Since your stomach lining and other parts of your body are weakening to the point of death¡­¡±


    ¡°No, thank you very much.¡±


    I¡¯m grateful to be served, and it¡¯s because they care about my health. It¡¯s a shame that it doesn¡¯t fill my stomach, but I can¡¯t complain.


    Besides, it seems to be true that my organs are dying, and all that comes out from underneath is mostly water. When the patient was unconscious, they made him drink water very frequently to prevent the patient from dying of dehydration. It was truly mind-blowing.


    That¡¯s how I spent my time after the saint left the room.


    ¡°Come on, talk to me.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re fast, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    It hadn¡¯t been more than two hours, I thought, but the saint had already returned. She sat down on the chair beside my bed and stared at me, just like before. I didn¡¯t have time to think about it.


    Well, you thought I was a God or an apostle because I was so shiny.¡±


    ¡°Shiny¡­ well, yes.¡±


    She didn¡¯t like the way I described the glitter as shiny, but eventually, she nodded to my words.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it just a coincidence or something a little unusual?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s impossible. You see, a person¡¯s divine energy, or glow, is roughly between a large copper coin and a silver coin in terms of money. There are only a limited number of people who have a glow like a gold coin.¡±


    The saint held up her index finger with a blank expression and began to talk to me as if to say.


    ¡°What about the money analogy?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s easy to understand, isn¡¯t it? But the glitter you wear is like a platinum coin. It¡¯s a different order of magnitude than the others. You are on the same level as me, a precious saint.¡±


    ¡°Am I supposed to be happy that you say I¡¯m a platinum coin, or am I supposed to be disgusted that you unabashedly say you¡¯re a platinum coin yourself¡­?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no surprise that I¡¯m a platinum coin, chosen and loved by God.¡±


    She looks smug despite her expressionless face. What a wonder!


    ¡°So, the glow is only visible to you, isn¡¯t it, Saint-sama?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m the only one who can see it.¡±


    ¡°Then it must be some kind of mistake. It¡¯s an illusion. You¡¯re tired, Saint-sama.¡±


    ¡°I knew you would say that. That¡¯s why I brought you this.¡±


    The saint then took out from somewhere what looked like an old crown. It¡¯s not the kind of crown you¡¯d expect to see on a king, but more like the kind worn by Hero in a popular RPG. I guess it¡¯s a circlet.


    It was made of dull golden metal, like brass, and on its front was a white, cloudy stone the size of a thumb. If the stone had been red, it would almost have been the very thing itself!


    ¡°S-saint-sama? This is¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s the Crown of Brightness. I took it from the white pig who had carefully stored it away.¡±


    ¡°Saint-sama?¡±


    The sisters in charge of the room and the sisters in charge of accompanying the saint screamed. Apparently, judging from their reaction, this is a kind of ritual tool that should not be touched or taken out of the country without permission.


    ¡°This is a relic that transforms the wearer¡¯s glow into visible light. Like this.¡±


    ¡°Whoa, that¡¯s too bright!¡±


    When the saint put on the crown, the stone on the frame shone violently and burned my eyes. My eyes, my eyes!


    ¡°It¡¯s so bright, isn¡¯t it? But when I wear it, it¡¯s too bright and inconvenient to use for lighting.¡±


    ¡°Lighting?¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s put it on Amalie.¡±


    ¡°Hyii! F-forgive me!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry; your glow is of the rank of great silver to gold.¡±


    The saint said ruthlessly and put the crown mercilessly on the head of the sister who¡¯s in charge of my room, who twitched her face and begged for forgiveness.


    ¡°It¡¯s a little bright, but it¡¯s just right. Just right for lighting.¡±


    ¡°Oh, God¡­¡±


    The Sister in charge of the room, who was called Amalie, closed her eyes tightly so as not to see the light she was emitting and began to pray, trembling.


    ¡°Saint-sama, why is the Sister so afraid?¡±


    ¡°Apparently, for someone who can¡¯t see the glow, this crown that makes her faith ¡®visible¡¯ is scary.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t do that to her¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m sorry, Amalie.¡±


    ¡°N-no¡­ it¡¯s God¡¯s will.¡±


    Amalie opened her eyes fearfully and let out a deep sigh as if she understood that the crown had been removed.


    ¡°So, if I put this on you, it will prove that you are clothed in a tremendous glow.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s just a coincidence, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°I have many years of experience and trust. There is no such thing as a coincidence, so don¡¯t worry. Berta, Amalie, hold him down.¡±


    In response to the saint¡¯s instructions, the sisters at the door and Amalie-san approached my bed, hugged my arms, firmly secured me, and restrained me. Oh, the soft touch¡­ No, that¡¯s not the case.


    ¡°Um, hey, I¡¯m in trouble. Can you let go of me, please?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be covered in that thing, either¡­¡±


    ¡°Please give up.¡±


    ¡°Ladies, hey ladies! I¡¯m in trouble! Aah! Hey, ladies! I¡¯m in trouble!¡±


    I struggled and tried to escape, but I couldn¡¯t shake the slender sisters, perhaps because the poison had weakened my body.


    The moment the crown was placed on my head by the saint¡¯s hand, a white light painted the room. Everything was white. Or rather, it was blinding. I couldn¡¯t see anything.


    ¡°It was more than I imagined.¡±


    The crown was removed from my head, and the saint muttered with her red jade eyes dulled. The fact that she is a little teary-eyed is probably due to the fact that she looked directly at me for a moment at close range.


    ¡°So, the line that I was mistaken is gone. It¡¯s time for you to vomit.¡±


    ¡°Saint-sama, your language¡­¡±


    ¡°Under the glow of the sun, reveal the truth.¡±


    The saint reiterated after being warned by Berta. Hmm, what should I do?


    Let¡¯s think calmly. Is it bad if I¡¯m found out? Of course, it¡¯s not good.


    What¡¯s worse, I don¡¯t know what kind of treatment I¡¯ll get if I admit to them that I¡¯m an apostle of God, a marebito. No, I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll treat me badly, but they might take me to the Holy Kingdom under strict protection.


    I don¡¯t think it¡¯s impossible for me to escape if I use my abilities, but it will definitely delay my return to Sylphy and the others even more. Even if I escaped and were caught, I wouldn¡¯t be killed so easily, but it would definitely make it more difficult to escape.


    But on the other hand, it is a very difficult situation to cover it up. I have no idea how this relic works, but the problem is that everyone, including the saint, strongly believes in the power of this crown. There¡¯s no excuse for this.


    ¡°I have a few questions.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s hear them.¡±


    ¡°If I am what you say I am, how would you treat me?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ You don¡¯t seem to be very religious, so the first thing I would do is to instill faith in you. Except for sleeping hours, you will spend your days memorizing and copying scriptures, praying and devoting yourself.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re lying, right?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but shout at the saint, who said it was a lie without expression.


    ¡°First of all, you¡¯ll have to start as my entourage and escort. Eventually, you will marry me and have a child with me.¡±


    ¡°¡­You¡¯re lying, right?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re lying?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re lying?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°Ugh.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°Please, both of you, just talk normally.¡±


    Amalie-san interrupted us, and we both fell silent. It was no use staying quiet, so I decided to start the conversation.


    ¡°I have my heart set on someone.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind. As long as you have a child with me too.¡±


    The saint said without hesitation. No, no, no, no.


    It¡¯s not good; it¡¯s not good. I mean, why would you do that?¡±


    ¡°Because I have an oracle.¡±


    ¡°An oracle.¡±


    ¡°Yes, an oracle. It was the night before I left the Holy Kingdom. I will be confronted with death wherever I go. But when I overcome it, I will meet my destiny. God told me to stay close to my destiny and live.¡±


    And just as the oracle said, she found me glowing in the Merinard Kingdom, a thug tried to kill her, I saved her, and I almost died, but I managed to survive¡­ In other words, she confronted death. It¡¯s hard to imagine that the glowing me is not her destiny. I would think so if I were her.


    I mean, isn¡¯t it just too convenient? Maybe it¡¯s just God¡¯s way of doing things, but how am I supposed to take this situation?


    I was probably brought into this world by a god or something like that and was thrown out into the Black Forest where there are sub-humans. There, I met Sylphy, Isla, and the Harpies. Then I fought with the sub-humans against the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army, was betrayed by Qubi, and met the saint.


    She told me that meeting me was destiny. She said she was told so by God.


    If the saint¡¯s destiny was to meet me, then why was I thrown out into the Black Forest? Shouldn¡¯t I have been thrown out to the saint from the start? I¡¯ve heard that there¡¯s some kind of glow in the sky, and if I¡¯d been given an oracle or something to get me to meet her, I¡¯d have been attached to her from the start.


    Without ever meeting Sylphy, Isla, and the others.


    I felt a shiver run down my spine. If I had been thrown into the Holy Kingdom from the beginning, what would have happened to me? I might have joined the army of the Holy Kingdom and killed Sylphy and the others. Thinking about it made me feel nauseous.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? You look pale.¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­This was not the kind of talk you want to have when your mind and body are weak. I¡¯m sorry. I spoke too quickly.¡±


    The saint bowed deeply and apologized to me. Seeing this, I panicked as well.


    ¡°No, if I were in the position of the saint, I think I would have carried things out more forcefully. I just want to think things over. Can you come to talk to me again?


    ¡°¡­Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my line, not yours. Can I ask you something?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m kind of curious about this whole God thing, and I¡¯d like to talk to you about it¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, then I guess I¡¯ll be a good counselor.¡±


    The saint broke her blank expression and gave a natural smile. I have to admit; I was fascinated by it.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll come to see you tomorrow. Please keep your thoughts together. If you have any questions, don¡¯t hesitate to get in touch with Amalie.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Thank you, Saint-sama.¡±


    ¡°Eleonora.¡±


    ¡°Eleonora.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s my name. You can call me Ellen.¡±


    ¡°Ellen¡­ Ellen, right? Okay. Thank you, Ellen.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡±


    She smiled once more and left the room, accompanied by Berta. I looked over at her and threw my upper body on the bed.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to sleep.¡±


    ¡°Yes, good night. God and I will be watching over you, so don¡¯t worry.¡±


    ¡°Thank you¡­¡±


    God, O God. I don¡¯t know what you think you¡¯re doing¡­ Tell me what to do. Geez.


    Damn it; I should have just run back home, even if it was a little dangerous. I don¡¯t know if I can fight the Holy Kingdom from now on.¡¡Will I be able to make a weapon to kill the people of the Holy Kingdom?¡¡As I started to think about these things, I felt nauseous even though I was sleeping. I can¡¯t do this anymore; let¡¯s go to sleep. Don¡¯t think about anything. At times like this, the more I think about it, the more I get stuck.


    I concluded and let go of my consciousness.

 CH 100

    Chapter 100 ¨C What I Can Do And What I Can¡¯t Do


    The next day, Saint-sama ¨C Ellen visited the room where I was staying.


    ¡°Yes, aahh.¡±s


    ¡°Um¡­¡±


    ¡°Aahh.¡±


    ¡°No, you see.¡±


    ¡°Aahh.¡±


    Ellen stares at me, holding out a spoon with a scoop of porridge.


    ¡°¡­Aahh.¡±


    I lost.


    The spoon that Ellen was offering went into my mouth, and the porridge, which tasted lightly of salt and milk, melted in my mouth. Yes, it¡¯s delicious. It¡¯s delicious, but¡­


    ¡°Ellen? I can eat by myself.¡±


    ¡°Yes, aahh.¡±


    ¡°¡­Ahhh.¡±


    Apparently, the saint was very pleased with this action. I tried to appeal with my eyes to Amalie and Berta, the sisters in charge of my room and the sisters in charge of accompanying the saint, but they just looked at me smiling. I was alone and helpless.


    In the end, I was forced to eat all the milk porridge that was prepared for me with an ¡°ahhh.¡± Oh, I feel like something important in me has cracked. And Ellen seemed to have awakened to something, her cheeks were flushed, and she seemed to be full of motivation. I don¡¯t know what she¡¯s trying to do, but I¡¯d rather she didn¡¯t.


    Satisfied with giving me the ¡°aahh,¡± Ellen skipped away from the room without even saying a word.


    ¡°What the hell was that all about¡­?¡±


    My eyes met Amalie¡¯s, who was cleaning up the dishes, but she just smiled and didn¡¯t say anything. I wondered if she was asking me to guess?


    It¡¯s not hard to imagine that, given her position, she¡¯s had a bad life so far or that she¡¯s had a lot of depression. I can only imagine how she was found to be a saint and how she lived her life, but she must have been forced to live in such a way that she needed to wear that expressionless mask on her face.


    Perhaps she was even on the verge of losing her faith. Then the oracle came to her, and she acted according to the oracle, and as the oracle said, she met me, the man of her destiny. Now, her faith may have reached its peak.


    And with the support of her faith, my existence has come to occupy a large part of her mind. I don¡¯t think she¡¯s in a proper state of mind¡­ But I think Ellen is aware of this.


    I¡¯m sure he¡¯s aware of that and is trying to close the distance between us.


    ¡°Sigh¡­¡±


    The problem is me. I think Ellen is a good girl. She¡¯s as beautiful as Sylphy, and she¡¯s fun to talk to.


    However, she and I are essentially enemies. I¡¯m a key figure in the Liberation Army, whose goal is to reclaim the Merinard Kingdom, and she¡¯s a saint of the Holy Kingdom, which has made the Merinard Kingdom a vassal state. The two of us are in positions that should never have crossed paths.


    And no matter how much affection she showed me, I still have Sylphy, Isla, and the Harpies. My place to return is to them.


    ¡°Are you worried about something?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    It was unusual for Amalie to talk to me. It must be painful to accompany me without doing anything, but she has been accompanying me and nursing me without complaining. She is a gold-grade priestess.


    ¡°Do you feel uncomfortable to be Eleonora-sama¡¯s spouse?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not talking about that kind of thing.., but I have a partner that I¡¯ve sworn to be by her side, even though we¡¯re currently separated for some reason.¡±


    Of course, that person is Sylphy.


    ¡°I see¡­ But, it¡¯s not like there¡¯s only one person who can stand next to you, is there?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ No, is that acceptable in Adelian beliefs?¡±


    ¡°Adel-sama forbids stealing from one¡¯s neighbor, immoral adultery, and plundering one¡¯s wife.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that wrong?¡±


    ¡°But it is not forbidden for a man to have more than one wife. In the first place, Adel-sama had multiple wives, married them, and had multiple children between them. We are his descendants.¡±


    He made wives and had children with them. Hey¡­ I thought that Adel was some kind of alien with super technology. He embodied his 2D waifus, made them like 3D custom waifus, and settled on this planet with thriving offspring. As the number of sinners increased, he genetically improved them and created subhumans. I can easily imagine a flow like that.


    ¡°Well, I understand that there is no problem there, though. I also have a lot of circumstances to deal with.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Anyway, there¡¯s no point in trying to guess God¡¯s true intentions. He¡¯s the one who threw me into this world without warning in the first place. I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s Adel or another being, but it¡¯s probably not an ordinary being. Maybe. At the very least, it¡¯s not a being that has human ethics or anything like that. It¡¯s not something with which I can relate.


    The question is, what should I do? What¡¯s best for me? What¡¯s best for Sylphy and the others? And what would be best for Ellen and the others?


    Of course, I can¡¯t treat Ellen and the others whom I just met in the same way as Sylphi and the others. Ellen, Amalie, and the others, the boy who guided me, the innkeeper, her daughter, the mercenary I met at the castle gate, and the money changer¡¯s clerk.


    They were people from the Holy Kingdom, but at least they weren¡¯t vicious people without a shred of humanity. I think they are generally normal, good people.


    However, to Sylphy and the others, they are invaders who have taken their country by force and are occupying their homeland with their own faces. And to the people of the Holy Kingdom, Sylphy and the others are inferior sub-humans who are like bandits threatening their lives.


    Is it possible for the two sides to come to terms? It won¡¯t be easy. The gap between them, drilled over twenty years, is endlessly deep. The hatred between them has accumulated to the point where they have no choice but to pull out their weapons and kill each other whenever they see each other.


    However, difficulty is not the same as impossibility.


    Both humans and subhumans are creatures of language and reason. They are capable of communicating with each other. It¡¯s not as if their minds are so flowery as to think that no matter how much they disagree with each other, they can understand each other if they just talk¡­ but they should be able to find a compromise somewhere.


    In the first place, humans and subhumans coexisted in the former Merinard Kingdom. Even though it was twenty years ago, the memory of it still remains in the Liberation Army, and in fact, the soldiers of the former Merinard Kingdom army and their families who were hiding in the Merinard Kingdom territory, as well as the old Merinard royal citizens, have joined the Liberation Army.


    In other words, the Liberation Army has the groundwork for accepting humans.


    The problem is the disdain for sub-humans that prevails among the people of the Holy Kingdom. However, ideological reform is not something that can be done overnight. It would take decades, even centuries.


    Even on Earth, discrimination based on skin color has not yet disappeared. It will be very difficult for subhumans and humans, who differ not only in appearance but also in various physical abilities and lifespan, to truly break down the barriers between races. That is, unless there is a common enemy that could destroy them both if they don¡¯t join forces to fight. No, even if such a thing appears, it might be difficult.


    My thoughts have wandered.


    What I can do, what I should do¡­ Hmm. I¡¯m apparently a marebito, accepted by the Liberation Army, and, according to Ellen, an existence clothed in the glow of platinum coins.


    In other words, Ellen says that I am an existence of the level that can be called an apostle of God in the sense of Adelianism.


    If I use this status, won¡¯t I be able to do something?


    For example, a new sect that rejects the subhuman disdain of Adel¡¯s religion¡­ No, Adel has churches and cathedrals, so it can be said a religion instead of a sect. How about starting a new denomination?


    I persuaded Ellen to start a new denomination with the two of us. With the religious symbolism of God¡¯s apostle and saint, it might not be impossible.


    Ellen seemed to be dissatisfied with the upper echelons of the Adel religion. Considering the presence of the white pig bishop who was appointed to the royal castle in Merinesburg, it can be predicted that corruption is going on in the upper echelons of the Adel religion.


    If I can get around this, I might have a chance. Could this be the goal of the one who brought me to this world? I don¡¯t know. But the situation is too good to be true.


    The problem is that if I were to establish a new denomination and declare the independence of the former Merinard Kingdom, there is a possibility that the Holy Kingdom¡¯s mainland would do everything in its power to crush me¡­ If they try to suppress me by force¡­ I will do everything in my power to resist. If things go too far, I won¡¯t hesitate to do the same.


    A lot of people will die, but that¡¯s nothing new. I¡¯m already prepared to be covered in blood.


    No, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m ready for that yet. After all, I just don¡¯t want to get hurt myself. I don¡¯t want to go back to the Liberation Army and kill Ellen and the others, the innkeeper or that boy. I don¡¯t want to do that. I hate it.


    That¡¯s why I¡¯m troubled. I desperately tried to think of something I could do with my poor brain. And then I take action.


    There¡¯s not much I can do on my own. I¡¯m not even that smart. That¡¯s why I have to rely on others.


    First, to Ellen.

 CH 101

    Chapter 101 ¨C Feeding Is Fun


    That evening, Ellen visited me again in the room where I was resting. Perhaps she was busy today, but she hadn¡¯t shown her face since her visit in the morning. I wondered if something had happened to her.


    ¡°Are you okay? Did something happen to you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, something a little troubling.¡±


    Although her face is expressionless, I feel that a somewhat tired or anxious atmosphere exudes from Ellen.


    ¡°Trouble¡­? Come to think of it, I heard something bad about the south.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s related to that.¡±


    It seems that there has been some movement in the Liberation Army, although she does not seem to be willing to give details. It¡¯s already been more than half a month since I disappeared. I don¡¯t think the southern part of the country has been liberated yet, but if the subhuman slaves who were being used in various parts of the southern part of the country have been freed, the total strength of the Liberation Army should have improved considerably.


    Although it¡¯s not clear if the equipment will be distributed in time, there may be equipment that was seized from the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army, and the production base in the rear should have started mass production of Goatsfoot crossbows. My materials and prototype weapons from my inventory are probably being used as well. The people in the research and development department were also developing their own weapons based on the ones I had created.


    But no matter how much their strength increases, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s possible for them to invade Merinesburg yet¡­ They may be able to win the battle, but they won¡¯t be able to control the towns and villages they¡¯ve conquered. They need to have enough people to handle the southern part of the country.


    In addition, the subhuman slaves who have just joined the army have lost a lot of strength due to their long and hard life. With a week or so of rest, they won¡¯t be able to fight, march, or even train.


    In other words, what I¡¯m trying to say is that it¡¯s too early for the Liberation Army to take another action. If they were going to rescue me, I would have thought that they would have infiltrated with a small group of elites or something like that.


    ¡°You seem to be lost in thought.¡±


    ¡°I have a lot on my mind.¡±


    ¡°A lot?¡±


    ¡°Yes, a lot.¡±


    I nodded to Ellen, who tilted her head. It¡¯s rumored that she cannot be fooled by lies. It¡¯s better not to talk to her than to lie to her.


    ¡°Ellen, you said something about whether or not I¡¯m an apostle of God, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Are you ready to talk about it?¡±


    ¡°Well, yes¡­¡±


    I think about whether or not I should tell Ellen everything.


    From Ellen¡¯s perspective, I¡¯m completely her enemy. It¡¯s no wonder since I killed and injured many Holy Kingdom soldiers with explosions and provided many weapons and food to the Liberation Army. If I told her everything straight out, there would be a definite crack in our relationship. I was tempted to tell her everything without thinking about it, but I held back.


    ¡°I want to talk to you alone.¡±


    ¡°Just the two of us, huh¡­? You want to be alone with me and rape me. You animal.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m serious now, okay? It¡¯s not proper for a saint of truth to say such a thing, so stop saying that, okay?¡±


    You see, Amalie-san and Berta-san¡¯s gazes are stern because you say things that people don¡¯t like to hear! No, no, no! I¡¯m not even thinking about that! I mean, I don¡¯t have that much energy to do that! You know that, Amalie-san!


    ¡°You are so serious.¡±


    ¡°Can I just knock you down?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not right to attack a weak woman.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s right to make fun of a weak, sick man, myself.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve got the point. I won¡¯t stop, though.¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t?¡±


    Whether my desperate plea had been heard or whether she was satisfied with teasing me, Ellen gave Amalie-san and Berta-san a look and had them leave the room.


    ¡°Is this okay?¡±


    ¡°Yes, this is okay. No one is eavesdropping, right?¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so. The walls of this room are thick, and there is only one door. The door is also thick, so unless you shout too loudly, no one will hear you.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°So even if you were to attack me like a wild animal, as long as I don¡¯t scream, it would be fine.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t attack you. First of all¡­ that¡¯s right. Let¡¯s talk about whether or not I¡¯m an apostle of God.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Ellen straightened her posture and took up a listening position. Her face was as expressionless as ever, but she must be nervous in her own way. The tense atmosphere was palpable.


    ¡°To be honest, I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve never met a god before, and I¡¯ve never had a god tell me that I am an apostle. But I can tell you that I am not from this world.¡±


    ¡°Not from this world?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. In my world, there were no planets that big covering the sky. There was no magic; there were no monsters. Also, there were no sub-humans. It was a world where there were only humans.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying you¡¯re from a different world other than this one?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m not from this world.¡±


    Answering Ellen¡¯s question, I locked eyes with the red jade eyes that were looking straight at me.


    ¡°I see¡­ So you¡¯re a marebito, huh?¡±


    ¡°Do you know that, Raiden?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Ellen. Of course, I know. I know about them, of course, because there are legends of marebito all over the world. Though I¡¯ve never seen one in person before.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Sylphy also said that there are many legends about marebito in various places. Ellen must have heard of some of them.


    ¡°And I have a special power. According to the mages who have closely observed my abilities, the phenomena I produce are not magic in nature, but more akin to miracles performed by divine magic.¡±


    ¡°Your abilities¡­ Can you plead for a miracle too?¡±


    ¡°No. But I can do these things.¡±


    I took a plate of pancakes out of my inventory and showed it to her. It¡¯s a dish made with flour, eggs, milk, and flower nectar. I won¡¯t tell her what the eggs and milk are from. I¡¯ll keep quiet about it.¡±


    ¡°This is¡­? What¡¯s the sweet smell?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s called pancakes. It¡¯s sweet, fluffy, and delicious. Here, aahh.¡±


    I took out a fork from my inventory as well and cut the pancake into bite-sized pieces, and brought it to Ellen¡¯s mouth. She was a little confused and then opened her little mouth as wide as she could. As soon as the pancake is stuck in the fork, I gently push it into her mouth and feed it to her.


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s sweet and delicious.¡±


    ¡°I know, right? Yes, aahh.¡±


    ¡°¡­Aahh.¡±


    The pancake was cut into pieces and brought to Ellen¡¯s mouth, who opened her mouth like a baby bird. What is this fun?


    ¡°There¡¯s milk, too.¡±


    ¡°Itadakimasu.¡±


    When I handed Ellen a wooden cup of milk, she took it in both hands and gulped it down.


    ¡°The milk is delicious. It doesn¡¯t seem to be from a goat¡­ What kind of milk is it?¡±


    ¡°Cow, I think.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re lying.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s mostly cow, mostly.¡±


    It¡¯s mostly cow. Maybe half of it. If I don¡¯t squeeze them regularly, they get sore and sick. For some reason, it comes out even if they don¡¯t have children, so it¡¯s quite a problem.


    ¡°¡­Well, that¡¯s fine. So, what¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°Yes, aahh.¡±


    ¡°Mgumgu¡­¡±


    Let¡¯s be prepared. There¡¯s no turning back now.


    ¡°I¡¯m not creating something out of nothing. I¡¯m just taking out what¡¯s already in there. It¡¯s like an invisible bag or warehouse.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ is it like spatial magic?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what spatial magic is, but maybe it is. It allows me to store and retrieve things at will, anytime, anywhere. For no compensation.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a humble ability.¡±


    ¡°Compared to your eye for truth, maybe.¡±


    I tried to hand the plate to Ellen, but she didn¡¯t take it and opened her mouth. I had no choice but to feed her the pancake as it was.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never had a pastry like this before.¡±


    ¡°Really? I think there is something similar.¡±


    It¡¯s just flour kneaded with eggs, milk and sugar and baked softly. Oh, no, not only that, I wonder if it needs baking powder or something? But I¡¯ve heard that Galette is also a kind of pancake in a way¡­ Well, let¡¯s not worry about the details.


    ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m a marebito. If you ask me if I¡¯m an apostle of God, I honestly don¡¯t know. But I am pretty sure that I am a marebito.¡±


    ¡°There is a theory that marebito appears in this world under the guidance of God. Since God has told me that you are my destiny, I think it is safe to say that you are His Apostle.¡±


    ¡°I see. I don¡¯t have a shred of faith, though.¡±


    ¡°You just have to start nurturing it. Aahh!¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes.¡±


    I think about it as I bring the pancake to Ellen¡¯s mouth. As far as Ellen is concerned, she doesn¡¯t have any issues with the fact that I am an apostle of God. Now, let¡¯s see how I can take the story from here.


    ¡°Name.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Speaking of which, I haven¡¯t heard your name.¡±


    ¡°Name, huh?¡±


    If I say my name is Kosuke, it will be definitive. No, maybe she already knows.


    Ellen may have heard about my abilities from Qubi. If she did, she would have figured out who I was just by looking at the abilities in my inventory. Qubi must have known that I was a marebito.


    In fact, it¡¯s possible that Ellen already knew that from the beginning. It would not be surprising if Qubi told her about my appearance.


    ¡°It¡¯s Kosuke.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ Hmm.¡±


    As Ellen opened her mouth, I brought the last piece of food to Ellen¡¯s mouth. Ellen slowly chewed and swallowed the pancake with no expression on her face.


    ¡°So that¡¯s how it is?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    The conversation stopped. Ellen took her gaze off me and stared into the cup in her hand.


    ¡°God said. Live with your destiny.¡±


    ¡°I see. Well, the trials God gives you are pretty hard, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    Once again, silence reigned in the room. Now, how should I start?

 CH 102

    Chapter 102 ¨C Instigate The Saint


    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about God¡¯s intentions. In my own way.¡±


    ¡°In your own way?¡±


    ¡°In my own way. Now, to a priest, the idea of a mere mortal trying to figure out God¡¯s intentions would be ridiculous, but hear me out.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s hear it.¡±


    While holding a glass of milk, Ellen turned her crimson eyes toward me.


    ¡°The first place I stepped into this world¡­ or rather I was thrown out, was the border between the Black Forest and the Great Omit Wilderness.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s quite a remote area. How were you able to survive?¡±


    ¡°If by some chance I had gone into the Great Omit Wilderness instead of the Black Forest, I would have died. So I went into the forest in search of water and food, and after a lot of difficulties, I ended up under the protection of a certain elf.¡±


    ¡°Under protection?¡±


    ¡°To put it bluntly, I became her slave. At least, in terms of position.¡±


    It was a relationship that started out with a lot of calculations on both sides. Now I think about it; I miss it.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear that.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t so bad. At the time, the forest elves and refugees from the Merinard kingdom were very¡­ hostile to humans. If I had not been under her protection, they would have killed me before long.¡±


    ¡°¡­I see.¡±


    Ellen turned over with her eyes downcast as if she had something on her mind. Obviously, the Adel religion is the one that fuels the interspecies conflict between humans and subhumans. As a saint, she must have some thoughts on the matter.


    ¡°At that time, I had no idea about my abilities. I worked with my master to find out what I was capable of¡­ Let¡¯s go back to the story. While I was in the forest, something happened, and I had the chance to talk to the Elven elders.¡±


    ¡°A talk?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Whenever the elves are in danger, a marebito will appear from the spirit world and save the forest elves. The marebito would appear at the border of the forest, or so they say.¡±


    ¡°The border of the forest¡­ It matches your situation, right?¡±


    I nodded to Ellen¡¯s words and continued talking.


    ¡°Yeah. I thought so too when I heard that story. However, I was not directly told what to do by this God. I didn¡¯t even believe in the existence of God in my original world.¡±


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be so faithless. God is always watching over us.¡±


    Mumumu, Ellen raises her eyebrows and glares lightly at me. Yeah, she¡¯s probably scolding me, but she¡¯s so adorable that I don¡¯t feel like she¡¯s scolding me.


    ¡°Maybe that¡¯s really the case in this world. That¡¯s probably why I was sent to this world.¡±


    ¡°¡­What does that mean?¡±


    ¡°When I met Ellen, I listened to your story and thought about it. If it was destiny or God¡¯s intention for me and Ellen to meet, then what was the purpose of our meeting? I belong to the Liberation Army. I can¡¯t turn to the Holy Kingdom now.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°Yes, definitely.¡±


    At my declaration, Ellen¡¯s expression darkened, and she lowered her head. It¡¯s practically a declaration of hostility.


    ¡°But God told Ellen to live by my side. In other words, it is telling Ellen to betray the current Holy Kingdom and the current Adel religion. That¡¯s what it¡¯s all about, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°That kind of thing¡­ God would never command me to do such a thing.¡±


    Blood drained from Ellen¡¯s pale skin. For a devout believer of God, what I said would be unacceptable.


    ¡°Yeah, I think so too.¡±


    As I easily admitted Ellen¡¯s statement, Ellen¡¯s eyes fluttered, and she showed a dumbfounded expression. Her expressionless mask seemed to have fallen off.


    ¡°So I reversed my thinking. I thought that the ones betraying God are the Holy Kingdom and Adel religion now. You know, Ellen. From your eyes, do the upper echelons of the Holy Kingdom, and the upper echelons of Adel religion seem like people who are in line with God¡¯s will?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°Are they not drowning in wealth and authority, interpreting God¡¯s will in their own way and using it to their own advantage? To put it more directly, aren¡¯t they corrupt? Like the bishop who ruled this city of Merinesburg.¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    Ellen looked down again and fell silent. She herself cursed the Holy King and the cardinals with foul language, so I suppose what I¡¯m saying is not entirely wrong.


    ¡°I will reclaim the Merinard Kingdom together with the Liberation Army and overthrow the Holy Kingdom. I¡¯ll have to kill a lot of people, the people of the Holy Kingdom. I¡¯ve prepared for that, and my hands are already covered in that blood.¡±


    I held out my hand to Ellen to show her my palm and stared at her. This is the hand that killed thousands of soldiers of the Holy Kingdom with a large number of explosive blocks. It wasn¡¯t exactly tangible, but it was an undeniable fact.


    ¡°But if Ellen is willing to help me, we might be able to reduce the amount of blood that will be spilled.¡±


    ¡°¡­What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Ellen¡­ No, Saint Eleonora. You can come with me, an apostle of God, to the Liberation Army. And you will create a new religion, a new denomination.¡±


    ¡°Wha¡­¡±


    At my words, Ellen opened her eyes wide and gasped. The wooden cup of milk in her hand spilled out of her hand and bounced on the floor, making a damp sound.


    ¡°The content of the doctrine should be, well¡­ let¡¯s all help each other and get along or something. There is no discrimination, the priests are sincere in their prayers, and they take advice from everyone, but they don¡¯t get involved in politics. Well, I guess we can talk about it together.¡±


    ¡°Wait a minute. Do you think that is possible?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if we can or can¡¯t; we have to do it. We¡¯re going to do it, me, Ellen, and everyone else. If things continue as they are, an all-out confrontation between the Liberation Army and the Holy Kingdom is inevitable. But if Ellen and I can work together to cut down the Adel religion, we should be able to reduce the amount of blood that is spilled in any way.¡±


    I stare into the eyes of the flustered Ellen. Ellen¡¯s crimson eyes shook as if my gaze shook her.


    ¡°I can do the things that God¡¯s apostles do, to a certain extent. But still. You can trust me on that. So, let¡¯s do it. Come with me.¡±


    I could make food and medicine out of nothing or heal badly broken, sprained, or bent bones with plain bandages and splinters. I can build a strong wall overnight or grow crops in just three days. I think I¡¯m good enough to be feted as an apostle or even a messiah.


    ¡°¡­By all means?¡±


    ¡°By all means.¡±


    ¡°Do you really need me?¡±


    ¡°I need Ellen. If I don¡¯t go with Ellen, I¡¯ll be stuck.¡±


    ¡°What if I don¡¯t go with you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be in trouble.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d be in trouble?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯d be in so much trouble.¡±


    ¡°Because it would mean killing me?¡±


    Ellen looked at me straight in the eyes. I looked straight back at her and nodded.


    ¡°Yeah. I don¡¯t like it because it might happen. I don¡¯t want Ellen to die.¡±


    ¡°Because you don¡¯t want to get hurt, do you?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m a selfish person.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re creating a new denomination because you don¡¯t want to get hurt?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it might reduce the number of deaths and protect my soul. Sounds like a good idea, right?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that too much to ask?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no use lying to Ellen, you know. Besides, ever since I came to this world, my motto has been to be honest with myself about my desires.¡±


    ¡°You are one heck of an apostle of God, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess so. That¡¯s exactly right.¡±


    Silence again. Our breathing sounded strangely loud.


    ¡°Please, let me think about it.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yeah, sure, do that. But I don¡¯t want to wait too long.¡±


    ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll make a decision tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    I nodded, and Ellen got up and left the room.


    I felt like cursing myself for not being able to speak a little better. I think I did the best I could, but I¡¯m not very good at this kind of talk, or rather, persuasion. In case of an emergency, it might be better to kidnap Ellen¡­ and run away.


    Ah, a good-looking man who is good at seducing women would probably do a little better. It¡¯s a shame.


    As I was lying around on my bed, Amalie-san came into the room.


    ¡°¡­Could it be that you were rejected?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ Don¡¯t worry, Eleonora-sama likes you.¡±


    ¡°As I said, it¡¯s not like that.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes.¡±


    Amalie-san chuckled and began to clean up the cup that Ellen had dropped. Ah, no, the existence of milk is exposed.


    ¡°Ara?¡±


    Amalie looked at me strangely, but I decided to ignore her. It was a night full of regrets for my poor communication and ineptitude.

 CH 103

    Chapter 103 ¨C ¡î(?¦Ø<)


    The next day.


    I don¡¯t know if it was because I had secretly drank Poizo¡¯s antidote or if it was because I had stayed in the cathedral, which is a sanctuary, or if it was simply because the natural healing process had progressed, but my physical condition had improved considerably.


    When I checked the status window, I saw that the ¡°poisonous (chronic)¡± status was changed to ¡°weak (healing in progress).¡± My physical strength and stamina gauge had recovered to their maximum levels, and I felt like I could move as usual as long as I didn¡¯t overdo it.


    ¡°Your complexion is looking much better.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to you.¡±


    I bowed my head in gratitude to Amalie-san, who had brought me my meals since this morning. Although Ellen often came to see me when she had free time, it was Amalie-san who stayed by my side and took care of me. She was like a goddess, taking care of me without a single displeased look.


    ¡°But that thing is a basilisk poison. I think it¡¯s better to wait and see.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    At the moment, the natural healing ability seems to outweigh the damage caused by the poison, but who knows what will happen when I leave the cathedral. If it starts to diminish slowly, I might die, so it¡¯s better to stay quiet until the status abnormality disappears.


    However, this environment is very boring. I can¡¯t do any crafting, and I can¡¯t mess with my inventory. It was mentally very hard just to eat, sleep, and rest.


    Amalie-san had brought something to mend and was tinkering with it, but of course, I didn¡¯t have anything like that. I can operate the crafting menu with just my eyes, or rather, with my eyes closed if I want to, but I¡¯ve done all the crafting I can do without a workbench, and I¡¯ve come to the city. There¡¯s nothing to do. The only thing I can do is look at the status window.


    There are no more achievements. I have a feeling that it might be unlocked once the poisoning is cured, but at this point, nothing has been added.


    It¡¯s bad enough that I¡¯m interrupting Amalie-san, so I think about the future on my own.


    I told Ellen to come with me, but she¡¯ll have to make some preparations even if she does. If Ellen were to suddenly start denouncing the current Adel religion on her own, not many people would follow her, so she would need to do a lot of groundwork. Even if she wanted to start a new denomination, she wouldn¡¯t be able to lead her followers if she didn¡¯t have a clear idea of what she wanted to do.


    Besides, I don¡¯t have any information about Ellen¡¯s superior who sent her here, the cardinal who is said to be the rival of the white pig bishop. Is there any way that he could be on Ellen¡¯s side? I would like to know what kind of person he is.


    Besides, I don¡¯t know what kind of framework the organizations of the Adel religion and the Holy Kingdom operate within. Ellen talked about the Pope and the Cardinals, but it is unclear what the power relationship is between the Holy King of the Holy Kingdom and the Pope and the Cardinals. I believe she said that the Pope and the Holy King did not seem to be the same person, but I would have to check.


    Then there is the difficulty of the goal of a major shift in faith. For those who believe in the Adel religion, the common sense that sub-humans are beneath them, that they deserve to be slaves, is a kind of entitlement. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s possible to spread teaching that would make people abandon that¡­ It seems to me that it would be very difficult.


    However, the Merinard Kingdom is a country where humans and subhumans have lived together for a long time.


    It¡¯s been twenty years since the old Merinard Kingdom was made into a vassal state. There are probably still many people who still have the values of the old Merinard Kingdom. At least in the Merinard Kingdom, there must be a certain amount of groundwork to accept the new religion.


    There would be many adjustments that would need to be made, but I don¡¯t think it would be a completely absurd idea.


    If that¡¯s the case, I need to get in touch with the Liberation Army¡­ before the battle between the Liberation Army and the Holy Kingdom Army stationed in the Merinard Kingdom begins on a full scale.


    With the Liberation Army¡¯s equipment, it would be possible to crush the Holy Kingdom Army head-on, but if so, the damage to both sides would be great, and the land would certainly be ruined. I think even Sylphy and the others have the feeling that they don¡¯t want to do that if at all possible.


    While I was thinking about this, there was a knock on the door, and Amalie-san stopped her mending and went to the door. The person who came into the room was, as I thought, Ellen.


    ¡°Please let us talk for a moment.¡±


    Ellen said as soon as she came in and asked Amalie-san and Berta-san to leave the room. Then she sat down on the chair beside my bed and stared at my face.


    ¡°I¡¯ve thought about it all night.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°I think it will be difficult. It¡¯s a thorny path. Do you still want to do it?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Because I think it¡¯s the best thing to do.¡±


    ¡°If I do it, I¡¯m risking my life. It means fighting head-on against the very foundation of the Adel religion itself. There will be assassins of a level where the previous assassin was just like a mere child. And yet you still want to?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    I looked back at Ellen¡¯s gaze from the front and nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯m scared. I don¡¯t want to die. Even if people call me a saint, I¡¯m still just a weak little girl. I don¡¯t know if I can withstand the constant threats to my life from assassins.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s easy to assert that I¡¯ll definitely protect you¡­ But that¡¯s not possible. I¡¯m neither a god nor an absolutely invincible hero. But I will do everything in my power to protect you.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ One last question. Can you make me your number one woman?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t do that. I have only one beloved.¡±


    I answered immediately and shook my head. This is non-negotiable. My beloved is Sylphy, no matter what.


    ¡°So, am I a mistress, a concubine, or a woman of convenience?¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°From what you¡¯ve said, there¡¯s someone else, isn¡¯t there? There is a woman who would risk her life for you. And the kind of woman you would want to protect even at the cost of your life.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ yes.¡±


    ¡°Can I say something harsh?¡±


    Ellen grinned at me. I raised my hands in total surrender.


    ¡°Please spare me.¡±


    ¡°No, I won¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°No way.¡±


    But the saint showed no mercy.


    ¡°If you can only save the life of one of us, me or that woman¡­ then feel free to save her life.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    ¡°I may not be the best for you, but for me, you will be the best. I want you to be happy. That is what it means to be close and alive, I believe.¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah¡­¡±


    How can I say this? It¡¯s so heavy.


    ¡°So, I will gladly give my life to you then. You won¡¯t have to worry about me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not how it works.¡±


    ¡°You must. It has to be. That is the path you are walking. You must be prepared for it.¡±


    Ellen returned to her expressionless face and said so plainly. The red jade eyes were very calm, and I could sense that she was saying this from the bottom of her heart.


    ¡°It¡¯s what it means to make an enemy of the Adel religion. You should always be prepared for that.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t say you¡¯re exaggerating¡­ Just by disqualifying the bishop of this place legitimately, they send out an assassin.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what it is.¡±


    Ellen nodded profoundly. I feel really sorry for thinking that she is a serious woman or something. Ellen urged me to be prepared¡­ Hmm?


    ¡°Ellen will cooperate with me, is that correct?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I will. I still can¡¯t believe that the oracle was a mistake on my part. In addition, there are many points in which I agree with you that the upper echelons of the current Adel religion are betraying God.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°Yes. The denomination I belong to is called the so-called nostalgia denomination.¡±


    ¡°Nostalgia?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a denomination that studies and practices the original teachings of the Adel religion.¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­ Oh, you mean that. As time goes by, the interpretation of God¡¯s words and the scriptures that contain them have become distorted?¡±


    Ellen nodded at my words with a blank expression on her face. It was a rather wild guess, but it turned out to be right.


    ¡°We believe that an unnatural falsification of the doctrine took place during the period from about three hundred years before the fall of the Omit Kingdom to about two hundred years before the establishment of the Merinard Kingdom. It is highly likely that the current mainstream school is post-falsification teaching.¡±


    ¡°I see. What exactly has been tampered with?¡±


    ¡°There is a strong suspicion that it has been tampered with in order to discriminate against subhumans.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    In other words, I wonder if my suggestion is actually a good one for the denomination to which Ellen belongs. That may be the reason why Ellen easily nodded to my proposal.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why such a falsification took place. It is thought that it might be related to the destruction of the Omit Kingdom, but there are few details about the reason for the destruction of the Omit Kingdom. It seems that the kingdom was destroyed in an uncommonly short period, and since the site has been turned into the Great Omit Wilderness, there has been no progress in the investigation.¡±


    ¡°A-ah¡­ the reason for the destruction, huh? Hmmm, I¡¯m not really sure about that.¡±


    I¡¯m starting to get a bad feeling about this. This may be the result of the power of the Omit Kingdom, which was destroyed by a large number of spirit stones after a quarrel with the elves, and the upper echelons of the Adel religion at that time, and the feeling of resentment in their hearts, they have been steadily lobbying for anti-subhumans.


    No-no. It¡¯s too early to jump to conclusions. It¡¯s just my imagination, hahaha.


    ¡°You¡¯re lying.¡±


    ¡°Ahhhhhhhh, the saint of truth, aaaaaaahhhh!¡±


    I held my head with my hands as she saw through my lie in one look.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t need to use my powers to see that.¡±


    ¡°Right! But I can¡¯t be sure, so no comment! Let¡¯s talk about the future!¡±


    ¡°¡­Fine. I¡¯ll have you talk about it soon.¡±


    ¡°Y-yes, I promise you that.¡±


    In fact, it¡¯s going to be a disaster if Sylphy and the others find out that the downfall of the Merinard Kingdom was caused by the Elven elders¡¯ mischievous behavior hundreds of years ago.


    I think I had a vision of the elders laughing embarrassedly while sticking their tongues out at me. I¡¯d like to think it was my imagination.


    Author Note:


    ( ¡î(?¦Ø<)¡î(?¦Ø<)¡î(?¦Ø<)¡î(?¦Ø<) )o¡£(©b§Õ©b;)


    It¡¯s not our fault.


    The other party came to fight with us first.


    We¡¯re sorry we couldn¡¯t finish them off.


    And other things.

 CH 104

    Chapter 104 ¨C Red Jade Eyes & Golden Eyes


    ¡°You¡¯re completely recovered, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Fully recovered.¡±


    The next morning.


    Finally, the indication of poisoning disappeared from my status abnormality list, and I felt completely well. Amalie-san¡¯s examination showed no problems as well. I was finally able to go outside.


    ¡°Oh, I hope they didn¡¯t get rid of the luggage I left at the inn.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We already took it with us.¡±


    ¡°Seriously?¡±


    ¡°Yes. When we investigated you, we found out that you were staying at Ruffin¡¯s inn.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m impressed with your investigation skills.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re very conspicuous, after all.¡±


    I was convinced that was the case. There are not many people with black hair, to begin with, and if you look at my outfit, it should have been obvious that I was a mercenary or an adventurer. The rest was just a matter of asking the gatekeepers, and they would be able to trace my steps. If they could catch the boy who led me here, they could get information about me for a few copper coins. Then the rest will follow like a vine.


    ¡°This is what you wanted, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Ellen took out from somewhere a silvery-white rosary with a shining light cross. That luster is probably mithril. That¡¯s what I was looking for.


    ¡°Yes, it is.¡±


    ¡°Why? I don¡¯t think it¡¯s something you need, given your position.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t talk about that now. But it¡¯s necessary.¡±


    Even to Ellen, I can¡¯t talk about the Golem communicator. It is a strategic weapon that is more important than crossbows and air bombs for harpies.


    ¡°I heard that you use an alloy of mithril and copper to make the golem communicator.¡±


    ¡°That damn fox!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what I heard from the damn fox. Although he didn¡¯t seem to be able to get the blueprints or the actual product.¡±


    ¡°That would be impossible.¡±


    The golem communication device is thoroughly controlled. Blueprints exist only in the minds of engineers. As for the golem communication device, I firmly insisted on leaving absolutely no more than a memorandum, and Isla agreed to it, so that¡¯s how it was handled.


    I can¡¯t imagine what horrible things would happen if the enemy were to take it and mass produce it. I don¡¯t even want to imagine a situation where enemies outnumbering us would attack us in organic coordination.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll give it to you.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Yes. For two large gold pieces.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes.¡±


    I took out two large gold coins from the wallet that had been left by my bedside and handed them to Ellen. Even if she is a saint of the Adel religion, it is not good to give away the rosary of mithril for free.


    ¡°I¡¯ll also give you this.¡±


    Then Ellen took out a piece of paper. It seemed to be some kind of document with a short sentence and a seal stamped on a piece of high-quality paper.


    ¡°It¡¯s a letter of invitation to see me. As long as I am not too busy, you will have first priority.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ that would be great.¡±


    ¡°Are you happy?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m happy. Now I can see Ellen whenever I want, right?¡±


    ¡°I see. That¡¯s right.¡±


    After saying that, Ellen turned her face away. It seems that her ears are getting a little red. She was embarrassed when I told her I was happy or something like that.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you something too¡­ Hmm, ah, yeah.¡±


    I can¡¯t think of a single item that would give someone a free pass to see me. The only thing I can think of that I can make is bullets for guns¡­ Well, it might work if I gave her something with my name engraved on it, minus the ammunition and detonator, and made a letter in the same way.


    ¡°Can you get me a similar piece of paper and a pen?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to write a letter?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, something like that.¡±


    ¡°All right. Give me a minute.¡±


    While watching Ellen get up from her seat and walk briskly to the door, I manipulated the crafting screen to create a pendant top out of bullet ammunition and a small bullet pendant out of it, and a leather strap.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Will this work? Should I engrave my name on it? It¡¯s a little embarrassing to give her a pendant with my name engraved on it¡­ Having her wear a pendant with my name engraved on it around her neck is a little weird, isn¡¯t it¡­? Doesn¡¯t it kind of show possessiveness or something like that? But you know, in case something happens, it might work as a pass to meet me.


    Yeah, I¡¯ll engrave it, just in case.


    I put the finished bullet pendant back into my inventory, registered the bullet pendant with my name on it using Item Creation, and crafted it again.


    The result was a small bullet pendant with the word ¡°Kosuke¡± engraved on it in this world¡¯s language. What can I say? It¡¯s rather plain. There was no trace of elegance or glamour. It was a pendant with a disturbing atmosphere.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ it¡¯s a special arrowhead that only I can make, and I made it into a pendant.¡±


    ¡°What kind of arrowhead is it? It¡¯s a big arrowhead.¡±


    ¡°The only part of the arrow that flies is this tip. Well, it¡¯s dangerous, so I¡¯ve removed the power to make it fly.¡±


    ¡°Is that so¡­? It looks like your name is engraved on it.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the point if you don¡¯t know I made it?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ You want me to wear a pendant around my neck with your name engraved on it, huh?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s like an ID in case of emergency¡­¡±


    I then handed the bullet pendant to Ellen, who took it and held it out to me again.


    ¡°You should put it around my neck with your hand.¡±


    ¡°Eeh¡­¡±


    ¡°Come on.¡±


    ¡°¡­I understand.¡±


    She seemed to have no intention of giving up, so I took the pendant from her hand and put it around her neck. As we get closer to each other, I can smell something that smells good. I wonder why girls smell so good. It¡¯s strange.


    Perhaps it wasn¡¯t a good thing that I was thinking about it, but suddenly Ellen hugged me tightly.


    ¡°H-hey?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to leave, aren¡¯t you? Leaving me behind.¡±


    Her red jade eyes peered into mine from close range. I feel like I¡¯m being sucked into those deep red eyes.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ yes, that¡¯s right.¡±


    There is no point in telling lies. I¡¯ve got to get back to Sylphy and the others. The place I should be is next to her.


    ¡°So please allow me to do this.¡±


    Ellen hugged me more tightly and rubbed her head against my neck as if she was marking me.


    I finished tying the leather strap of the pendant and wrapped my hands around Ellen¡¯s body to hug her gently. She has a delicate body. It was nothing compared to Sylphy¡¯s. I felt as if I could break it with just a little effort.


    Ellen looked up at me and gently closed her eyes. I put my lips on hers as she asked me to.


    ¡°¡­How many women have you put under your poisonous spell like this?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever had a sweet and sour feeling like this before.¡±


    Sylphy, Isla, and the Harpies are all too passionate to jump through hoops like this.


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s also the first time I¡¯ve ever given an accessory, even though it¡¯s such a rugged item.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll come and take me, right?¡±


    ¡°I will.¡±


    ¡°Promise?¡±


    Ellen smiles softly. Hmm, very cute. What is it about me that really makes me so popular since I came to this world? Is it the divine guidance that threw me into this world? I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s Adel or what, but I¡¯m about to develop faith in God, even though I¡¯ve never prayed to them properly.


    As I was thinking about this, Ellen gently released her arms from her embrace, and I released mine, and we both separated ourselves.


    ¡°Um¡­ I¡¯ll write you a letter.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I wish there were some other way to contact you.¡±


    ¡°Contact¡­ Contact¡­ Oh.¡±


    I have an idea. I have an idea, a means of communication.


    ¡°You have free access to the castle, don¡¯t you, Ellen?¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course.¡±


    ¡°Can you go to the frozen compartment where the royal family of Merinard lives?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but¡­¡±


    Ellen gives a dubious look. That¡¯s as expected. It is a very dangerous area that is heavily guarded by Lime and others. It was supposed to be an area that no one from the castle would even attempt to get close to.


    ¡°Actually, I made friends with some slimes in the basement of the castle.¡±


    ¡°That dangerous monster¡­? I find that hard to believe.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re some kind of spirits that made a contract with the royal family and incarnated as slime. They are very intelligent and can even talk normally. Though they seem to be merciless to their enemies.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. And, you know. I¡¯ll give them a way to contact me, so if you have anything you want to tell me, you can do it through them. But don¡¯t make them angry. I¡¯ll tell them not to attack Ellen, but if you try to mess with the royal family of the Merinard Kingdom, they¡¯ll attack you without mercy.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    I don¡¯t know if it will work, but I write on the paper that Ellen prepared for me that the person with the bullet pendant is someone I care about, that I want them to treat her with respect, and that they should contact me.


    ¡°What are you doing with that knife out?¡±


    ¡°For this.¡±


    I scratched my fingertips, smeared the oozing blood on my right thumb, and stamped it with a blood seal. I might have cut myself a little too much.


    ¡°That¡¯s very thoughtful.¡±


    ¡°It might save Ellen¡¯s life in a pinch, you know. I¡¯ll do everything I can.¡±


    When I say in case of emergency, I mean in case the Liberation Army captures Ellen or something. When I get back to the Liberation Army, I will try to prevent a deadly conflict from happening.


    ¡°Thank you very much. So, regarding our future moves¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°In the meantime, I¡¯ll try to contact the headquarters of our denomination, but¡­ it will take quite some time.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    I don¡¯t know how far it is from Merinesburg to the capital of the Holy Kingdom, but I think it would be a week or two each way, even by carriage.


    ¡°But I don¡¯t know exactly what to do.¡±


    ¡°Politics is involved, you know. In any case, I think we need to have a discussion. I think we should set up a meeting in about a month or two.¡±


    ¡°I agree. The curtain has to be drawn at some point.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Both sides can¡¯t fight each other until either one of us is dead. No, it might be possible if there is an overwhelming difference in national strength and war potential, but at least the situation between the Holy Kingdom and the Liberation Army will not be like that. I can¡¯t let that happen.


    ¡°It looks like we¡¯ll have a hard time. Both sides.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Let¡¯s do our best.¡±


    We nod at each other. The key to this is how far we can get a compromise¡­ Well, it will be difficult. The Liberation Army will demand a total withdrawal from the Merinard Kingdom, and the Holy Kingdom will find it outrageous to give up the Merinard Kingdom, which they have effectively controlled for twenty years. Where can we find a compromise¡­?


    ¡°I¡¯ll have someone bring you your things.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Ellen leaves the room, and a little while later, two church knights bring me my armor, shield, helmet, spear, and so on. It feels strange to put on my armor while being watched.


    After I finished putting on my equipment, the church knights led me to the cathedral.


    ¡°Should I pray before I go?¡±


    ¡°I think it would be a good idea.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to pray, though.¡±


    ¡°All you need is a praying heart.¡±


    Ellen then folded her hands and began to pray with her eyes closed. I followed suit and closed my eyes, praying to the unknown god who had thrown me into this world. There are many troubles, but ever since I came to this world, I feel a strong sense of being alive. Thank you.


    After finishing my prayer, I made final, firm eye contact with Ellen. Her red jade eyes seemed to be filled with determination. The bullet pendant I gave her shines with a dull light on her chest.


    ¡°Well then.¡±


    ¡°Yes. May God bless you.¡±


    I turned on my heel and left the cathedral.


    It took me an unplanned amount of time to procure the mithril. I had to hurry back to the underground passage to meet up with Lime and the others and make the golem communicator.


    Passing through the main street, I hurriedly headed for the castle gate. Speaking of which, my pass has expired, but will I be okay? I doubt I¡¯ll be taken to jail, but I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be asked to pay some additional taxes.


    As I was walking along, someone grabbed my arm tightly.


    ¡°What?¡±


    It was a tremendous force. While I was thinking this, I was pulled into a dimly lit, narrow alleyway, my arm was grabbed, and my body was pressed against the wall. Oh no, I let my guard down. What the hell was this? It can¡¯t be Qubi!


    I¡¯m confused, and the attacker puts their mouth to my ear. I can smell the sweet scent of something seductive. A woman?


    ¡°Hey, Kosuke-san.¡±


    ¡°Hyii¡­¡±


    The familiar voice sends shivers down my spine. T-this voice is¡­ the voice of someone who makes me grind the millstone all the time! C-could it be¡­ why is she here?


    ¡°Me-Melty¡­?¡±


    ¡°Ara, you figured it out right away?¡±


    The force that was pressing me against the wall from behind loosened, and I turned around.


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    At that moment, I felt a chill run down my spine. The golden eyes with vertically split pupils were staring right into my eyes.


    ¡°It seems that you have been getting along with the Adel religion people quite well¡­ Kosuke-san?¡±


    Her voice was as cold as ice, and it was clear that she was harboring doubts about me.


    ¡°Oh, geez¡­¡±


    I had no choice but to say so and look up to the heavens.

 CH 105

    Chapter 105 ¨C People Who Think Each Other Are Unusual


    ¡°Anyway, I¡¯d like to go to a place where we can settle down and talk¡­ Unfortunately, I don¡¯t know of any such convenient places.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can give you a tour of the royal capital right now, either. Do you want to go outside?¡±


    A pair of golden eyes are pointed at me from behind a hood that she wore deeply. Hmm? I don¡¯t remember Melty having such a prominent eye color¡­? Or rather, I feel that her atmosphere is somehow different.


    Well, that¡¯s okay for now. I can ask about it later.


    ¡°If we¡¯re going to leave, we¡¯d better leave separately. I¡¯ve already exceeded my period of stay, and the gatekeepers might try to get me into trouble.¡±


    ¡°I should leave first. But before that¡­¡±


    Suddenly Melty was hugging me from the front. It¡¯s a shame because my leather armor makes it almost impossible to feel her breasts against my chest plate. What a shame, really.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad¡­ I¡¯m glad that Kosuke-san is okay. Regardless of how things turn out, I¡¯m really glad you¡¯re okay.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ yeah. To be honest, I¡¯m also relieved to see Melty. I didn¡¯t think anyone would take the risk of coming this far.¡±


    I hugged Melty lightly and patted her on the back. When I did, she seemed satisfied and pulled herself away from me. The color of her eyes that look up at me with a bit of blush is gray¡­ Eh? Why is that?


    ¡°Melty, the color of your eyes is¡­?¡±


    ¡°Eh? Ah, the gold color of my eyes? I¡¯m a little excited¡­ No, my eyes change color when my emotions rise.¡±


    ¡°¡­What a strange constitution, huh?¡±


    Is that an aggressive color? I should try not to piss Melty off.


    ¡°Yes, mysterious, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Melty smiles calmly. There is no sense of intimidation or urgency. For some reason, the suspicions she had about me a while ago seem to have eased considerably.


    ¡°Or rather, Melty. Your horns¡­?¡±


    I believe that Melty had a magnificent curly horn on her head, but there is no trace of it on her hooded head. Could it be that they are removable? Or maybe it can be retracted?


    ¡°Oh, I cut them off.¡±


    ¡°Cut¡­?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s needed in order to find Kosuke-san. Sylphy insisted on coming, but there¡¯s no way to hide her features. Even though Isla, the Harpies, and the others were making a lot of noise, they are even more out of the question than Sylphy. As long as I remove my horns, I look almost the same as a human, and I can hide the marks of my horns with my hair, hat, or hood.¡±


    ¡°No, but your¡­ your horns are very important to you, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course. They¡¯ve been with me since I was born.¡±


    ¡°Will they ever grow back¡­?¡±


    ¡°No? The deer beastman does grow back every year, but the others basically don¡¯t.¡±


    She said this with a nonchalant expression.


    ¡°That means the scar will last a lifetime¡­?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. For the horned race, losing a horn is the highest form of punishment. In some cases, it can even lead to death. And even if you survive, if you contract an infection from the wound, you¡¯re almost certain to die, and you¡¯ll be forever pointed back at by your own kind and other horned species.¡±


    ¡°W-what?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but widen my eyes at what Melty had just told me as if it were nothing. It¡¯s a scar that will last a lifetime. Has she done all this just to find me?


    ¡°W-why would you do that¡­?¡±


    ¡°I was the right person for the job, considering the various conditions. And besides, Kosuke-san is an indispensable part of the Liberation Army, and there are many people waiting for your return. Also¡­¡±


    ¡°Also?¡±


    ¡°I was thinking to make Kosuke-san indebted to me.¡±


    Melty smiles at me. Oh, this is something that I shouldn¡¯t touch.


    ¡°I¡¯ve done this on my own, but¡­ you wouldn¡¯t abandon me after I¡¯ve done so much for you, would you?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ yes. I feel responsible, painfully so.¡±


    ¡°Right? That¡¯s why I include that in my calculations.¡±


    ¡°Melty¡¯s a yandere¡­¡±


    ¡°Yandere?¡±


    Melty tilted her head when she heard the unfamiliar word I used.


    ¡°The nature of a person¡¯s love and affection is such that it can lead to self-inflicted wounds or aggressive attacks on rivals¡­ Though you¡¯re quite different.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t attack other girls, you know? Even if it involves self-harm, I only did it because I had to.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. That¡¯s the difference. If anything, you¡¯re more like someone who is willing to make sacrifices, acts manly, and is very calculating. It¡¯s not a yandere.¡±


    ¡°Calculating, you say¡­ That¡¯s not the only reason I¡¯m doing this to find you.¡±


    ¡°Of course I know that. I feel respect and awe for the fact that you have come alone to save me without regard to danger or sacrifice. If I were a girl and Melty was a boy, I¡¯d be dying of love to you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d die of love if I was a boy?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, the only person I¡¯d die of love for is Sylphy.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for the treat.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡±


    ¡°You can eat me too if you want.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll give it every possible consideration.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Melty smiles and clasps her hands in a triumphant pose. Hmm, it¡¯s a little light.


    ¡°What¡¯s the situation with Sylphy and the others?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already talked to them.¡±


    ¡°As expected, you¡¯ve got it all under control.¡±


    ¡°Of course. So, why don¡¯t we get moving?¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    Melty took the lead, and I followed close behind, never straying far from her. Soon, we reached the castle gate, and Melty, who had been walking ahead, seemed to have gone out first after a brief check.


    I thought I might get into a bit of trouble, but Ellen had arranged for me to stay at the cathedral, and I was able to get through the gates of Merinesburg smoothly without being accused of anything.


    I met up with Melty, who was waiting for me at the gate, and we headed out of the city streets to the entrance of the underground passage.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    ¡°Do you know that there is an underground passage for escape under the castle?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard of it, but I don¡¯t know much about it. It¡¯s only a rumor.¡±


    ¡°I see. So that¡¯s what we¡¯re heading for. Do you have any information about the slimes that live in the underground passages, or rather the sewers?¡±


    ¡°Lime-san and the others, huh? They¡¯re alive and¡­ well, speaking of which, they are not likely to die.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re invincible, aren¡¯t they, Lime and the others?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true. I can manage one on one, but three on one, I don¡¯t think I have a chance.¡±


    ¡°Eh¡­ you can win one on one?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I can win.¡±


    ¡°I-I see¡­¡±


    No way, right? How can she beat Lime and the others who seemed to be completely impossible to beat? Melty? Let¡¯s definitely not piss her off.


    I mean, seriously? I don¡¯t think any normal life form can compete with them¡­ I mean, they¡¯re not really slime anymore; they¡¯re more like some kind of dangerous creature that makes a noise like Tekeli-Li. From the intelligence perspective, they¡¯re in the lord class.


    While shivering inwardly, I cut through the forest and moved to the destination point. I thought I might get lost, but fortunately, I managed to find the entrance because of the distinctive rock that hid it.


    ¡°Is this it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, this is it.¡±


    I took out a torch from my inventory and walked deeper into the dimly lit cave.


    ¡°It was time to enter Lime and the others¡¯ territory¡­¡±


    I was unable to continue my words. I was smashed by something soft that fell from above me, wrapped around me, and swallowed me whole. There are only three persons I know of who would do such a thing.


    ¡°Kosuke! I was worried!¡±


    ¡°O-oh¡­ I understand that. Can you let me go?¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    ¡°Is that so¡­?¡±


    I was rejected with full force. In the meantime, Lime is clinging to my body, not only under my armor but also under my clothes, rubbing all over my body. In fact, it¡¯s as if I¡¯ve been put in a washing machine, with only my head sticking out of the machine and being turned around.


    ¡°You¡¯re very fond of him, aren¡¯t you¡­?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Kosuke is our¡­ our?¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Lime¡¯s upper body grew out of the main body (?) that enveloped me, and she tilted her head. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on with her.


    ¡°Anyway, he¡¯s an important material.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ Was it good?¡±


    ¡°Kosuke is good, you know?¡±


    ¡°Would you allow me to join you?¡±


    ¡°No problem. Let¡¯s go to Lime and the others¡¯ house!¡±


    ¡°Um, I can walk on my own. Can you let me go?¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    After a few minutes of being taken in by Lime, we arrived at the home of the Lime and the others that I had missed.


    ¡°This is certainly Kosuke-san¡¯s base, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Melty nodded while looking at the improved workbenches and blacksmithing facilities that were still in place. And as for me?


    ¡°I will drown! Stop doing that to my face; I¡¯ll suffocate!¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t even contact me! I was really worried about you!¡±


    Beth was hugging me. That¡¯s fine, but please don¡¯t shove your moderately stretchy slime in my face. It covers my face so tightly and without any gaps that I¡¯m seriously suffocating.


    ¡°I¡¯m next-nanodesu.¡±


    ¡°Lime, too.¡±


    ¡°Lime is after me because you already enjoyed it earlier.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to be in the queue. but¡­¡±


    ¡°Well then, you¡¯re after me.¡±


    ¡°Mmm¡­¡±


    I feel that Lime and others¡­ Including Melty, who for some reason was treated as a thing of the past, were tortured, and by the time they released me, I was totally exhausted.


    ¡°Ah¡­ where do I start?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like you to start at the beginning. I¡¯m also curious about how you got in touch with Lime-san and the others.¡±


    ¡°Roger that.¡±


    I sat down on the sofa-shaped Lime and began to explain the situation.


    I was taken by surprise by Qubi and kidnapped, put in a cell in the basement of the castle, used the items in the cell to make a stone ax, broke through the stone floor and escaped to the underground passage, met Lime and the others, and made preparations to infiltrate Merinesburg to make a golem communication device.


    ¡°So, how did you end up with the Adel religion people?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a complicated fate to that¡­¡±


    I went to a money changer to exchange the fake empire currency for mithril, and I heard that it was difficult to get mithril products. I decided to make a donation at the Adel cathedral to get a mithril rosary, which was a risk but a sure way to get one.


    ¡°Why would you take a risk on the word of a single money changer clerk¡­?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been nearly a month since I disappeared, you know. I thought that if I didn¡¯t get in touch with the Liberation Army as soon as possible, or rather Sylphy and the others, they might act recklessly. In other words, I took the time rather than the risk, you know. In fact, since Melty has come this far after making a reckless move, I think I made the right decision.¡±


    ¡°Ugh¡­ that¡¯s for sure.¡±


    ¡°But, well, that¡¯s where the unforeseen happened.¡±


    When I went to the cathedral to get the mithril rosary, I saw that it was the day that the saint was preaching, and there were a lot of church knights there. If I turn back on my heels after seeing that, I might be spotted as a suspicious person, so I had no choice but to participate in the prayer, and at the end of the prayer, when I was about to receive the blessing from the saint, the man behind me suddenly attacked the saint with a poisonous dagger, and I quickly saved her and was stabbed.


    ¡°Why are you protecting her¡­? Why don¡¯t you just let it slide and let her get stabbed?¡±


    ¡°The saint, beautiful?¡±


    ¡°Kosuke seems to have a soft spot for women.¡±


    ¡°Yes-nanodesu.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not it. That¡¯s not the reason. The guy behind me made a strange noise and pushed me away, so I just elbowed him in the face.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s pretend that¡¯s the case-nodesu. So what was the poison-nodesu? That antidote I gave you can cure most poisons¡­¡±


    ¡°They said it was basilisk venom. And conveniently enough, it stabbed me in the liver.¡±


    Melty spouted. Lime and the others looked puzzled as if they had stopped thinking. What the hell?


    ¡°Why are you still alive-nodesu? It would be strange if you didn¡¯t die instantly-nodesu.¡±


    ¡°Kosuke is strong.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not something we could survive, let alone a human being.¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯m really impressed you¡¯re still alive¡­?¡±


    ¡°Would you guys please stop looking at me like I¡¯m a rare animal? Well, that¡¯s what the saint said to me. It¡¯s like I have the life force of a cockroach or some such.¡±


    ¡°Even a cockroach is no match for the basilisk¡¯s venom.¡±


    ¡°Are you trying to say it¡¯s more than that? Hmm?¡±


    ¡°Well, anyway¡­ What happened after that?¡±


    ¡°Nh¡­ Well, I¡¯ll tell you the rest.¡±


    I fell asleep in the cathedral for a while. I was nursed back to health by the saint and the sisters of the Adel religion. And then, I tell them that the saint discovered me to be a marebito.


    ¡°You were discovered?¡±


    ¡°It was obvious at a glance. Something like a glow? The saint said that she could see some kind of glow in her eyes. She said she could see the blessings of God as light. Since the time of the preaching in the cathedral, she already knew that I was not normal.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s troubling¡­ So, what happened?¡±


    ¡°You know what?¡±


    I told them about the oracle that Ellen had received before she came here and about my interaction with her in as much detail as I could remember. As I did so, the initially tense faces of Melty and the slime girls grew colder and colder, and by the end, the eyes of all three except Lime had turned as if they were looking at a female enemy.


    ¡°Kosuke-san¡­ again?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not my fault! It¡¯s not my fault the God gave her that oracle! It¡¯s not my fault!¡±


    ¡°Kosuke, popular?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re too blind to see what¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re really a lady-killer-nodesu.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t done it. As I said, I haven¡¯t done it.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    Melty glared at me. She¡¯s not happy about it. I know.


    ¡°A-anyway, you know what? The main point is that the Holy Kingdom or even the Adel religion is not monolithic, and also, you can make a pipeline with those who might be pro-subhuman among them.¡±


    ¡°¡­Well, that certainly sounds like a useful network.¡±


    ¡°How are you going to get in touch with them? You mean Kosuke isn¡¯t going to go see her every time?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the thing. I need Lime and the others to cooperate.¡±


    ¡°Cooperate?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m going to leave the high-powered Golem communicator I¡¯m planning to build here, and I want you to help me communicate with Ellen¡­ I mean Saint Eleonora through it.¡±


    ¡°Ellen, hey¡­ that¡¯s fine, but how exactly?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a compartment where the royal family lives, right? Ellen will somehow get there by herself, and I want you to meet her there.¡±


    The slime girls looked at each other at my suggestion.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want anyone to go near that place if possible.¡±


    ¡°Of course. Just the first time. After that, you and Ellen can discuss and decide where and how to contact.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case?¡±


    ¡°Just the first time is fine.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    I¡¯m glad the slime girls agreed to this. If they hadn¡¯t, I would have had to go to Merinesburg to see Ellen again.


    ¡°What exactly are you planning to do, Kosuke-san?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a concrete plan yet, but either way, I don¡¯t think we can stop fighting until we kill all the Adel religion¡¯s believers in the Merinard Kingdom, right? At some point, peace must be made, and Ellen and the denomination to which she belongs are the most suitable window for that.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s certainly true.¡±


    ¡°It seems to be a denomination that does not get along well with most of them. The fact that Ellen and her denomination has power should work to the advantage of the Liberation Army.¡±


    ¡°That may be so.¡±


    ¡°And it seems that the current anti-subhuman Adel religion is suspected to be a distortion of the original Adel teachings by the survivors of the Omit Kingdom, which was destroyed by the elves hundreds of years ago¡­¡±


    ¡°The original Adel religion?¡±


    ¡°It seems like there¡¯s a desire to investigate the Great Omit Wilderness, the site of the Omit Kingdom, in order to investigate that area. It may be possible to overturn the Adel religion and even the Holy Kingdom.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    Melty nodded at my explanation and pondered. I think Melty can do a much better job with this kind of intrigue and politics than I can, and to be honest, I¡¯d rather leave it to her.


    ¡°This is the only thing I can explain¡­ Now, let¡¯s get to work on the Golem communicator.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯d like to tell Sylphiel that Kosuke-san is safe as soon as possible, so please do your best.¡±


    ¡°Leave it to me.¡±


    I¡¯ll start by alloying the mithril rosary with copper. I want to hear Sylphiel¡¯s voice as soon as possible. I¡¯ll hurry up.

 CH 106

    Chapter 106 ¨C Who Would Benefit From This?


    Sylphy¡¯s POV


    It¡¯s already been a week since Kosuke disappeared.


    We were able to figure out Kosuke¡¯s current location early on. Isla was able to find him quickly by using ritual magic to search for him using a catalyst. Fortunately, we had a ¡®fresh¡¯ catalyst to find Kosuke, so we could trust the accuracy.


    The problem was the location.


    ¡°Merinesburg¡­¡±


    ¡°I knew it¡­¡±


    I should say that my premonition had come true in a bad way. It¡¯s not clear how they managed to travel the distance to Merinesburg in such a short time, but they must have used some kind of transfer artifact. If not, there is no way he could have traveled from Erichburg to Merinesburg in just half a day.


    ¡°How do we rescue him¡­?¡±


    That was the problem. Merinesburg is the political center of the Merinard Kingdom. It is also the center of the enemy. In terms of distance, it takes about five days by carriage, and two to three times that on foot. There are also garrisons and forts of the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army on the way to Merinesburg, and it is unlikely that we could send an army there to conduct operations.


    The Holy Kingdom¡¯s army must be very nervous about us occupying Erichburg, and they are watching us very closely. They¡¯ve been sending out scouts around Erichburg, after all.


    Nevertheless, there is no way not to rescue Kosuke. The Liberation Army can¡¯t afford to lose Kosuke, who is the key to our logistics, and I, personally, can¡¯t afford to abandon him.


    If we can¡¯t send troops, then we have no choice but to send a small number of elites¡­


    ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Impossible.¡±


    ¡°No, you can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s out of the question.¡±


    Melty, Isla, Danan, and Leonard came to me and rejected me.


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°Why would we allow Sylphy to infiltrate alone? Think about your position.¡±


    ¡°Your ears stand out. There¡¯s no way to hide them.¡±


    ¡°I agree with Melty.¡±


    ¡°I also agree. There is no way for a leader to go into a dangerous place alone.¡±


    ¡°Gnunu¡­¡±


    It was a good argument that left me speechless.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t do that. You can¡¯t hide your eyes any better than my ears.¡±


    I might be able to manage it by cutting down my ears at worst, but there is no way to hide Isla¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°In the first place, Isla¡¯s body is too small, just like a child¡¯s, isn¡¯t it? A child on her own would be conspicuous.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve said what I need to say.¡±


    ¡°Same for me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a child¡­¡±


    Melty¡¯s words had an effect on Isla, and she slumped. She¡¯s not a child, but she¡¯s small in stature.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I can either.¡±


    ¡°Your mane and face are not suitable for infiltration, are they?¡±


    ¡°Then I will do it.¡±


    ¡°Danan, they know your face. You¡¯re still on the wanted list, after all.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be difficult because of your horns. So I¡¯ll go.¡±


    Melty started to say strange things. Melty has horns, too, after all.


    ¡°Melty has horns too.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll just have to cut them off.¡±


    The horned subhuman said something outrageous. There was no way that Melty didn¡¯t know what it meant for a horned subhuman to lose their horns.


    ¡°Since we have the medicine that Kosuke made, there will be no danger. There is no risk of infection.¡±


    ¡°No, that doesn¡¯t mean¨D¨D¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not difficult to blend in with humans once I remove my horns. If I¡¯m alone, I can escape at will if the need arises.¡±


    Melty might indeed be able to manage on her own, but¡­ cutting off her horns is not something¡­


    ¡°I¡¯ve prepared myself for that. Besides, even if I were to die at the worst possible time, the impact on the Liberation Army would be minimal, among this group.¡±


    ¡°I suppose so.¡±


    ¡°Leonard!¡±


    ¡°Your Highness, facts are facts. I¡¯m sorry to say this, but Melty¡¯s position is that of an internal affairs officer. In addition to Your Highness as our leader, Isla, who is the head of the research and development department and the leader of the mage troops, and Danan, who was in a leadership position in the rebellion three years ago, and I have different influence in the event of an emergency.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I mean. You know what I¡¯m capable of, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±


    Of course, I know that, but that doesn¡¯t mean that she has to cut off her horns¡­


    ¡°The best thing to do would be to have a human soldier from the Liberation Army infiltrate the place. There¡¯s no one we can trust, either in terms of competence or integrity, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. In fact, the people Qubi brought in have betrayed us.¡±


    Silence fell over the meeting room. In fact, this is a big problem. The fact that the kidnapping of Kosuke was discovered and that the truth was discovered through a general investigation was good. Still, it created a mutual distrust, or rather a rift, between the subhumans and the human refugees.


    Now, the overt conflict has somehow subsided, but there is no telling when it will start up again. I¡¯m still struggling to solve this problem.


    ¡°Qubi¡­ the next time I see you, I¡¯m going to shave your entire body and expose it to the world.¡±


    ¡°And the fur on his tail.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    The damage he has done to the Liberation Army is immeasurable. To be honest, I think the damage that he brought to the Liberation Army is greater in confusion and mutual distrust than the damage received from the Holy Kingdom Army.


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to Sir Leonard to do the cutting. Please make it painless.¡±


    ¡°I shall do my utmost to ensure that.¡±


    After this, both of Melty¡¯s horns were cut off by Leonard¡¯s hands, and after only one day of recovery, she departed.


    About two weeks later, when my frustration had reached its peak, the time came.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    ¡°Is this the Golem communicator?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s a portable, high-powered type.¡±


    I¡¯m proud to show off my completed golem communicator. The communication range of this portable golem communicator is more than five times that of the previous model. I¡¯m sure that¡¯s the case according to the specifications. I honestly don¡¯t know the specs, though, because I made it as an item creation.


    It looks like a square box the size of a desk, with a dial to change the frequency and a microphone and speaker to make calls, and it¡¯s a rugged piece of equipment without a shred of design. Sorry, don¡¯t ask me to design anything. That¡¯s the domain of Lamia-san, the blacksmith.


    ¡°Kosuke-san.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°This can send but can¡¯t receive, can it?¡±


    ¡°Eh? No, I don¡¯t think so. It has five times the communication range of the previous model. The distance is sufficient¡­¡±


    ¡°No, so even if the magic waves from this communicator reach over there, the magic waves from over there won¡¯t reach here, will they?¡±


    ¡°¡­Oh no!¡±


    That¡¯s also true. Even if I increase the reception sensitivity, the output of the magic wave transmitted over there is not enough, to begin with, and the magic wave decays before it reaches here. Is this a failure?


    ¡°Even if it¡¯s a one-way communication from here, we can still let them know we¡¯re okay, so I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a total waste.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    I think it would be best if there were a relay station with transmitters and receivers¡­ I wonder if it would be possible to make one with item creation¡­? I think it¡¯s going to be difficult.


    I can craft the only golem cores for golem communicators, so if I want to make a relay station, I think I will need to have the research and development department make a golem core for the relay station.


    No, but if it¡¯s an item creation, is there a chance¡­? I¡¯ll try it later.


    ¡°In the meantime, let¡¯s try sending a message.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Let¡¯s try it on as many frequencies as we can.¡±


    ¡°All right. Supply the magic.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    ¡°Roger-nanodesu.¡±


    The slime girls touched the magic supply slots on the large golem communicator and began to supply magic power. I can¡¯t feel any magic power, but I can tell by looking at the indicator that shows the stockpile of magic power is rising rapidly that it is supplying magic power without problems. It¡¯s amazing what civilization can do.


    ¡°It looks like the magic power has finished filling.¡±


    ¡°All right, let¡¯s get started¡­ This is Kosuke, this is Kosuke. We are currently hiding in the underground sewers of Merinesburg. Melty and I are safe, and most of the royal family of the Merinard Kingdom are still alive in the royal castle. No one has been taken.¡±


    At the same time, I transmit the same message on multiple frequencies used by the Liberation Army, including the fact that I am currently communicating with a prototype large golem communication device and that I probably won¡¯t be able to receive communications from that device.


    ¡°My throat is dry.¡±


    ¡°Ei!¡±


    ¡°Gabfff!¡±


    Lime suddenly turned a part of her body into a tentacle and shoved it into my mouth.


    It¡¯s going down my throat! I¡¯m done! Or rather, I can¡¯t breathe! When I was in a panic, she released me.


    ¡°Cough! Cough! Geh! Oek¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you better?¡±


    ¡°What are you¡­ doing? Oh, my throat doesn¡¯t feel dry anymore.¡±


    My throat was recovering from its near-death state. No, it¡¯s great, but the image is not good. Image, huh? Who¡¯s it for?


    ¡°It surprises me when you do it suddenly. Don¡¯t do it suddenly in the future.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Lime tilted her head. It¡¯s no good having such mocking reactions. Mainly because of the image.


    The taste of lime? Tasteless and odorless¡­ No, there was a slight fresh scent in the air. Though, it¡¯s not that delicious.


    ¡°Did this reach them over there?¡±


    ¡°Maybe, probably, surely. There¡¯s no way to be sure.¡±


    If the communication has reached over there, Isla will be able to somehow achieve a magic wave strength that will allow the communication to reach here in the not too distant future and send the communication. If it¡¯s just a matter of output, she¡¯ll probably be able to manage it. I¡¯m also considering the installation of an external transmitter antenna to ensure reliable transmission and reception¡­ No, I think it¡¯s better to go home immediately.


    Let¡¯s talk about it with Melty and Lime. Yeah.

 CH 107

    Chapter 107 ¨C Benefit


    ¡°¡®I think it would be best to establish communications first.¡±


    ¡°I think so, too.¡±


    ¡°Yes-nanodesu.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? I think we better go home quickly¡­¡±


    ¡°Either way, if we can¡¯t communicate, it¡¯ll be a problem in the future.¡±


    ¡°I see. That¡¯s true.¡±


    Ellen ¨D that is to say, negotiations with the Adel religion nostalgia is a plan based on the premise that communication with the Golem communicator is sufficient. In the first place, if we can¡¯t use the golem communicator, there¡¯s no point in talking about the plan.


    ¡°But why don¡¯t we just wait for them to improve it? To begin with, I can run to Erichburg and make this portable golem communicator there.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure this thing is not broken?¡±


    ¡°Eh? No, there¡¯s always a chance, but¡­¡±


    ¡°But if it does break, we won¡¯t be able to communicate, and the whole plan will fall apart-nodesu.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s for sure¡­¡±


    Should I make a spare unit and the parts for one additional unit? No, the problem is materials¡­ The golem core won¡¯t even wear out, and it won¡¯t need a spare. I¡¯ll just make a casing without the golem core, and if the communicator malfunctions, I can have the golem core transferred to the spare casing.


    After that, it would be best if I could make it so that I could replace the parts that are prone to wear out easily¡­ To be honest, I don¡¯t know which parts are prone to breakage because I don¡¯t have much experience in using them. In the first place, I don¡¯t understand the detailed structure and specifications of the items I make in Item Creation, so it¡¯s difficult for me to make them.


    I suppose you could say this is a drawback of my ability. But there are some advantages that make up for it. It¡¯s not that I can¡¯t disassemble, analyze, and reverse engineer what I¡¯ve made. In fact, that¡¯s how the craftsmen of this world came up with the Goatsfoot Crossbow, which uses the principle of leverage to pull the string easily.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to build a spare casing, increase the range of communication, and wait for communication from the other side.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. We¡¯ll get the materials.¡±


    ¡°Scrap metal is fine, right-nodesu?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll go¨D¨D¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just stay here, Kosuke?¡±


    The slime girls hurriedly disappeared into the depths of the underground passage. All that is left is a magical ball of light, me and Melty.


    ¡°Ah¡­ well, it looks like that¡¯s the way it¡¯s going to be, so shall we rest?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s do that.¡±


    I took out a sofa from my inventory and sat down. Melty also sat down next to me.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it too close?¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    I think that¡¯s the case. The sofa is large enough for three people to sit side by side, but you¡¯re sticking close to me, Melty.


    ¡°Err¡­ is the area where you cut your horn okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not really okay. I feel strangely light and out of sorts, and my senses seem to have dulled. Besides, it hurt like hell when I got it cut, and I dream about it¡­ at night. Sometimes it throbbed and hurt.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard¡­ for me, really.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t apologize. I did it on my own¡­ But I¡¯d be happy if you could take a look at it.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any expertise in that field.¡±


    ¡°Even if you just put your hand on it and rubbed it, it would make a difference.¡±


    After saying that, Melty rolled over and used my lap as a pillow. Her gray, moist eyes, illuminated by magic light, staring up at me.


    ¡°Well then¡­¡±


    ¡°Mmm¡­¡±


    I put my hand into the rich, slightly nappy strawberry blonde and ran my hand over the area where the horn should have grown, and something obviously recognizable hit my fingertips. The center seemed to be porous.


    ¡°Is it okay? Does it hurt when I touch it?¡±


    ¡°Mmm, I-I¡¯m fine¡­ Mmm!¡±


    ¡°Is it really all right¡­?¡±


    No matter how I look at it, she has teary eyes, and her body is shaking. She doesn¡¯t seem to be all right.


    ¡°I-it¡¯s not painful at all. I¡¯m just a little sensitive¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not so sure about that.¡±


    It seemed that touching the spot in the middle of the horn with my fingertips was too stimulating, so I touched the area around it and the scalp at the base of the horn as gently as I could. As I did so, her eyes became glazed over, and she began to let out a muffled cry from her half-open mouth.


    ¡°Haaaa¡­ Aaah¡­¡±


    ¡°What can I say? It¡¯s kind of poisonous to the eyes.¡±


    The destructive power of Melty¡¯s debauched expression, which was always difficult to read because of her smiling face, is unbelievable. My vocabulary is so bad that it¡¯s killing me. My reason is likely to be destroyed.


    ¡°I have to figure out a way to get your horns back on.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ It¡¯s fine, you know? As long as you can treat me like this once in a while.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do this any time. But I still want to restore it, you know? It¡¯s my responsibility.¡±


    ¡°Fufu¡­ Mmh, then, oh, wait¡­ Mmh.¡±


    ¡°Would you please stop making that seductive voice?¡±


    ¡°Fufu, is there something wrong with it?¡±


    Please stop it. Stop moving your head around. I won¡¯t tell you the reason, but don¡¯t provoke it; it¡¯s dangerous.


    ¡°They¡¯ve taken care of you, haven¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°No, no, no, I have Sylphy and Isla and the others, remember?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care if there are one, two, three, four, or five more of them. I¡¯ve already talked to Sylphy and the others about it. Besides, you said you¡¯d give it a positive consideration, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°No, no, no, no, I did say that, but a little slower, okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve waited long enough already.¡±


    Melty¡¯s eyes, looking up at me, begin to take on a golden glow. It¡¯s no use.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting a long time for you to take care of me. As a powerless internal affairs officer, I should never get involved in a fight.¡±


    ¡°No, it was different¡­?¡±


    ¡°No? I¡¯m a powerless internal affairs officer. I always have been, and I always will be.¡±


    She grabbed my arm with a very strong grip.


    ¡°That¡¯s a lie! It¡¯s a lie that you¡¯re a powerless internal affairs officer! It must be a mask to hide from the world ¨D Ah, ah, aa, no, you can¡¯t, I said you couldn¡¯t! Whoa! My leather armor is like a piece of paper! Wait, calm down! Calm¨D¨D¡±


    An excited sheep is dangerous. I just learned this¡­


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I got overexcited¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s okay¡­ Sometimes these things happen.¡±


    Melty was downhearted as she looked at the remnants of my leather armor and clothes that she had torn to pieces.


    I changed into the brand new clothes I had in my inventory. Literally, everything was ripped off. I guess the stress of all the things she had accumulated, the stress of having her horns cut off, the stress of infiltrating alone, and so on exploded.


    After getting things done and settling down, Melty may have fallen into a state of intense self-loathing and is crying and crying. It¡¯s refreshing to see Melty like this. I had always imagined her as a smiling woman who never lost her composure.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be perfect in front of me.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    I gently hugged Melty¡¯s head and patted her back to soothe her. It¡¯s like dealing with a little girl. Maybe her mind is out of balance because she lost her horn. It seems to have been quite painful to cut it off, and for a subhuman with horns, it seems to be a place of comfort or confidence. I don¡¯t have horns, so I can only imagine.


    As I took care of her, Melty fell asleep in my arms, breathing softly. Perhaps she hadn¡¯t had a good night¡¯s sleep since she entered the area occupied by the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army.


    ¡°¡­That was intense!¡±


    ¡°Just like a beast-nodesu!¡±


    ¡°Kosuke, are you all right?¡±


    ¡°Where did you come from, girls?¡±


    As soon as I thought I heard voices coming from all around the room, slime girls came out of corners, ceilings, and cracks in the floor. It literally is.


    ¡°I was afraid that she might hurt Kosuke in the heat of the moment.¡±


    ¡°It was a necessary measure-nodesu.¡±


    ¡°She might be mistaken her strength.¡±


    ¡°Oh no, that¡¯s scary.¡±


    It¡¯s true that if she were to use her grip and physical strength to tear off the leather armor as if it were a piece of paper, she might be able to break many things. It happened so fast. I¡¯m not going to say what it is, though.


    ¡°So, did you bring the materials?¡±


    ¡°We didn¡¯t miss a thing-nodesu.¡±


    From the room entrance, a group of slime girls brought in swamp iron ore one after another. They were doing an excellent job of mining while keeping an eye on me. The only problem with this swamp iron ore is that it smells a bit bad. I decided to store it in my inventory quickly.


    ¡°Beth, can you give me some magic fuel?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    This room isn¡¯t very big, so I can just about operate the smithing facilities from the sofa. I started smelting the swamp iron ore, taking care not to wake Melty. When the copper is extracted to a certain extent, I mix it with a small amount of mithril to refine it into a mithril-copper alloy and use it as a material to make the casing for the portable golem communication device.


    ?Portable Golem Communication Device (Case) ¨D Materials: Mithril Copper Alloy x 2 Iron x 20 Copper x 15 Silver x 5 Gold x 2 Mechanical Parts x 18


    For the one that¡¯s not a casing, you¡¯ll need a Golem Core (medium) for the communicator in addition to this. Well, I think the cost is pretty high. And that¡¯s with the mitigation skills. Do they round down the fractions? I don¡¯t know the original numbers now, so I can¡¯t verify that.


    The mechanical parts are the main problem, I guess. The improved workbench has made some improvements, but it still takes a lot of time to make them. Even the blacksmiths had a hard time making mechanical parts, or rather screws.


    They looked as if they had been struck by lightning when they saw the lathe attached to the improved workbench I made. Having a foot-powered lathe makes a huge difference in the time it takes to make small parts. Not that it matters to my crafting abilities!


    So I worked quietly, trying not to wake Melty, and finished the spare casing just as it was getting dark outside. Just about that time, Melty woke up and was in agony, remembering what she had done before she fell asleep. Specifically, she curled up on the sofa with her head in her hands for a while.


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry for all the trouble I¡¯ve caused you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry; it¡¯s not a problem at all. In fact, I think Melty should be more lenient with me. It must be exhausting, playing the role of perfection.¡±


    ¡°¡­I think it¡¯s unfair to say that.¡±


    ¡°I will have Melty and Sylphy spoiled by me, and I will have Isla, and the Harpies spoiled me.¡±


    ¡°Ara? It¡¯s okay to be spoiled by us, too, you know?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll fall into the depravity of having you spoil me¡­¡±


    I don¡¯t know how happy the slime girls are to spoil me, but when I leave them to themselves, I don¡¯t have to do anything, and I can have the greatest of ease. I really don¡¯t have to do anything. I don¡¯t even have to walk by myself, and even my breathing seems to be taken care of. That¡¯s not good.


    ¡°Everything in moderation, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. But Melty should be more lenient. In the meantime, I¡¯ll serve you as much as you want for dinner tonight, as long as I can make it.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure? Something sweet, then.¡±


    ¡°Dinner?¡±


    ¡°Something sweet.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Since I said I¡¯d take whatever she wanted, I couldn¡¯t break my promise. I decided to let out all kinds of sweets that I had. The slime girls were very excited about this.


    I, on the other hand, ate a hamburger by myself while watching them. I¡¯m the kind of person who can¡¯t fill up on sweets, you know.

 CH 108

    Chapter 108 ¨C Can¡¯t Escape


    ¡°This is Sylphy speaking from Erichburg. Kosuke, if you can hear me, please respond.¡±


    After two days of waiting while building a spare casing and an additional external antenna. Finally, the portable golem communication device received communication from Erichburg. The external antenna had been installed yesterday, so the strength of the magic wave on the other side must have increased.


    Incidentally, unlike radio waves, these magic waves hardly attenuate even through the ground or stone walls. It is weak against magic barriers, so magic barriers that block magic power, some magic metals, and walls made of lead seem to be no good. I wonder if it has some kind of radiation-like effect.


    ¡°This is Kosuke speaking from Merinesburg. Sylphy, we can finally talk.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ Fuh¡­ I can finally talk to you¡­ Kosuke¡­¡±


    I can hear her crying over the speakers. Aah, my heart is tightening up terribly. I want to hug her right now, but the wall of physical distance between her and me is unmanageable.


    ¡°I think I¡¯ve told you before that I¡¯ve safely joined up with Melty. We¡¯re hiding out in the sewers of Merinesburg. With the help of Lime, Beth, and Poizo.¡±


    I then told her the same story that I had told Melty, telling her in detail what had happened after Qubi kidnaped me. In the middle of it, Sylphy, Isla, Danan, and Sir Leonard asked me questions, and I answered them as well.


    ¡°As I thought, it¡¯s Qubi¡­ He¡¯s affiliated with the Holy Kingdom.¡±


    ¡°Next time I see him, I¡¯ll kill him.¡±


    ¡°Isla?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill him for sure.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not enough to just kill him. I will shave his entire body and make him a public spectacle.¡±


    ¡°Kosuke¡­ The two of them are scary, so you must come home early. They only say scary things like shaving off his entire fur, cutting off his ears and tail. And also, I want to eat Kosuke¡¯s food.¡±


    ¡°You really are an old man who is obedient to his desires, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    By the way, ever since I was kidnapped, Ms. Zamir has been destroying the remaining remnants of the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army in the south as if she were possessed by something. I¡¯ve heard that she took responsibility for not being able to fulfill her duties as my guard and tried to commit suicide. Is she the kind of samurai who takes responsibility and commits seppuku?


    I¡¯ve heard that Sylphy stopped her from doing so, but she¡¯s been spending all her time fighting without taking a proper break since then. If I don¡¯t get back soon, Ms. Zamir is going to be in trouble.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s my course of action from now on?¡±


    ¡°Come back.¡±


    ¡°Come back.¡±


    ¡°Come back. As soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Come back. As quickly as possible.¡±


    ¡°Ahay.¡±


    I was unanimously told to come back. That¡¯s right. There¡¯s nothing for me to do even if I stay here.


    ¡°Kosuke, are you going back?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to leave¡­¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped-nodesu.¡±


    The slime girls looked disappointed. Yeah, they¡¯ve been very helpful, and they¡¯ve been really nice to me. The underground life has been very comfortable, except for the lack of sun, and to be honest, I miss it a lot.


    ¡°But then again, where I belong is with Sylphy.¡±


    ¡°Kosuke¡­¡±


    From the speaker, I could hear her voice, which sounded like she was overcome with emotion.


    ¡°Kosuke, I¡¯ll be waiting.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, wait for me. We¡¯ll leave tomorrow when we¡¯re ready. Then I¡¯ll end the communication.¡±


    I replied to Isla and ended the communication.


    Now, as for the preparations¡­ my leather armor was destroyed by Melty.


    Other than that, we need to be well prepared for the journey before we leave. We¡¯ve got plenty of food. The water is fine. I¡¯ve made brick blocks out of clay, so I can set up a shelter.


    Huh? If I just make leather armor, we can leave, right?


    ¡°I¡¯ll just make the armor. Is there anything else needed?¡±


    ¡°Oh, there¡¯s something I need you to make for me then.¡±


    ¡°Okay, what is it?¡±


    Melty smiled at my reply. Oh, this is bad.


    ¡°Please make me a collar.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Make a collar with the same design as the slave¡¯s collar.¡±


    ¡°Why¡­?¡±


    ¡°If we¡¯re going to be walking together in the Holy Kingdom¡¯s territory, it¡¯s safest to pretend that I¡¯m Kosuke-san¡¯s slave. If it¡¯s a combination of a subhuman female slave with her horns cut off and a human male mercenary, the chances of people thinking you¡¯re suspicious are close to zero. It¡¯s not unnatural for a mercenary to have a subhuman female slave as a trophy.¡±


    ¡°Nunu¡­¡±


    I can¡¯t find any room for rebuttal. Indeed, it would be unnatural for a mercenary to have a slave who has been captured on the battlefield. If it¡¯s a warrior, then arming them won¡¯t be a problem.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s pretend you are a warrior and make weapons and armor. That way, we can easily arm ourselves.¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s fine. Let¡¯s say I¡¯m Kosuke-san¡¯s sex slave.¡±


    ¡°Sex¡­?


    ¡°If I am armed, I will be investigated even more. It¡¯s better that way.¡±


    ¡°I-I¡­ see?¡±


    It¡¯s a kind of a roundabout¡­ No, Melty has a point. It¡¯s true that rather than sneaking around with a hooded person hiding their face and head, a slave collar (just a collar that looks like a slave collar) fitted around their neck might attract less attention.


    ¡°Yeah, I get it.¡±


    I¡¯m going to use the leather materials in my inventory, the remnants of the leather armor that Melty tore off, and some iron to make leather armor for me and a slave collar (just for looks) for Melty.


    I feel like Beth and Poizo are giving me a warm look, but I¡¯m sure it¡¯s just my imagination. I¡¯d like to think so.


    The amount of work involved was not much, and the leather armor and collar were quickly completed. I put the leather armor and collar I had made on the improved workbench into my inventory, then took out the collar.


    ¡°It¡¯s done.¡±


    ¡°That was fast. Please put it on me.¡±


    ¡°Eh? You want me to put it on you?¡±


    ¡°Of course. It gives off a certain atmosphere, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°What kind of atmosphere¡­?¡±


    When Melty refuses to accept the collar and raises her chin to expose her neck, I have no choice but to use my hands to put the fake slave collar around Melty¡¯s neck.


    Melty shuddered and let out a strangely sexy sigh as I put the sturdy leather collar around her neck so that it would not be too tight but not too loose either.


    ¡°Ufufu¡­ I¡¯ve been made a sex slave by Kosuke-san.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s just a formality.¡±


    I was a little distracted inwardly by Melty¡¯s red cheeks and feverish expression, but I shook my head firmly and denied it.


    ¡°We need to act like it to make people believe that we are, even if it¡¯s just a formality.¡±


    ¡°Is that¡­so?¡±


    I nodded my head at Melty¡¯s words. That may be the case if you say so. If we don¡¯t act like it, the Holy Kingdom¡¯s soldiers will get suspicious and question us about our job? No, at that time, we can run away as fast as we can and¡­ make a big mess.


    ¡°Let¡¯s practice, shall we?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but ask back at Melty¡¯s unexpected suggestion.


    ¡°Lime-san and the others, will you help us? We¡¯ll be leaving tomorrow, so let¡¯s have the last party¡±.


    ¡°Do it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s do it.¡±


    ¡°Be careful not to overdo it. It would be a disaster if you couldn¡¯t move properly.¡±


    ¡°No, no, no, wait. We have a long trip tomorrow, right? If you don¡¯t regain your strength, you will die. It is not advisable to deplete your strength ¨D p-please don¡¯t eat!¡±


    I shouted and tried to run away. I was about to run away when Melty¡¯s voice was thrown at my back.


    ¡°Do you know it? Kosuke-san.¡±


    I should have turned my back on Melty and the others and started running, but for some reason, I saw Melty¡¯s figure in front of me. I know you don¡¯t know what I¡¯m talking about, but I don¡¯t know what happened either. There was no gust of wind or any other physical phenomenon, and I¡¯m pretty sure it wasn¡¯t anything crazy like moving at super speed.


    ¡°You cannot escape from the demon species.¡±


    ¡°Aiee! Demon! What¡¯s a demon? You are not a sheep?¡±


    ¡°Ufufu¡­ Now, let¡¯s be quiet. I¡¯m not scary, you know.¡±


    ¡°Nooooo! Stop it! You¡¯re going to do terrible things to me!¡±


    ¡°It will end while you count the stains on the ceiling.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It won¡¯t hurt.¡±


    ¡°If something happens, I can heal you again and again. You should relax-nodesu.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see anything reassuring about that. Whoa!¡±


    I think moderation is the key to everything. From the bottom of my heart. Too much is not good. In everything.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Hah?¡±


    What the heck is wrong with me¡­? I can¡¯t remember anything since I finished communicating with Sylphy yesterday¡­ Ugh, I¡¯m trying to remember; my head is all over the place.


    ¡°Kosuke, are you awake?¡±


    I hear a cute little voice coming from an object that wraps around my body with just the right amount of elasticity. It was Lime¡¯s voice. Apparently, I¡¯m sleeping in Lime¡¯s special slime bed. I felt the warmth of someone else¡¯s body next to mine, so I turned my attention to Melty, who for some reason had a slave collar around her neck and was sleeping peacefully with a satisfied look on her face.


    Lime doesn¡¯t like to keep clothes on when she makes me sleep in her bed. So both Melty and I were completely naked. That¡¯s fine. Well, yeah, it¡¯s acceptable; I mean, it¡¯s a new thing.


    The problem is that I don¡¯t remember anything after yesterday afternoon. I can¡¯t figure out why Melty is wearing a slave collar around her neck. My head hurts when I try to remember.


    ¡°Hey Poizo, are you sure everything is okay?¡±


    ¡°The treatment is perfect. If you try to remember, your head may hurt-nodesu.¡±


    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s with all the noise?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, okay?¡±


    ¡°Pyu, pyupyu¡«.¡±


    Poizo tried to cover it up by whistling louder than usual.


    ¡°Kosuke.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Some things are better left undiscovered, you know?¡±


    ¡°O-oh¡­¡±


    Lime, who always speaks vaguely, said the words without hesitation. I was already surprised by that, but there was a certain seriousness to her tone. Yeah, I¡¯ll take her advice. It¡¯s kind of scary, though.


    At any rate, I slipped out of Lime¡¯s bed and checked my physical condition. I felt heavy fatigue in the back of my body, but it was probably just my imagination. I also feel strangely light around the waist. In addition to that, my cheeks seem to be slightly puffy¡­ It¡¯s probably just my imagination.


    I¡¯m sure it¡¯s just my imagination, but I¡¯m going to make sure I eat breakfast.


    A few minutes later, Melty also woke up. In contrast to me, Melty¡¯s skin looks strangely glowing¡­ I¡¯m sure it¡¯s just my imagination. I¡¯ll leave it at that.


    If I look closely, I can see that the volume of Lime and the others are a little larger than usual, and the luster is different, but I¡¯m sure it¡¯s just my imagination. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s just the light or something that makes them look that way. Hahaha.


    Maybe it¡¯s different, but I can¡¯t remember. My head hurts when I try to remember, so I¡¯ll just try not to worry about it. This is not an escape from reality. Never. Yes, I¡¯m just looking to the future.


    I told myself that, and prepared breakfast.

 CH 109

    Chapter 109 ¨C Demon Species


    For some reason, I felt like my strength and stamina limit had dropped as if I had been poisoned, but I must have been mistaken because I recovered after a good breakfast. I have a suspicion that no matter how exhausted I am, I can recover if I eat well, but it must be my imagination. I¡¯ll just pretend that¡¯s the case. I feel like I mustn¡¯t let anyone know.


    ¡°Are you feeling better already-nodesu?¡±


    ¡°With energy and perseverance.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s amazing what you can do after all that sucking.¡±


    ¡°Peerless?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a little out of the ordinary, aren¡¯t you, Kosuke?¡±


    I¡¯ll admit that I¡¯m out of the norm, but what did that sucking thing mean? No, no need to tell me, I¡¯m scared. I think there are many things that I¡¯ve been trying to pretend I didn¡¯t notice since I woke up this morning or try not to remember.


    Slime girls and Melty are dangerous combinations. Remember that, Kosuke.


    ¡°Well then, should we go now¡­? In the meantime, I¡¯ll collect the workbench and other things. I might use it.¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped-nodesu.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a little lonely.¡±


    ¡°How about the communication device? Is that okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, no problem. I¡¯ll bring the normal size one, and we¡¯ll communicate at night.¡±


    No matter how fast we move, we won¡¯t be able to get out of range of the normal Golem communicator by the end of the day. Probably. I¡¯ve set up a discreet external antenna to increase the sensitivity of transmission and reception.


    ¡°Okay, are we good?¡±


    ¡°We look ready.¡±


    Melty and I checked our equipment and nodded to each other. I¡¯m wearing leather armor, a sword on my hip, a backpack and shield on my back, and a short spear in my hand, the usual mercenary style.


    Melty¡¯s attire consisted of slightly more revealing clothing, a backpack, and a hooded robe covering her body. She also carried a rather well-made dagger. Except for the revealing clothes, she looks like a normal woman in traveling clothes.


    ¡°I think the clothes could be a little more substantial.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s more unnatural for a subhuman sex slave to be tightly clothed.¡±


    ¡°Is that how it is?¡±


    Melty nodded at my question. Hmm, if that¡¯s what the locals say, then I guess it is. But is it safe? I hope she doesn¡¯t get tangled up with any strange people¡­ but as long as she¡¯s wearing her robe, she¡¯ll be fine.


    ¡°Well then¡­ shall we go now?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I will accompany you. Master.¡±


    Melty smiles and leans in closer. Mmm, Master¡­ sounds so good. Is this what it feels like to be called master? It¡¯s kind of creepy. I feel like I¡¯m playing a bad game here.


    ¡°Lime, Beth, and Poizo, thank you so much for all your help. I¡¯ll never forget this. I¡¯ll see you soon.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, see you soon?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been a pleasure living with you, Kosuke.


    ¡°See you soon. Take care of yourself, okay-nodesu?¡±


    I gave each of the slime girls a hug and said goodbye. Lime is fluffy and puffy, Beth is smooth with just the right amount of elasticity, and Poizo is¡­ let¡¯s just say squishy. Yeah. Poizo¡¯s body is a little loose, you know.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been with you for a short time. I will repay you in time.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you have to pay for it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be merciless in my attempts to collect.¡±


    ¡°Of course, you will pay us back-nodesu.¡±


    The three of them said it as if it was obvious. There was no hug.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t the reaction too different between Kosuke-san and me?¡±


    ¡°Is it your imagination?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just your imagination.¡±


    ¡°Your imagination-nodesu.¡±


    What a temperature difference. Even the kind-hearted Lime is reacting differently. Is it possible that Melty and the slime girls don¡¯t get along¡­? No, it doesn¡¯t sound like that. I think they have a rather unreserved relationship.


    Anyway, I was primarily responsible for Melty being taken care of by Lime and the others this time. It would be unreasonable to make Melty pay for it.


    ¡°Since Melty came here for me, let me be the one to pay for it.¡±


    ¡°Oh sure, with pleasure?¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s what Kosuke says, I don¡¯t see why not.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it-nodesu.¡±


    The slime girls smiled broadly at my offer. Melty is happy, too ¨D she has a subtle expression on her face. I see; it¡¯s like they¡¯ve forced themselves on me, and I can¡¯t be too happy about it.


    ¡°If you care about Melty, you can do something for me to make up for it.¡±


    ¡°¡­I see. That¡¯s a good idea.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah. Please go easy on me.¡±


    And Melty smiled sincerely. What? I feel like I made a mistake. I want to go back to five seconds ago. Have we implemented save and load yet?


    Is there such a thing in survival games? I¡¯m sure there is!


    ¡°Let¡¯s go then. Sylphy is waiting for us with her long ears.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. See you later!¡±


    This time, I said goodbye to the slime girls and left the sewers.


    But if I make the elves wait for me, they¡¯ll lengthen their ears instead of their necks¡­ Otherworldly phrases are interesting.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    After exiting the sewers, we immediately started running towards the highway. Shaking off the goblins and other monsters that were chasing us, we quickly ran through the forest.


    However, we couldn¡¯t just drag them all the way to the street. In fact, a monster train accident is a crime in this world.


    ¡°Before we leave the forest, let¡¯s just take care of the ones that chased us here.¡±


    Melty said quietly, stopping close to the exit of the forest. She had run a long distance, but she was not breathing unevenly or sweating. She may look like a beautiful woman, but she can probably beat the slime girls one-on-one.


    ¡°All right.¡±


    I also stop and take out my Goatsfoot Crossbow.


    A spear? I¡¯ll use it when they get close to me, only if they get close. It¡¯s not like I have any close combat skills. There is no need to dare to engage in close combat at all.


    ¡°Melty, I¡¯ll take care of this¨D¨D¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll take care of this.¡±


    Melty took a step forward as if to protect me with a clattering sound. At the same time, three goblins jumped out from the bushes in the back.


    ¡°GYAGYAGYAGYA!¡±


    ¡°GUGGEGEGEE!¡±


    ¡°KYEEEEE!¡±


    The goblins observed Melty standing in front of them and gave her an ugly grin. They thought that because she was a woman, she looked weak. Or was it a smile with a different meaning?


    Come to think of it; I wonder what the ecology of goblins in this world is like. Are they the kind of creatures that take the women and children of other races to their nests and do things that are forbidden? I¡¯ll ask someone about that next time. Other than women.


    ¡°Just the three of them?¡±


    ¡°I can do that¨D¨D¡±


    Instantly, three flowers of blood bloomed.


    I don¡¯t know what kind of magic was at work, but the three goblins were turned into a puff of blood by some unidentifiable attack. Melty didn¡¯t move an inch from the spot. She just stuck her palm out in the direction of the three goblins at some point.


    Eh, what the hell is that? Is it a rigid wave? Is it a palm wave?


    Perhaps she noticed my gaze, but Melty turned around and smiled at me.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. Let¡¯s go home as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    I nodded obediently.


    It¡¯s a deadly blow, silent and invisible. And it¡¯s a ranged attack. There¡¯s no way I can resist such a blow from Melty-san, who releases it without hesitation. Isn¡¯t Melty alone enough for the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army?


    ¡°Hey, Melty.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    As we walked through the forest towards the highway, I called out to Melty, who was walking beside me, holding the front of her robe tightly in place, and looked up at me.


    ¡°How strong is Melty, actually? Compared to Sylphy, Sir Leonard or Ms. Zamir?¡±


    ¡°Ah yes¡­ If I were to use my full strength against Sylphy, we would be evenly matched, or perhaps I would be slightly better? I think that Sir Leonard and Ms. Zamir are better than me when it comes to simple combat using only weapons and physical strength, but when it comes to magic power, I don¡¯t think that two people can defeat me. In addition, if fighting using only magic or magic power, I think Isla will win due to the difference in skills and the range of what she can do.¡±


    ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t Melty really strong?¡±


    ¡°Strong, yes. I¡¯m a demon, after all.¡±


    I tilted my head at Melty, who said it so matter-of-factly.


    ¡°If you¡¯re so strong, why did you get a job as an internal affairs officer? Or rather, what is a demon species?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ the reasons are complicated in many ways. Do you know what a changeling is, Kosuke-san?¡±


    ¡°Changeling? Like an elf is born from human parents?¡±


    My knowledge of changelings is about changelings in the fantasy world. It seems that there is a tradition in the real world as well, but I don¡¯t know much about that.


    In the case of the example I gave, I got the impression that it was an inherited condition caused by half-elf or elf blood in the blood of one or both parents.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. My parents were very ordinary sheep beastmen. Their physical ability and magic power are on par with people. And by that, I mean standard among sheep beastman.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°But I wasn¡¯t normal. When I ran, I could beat cats and wolves and lift a load that a bear or elephant could barely lift with one hand. When it came to magic, I was as good as the One-Eyed race or the Tenma tribe. The fact that I am a demon species was immediately known to the people around me, and of course to the Merinard Kingdom.¡±


    ¡°That would be conspicuous.¡±


    If there is such an outstanding person, it will be very conspicuous. If the existence of the demon species is widely known, it is not surprising that the country has a system for detecting its existence.


    ¡°I was taken in by the kingdom, educated, and secretly assigned to guard the royal family. Since I look like a normal sheep beastman, it¡¯s hard for them to be wary of me.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    From what I¡¯ve heard, an ordinary sheep beastman cannot use a rigid palm. It would be scary if they could.


    So it¡¯s perfect for personal protection. She can be disguised as a domestic servant or a maidservant and can be placed near important people to protect them without intimidating or causing distrust.


    ¡°I was going to go on a rampage during the war. But the king told me not to. The king told me to go into hiding for now and manage to get to Sylphy and stay by her side. However, it¡¯s too difficult to traverse the Great Omit Wilderness by myself. Years passed while I was hiding for a chance, a rebellion broke out, and I joined Danan and the others and managed to traverse the Great Omit Wilderness, reunited with Sylphy, and came to this day.¡±


    ¡°Is it difficult to traverse?¡±


    It¡¯s possible if you have enough supplies. Water and shelter can be made with magic.


    ¡°It¡¯s difficult. Although it is possible to eliminate Gizma, the amount of food and water that one person can carry is limited, and one person cannot even rest. If I can¡¯t rest, my magic power will run out sooner or later. And if Gizma attacked me while I was sleeping, I would die. It¡¯s impossible to go through that wilderness alone for ten days.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ you¡¯re right.¡±


    I can carry around an inexhaustible supply of supplies and can even build a safe shelter wherever I want, which is why it seems so easy to me. Surely, it¡¯s an impossible task to go alone without the ability.


    ¡°Yeah? If that¡¯s the case, then what is Melty¨D¨D¡±


    There was a sound of a thud, and Melty was moving in front of me. Her face was smiling, but she looked very intimidating.


    ¡°¡®Kosuke-san, don¡¯t you think that asking a woman her age is an indecent act?


    ¡°In general, I don¡¯t think so, but I don¡¯t think so for Melty. You can be beautiful and beautiful at any age. There are some long-lived species like elves, so there¡¯s no need to worry about them. What I¡¯m wondering is whether the lifespan of a demon species is longer than that of a normal sheep beastman. As I recall, beastmen don¡¯t have much of a lifespan compared to humans, right?¡±


    I put forward my theory, not letting the intimidation get the better of me. The intimidation scared me, and I think she had a point, but I couldn¡¯t suppress my intellectual curiosity.


    Melty stared at me for a while, then closed her eyes and let out a sigh.


    ¡°I¡¯m a little older than Sylphy. I¡¯m much younger than Sir Leonard. Also, the demon species has a longer lifespan. They live about five times as long as normal species.¡±


    ¡°I see, that¡¯s great. Is it more of a mutation than an inheritance?


    It seems strange that a mutation would increase the lifespan. In fact, there is no such thing as inheritance or mutation.


    In reality, it may not be a phenomenon of segregation or mutation but something else.


    While I was listening to Melty¡¯s story, we came to a highway. The traffic was sparse, and some people looked at us quizzically as we came out of the forest, but I guess they didn¡¯t want to get involved.


    ¡°Now that we¡¯re on the highway. What should we do?¡±


    ¡°How long will it take us to get to our destination if we just keep walking down the highway?¡±


    ¡°¡­It would take about a month, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s going to be tough¡­ I think we¡¯d better get off the highway and dash home.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got a map of the Merinard Kingdom in my head, so I can guide you. I¡¯m also confident in my sense of direction.¡±


    Melty looks up at me from right next to me. She¡¯s confident in her sense of direction, hey¡­ I thought sheep were extremely directionless. Is it because she¡¯s a demon species that she¡¯s different¡­? But, she was actually able to get to Merinesburg, so she had a track record.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll ask you to guide me. Please guide me by the best route. Even if we don¡¯t make it to the city, we can rest safely in the shelter.¡±


    ¡°Okay, please follow me.¡±


    After saying that, Melty crossed the highway and started walking towards the forest on the other side of the highway from the forest we just came out of.


    Okay, wait for me, Sylphy. I¡¯ll keep moving forward no matter what stands in my way!

 CH 110

    Chapter 110 ¨C A Dragon Has Appeared!


    ¡°Hey, Melty-san.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°I just don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea to have dangerous monsters everywhere we go, you know?¡±


    ¡°Dangerous¡­?¡±


    Melty tilted her head adorably.


    ¡°No, no, I won¡¯t be fooled by that! Whoa, here it comes again!¡±


    A large shadow flies from the sky. It has a reddish-bronze skin covered with scales, hind legs with tough-looking claws, huge wings with a membrane integrated with the front legs, a jaw that excludes vicious fangs, and a long tail with a sharply shining poisonous needle.


    Now that I¡¯ve said this, the wise among you will know what I¡¯m talking about. Yes, it is the thing that is sometimes used as a mount in fantasy stories.


    ¡°It¡¯s not safe on the mountain roads where the Wyverns feed! You need to think more about my safety!¡±


    ¡°Haha, it¡¯s not dangerous. Come on, Kosuke-san, do your best.¡±


    While I rolled around haphazardly to avoid the Wyvern¡¯s attack, Melty laughed as she lightly dodged a tail with poisonous needles that flew at her with sharp movements.


    ¡°Damn it!¡±


    I took out the assault rifle I had made just in case, pointed the muzzle at the Wyvern¡¯s large body, and pulled the trigger.


    A series of thunderous roars rang out, and a high-powered 7.62mm bullet shot out at about twice the speed of sound, tearing the tough, scale-covered skin of the Wyvern to shreds and laying waste to its body.


    ¡°GYAAAAAAA!¡±


    ¡°Dieeeee!¡±


    The Wyvern dances in the air with a splash of blood. In the end, the Wyvern fell to the ground without power after a three-second dance of death. The area was filled with the smell of gunpowder and thick blood.


    ¡°That weapon is as impressive as ever.¡±


    ¡°There is a limit to the number of bullets I can use¡­¡±


    I glare at her as I replace the empty banana-shaped magazine, but Melty doesn¡¯t seem to be holding back at all and is smiling.


    ¡°Kosuke-san is acting like he¡¯s a non-combatant who can¡¯t fight, but you¡¯ve got some pretty vicious fighting skills, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°No, no, I¡¯m a non-combatant, okay? I don¡¯t have any cheat abilities like infinite magic power, superb swordsmanship, or an indestructible body. All I can do is make things, carry a lot of stuff around empty-handed, and move a little strangely.¡±


    ¡°I think that¡¯s enough.¡±


    Apparently, she wasn¡¯t going to listen to my desperate argument. I let out a sigh and put the dead Wyvern in my inventory, along with the assault rifle with the wooden muzzle.


    The Wyvern material, which has been treated as useful material in various games, manga, and novels¡­ is a little bit exciting. I¡¯m looking forward to this evening.


    ¡°There is no safer way to go, is there?¡±


    ¡°When it comes to shortcuts that won¡¯t get us tangled up in the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army, the only way to go is through places like this. In particular, even if it¡¯s a bit dangerous, we can get home quickly.¡±


    ¡°Gnunu.¡±


    It was I who said that a road that allows us to return home quickly even if it is a bit dangerous is good. At that time, Melty asked me twice, ¡°Are you sure about this?¡± I expected something to happen, but I didn¡¯t expect it to be this dangerous.


    ¡°I¡¯m taking the safest path possible, you know? You don¡¯t want to go through a poisonous swamp with deadly gases or a forest with parasitic plants, do you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want that.¡±


    If I find myself in a situation like that, I might not be able to get out of it, you know?


    ¡°Compared to that, it¡¯s better just to see the monsters, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Is that¡­ so?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I can take care of it if it comes to that.¡±


    In fact, in the past, when I was in danger, Melty was always there to help me, so I couldn¡¯t say anything more.


    ¡°Also, Kosuke-san, by fighting, you can raise your ¡°level,¡± right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right.¡±


    Since the massacre of the soldiers of the Holy Kingdom with the explosion block, I have rarely fought directly. I had stopped leveling up at 20, but I¡¯ve gained three more levels in the last few days of fighting, and now I¡¯m at 23.


    I¡¯ve also gained some skill points, so I¡¯ve acquired some new skills and upgraded them as well.


    ¡ïSkilled Worker¨D¨D: Reduced crafting time by 20%.


    ?Demolition¨D¨D: Increased the number of materials obtained when demolishing crafted items by 10%.


    ?Repairer¨D¨D: Reduced item repair time by 20% and reduced the number of materials required by 20%.


    ¡ïMass Producer II¨D¨D: Reduced the number of materials required to create 10 or more of the same item by 10%, or 20% for 100 or more items.


    ¡ïLogger II¨D¨D: Increased plant-based materials acquisition by 40%.


    ¡ïMiner II¨D¨D: Increased mineral-based material acquisition by 40%.


    ¡ïDismantler II¨D¨D: Increased living organism material acquisition by 40%.


    ¡ïCreators¨D¨D: Reduced the difficulty of item creation.


    ¡ïStrong Cardio-pulmonary Function II¨D¨D: Increased stamina recovery speed by 40%.


    ¡ïAgility II¨D¨D: Increased movement speed by 20%.


    ?Strong Arm¨D¨D: Increased melee attack power by 20%.


    ¡ïExcellent Archer II¨D¨D: Increased attack power from ranged weapons by 40%. ¡ùLVL Up!


    ¡ïIron Skin¨D¨D: Reduced damage taken by 20%.


    ¡ïSurvivor¨D¨D: Increased health by 10%, increased health recovery speed by 20%. ¡ùNEW!


    ?Medics¨D¨D: Increased the effectiveness of recovery items by 20%.


    ?Reptile¡¯s Stomach¨D¨D: Reduced rate of hunger by 20%.


    ?Camel¡¯s Hump¨D¨D: Reduced rate of dryness by 20%.


    That¡¯s how it looks.


    I raised the level of the excellent archer, which increases the power of ranged attacks, and acquired the new survivor skill. This should have improved my survival rate to a reasonable degree.


    And now for the achievements.


    ?First Time Crafting¨D¨D: Craft an item for the first time. ¡ùUnlock a skill.


    ?First Time Dismantling¨D¨D: Dismantle a crafted item for the first time. ¡ùUnlock a skill.


    ?First Time Collecting¨D¨D: Collect an item for the first time. ¡ùUnlock a skill.


    ?First Time Mining¨D¨D: Perform a mining operation for the first time. ¡ùUnlock a skill.


    ?First Catch¨D¨D: Acquire a living organism material for the first time. ¡ùUnlock a skill.


    ?First Repair¨D¨D: Repair an item for the first time. ¡ùUnlock a skill.


    ?First Workbench¨D¨D: Craft your first workbench. ¡ùThe first time you craft a workbench, you will be able to upgrade various workbenches and items, and add status, skill, and achievement items to the menu.


    ?First Blacksmithing Facility¨D¨D: Craft your first blacksmithing facility. ¡ùUnlock the item creation feature.


    ?Beginner Builder¨D¨D: Place a total of 5000 building blocks. ¡ùUnlock bulk storage feature. Unlock symmetrical mode.


    ?Intermediate Builder¨D¨D: Place a total of 500000 building blocks. ¡ùUnlock the Blueprint feature.


    ?First Union¨D¨D: Union with the opposite sex for the first time. You like that, right? ¡ùIncreased strength and stamina by 10 points.


    ?Technician¨D¨D: Satisfy your partner during the union. Not bad. ¡ùIncreased attack power against the opposite sex by 10%.


    ?Lady-Killer¨D¨D: Received favor from 20 or more members of the opposite sex, Nice Boat. ¡ùIncreased attack power against the opposite sex by 10%.


    ?Tough Guy¨D¨D: Reach level 20. A level where you can play the leading role in an action movie. ¡ùIncreased physical ability by 50%.


    ?First Murder¨D¨D: Kill a human being for the first time. Murderer. ¡ùIncreased attack power against humans by 5%.


    ?Assassination¨D¨D: Kill 100 humans without being detected. Now you¡¯re a great assassin. ¡ùUnlock the takedown feature.


    ?Mass Murderer¨D¨D: Kills 100 or more humans at once. Well done! ¡ùIncreased attack power against humans by 10%.


    ?Hero¨D¨D: Kills 300 humans alone. When you do this, you¡¯re not just a murderer, are you? ¡ùIncreased all abilities of allies within a 100 meter radius by 10% and increased likability.


    ?Bomber¨D¨D: Kill 100 living creatures with explosives. Boom! It¡¯s fun, isn¡¯t it? ¡ùIncreased damage dealt by explosives by 10%.


    ?Underground Man¨D¨D: Spend 14 days or more in the underground. ¡ùImprove your night vision. NEW!


    ?Poison Eater¨D¨D: Receive a lethal poison, heal completely from the poisoned state without using an antidote, and survive. ¡ùReduced poison damage by 50%. NEW!


    There were only two more, the Underground Man and the Poison Eater. Hmm, that¡¯s not much of a growth, huh¡­? Should I be more proactive in acting strange?


    I don¡¯t want to jump from a high place or try to get seriously injured¡­ or get hurt. For something a little more gentle, maybe diving for a long time? I don¡¯t like the idea of drowning either. But swimming a lot might be a good idea. Let¡¯s try it next time.


    ¡°So, let¡¯s go for it.¡±


    ¡°When I get low on ammo, please take a safer route¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes. Please tell me about it as soon as possible.¡±


    Will she go easy on me if I tell her? That would be like, ¡°This is a chance to train for combat with weapons!¡± I can¡¯t help but feel like I¡¯m being taken to a moderately dangerous zone.


    The first one was a goblin settlement¡­ The second one was a forest that was the territory of a ferocious great ape, and the third one was a grassland where a giant mantis-shaped monster appeared. The enemies are getting stronger and bigger. And today, it¡¯s Wyvern. Tomorrow, will we be attacked by a giant snake, a giant spider, or even a griffon?


    ¡°Erichburg is just a stone¡¯s throw away once we cross this mountain.¡±


    ¡°Eh, really? It hasn¡¯t even been a week yet.¡±


    We¡¯ve indeed been traveling in the same direction for a long time, but really? If we walked, it would be like a month, right?


    ¡°You seem surprised, but our travel speed is probably faster than a horse-drawn carriage. Moreover, we¡¯re plowing straight through the monster territory, which is usually heavily circumvented.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know that¡­ Okay, let¡¯s go!¡±


    I¡¯m getting motivated. If it comes to this, I¡¯m ready for anything, even a Wyvern. I¡¯m going to make a beehive out of anyone who gets in my way!


    There was a time when I thought that too.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s possible.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You can do it.¡±


    Something was blocking our way.


    It was a dragon with a pair of magnificent horns on its head that stood out majestically. It has ochre-colored skin with a lot of tough-looking scales. Vicious fangs peeked out from its mouth. The long tail with its hammer-like protrusions. Large, majestic wings.


    Oh, I¡¯ve seen one before. I¡¯ve seen this kind of thing before. In a game where you become a hunter and hunt dragons like that. Isn¡¯t this the one that attacks like a hurricane mixer from the ground? It looks a little like that, doesn¡¯t it?


    ¡°No, impossible. That thing would kill me if it ran into me. The assault rifle is not going to work either.¡±


    No matter how high the penetrating power of assault rifle bullets, it¡¯s unlikely to penetrate the scales of that fellow.


    ¡°Since it is you, Kosuke-san, you have prepared a stronger weapon, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but?¡±


    I let out a sigh and took out a weapon from my inventory that I thought would be effective against that Dragon.


    It is a very famous rocket launcher that anyone who has seen an action movie will have seen at least once. To be precise, it is a recoilless cannon, and the warhead is accelerated by a rocket motor after it is fired¡­ Let¡¯s not get into the nitty-gritty.


    ¡°It looks like a magic wand.¡±


    ¡°Is there such a dangerous magic wand?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t a magic wand a dangerous thing?¡±


    ¡°¡­Is that so?¡±


    It is true that in a world with magic, a magic wand might be a very dangerous thing.


    ¡°For now, I¡¯ll give it a shot with this thing. It will probably scare it off, so Melty will have to finish it off quickly. How do you think about that strategy?¡±


    ¡°Yes. If we go easy on that thing, it might kill Kosuke-san.¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t let it do that. By the way, can Melty beat that thing by herself?¡±


    ¡°If I can kill it before it flies away, probably.¡±


    I think Melty is all that is needed. It¡¯s not surprising, but then again, I can¡¯t just hide behind her.


    ¡°Where do you want me to aim?¡±


    ¡°The face, neck, or chest. Or the base of the wing.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Anyway, it¡¯s a good thing we¡¯re downwind. If we had been upwind, the scent would have given away our position. That way, we wouldn¡¯t have been able to take it by surprise.


    I made up my mind and looked for an opening to attack from the shadows. It was hard to get a good sense of the distance between us because of its size, but it was probably about 100 meters away. This distance is well within the range of this rocket launcher.


    The Dragon was wandering around restlessly, probably looking for something to do. From time to time, it would look around as if it was searching for something. Is it looking for something?


    ¡°This weapon is not suitable for sniping at all. I don¡¯t know where it¡¯s going to hit.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do something about it.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­ let¡¯s go. Don¡¯t stand right behind it; the blast will be too strong.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°All right¡­ let¡¯s shoot!¡±


    I jumped out of the shadows, caught the Dragon in my sights, and tried to release the trigger. When the Dragon noticed my actions, it turned its attention to me and gave me a shocked look.


    ¡°Yeah¡­?¡±


    The Dragon gestures as if to say, ¡°Wait, you will understand if we talk.¡± There was something wrong with it.


    ¡°Hey, Melty. What¡¯s wrong with that Dragon?¡±


    ¡°Eh¡­? It doesn¡¯t seem to be attacking us.¡±


    ¡°It looks like it¡¯s scared or wants to avoid a fight.¡±


    Could it be that it senses Melty¡¯s overwhelming karate? I wondered.


    ¡°What do you think? I mean, have you ever fought a dragon before?¡±


    ¡°No, this is my first time. I¡¯ve never even met one.¡±


    ¡°Well, aren¡¯t dragons supposed to be so smart they can understand human language?¡±


    That Dragon in our path seemed to be saying, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it!¡± It¡¯s desperately pointing the fingers of its paws, which are quite small in relation to its body, towards me.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of such a thing¡­¡±


    ¡°But it clearly understands what I¡¯m saying, doesn¡¯t it? See?¡±


    The Dragon nodded its head at my words.


    ¡°Look, it¡¯s nodding.¡±


    ¡°Eeeh¡­¡±


    Melty looked puzzled. The image of dragons is indeed strong and violent. But there are a lot of dragons that you can talk to, in stories and the like. I wonder if it¡¯s different in this world.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you say something to it?¡±


    ¡°Well, raise your right hand, please.¡±


    The Dragon did not raise its right hand in accordance with Melty¡¯s words. It tilted its head as if it did not understand what she was saying.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you understand what Melty said? She said to raise your right hand.¡±


    The Dragon nodded at my words and then raised its right hand. Could this be it?


    ¡°I think it only understands my words, this guy.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­?¡±


    The Dragon nodded again as if to say, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it!¡± It pointed its finger at me again.


    ¡°You can talk to dragons, Kosuke-san? That¡¯s a new ability.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s great, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s going to be very useful.¡±


    Why? I don¡¯t think about it. It¡¯s a waste of time to think about it. There are a lot of things I don¡¯t know about my ability in the first place. But if I dare to think of a reason, I have no idea what it might be.


    ¡°I¡¯m from a different world, but I was able to communicate with Sylphy and the others right from the start.¡±


    ¡°Right?¡±


    ¡°I can read and write for some reason. Even though I don¡¯t know any of the characters.¡±


    ¡°I see. Are you saying that you can read, write and speak all the languages of this world?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s possible. Don¡¯t you think so?¡±


    ¡°Eh? Then perhaps you can understand the mistress¡¯s language as well?¡±


    Gao! I can hear a voice like a young girl overlapping with the roar. The volume is huge. My ears are going crazy.


    ¡°Speak a little quieter, please. And your breath stinks.¡±


    ¡°Stinks? How dare you speak like that to a maiden?¡±


    The Dragon¡¯s mouth gapes open in astonishment. Whoa, its fangs are really sharp.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it dangerous, Kosuke-san?¡±


    ¡°No, we¡¯re just talking to each other¡­ Can I go through here for now?¡±


    When I asked, the Dragon suddenly bared its fangs and slumped down.


    ¡°Kukuku, you want to pass through my territory? It looks like you don¡¯t care about your life.¡±


    ¡°It may be a kind of evil dragon after all. Melty-san, please.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Melty, with both hands glowing fiercely, took a step forward with a smile.


    ¡°Wait, wait, forgive me, you¡¯re a demon species, right? Then it¡¯s really dangerous, isn¡¯t it? I don¡¯t like pain, and I don¡¯t want to die!¡±


    This guy¡¯s tone is not stable¡­ What should we do now?

 CH 111

    Chapter 111 ¨C It¡¯s Much Faster Than Salamander!!


    ¡°So, how did we end up eating with a dragon?¡±


    ¡°Well, well, I have a few ideas.¡±


    ¡°This is delicious!¡±


    The dragon roared to the heavens and excitedly picked up a large pile of hamburgers one by one on a hastily made dining table ¨D a block of wood 2 meters high, 2 meters wide, and 2 meters long ¨D and began to toss them into its mouth.


    ¡°What¡¯s the idea?¡±


    ¡°Well, well, you¡¯ll see. If it works, we might be able to shorten our journey significantly¡­ Look, we have drinks.¡±


    ¡°Drink?¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s elf honey wine. Here, have a drink.¡±


    I took a barrel of honey wine from my inventory, removed the top panel, and offered it to the dragon. The dragon sniffed the barrel, then held it in one hand and sipped some of the contents.


    ¡°Delicious! So sweet!¡±


    The dragon must have liked the taste of the honey wine because it began to slap the ground with its mighty tail and gulp down the contents of the barrel. And in its other hand, it grabbed a few of the burgers and smashed them together.


    ¡°Hey, you¡¯re not behaving.¡±


    ¡°Oh, this is disrespectful.¡±


    The dragon threw the crushed burgers into its mouth and licked its ketchup-stained hands with its long tongue. I don¡¯t think that¡¯s very polite, but there¡¯s no point in bothering with it.


    ¡°Shall we eat too?¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­ Well, that¡¯s fine.¡±


    We start eating the same hamburger as the dragon. The best way to get to know each other is to eat the same thing together, right? The dragon seemed to be watching us with interest as we snacked on our burgers.


    ¡°It¡¯s strange to see a dragon and a human eating the same food.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°What does the dragon say, Kosuke-san?¡±


    ¡°It says it feels strange to see a dragon and a human eating the same food.¡±


    ¡°I see. That¡¯s true.¡±


    Melty nodded her head in agreement. Is it really that strange? I think humans, dogs, and wild bears enjoy eating hamburgers. Food is like that, I think.


    ¡°But it¡¯s good, right?¡±


    ¡°Umu, it¡¯s delicious! Are you a magician? How can you make something like this out of nothing?¡±


    The dragon, probably sobered up from drinking the honey wine, roars in a good mood and asks me questions. Yeah, it¡¯s super loud.


    ¡°I¡¯m marebito, you know. I¡¯m special. By the way, I¡¯m the only one who can make that hamburger.¡±


    ¡°What¡­ did you say?¡±


    The dragon was astonished. I think it¡¯s possible to make something similar, but no one else can match me in terms of mass-producing the exact same thing. At least not in this world.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to eat more?¡±


    ¡°I want.¡±


    ¡°Do you want to eat every day?¡±


    ¡°I want it.¡±


    ¡°Would you follow me? I¡¯m the only one who can make that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll follow you.¡±


    The dragon nodded its head three times. Okay, I¡¯ve successfully baited it.


    ¡°Um, Kosuke-san? I have a bad feeling about this.¡±


    ¡°Haha, it¡¯s probably just your imagination.¡±


    Melty, who had been watching the exchange between the dragon and me, questioned me as if she had sensed something disturbing, but I brushed it off. I¡¯ll surprise her when we are done eating.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    ¡°This is unheard of, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Is it? In a world like this, don¡¯t they have legends like this?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of it.¡±


    ¡°Hou.¡±


    As I pulled the rope as hard as I could to make sure it was firmly in place, the ground shook.


    ¡°I feel a little itchy.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a quick fix. I¡¯ll have something more comfortable for you to wear when we get to Erichburg.¡±


    ¡°Mmm¡­ Okay.¡±


    The shaking ground let out a sigh as if it had given up. It¡¯s not the ground, though. This is the same dragon that had been gobbling up hamburgers earlier.


    Right now, I¡¯m preparing for our flight by tying a lifeline to the spiky scales on the dragon¡¯s back. It¡¯s hard to make progress because it sometimes wriggles a lot as if it¡¯s itching for us to be messing around on its back.


    ¡°How did you come up with the idea of flying on a dragon?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a rather common story in the fantasy novels circulating in my world ¨D adventure stories.¡±


    ¡°Do you have dragons in your world, Kosuke-san?¡±


    ¡°No, there are no dragons. They are imaginary creatures. I heard that there was a creature that looked like one a long, long time ago.¡±


    They were probably imagined from dinosaur fossils, though.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll tell you more about it when I get a chance. All right, we¡¯re ready. Let¡¯s fly, Grande.¡±


    ¡°Umu, hold on tight.¡±


    The dragon, which I named Grande since it didn¡¯t have a name, spread its large wings and roared. Then, even though it had not yet flapped its wings, the wind began to roar and create a strong breeze.


    ¡°Whoo-hoo! That¡¯s a lot of wind!¡±


    As Grande hit the air with its wings a few times, its huge body began to float softly. It seems that dragons don¡¯t fly directly with their wings, but by applying wind magic, just like the Harpies. No, it looks like the dragon has a higher weight of magic. The momentum of the swirling wind is incomparable to that of Harpies. I can barely keep my eyes open.


    Eventually, the violent updrafts subsided, and Grande began to glide through the sky. It seemed to be going quite fast, but there was no wind blowing at all. Why is that?


    ¡°How¡¯s that? My wind-shielding barrier. It¡¯s quite good, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s comfortable. As expected of Grande.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes. My father and mother have always praised me for my skill.¡±


    Grande shouted happily in response to my honest praise. I looked at Melty, who hadn¡¯t said a word since the flight, and she looked very pale and shaking. Could it be that she was afraid of heights?


    ¡°Do you know where Erichburg is?¡±


    ¡°Umu, if it¡¯s the big human dwelling place in that direction, then no problem. I¡¯ve seen it from a distance a few times.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good. The sky view is amazing.¡±


    ¡°Fufufu, that¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. It is a world that only we, dragons and birds, can see. You¡¯d better enjoy it.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡±


    That¡¯s right; I should use the golem communicator to contact Sylphy and the others. If not, there will be a big commotion as soon as we arrive in Erichburg ¨D or rather, they might intercept us. Since yesterday, I haven¡¯t been able to contact Lime and the others in Merinesburg, so it shouldn¡¯t be a surprise if we¡¯re within range of Erichburg by now.


    Everyone will be very surprised when we return with the dragon. I¡¯m really looking forward to seeing their reactions.

 CH 112

    Chapter 112 ¨C The End of Fresh Blood!


    Sylphy¡¯s POV


    It¡¯s been five days since we received the news from Kosuke that he would be departing from Merinesburg. It would take almost a month to travel through the city in a normal way. I know it will be a long time before I can see him again, but whenever I have a free moment, I come to the golem communicator.


    It seems that everyone who has a relationship with Kosuke is the same way, and whenever I come to the golem communicator, I always find either Isla or one of the Harpies. The Harpies, in particular, are numerous, and not all of them are always out scouting or on other missions, so it seems that someone off duty is always watching the transmitter.


    Today, a small brown-feathered girl seemed to be on duty. As I recall, she was Pessar.


    ¡°Oh, Princess! Hello!¡±


    ¡°Oh. Hello, Pessar.¡±


    When I called her name, she looked a little surprised. She didn¡¯t expect me to remember her name.


    ¡°What are you surprised about? Of course I remember your name.¡±


    ¡°Ehehe, thank you!¡±


    She seemed to be particularly pleased. Pessar gave a carefree smile at me. I think it¡¯s only natural since we love the same man, as far as I¡¯m concerned.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯s contacted us yet. I just keep coming here.¡±


    ¡°I know. I was out of town the last time he contacted us, so I haven¡¯t heard from him in a while. I wanted to hear his voice as soon as possible¡­¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ You¡¯re right. I can¡¯t wait to hear Kosuke¡¯s voice too.¡±


    ¡°Ehehe, the princess is the same as me¡­¡±


    That¡¯s when it happened. It was at that moment that the golem communicator sounded the alarm for an incoming call.


    ¡°This is Erichburg.¡±


    ¡°T-to fast¡­¡±


    Pessar stretched out her wings and trembled for some reason, but that was not the point right now. I picked up the receiver of the golem communication device and was already in a position to respond.


    ¡°O-oh¡­ you¡¯re so quick, Sylphy.¡±


    ¡°Kosuke! What¡¯s wrong, isn¡¯t it too early?¡±


    ¡°Danna-san! Princess! I want to hear it too!¡±


    ¡°Oh, sorry.¡±


    I put the golem communicator on the desk and set it to speaker mode. This way, Pessar will be able to hear and speak as well. No, I¡¯m sorry, I was distracted. I¡¯m starting to feel sorry for Pessar.


    ¡°Yeah, Melty led us through the trackless. Now we¡¯re on our way back down after climbing the highest mountain there is.¡±


    ¡°Trackless road? High mountain¡­?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that in the Sorel Mountain Range¡­?¡±


    ¡°No way. It¡¯s a den of Wyverns, and there have been sightings of dragons there too. Even if it¡¯s Melty, it¡¯s still¡­ no, if it¡¯s Melty¡­?¡±


    It looks like Melty is a bit of a rough and tumble kind of person¡­ but in the end, it¡¯s the best choice. No, even so, the Sorrel Mountain Range would not be a good choice. It¡¯s as dangerous as the Great Omit Wilderness.


    ¡°I asked Melty about it, and she said it¡¯s indeed the Sorel Mountain Range. Well, that¡¯s okay. It¡¯s not important.¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s important.¡±


    ¡°Me, too.¡±


    ¡°Anyway, we go to that mountain and make friends with a dragon. We¡¯re going to ride the dragon home, and we¡¯ll probably be there in an hour or so.¡±


    ¡°¡­Sorry, I didn¡¯t quite catch that. Can you say that again?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve made friends with a dragon, and now we¡¯re riding it home. We¡¯ll be there in about an hour.¡±


    I rubbed the wrinkles between my eyes at Kosuke¡¯s unrealistic words. I felt like I was getting a headache. I glanced to the side and saw Pessar frozen in place, not making a sound. She must be surprised. I¡¯m surprised too.


    ¡°Assuming that I take you at your word, what do you want us to do?¡±


    ¡°Make sure you have the widest possible landing zone. Also, I need to notify you in advance so that there won¡¯t be any panic and so that we won¡¯t be intercepted or anything. We¡¯re heading that way from the north.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll take care of it. What else?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like you to prepare some flour and meat because depending on the negotiations, Grande ¨D the dragon that Melty and I rode ¨D will be staying with us. Please prepare extra.¡±


    ¡°Meat, flour? Does the dragon eat bread?¡±


    ¡°It likes hamburgers.¡±


    ¡°Hamburgers.¡±


    A hamburger is a flatbread sandwich of ground meat cooked to perfection. I can¡¯t imagine why a dragon would like that. I have no idea.


    ¡°Yes, hamburger. And elf honey wine. So I will be back with a dragon, and please take care of the rest.¡±


    ¡°O-okay. I¡¯ll make the arrangements as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m so glad to see you soon. I can¡¯t wait to see you, Sylphy.¡±


    ¡°Me too, Kosuke¡­¡±


    ¡°Me too! I¡¯ll be waiting for you too, Danna-san!¡±


    ¡°That voice, is that Pessar?¡±


    ¡°Yes! That¡¯s right! It¡¯s Pessar!¡±


    Pessar nodded repeatedly with tears in her eyes, perhaps happy that he recognized her just by her voice.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for making you worry too, Pessar. I¡¯ll see you soon, so please help Sylphy.¡±


    ¡°Okay! I¡¯ll be waiting for you!¡±


    ¡°Please do. I¡¯ll see you later.¡±


    After finishing the communication, Pessar and I looked at each other for a while.


    ¡°Do you think it¡¯s real¡­?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any reason for Danna-san to lie¡­ although it¡¯s a little hard to believe.¡±


    Pessar wiped her tears with her wing and said. That¡¯s exactly as Pessar said.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ It¡¯s a little hard to believe, but there¡¯s no reason for Kosuke to lie. All right, first, we need to get the important people in here. Can you do that for me?¡±


    ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll go get everyone!¡±


    Pessar replied cheerfully and ran out of the communications room.


    ¡°I need to figure out what I¡¯m going to tell everyone¡­¡±


    Kosuke will be returning with the dragon in an hour or so, so we need to secure a landing spot and gather crops to feed the dragon. I have to notify the inhabitants to control the chaos and avoid interceptions.


    ¡°I wonder if they¡¯ll think I¡¯ve lost my mind¡­?¡±


    I let out a heavy sigh, unsure of what to say. Let¡¯s just say, ¡°It¡¯s what Kosuke would do,¡± and push on. I¡¯m sure everyone knows that Kosuke has no common sense.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    ¡°I can see it.¡±


    We rode on Grande¡¯s back for about an hour, enjoying the aerial view.


    Grande, who had been facing the ground, announced our arrival. Hmm, as expected of a dragon. It only took us an hour to get there, instead of several days on foot.


    ¡°As expected of a dragon¡¯s wings. So fast.¡±


    ¡°Fufufu, that¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. You can praise me even more. I¡¯m a girl who thrives on praise.¡±


    Grande clears her throat in a good mood. It¡¯s uncomfortable to hear a beautiful girl¡¯s voice overlapping with that sound. I wonder if there will come a time when I will get used to this uncomfortable feeling?


    Eh? Isn¡¯t it possible for dragons? No matter how beautiful the female voice is, a real dragon is a bit¡­ As expected, I¡¯m not that enlightened.


    ¡°What are you saying?¡±


    For some reason, Melty hugged my body tightly and whispered in my ear. Yeah, it¡¯s thrilling to be whispered in the ear, but the hug is too strong and painful. Or rather, it hurts a little.


    ¡°She said she could already see it. And when I praised her for being fast, she told me to praise her more because she is a girl who thrives on praise.¡±


    ¡°A dragon who thrives on a praise ¡­¡­ will it also grow in the neck?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think she means that physically.¡±


    ¡°I know that. It¡¯s just hard to accept the reality.¡±


    Melty has a distant look in her eyes. It¡¯s rare to see Melty, who is always unfazed or at her own pace, make a face like this. I guess flying on the back of a dragon was such an exciting experience for her. Yeah. I¡¯m sure it was.


    I have a suspicion that she¡¯s actually afraid of heights, but I must be imagining things.


    ¡°There should be a landing spot made for us. Do you see anything like that?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a bonfire burning outside the city, in a clearing on the west side, even though it¡¯s daytime. Could that be it?¡±


    ¡°Then go down there. They won¡¯t attack us.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure about that? I¡¯ll cry if they throw magic or spears at me.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. Trust me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m scared¡­¡±


    Grande turns and begins to lose altitude while grumbling. Oh, this visceral feeling, like falling! I don¡¯t want to say what it is, but it¡¯s a rush!


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡°Ouch, ouch, ouch.¡±


    Melty hugged me tightly around my body. Is she scared? She¡¯s scared, isn¡¯t she? But if she doesn¡¯t loosen up a bit, my ribs are in trouble. Could you go easy on me? Give up; I¡¯m giving up!


    Grande completed the landing while I was desperately tapping on Melty¡¯s arm that was tightening around my body. There were no jolts or shocks, and it seemed to be a very graceful landing.


    ¡°We¡¯re down. But we¡¯re surrounded by a lot of people. They¡¯re holding weapons. I¡¯m so scared. Help me.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry; I¡¯ll get them to drop the weapons now. Just be patient.¡±


    Grande¡¯s manner of speaking is arrogant, but she¡¯s very timid. People¡­ Is she having some kind of trauma with the human race?


    I managed to appease Melty, who was hugging me with her eyes tightly shut, and pulled her off, untied the ropes that held our bodies in place, and got off of Grande¡¯s back.


    We landed on the ground together, and Melty¡¯s face was a little red. I think she was embarrassed now that she was hugging me so desperately.


    ¡°¡®Don¡¯t worry about me. Here, say a few words to everyone.¡±


    I guess she realized that I was looking at her blushing face, but Melty hid her face with one hand while pushing me with the other. Fufufu, now I have something to tease her about. If I tease her too much, she might physically crush me, so I¡¯ll have to be careful with her.


    When I stepped out of Grande¡¯s shade and raised my hand, the soldiers of the Liberation Army that surrounded us thundered loudly. Grande shuddered at the noise. How scary is that?


    ¡°Hey guys, I¡¯m back! This dragon¡¯s name is Grande! She¡¯s pretty scared, so please keep your weapons down. She¡¯s also my friend!¡±


    Hearing my words, the soldiers of the Liberation Army hesitantly put away their weapons. When Grande saw this, she let out a big sigh. It stinks.


    ¡°Kosuke!¡±


    There was a single figure that broke through the enclosure of the Liberation Army soldiers and rushed towards me. There is no way to mistake it. It¡¯s Sylphy.


    ¡°Sylphy!¡±


    I hugged and embraced her as she ran up to me. She hugged me back as well, to the point of pain. No, not so much that it hurts. It hurts. It¡¯s creaking. Stop, stop, I¡¯m going to break. You¡¯re squeezing me!


    ¡°Kosukeeee¡­¡±


    ¡°G-guooo, I¡¯m also¡­ A-ah, it hurts¡­¡±


    It is also a man¡¯s worthiness to accept this! It¡¯s a man¡¯s worth¡­ No, it¡¯s not. My vision is turning white. I tapped on Sylphy¡¯s back, but she didn¡¯t seem to notice my tapping and was crying aloud. She¡¯s still hugging me tightly.


    ¡°B-breath¡­ Guaahh¡­¡±


    I let out a sound like a strangled chicken or something and lost consciousness.


    I thought I heard Sylphy¡¯s voice in the distance saying, ¡°Kosukeeeee!¡± But I think it¡¯s impossible. I don¡¯t have the divine skill ¡°Clenching¡± in my skill column, Sylphy.

 CH 113

    Chapter 113 ¨C Somehow It¡¯s Raining


    I found myself on a familiar ceiling.


    ¡°Are you awake?¡±


    Big eye were staring at my face. The eye was a little red; could it be that she was crying? I hugged my beloved existence before me while thinking about that with my head still not turning properly.


    ¡°I¡¯m back.¡±


    ¡°Mm, welcome back.¡±


    Isla buries her face in my chest and rubs against me. I stroke Isla¡¯s head and back while she rubs against me at will. It feels like I¡¯m back.


    ¡°Kosuke-san!¡±


    ¡°Danna-san!¡±


    Perhaps they noticed Isla and me; the Harpies came rushing in. They all rejoiced in my safety, rubbing their wings on my head, crying tears of joy, and raining kisses down on me. Hey, didn¡¯t someone just lick me instead of kissing me? Wait, it¡¯s NG to take off my clothes!


    ¡°B-by the way, where¡¯s Sylphy?¡±


    ¡°There.¡±


    When I asked the question after surviving the onslaught of the Harpies, Isla, who had defended her position on my chest, pointed her finger towards the corner of the room. When I raised my body and turned my gaze in the direction of Isla¡¯s finger pointing, I saw the figure of Sylphy with a dull aura on her face¡­ sitting like a student in the gym with her face buried in her knees and trembling.


    ¡°Sylphy, don¡¯t just sit there; come over here.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay¡­ I¡¯m just a bad woman who strangled Kosuke when he came back¡­ Just leave me alone.¡±


    Her muddled aura is amazing. I wonder if it¡¯s the influence of some kind of dark spirit.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, Sylphy. You¡¯re just a little emotional, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    And I¡¯m extraordinarily weak ¨D no, that would be impossible. But I mustn¡¯t show it to anyone. You have to be inclusive and receptive here, Kosuke.


    I slipped out of bed, gently moving Isla off my chest, and moved to the corner of the room underneath the gloomy Sylphy.


    ¡°Sylphy. Hey, let me see your face, Sylphy.¡±


    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±


    When she looked up, her face was in a terrible state. Her eyes were red from crying, her eyelids were swollen, and her nose was snotty¡­ Her beauty was ruined.


    I took a piece of cloth from my inventory and wiped her nose after wiping her tears.


    ¡°I¡¯m not mad at you, okay?¡±


    I kissed Sylphy on the forehead and hugged her gently. The tears began to flow again, and the area around my right shoulder, where she had pressed her face against mine, began to feel warm. All right, all right.


    While I was quieting her crying, Isla and the others were out of the room before I knew it. Apparently, they were concerned about Sylphy and me.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get up and sit over there. Okay?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    I felt a thread stretching out from her face as she took her face off my shoulder, but I pretended not to see it. I¡¯ll just wash it off tomorrow. The first thing I need to do right now is to cheer up Sylphy, who is at the bottom of her tension.


    ¡°I¡¯m happy to see you again, Sylphy. But if you keep crying like that, I¡¯m going to get sad too. Don¡¯t worry; I don¡¯t care about that at all. Okay?¡±


    Sylphy was sobbing for a while, but eventually, she calmed down, and the sniffling sound disappeared. And then, just as I thought she was muttering something, she suddenly sparkled.


    ¡°Whoa! What light is that?¡±


    When the light subsided, the swelling on her eyelids went down, the red eyes were healed, and my shoulders were also clean. It seemed that Sylphy had done some things with her spirit magic.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Kosuke.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not mad at you. That¡¯s how worried you were about me, right? I¡¯m more than happy to know that.¡±


    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±


    Sylphy hugged me again, making a crying sound. Eventually, she got tired of crying and fell asleep.


    I put her down on the bed and went to the kitchen. I was hungry, and I wanted to give Sylphy something to eat, too.


    Hmm, what should I make? Right, I¡¯ll make some kebabs or burritos, which I first made and fed to Sylphy. Now that I have a workbench, I can make a better and more perfect burrito.


    That¡¯s not enough for me, so I¡¯ll make some soup. I¡¯ll just make a regular consomm¨¦-flavored soup with lots of ingredients. Would it be better to make it myself without using my crafting ability? But I think it¡¯s better if it¡¯s tasty, and more importantly, it¡¯s still my own work, so I conclude that there¡¯s no problem.


    Come to think of it; I need to take care of Grande, too¡­ The way the sun is shining, it¡¯s not like I¡¯ve been unconscious for hours. Dragons must be reptilian creatures, too, and the intervals between meals won¡¯t be so short.


    She might complain a little, but it wouldn¡¯t be a problem if it had to be tomorrow. I¡¯ll just have to serve her.


    In the meantime, Sylphy woke up and started looking around anxiously on the bed. She soon found me, and her face lit up.


    ¡°I¡¯ve made dinner. Let¡¯s eat together.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    I feel like Sylphy is regressing into an infant. But it¡¯s okay because she¡¯s cute.


    ¡°I made the same thing I made the first time we met.¡±


    ¡°It brings back memories.¡±


    Sylphy squinted at the burrito on the plate. The soup was served, and the meal was ready.


    ¡°So let¡¯s eat. Itadakimasu.¡±


    ¡°Itadakimasu.¡±


    We both took a bite of the burrito. The first thing we felt was the crunchiness of the chopped vegetables. Next came the taste of the meat seasoned with sweet and spicy sauce and the mayonnaise-based sauce with a slight sourness. It¡¯s definitely a more sophisticated taste than the one I had back then. It¡¯s delicious.


    ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s even better than the one I had back then.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve gotten better, haven¡¯t I?¡±


    Sylphy laughed happily as I mimicked forming a bicep. I¡¯m glad to see that she¡¯s feeling much better now after falling so far to the bottom.


    ¡°The soup is delicious.¡±


    ¡°I heard it takes a lot of work to make this complex flavor from scratch.¡±


    I don¡¯t know much about consomm¨¦ soup recipes, but I do know that it takes a lot of time and effort and costs a lot of ingredients to make it. I¡¯ve also heard that beef stew and curry can be a pain if you try to make them from scratch without using a commercial roux. I heard that white stew is still better.


    ¡°I¡¯m so relieved to be home finally, I really am. More than anything, I¡¯m really glad to see Sylphy¡¯s face again.¡±


    ¡°Me too. I was so overcome with emotion that I strangled Kosuke, which was a regrettable mistake¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what happens when emotions get the best of you. You just have to be careful next time.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    I feel like she has gone back to her normal tone of voice a little bit, but now she¡¯s back to being a little young again. Sylphy also seems to be somewhat unstable. That¡¯s right; I¡¯m also feeling a little unsettled right now, like I¡¯m about to start dancing.


    We proceeded to eat while discussing the story of how Qubi kidnaped me. When the meal was over, I served honey wine, and we continued to talk while drinking. No matter how much we talked, we never talked enough. We were both in such a mood.


    ¡°I see; Lime and the others are still protecting mother and the others in the basement of the castle¡­¡±


    When she heard about Lime and the others and her family, she burst into tears again. But for her, it seemed to be good news as well.


    ¡°I will definitely free my mother and sisters that my father sacrificed his life to protect with my own hands. I promise.¡±


    She clenched her fists and her eyes filled with the light of her will.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter¡­?¡±


    That being said, it¡¯s hard not to talk about the Adelian nostalgia group and Ellen.


    I told Sylphy about my relationship with Ellen without any pretense. It would be too dishonest of me to half-heartedly dodge the issue with Sylphy.


    I had reported on the golem communicator that I had made contact with the saint of the Adel religion, but¡­ I hadn¡¯t told her the details of my relationship with Ellen. It¡¯s not something I¡¯m going to tell everyone.


    As I told her about Ellen¡¯s story, Sylphy¡¯s eyes became narrower and colder. Scary!


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah.¡±


    ¡°I expected it to be with Melty, but I didn¡¯t expect it to be with the Adel saint of all people¡­ Hmm.¡±


    Cold sweats appeared on my face as she stared at me.


    ¡°Was the saint beautiful?¡±


    ¡°Yes, if I¡¯m being honest, she was as beautiful as Sylphy.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ But Kosuke said I was the best, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course. You may meet her in person eventually, so you can ask her to confirm it then. Ellen asked me if she could be the best for me. But I told her I couldn¡¯t because I already had my first choice. Because my number one is Sylphy.¡±


    I met Sylphy¡¯s gaze head-on and told her what I needed to tell her. In this kind of situation, it is best to use the straightforward method. It¡¯s not good to play tricks.


    ¡°I-I see¡­¡±


    Perhaps my plan was working, but Sylphy¡¯s face turned red, and she looked away. I¡¯m glad, the message got through. I patted down my chest inwardly, relieved.


    ¡°Well, can you prove that¡­?¡±


    Sylphy said, glancing at the bed.


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°B-be gentle, okay¡­?¡±


    ¡°Leave it to me.¡±


    The long night between Sylphy and me began.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    The next day.


    ¡°Next, it¡¯s my turn.¡±


    I did my best.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    The next day.


    ¡°¡±¡±It¡¯s our turn next!¡±¡±¡±


    I worked very hard.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    The next and next day.


    ¡°Fufu, I¡¯m next, aren¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°Forgive me!¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t escape the demon species.¡±


    ¡°Aaaaaaaahh!¡±


    I was made to work hard.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    Meanwhile, at that time.


    ¡°I¡¯m hungry¡­ Hamburger, still¡­?¡±


    In a large open space, Grande was crying as she was abandoned.

 CH 114

    Chapter 114 ¨C How To Handle Grand And Future Plan


    ¡°To think that you would break your word to me.¡±


    ¡°I truly am sorry, truthfully¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡­ makes me feel a little sorry for you.¡±


    Grande throws me a pitying look as she chews on an oversized cheeseburger.


    My stamina is at a low ebb due to daily exploitation. To be more specific, my strength and stamina have dropped to about 30% of their maximum value. Normally, I feel lazy to do ordinary tasks and movements. Also, my legs and feet hurt, in the sense of muscle pain.


    ¡°Love is heavy, you know.¡±


    ¡°You must have a lot of female partners.¡±


    ¡°It just happened.¡±


    ¡°Just happens. That¡¯s a bit vague, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry; I have enough to support them.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    It¡¯s unusual for a dragon to look at me with doubt in her eyes. I mean, you¡¯re being fed by me right now, aren¡¯t you? No, this is an apology for my promise and for neglecting her.


    ¡°So, Grande, how long are you going to stay here?¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Well, I don¡¯t know¡­ maybe until I get tired.¡±


    ¡°And in the meantime, you want to eat hamburgers?¡±


    ¡°Umu.¡±


    Grande nodded as if it was natural. I see what you mean. Thank you for your predictable reply.


    ¡°I see. But, Grande. In the world I was in, there is a saying, If you don¡¯t work, you don¡¯t eat.¡±


    ¡°Homu?¡±


    Grande tilted her head with an oversized hamburger in her mouth.


    ¡°In other words, those who don¡¯t earn their living can¡¯t be given a free meal.¡±


    ¡°Fumu? But I am a proud dragon. You want to make that dragon work for you?¡±


    Grande looked down at me as she munched on the oversized cheeseburger. Yeah, there¡¯s nothing intimidating or dignified about having ketchup and cheese on your mouth.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it because you are a proud dragon that you don¡¯t take charity? If you just eat and sleep, you¡¯re just the same as livestock¡­ No, livestock is even better than that because they provide fur, meat, milk, and skin. Maybe you¡¯re more like a pet.¡±


    ¡°A pet? What a way to talk to a noble dragon!¡±


    Grande took the oversized cheeseburger out of her hand and looked shocked.


    ¡°In other words, I want you to work. I¡¯m not saying that you have to sweat and toil from morning till night like us humans who crawl on the ground. For example, you can hunt down one or two large monsters like wyverns a day and bring them to me, or you can provide me with your scales that have fallen off, or you can provide me with a little bit of your blood if you don¡¯t feel like going out for a while.¡±


    ¡°Fumu¡­¡±


    Grande picks up the cheeseburger she dropped on the dining table (a connected block of wood) and brings it to her mouth while pondering.


    ¡°And there¡¯s a lot of good food to eat besides burgers.¡±


    Grande¡¯s tail wagged in response.


    ¡°As long as you stay and work here, I will provide you with a variety of delicious food. This is not a deal where only one of us benefits. Let¡¯s make it an equal deal.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ but¡­ I wonder what my father and mother would say if they knew about this.¡±


    ¡°It depends on how you look at it. Is it not like a revival of the good old dragon customs your grandfather used to talk about? The dragon will reward those who give offerings with a little something in return. See?¡±


    ¡°Fumu, indeed¡­ chew chew.¡°


    The dragon, with a serious face, is pondering over an oversized cheeseburger¡­ It¡¯s surreal.


    ¡°Umu, fine. I¡¯ll take you up on that deal.¡±


    ¡°I see; I¡¯m glad to hear that. I¡¯ve left it for three days now. Today, tomorrow, and the day after that, you can take it easy. Three days from now, you¡¯ll have to work, okay?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s fine. Leave it to me.¡±


    This is how the Grand Dragon Grande came to stay in Erichburg.


    A grand dragon is a type of dragon that excels in the power of earth magic. If they wanted to, they could level out a small hill in an hour or so. If it¡¯s just the ability to level the ground, it¡¯s better than me, even though I have the mithril tool.


    In addition to being able to fly, they can also dive into the ground. The scales are rock solid and very hard, and the weapons made from their horns, claws, and fangs are said to be powerful magic weapons that are tinged with earth magic. Armor and shields made of the scales are said to be very strong and resistant to earth magic attacks.


    Eh? You said that the explanation is all about the material? I guess it can¡¯t be helped. To humans, dragons were thought to be a kind of powerful monster, and when they were defeated, their bodies were processed into various things to make them useful.


    In addition, their meat is very tasty, and their blood and organs can be used to make very effective medicines. For example, it can be used to make regenerative medicine to heal missing body parts.


    ¡°Jii¡­¡±


    Actually, Isla has been quietly observing Grande from behind me for a while now. She didn¡¯t participate in the conversation because I¡¯m the only one who understands Grande¡¯s language.


    ¡°Oh, Kosuke. I¡¯m afraid of the way that One-Eyed girl is staring at me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, maybe.¡±


    I gently turned away from Grande. I¡¯m sure she won¡¯t attack you and extract your flesh and blood. There is no doubt about it.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    Today is the fifth day since I¡¯ve returned. After making a promise of cooperation with Grande, who was eating an extra-large cheeseburger, I dragged Isla, who was giving Grande an enthusiastic look, to the strategy meeting room.


    ¡°Grande has agreed to my terms.¡±


    ¡°Really? That¡¯s unprecedented.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Kosuke is the first person who has ever fed and tamed a dragon.¡±


    ¡°Not a dragon slayer, but a dragon tamer, huh? As expected of Kosuke.¡±


    Sylphy, Isla, and Sir Leonard all praised me. You can praise me even more.


    ¡± But¡­ are you sure it¡¯s alright? It will be a disaster if she¡¯s going out of control.¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t some safety measures be taken?¡±


    Danan and Ms. Zamir seemed to be concerned. Their concerns were justified. If Grande suddenly went on a rampage with the intent to kill, Erichburg would certainly suffer a great deal of damage.


    The attack from the 20-meter-long Grande¡¯s huge body could easily destroy a stone house, and if someone were to get swiped by her thick, hard, and strong tail, they would be minced in a single blow.


    And those evil horns. If she were to rush forward with those horns, the wooden gates of the city would be torn to pieces in a single blow.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, let¡¯s build a dragon house for Grande outside of Erichburg.¡±


    ¡°Dragon house?¡±


    ¡°Like a big doghouse.¡±


    ¡°A dragon and a doghouse¡­?¡±


    While Sylphy makes a complicated face, Isla nods her head in agreement.


    ¡°It really shows Grande¡¯s standing in Kosuke¡¯s mind.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true.¡±


    I tried to tell them it¡¯s like a good old-fashioned dragon custom, but in the end, it¡¯s just a matter of making her work in exchange for food¡­ Well, it¡¯s no different from pets or livestock.


    The person herself (the genuine dragon?) is happy to eat a lot of delicious food. We¡¯re happy to have Grande working for us. There¡¯s nothing wrong with that since both parties are happy. Isn¡¯t that good?


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s leave Grande¡¯s matters to Kosuke¡­ The problem is related to the Holy Kingdom.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯ve heard that the Adel religion is not entirely monolithic¡­¡±


    ¡°In fact, the question is whether we can coexist with them. I believe it is impossible.¡±


    Sir Leonard and Danan seem to be taking the stance that it is impossible to understand each other with those who follow the Adel religion. They have had their family members killed by the followers of the Adel religion from the Holy Kingdom. Their beloved wives and children were also killed. The other members of the group are similar to them.


    ¡°But as a practical matter, it would be impossible to eradicate every single person who followed the Adel religion.¡±


    ¡°I think so, too. It¡¯s much easier to change Adel¡¯s religion to suit our needs. Less blood will be spilled.¡±


    Melty and Isla seem to think that it would be more beneficial to divide the Adel religion through Ellen and the nostalgia sect that Ellen belongs to. It seems to me that this is a statement made from the point of view that it would be more beneficial for us if the followers of the Adel religion fought each other and reduced their power rather than making peace with the people who follow the Adel religion.


    ¡°I agree with Melty and Isla. It¡¯s another matter of whether we can work together or not, but if the followers of Adel are not monolithic, then taking advantage of their struggles is one effective move. The goal we need to achieve is to take back the Merinard Kingdom. I think it¡¯s okay to fight and cooperate with the nostalgia sect as long as we can achieve that goal.¡±


    ¡°But, Your Highness¡­¡±


    ¡°If we continue to stubbornly refuse from the beginning, we may miss the opportunity to obtain it. Just as we were able to accept Kosuke, perhaps the nostalgia sect of the Adel religion, and the primordial teachings of the Adel religion that the nostalgia sect is pursuing, may be something that we can accept as well.¡±


    Sylphy cites me to persuade Danan and Sir Leonard.


    Indeed, I was almost lynched by the people of the Merinard Kingdom at first. I still remember that horror. Although we are now close friends and exchange words, my encounter with the inhabitants of this world was not a peaceful one.


    ¡°Mm¡­ I can¡¯t say anything if you put it that way.¡±


    ¡°This talk was also brought by Kosuke-dono¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that we¡¯re going to stop fighting the Holy Kingdom at all. Our goal remains the same, which is to take back the Merinard Kingdom, and we have no intention of giving up on that. After we take back the Merinard Kingdom, we will probably have to fight against the Holy Kingdom¡¯s home country. It¡¯s impossible for me to completely get rid of my resentment and hatred towards the Holy Kingdom.¡±


    Sylphy said with a stern expression.


    ¡°But we can¡¯t keep fighting forever. We have to draw a line somewhere. That time will surely come. For that time¡­ I think it is necessary to have a window to contact and talk with the people of the Holy Kingdom of the Adel religion.¡±


    Danan and Sir Leonard pondered over Sylphy¡¯s assertion for a while, then nodded.


    ¡°If Your Highness is so inclined.¡±


    ¡°If so, we can only be prepared for any eventuality.¡±


    ¡°Good, then we will make contact with the Adel religion¡¯s nostalgia sect and negotiate with the Holy Kingdom. At the same time, we will prepare our defenses and focus on maintaining and developing the occupied territories. We will not expand our territory for a while. If the enemy comes to attack us, we will destroy them. This will be our policy from now on.¡±


    ¡°¡±¡±As you wish.¡±¡±¡®


    The entire top brass of the Liberation Army that had gathered in the conference room nodded to Sylphy¡¯s words. Now, it¡¯s time to get busy again.

 CH 115

    Chapter 115 ¨C I¡¯m Not Really Dried Up¡­ (Shudder)


    Now that the policy has been decided, I¡¯m going to start working for the Liberation Army in conjunction with everyone else. After all, a lot of things won¡¯t get done without me!


    ¡°Kosuke, you¡¯ll be taking care of Grande for a while and working to feed her.¡±


    ¡°Eehh?¡±


    I didn¡¯t get any work related to the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army. Well, yeah, that¡¯s true, too. It¡¯s not about cutting and pasting; it¡¯s about politics. I was told beforehand to accompany them to the meeting in order to connect them with Ellen, but for the preliminary negotiations before that, they have secured a communication line using the golem communication device and Lime and the others, so they don¡¯t need my help.


    The crossbows and bolts were already in production by the craftsmen of the Liberation Army, and all I had to make were aerial bombs for the harpies, ammunition for the riflemen, and grenades for the infantry.


    And since there hasn¡¯t been any real fighting since I was kidnapped, those weapons and ammunition haven¡¯t been consumed too much. It seems that some of it were used to kill the monsters, but that¡¯s about it.


    ¡°In short, you¡¯ve been hung out to dry, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t dried out! I am that, you see, a star performer or something like that.¡±


    Grande looked at me with kind eyes as I desperately tried to defend myself. What are you laughing at? I¡¯ll call Isla now.


    In addition, because I was kidnapped once, so I was always accompanied by guards. But I guess they are afraid to get too close to Grande, so they stand by at a distance. Today¡¯s guards are Bron, a pink-feathered harpy, and Fitch, an orange-feathered harpy.


    ¡°Anyway, you don¡¯t want to be out in the open all the time, do you? I will build you a sturdy and comfortable dragon house.¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t want it.¡±


    ¡°What?


    ¡°I¡¯m a Grand Dragon, you know. A bed is only a matter of digging in the ground.¡±


    And so, with a bit of vigor, Grande plunged into the ground as if she were jumping into the water. Head first.


    What happened was that the ground surged like the surface of the water and swallowed Grande without any resistance. After Grande sank into the ground, the ground rumbled for a while, but then it ended, and Grande crawled out, making a hole in the ground.


    ¡°See, it¡¯s just like this.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    The hole in the ground was so deep that it was almost impossible to see the bottom.


    ¡°Grand dragons dig holes in the ground like this to make their dens. They stay cool in summer and warm in winter. The water that gushes out is protected by hardening the soil.¡±


    Kuh, as expected of Di*blos. Digging holes is definitely their specialty.


    [T/n: Probably Diablos from Monster Hunter.]


    ¡°¡­This will let the rain in, won¡¯t it? I¡¯ll put a roof on it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that would be great.¡±


    I built thick stone pillars on all sides of the huge hole in the ground to create a roof to keep the rain out. This is a piece of cake since the blocks can be placed together.


    I put brick blocks on all four sides of the stone roof and put the name ¡°Grande¡± on it. Hahaha.


    ¡°Good work.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s done.¡±


    Because of Grande, my assignment was over in an hour. Damn it, I was going to build her some kind of ridiculously large doghouse, but I didn¡¯t expect her to build herself a den. Even with the eyes of the Rihaku the ocean¡­! No, it¡¯s natural if you think about it.


    [T/n: Rihaku the ocean is a character from Hokuto no Ken, though I don¡¯t know why he brought him up here.]


    She¡¯s a dragon, after all. There¡¯s nothing wrong with the dragon¡¯s hut or sleeping out in the open if you think about it. In fact, I was more surprised that they had the decency to build a den.


    ¡°Shall I build a dining area?¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s good. I don¡¯t want to eat wet Hamburgers in the wind and rain, after all.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s quite a challenge to make it easy for you to get in and out, out of the wind and rain, and easy for me to get in and out, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I thought. Speaking of which, is it okay to build a den here? Humans gradually expand their habitat, don¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s true too. I think I will remove it for a while and ask about it.¡±


    So, Grande and I decided to restore the den and remove the huge roof to consult with Melty.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid of that female demon species¡­¡±


    ¡°But isn¡¯t it even scarier to build it in a weird place and then have someone get mad at you later?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid of that too. I¡¯ll leave you to it.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Grande is huge. She can¡¯t go into Erichburg with me, so that means I¡¯m the only one who can go to Melty¡¯s place. No, there are three of us, including the Harpies, Bron and Fitch.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting in the back, okay?¡±


    ¡°Same for me.¡±


    Bron smiles and refuses to participate in the discussion with Melty, and Fitch followed suit. That¡¯s right; it¡¯s none of your concern. I know that.


    As I walked with the two of them through the bustling city, I was approached by the Liberation Army and residents along the way.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re looking good today. It¡¯s not easy having so many people to deal with.¡±


    ¡°It was hard to find you, so don¡¯t get kidnapped again, okay?¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s the dragon tamer. The guy who was feeding the dragon, can I feed her next time?¡±


    Everyone was quite friendly. It¡¯s a hundred times better than being treated politely. We arrived at the government office while returning the words to everyone appropriately. This is the stronghold of Melty and the other former civil officers and bureaucrats who were involved in the management of state organizations.


    As the liberation of the former Merinard Kingdom progressed, people who had been used as slaves were gradually gathering in Erichburg. Some of them are old men who have been out of work for a long time, but that¡¯s about it. It seems that they are currently focusing on human resource development by making motivated young people their subordinates.


    ¡°It¡¯s the government office.¡±


    ¡°Oya, Hero-dono.¡±


    ¡°¡­Hero?¡±


    As soon as the goat-beastman at the reception desk of the town hall saw my face, he said something unclear. A hero? Me? What is this fellow talking about?


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who will take on the princess, Isla-dono, all of the Harpies, and even that Melty-dono. And you¡¯re still alive.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a new thing to be astonished by being alive. But, well, if it wasn¡¯t me, there¡¯s a good chance they¡¯d be dead.¡±


    In fact, if it weren¡¯t for my peculiar constitution and survivor¡¯s skills, I might have died on the inside because my automatic recovery didn¡¯t work in time.


    ¡°Then, what in the world is this sexual hero-dono doing here?¡±


    ¡°Stop with that sexual hero. I¡¯ve been thinking about where to build a den and dining area outside of town for the dragon I¡¯ve brought with me. Considering the expansion of the city, I can¡¯t just build it randomly, can I?¡±


    ¡°I see, so that¡¯s how it is. Then I¡¯ll call Melty-dono, so please wait a moment.¡±


    The goat-beastman official retreated to the back of the office. When I casually looked around the bustling office, I saw that there were quite a few residents who had come to complete some sort of procedure. Some look like merchants, some are mothers with their children, some are young men and women, some are old people, but it seems that humans and subhumans live together without distinction. At least on the surface.


    It hasn¡¯t been long since the Liberation Army regained control of Erichburg and effectively took over the southern part of the former Merinard Kingdom. I think it¡¯s been long enough for the conflict between humans and subhumans to become an issue, but things seem to be proceeding more peacefully than I thought.


    It¡¯s hard for me to say whether this is the result of Sylphy, Melty, and the others steering the ship well or whether the former Merinard citizens who were ruled by the Holy Kingdom have simply returned to their old ways.


    However, even if a country is invaded and turned into a vassal state, it doesn¡¯t mean that the people who originally lived there will be expelled or massacred, and their own people will be allowed to live there. Twenty years is not a short time, but it is not long enough to completely change generations. There must be many former Merinard citizens who have been living here since the beginning, and if it seems like this is the way it is, it probably is.


    ¡°Kosuke-san, did you call for me?¡±


    I was sitting on a couch by the wall, sandwiched between Bron and Fitch, waiting to be muffled with feathers from both sides, when Melty arrived, accompanied by a goat-beast man. I felt a little pain in my chest when I saw that she was wearing a cassock-like hat to cover her head.


    As for the regeneration potion that will restore Melty¡¯s horns, Isla is in the process of gathering the materials and preparing them with alchemy. It will take a few days to finish, so if I can get some blood from Grande, we should be able to make it.


    Isla said.


    The fresh living blood of a dragon is a coveted commodity for alchemists. It is the key to reaching the secrets of alchemy.


    That¡¯s what she said. As expected of dragon¡¯s blood. I¡¯m also very interested in it as a crafting material. Grande, Isla is not the only one who is targeting your body in a material sense. I¡¯m one of them too, fufufu.


    ¡°Kosuke-san?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. You may have heard about this, but it¡¯s about Grande¡¯s housing.¡±


    ¡°Yes, the place, right? How big do you think it¡¯s going to be?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ I¡¯d like to have a 50m x 50m plot of land to spare. It can be outside the city.¡±


    ¡°I see; it needs to be that big, doesn¡¯t it? Well, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any problem if it¡¯s outside the city. Considering the future expansion, I would prefer to have it in the northwest direction. There¡¯s not much room to expand the city in that direction in the future.¡±


    Melty took out a simple map and pointed to the northwestern part of the city. The gates of Erichburg are on the northeast and southwest sides of the city, so if I build it on the northwest side, it will be a bit too far for me to walk to.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you move it a little closer to the gate?¡±


    ¡°No, not really. A lot of people are scared just by the thought of a dragon on the other side of the wall, but if it¡¯s right next to the gate or on the side of the road, people and cargo won¡¯t come from the west.¡±


    She was so reasonable that I couldn¡¯t even make a sound. If it becomes known that Grande is a safe dragon who just eats and sleeps and spends her days lazily, she might become a spot for tourists to test their courage, and if that happens, she might be treated a little better. Until then, let¡¯s just be patient.


    ¡°All right.¡±


    Well, if I want to take a shortcut, I can climb the city wall and leave a straw block at the landing point where I can jump off. I¡¯ll have to walk home in the usual way, though.


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re very good at listening. By the way, Kosuke-san, about this evening¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a little busy with work, so I¡¯ll take dinner here. You don¡¯t need to prepare dinner for me.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll leave something for you if you like. I have some food that tastes good even when it¡¯s cold.¡±


    ¡°Oh, really? I¡¯d love to.¡±


    I gave the happy-looking Melty an assortment of sandwiches with cheese, ham, and raw vegetables and left the government office. On the way back, I should buy something from the food stall and give it to Grande to eat. Let¡¯s go for a walk with Bron and Fitch, who are escorting me.

 CH 116

    Chapter 116 ¨C Stay With (Self-Proclaimed) Maiden


    ¡°I guess this is about right.¡±


    ¡°Not bad!¡±


    With a good-natured roar, Grande thumped the ground with her tail. Yeah. It¡¯s loud. And the ground is shaking. It¡¯s like a two-degree earthquake.


    What lies in front of the delighted Grande and me is probably a¡­ that is as big as a jumbo jet hangar. A dragon hut? Yeah.


    The walls are made of stone, three meters thick. The ceiling is also made of stone, 2 meters thick. I made it as wide as possible because I knew that there would be no development in this direction anyway. The entrance is about 40 meters wide so that Grande can comfortably enter with her wings spread wide. It is also about 20 meters high. The inside is even wider, about 60 meters wide and 35 meters high. The height of the building is 35 meters. The exterior of the building itself is a circular dome, and part of the ceiling is made of thin glass blocks to catch the light.


    Cleaning the windows looks like a lot of work, but we can ask the harpies to do it or let her clean it herself. I¡¯d like to see a dragon¡­ cleaning the windows for a bit.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go inside.¡±


    ¡°Umu!¡±


    Grande wagged her tail as she walked briskly into the dragon hut. Stop wagging your tail; it¡¯s dangerous.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice and bright inside.¡±


    ¡°The glass part is fragile, so don¡¯t break it by hitting your tail or anything.¡±


    ¡°At that height, unless I do it on purpose, it should be fine.¡±


    Grande looks up at the glass part of the ceiling. It¡¯s too high for me, but if Grande, who¡¯s about 20 meters long, stands on her hind legs and jumps, she might be able to reach it with her vicious horns.


    ¡°But it¡¯s so bleak.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing but your den.¡±


    The only thing in the dragon hut is the den that Grande dug in the back. I thought, ¡°Why don¡¯t she just sleep in here?¡± She said it would be warmer and more comfortable in the hole she dug in the ground.


    ¡°Let¡¯s make the dining area.¡±


    ¡°Great. Where would you build it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s better to be able to wash it with water when it gets dirty. Would it be better if it wasn¡¯t inside?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it needs to be rinsed. If it starts to smell, I can clean it or burn it off with my breath.¡±


    ¡°Breath¡­ can you use breath?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? I¡¯m a dragon.¡±


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t show any signs of being able to use breath, so I thought you couldn¡¯t use it¡­ I mean, can you use magic to purify?¡±


    ¡°Of course. If I can¡¯t use magic, I can¡¯t fly, can I?¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ Try using breath. I¡¯d love to see it.¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped¡­¡±


    Grande walked briskly out of the dome. She seems to be happy to be able to show off her dragon-like features, and her tail seems to be in a good mood again. Don¡¯t wag your tail at me; it¡¯s dangerous.


    ¡°Ready? Take a good look at it, okay?¡±


    After saying that, Grande took a deep breath and blew up a fierce flame towards the sky. It seems to be a real scorching flame, and even though it¡¯s spitting into the sky, the heat can be felt from the ground as I look up.


    ¡°Wow! Dragon¡¯s breath is awesome!¡±


    I was also very excited about this. I¡¯d be burned to the bone in an instant if that were pointed at me!


    Hmm¡­ If I were to use my abilities to prevent this, would it be best to set up a wall and then dive into the ground? I think brick blocks are highly heat resistant, but that breath seems to be very hot, so if I just use walls, I¡¯ll probably get burned by the heat coming around me.


    But if I dive into the ground, will I get steamrolled? It¡¯s best to build a big, thick wall.


    ¡°Hahaha, that¡¯s right, that¡¯s right! I am the great Grand Dragon, after all!¡±


    Grande, pleased with my reaction, slaps the ground with her tail. The ground is shaking.


    By the way, the guards Bron and Fitch are watching us from the top of the city walls of Erichburg, which is about 100 meters away. They are afraid to approach the dragon.


    ¡°Well, then, shall I build the dining table inside the dragon hut?¡±


    ¡°Um, Kosuke. Can¡¯t you do something about the name ¡°Dragon Hut¡±?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ somehow. What am I supposed to call it?¡±


    ¡°It should have a cooler name. It sounds like a dragon version of a doghouse.¡±


    That¡¯s exactly what I was thinking, but she didn¡¯t like it. But even if I gave it an ostentatious name, it would be hard to call it something like¡­ Dragon Dome.


    ¡°It¡¯s not really a hut at all, is it?¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡±


    It¡¯s a huge structure that is quite large when I look up at it again. It may be impossible to call it a hut.


    ¡°Then it¡¯s Grande¡¯s house.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just so normal.¡±


    ¡°Normal is best, you know.¡±


    I¡¯ll put a big stone tablet carved with the word ¡°Grande¡± above the entrance later.


    Eventually, I built the dining table inside Grande¡¯s house, by the entrance. I was forced to remake it many times to find the right height, but in the end, I¡¯m glad that both Grande and I were satisfied with the result. The shape of it was like an offering stand in front of a Buddhist altar.


    ¡°Shall we have a snack?¡±


    ¡°A snack?¡±


    ¡°I bought some things from a stall in Erichburg. The burgers I make are indeed delicious, but I believe many of the other races¡¯ dishes are quite tasty as well.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I¡¯m a little curious about that.¡±


    ¡°Put me up on the offering table.¡±


    ¡°Umu.¡±


    Grande¡¯s hands carried me up to the offering table. Don¡¯t grab me too tightly. Do it more gently.


    ¡°First, bread with nuts.¡±


    ¡°Hou.¡±


    I propped myself up on the offering table and piled up the bread with walnut-like nuts that I had bought in front of me. Grande comes up to me and sniffs it. If you sniff too hard, the bread will get inside your nostrils, you know?


    ¡°Eat it.¡±


    ¡°Umu¡­ hmm, it¡¯s slightly sweet. Also, are these nuts? It¡¯s a little savory.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not enough for you, is it? That¡¯s where this one comes in.¡±


    The next thing I took out was some kind of meat that had been slowly roasted. I didn¡¯t ask what kind of meat it was, but it smelled delicious, and when I tried it, it was delicious, so I bought the whole thing. At the store, they cut up the meat into chunks and sold it with bread if you wanted, but they sold me the whole meat.


    ¡°Oh, meat. U-umu, It smells so good.¡±


    ¡°Eat up, eat up. There¡¯s a lot more to eat.¡±


    While watching Grande reach for a piece of meat and start munching on the whole thing, I took out the items I had bought one after another from my inventory. A big pot of soup is like a cup of soup for Grande.


    ¡°How was it?¡±


    ¡°Umu! It was delicious! Well, I don¡¯t mean to underestimate the cuisine of the other races. But I think Kosuke¡¯s hamburger is the best.¡±


    ¡°Haha, you little devil.¡±


    I¡¯ll serve the extra-large hamburger I made for Grande. It is not in terms of height but in terms of width.


    Grande¡¯s eyes lit up at the sight of the oversized hamburger, and she began to hold it in one hand and gobble it up. Hmm, it¡¯s like feeding a pet. Grande was a little too big to be a pet, though.


    ¡°By the way, Grande is a dragon, right? How often does a dragon eat?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ it¡¯s pretty unclear. We can eat as much as we want, and we can go quite a while without eating if we want to.¡±


    ¡°Is that so¡­? So if you eat a lot of food every day, will you get fat?¡±


    She was about to bite into a hamburger when she heard me say this, and she opened her mouth and shuddered. Eventually, she regained her composure and began to eat her hamburger at a much slower pace than before.


    ¡°It¡¯s not as if there¡¯s no possibility of that, is there?¡±


    I imagined it as I looked at Grande, who was looking away and whispering something like that. Grande¡¯s appearance of being fat and chubby.


    ¡°Bufuh.¡±


    ¡°You laughed! You just laughed, didn¡¯t you? What did you imagine?¡±


    ¡°Well, I imagined a fat, chubby Grande.¡±


    ¡°I-it will not come to that! I am a maiden dragon who can control herself!¡±


    Grande roared and slapped the ground with her tail. It seems that this time it is a gesture of a bad mood.


    ¡°I¡¯ll trust Grande on this one. So, how often do you actually eat? Three meals a day is a bit much for you, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°U-umu, that¡¯s right¡­ Twice a day¡­?¡±


    ¡°Twice?¡±


    ¡°N-no, once a day is fine¡­¡±


    Grande seemed to be in a depressed mood.


    ¡°So, how about twice a day, morning and night, for now? As long as you eat less at a time, you should be fine.¡±


    ¡°T-that¡¯s right! There¡¯s no problem if I eat less at a time!¡±


    ¡°Two extra-large hamburgers¡­ or maybe three?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s a good start.¡±


    ¡°For future reference, how much have you been eating?¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    Grande turned her head away at my question. When I looked at her, she seemed to have lost her patience and mumbled.


    ¡°I grill and eat a boar of this size or so about once a week.¡±


    Grande said, indicating with her hand that it was about the size of a horse.


    Yeah, with that amount of food, if she ate three extra-large hamburgers twice a day, for a total of six, she would definitely get fat.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll do some exercise.¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t have to go hunting for food anymore, you won¡¯t exercise as much, will you?¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    Grande fell silent at my words. No, it¡¯s fine for me. If Grande becomes fat and can¡¯t fly, she¡¯ll be the one who suffers the most.


    As a matter of fact, I¡¯m thinking a little bit about having Grande work like a strategic bomber or an aircraft carrier in the battle against the Holy Kingdom if necessary.


    It would be a huge advantage if we could have Grande fly over the target and use it as an ammunition supply point for the Harpies, wouldn¡¯t it? Grande¡¯s wings could fly to Erichburg and Merinesburg in a few hours. A dragon strategic aircraft carrier or something like that would be very exciting.


    However, Grande is a dragon. She¡¯s not obligated to me, and she has no reason to get involved in a war between people. I can¡¯t force her to do anything.


    ¡°As for me, I think you should work for it.¡±


    ¡°Work? Me?¡±


    ¡°If you could take me and a few others and fly us south to the Great Omit Wilderness or even further south to the Black Forest, that would be great. There¡¯s a lot of production centers and stuff over there.¡±


    ¡°Gnu, the Black Forest, huh¡­ well, that¡¯s fine.¡±


    When Grande heard the word ¡°Black Forest,¡± she looked slightly uncomfortable. I¡¯ve heard that there are dragons living in the depths of the Black Forest. Does she know any of them?


    ¡°That would be helpful.¡±


    There¡¯s a food production base in the middle of the Great Omit Wilderness. It will be a great help if we can transport a large amount of food from there. In addition, it would be even better if we could exchange products with the elven villages of the Black Forest.


    Grande may have more strategic value as a means of transportation for me than simply as a force. My ability to transport and Grande¡¯s ability to move fast. I think the Holy Kingdom will be in tears if these two are combined.


    ¡°You¡¯re up to something, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking about it. I¡¯m trying to figure out how to use Grande using hamburgers as bait.¡±


    ¡°It pains me to think that you, a marebito yet diminutive person, would try to take advantage of me. Don¡¯t get too cocky, or I¡¯ll bite you.¡±


    ¡°What about Grande, who is being fed by that diminutive person, saying that¡­? I mean, if you bite me, you won¡¯t be able to eat hamburgers.¡±


    ¡°Umu¡­ That¡¯s not good.¡±


    ¡°Right. So, I¡¯m going to provide Grande with something delicious. In return, Grande will lend a little help. Let¡¯s have that kind of relationship. I have no intention of forcing you to do anything you don¡¯t like using food as a shield.¡±


    ¡°Really¡­?¡±


    Grande gave me a stare. I won¡¯t do that, really, hahaha. I won¡¯t force her. It may take some persistent persuasion, though.


    ¡°At least, I don¡¯t want to use Grande as the brunt of the conflict between the people. I promise you that.¡±


    This is true. I have no intention of letting Grande directly fight the Holy Kingdom¡¯s people. I¡¯m just planning to have her help me and some transportation, but I¡¯m not going to have her run directly into the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army and go on a rampage or spit out her breath. However, I¡¯d like to see her try a bit of an aerial carrier.


    ¡°Fumu¡­ that promise, don¡¯t you dare violate it. I¡¯ll bite Kosuke¡¯s head off even if it means I can¡¯t eat the hamburger.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I promise. Here, have some honey wine. You like it, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll have some. Uumu, sweet.¡±


    I took out a bottle of honey wine and drank it the same way Grande did. This sweet wine is quite tasty once you get used to it.


    Now, what should I do tomorrow? As I watched Grande tipping the barrel in front of me, I thought about my plans for tomorrow.

 CH 117

    Chapter 117 ¨C Calculating The Upgrade


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying you want some time off?¡±


    ¡°You could say that.¡±


    The next day, I went to visit Isla. But it wasn¡¯t just the two of us here; this was Isla¡¯s workplace. In other words, it was the Erichburg branch of the Research and Development Department.


    Incidentally, the ape-beastman Sykes was not here. This is because he has been appointed as the head of the Research and Development Department at what used to be called the frontline base but is now called the central base. I heard that he and his wives are working hard day and night over there. In many ways. I¡¯ll send him a dozen of stamina recovery medicine next time.


    Since we invaded the former Merinard Kingdom¡¯s territory far ahead of schedule, the base we built in the Great Omit Wilderness ended up being quite far behind.


    Erichburg would be the front line, but it would take more than ten days to get from Erichburg to the Great Omit Wilderness on foot and three to four days even by carriage. From there, it would take five days on foot to reach the central base and two days on foot to reach the main base further back, which is now called the rear base.


    Moreover, once you enter the Great Omit Wilderness, the speed of the carriage is not as fast as it should be, so the speed is not much different from walking. So, if you traveled from Erichburg to the rear base normally, it would take at least ten days one way. A round trip would take more than 20 days. It¡¯s quite a long way. Thanks to the golem communication device, information can reach us rather quickly, though.


    Well, it doesn¡¯t matter now. It¡¯s important, but it¡¯s not the information I need right now. My big problem right now is that I have nothing to do.


    ¡°It¡¯s not healthy to be dependent on Kosuke for everything. Of course, there will be many more situations where I will need to rely on Kosuke¡¯s help, but this is not the time. It¡¯s also important to relax and do nothing.¡±


    ¡°But I feel restless if I¡¯m not doing something.¡±


    ¡°Kosuke¡¯s work ethic is too high.¡±


    ¡°In my original, it was normal to work from morning till night every day. Of course, there¡¯s a day off once or twice a week.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s like slave labor.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s very accurate.¡±


    You work from morning till night and sleep like dirt on your days off. Rather than working to live, it becomes the norm to live to work. Maybe you can have a little time for your hobbies during your breaks or when you get home before going to bed¡­ No, let¡¯s not think about it. It hurts my heart.


    ¡°But if you have nothing better to do, I have a suggestion.¡±


    ¡°Oh, what¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Over here.¡±


    Isla gets out of her chair and starts to walk around. Yes, she is petite, and her feet do not touch the floor when she sits on the chair. Cute.


    That being the case, I followed Isla. Perhaps curious, the other members of the Research and Development Department also followed us. Incidentally, including Isla, there are thirteen subhumans and three humans in the Research and Development Department of Erichburg, for a total of sixteen people. There are four mages, four alchemists, two apothecaries, three blacksmiths, one engraver, and two woodworkers.


    ¡°Is this a warehouse?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, yes. This is where we keep the materials we use for our research. Of course, there are also magical materials.¡±


    ¡°Magical materials¡­ Oh, a granting table!¡±


    ¡°I was wondering the same thing.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll definitely give it a try.¡±


    I checked the recipe for the granting workbench again.


    ?Granting Workbench ¨D¨D Materials: Mithril x 5, Gemstones x 12, Magic Stone x 20, Magic Wood x 10, Magic Clay x 10 ¡ùMaterials are not available!


    ¡°Five mithril, twelve gemstones, twenty pieces of magic stone, ten pieces of magic wood, and ten pieces of clay.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I¡¯ll get the mithril and gemstones out of the vault. The stone is over there, the wood is over there, and the clay is in the corner over there.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    While Isla went to open the vault, I put the stone, wood, and clay in my inventory as instructed.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s gone.¡±


    ¡°There really is no flow of magic, is there?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a magic spell, as Isla-san said, but a miracle, or a phenomenon related to that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s strange.¡±


    The new members of the research and development department, who watched the scene, raised their voices in surprise. This kind of reaction, no matter how many times I hear it, always lifts my spirits.


    ¡°I¡¯ve brought it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, thank you. But is it okay? I think this is worth a lot of money.¡±


    ¡°It was originally mined by Kosuke anyway.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see.¡±


    This is the stockpile of materials that I released before I was kidnapped by Qubi. Maybe the material with the magic power was arranged for me in case I came back.


    ¡°Thank you, Isla.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Isla smiles, her cheeks flushed. I patted her on the head. She¡¯s cute.


    ¡°Geez, enough with the petting, let¡¯s try it.¡±


    I guess she was a little uncomfortable with being treated like a child, but she was pouting and angry with red cheeks. It¡¯s hard to endure because Isla is so cute, but let¡¯s quickly make a granting workbench to satisfy Isla¡¯s curiosity.


    I take out the improved workbench from my inventory, set it up here, and start crafting the granting workbench. The work will take¡­ two hours!


    ¡°It will take two hours.¡±


    ¡°Gaahh¡­ that¡¯s a letdown.¡±


    Isla¡¯s eye widen, and then she looks disappointed. Yeah, I¡¯m sorry too.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to ask you a few questions too, okay? I want to hear opinions not only from Isla but from everyone.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, sure.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, no problem.¡±


    ¡°If I can be of any help.¡±


    Everyone agreed, so we left the improved workbench here and moved once again to the research and development department¡¯s room.


    The development room was quite large. Workbenches were placed here and there, and in the center was a large table for discussion. This table also seemed to be set up for some work.


    After confirming that everyone had taken their seats, I opened my mouth.


    ¡°The truth is, I¡¯m having a hard time growing in my abilities.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re having trouble¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I can create a lot of new things with my item creation ability, but in the end, the key to my ability is the workbench. By improving the workbench, I can increase the amount of materials I can process, make things more precise, and make the same thing in less time.¡±


    ¡°I see. In other words, you need to improve your basic skills.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t mean in terms of your own skills, but in terms of equipment.¡±


    ¡°I see. But isn¡¯t that quite difficult to achieve? Breakthroughs in processing technology can¡¯t be achieved overnight.¡±


    Isla and the workers began to discuss the matter. I¡¯m glad they understand so quickly.


    ¡°I think I have a rough idea, though. Maybe it needs a powerful external power source.¡±


    ¡°External power?¡±


    Isla tilted her head. The workers in the research and development department also seem to have no idea what to do.


    ¡°I want you to take a look at this first. This is the initial workbench.¡±


    I took out an ordinary workbench from my inventory before I upgraded it and set it up. Basically, it¡¯s just a simple wooden workbench with a toolbox and a vise to hold the workpieces in place.


    ¡°And here is the improved workbench. And this one is an improved workbench, a level 2 workbench if you can call it that.¡±


    So I took out the improved workbench, which had the elements of the workbench plus a foot-operated lathe. The improved workbench dramatically shortened the processing time for various intermediate materials and items and greatly enhanced my crafting abilities.


    ¡°As you can see, the main difference between the workbench and the improved workbench is the lathe. If you¡¯re a blacksmith or woodworker, have you ever handled one of these?¡±


    ¡°No, I have not. What¡¯s this all about?¡±


    ¡± Oh, I¡¯m not that familiar with it either. I feel like it¡¯s something I use, though.¡±


    I¡¯ll explain what the lathe can do, but only briefly. It¡¯s used to cut materials by fixing them on a rotating table and pressing a blade against them. Just think of it as being able to cut hard metal to make screws, tubes, holes, etc.


    The improved workbench can also be used to make bolt-action rifles, so the improved workbench may actually contain elements of milling machines and other processing machines as well as lathes.


    ¡°Hmm, I see. It¡¯s good for making large quantities of the same thing, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not suitable for making swords and spears, but it¡¯s useful for making small parts for magic tools.¡±


    ¡°Depending on how you use it, it could also be used to polish jewelry.¡±


    The blacksmiths seemed to be quite intrigued by the lathe itself. The engraver, who also worked as a jeweler, seemed to be just as interested as the smiths.


    ¡°I understand the difference between the workbenches. So, what do you mean by external power?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I digress from the topic. As you can see, this thing is currently powered by human power. My idea is to use magic instead of manpower to power it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to use magic to do this?¡±


    Isla tilted her head. Yeah, you can do it with human power, so you can¡¯t find any reason to use magic power? That¡¯s a fair question. But there is a good reason.


    ¡°With human power, there will always be unevenness, right? Sometimes you step too hard, too fast. If you step too hard or too fast, the rotation will be uneven. In other words, the quality will be uneven. So what if using magic power, the machine could run at a constant output, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­You can make a lot of products with the same quality?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I mean. In addition, if the output can be made variable, it will be easier to perform various kinds of processing, and if the force and timing of pressing the material against the cutting blade can also be made constant, that would be even better.


    ¡°In other words, you can control the output with the golem core and process it with the golem arm?¡±


    Isla tilted her head and muttered. As expected of Isla, she understands quickly.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it. It would be great if the final product could be made from scratch according to the data you input.¡±


    ¡°Hey, hey, that¡¯s going to leave us, craftsmen, out of business.¡±


    The blacksmith made a complicated expression. Yeah, that¡¯s right.


    ¡°In fact, that¡¯s the way I think. In my world, those machines were working automatically from morning to night, producing large quantities of goods. Of course, even in my world, there were skilled people who were called craftsmen.¡±


    No matter how much mechanization progressed, there were still craftsmen who made high-quality, one-of-a-kind products, although there are very few.


    ¡°In other words, if you¡¯re not a skilled craftsman, you¡¯re not going to survive¡­ This guy is scary.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. To be honest, my power is a power that fights head-on with the craftsmen of this world. This is the reason why I¡¯m going to be careful about how I use my power.¡±


    It¡¯s not that I want to wipe out the craftsmen of this world by putting them out of business.


    ¡°Some of the products created by the research and development department are strictly controlled and prohibited from being taken out of the country because anything involving Kosuke is dangerous in many ways. Also, the lathes are already in practical use at the rear base for magical and hydraulic power. If we can get the results of that research, it should be easy to combine it with golem technology to create a variable output type of magical power.¡±


    ¡°I see, so can I have you make one for me? I¡¯ll help you.¡±


    ¡°Leave it to me.¡±


    Isla nodded her head. If this works, the workbench can be upgraded. After that, we can wait for the granting workbench to be completed¡­ and upgrade the blacksmithing facility.¡¡It¡¯s also possible to use golem technology to upgrade that as well¡­ I¡¯ll discuss this with Isla separately as well.

 CH 118

    Chapter 118 ¨C New Workbench


    After gathering the materials, we decided to begin the development.


    ¡°If we can keep this part running at a constant speed, that should be good, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Right now, I¡¯m using the up and down motion of this treadle as the rotational motion through the crank.¡±


    The blacksmith, who had been looking at the improved workbench, nodded after examining the structure.


    ¡°There are two ways to do it. You can either control the up and down movement of this treadle with the golem system or control the wheel-like part that directly powers this one with the golem system.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s easier to control the up and down movement of the treadle when it comes to controlling the golem. The point is that it is the same way as a golem ballista.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I mean, we can just attach arms and legs here. I guess the problems are continuous operation time, maintainability, and fuel efficiency.¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s just an up-and-down motion, I don¡¯t think fuel consumption or parts deterioration will be a problem. It depends on how strong you want it to be.¡±


    ¡°If you use the golem arm to move up and down, you don¡¯t need a treadle. You can just use the golem arm to move the crank up and down.¡±


    ¡°The fewer the number of parts, the fewer the failures. Should we rethink the design on the premise of using the golem arm?¡±


    We all exchanged our opinions as we worked out the specifications for the new workbench. At that stage, the improved workbench was disassembled for reference. Well, I guess it¡¯s okay if it¡¯s just one. If I want to make one, I can do it relatively easily.


    ¡°If we want to run it for a long time, the key is to supply the magic power. I don¡¯t have any magic power, you know.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s true that there are problems if Kosuke is to use it. That¡¯s where this will come in handy.¡±


    After saying that, Isla placed a kind of irregularly shaped transparent crystal on the table.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°This is a magic crystal. It is a crystal that was created by refining the magic power that flowed inexhaustibly from the vein holes in the rear base. Production has finally stabilized, and they sent it to us last week.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that one, huh? I remember you talking about that kind of thing before.¡±


    As I recall, she also mentioned that they were mass-producing magic metals and making magic guns. I wonder what happened to that one?


    ¡°What happened to the mass production of magic iron and steel and the development of magic guns?¡±


    ¡°Mass production of magic metals has not been successful yet.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen the prototypes, and they are not good. It is certainly possible to make magic iron and steel, but there is unevenness within the same ingot. It can be used if it is hammered and stretched and homogenized, but it is a lot of trouble.¡±


    It¡¯s not suitable for mass production, said the blacksmith, shaking his head.


    ¡°It turns out that you need to homogenize and stabilize the magic power drawn from the lack of pulse before irradiating the metal. We¡¯re experimenting with that now.¡±


    ¡°I see. I don¡¯t know much about magic or witchcraft, but that¡¯s how it works, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, yes. But now that we can make magic crystals, I think we¡¯ll be able to put them to practical use soon. In order to make magic crystals, you need to refine the magic power. That technology should be able to be used.¡±


    ¡°I see. And since it¡¯s called a magic crystal, it means that this thing is a crystallization of high-purity magic power or something like that.¡±


    ¡°Yes. We can incorporate this as a power source.¡±


    ¡°Then we have to design the new golem workbench so that it can replace the empty magic crystals.¡±


    I don¡¯t want it to be completely integrated into the mechanism and not replaceable. At least for me.


    Unlike conventional workbenches, the hours of operation will be limited, but it is also common in crafting games for the higher-end crafting benches to require power and fuel to run them. I think that¡¯s reasonable.


    ¡°If it can be directly supplied with magic power, it will be convenient for people other than Kosuke to use it.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. This way, even when you don¡¯t have magic crystals, someone with magic power can help you use the workbench. I¡¯ll incorporate that mechanism as well.¡±


    That¡¯s how we decided on the specifications for the new golem workbench.


    ?The power source is magic power. The supply of magic power will be magic crystals or direct supply by someone with magic power.


    ?The golem arm moves the crankshaft to generate power. The number of parts should be reduced as much as possible.


    ?Make it possible to switch the rotation speed to some extent.


    ?For cutting blades, use magic steel or mithril for durability.


    ¡°That¡¯s about it.¡±


    ¡°In order to switch the rotation speed, you will need gears, right?¡±


    ¡°The strength of the parts will be necessary.¡±


    ¡°If the mechanism and parts are not strong enough, we can simplify them and make them stronger. It would be easier to strengthen the golem or devise a way to control it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. Let¡¯s try some things.¡±


    Everyone began to draw up blueprints while discussing this and that. With the diagrams, I can quickly make the small parts. Yes, item creation!


    I reassemble the disassembled improved workbench, and I make the detailed parts according to the blueprints, and the blacksmiths and woodworkers assemble them. Then, alchemists and mages modify the golem arm for the ballista and its core to create the golem mechanism that powers it. Next to them, an engraver and an alchemist use magic crystals to build a mechanism to supply magic power to the golem arm.


    Along the way, we had lunch with hamburgers and hotdogs that I took out of my inventory, and we continued to work on the prototype for half a day.


    ¡°It¡¯s done.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a prototype, though. But it meets your requirements, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ but what should I do with it?¡±


    The golem workbench could indeed be made as requested. However, the improved workbench I¡¯ve been using is one that I upgraded by opening the menu of workbenches I¡¯ve crafted. It¡¯s not something I made from scratch.


    I can easily access and open the crafting menu because I made it with my crafting ability, but even if I try to access the prototype golem workbench in front of me, I cannot access it.


    ¡°So Kosuke¡¯s ability can¡¯t do anything about it?¡±


    ¡°I would say so¡­ No, wait?¡±


    I suddenly had an idea and brought out the granting workbench that I had made from the improved workbench of the one I had left in the warehouse.


    ¡°This is the granting workbench that was made from the material that is imbued with magic power; I think it is possible to use this to make the power mechanism of the golem and upgrade the workbench.¡±


    ¡°Can you do that?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve never used it before.¡±


    So, I set up the granting workbench in the corner of the research and development department¡¯s workshop. And then, poof.


    ¡°Oh, that looks good.¡±


    The workbench that was set up had a magical atmosphere to it. A table with intricate patterns and a magic circle carved into it, and some kind of glowing crystal ball. There were also colorful jewels embedded here and there on the table.


    Ah, that¡¯s it. It¡¯s like the spell workbench of a certain RPG where the main character screams and blows people up or runs through the city*.


    [T/n: Anyone knows?]


    When I looked back at Isla while thinking about such useless things, the light had disappeared from her eye after a long time. Eeh? Why?


    ¡°Kosuke, what¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°Eh? It¡¯s a granting workbench¡­ Is there something wrong?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s filled with magic.¡±


    ¡°Hoho, that¡¯s very convenient. I¡¯m hoping it will make up for my complete lack of magic power.¡±


    The fact that magic power flows from this workbench itself means that this workbench itself can be used as a power source for supplying magic power? No, there is no need to go to the trouble of making such a thing, but it might be possible to use this workbench to make a power reactor that can supply an inexhaustible supply of magic power. My dreams are expanding!


    ¡°Now, what can I make?¡±


    Leaving the alchemists and mages who are whispering about the granting workbench in the distance behind me and the craftsmen who are doing something with the prototype golem workbench, I immediately try to access the granting workbench.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    It seems that in addition to item crafting, I can also do enchanting. I¡¯ll try item crafting first.


    ?Magic Stone ¨D Material: Stone x3


    ?Magic Wood ¨D Material: Wood x3


    ?Magic Clay ¨D Material: Clay x3


    ?Magic Iron ¨D Material: Iron x 3


    ?Magic Steel ¨D Material: Magic Iron x 2


    ?Mithril ¨D Material: Silver x 5


    ?Magic Crystal ¨D Material: Magic Stones x 3


    ?Magic Sparkling Stone ¨D Material: Gems x 3 ¨C Magic Crystals x 5


    ¡°Fumu¡­?¡±


    It¡¯s plain. No, it¡¯s just that it¡¯s hard for me to understand the value of it, so it looks plain to me, but if I told Isla what it was, there¡¯s a good chance she¡¯d have a stroke. There¡¯s a bad vibe about how silver can be used to make mithril.


    ¡°How¡¯s it?¡±


    ¡°It seems that stone, wood, clay, and other materials can be used to create materials with magic power. Also, it seems I can make one magic iron from three irons and one magic steel from two irons.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    Isla was not surprised. Seeing her reaction, I wondered if the conversion efficiency wasn¡¯t that good? I thought that, but the alchemists and mages who were whispering behind me had a great look on their faces.


    ¡°How long does it take to do that¡­?¡±


    The blue-skinned, black-and-white-eyed mage, who looked like a member of the demon race, asked me timidly. Right, let¡¯s try to make it.


    ¡°Err¡­ It takes eight seconds to make a stone with magic power from three stones.¡±


    It would normally be ten seconds, but thanks to my Skilled Worker skill, the crafting time is reduced by 20%.


    Then I took out the finished magic-infused stone material and¡­ It¡¯s heavy!


    ¡°Guoo, t-this is¡­¡±


    ¡°Eh¡­? Did you just make that?¡±


    ¡°Phew¡­ Yeah, I just made it.¡±


    I managed to place the magic stone on the floor and let out a breath. I looked up and saw the demon mage who had just been talking to me with her white¡­ or black eyes. I¡¯m a little scared.


    ¡°Eh? That amount of magic stone material in eight seconds¡­?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s unreasonable¡­ Why is Isla-san so unconcerned?¡±


    ¡°Because it¡¯s what Kosuke does. I expected it somehow.¡±


    Isla makes a smug face when asked by the human alchemist.


    She, who used to make a series of unreasonable calls and even blanked out at times, had apparently grown up by spending so much time with me. She seemed to be unfazed by this.


    ¡°Also, I found out that I can make mithril with five pieces of silver.¡±


    ¡°¡±¡±¡­..¡±¡±¡±


    Everyone fell silent at my words. The craftsmen who were tinkering with the prototype golem workbench some distance away also turned their heads towards me with their eyes peeled.


    ¡°F-f-five silvers.¡±


    When I tried to repeat myself to be sure, Isla grabbed me at great speed, and the alchemists and mages covered my mouth.


    ¡°You should not say anything more than that, Kosuke. Everyone, don¡¯t tell anyone about this.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about when you say you can make mithril out of silver¡­ It¡¯s true, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t speak because my mouth was covered, so I just nodded my head.


    ¡°Kosuke, mithril is worth about a thousand and five hundred times as much as a silver of the same weight.¡±


    ¡°A thousand and five hundred times.¡±


    ¡°Just having Kosuke-san around will make one¡¯s life easy and comfortable¡­¡±


    ¡°Maybe I should be supported by you too¡­¡±


    The human alchemist (female) and the blue-skinned, black-and-white-eyed mage (also female) who are seizing me and covering my mouth are giving me suspicious glances. I¡¯m a chicken that produces mithril eggs, not gold.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t go any further. My body can¡¯t take it anymore.¡±


    Even now, there¡¯s Sylphy, Isla, about 20 Harpies, and Melty. The Harpies have a tendency to build a harem around a single man, and they take care of everything, so the burden is surprisingly small, but Melty is a problem. Isla¡¯s body is small, and her physical strength is reasonable, so it¡¯s okay.


    Sylphy? Sylphy is in a different category.


    ¡°That¡¯s all I can make right now, but I¡¯m sure there¡¯ll be more I can make with item creation¡­ But this is the thing. It doesn¡¯t look like I can make the power mechanism for the golem.¡±


    It¡¯s really a workbench used to give a magic power to materials and convert them.


    As for the power mechanism of the golem, if I have the materials, I may be able to make it with the normal improved workbench. I think it would be better to make various materials from the magic granting workbench and then try out item creation.


    ¡°Also, there is a section called ¡®Enchanting.''¡±


    Isla and the others stiffened at my words. No, no, don¡¯t be so cautious. I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be that horrific. Maybe.

 CH 119

    Chapter 119 ¨C Magic Sword Artisan


    ¡°Hahaha. Don¡¯t be so prepared like that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s impossible not to be prepared.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no reassurance factor at all.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to turn the iron sword into a magic sword now?¡±


    Everyone but me is taking a complete defensive stance. Why is that? Are they going to start practicing kungfu or something? It¡¯s okay; the iron sword will probably just become a magic sword ¨D or maybe a sword with some special effects. Surely.


    ¡°Err¡­ it looks like I need to set the item that I want to enchant and a catalyst to do it. Enchanting means granting or incanting or something like that, right?¡±


    ¡°In general, yes. What kind of enchantments can you do?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ I can¡¯t choose. What will be enchanted? There doesn¡¯t seem to be anything to choose from, so I guess it¡¯s random.¡±


    ¡°Random¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s complicated¡­¡±


    ¡°I guess you¡¯ll just have to try.¡±


    All of us nodded at the blacksmith¡¯s words and began preparing materials and catalysts for the enchantment.


    ¡°I think we should use materials that won¡¯t cause any harm if something strange happens.¡±


    With that, the blacksmith came up with an iron sword, a crude spear, and other materials that were clearly meant to be used in a few different ways. When I asked them where they got them, they said they had been seized from the army of the Holy Kingdom, which had surrendered when the southern part of the country was conquered.


    Isn¡¯t the quality of the equipment not good enough for the regular army of the Holy Kingdom? It seems that it¡¯s a second-rate item that was equipped by hired soldiers (locally employed) who were assigned to defend small villages and towns. The regular army has a little better equipment.


    ¡°Now that we have the material, let¡¯s get the catalyst.¡±


    ¡°What can we use?¡±


    ¡°The only materials that might work are magic crystals, golem cores, mithril, magic iron, magic steel, wyvern magic stones, fangs and claws, poison needles, other monster materials, and gems.¡±


    ¡°Wyvern¡­? Where did you get it?¡±


    ¡°In the Sorrel Mountain Range or whatever it¡¯s called. When I was coming back from Merinesburg, I went through there with Melty. That¡¯s where we met Grande.¡±


    ¡°Show it to me later.¡±


    ¡°Okay. There are also a bunch of undismantled carcasses.¡±


    In the meantime, I set the iron sword in the materials section of the granting workbench.


    ¡°What would you use as a catalyst?¡±


    ¡°Magic crystals. It¡¯s the least peculiar.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    I set the magic crystal in the catalyst slot and start the enchantment. As with the other workbenches, nothing, in particular, appears on the granting workbench. It simply displays a countdown to the completion of the enchantment in the enchantment menu.


    ¡°Looks like it¡¯ll take three minutes.¡±


    ¡°Three minutes.¡±


    ¡°The process of enchanting the iron sword only took three minutes¡­?¡±


    Isla muttered with an eye that lost its light, and the alchemist gave me a look of disbelief. It normally takes more time, right? I could tell by their reaction.


    ¡°It seems that with three gems and five magic crystals, I can create a rare material.¡±


    ¡°Rare material?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I wonder what it¡¯s called. I¡¯ll try to make it.¡±


    What is it called again? Magic sparkling stone? Magic sparkling crystal? Not sure, but using three gems and five magic crystals is a pretty high cost. It must be able to produce something amazing.


    Fortunately, it seems that crafting can be done while the enchantment is on, so I¡¯ll make a reservation to craft the magic sparkling stone. Twenty-four minutes. That¡¯s quite a long time, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s supposed to be thirty minutes, though, right?


    ¡°Oh, and while I was doing that, the enchantment was finished.¡±


    ¡°Let me see.¡±


    I took out the enchanted iron sword and held it up. The appearance of the sword does not look any different. It¡¯s not like there¡¯s a magic crystal inlaid into the hilt or anything.


    ¡°It looks as if nothing has changed.¡±


    ¡°Not at all. Put it on the table over here.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    When the iron sword was placed on the large table that had been used to discuss the golem workbench, Isla and the others began a lively discussion around the iron sword. The blacksmith seemed to be tapping the blade with a small hammer.


    ¡°The whole thing is so evenly and precisely coated with magic power.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not iron anymore. It¡¯s transforming into magic iron.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a flow of magic power¡­ and it¡¯s clearly some kind of magic effect.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s totally a magic sword.¡±


    As soon as Isla uttered her words, all of them turned their faces towards me with a grin. Scary!


    ¡°Kosuke, keep trying other things.¡±


    ¡°If possible, make two more with the same material and the same catalyst, and three more with different materials and the same catalyst.¡±


    ¡°Another set of swords made of steel instead of iron.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll also bring in some armor and magic crystals.¡±


    Isla, the alchemist, the mage, and the blacksmith all rushed in. Then some of them ran outside. They said they would prepare more materials.


    ¡°All right, all right, calm down. Let¡¯s do it in order.¡±


    I opened the enchantment menu again, trying to appease the people who had serious eyes.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    ¡°I¡¯m starting to get a general idea.¡±


    Isla nodded as she looked at the enchanted swords lined up on the table. The members of the research and development department nodded in agreement.


    ¡°If the material is just iron or steel, using a kind of magic crystal will make it a higher level magic iron or steel. If you use too much magic power to transform the material, then the magic effect will be weakened.¡±


    ¡°It seems so. It seems that the magic effects that are given are varied.¡±


    I nodded to Isla¡¯s statement. In the end, I ended up using about 20 magic crystals to give it a try, and the result was generally similar to that.


    As for the magic effects, they really vary, or rather, they are not stable. It seems that weapons become lighter, attacks against certain types of monsters become stronger, or the weapon¡¯s attack power increases.


    ¡°If you use an item made of magic iron or steel as material from the start, the magic effect will be improved, probably because it does not consume magic power to transform the material. Also, if the material is not a regular magic crystal, but a magic crystal with attributes, the material will have attributes as well as magic effects.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a small number of trials, but that seems to be the pattern.¡±


    The mage nodded. The weapons made of magic iron and magic steel were certainly valuable, but we could only prepare three of them.


    Incidentally, the fact that the magic effect has become stronger is almost confirmed based on both the results of Isla¡¯s appraisal and the results of my confirmation in the inventory.


    For example, if you use a magic crystal to enchant a steel sword, you will get a magic steel sword +1 (slashing enhancement I), but if you use a magic crystal to enchant a magic steel sword, you will get a magic steel sword +3 (slashing enhancement III).


    ¡°If the catalyst is not a magic crystal, the material will not be altered. Instead, it will have a magic effect that is somewhat in line with the nature of the catalyst.¡±


    ¡°If you use a wyvern¡¯s poisonous needles, they now all have a magic poisoning effect. Fangs and claws often seem to lead to improved attack abilities such as improved penetration and slashing capabilities.¡±


    ¡°If you use magic iron or magic steel as a material, the material won¡¯t be altered, but it seems to become sturdier.¡±


    The alchemist and blacksmith nodded.


    ¡°In conclusion, Kosuke¡¯s granting workbench is a mass-production machine for magic swords. If you want to, you can deploy magic iron and steel armor with increased offensive capabilities to the entire army.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s terrifying.¡±


    ¡°The army will be unbeatable.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t know exactly how great it is.¡±


    To put it bluntly, I don¡¯t understand the difference in performance between iron and steel weapons, magic iron and steel weapons, and weapons with increased attack capabilities.


    ¡°For example, it is difficult for an iron or steel weapon to cut through or pierce the same iron or steel armor. A master can only manage it by putting magic power into the weapon.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°If the weapon is made of magic iron or steel, even if you don¡¯t have the skill, if you have a little bit of strength, you will be able to cut or stab through them. If such weapons are given magic to increase their attack ability, even amateurs will be able to do so.¡±


    ¡°This is bad.¡±


    ¡°Very bad. It will be a battlefield where skilled heavy infantrymen will be stabbed through and through by ordinary infantrymen, slashing through their armor with their weapons and shields.¡±


    It would be a nightmare for the enemy to face. The armor will no longer function as armor.


    ¡°Because this granting workbench can also be used to grant armor. The same thing will happen to your defenses.¡±


    ¡°How do you stop a heavily armored infantryman whose entire body is covered in magic iron or magic steel equipment? If they do it carefully, even the best moves won¡¯t work either.¡±


    ¡°Chorus magic¡­ might work.¡±


    Chorus magic¡­ I believe, is a trump card used by the mage troops of the Holy Kingdom army. I¡¯ve heard that the Merinard kingdom suffered a lot from it during the war, but I¡¯ve never actually seen it with my own eyes. I guess they use some kind of wide-area destruction magic with a few people.


    ¡°I think we should report this to Her Highness. I¡¯ll report it to her myself this evening.¡±


    ¡°Please do.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m counting on you.¡±


    The members of the research and development department nodded at Isla¡¯s statement. It seems that in front of everyone, she will not call her ¡°Sylphy¡± but ¡°Her Highness.¡± I guess Isla is the type of person who takes things on and off.


    ¡°Yes, it looks like the rare material is ready.¡±


    I said and took out the magic sparkling stone from my inventory. In fact, it had been ready a long time ago, but everyone seemed to be busy inspecting and testing the enchanted weapons, so I had to wait for the right moment.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s really shiny. It looks like it can be used as a light.¡±


    The magic sparkling stone taken out from the inventory was emitting beautiful light. Instead of receiving light and reflecting it, it was emitting its own light. Perhaps because the material used was topaz, the color was yellow with a slight orange tinge. The way it emits its own light is like a small sun.


    ¡°Kosuke, what¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Magic sparkling stone? I guess. It¡¯s a rare material that can be made from three gems and five magic crystals. I have mentioned it before, remember?¡±


    When I tried to hand it to Isla, she took a step back as if frightened by something. What is it?


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Kosuke, did you say magic sparkling stone?¡±


    ¡°Maybe so. I just read it as magic sparkling stone.¡±


    ¡°Is it magic sparkling stone?¡±


    ¡°It is. Maybe.¡±


    When I nodded, Isla¡¯s eyes were glued to the magic sparkling stone in my hand. The other research and development department members are the same way, especially the human alchemist¡¯s eyes. Their eyes are wide open and bloodshot. The blue-skinned, black-and-white-eyed, demon-looking mage has her eyes wide open as well, but it¡¯s a bit milder because I can¡¯t tell if they¡¯re bloodshot or not. The others have a¡­ kind of enlightened expression. Did they reach nirvana?


    ¡°Kosuke, the magic sparkling stone is the jewel version of mithril.¡±


    ¡°Hou?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s very expensive. Even a piece as small as the tip of a pinky nail costs a fortune. You could build a house.¡±


    ¡°¡­So you¡¯re saying this is a very dangerous thing?¡±


    ¡°The price is so high that you could buy a country with it. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anyone in the world who can afford a magic sparkling stone of that size.¡±


    ¡°Pretend you never saw it.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Let¡¯s put this dangerous stuff away. I threw it in my inventory. A few people in the room looked very disappointed, but I¡¯ll pretend I didn¡¯t see them.


    ¡°But now that I¡¯ve made it, I have to put it to good use. What about the magic sparkling stone as a material for making something?¡±


    ¡°It can be used in various ways depending on how it is processed. It is often used to amplify or store large amounts of magic power. Even something as small as the tip of my pinky fingernail can store enough magic power for five people. You can also use it to amplify your magic power, increasing it from one to five or six.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that amazing?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s really great. That¡¯s why it¡¯s expensive. And it¡¯s a coveted item for alchemists and mages.¡±


    Isla is staring at me. At the same time, the other alchemists and mages who had come close to me before I knew it was also staring at my face. There are four mages and four alchemists in this room. I¡¯m afraid of being surrounded by eight people¡­ Are there nine?


    ¡°I want to polish¡­ the beautiful stone from earlier¡­¡±


    A male engraver with bloodshot eyes was giving me a passionate look from outside the circle of female mages and alchemists surrounding me. Super scary.


    ¡°Wait a minute, calm down, guys. Are you okay? As I said before, I can make magic sparkling stones. I can do it. With three gems and five magic crystals, I can make one the size of the one you just saw. There¡¯s no limit to how much I can make. In other words, as long as I have the materials¡­ Yes, I can lend them to everyone as research materials. That¡¯s right, isn¡¯t it? Isla.¡±


    ¡°¡­If Kosuke is involved, the budget and material arrangements can be flexible. The magic crystals need to be sent from the rear, but the gems are in stock and can also be purchased. And if there is a suitable place, Kosuke can even mine them. If there are enough magic sparkling stones, I think it is possible to lend them for research.¡±


    After thinking about it for a while, Isla nodded her head in agreement. The light returned to the eyes of everyone surrounding me, and the heavy pressure (half-physical) that had surrounded me dissipated at once. Thank goodness, there was no one in this world who was unhappy with me.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s all find a way to make effective use of the magic sparkling stone.¡±


    A new material that can be used as both a huge capacity battery and an amplifier¡­ My dreams are expanding!

 CH 120

    Chapter 120 ¨C Grande¡¯s First Job


    ¡°I see, so you were in the research and development office all this time today?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I was with him the whole time. As usual, common sense is not something that Kosuke understands.¡±


    ¡°Silver to mithril, gems and magic crystals to magic sparkling stones¡­ that would break the economy.¡±


    ¡°If we do this right, the Liberation Army won¡¯t have to worry about funding at all in the future.¡±


    In the evening, after spending a day in the research and development department, we were all gathered together for dinner. The group consisted of me, Sylphy, Isla, Melty, and the Harpies. Some Harpies were on patrol and scouting missions in various places, so it was not all of them.


    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s perfect for mood and illumination¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s practically part of the nature of the Harpies to like shiny things, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a little unsettling to think that one of these could buy a whole country¡­¡±


    In the middle of the large dining table where we eat, sits a thing. It was a set of three silver candlesticks. The problem is that the candlesticks are not candles but multicolored magic sparkling stones that emit light.


    ¡°If you didn¡¯t know about it, it would look like just a lighted magical object.¡±


    ¡°The fact is, though, that it¡¯s a magic sparkling stone of size and quantity that could buy the world. It¡¯s a very expensive piece of lighting, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s almost free of charge to me in terms of material cost, let alone market price.¡±


    The gems that are used as materials can be found in the appropriate rocky places, and magic crystals can be obtained regularly and in any quantity. It¡¯s not free, though, since it must have cost a fair amount to make the magic crystal extraction equipment.


    ¡°Kosuke doesn¡¯t understand the value of things.¡±


    ¡°This is something I¡¯ve never seen before, and if I wanted to make it, I could do it myself. In that sense, I guess I¡¯m the only one who doesn¡¯t know the common sense of this world.¡±


    ¡°You may be right, but¡­ what is the purpose of these silver candlesticks anyway?¡±


    ¡°Oh, right. It¡¯s not silver; it¡¯s a mithril candlestick.¡±


    ¡°¡­My head is starting to hurt with all this.¡±


    Sylphy starts rubbing the wrinkles between her eyes with a spoon in her other hand. Well, well, I have my own ideas, you know.


    ¡°The only reason I prepared this stuff is so you can get used to it.¡±


    ¡°Get used to it? What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Mithril and magic sparkling stones. I won¡¯t be using that size of the magic sparkling stone, but I will be giving everyone accessories made of mithril and magic sparkling stone.¡±


    Everyone gasped at my words.


    I can¡¯t help but understand how they feel. To be honest, I¡¯d be scared too if someone told me they were going to give me accessories that could build a mansion. In fact, I¡¯d probably withdraw. It would be too expensive to use on a daily basis, for sure.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to have Isla¡¯s help in making it effective for protection or as magic power storage. To be honest, I¡¯m not strong enough to stand next to everyone in a fight and protect you. But I can make something to protect you.¡±


    There were many ideas that came to mind when I heard about the characteristics of the magic sparkling stone that amplifies and stores magic power, and one of them was an accessory to protect everyone. Rings, pendants, bracelets, anything would do.


    It can be a magic shield or simply an amplifier that increases the magic power. It could be a magic tank that stores a large amount of magic power and draws from it when the time comes. Whichever it is, it should be useful in protecting Sylphy, Isla, the Harpies, and Melty.


    ¡°It may be a very expensive piece of jewelry in this world, but the safety of everyone is more important than that. If the need arises, you can use it up. I¡¯ll make it again and again. So I want you to wear what I make and provide you with as much as possible.¡±


    ¡°So you want me to get used to it, is that it?¡±


    ¡°Something like that. Well, for me, it¡¯s to let you know that it can be used for this kind of fun. So, don¡¯t hesitate to wear the accessory when I give it to you.¡±


    ¡°¡­Okay. If that¡¯s what Kosuke wants. Is that okay, everyone?¡±


    Everyone nodded at Sylphy¡¯s words.


    ¡°Fufu, accessories made of magic sparkling stone and mithril? It¡¯s a woman¡¯s dream.¡±


    Melty put her hand on her cheek and grinned as she looked at the magic sparkling stone candlesticks. In my original world, accessories would be made from platinum, gold, and perhaps diamonds.


    ¡°Fufu¡­ fufufu¡­ unlimited use of magic sparkling stones and mithril¡­ fufufufu.¡±


    Isla¡¯s eye is traveling as she gazes at the candleholders made of mithril and candlesticks made from magic sparkling stone. As an excellent mage and alchemist, it must be a great blessing to be able to freely use these materials to make tools.


    ¡°I wonder if we should get necklaces or anklets?¡±


    ¡°Maybe an earring?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have arms or fingers.¡±


    The Harpies were quickly discussing what kind of accessories they would like. Yeah, I¡¯ll ask them what they want later.


    I¡¯m happy to report that everyone¡¯s service that night was more intense than usual, whether in return for the gift of an accessory or as an advance payment. I thought I was going to dry out.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    ¡°Now, Grande.¡±


    It was a morning a few days after I learned how to make magic sparkling stones. I called out to Grande as I served her an extra-large teriyaki burger for breakfast.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Grande tilted her big head as she quickly took a bite of the first one. Yes, her face is vicious, but her gesture is cute. If you make a cute gesture with a vicious appearance, it can look strangely cute because there is a huge gap.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be working for me from today.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I can understand that. After eating this, maybe I¡¯ll go back to the mountains and hunt some wyverns.¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it.¡±


    Grande tilted her head again at my words.


    ¡°Do I not have to work?¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. Grande, I want you to share your blood with me.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­? I don¡¯t like pain, you know?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll try to make it as painless as possible, and the wound will heal quickly. Just share the blood with me.¡±


    Grande didn¡¯t respond to my plea but munched on an oversized teriyaki burger, making a thoughtful gesture.


    ¡°It depends on your purpose. You probably want to use my blood to make a potion or something, but I don¡¯t want to have my blood taken over and over again. It¡¯s more than painful; it¡¯s unpleasant.¡±


    ¡°I understand. It is not very pleasant to have your blood taken and used as a potion. If I were in Grande¡¯s position, I wouldn¡¯t be too happy about it either.¡±


    It¡¯s better than mosquitoes, ticks, fleas, and blood-sucking leeches because you get consent, but it¡¯s some kind of biological instinct not to like an object that consumes your body and blood.


    ¡°You know that woman who was carried in here with me? Her name was Melty.¡±


    ¡°That demon species?¡±


    Grande looked blatantly uncomfortable as if she remembered her encounter with Melty. Grande is not very good at dealing with Melty, is she?


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s her. She cut off her own horn to save me from being trapped in the human country. To blend in with the humans.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s very brave of her. Cutting off her own horn to save a mating male. That¡¯s impressive guts.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. But I want to do something about her horns.¡±


    ¡°I see. So it¡¯s my blood.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes. Can you do that for me?¡±


    Grande nodded at me.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. But I don¡¯t want to be asked too many times, okay?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°Umu. Let¡¯s do it after I finish eating this.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll bring out a large barrel of honey wine after I¡¯ve finished taking your blood.¡±


    I don¡¯t want her to drink the honey wine before the blood is drawn because then the alcohol would mix with her blood. No, it might not be a problem for dragons, and it¡¯s not necessarily something that will affect her immediately, but it¡¯s just for the mood.


    ¡°A large barrel?¡±


    ¡°Bigger than the usual ones. Enough for four people.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯ll be great!¡±


    Grande¡¯s tail begins to thump, thump on the ground as if she is really looking forward to it. It shakes and sways. In fact, if you place something you want to crush under her tail, you will be able to make progress in your work. Maybe I¡¯ll try to get it to work on paving stones for the road next time.


    Soon, Grande had finished her meal, and I decided to take her blood.


    ¡°I wondered how I would do it. If it¡¯s a human, you can just cut off the tip of a finger.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to cut between my fingers or between my nails. It hurts.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do that. This isn¡¯t torturing.¡±


    There¡¯s no such thing as a syringe the size of a dragon. Or rather, the dragon¡¯s scales and skin make it impossible for an ordinary syringe to penetrate.


    ¡°I¡¯ll use this to scratch your arm.¡±


    ¡°Mithril? It might be able to penetrate my scales and skin.¡±


    Grande nodded as she looked at the sword I took out. This is a mithril shortsword that I made for myself a while back. I¡¯ve never had the opportunity to use it at all, but the first time I used it was to take blood from a dragon¡­ Well, the situation in which I would have to fight to wield such a thing would have been almost impossible, so it was appropriate that it ended up being stored in my inventory.


    ¡°I won¡¯t stab you deeply, but I¡¯ll cut you thinly.¡±


    ¡°Umu. Since my scales are tough and my skin is thick, if you¡¯re going to do it, do it as hard as you can. It¡¯s more painful and scary to be slashed repeatedly.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡±


    But I can¡¯t handle a sword properly, can I? Well, if I hold the weapon in my right hand and click the left button, my body will naturally move. I¡¯ll let the command action guide me.


    When I had gotten used to the feeling, I called out to Grande.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Umu. Come.¡±


    With the left click in mind, I let my body move naturally and slashed at Grande¡¯s front leg, or rather arm. It was a tremendous response, but because it was protected by hard scales and thick skin, the cut was not as big as it could have been.


    However, even though it was not a big cut, a cut is a cut. The blood started to flow out.


    ¡°¡­Ouch.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Once I get the blood out, I¡¯ll heal you right away, so just bear with it.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yeah.¡±


    I feel so guilty when I hear Grande¡¯s voice, which sounds like she¡¯s about to cry. Since it would be a pity to prolong the pain too long, I quickly collected the flowing blood into a glass container and put the lid on it. Finally, after filling up three 500ml containers, I finished the blood collection and poured High Life Potion on Grande¡¯s wounds.


    Grande¡¯s wounds closed up quickly, and soon the scars were no longer visible. I also picked up the scales that had been cut off along with the wound.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt anymore.¡±


    ¡°Yes, the potion healed it. Thank you, Grande.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    I stroked Grande¡¯s face as I pulled her close to me to check her scar. After licking the scar with her long tongue, Grande began to move her right arm fearfully.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s okay.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear it. Thank you, Grande. I¡¯m going to give you some dessert tonight to make up for the pain I caused you, so look forward to it.¡±


    ¡°Dessert?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll make you something sweet and delicious.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡±


    Grande¡¯s tail began to thump against the ground. She seemed to be in a better mood.


    ¡°So, here¡¯s the big barrel of honey wine I promised you. Drink it and relax for the rest of the day.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    After placing the large barrel of honey wine on the dining table, I said goodbye to Grande and walked to the research and development department.


    I need to get a regeneration potion made for Melty. Maybe I can get more recipes for my mixing table. The blood that Grande gave me in pain is a precious commodity. I¡¯ll make sure not to waste it.

 CH 121

    Chapter 121 ¨C +9


    ¡°T-this is! Is this the dragon¡¯s lifeblood? It¡¯s fresh blood, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°This is that thing, isn¡¯t it? These are fragments of the dragon¡¯s scales!¡±


    The blood and scale fragments that Grande shared with me were brought back to the research and development department, and the tension between the pharmacist and blacksmith was unbelievable. Yesterday¡¯s mithril and magic sparkling stone shock had nothing to do with the pharmacist and blacksmith¡­ No, the mithril had an impact on the blacksmith as well, though.


    ¡°The research and development department has been very busy since Kosuke¡¯s return.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it good to have something to do¡­? One bottle of lifeblood can be used for research by the pharmacist. And the fragments are yours to do with as you please.¡±


    ¡°¡±¡±Hyahooo!¡±¡±¡±


    Two pharmacists and three blacksmiths jumped up and down, snatching up the materials on the table. Are you alright, pharmacist-san? Are you sure you¡¯re not going to fall and spill the lifeblood? I won¡¯t compensate for it, okay?


    ¡°The other bottle is for the alchemist and the mage to use. I mean, I want to use this blood to make a potion to heal Melty¡¯s horn, you know?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what I had in mind.¡±


    My words were met with an immediate nod from Isla as if she knew what I was talking about.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been planning for this all along? How did you know that dragon¡¯s blood could be used to make regenerative medicine, Kosuke?¡±


    ¡°No, it was a natural process that we became friends. I thought that dragon¡¯s blood could be used as a powerful regenerative medicine because¡­ well, in the fictional stories of my former world, there were many depictions of dragon¡¯s blood being used as an ingredient for such strong medicines.¡±


    ¡°I wonder. There should be no dragons in Kosuke¡¯s world, right?¡±


    I¡¯ve been telling Isla a lot of stories about my original world as bedtime stories. Stories of various tools made with the science and technology of that world, myths and folktales of that world, similarities with the plants, animals, and creatures of this world, and creatures that exist only in fantasy and illusion.


    I remember we talked about dragons soon after Isla and I started our relationship.


    ¡°It¡¯s strange, isn¡¯t it? A thin layer of skin may separate my world and this world.¡±


    Maybe there are creatures like me who somehow blend in from there to here and from here to there. It may have been the origin of the mysterious folklore and myths around the world.


    ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ll take care of the regenerative medicine. It¡¯s not impossible to make it if we have fresh dragon blood. Fortunately, we have all the materials needed.¡±


    It was a very convenient turn of events, but upon closer inspection, it was a natural reason. Originally, Erichburg was a major transportation hub, which meant that it was also a major base for trade in the south. Naturally, many things from all over the south would be concentrated here in Erichburg. In other words, as long as you have the money, you can get anything you need.


    And the Liberation Army is putting a lot of effort into the research and development of new technology. I guess that¡¯s where my presence has had a big impact. The crossbows, bombs, and bolt-action rifles I brought with me, as well as the golem communication device and golem-style ballista that the engineers of this world and I collaborated to create. It¡¯s new technology like that that supports the armed forces of the Liberation Army, which is small in number.


    Knowing this, both Sylphy and Melty must have plenty of money for their research and development projects. Fortunately, in addition to the mithril and gems that I have mined, some crops continue to be produced from the fields that can be harvested at an extraordinary rate. A field that I simply plowed into the ground can produce crops in two weeks. That¡¯s twice a month. That should be plenty of money.


    ¡°What are you going to do with the other one?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s for my research. I might be able to make something out of it.¡±


    Then I took out the mixing table and checked the recipe.


    ?Distilled Water ¨C Ingredients: Drinking Water x 2


    ?Small Life Potion ¨C Ingredients: Medicinal Plants x 1, Drinking Water x 1


    ?Life Potion ¨C Ingredients: Medicinal Plants x 3, Distilled Water x1


    ?High Life Potion ¨C Ingredients: Medicinal Plants x 5, Distilled Water x 1, Alcohol x 1


    ?Magic Potion ¨C Ingredients: Medicinal Herbs x 3, Distilled Water x 1, Alcohol x 1, Magic Crystals x 1


    ?Poison Potion ¨C Ingredients: Poisonous Plants x 1, Distilled Water x 1


    ?High Poison Potion ¨C Ingredients: Poisonous Plants x 3, Distilled Water x 1, Alcohol x 1


    ?Cure Poison Potion ¨C Ingredients: Medicinal Plants x 1, Poisonous Plants x 1, Alcohol x 1


    ?Cure Disease Potion ¨C Ingredients: Medicinal Plants x 5, Poisonous Plants x 2, Distilled Water x 1, Alcohol x 2


    ?Regenerative Potion ¨C Ingredients: High Life Potion x 3, Cure Disease Potion x 1, Dragon¡¯s Blood x 1


    ?Alcohol ¨C Ingredients: Sake x 1


    ?Saltpeter ¨C Material: Stable Manure x 1, Ashes x 1


    ?Gunpowder: Material: Saltpeter x 1, Sulfur x 1, Charcoal x 1


    ?Gunpowder ¨C Material: Saltpeter x 1, Alcohol x 1, Fiber x 1


    ¡°Oh, I think I can make something that looks like regenerative medicine.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yeah.¡±


    Isla looked at me with an eye that seemed to say, ¡°I knew that.¡± Even if you are looking at me like that¡­?


    I don¡¯t know if this was registered because of the dragon¡¯s blood or if it was because of the Item Creations when I thought, ¡°Can I make that?¡± Anyway, let¡¯s try to make it.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s start crafting. Let¡¯s see, twenty-four minutes, huh? That¡¯s a long time.¡±


    ¡°Regenerative potion, it¡¯ll take me three days and all night to make.¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡°Three days.¡±


    ¡°Even if you say that with such a face!¡±


    Isla looked up at me with a cloudy eye. There¡¯s no way around it about the crafting time. It¡¯s not my decision to make.


    ¡°But you see, whether the finished product is what I want is¡­ No, it¡¯s more likely to be what I want. But it could be something else, like the regenerative potion that Isla and the others know about.¡±


    If this regenerative potion is the recipe that appeared in the item creation, then there is a very good chance that it is exactly what I want. The actual effect it has may be different from the regenerative potion, which is commonly known in this world.


    ¡°Anyway, make as many as you can, not just one. Without experimentation, I¡¯m afraid we can¡¯t use it.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Because of the Mass Production skill, if I make ten of them, I can save the cost of one, so I¡¯ll cancel the crafting, get the number of High Life Potions I need, and then start the crafting again. By doing this, I can make ten items for the cost of nine. The crafting time is ten times as long, though.


    ¡°Ten of these will be ready in four hours.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I¡¯ll gather the experimental animals.¡±


    ¡°Experimental animals¡­¡±


    Experiment, experiment, huh¡­ The regenerative medicine experiment means cutting off the limbs of experimental animals and regenerating them¡­ No, animal experiments are essential, aren¡¯t they? Yeah. But I would rather not be there if possible!


    After killing so many Holy Kingdom troops with bombs, guns, and crossbows, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a new thing, but I don¡¯t want to see it if possible. Isn¡¯t that what humanity is all about?


    ¡°You can¡¯t just suddenly make people drink it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I know. It¡¯s indispensable.¡±


    Isla nodded. That¡¯s right. I remember Isla telling me about these things so often when I was still in the Black Forest that it was like having calluses on my ears. Of course I remember it well.


    ¡°If the dragon¡¯s blood is good enough¡­ the next step is the magic sparkling stone.¡±


    I took out the magic sparkling stones that I had mass-produced yesterday, not to say¡­ mass-produced to some extent, from my inventory and laid them out on the table. There are twenty-three of them. If I used all of them to make a destructive weapon, wouldn¡¯t it be able to destroy the Holy Kingdom? No, I won¡¯t do that, and I won¡¯t let that happen.


    Should I proceed with the development of this weapon as a trump card¡­? No, I can¡¯t. My abilities should be used in the direction of creation, not destruction. I can¡¯t imagine a happy ending after all the destruction and killing.


    It¡¯s a powerful ability that should be used for development and prosperity.


    ¡°What does Kosuke do?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to try to use the magic sparkling stone on the granting workbench.¡±


    ¡°¡­For what?¡±


    ¡°Mithril pickaxe for now?¡±


    The most frequently used items that I use are pickaxe, shovel, logging ax, and hoe. Weapons are used much less frequently than that. To be honest, it¡¯s not often that I fight myself. I did fight in the last journey with Melty, though.


    ¡°Why the pickaxe¡­?¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not much of a fighter, so why would I need a magic weapon?¡±


    ¡°Kosuke, you can¡¯t call someone who can take down a bunch of wyverns a weak fighter.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not me that¡¯s strong; it¡¯s the weapon.¡±


    If I could shoot a wyvern with an assault rifle, anyone would be able to defeat it, as well. But, to be able to maintain a certain level of composure and perform perfect attack motions without any command action mistakes, I guess you could say I¡¯m strong.


    ¡°But you know what? It¡¯s not like I¡¯m going to be taking the lead in a fight, right? It¡¯s no use for me to have a powerful magic weapon that has been highly modified. If that is the case, it would be a hundred times better to give a useful boost to the tools that I use on a daily basis.¡±


    Even if I made such a weapon, it would just end up in my inventory. Even if I were to make one, it would probably be a complete hobby item. Well, even the harvesting process is not always safe. I think it¡¯s not really a waste of time to give it to a weapon that¡¯s easy to use.


    I¡¯d like to experiment with infinite ammo enchantments on guns, though. If an assault rifle or light machine gun could have infinite ammo, it would be the most powerful¡­ No, the barrel would heat up and become useless quickly. But it¡¯s worth a try. Even if the effect is not an infinite number of bullets, for example, automatic repair or enhanced durability is also useful.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ but the pickaxe and the magic sparkling stone¡­¡±


    Isla seemed to be convinced by my words in theory, but emotionally she was not convinced. I don¡¯t know what if she can understand it, but please just leave it at that.


    ¡°So, let¡¯s try it.¡±


    I set the mithril pickaxe and the magic sparkling stone on the enchantment column of the granting workbench and started the enchantment. The work time remains the same: three minutes. Is this constant and unaffected by skill?


    With that in mind, I waited patiently for three minutes. While Isla was standing beside me, watching my movements, I finished enchanting the mithril pickaxe.


    ¡°It¡¯s done.¡±


    I took out the completed mithril pickaxe from the granting workbench.


    ¡°There¡¯s a lot of magic power in there¡­¡±


    ¡°Uh, what¡¯s this?¡±


    Mithril Pickaxe +9 (Auto Repair, Efficiency Enhancement III, Luck III)


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°It says +9. Auto Repair, Efficiency Enhancement III, and Luck III.¡±


    The effects that are enchanted are random, but experiments have shown that to some extent, they are based on the use of the item they are made from. For example, if it¡¯s a sword, there¡¯s a good chance it will have a slashing enhancement, followed by a piercing enhancement. In some rare cases, it will also get enhanced blows. In contrast, a spear is more likely to have a piercing attack, followed by a striking attack. It¡¯s not often that a slash is attached.


    In the case of long spears, there is a high possibility that the striking enhancement will be prioritized over the piercing enhancement. If it¡¯s a spear that also emphasizes slashing, such as Ms. Zamir¡¯s Meteor, it might be able to get enhanced slashing, and if it¡¯s a sword that emphasizes striking rather than cutting, it might be able to get striking enhanced more effectively.


    I¡¯ll have to do more research to find out.


    ¡°What does luck do?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Either it increases the amount of material that can be mined, or it increases the rate at which rare materials can be mined.¡±


    I kind of understand the auto-repair and efficiency enhancement. But I really don¡¯t know about luck.


    ¡°Let¡¯s try the shovel and the ax.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, go ahead and do what you want.¡±


    Now that I had Isla¡¯s permission, I plunged my gathering tools into the granting table and reserved the enchantments. Now, what will happen?

 CH 122

    Chapter 122 ¨C Let¡¯s Give It A Try!


    ¡°This is outrageous.¡±


    ¡°This is certainly outrageous.¡±


    A vast arable land spread out in front of us. I don¡¯t know how big it is because I didn¡¯t measure it exactly, but I¡¯d say it¡¯s about 20 meters in width and 50 meters in depth.


    ¡°I-is this the field¡­?¡±


    ¡°Eh? With just one swing? Eh¡­?¡±


    The farmers who were watching Isla and me in the back were stunned. Yeah, I get it.


    ¡°Where are all the pebbles and rocks and shrubs and stuff¡­?¡±


    Maybe they¡¯ve all been plowed up.


    ¡°It was smaller before.¡±


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because of the range enchantment.¡±


    I then turned my attention to the brilliantly shining mithril hoe.


    ?Mithril Hoe +9 (Auto Repair, Efficiency Enhancement III, Range Enhancement III)


    It seems that if I enchant a gathering tool with a magic sparkling stone, it will always have auto repair and efficiency enhancement. The third effect seems to have some fluctuation, but there¡¯s no way I can make a few to test. No, I could if I wanted to, though, right? I can make mithril now, too.


    But even if I made it, who would use it? If it weren¡¯t me, it wouldn¡¯t be possible to use it like this¡­ No, wait? When it comes to the enchantment effect, it doesn¡¯t have to be me, right?


    ¡°Isla, can you try to use this hoe?¡±


    ¡°? Okay, but I¡¯m an amateur. I don¡¯t have the same power as Kosuke.¡±


    ¡°Yes. But you see, the effect of the enchantment should be usable even if not by me. I¡¯m curious to see how efficiency enhancement and range expansion work in this case.¡±


    ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll give it a try.¡±


    Isla nodded obediently at my words, took the hoe from my hand, and swung it at the unplowed ground.


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    With a light thud, the soil was tilled in an area of about one meter by one meter, along with the small stones. The slightly larger stones seemed to be left intact.


    ¡°It¡¯s amazing. It¡¯s working on me too.¡±


    ¡°I wonder what the growth rate of this soil will be compared to the soil I plowed?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s worth an experiment. I¡¯ll plow some more.¡±


    Perhaps she was happy to be able to wield the hoe and create the same mysterious phenomenon as I did; Isla began to wield the hoe excitedly. She seemed to be enjoying herself as she plowed. I know exactly how she feels.


    In the end, after plowing an area as large as the one I plowed with one swing in about an hour, Isla was holding up the hoe and breathing heavily.


    ¡°Hah¡­ hah¡­ labor is hard.¡±


    ¡°Well done.¡±


    Saying that, I took out a magic potion from my inventory that would restore stamina continuously and handed it to Isla. There was an accident when Isla, who thought it was water, was startled by the unpleasant taste of the potion and sprayed the contents of her mouth, but she managed to drink it down, looking at me with a resentful expression as if she had noticed the contents of the potion.


    ¡°Here you go, mouthwash.¡±


    ¡°I wanted this first.¡±


    ¡°I was thinking of Isla.¡±


    We took a short break while we watched the farmers removing large stones from Isla¡¯s plowed field. I¡¯m not tired, though. I only swung the hoe once, after all.


    ¡°I want you to grow some suitable crops in this field and report back to us on how fast they grow. Report to the research and development department in general affairs.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    The experimental fields were managed by farmers employed by the Liberation Army¡¯s administrative structure. They have their own fields, but they are asked to take care of this field in their spare time. They will be paid separately for their work, and they seem to be quite enthusiastic about it.


    I said goodbye to them as they began to work with enthusiasm and moved towards the forest with Isla.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s something, isn¡¯t it? About 70% of the hard work of farming is gone.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. If that hoe were widely available, all farming villages would be prosperous.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible. I heard it¡¯s made of mithril. It also seems to have magic in it.¡±


    The three people following us are the red demon Shumel, who has returned to adventuring after a successful break, a woman who seems to be a member of her party, a red demon, and a woman from the one-eyed demon, the cyclops.


    As soon as we took over Erichburg and settled the southern part of the country, Shumel left the Liberation Army and returned to adventuring, but under the current circumstances, the Liberation Army is the one that asks adventurers to do the most work. Although her affiliation has changed, she seems to be working as a member of the Liberation Army.


    After finishing the enchantment, Isla and I wanted to move immediately to check its effects, but due to the urgency, we couldn¡¯t extract guards from the Liberation Army soldiers. So we decided to ask Shumel and her party, who had just finished a request and were free, to take over our escort.


    ¡°Even so, Kosuke is as good as ever. I couldn¡¯t believe my ears when I heard that you¡¯d tamed a dragon.¡±


    ¡°And it¡¯s a grand dragon. That¡¯s crazy.¡±


    ¡°I guess it¡¯s just luck.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, you must be favored by the goddess of fate, luck, and misfortune.¡±


    The cyclops woman shrugged her shoulders while carrying a large wooden hammer.


    ¡°And yet, what a distinctive party, huh?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a lot easier to work with people of similar races. You don¡¯t have to worry about anything.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re big, after all.¡±


    ¡°When we¡¯re camped out, we can crush each other in our sleep.¡±


    ¡°Crush¡­¡±


    ¡°Umu¡­¡±


    My gaze and Isla¡¯s were drawn to the three of them and their ample chest armor. Isla gave a muddy gaze, and I gave a curious scholarly gaze. Isla, in particular, is gazing at the cyclops girl¡¯s breasts. Yeah, they¡¯re bigger than Isla¡¯s head. I would love to be crushed by them.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like it when you see me like that.¡±


    ¡°I want to chop them up.¡±


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s bizarre. I love Isla, so don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yeah.¡±


    I managed to calm her down by gently stroking her back, which gave off a dangerous vibe. Isla¡¯s breasts are indeed small. But that¡¯s just it. Whether it¡¯s a big one or a small one, there¡¯s no such thing as a ¡°noble¡± or ¡°lowly¡± breast.


    ¡°Kosuke is an omnivore who eats the princess, Isla, and the harpies all at once. If you¡¯re not careful, you¡¯ll get eaten by him too.¡±


    ¡°Eh? Are you serious? Scary.¡±


    ¡°If he¡¯s okay with the one-eyed girl, then I¡¯m certainly in danger.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never forced myself on anyone¡­ No, not at all.¡±


    Aside from Sylphy and Isla, the harpies and Melty are more like predators. And then there¡¯s Lime and the others¡­ I haven¡¯t touched Ellen yet, so she¡¯s safe.


    After walking for a while, we arrived at the forest.


    ¡°Now, this next one¡­¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s the yield enhancement?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±


    ?Mithril Logging Axe +9 (Auto Repair, Efficiency Enhancement III, Yield Enhancement III)


    ¡°What exactly does yield enhancement mean?¡±


    ¡°Will it increase the number of logs we can get?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s terrifying.¡±


    When I slammed the ax down on a random tree with a shiver, it cut through the wood as quickly as if it were chopping tofu. It was just a single blow.


    ¡°What the hell is this¡­?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t even know how that works.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s amazing¡­¡±


    The tree fell with a thud, and the next moment there was a banging sound, and the log fell away. The next thing we know, the logs are multiplying. This is not a figurative expression or anything, but the moment the tree made contact with the ground, it multiplied. There were obviously a lot of logs for the size of the tree that was cut. It was probably three times¡­ or even four times more than normal. The logs are like a mountain halfway up.


    ¡°I want to know the principle.¡±


    ¡°Do you think you can figure out¡­?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea.¡±


    ¡°Right?¡±


    Isla had a calm expression on her face as if she had already realized something. Just cutting a tree to make a perfect log is incomprehensible, but then it increases even more ¡ª three or four times more. I feel like it is useless to even think about it.


    Also, this could be dangerous depending on the direction it falls. The increased number of logs could crush someone.


    ¡°I wonder what would happen if a normal person used this?¡±


    ¡°Shumel.¡±


    ¡°You want me to do it? I don¡¯t mind¡­¡±


    Shumel took the mithril logging ax from me and began to wield it. It¡¯s the size of an average person, so it looks strangely small when Shumel uses it.


    ¡°It¡¯s really sharp, this thing.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s got Efficiency Enhancement III.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never even heard of a magic logging ax.¡±


    ¡°Not many freaks would make something like that out of mithril, let alone put magic into a logging ax.¡±


    ¡°You make me embarrassed.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a compliment.¡±


    The red demon looks at me with a fierce look. That¡¯s a pretty good way to do tsukkomi, though.


    ¡°Oops¡­ ooh?¡±


    It didn¡¯t take long for the tree to fall¡­?


    ¡°Why are there two trees?¡±


    ¡°No, there¡¯s more.¡±


    ¡°Eeh¡­¡±


    The tree that Shumel had cut down had split into two. The branches hadn¡¯t been removed, of course, so they were all tangled up in each other.


    ¡°It¡¯s great that it¡¯s multiplying, but it¡¯s useless.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s practically for my use only, this one.¡±


    I used the logging ax that Shumel gave me back to knock down the fallen trees, turn them into logs, and store them in my inventory. The ax is good for increasing yield, but it¡¯s difficult to use. As for the hoe, I think it can be used by anyone other than myself.


    ¡°Let¡¯s try the pickaxe next. I¡¯d like to find a rocky place or a rock wall.¡±


    ¡°In that case, it¡¯s that way.¡±


    A red demon carrying a large ax started walking ahead of me, so I followed suit.


    ¡°I¡¯m starting to get hungry.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s have dinner when we get there. I¡¯ll provide.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good. It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve eaten your food.¡±


    ¡°Kosuke¡¯s food is delicious.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡±


    The red demon and cyclops from Shumel party have never eaten my food before. It looks like they met up with Shumel after the liberation of Erichburg, so they probably haven¡¯t eaten food that I¡¯ve cooked directly. What do you want me to serve?


    ¡°Shumel, do you have any requests?¡±


    ¡°I had a nice intestine stuffed meat some time ago.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll serve sausage and something else. Isla, do you have any requests?¡±


    ¡°¡­Pasta is good. With meat sauce.¡±


    ¡°Pasta with meat sauce and sausage. And maybe a salad.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll eat it on the rocks, right?¡±


    ¡°Can you make that?¡±


    The red demon and cyclops are tilting their heads. Normally, it¡¯s impossible to make meat sauce on the road. But with me, it doesn¡¯t matter. I have it stocked, and I can even craft it on the spot.


    ¡°Wow, this is pretty rocky.¡±


    After about an hour of walking, we arrived at a rocky area with many large rocks lying around. I have no idea how this kind of terrain was formed, but it was the perfect place to test the performance of the pickaxe.


    ¡°Let¡¯s eat first. Can we have pasta for the main course?¡±


    ¡°Large portion, please.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s gonna be difficult, so give it another go.¡±


    I¡¯m sure I could make it if I wanted to, but I don¡¯t go out of my way to make large or extra-large portions of pasta. The only thing I have in my inventory is a standard size spaghetti with meat sauce.


    I set up a dining table with random blocks of wood and chairs made from logs and handed out wet hand towels to everyone. The red demon and the cyclops are puzzled as they watch me pull things out of thin air.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard it a few times from big sis Shumel, but it¡¯s really strange.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m often surprised at the magic used by mages, but yours is even stranger.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s strange to even for a mage¡¯s eyes. I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    Isla nodded at the words of the red demon-san and cyclops-san. I don¡¯t understand how this strange phenomenon is happening myself, so I can¡¯t explain it. I¡¯m not even trying to figure it out, which is fine. Just think of it like that, and you¡¯ll get used to it.


    After filling up on food, I started digging with the pickaxe. Once I get some rock crushed, I¡¯ll try the shovel.

 CH 123

    Chapter 123 ¨C Kosuke¡¯s Request


    ?Mithril¡¯s Pickaxe +9 (Auto Repair, Efficiency Enhancement III, Luck III)


    I checked the name of the item in my hand again and wielded it briskly.


    ¡°This is going to be easy.¡±


    ¡°I could see this coming.¡±


    With a single pickaxe swing, a rock larger than me instantly shatters into pieces and disappears. Then, stone, metal, and gemstones are added to my inventory. It¡¯s incredible how much I can get because I can destroy rocks so quickly. I felt like I was playing a warrior game against rocks that didn¡¯t move.


    ¡°A rock-filled wasteland is turning into a rockless wasteland¡­¡±


    ¡°What is that? I feel like I¡¯m going crazy.¡±


    ¡°I thought it was a myth that he built a fort in a day¡­¡±


    Shumel, who knew my craziness to some extent, seemed to be watching my actions with a grin, but the other two seemed to be stunned by the insane scene they had never seen before. I can honestly say that I would have done the same if I were in the opposite position.


    ¡°What are the effects of luck like?¡±


    ¡°Obviously, the amount of ores and gems I¡¯m getting is going up. It¡¯s more than double what I expected¡­ Maybe even triple.¡±


    And the amount of stone I¡¯m getting is also increasing. I feel the same or better. It¡¯s not just a matter of how many pebbles are left in the ground; it¡¯s a matter of how efficiently they¡¯re turned into materials. The number of things is increasing dramatically.


    No, right? My selling ability is not only against the law of conservation of mass but also against the laws of physics in general. It¡¯s a little late for that, though.


    ¡°From stone to a jewel.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding, right?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like he¡¯s making a joke.¡±


    ¡°If Kosuke says it, it¡¯s not a joke. Let me see.¡±


    ¡°All right. Here.¡±


    I took the gemstones I had just mined out of my inventory and piled them up in Isla¡¯s palm.


    ¡°Wow, wow¡­¡±


    Perhaps because the momentum was greater than I had anticipated, Isla hurriedly formed a plate with her hands, and I piled more gemstones on top of it. A pile of colorful gemstones has been created in the palm of Isla¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Shumel, give me your hand.¡±


    ¡°An?¡±


    In the same way, the same gemstones are poured into Shumel¡¯s palm. The rough gemstones piled up on Shumel¡¯s big, red palm.


    ¡°H-hey!¡±


    Shumel, who is always calm, hurriedly threw out his big gold crusher and started to catch the flood of gems with both hands, making a plate just like Isla. And when the gemstones piled up in the palms of her hands, which were many times larger than Isla¡¯s, it finally stopped.


    ¡°That¡¯s all I got.¡±


    ¡°¡±¡±¡­¡­¡±¡±¡±


    The light disappeared from the eyes of the four of them, including Isla. It¡¯s rare to see the light go out from Shumel¡¯s eyes, who always manages to have a spare moment, aside from Isla. It¡¯s a very rare sight.


    ¡°Sis, if we kidnap this guy and bone him, we will be safe for life, won¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°So you want to make an enemy of that dark princess? That¡¯s too much to handle¡­ Hmm.¡±


    The red demon and the cyclops begin to talk a dangerous thing. What are they going to do to me? I¡¯m a little curious.


    ¡°Stop talking about disturbing things. It¡¯s not like you have to monopolize it if that¡¯s your goal.¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    Shumel, perhaps noticing that Isla was directing a murky gaze at the two of them, leered at the red demon and the cyclops.


    ¡°That¡¯s true too.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d rather have us join instead of doing that.¡±


    The two of them must have noticed Isla¡¯s gaze and hurriedly reversed their statements. Yeah, you really shouldn¡¯t say things like that in front of Isla. The way she looked at them scared the hell out of me.


    ¡°We can¡¯t do that for a while, anyway. Let¡¯s think about it when our situation changes.¡±


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s no need to rush. We have a long way to go.¡±


    I¡¯ve heard that the red demon and the cyclops are as long-lived as the one-eyed race. I see¡­ by the way, what do you mean when the situation changes? What does it mean? Well, hmm¡­ it¡¯s just a matter of time, isn¡¯t it? There seems to be no such item of contraception in this world. Even so, it seems that relationships between different races are difficult to form.


    At first, I couldn¡¯t leave the gemstones on their hands, so I took out a table of appropriate size and let them spread them out on it. It was a spectacular sight. There are transparent ones, red ones, blue ones, azure ones, yellow ones, purple ones¡­ and even within each color, there are different colors and depths. There are so many different colors of gemstones glittering in the sunlight.


    ¡°It¡¯s spectacular.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem so real after all this.¡±


    As Isla¡¯s eye sparkled like jewels, Shumel and the others looked somewhat enthralled. They¡¯re a little bit bigger than the others and carry more rugged weapons, but they¡¯re still ladies. They seem to forget their status as rough adventurers in the face of the jewels¡¯ charm.


    ¡°You can take two or three of these per person if you like.¡±


    ¡°¡±¡±Eeh?¡±¡±¡±


    The eyes of Shumel and the others went wide.


    ¡°They may be valuable in general, but as far as I¡¯m concerned, they¡¯re just for decoration. The reward for this escort may have been paid separately, but it was my reward to you, so¡­¡±


    ¡°A-are you sure?


    ¡°Yes. You can choose any of them you like. You too, Isla.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so happy.¡±


    I nodded, and the four ladies began to rummage through the gemstones, their eyes sparkling. It¡¯s going to take a while, so let¡¯s get the last bit of verification done.


    ?Mithril Shovel +9 (Auto Repair, Efficiency Enhancement III, Range Enhancement III)


    I have a feeling that the range enhancement is going to be awful.


    At any rate, I quickly thrust it into the ground. There¡¯s no resistance, and the blade¡¯s tip sticks out on the ground full of pebbles. This is the same as before the granting, so I¡¯m not surprised. The problem is after this.


    ¡°Oh!¡±


    When I made a powerful movement to raise the soil, I heard a bang and a rattle.


    ¡°This is awful.¡±


    This is the thing, isn¡¯t it? The range is the same as the hoe. The ground, which was 20 meters in width, 50 meters in-depth, and about one meter deep, was instantly gouged out from the point where the shovel was thrust forward. The bang of the shovel is the sound of rocks stuck in the ground losing their support, rolling or collapsing, hitting each other, and shattering. If there were people in the area, they would probably be crushed to death by the rocks.


    No, even if there were no rocks, if your feet were suddenly gouged out by a meter, you¡¯d be crushed. This is almost like a map weapon, isn¡¯t it?


    As I turned around, my eyes met with the four of them who had stopped their work of selecting the gemstones. Stop, don¡¯t look at me with those piercing, enlightened eyes. I knew this was coming because of the hoe.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to clean up.¡±


    ¡°Have a good day.¡±


    I took out Mithril¡¯s pickaxe instead of a shovel and descended to the sunken ground to clean the rocks. It wasn¡¯t until about ten minutes later that the number of gemstones lying on the table increased to a large number and a cheer went up.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    ¡°It¡¯s not so surprising after all this.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t feel real¡­¡±


    That night.


    As a surprise, I laid out gemstones on a large table in the dining room of the mansion where we are staying (originally the mansion of the lord of Erichburg, it seems) to welcome Sylphy and Melty, but their reaction was subtle.


    ¡°It¡¯s glittering¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s amazing¡­¡±


    ¡°Fuaaahh¡­¡±


    On the other hand, the harpies who had returned to the mansion earlier were still fascinated by the brilliance of the gemstones. Perhaps the reason why Sylphy and Melty were less surprised was that they saw the harpies tripping ahead of them.


    It seems that almost all of them have an eye for these shiny things.


    ¡°Everyone loves shiny things, huh?¡±


    ¡°Right¡­ But, we¡¯re not so much into that.¡±


    The brown-feathered harpy Flamme and Capri don¡¯t seem to be that interested in shiny things. No, not as much as the girls who are tripping, but they seem to like it as much as anyone else. They¡¯ve got their own favorite gemstones.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡±


    ¡°This? I¡¯ve been using the magic sparkling stone to enchant my pickaxe, and it has an effect that makes it easier to collect these things. I went to a rocky area deep in the northwest woods and crushed up a bunch of rocks, and as you can see, it¡¯s all over the place.¡±


    ¡°These are a lot of gems¡­¡±


    Melty took one of the gemstones in her hand with great interest and held it up to the light emitted by the magic sparkling stone candlestick, peering into it. Most of the unpolished gemstones have a dull glow to them, but they are still gemstones. It¡¯s beautiful in its own way.


    ¡°But this is a little too much¡­¡±


    Sylphy, like Melty, also picked up a rough gemstone and smiled bitterly. Yeah, I guess so. This is indeed too much. Where should we store them?


    ¡°I got a little excited and started digging around. I asked them to pick a few of their favorites, and I¡¯ll give some to the research and development department, some for my crafting materials, and some to fund the Liberation Army or to use as bargaining chips.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just too much, Kosuke¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it; I¡¯m the one forcing it on you. This is also a kind of worthiness. Maybe.¡±


    In fact, the only thing I can do is mine useful resources like this and hand them over, build something, construct a building, or plant a field. I¡¯ll do what I can do. Sylphy and the others will do what only Sylphy and the others can do. That¡¯s all I¡¯m saying.


    ¡°However, if there¡¯s anything I can request in exchange for this gemstone, I¡¯ll be happy to do so.¡±


    ¡°What is it? Just tell me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do everything I can. Although I can¡¯t promise that I¡¯ll do everything.¡±


    Sylphy and Melty give me a serious look. I wonder if it will be okay? If you say so, I will not hesitate to make a request.


    ¡°I¡¯m demanding the right to take a week or so off with Sylphy and flirt with her.¡±


    ¡°¡­Eh?¡±


    ¡°Is that what you want?¡±


    Melty crossed her arms and pondered while Sylphy¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. If it¡¯s not rejected, is there any chance of it being realized?


    No, because Sylphy and I haven¡¯t been able to spend much time together or make out recently. Of course, she comes home at night, so we can be close, but as soon as she wakes up in the morning, she¡¯s off to work. Maybe she hasn¡¯t had a day off since I was kidnapped.


    ¡°If you can meet a few conditions¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it.¡±


    I nodded confidently as Melty stared into my eyes. I¡¯d give it my best shot to make out with Sylphy.


    ¡°No, um, Kosuke? Melty?¡±


    It seems that a cute creature with a red face is panicking beside me, but I¡¯ll do it. To love this cute creature.

 CH 124

    Chapter 124 ¨C Here¡¯s Johnny! (Smile)~


    Now, there are three conditions for me and Sylphy to have a private lovey-dovey vacation.


    The first was that Sylphy had to take care of some matters that she had to take care of herself. This includes various tasks for the stable governance of the southern part of the Merinard Kingdom, as well as negotiations with the Adelian nostalgists. However, this can be delegated to Melty and the others to some extent, so the amount of work is not significant.


    The other thing I need to do is to create a system to be able to communicate in case of emergencies. We want to spend a week alone together, but you never know when they might need Sylphy or my help. In that case, an emergency means of communication is necessary.


    I thought I could solve this problem by using the large stationary golem communication device I had made in Merinesburg. If not, there is an abundance of mithril and magic sparkling stones now, so it is possible to make a super high-performance golem transmitter. I threw the idea of developing a high-performance golem transmitter to the research and development department. I offered a little more mithril, gems, and magic sparkling stones, but this was not a bribe. Okay?


    At the same time, I¡¯ll craft a few large golem communicators on the workbench. If they are placed in several locations, there will be no problem with the emergency communication network. The golem communicator itself is a compassionate piece of equipment, so it can¡¯t just be placed anywhere, though.


    And one last thing.


    ¡°You¡¯re going on a trip for a week, huh?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Sylphy ¡­I mean, my wife and I are going to have a little flirtation trip.¡±


    ¡°And you won¡¯t be able to provide food for me while you¡¯re gone.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Of course, you don¡¯t have to work during that time, so you can do whatever you want.¡±


    ¡°Fumu¡­¡±


    It was a matter of persuading Grande. Melty argued that since I would not be around to take care of her, I, as the owner, should be the one to talk to her. She was absolutely right.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been working so hard lately. I just want to reward myself a little bit.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ Well, that¡¯s all right. Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t decided yet¡­¡±


    In fact, I would like to go back to the Black Forest and relax with Sylphy at her home in the Elven Village, but with a week of vacation, even if I traveled as fast as I could, my vacation would be over just to go home.


    ¡°Fumu¡­ speaking of which, my lord, you mentioned before that you might have me fly to the Black Forest?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s an Elven village there. That¡¯s where we originally came from.¡±


    ¡°Then how about going to the Black Forest? I¡¯ll take you there.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure? That would be great.¡±


    In the Black Forest, Sylphy will be able to relax. She will have a lot to talk about with the Elders and her friends in the Elven village, and she has her own home there.


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking of going back to my homeland too. And if you¡¯re in the neighborhood, then I can still eat the same hamburger, right? And, you know¡­ those fluffy¡­¡±


    ¡°Pancakes?¡±


    ¡°Yeah! That¡¯s it! Isn¡¯t it good? See? Right?¡±


    ¡°Okay, but¡­¡±


    I gave Grande an extra-large pancake with lots of cream and strawberry jam as a thank you for the blood draw the other day, and she seemed to like it a lot. She seemed to like it as much as the hamburger, if not more.


    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to Sylphy and the others about it. Grande will fly to the Black Forest with Sylphy and me and bring us back. Is that correct?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s fine. I want you to keep serving me the hamburger while I¡¯m over there.¡±


    ¡°All right, all right. That¡¯s a small price to pay.¡±


    It¡¯s a lot less problematic than leaving her in Erichburg without me being able to communicate with her. Melty and the others will be relieved, and Grande has made a good suggestion. I¡¯ll go and consult with Sylphy and the others as soon as possible.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    ¡°I see, the Black Forest. It would be great if Grande could take you there as well. We can¡¯t be sure that something unforeseen won¡¯t happen.¡±


    I immediately went to consult with Melty, who responded favorably to Grande¡¯s offer.


    The contingency Melty was referring to would be some sort of trouble between Grande and the residents of Erichburg while I was away. It would be a disaster if Grande went on a rampage at any moment.


    Well, Grande would probably dive deep into the ground or fly away before she could get out of control. She¡¯s also rather timid, and she¡¯s also quite intelligent. She¡¯ll probably run away before she goes on a rampage and spreads destruction all over the place.


    ¡°Is it okay with you, Sylphy?¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course. It will be good to return to the Elven village after a long time.¡±


    Sylphy, who was at her office desk looking over some documents, smiled calmly.


    Since I requested a vacation, Sylphy¡¯s mood has been very good. She seems to be smiling while working on her paperwork, processing it at a much faster pace than usual. She seems to be looking forward to her vacation with me.


    ¡°Also, I have a little present for Melty¡­ Are you free now?¡±


    ¡°Yes? For me? I have time, but¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. Why don¡¯t you take a seat on the sofa and make yourself comfortable.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Melty tilted her head and sat down on the sofa in the office. I walked around behind her and rustled her head.


    ¡°Ko-Kosuke-san?¡±


    ¡°Sorry for the after-the-fact consent. I¡¯m going to touch you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine, but¡­ Hmm.¡±


    I feel a rough, hard texture on my fingertips. This is it, Melty¡¯s horn growth is. I raked through her hair to expose the base of her horns on either side.


    ¡°Kosuke-san, it¡¯s a little sensitive there, don¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°Sorry, you¡¯ll have to endure a little.¡±


    ¡°Y-yes¡­ Mmm.


    Whenever I touch the base of the horn with my fingertips, Melty makes a distressed sound and shakes herself. This is a medical procedure, and there is nothing obscene about it. Nice, isn¡¯t it?


    ¡°There may be a little stimulation. Just endure it.¡±


    I took a test-tube-shaped vial from my inventory, tilted it, and dripped the glowing amber liquid onto the base of Melty¡¯s horn.


    ¡°What do you mean by stimulation ¨D Hooaaaah!¡±


    The liquid, which made a sizzling sound like carbonation, seeped into the base of Melty¡¯s horn. Next, the other side.


    ¡°Hiiaaaahhh!¡±


    The same sizzling sound was made as the regeneration potion seeped into the base of Melty¡¯s horn and disappeared. Hmm, I wonder what kind of structure this is? I wonder what Melty¡¯s skull looks like? I¡¯m very curious.


    ¡°How is it?


    ¡°Ah¡­ ah¡­¡±


    Melty¡¯s face turned red, and she was trembling. It seems that this was more stimulating than expected. Will she be okay? I mean, isn¡¯t there some sort of effect on the brain if the medicine seeps into such a place? I started to worry.


    ¡°H-hey, are you okay?¡±


    Perhaps she was worried, but Sylphy, who was watching from her desk, rushed over to her.


    ¡°Isla said that the results of animal testing were fine and that it was safe.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Nyaaaahhhh!?¡±


    At the same time as Melty shouted, a horn grew on Melty¡¯s head. It just poofs like that.


    Eh? Seriously? Is that how it heals? I thought it was more like a gradual growth of the horn. But it just poofs out of nowhere.


    ¡°Hah, hah, hahiii¡­ Hiaaahhh¡­¡±


    ¡°I-is this okay?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t know either.¡±


    It¡¯s not unusual to see Melty with her horns all grown out. She¡¯s trembling and writhing with an expression she can¡¯t show to anyone else.


    ¡°Me-Melty? Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Not good¡­ I-it¡¯s too sensitive, with just a little movement and contact with the air¡­¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ Fuh.¡±


    ¡°Hiaaaahhh!?¡±


    Feeling a bit mischievous, I gently blew on Melty¡¯s horn, and the reaction was truly fierce. This is interesting¡­ no, it¡¯s terrible. Revenge is too scary. It¡¯s like this now, but she¡¯ll get used to it in time. And then what will Melty do to me? I¡¯m starting to get scared.


    ¡°Um¡­ I¡¯ll leave the rest to you, Sylphy.¡±


    ¡°Wha? Hey, wait a minute, Kosuke!


    ¡°Uhhhh¡­¡±


    I left the panicking Sylphy and the resentful Melty gazing at me in the office and ran like a rabbit. If I want to escape, it¡¯s only now that Melty can¡¯t move. I¡¯ve heard that it is impossible to escape from the demon species, but I can escape now! Let¡¯s run until the heat dies down. If I keep my distance and go underground, no matter how Melty does, she won¡¯t be able to track me down.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    Bang! Bang! I hear the sound of a steel door being slammed. With each blow, the thick steel door distorts and cracks.


    No way, no way, no way! How did she find this place?


    Crack! The steel door was pierced with a cracking sound. It was a fist blow.


    I was so terrified that I quickly grabbed my mithril knife and backed away from the door. Oh, there¡¯s a wall behind me! I didn¡¯t think she¡¯d find me, so there was no other way out except through that doorway. My fist went back outside the door, and the demon peeked out.


    ¡°You have a visitor, Kosuke-san.¡±


    ¡°Kyaaaaaaaaa!?¡±


    There¡¯s no way to escape from the demon species. I had to pay a high price.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve got the whole week off to yourself. Tomorrow it¡¯s Isla, then the Harpies for two days. Meanwhile, I will prepare to go back to Elven village. Besides, Melty was just trying to hide her embarrassment.¡±

 CH 125

    Chapter 125 ¨C Completion of The Golem Workbench


    ¡°It¡¯s painful.¡±


    ¡°You okay? Do you want to touch my tail?¡±


    Three more mornings after the tragedy, I was completely exhausted and went to prepare breakfast for Grande, but she was extremely worried about me. Yeah, I appreciate the concern, but touching that lumpy tail doesn¡¯t soothe me at all. I¡¯ll just take the feeling and be grateful.


    ¡°I think your mating partners should know a little more about restraint.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯re taking it easy on me.¡±


    There are just too many of them. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s because Melty is embarrassed or what, but she was very hard on me, but Isla was kind to me. Whenever I¡¯ve been alone with her lately, she¡¯s always been like that, whether she likes acting as a big sister or not.


    ¡°I mean, my heart is full. Everyone is nice to me. It¡¯s just physically hard.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ Do you need my blood?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I don¡¯t want to cause any pain to Grande so lightly.¡±


    ¡°¡­I see.¡±


    Grande slaps the ground with her tail as she chews on her hamburger. It looks like Grande is in a good mood again today, thanks to the hamburger.


    Even my physical pain will go away after a bit of rest because of my constitution. Nothing too serious. Yeah, you¡¯re right. It¡¯s not a serious problem. At least it¡¯s not like I can¡¯t remember the last time I tried to sleep. When I wake up in the morning, I¡¯m delighted to find Isla sleeping with a high body temperature or wrapped up in the Harpies¡¯ natural down quilt.


    But I want Melty to take it a little easy on me¡­ That¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve ever done that, or maybe it¡¯s just that I can¡¯t get used to it¡­ She¡¯s gone crazy with excitement. She needs to calm down a bit, or I need to be able to control her better. Well, at first, Sylphy and Isla were like that, too, so I guess she¡¯ll eventually get used to it.


    ¡°So, when will you be leaving?¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow morning, probably. We¡¯ll have you fly out after breakfast. We¡¯ll have to make some stops along the way.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all right. It¡¯ll be interesting for me to see the habitat of the little ones up close.¡±


    ¡°It would be dangerous to get too close.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Magic, arrows, and spears will be flying at us. Most of them don¡¯t work, but sometimes they hurt, so it¡¯s not easy to get close to them.¡±


    Grande clears her throat. I feel like I¡¯ve been talking to Grande like this a lot lately when I¡¯m tired. I wonder if this is what they call pet therapy. Grande is a little too big to be a pet animal, though.


    ¡°Anyway, since that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll see you tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Umu, come back in the evening. Let¡¯s see what I¡¯ll be hunting today.¡±


    I left Grande and headed for the research and development department. In the past three days, I¡¯ve gotten a good idea of how to build a golem workbench, and I want to finish it before I leave.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    As it turned out, the creation of the golem workbench was in its final stages.


    ¡°This is the newly developed magic sparkling stone reactor.¡±


    ¡°Ooh¡­ A box, huh.¡±


    What Isla took out was a shining silvery white cube. It¡¯s just about the size of a Rubik¡¯s cube, and even Isla can hold it in one hand without difficulty.


    ¡°Yes. But what¡¯s inside is amazing. It contains a magic circuit made of pure mithril and three large magic sparkling stones. The exterior is also made of mithril. The monetary value alone is immeasurable.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re right.¡±


    The first large magic sparkling stone I made was about the size of a ping pong ball. If you think about the fact that there are three things inside of the box that can be used to buy a country, the value is certainly immeasurable. In addition, both the contents and the exterior are made of a lot of pure mithril. It would be improper not to classify it as a national treasure.


    ¡°The most amazing thing about it is its performance. It generates magic power inexhaustibly.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s terrifying.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s terrifying. If you misuse it, it will blow up a large area. Within four days¡¯ walking distance from the center of the explosion, the land will be cleared. What kind of impact would that have on the world if such an explosion were to occur¡­?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s really terrifying.¡±


    A day¡¯s walk is about 30 kilometers, right? So, if it¡¯s within four days, that means a 120km radius will be blown up? Isn¡¯t that going to destroy the world?


    ¡°I don¡¯t know; I¡¯m suddenly afraid to keep it.¡±


    ¡°I already gave it to you. Don¡¯t say that you won¡¯t take it.¡±


    Isla made a hatchet with her hands and stepped aside. The other research and development department members are huddled in the corner of the room, holding the pot shield they made some time ago. No matter what they hold up, if this thing explodes, that won¡¯t protect them; that¡¯s just as effective as shoji paper.


    ¡°Even so, couldn¡¯t you have made something a little more light-hearted instead of this crazy thing?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the nature of an alchemist to want to make the best when there are the best materials available.¡±


    ¡°Really¡­?¡±


    When I turned my attention to the people holding the pot shield, I could see a hand with a thumb up reaching through the gap in the shield. They¡¯re all sick!


    ¡°Anyway, if you put it in your inventory, I¡¯m sure it won¡¯t cause too much trouble.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Thanks.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    I put the magic sparkling stone reactor in my inventory. It seems that nothing unusual will happen. I was a little hoping that the moment I put the magic sparkling stone reactor in my inventory, I would wake up to magic power. However, it seems that things don¡¯t always work out the way you expect them to.


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying you¡¯re going to see if I can use this to upgrade the improved workbench?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. No matter how powerful the golem workbench is, it¡¯s useless if Kosuke can¡¯t use it. Then I guess Kosuke himself will have to upgrade the workbench he uses.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s probably true.¡±


    But when I think about it that way, it¡¯s strange, isn¡¯t it? When I was spending time in the Elven village, I was able to draw grain flour with the millstone that Melty brought with her, right? I wonder what kind of logic is behind why that was OK and the golem workbench was not? Hmm, I don¡¯t know.


    ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s give it a try.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s better.¡±


    I took out the improved workbench from my inventory, opened the menu, and looked for the upgrade item.


    ?Improved Workbench Upgrade¨D¨D: Magic Furnace x 1, Magic Wood x 10, Magic Clay x 20, Magic Iron x 5, Magic Steel x 10, Mithril x 20.


    ¡°Here it comes! The upgrade is ready!¡±


    ¡°Good!¡±


    Isla smiles at me as I shout with joy. It¡¯s finally happened! I¡¯ve managed to get all the materials I need, and now I can finally upgrade my workbench.


    The amount of mithril required is a bit much, but it¡¯s not a problem if I include the amount I secured from the trial digging of the mithril pickaxe I did the other day. I also mass-produced a certain amount of magic materials when I built the granting workbench, so there¡¯s no problem.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s upgrade it right away!¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, be careful with the glow.¡±


    ¡°Anti-flash protection.¡±


    She then pulled her favorite triangular hat over her head to hide her face. It¡¯s so cute.


    ¡°All right, let¡¯s go!¡±


    The moment I selected the upgrade option, I felt a violent flash of light. I thought I felt some kind of powerful shock but was it an illusion? There was no sign of any of the research and development department¡¯s equipment being scattered. There is no sign of them, but¡­


    ¡°Kyuu¡­¡±


    Isla was lying on her back, her eyes rolling. Some of the people in the research and development department who were holding pot shields in the corner of the room also seemed to have fallen over, eyes-rolling.


    ¡°W-what¡¯s wrong? Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°I-it¡¯s okay; I was just startled by a huge magic wave.¡±


    ¡°Magic wave.¡±


    In the past upgrades, although there was a tremendous light emanating, no magic power was detected¡­ Could it be the effect of the magic sparkling stone reactor? That¡¯s the only thing I can think of.


    ¡°More importantly, Kosuke, you should check out the new workbench.¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah¡­ But, are you sure you¡¯re okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    When I saw Isla walking on her own feet and sitting on a nearby chair, I felt relieved. She didn¡¯t seem to be injured or sick or anything like that.


    ¡°Let me see, let me see¡­ Hoho.¡±


    The appearance is very mechanically designed. The actual driving parts are made of golems and are the color of the ground, but the materials that reinforce the various parts of the workbench are made of magic iron or magic steel, which gives off a dull glow. And for the most important parts, such as the cutting process, it seemed that mithril was used in abundance.


    For example, the blade used to actually cut the processed goods, the stand used to hold the processed goods, and the driving parts seemed to be made of highly durable mithril.


    I opened the crafting menu.


    ¡°The number of items that can be crafted is not as numerous as I thought, huh?¡±


    The number of things that can be crafted doesn¡¯t seem to have changed much. Should I actually try to make something¡­ like a mechanical part that takes a long time and is troublesome? They are troublesome items that take about thirty seconds per piece on a normal workbench, but let¡¯s see what happens now.


    ¡°¡­Oh!¡±


    The creation time per piece is less than two seconds. The effect of the reduction in creation time is remarkable. It seems that items that used to take a long time to process can now be made faster and in larger quantities.


    ¡°How¡¯s it working?¡±


    Isla asked, sitting in the chair.


    ¡°It¡¯s pretty good. It¡¯s much more efficient. If I could just get the right materials, I could mass produce bullets.¡±


    In the past, the problem was obtaining saltpeter for gunpowder, but in a big city like Erichburg, there¡¯s no need to worry about toilet soil. If the crafting time of bullets can be greatly reduced, mass production is not a dream. Whether or not it is possible, though, is up to me.


    ¡°The freedom of item creation may also be increased. Hmm, there are so many things I want to try! It looks like a lot of fun! Thank you, Isla.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s good.¡±


    She nodded her head and smiled.


    This means I¡¯ll have to give something back to Isla in the near future. I¡¯ll have to get her something she¡¯ll like during my trip with Sylphy.


    I decided in my mind as I looked at Isla¡¯s smiling face.

 CH 126

    Chapter 126 ¨C Go Through The Sky


    The following day, Sylphy and I were having breakfast with Grande, ready for our trip.


    ¡°Today¡¯s a cheeseburger, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Oh. It may be a little heavy for breakfast, but it takes many calories to fly, right? The cheese will kick in more and fill you up more.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Grande nodded at my words and cleared her throat. Next to me, who was chewing on a cheeseburger while glancing up at us, Sylphy, had an indescribable expression on her face.


    ¡°It sounds like she¡¯s just groaning to me, but you¡¯re having a conversation, so¡­¡±


    ¡°It is working, this one. I can hear a girl¡¯s voice overlaid on the groaning. It¡¯s like the girl¡¯s voice is coming right through me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s strange¡­ Come to think of it, Kosuke doesn¡¯t really speak the same language as we do, does he?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I think I speak the language of my own country. Sylphy¡¯s words sound like the language of my country. It¡¯s the same as Grande¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°Fumu, I see¡­ Maybe there are some races that just don¡¯t speak each other¡¯s language but can actually talk to each other.¡±


    ¡°By the way, I couldn¡¯t understand the goblins.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t? Even though they look like that.¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t understand a word they were saying.¡±


    They just sounded like dirty cries. They have the intelligence to use crude tools and weapons, so why weren¡¯t they included? I wondered. I¡¯m not going to bother studying them.


    ¡°Kosuke, where should we fly today? Can we just fly straight to the Black Forest?¡±


    ¡°No, I want us to head to the fort at the border of the Great Omit Wilderness first. We need to place a large golem transmitter there.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I think I know where that is. It¡¯s a facility full of human soldiers just outside the wilderness, right? I saw it when I came out of the Black Forest.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, that¡¯s it. There are three of these, and I want to install it in the middle of the fort.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine. And after that?¡±


    ¡°Once I have installed the transmitter in the fort, the next step is the base in the center of the Great Omit Wilderness. Once that is done, we will head for the Black Forest.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I see. What is this communication device?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a device that allows you to communicate with each other even when you are far away. Think of it as a magically enhanced version of smoke signals.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ how does it work?¡±


    Grande seemed to be very intrigued by my explanation. I think her eyes were sparkling. It¡¯s unusual for her to be so aggressive.


    ¡°I¡¯m not that familiar with it, but I think it¡¯s like using magic to send out a code created with magic wavelengths and then having a golem that¡¯s memorized the code translate it back into words. Do you want me to bring someone who knows more about it next time?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ that would be fine. If I can understand the code, I may be able to talk to humans.¡±


    ¡°¡­Oh, yes, that¡¯s true too. If it works, it might be possible to create a kind of translation machine.¡±


    ¡°A translator machine?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a machine that automatically translates each other¡¯s words. Dragon words into human words, human words into dragon words, that sort of thing.¡±


    ¡°That would be very convenient.¡±


    Grande slapped the ground with her tail, looking happy. It would be a real breakthrough if such a thing were created. A machine that can talk to dragons would be the stuff of romance.


    ¡°Kosuke, you seem to have shown a lot of compassion for that dragon, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Yeah, I guess so. Grande is my friend. At first, I thought she looked scary, but once I got used to her, I found her cute.¡±


    She may look fierce, but when you look at her closely, her gestures are kind of cute. No matter how big or vicious she looks, when I see her lazing in the sun, lounging around, yawning, or eating a hamburger with both hands like she¡¯s munching on it, I think she¡¯s cute. It¡¯s strange.


    ¡°Even the most fearsome dragon is like a pet to Kosuke.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say something unkind. Grande is a friend, a friend. Right?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Kosuke is my friend. He treats me well.¡±


    Grande nodded while chewing. With this, if Grande transforms into a noja loli dragon girl, I¡¯ll have more wives, but when I asked Isla about it, she said that she had never heard of a dragon transforming like that and that no amount of magic could change the size or shape of her body.


    In other words, there is no flag for the appearance of a noja loli dragon girl unless God performs a miracle also unless I do something extraordinary.


    My abilities are completely miraculous, so there¡¯s always a chance that I¡¯ll make a mistake and create a humanizing potion or some such item. It¡¯s impossible with magic, but it¡¯s possible with miracles.


    It¡¯s indeed nothing short of a miracle that a non-human being can become a person.


    ¡°Mm, it was delicious. Are you ready to fly?¡±


    ¡°I guess so. Are you ready, Sylphy?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m ready.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry; it¡¯s not that scary. I¡¯m only a little scared when we land, but that¡¯s it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll try not to dive.¡±


    Grande nodded. Yes, I¡¯m afraid of landing. You know what I mean when I say that my stomach feels like it¡¯s about to explode or my balls feel like whoosh or something like that¡­ right?


    ¡°I¡¯ve made a saddle for it this time.¡±


    I had a leather craftsman in Erichburg make a fine saddle for me using the wyvern hides that Grande had hunted. He was almost crying with fear when he measured the size of the saddle, but that fear seemed insignificant in the face of the magnitude of his achievement in making a wyvern skin and a dragon saddle.


    It was too late to tan the wyvern skins, so he made them out of leather he already had in stock. I wonder if I could get him to make me one in wyvern leather sometime soon.


    ¡°The saddle fits well. Grande, do you feel any pain or difficulty moving?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°Good. Come on, Sylphy.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, okay.¡±


    I piled up stone blocks to make a simple ramp and climbed onto Grande¡¯s back.


    ¡°There you go, Sylphy.¡±


    ¡°Yes, thank you.¡±


    I got on Grande¡¯s back first, then took her hand and helped her into the saddle. Grande¡¯s saddle is kind of like a¡­ normal saddle, I guess.


    There¡¯s a bulge that looks like a motorcycle seat, and you sit on it. There are five bulges in total, and the capacity is for five people. There are stirrups to stabilize your posture, belts to secure your body, and many belts to secure your luggage in the side space where no one can sit.


    If somehow communication with Grande is possible, up to five other people can move with the luggage. There should be no problem in calculating the endurance, but just in case, I¡¯ve also attached ropes to the protrusions on Grande¡¯s body and attached a lifeline. If we were to fall from the sky, there would be no way to save Sylphy or me.


    Sylphy has magic, and I might be able to manage a chance if I use a straw block, but there¡¯s no harm in being cautious.


    Everyone saw us off when we left the lord¡¯s mansion, so no one came to watch us take off ¨D no, the Harpies are watching us from the top of the city walls. It looks like there are a few others.


    ¡°We¡¯re off!¡±


    ¡°Okay. You take care of the rest!¡±


    When Sylphy and I waved greatly, the Harpies and other people on the wall responded by waving their wings and hands back at us.


    ¡°Okay. Grande, please.¡±


    ¡°Mmm, looks like you¡¯re okay. Hold on tight, just in case.¡±


    Grande bent her long neck to make sure we were ready, then let out a single roar, started to run, spread her wings wide, and took off.


    The moment we floated up into the sky, I felt as if my body was being held down. It seemed to have taken off safely.


    ¡°Oh¡­ so this is the view from the back of a dragon. It¡¯s amazing, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s really an amazing view, isn¡¯t it? I¡¯ll never get tired of just looking at it.¡±


    Grande¡¯s flight altitude was not very high. However, even though Grande can protect us with her magic, flying too high is hard for us on her back, let alone for Grande.


    ¡°It¡¯s fast¡­ At this pace, we should be able to reach the fort soon.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to take a winding road, and the ruggedness doesn¡¯t matter. After all, flying is much faster than walking on the ground.¡±


    After all, Grande¡¯s ability to move and transport can be a weapon on a strategic level, not a tactical level. The Liberation Army now has an advantage in terms of information with its golem communication device, but in terms of movement, it is not much different from the Holy Kingdom Army. As for weapons, the Liberation Army has an overabundance of advantages even now, and there are hidden gems that have yet to be fielded.


    The next thing I need to work on is probably the suspension. Develop motorcycles, cars, and similar highly mobile means of transportation. This could be the key to further strengthening the Liberation Army.


    Well, it¡¯s no use just making the armed forces stronger, right? We¡¯re in a de facto truce right now. But I can¡¯t offer my wisdom in the area of diplomacy¡­ I¡¯m just a humble ex-employee who loves video games. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m an expert in history or military history.


    But, a highly mobile means of transportation would be of great benefit not only militarily but also economically. Improved logistics would lead to more active trade and economic development. There may be a problem with dealing with vested interests such as carriage merchants, horse traders, and coach operators, though.


    ¡°Kosuke, we¡¯re almost there.¡±


    ¡°Oh, really? Isn¡¯t it too early?¡±


    While I was thinking for a while, it seemed that we were already approaching the fort.


    ¡°I was looking at the terrain, so I¡¯m pretty sure. Grande¡¯s wings are really fast.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true. I¡¯m going to have to go out of my way to thank Grande for this.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, yes. It¡¯s not about one-sided exploitation; it¡¯s about to give and take.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t turn around in the saddle, but I could feel that Sylphy was smiling.


    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±


    I nodded at her words. A relationship that is just one-sided exploitation is really not something that can last. It may be beneficial in the short term, but in the long run, it is usually detrimental.


    Well, I suppose it¡¯s possible to build a mutually beneficial relationship and have both parties fall apart, but I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the be-all and end-all.


    ¡°In that case, how much do I have to give back to Kosuke¡­? Fufu.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t really care. I¡¯m good as long as I can be with you, Sylphy.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not going to work out that way. That is what I also want, so it¡¯s not worth the price of Kosuke¡¯s work.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a problem.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m in trouble.¡±


    I can feel her laughing behind my back as she says I¡¯m in trouble. An arm reached out from behind me and hugged my body. I could feel her body heat radiating from her arms, which made me feel at ease.


    ¡°¡­Sorry to interrupt your good mood, but we¡¯re about to land, okay?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah. You can do it anytime.¡±


    ¡°S-sorry.¡±


    I was startled by Grande¡¯s sudden call to me. I was completely lost in our own world. I knew we would be landing soon.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s go. Hold on tight.¡±


    Grande started to descend for landing.


    Wait, Grande-san? Isn¡¯t the angle of the landing too tight? W-wait. Wait.


    ¡°Uwwoooohhhh¡­¡±


    ¡°Hiyaaaaaaaaaa¡­¡±


    Grande¡¯s descent was truly fantastic¡­ Was it a bad idea to flirt on her back? I¡¯ll be careful next time.


    T/n: Grande is indeed cute.

 CH 127

    Chapter 127 ¨C Inspection At The Rear (Official Stance)


    After setting up the large golem communication device at Fort Alpha, we immediately flew to our next destination. The security instructions would be sent from Erichburg soon, so we had no further role to play. After all, we¡¯re on vacation right now.


    ¡°In the meantime, it¡¯s just a matter of inspecting the rear, deploying the new communication device, and building goodwill with the elves of the Black Forest, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    It¡¯s like an official stance, just like Sylphy said. In reality, it¡¯s a vacation.


    The leader of the Liberation Army, Sylphy, appears at the rear base to check on the situation with her own eyes, deploys golem communication devices at key locations, and goes to meet with the elders of the Elven village, with whom she has not spoken directly for some time.


    I¡¯ll be accompanying her. I¡¯m the only one who can communicate with the dragon Grande, and I¡¯m her rider, and I can easily transport supplies with my abilities. In fact, I¡¯m carrying the various crops, delicacies, materials, and other things we procured in Erichburg in my inventory, and I¡¯m planning to release them to the central and rear bases in the Great Omit Wilderness, where we will be stopping in the future, not to mention Fort Alpha, where we just stopped.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen the place for a while. What¡¯s the situation at the rear base?¡±


    ¡°Basically, they seem to be living comfortably. The land is large, and there¡¯s no need to worry about food or water.¡±


    ¡°The majority of the people there were weakened by the harsh life in the rock salt mines¡­ so it might be better to specialize as a treatment center.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s also the magic power that comes from the vein, so in addition to being used as a treatment center, it can also be used as a base for technological research and as a source of magic crystals.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of which, there are quite a few ruins buried in the vicinity, aren¡¯t there? It might be a good base for explorers.¡±


    This time, while talking about such things, we stopped by the central base.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve somehow¡­ grown stronger.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, I¡¯ll die if I don¡¯t get stronger.¡±


    Sykes, who had seemed rather thin, had undergone a transformation. It looks like his body is one¡­ No, two sizes bigger than I remember. This means that Sykes has adapted to the harsh environment¡­ Subhuman is amazing.


    ¡°What do you mean by ¡®if you¡¯re not strong, you¡¯ll die¡¯¡­? You¡¯re not fighting, are you?


    ¡°I am fighting, yes. In a way.¡±


    ¡°Every night?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Sykes¡¯ eyes suddenly lost their light. The research and development department here is like Sykes¡¯ harem in a way¡­ I¡¯m sorry, most of the men, including myself, went to the front lines that time.


    ¡°¡­Good luck with that.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    I handed the dead-eyed Sykes a drawstring bag filled with magic sparkling stones that had been crushed to a reasonable size, as well as a mithril ingot. Now that Sykes and the others are working on a base station for golem communication and radio broadcasting technology, the magic sparkling stone and mithril, with their ability to save and amplify magic power, should be useful.


    Sykes was astonished, but when I told him that I was able to make it, his eyes went dead again.


    ¡°I wonder to what extent you are now heading, Kosuke-san¡­?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been told I¡¯m like a chicken that produces mithril and magic sparkling stones.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    He was convinced. It¡¯s not that I¡¯m producing mithril or magic sparkling stone by chanting something, you know? I just made it based on the materials, that¡¯s all. It seems that the rate is a little strange, though.


    After lunch at the central base, we flew again, this time to the rear base.


    This is the first large base we built, with a capacity of three thousand people. There are less than a thousand people actually living here now, so it¡¯s quite spacious.


    ¡°But it¡¯s lively, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°According to reports, there have been no Gizma attacks, and the fields produce an abundance of crops. There¡¯s also a lot of magic tools that can be used to harness the inexhaustible magic power that comes from the vein, so it looks like they are living a pretty prosperous life.¡±


    ¡°There are also wards to keep out monsters. Most of the people living here are those who lived a harsh life in the rock salt mines; should they be allowed to recover for a while?¡±


    ¡°We are currently short of manpower, so we can¡¯t say that all the time. It seems that those who are back in shape are slowly moving forward with mining and exploring the ruins.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    The inhabitants were surprised to see the dragon fly in for the first time, but it seems that the information was shared via communication here as well, so there was no sudden intervention or something like that.


    ¡°Your Highness, thank you for coming.¡±


    The person who greeted us was an old man who was probably a dog or wolf-type beastman and the residents of the rear base.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the trouble. Donnell.¡±


    The old man, who Sylphy called Donnell, was once an outstanding high-ranked adventurer who had already retired from adventuring 20 years ago when the war broke out and was working as the head of an adventurer¡¯s guild in a town in the Merinard Kingdom. He¡¯s already quite an old man.


    He¡¯s now using his experience to help organize the rear base.


    ¡°But to be able to tame a dragon, that¡¯s¡­ as expected of Kosuke-dono.¡±


    ¡°Grande is my friend.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    It¡¯s not that I tamed the dragon and made it my pet or servant; I¡¯ll correct that for now. To put it bluntly, I baited her with Melty¡¯s violence and the food I provided, so it might be more accurate to say that I tamed her, as Donnell said.


    ¡°Sylphy, I¡¯m going to release the supplies.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll talk to Donnell for a bit and then go.¡±


    I left her and moved to the stockpile warehouse. On the way, I observed the people, all of whom looked peaceful and had nice skin. When I first came here, they were all in a terrible state and looked ragged, so it seems that their health has improved a lot since living here.


    When they noticed my presence, they all started to thank me.


    ¡°Thank you; you¡¯re the reason I¡¯m able to live a decent life.¡±


    ¡°Thanks to you, we can now live without any worries about raising our children. Thank you so much.¡±


    ¡°I came here, and my father¡¯s disease was cured. Thank you, brother.¡±


    The subhuman refugees, who had once been wary of me, were now very friendly. When they thanked me this way, I realized that what I had done so far had saved these people.


    Well, that doesn¡¯t mean that what I did was justified, but the world isn¡¯t that simple, is it?


    I did indeed save the subhuman refugees here. But I¡¯ve also killed many more Holy Kingdom soldiers and made their families unhappy. So whatever the case may be, I think it¡¯s important to keep that in mind. It would be so much easier if everything could be divided into right and wrong.


    While responding to the grateful residents, I took out supplies and stored surplus crops and products in the stockpile. What is produced in the rear base is mainly food, metal weapons and armor made with water-powered and magic-powered processing machines, and other household goods.


    In particular, there is a lot of food and processed metal products. The food was harvested from the fields I had plowed, and so far, there was no sign of a decline in the yield. What a fantastic farm block and I wonder what¡¯s really up with it.


    Also, the processed metal products are apparently made from ore mined from a nearby mining site, smelted in large quantities using a magic-powered furnace, and then forged using a waterwheel or magic-powered hammer. As far as I can tell, they all seem to be of good quality.


    I heard that there is an attempt underway to mass-produce magic iron and steel by adding magic power during the ore refining process. If this can be realized, the quality of the Liberation Army¡¯s equipment will be further improved.


    Also, there were quite a few magic crystals in the stockpile. As long as they have the machines to make them, they can make more and more just by keeping them running, so it seems that they are currently increasing the number of manufacturing machines. Magic crystals can be used as a catalyst for enchantments, and they can also be used to power magic tools, just like magic stones and magic crystals. They can¡¯t be processed into magic crystals like magic stones, but they can be used as a stable source of magic power with higher output than magic stones.


    I don¡¯t know the difference, but I¡¯ve heard that it has a different demand between magic stones and magic crystals.


    When I finished releasing and storing the supplies, Sylphy had just finished her meeting with Donnell. After setting up the large golem communication device in the location prepared beforehand and checking its operation, we moved to the Black Forest, our final destination.


    It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve been back to the Elven Forest. It probably hasn¡¯t changed that much, but I¡¯m really looking forward to returning to that house. Once we get there, I¡¯m sure Sylphy and I will be able to relax for a few days.

 CH 128

    Chapter 128 ¨C Return To The Elven Village


    When the Black Forest came into view, we began to discuss the matter. The question was, where should we go down?


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we just go down to the village?¡±


    ¡°Unlike the previous forts, there¡¯s a high possibility that the Elven village hasn¡¯t been informed that Grande and I have become friends. In other words, if we do that¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a possibility that we¡¯ll be attacked by the Elven spirit archers. Worst case scenario, the attack might be followed by the spirit stone disintegration event.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m scared of that.¡±


    Grande was taken aback by Sylphy¡¯s speculation. Even if they do not use the spirit stone, the spirit magic of the elders is on the level of a natural catastrophe¡­ no matter how strong Grande is, she will suffer considerable damage if she is hit by it. And if I get caught up in it, I will be dead. No, I may not die, but it¡¯s very dangerous. Although I¡¯m sure Sylphy can do something about it.


    ¡°The first idea, go down outside the forest.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s safer. Although we have to walk a bit, it¡¯s the least dangerous. Grande can go home after dropping us off.¡±


    Sylphy nodded at my idea. Both Sylphy and I had already heard from Grande that her homeland was located deep in the Black Forest.


    ¡°The second idea is to go down to the open space in front of the Elven village.¡±


    ¡°Ah, come to think of it, we did carve out a pretty big space to prevent Gizma. The Elven village may have sent out manpower to restore it, but¡­ well, we¡¯ll know when we see it. We can go down to the village at a distance and introduce Grande. That might be a good idea.¡±


    ¡°By the way, the third idea was to descend into the forest that is relatively close to the Elven village.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a compromise between the first and second ideas. However, let¡¯s go with the second idea this time. If the grounds have been restored, we¡¯ll go with the third idea.¡±


    ¡°All right. Grande, first of all, fly to the place where we can see the Elven village. There should be a large space outside the wall, and I want you to land there. If there is no more space, land in the forest near the Elven village.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I understand. But if we get attacked, I will fly away immediately. I don¡¯t want to get hurt.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s fine.¡±


    Once the Black Forest came into view, it took us no more than a few minutes to reach the Elven village. If I had walked from the village to the forest border, it would have taken me two hours, but that was because I was walking through the forest? I guess it¡¯s not that big of a distance when you look at it from above.


    ¡°Kosuke, there seems to be a spot available in front of the wall of the Elven village.¡±


    ¡°Then go down there. Sylphy, the place is clear.¡±


    ¡°Right. Then we should be able to tell them that we are together as soon as we get down there.¡±


    Sylphy began to loosen the belt that held her body in place. No, it¡¯s dangerous, right? Oh, you can usually hold on without a belt. It¡¯s just like¡­ I¡¯m used to being on Grande¡¯s back.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    ¡°Ohhhhhh!¡±


    ¡°Fufufu¡­¡±


    I still can¡¯t get used to Grande¡¯s rapid descent, but Sylphy seems to be able to have enough time to even smile thinly at me. She¡¯s really fast to adapt.


    The feeling of falling is instantaneous as if your stomach is churning, and now it feels as if you are being pressed against Grande¡¯s body. Apparently, she moved her wings and slowed her falling speed drastically.


    ¡°I¡¯m going ahead of you.¡±


    ¡°Oh ¨D Eeehhhhh!?¡±


    Sylphy took off the belt that was holding her body in place and jumped in the air. Hey, it¡¯s still pretty high!


    But it seems that it was not so high for Sylphy. No, maybe she used her wind spirit magic. By the time Grande landed, Sylphy had already advanced quite far forward and was raising her hand to call out to the guards of the Elven village.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    ¡°Oh¡­ this is indeed a Grand Dragon.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it small? Isn¡¯t it still a child?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s indeed a little small, but it¡¯s in the range of a full-grown dragon. Young dragons have fewer spines.¡±


    ¡°And yet you can tame a dragon. As expected of Husband-dono.¡±


    ¡°Are you properly planting the seeds? It seems that little Sylphy-chan¡¯s belly is still not swollen yet.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see my grandchild¡¯s face. Hmm?¡±


    When the situation was explained, the people of the Elven village all came to see Grande. Most of the Elves watched Grande from a short distance away, but only the Elders had a strange sense of distance. Some of them went up to Grande¡¯s feet and petted her scales, while others even rode in the saddle on Grande¡¯s back. I wonder what kind of power these elders have.


    By the way, Grande is eating the honey wine and fruits that were given to her by the Elven village and is doing whatever the Elders do to her. She looks a little annoyed, but it¡¯s okay because there¡¯s honey wine and fruit. Isn¡¯t this girl getting too caught up in the food?


    ¡°That¡¯s a gift, you know.¡±


    ¡°Well, it looks like you two are getting along quite well, so it shouldn¡¯t take more than three years.¡±


    ¡°We Elves are notoriously difficult to conceive. Husband-dono will have to be very careful with his seed.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes.¡±


    ¡°But Husband-dono¡­ you¡¯re not only doing it with Sylphy-chan, are you?¡±


    ¡°There are numerous¡­ Are you surprisingly a sex maniac?¡±


    ¡°Hey, that¡¯s enough.¡±


    With blue streaks on her forehead, Sylphy intimidated the elders who had surrounded me and were yelling at them.


    ¡°Sylphy-chan is angry!¡±


    ¡°This is not good. She meant it.¡±


    ¡°Retreat, retreat!¡±


    The elders were moving away with an agility that was unimaginable from their appearance. Yeah, It¡¯s kind of amazing that the elders who look like a loli but are really old and skinny are running away at a speed that would make a sprinter cry. What¡¯s going on with these people?


    ¡°Good grief¡­ is Grande going to go deep into the forest after this?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask her. Grande.¡±


    When I called out to her, Grande bent her head wide and stretched her face out in front of me. She smelled slightly of alcohol.


    ¡°Are you going back to your homeland deep in the forest after this?¡±


    ¡°¡®Yes, I will. The Elves will be annoyed if I stay here.¡±


    ¡°What will you have for breakfast tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine; it¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve been home. But I¡¯ll be here once in the afternoon or evening, and you¡¯ll have to feed me Hamburger.¡±


    ¡°All right. Would you like to bring some booze as a souvenir to your homeland?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t mind? I¡¯ll take it without reservation!¡±


    Grande was turning around in circles with happiness. The Elves seem to be buzzing about the situation.


    ¡°Well then, two large barrels of honey wine. You can manage to fly with two of them, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°Give my regards to your parents. Also, if it¡¯s possible, I¡¯d like to see Grande¡¯s homeland, so ask them if it¡¯s okay if I go there.¡±


    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll see you tomorrow.¡±


    After slurping down the last remaining honey wine and carefully placing it on the offering table, Grande flew away. With two large barrels of honey wine in her arms.


    ¡°What happens now? I see that she has left.¡±


    ¡°Grande said she¡¯s going home today and will come back tomorrow afternoon or evening. And, as you may have heard, I asked her if I could visit her homeland.¡±


    ¡°Well, you won¡¯t be bored while you¡¯re here, will you?¡±


    ¡°If I didn¡¯t have to go out, I¡¯d probably stay all day indoors and make out with Sylphy. We should make it a point to get out and about, though.


    ¡°T-that is¡­ Sure. We need to put a stop to that.¡±


    Sylphy blushed and nodded several times. If it¡¯s just the two of us, it¡¯s going to be hard to stop. If we find ourselves in a situation like this, we might as well break up the vacation week and spend the month flirting with each other.


    ¡°All right, let¡¯s go to my house. We should do some light cleaning and then go to the elders. Although I don¡¯t feel like it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s do that. It¡¯s best to get things done quickly.¡±


    You can¡¯t really enjoy your vacation if you have some matters to attend to.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    We entered the grounds of the Elven village through the brick wall that I had built after coming to this world. The magical field that looks like a multi-level parking lot seems to have shrunk in size, and there are fewer of them than there were when we left the Elven village.


    At that time, they were feeding about three hundred refugees from the Merinard Kingdom who had taken refuge in the Elven village, and now that they are gone, continuing to operate the same size magical field will only result in a surplus of food. Perhaps the people who used to work in the magical field are now working on other tasks.


    ¡°This wall feels nostalgic.¡±


    ¡°This wall is the reason I was able to prove my abilities, right? I¡¯m deeply moved when I think about it.¡±


    The wall seems to be packed with Elven warriors with bows and arrows. I¡¯ve heard that there are a good number of monsters in the Black Forest, and I suppose guards are essential in case of an attack at any time.


    One of the Elven warriors guarding the wall gave me a sharp look for a moment, but I quickly looked away. As I recall, he had taken me out in front of a crowd of refugees, and had messed with Sylphy and gotten himself knocked out¡­ What was the name of that guy again? Anyway, that¡¯s him.


    ¡°Kosuke?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m coming.¡±


    I didn¡¯t bother to tell Sylphy, and he didn¡¯t try to do anything to me either. I put him out of my mind and followed after Sylphy, who had started walking ahead of me.


    ¡°Welcome back, Sylphiel.¡±


    ¡°You made it back safely.¡±


    ¡°Yes, thank you.¡±


    As we walked through the village, the Elves called out to us.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time! Do you have any more goods?¡±


    ¡°Do you have any more of those? Mithril is fine, you know¡­?¡±


    ¡°OK, OK, calm down, Brother. I¡¯ll deliver it to you tomorrow, and you can look forward to it.¡±


    I got a lot of glares from the craftsmen. It¡¯s horrifying. The magic sparkling stone is a bit sensitive, so it would only be mithril even if I were to deliver something. I¡¯ve got a lot of raw gemstones, so let¡¯s focus on those.


    That is how we interacted with the Elves, and we finally arrived at our destination.


    ¡°Welcome back, huh?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. It¡¯s been a long time.¡±


    When we arrived in front of Sylphy¡¯s house, we looked up at her house in front of the entrance. It¡¯s a very elvish dwelling that looks like a giant tree turned into a house. Even though it must have been abandoned for many months, there is no sign of disrepair. I wondered if the house itself was still alive.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go inside. Let¡¯s clean up first.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s do that.¡±


    That¡¯s how we arrived back at the house we hadn¡¯t been to in months.

 CH 129

    Chapter 129 ¨C ([¡É¡É])<¡ð Seems Like That


    Apparently, someone in the village had been cleaning Sylphy¡¯s house regularly, and it took very little time to clean the house. I washed the water jar that stored the water for daily use, filled it with fresh water that Sylphy had produced with her spirit magic, and then did a quick cleaning.


    The household goods had been packed and stored in the inventory before we left the house, so we took out only the necessary items and set them up. There¡¯s still some time before the sun goes down.


    ¡°We¡¯re done earlier than expected, so let¡¯s go visit the elders.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    We should do what we can to get things done quickly. The sooner we finish, the sooner we can enjoy our vacation.


    I walked with Sylphy through the Elven village to the meeting place where the elders always gather. We greeted the Elves as we walked by. The people seemed to be more peaceful than when we stayed in the village.


    Even though it was unavoidable, they must have been feeling stressed from spending time with strangers, especially since the refugees at that time were half being supported by the Elves of this village. The refugees were forced to bear the hardships that they wouldn¡¯t have had to if they were trying to survive on their own, and the refugees were hardly able to contribute to the running of the Elven village. They must have been very frustrated.


    As I walked along, thinking about this, we soon arrived at the meeting place. Sylphy seemed to be thinking about the situation of the people in the village, and she seemed to be thinking about it as much as I was.


    As we approached the meeting place, an Elf who seemed to be an attendant of the elders came out at just the right time.


    ¡°Everyone is waiting for you. Please come in.¡±


    She invites us into the meeting hall.


    ¡°What great timing.¡±


    ¡°The elders are very close with the spirits. The spirit must have told them we were coming.¡±


    ¡°Spirit magic is amazing.¡±


    If you are a master at using spirit magic that can cause natural disasters, the spirit will tell you about such things without you having to do anything, huh? That means that you practically can¡¯t take them by surprise, right? Spirit magic users are fantastic. If you want to defeat a master class spirit magician like the elders, you¡¯ll have to kill them with a single blow from outside the spirit¡¯s detection range. It could be either sniping or long-range bombardment¡­


    I entered the meeting place while thinking about how to deal with the elders. I have no intention of fighting the elders, but I want to think of a countermeasure when I see a threat. It¡¯s the nature of gamers!


    ¡°Oh, welcome, Sylphy-chan and Husband-dono.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, greeting us instead of just making love? Why don¡¯t you go ahead and have a baby?¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s the thing about you. If you¡¯re too busy, you won¡¯t be able to have a baby. Even a bantam bird can¡¯t lay eggs if they¡¯re just staring at each other.¡±


    ¡°Hohoho, I wish they¡¯d lay eggs like the bantam birds.¡±


    ¡°Husband-dono is getting along well with the Harpies, isn¡¯t he? I¡¯m sure he already makes them lay a lot of eggs.¡±


    ¡°He was getting along well with Isla-chan, too. It seems like there are more of them. I can feel the scent of a lady-killer coming from Husband-dono.¡±


    ¡°The spirits are unusually fond of him. It¡¯s a bit of a hassle to use magic when Husband-dono is around because they get so excited.¡±


    That¡¯s the dragging-on-and-on machine-gun talk of the elders. There¡¯s no room for Sylphy and me to interrupt.


    Rather, I¡¯m not sure what they mean by bantam birds¡­ Bantam birds are poultry-like chickens that are raised in this world. It¡¯s a lot bigger than the chickens I know, and they seem to be rather violent, but the eggs they lay are big and nourishing. Harpy¡¯s eggs are bigger and tastier than theirs, though¡­ But that one¡­ yeah. It¡¯s a little more complicated for me.


    ¡°Elders, this time, I have come to talk to you seriously as the leader of the Liberation Army. Can you please restrain yourself a little?¡±


    ¡°¡±¡±¡­..¡±¡±¡±


    The elders were silenced by the power of Sylphy, who smiled with veins on her temples. They seem to know when to back off, even if they¡¯re the older ones here. If Sylphy were to go on a serious rampage, the elders would probably be fine, but there would be no trace of the meeting place any more.


    ¡°Umu, Sylphiel, the head of the Liberation Army and a member of the Merinard bloodline. Let us hear what you have to say.¡±


    After a whispered exchange of ¡°you do the talking¡± or ¡°you should go¡±, the loli-looking elder spoke up with an air of solemnity. But this and that before that ruined a lot of things.


    ¡°First of all, I would like to thank you again for your long support of the people of the Merinard Kingdom. Without the support of the Elven village, the people of the Merinard Kingdom would have been left to rot in the wilderness and forests. The reason why I, as the head of the Liberation Army, visited this village in person this time is to return the favor.¡±


    ¡°Fumu, what exactly?¡±


    ¡°The only thing that we can offer that will be of benefit to the Elven village is the provision of goods that are difficult to obtain in the Elven village. Mineral resources such as ores, refined metals, and gems, agricultural products, and foodstuffs that are not grown in the Elven village, as well as products such as cloth and silk.¡±


    ¡°I see. However, they were not obtained by the Liberation Army, but were created by Kosuke-dono¡¯s hands, weren¡¯t they? Isn¡¯t it a little unfair for the Liberation Army to offer it to us as if it belonged to them? Wouldn¡¯t you say that the Liberation Army took the liberty of offering them?¡±


    Indeed, most of those products would not have been obtained without me.


    ¡°I am the partner of Sylphy, the leader of the Liberation Army, and I am also a member of the Liberation Army. I don¡¯t see any problem with that.¡±


    I shrugged my shoulders. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m an outsider to the Liberation Army, to begin with. In fact, I¡¯m more of a key player, or a central figure, or something like that. Actually, I¡¯ve chosen to live with Sylphy, which can be considered synonymous with belonging to the Liberation Army led by Sylphy. I will wield this power in order to realize her ideals and goals.


    ¡°That¡¯s how it is. In the first place, it doesn¡¯t matter who or how it was obtained; once it¡¯s in our pockets, it¡¯s the same. Please don¡¯t try to force the issue.¡±


    ¡°Mmm, you could just panic a little more, couldn¡¯t you?¡±


    Sylphy¡¯s eyes narrowed. Seeing this, the noja loli elder hastily raised her hands. It¡¯s a pose of surrender, I guess.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m at an age where I feel like teasing. Please forgive me.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to discuss the exact amount, but for now, we¡¯ve brought ores, jewelry, cloth, silk, and other items that don¡¯t need to be carefully preserved, and we¡¯ll deliver them to the shared warehouse in the morning. As for foodstuffs, I think it would be best to have them shipped between our rear base and the Elven fortress in the wilderness.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s hard to deal with a sudden influx of foodstuffs. I think that¡¯s reasonable.¡±


    ¡°If there is anything else we can do, we will help you as much as we can. We now control the southern half of the Merinard Kingdom. We have freed many of our people from slavery and have increased our manpower.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ you¡¯ve increased your power to that extent? Sylphy-chan must have worked hard.¡±


    ¡°Stop calling me Sylphy-chan¡­ Well, to be honest, we rely heavily on Kosuke¡¯s power. Right now, we¡¯re in a stalemate with the Holy Kingdom army, but we¡¯re in the process of starting diplomatic contact.¡±


    ¡°Diplomatic contact? With them? Talk to them?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not possible to talk to them, is it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes.¡±


    That seems to be the perception of the elders. I can see why. After all, they are a religious nation that has as its state religion the religion of Adel, which has as its doctrine the enslavement of subhumans and the supremacy of humans.


    There seems to be a dual structure of power with two heads, the Holy King who controls the country and the Pope who controls the Adel religion, but both of them are united in their human supremacist ideology. This is why the Holy Kingdom is united in fighting against the Empire, which is a nation of multiple races, and why it was able to attack the Merinard Kingdom, which was also a nation of multiple races, bring it to its knees, and make it a vassal state.


    ¡°But there are factions within the Adel religion, it seems. We were able to get in touch with the nostalgic faction of the Adel religion through Kosuke. It seems that the nostalgic faction suspects that the current doctrine was falsified a long time ago. There is a high possibility that such a move took place after the fall of the Omit Kingdom.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about it for a while. When did they start getting excited?¡±


    ¡°Well, if you put it that way, I¡¯d say it was after we crushed the Omit Kingdom.¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s more likely that the defeated from the Omit Kingdom got into the Adel religion and tampered with their doctrine.¡±


    ¡°¡±¡±¡­..¡±¡±¡±


    I put my thoughts to the elders, who began to whisper something to each other, and after a few moments of silence, they suddenly began to change the subject.


    ¡°By the way, that dragon was amazing. Husband-dono must be very impressive to be able to tame a dragon.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Such a husband is a perfect match for our sweet little Sylphy.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what you call the best couple!¡±


    ¡°Too obvious! Your eyes are swimming too fast!¡±


    All of them averted their gaze from us and began to flap their faces with their hands or take out something like a fan and flap it. Some were even wiping sweat off their faces with handkerchiefs they had taken out of nowhere.


    ¡°There¡¯s so much we could say, but there¡¯s no point in talking about something that happened hundreds of years ago now, is there?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right! Young people have to live for the future.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    ¡°Sylphy-chan is in her rebellious phase¡­¡±


    The noja loli elder cried out in blatant lies. The other elders also begin to blubber uncontrollably.


    ¡°Seriously.¡±


    ¡°I honestly didn¡¯t think there was anything wrong with the rooted cutting.¡±


    ¡°I thought I had carefully destroyed the underground facilities.¡±


    ¡°So, to put it simply¡­¡±


    ¡°¡±¡±Ehe¡î¡±¡±¡±


    All the elders winked at each other and stuck out their tongues. I wondered how they were able to pull off such a sophisticated and flawless tehepero*. Are they practicing or something?


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s start the twists.¡±


    ¡°Good luck, Sylphy!¡±


    And then Sylphy lost her temper. I evacuated to the corner of the room and cheered for her as she turned into a silver gale. I felt like a child watching a hero show.


    ¡°Ahhh! Sylphy-chan, no, no, no! You can¡¯t do that!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re weak old ladies! No extreme skinship, please!


    ¡°This is not good. Sylphy-chan is very angry.¡±


    ¡°No, no, no, no! You can¡¯t just turn that way!¡±


    A storm of violence! The old Elves are running for their lives! But the noja loli was caught!


    There must have been a lot of pent-up frustration. By the time the 30 minutes had passed, all the elders had been captured by Sylphy¡¯s hands and were hanging upside down, wrapped in vines that grew from the trees like bagworms.


    ¡°Put me down.¡±


    ¡°This is a bit harsh, isn¡¯t it¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can do about it if it¡¯s physical at close range¡­ We can¡¯t just shoot it up and destroy the meeting place.¡±


    ¡°Hey, are you sure about this, Sylphy?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to go back over what happened hundreds of years ago, but I didn¡¯t like the way they were acting. I lost my temper and did it, but I don¡¯t regret it.¡±


    Sylphy¡¯s mouth was smiling as she looked up at the elders, but her eyes were not smiling¡­ Actually, it¡¯s scary.


    The Elven villagers who heard the commotion looked up at the hanging elders and were dumbfounded for a while, and then when they saw Sylphy smiling lightly, they nodded in agreement and let the elders¡¯ cries for help go through. Some people came out to watch the elders swinging around with drinks and snacks in their hands, while others brought out easels and canvases and started sketching the elders hanging upside down.


    ¡°It¡¯s a hobby of mine to record the curiosities of the village in this way.¡±


    The painter Elf says to me as he draws a rough sketch on the canvas with charcoal. Is he a god painter?


    ¡°All right, let¡¯s go home, Kosuke.¡±


    After confirming that the elders¡¯ abominations have been sufficiently exposed to the eyes of the village Elves, Sylphy makes a refreshing expression.


    ¡°Aye, aye, ma¡¯am!¡±


    I followed her like a loyal dog and headed home. After all, I must not disobey my master. I don¡¯t know how many times I¡¯ve done this, but I¡¯ve made it clear to myself again.

 CH 130

    Chapter 130 ¨C Walking With Sylphy


    We went home, had dinner, and spent a relaxing and lovey-dovey day.


    The next day, I woke up to find Sylphy right next to me, staring at my face. She had a smile on her mouth and very kind eyes. I guess that¡¯s what you call a happy face.


    ¡°Good morning, Sylphy.¡±


    ¡°Good morning, Kosuke. Your sleeping face is so cute. I can look at it all day.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s embarrassing. But I think I can relax because I have you next to me.¡±


    There¡¯s nothing I can do about my sleeping face. But I wouldn¡¯t expose my dumb sleeping face in a quintessential tricky situation. I think the reason why I can show my sleeping face that Sylphy calls me cute is because Sylphy is next to me.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s get up. Let¡¯s deliver the goods to the shared warehouse today. Then we¡¯ll have free time.¡±


    ¡°Grande will be here in the afternoon or evening, so we¡¯ll have to eat lunch and dinner in the village.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ After delivering the goods to the warehouse, we can go for a walk in the forest around the village.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s not bad to take a walk in the forest once in a while.¡±


    But the forests around here are rather dangerous, you know. There are lizards that look like the combination of a wolf and a lizard divided by two. I¡¯m scared of them. Let¡¯s make sure we have the right equipment.


    The two of us took a bath in the backyard to wash off the residue from last night and had breakfast. There¡¯s no hurry, so we stand side by side in the kitchen and start cooking.


    ¡°It¡¯s easy enough to craft, though, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not so bad to make a normal dish once in a while.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. We have plenty of time, after all.¡±


    Today¡¯s menu consisted of baked bread, fried meat and vegetables with honey, and milk from my inventory. The source of this milk is, of course, an ordinary cow. Don¡¯t misunderstand me; it¡¯s not from a cow-beastman lady.


    ¡°Hmm, this sweet and spicy flavor goes well with bread.¡±


    ¡°The spices are the key to this flavoring. Kosuke¡¯s ability is handy, but sometimes it¡¯s nice to have something like this, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Crafted food is convenient, fast, and tasty, but I like the warmth of Sylphy¡¯s homemade food¡­¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Sylphy watching me eat with a smirk on her face. It¡¯s a little hard to eat when being watched like that, but if it makes you happy, it¡¯s okay, right?


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    ¡°Hello, it¡¯s been a while.¡±


    After breakfast, we got ready and headed for the shared warehouse when the Elf who was in charge of the warehouse approached us. It¡¯s the same Elf who used to guard the warehouse before. Does it just happen to be the same one, or does he make a living as a full-time warehouse keeper¡­? Well, maybe the latter¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while. You may have heard from the elders, but this is not a personal delivery from us, but a reward gift from the Liberation Army to the Elven village.¡±


    ¡°Understood, I¡¯ll make a note of it. Then, this way, please.¡±


    The first thing I did was to place the bags of gemstones on the large table pointed out by the warehouse keeper Elf. For the Elves, gems, which are the raw material for spirit stones, are a valuable commodity.


    The gemstones function like amplifiers to increase the output of spirit magic, and the disintegration effect that results when the power of the gemstones is unleashed out of control is destructive enough to reshape the terrain. Naturally, this means that they have to throw away the spirit stones, but if they make up for it in numbers, it is possible for a few to defeat a large army.


    ¡°Oh, my¡­ are these all gemstones? It looks like we won¡¯t have to worry about spirit stones for a few hundred years.¡±


    ¡°It will be difficult to count, but I¡¯ll leave it to you. There are more, though.¡±


    ¡°There are more? Aletta, I¡¯m sorry, but I need your help!¡±


    ¡°Yes. Oh, it¡¯s been a long time.¡±


    The female Elf who helped me pick out my clothes some time ago also appeared from the back of the shared warehouse. She then carried a bag of gems from the delivery table to the back of the warehouse.


    ¡°What else do you have to deliver?¡±


    ¡°Metals and ores. Kosuke.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Smelted iron, steel, copper, silver, magic iron, magic steel, and mithril ingots are placed on the table.


    ¡°This is amazing¡­ It looks like Mills-san won¡¯t have to go mining for a while.¡±


    ¡°There are some unrefined ores too.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯d rather have the refined metal because it¡¯s better quality. We don¡¯t have the space to store them all, after all.¡±


    I looked at Sylphy, and she nodded, so I left the unrefined metal ore in my inventory. Maybe I¡¯ll refine it later in the backyard of Sylphy¡¯s house. I¡¯ll just set up the materials and fuel, make a crafting reservation, and leave it there, so it¡¯ll be easy.


    ¡°That¡¯s it for now. I think we¡¯ll be able to reopen trade through the fort in the Great Omit Wilderness later on.¡±


    ¡°Really? That¡¯s good to hear. It would be great to be able to buy things that are hard to get in our village again.¡±


    ¡°If you could put together a list of the requested items, that would be very helpful for us as well.¡±


    ¡°All right, I¡¯ll write it down.¡±


    The Elf in charge of the warehouse nodded with a smile. This is almost the end of our work as the Liberation Army. After that, we can relax in the village and see if there is anything we can support as the Liberation Army. The village is self-sufficient in its own right, and there should be no shortage of defensive forces, so it¡¯s unlikely that the Liberation Army will be of much use.


    We said goodbye to the male Elf in charge of the warehouse and headed towards the village entrance.


    ¡°Now, it¡¯s not much fun to just stroll around. Shall we look for something?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. I think we should be prepared to look for the blessings of the forest while thinning it out and catching the prey if there is any. Walking leisurely is not a bad idea either.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Well, let¡¯s do that.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Aside from Sylphy, I¡¯m not that well equipped to explore. I¡¯m not wearing any leather armor or a helmet, just an elven-style folk costume. I¡¯ve registered various weapons and gathering tools in my shortcuts, though.


    As for Sylphy, she is dressed as usual. She is wearing a leather suit that covers her entire body like a black leather rider suit, with the Pale Moon on her left hip. She has two crossed Kukri knives on the back of her waist and a revolver on her right hip. She¡¯s got a lot of stuff around her waist.


    ¡°What¡¯s with all the staring at my waist?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m just happy that you¡¯re carrying something I made around with you.¡±


    ¡°Fufu, it¡¯s natural, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s the one that Kosuke made for me, and it¡¯s the one that I would trust with my life. I make sure I wear it whenever I go out of the house.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that. Do you want me to remake the Kukri with mithril?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. Mithril weapons are great, but steel weapons have their own merits, you know.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. In some cases, they can be used as throwing weapons. If it¡¯s made out of mithril, you won¡¯t be able to throw it easily, will you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll make another one when the time comes, but if you say so¡­¡±


    A weapon made of mithril is very expensive. I can make as many as I want, and I don¡¯t care if Sylphy throws it and loses it. It would be a surprise to anyone who happened to pick up a mithril kukri knife that had flown away.


    So the two of us took a leisurely stroll through the forest, thinning the trees and picking nuts and wild berries.


    We did not encounter any large animals or monsters. After all, it seems that such things don¡¯t often come close to the Elven village. I did see some birds and squirrel-like small animals, though.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    When we got home and had lunch, we moved on to lovey-dovey time.


    No, when I say lovey-dovey, I mean healthy stuff, you know? We sat side by side on the rattan couch and chatted, and I enjoyed her lap pillow, and she enjoyed me combing her long hair. We haven¡¯t been able to spend much time like this lately, nurturing our love in peace. No matter how much Sylphy and I love each other, it would be a waste of time if all we did was a pet and kissing each other every time.


    And if Grande didn¡¯t show up at noon, it means that she will likely show up in the evening. It would be somewhat awkward to be doing that right before meeting Grande.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to spend some time like this¡­ I haven¡¯t felt this peaceful since.¡±


    ¡°Sylphy is usually too tense. Considering your age, you should be more lenient with your surroundings.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s complicated to be told that by Kosuke, who is younger than me.¡±


    ¡°I am indeed younger than you, but considering the lifespan of an Elf, Sylphy is still a young girl. I¡¯m a fully grown human adult, you know.¡±


    ¡°Fufu, you¡¯re right. So, when it is just Kosuke and me, let¡¯s indulge each other a lot. For now, would you like to give me a lap pillow?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    When I moved to the edge of the couch and tapped my knee, Sylphy put her head on my lap with a happy look on her face. When I stroked her head, she narrowed her eyes like a cat and made a pleasant face. Fufufu¡­ what a sweetheart. But Sylphy is more like a big, sharp dog than a cat, isn¡¯t she? If I¡¯m not careful, she can be careless like a husky.


    ¡°Sylphy¡¯s hair is beautiful. It¡¯s shiny and silky and feels good just touching it.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? That makes me happy to hear you say¨D¨D¡±


    ¡°GYAOOOOOOOOO! (Where is the bastard who seduced my daughter©`©`!!)¡±


    I heard a tremendous roar and a secondary voice.


    ¡°GYAAAAAA!? (Father, stop it©`©`!?)¡±


    Then I heard a familiar cry and a secondary voice too.


    ¡°GURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR! (Mom want to know more about that person too!)¡±


    ¡°GYAAAAA! (I heard there¡¯s good food.)¡±


    ¡°GRRAAAAAAAAAAA!!! (Booze! I want some booze!)¡±


    More roars and secondary voices followed.


    ¡°Kosuke?¡±


    ¡°It looks like we have visitors.¡±


    I looked up at the ceiling and let out a big sigh. How many of them are here, anyway?

 CH 131

    Chapter 131 ¨C The Dragon Family


    As I walked out of the house, holding my aching temples, I saw the flying lizards buzzing above the village and the residents of the Elven village in a state of panic at the sight of them. Ohh, geez¡­ how am I supposed to get this under control?


    ¡°Grande.¡±


    ¡°Aah!? Kosuke!¡±


    I called out to the sky, and when Grande noticed me, her face lit up with a vicious glow. Yeah, she was probably happy, but it looked like she was terrified.


    ¡°Oh! You¡¯re the bastard who seduced my daughter, you shitty small-fry humaaan!¡±


    The Grand Dragon, which is at least twice as big as Grande, shouts at me from the air. It¡¯s too loud, too loud, way too loud. The air is chattering and shaking. And your breath stinks.


    ¡°For now, let¡¯s talk about this rationally and reasonably. Grande, what is your relationship with the other three?¡±


    ¡°They are my mother and my two brothers.¡±


    ¡°I see. Grande¡¯s mother and brothers, can you take the rampaging dragon to the open space at the village entrance so we can eat and drink?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Alright!¡±


    ¡°Booze!¡±


    Was that last one supposed to be a reply too?


    ¡°W-what are you all doing!¡±


    The Papa-dragon was dragged by the three dragons and crashed towards the village entrance. There was a loud sound, and the ground shook¡­ but well, it was nothing to worry about with the sturdy body of the Grand Dragon.


    ¡°Sorry, Kosuke¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it; I had expected it.¡±


    When I heard that Grande was going to meet her family, I kind of knew that this was going to happen. It¡¯s just a vague idea, though.


    ¡°Sylphy, it seems that Grande¡¯s family has come to visit us. Except for her father, the other dragons didn¡¯t seem to be angry, so I¡¯ll go talk to them. Can you tell the people in the Elven village not to worry?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine, but¡­ are you sure you¡¯re okay?¡±


    ¡°Maybe. But just in case something happens, it would be great if you could come back as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Don¡¯t push yourself too hard.¡±


    Sylphy¡¯s figure disappears in an instant. What¡¯s that? Is that ninjutsu or something?


    ¡°Kosuke, is that woman Elf also a demon species¡­?¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t know. Maybe she¡¯s an Elf evolved for combat?¡±


    ¡°For a brief moment there, she seemed almost as dangerous as the demon species¡­¡±


    ¡°Seriously¡­ Well, it¡¯s Sylphy, after all.¡±


    To be honest, I don¡¯t know how much stronger Sylphy is compared to Melty. I know that Melty is crazy strong, and I know that Lime and the other two slimes are stronger collectively than Melty because they told me so. Maybe I should ask Sylphy about it next time.


    ¡°Grande, go to the square first. I¡¯ll run after you.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Grande, who was hovering in the air, flew toward the village entrance. I started running after her. I ran with my own feet and also moved forward with command input. My stride and distance are not quite right, and I might trip if I¡¯m not careful, but I¡¯m used to it.


    In this state, I can run much faster than normal ¡ª more than twice as fast, in my opinion. If I added strafe jumping to the mix, I could go even faster, but I didn¡¯t want to do that because it would make me look bad in the Elven village.


    As I approached the village entrance, I could hear the noise of screaming and shouting ¡ª what a noisy bunch.


    ¡°Let me go! I must remind the worm who seduced and hurt my daughter!¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t do that, father. That girl is not a child anymore. You can¡¯t be overprotective. Besides, she was given the name Grande, so you have to call her Grande.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, father. Grande is already a full-fledged dragon. Or rather, you just neglected her when she was with us.¡±


    ¡°More importantly, if you hurt this Kosuke guy, we won¡¯t be able to drink anymore. I won¡¯t allow that to happen.¡±


    The dragons wrestled with each other. They make a ¡®Gyoaa¡¯ and ¡®Gaooo¡¯ sound! But the content of their roar was, to put it mildly, a minor quarrel between family members. The Elven soldiers guarding the village gates looked as if the end of the world had come as they watched the dragons roaring and fighting each other.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll talk to them; just try not to attack.¡±


    ¡°W-what do you mean by talking to them¡­? O-oh, hey, human!¡±


    I ignored the Elven soldiers who hurriedly called out to me and walked over to the roaring dragons.


    ¡°Yes, yes, I¡¯ve shown myself in. I¡¯m Grande¡¯s friend, Kosuke. It¡¯s nice to meet you.¡±


    As I clapped my hands and called out, the four dragons all turned their heads towards me at once. They are all Grand Dragons, yes. Their faces are vicious. I¡¯ve already gotten used to them from Grande, though.


    ¡°The first thing I want to say is, thank you for taking the rowdy one out of the village. Since I¡¯m a man of my word, I¡¯d like to offer you the food and drink I promised before we talked. Okay?¡±


    ¡°Food and drink? You would do such a thing to our proud dra¨D¨D¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes. I¡¯d like to try some of Grande-chan¡¯s favorite hamburgers.¡±


    ¡°Me too, me too.¡±


    ¡°Booze!¡±


    The booze dragon is really consistent. And Papa Dragon looked betrayed when he saw his family members, who were quickly hooked on food and alcohol. Yeah, that¡¯s a genuine Grande Papa gesture, isn¡¯t it?


    I used a block of wood to make a temporary dining table and piled up a bunch of oversized burgers for Grande on it. I also placed a large barrel of honey wine next to the dining table.


    ¡°Here you go, eat up.¡±


    ¡°Itadakimasu.¡±


    ¡°Delicious¡­ It¡¯s so delicious¡­¡±


    ¡°Booze! I can¡¯t help drinking it¡­!¡±


    Mama Dragon holds one oversized hamburger in both hands and begins to eat it elegantly, while Brother Dragon A holds one oversized hamburger in each hand and begins to eat them alternately. Brother Dragon B is¡­ sticking his head into a large barrel and blubbering. You should not do that¡­


    By the way, Grande was standing by my side, probably to stop her father from coming at me. But she seems to be distracted because her eyes have been glancing towards the dining table for a while now.


    ¡°Here, Grande.¡±


    ¡°I-is it okay?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? It¡¯s heavy so take it quickly.¡±


    ¡°U-umu.¡±


    Grande took the oversized hamburger directly from my hand and started to chew on it. When Papa Dragon saw his family members enjoying the hamburger, he began to tremble.


    ¡°Y-you¡­ You are being fed by a human! Don¡¯t you have any pride as a dragon?¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t eat good food with pride.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s delicious¡­ Delicious¡­¡±


    ¡°Gulp, gulp, gulp.¡±


    ¡°M-mughh¡­¡±


    Aren¡¯t the two brother dragons too loyal to their appetites? They don¡¯t even answer. Only Grande is giving off an awkward vibe, but she is the first of the two that has been fed. She¡¯s already immersed from her toes to the top of her head in the allure of the food I create. I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll be able to nod at Papa Dragon¡¯s words now. But I still don¡¯t know about the two brother dragons.


    ¡°Kuh¡­! You bastard¨D¨D!¡±


    The Papa Dragon bared its fangs and roared. Oh, it¡¯s quite powerful. I mean, it¡¯s just plain scary. If he bites me, I¡¯ll die in just a single attack.


    ¡°Well, well, let¡¯s talk calmly. Grande¡¯s father. I¡¯ve heard from your daughter that dragons are wise and rational beings. Perhaps a discussion will clear up any misunderstandings.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t fall for that trick, human. You are cunning. You¡¯re trying to manipulate me like that, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Manipulating you is not a very nice thing to do. I¡¯m just trying to have a sincere discussion and clear up any misunderstandings we may have. It wouldn¡¯t have hurt to discuss the matter first.¡±


    Maybe it¡¯s because of the precedent of Grande returning home after being seduced and her family members being baited at a fast pace, but Papa Dragon seems to be maximally wary of my speech. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s that big of a deal.


    ¡°First of all, what are you so angry about?¡±


    ¡°You hurt my daughter!


    ¡°Hurt¡­?¡±


    When I looked at Grande, she averted her gaze awkwardly.


    ¡°Um, you took my blood before, didn¡¯t you? That is what father was talking about.¡±


    ¡°I see; I did cut a bit of Grande-san¡¯s skin to get some blood. But I did not force her to do it. I asked her to do it in exchange for food, and she agreed to it.¡±


    ¡°Do you think there¡¯s a father who wouldn¡¯t be angry at having his daughter¡¯s skin scratched before her wedding day?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    Certainly, if I were in the father¡¯s position, I would be offended.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, indeed. Unfortunately, I don¡¯t have a daughter, but if I did, I¡¯d certainly be offended.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you! You know what I mean, human.¡±


    The Papa Dragon nodded his head and straightened his chest. He seemed to have calmed down a bit, so I decided to switch it back.


    ¡°Yes, I think so. But only if the child is too young to make decisions for themselves.¡±


    ¡°Mmm¡­!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Grande is already an adult when she leaves the forest. It¡¯s not right to criticize her for making her own decisions.¡±


    The Mama Dragon roared in a slightly high-pitched voice beside the silent Papa Dragon.


    ¡°Y-yes, father. And Kosuke removed the scar without a trace. And when I tried to offer him my blood again afterward, he refrained, saying he couldn¡¯t bear the thought of hurting me again and again. Kosuke is not after my power, blood, or scales; he is really just treating me as a friend.¡±


    Grande also provides support for me. Kuh, Grande¡¯s pure words hurt my heart! I¡¯m sorry, Grande, I¡¯m not as innocent as you think¡­ I was definitely approaching you to use your power¡­ I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry¡­


    ¡°Gnununu¡­¡±


    The Papa Dragon slapped his tail on the ground with a terrific sound. It¡¯s either he¡¯s in a bad mood or just a habit of his when he¡¯s thinking¡­ Either way, it¡¯s very annoying. It¡¯s noisy and shaky.


    ¡°Or rather, you should try it too, father. It¡¯s delicious.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t give you the booze.¡±


    Brother Dragon A picks up one of the oversized burgers and offers it to Papa Dragon.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want it!¡±


    And Papa Dragon slapped his tail to the ground. To the ground. To the ground, huh?


    Hmm? Is that what you do? This is an education.


    ¡°Ogohh!?¡±


    With a tremendous sound, the Papa Dragon¡¯s head shot up into the sky. There was a clattering sound, and something fell from the sky. It was red blood and shattered pieces of something.


    ¡°Delgis? No matter what, you can¡¯t let food go to waste, can you?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    The Mama Dragon roared ¡®Grrrr¡¯¡­ in a very low, terrifying voice. The secondary voice I hear is very soft, but it gives me a chill in the pit of my stomach.


    ¡°Grande, your mother is so scary, isn¡¯t she?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s against the rules to mistreat food in front of my mother¡­¡±


    Grande is trembling. I see, she¡¯s basically a gentle lady, but she¡¯s very strict when it comes to things that shouldn¡¯t be done.


    When I looked at them, I saw that Brother Dragon A was eating a hamburger in a well-behaved manner before I knew it, and Brother Dragon B was also¡­ No, Brother Dragon B is still sticking his head in the barrel. He¡¯s not shaking, is he?


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Kosuke-san. My people bothered you. Aside from this idiot, I don¡¯t intend to say anything about Grande-chan and Kosuke-san¡¯s relationship. You can ignore him if he says anything in the future, okay?¡±


    ¡°Yes, thank you very much.¡±


    ¡°But if you betray Grande-chan¡­ You know that, right?¡±


    Mama Dragon makes a cute little voice as she looks down at me. Yes, it sounds cute, but it¡¯s terrifying. I feel like I¡¯m going to suffocate from it. Sylphy, help me.

 CH 132

    Chapter 132 ¨C He Who Can Communicate With Dragons


    As I was treating the teary-eyed Grande papa, whose jaw had been broken by Grande mama, Sylphy arrived with Elven soldiers in tow. She stopped the soldiers and approached by herself.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been preparing the forces just in case, but it doesn¡¯t seem to be a problem. What¡¯s wrong with that dragon?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s Papa Dragon, who was punished by Grande¡¯s Mama Dragon for wasting food. By the way, that dragon over there is Grande¡¯s Mama Dragon, the one over there gobbling up hamburgers is Grande¡¯s Brother Dragon A, and the one with his head stuck in a liquor barrel is Grande¡¯s Brother Dragon B.¡±


    ¡°A and B¡­? Oh well. These dragons aren¡¯t here to burn down the Elven village or anything, are they?¡±


    ¡°No, not at all. It¡¯s just that Grande papa was being overprotective and came to complain to me. Grande mama probably came along as a chaperone to make sure Grande papa didn¡¯t overdo it. As for the brother A and B, as you can see, I think they were attracted by the burgers and drinks that Grande told them about.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go tell everyone that.¡±


    Sylphy turned on her heel and headed back towards the Elven soldiers. After that, Grande¡¯s mama squealed at the sight of her.


    ¡°Is that your mating partner?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Isn¡¯t she beautiful?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand the beauty and ugliness of the human race. But she looks strong.¡±


    ¡°Sylphy¡¯s strong and beautiful. She¡¯s the best.¡±


    ¡°What about Grande?¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°What about Grande?¡±


    Grande mama asked me the same question twice and stared down at me. What the hell is this? What am I supposed to do?


    ¡°Grande is pretty, I think?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Grande is pretty. And?¡±


    ¡°What do you want me to do? Her body size and race are too different from mine, so there¡¯s nothing I can do.¡±


    Even though I have a relatively wide strike zone, it¡¯s impossible. If I were a woman and Grande was a male, there might be a chance¡­? If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯d say no thanks to anything like those of the mystery books.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t there anything you can do regarding it?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t do anything about it.¡±


    Then please don¡¯t push me.


    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped¡­¡±


    Grande mama gives up on me with a sigh through her nose. I thought the sigh would blow me away.


    Grande is not like that. She¡¯s a pet that soothes. I hope she will always be like that.


    ¡°Somehow¡­ I¡¯m sorry about that, Kosuke.¡±


    Grande speaks softly to me after being released from Grande mama.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it¡­ They¡¯re just excited about Grande¡¯s return.¡±


    ¡°Umu¡­ I¡¯ve only heard of such a relationship between a human and a dragon in legends.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m rather surprised there are legends of such a relationship¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard of legends of a male dragon who fell in love with a human girl, transformed himself into a human, and married her.¡±


    Oh, that sounds like a very common story. Isn¡¯t there such a thing in Japanese folktales? It¡¯s like a water dragon version of ¡°The Gratitude of the Crane.¡±


    ¡°Can dragons transform into humans?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of it except in legends.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    In other words, there was no flag for Grande¡¯s transformation into a dragon girl. She has horns on her head, wings on her back, a thick tail, scales and claws on her hands and feet, but a beautiful face! I¡¯d love it if she had a beautiful face!


    No matter how cute the gestures and accuracy are, it¡¯s just too much to ask a Diablos-like dragon. Yeah.


    ¡°But wait¡­? If I could be the size of a human, wouldn¡¯t I be able to eat a lot more hamburgers and hot cakes¡­?¡±


    Grande, who is loyal to her appetite, began to plot humanization for some silly reason. No, if you become as big as a human, your stomach will probably be smaller as well, so you¡¯ll only be able to eat a reasonable amount.


    ¡°I¡¯ll feed you well even if you¡¯re still in dragon form. Just don¡¯t let it bother you.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­?¡±


    Grande tilted her head in an unconvincing manner.


    Well, in the first place, my capacity was already packed with Sylphy, Isla, and the Harpies. I¡¯ve been in a bit of a pinch with Melty joining the fray, and the addition of Grande as a dragon girl is completely overkill. Even Ellen was going to join them in the future.


    After providing food and drinks to the healed Grande papa, I asked the dragons to leave. Grande mama left some of her husband¡¯s and sons¡¯ scales as a gratitude for the delicious meal, so I guess it¡¯s a positive balance, huh?


    Eh? How did she get the scales, you ask? Well, she used her claws to peel off the scales and gave them to me. I think the male dragons looked teary-eyed, but I¡¯m sure it was just my imagination.


    As an apology for disturbing the village, I also gave some of the scales to the Elven village, and the Elven blacksmiths and artisans were dazzled. It seems that dragon scales are a precious commodity that is coveted everywhere.


    And on the way back to Sylphy¡¯s house¡­ for some reason, the Elves seem to be treating me better.


    Whenever I was walking along with Sylphy, they basically didn¡¯t talk to me as they did to Sylphy, but now they talk to me as well. Also, the way they treated me seemed to be more polite. I don¡¯t know if I should say that they were paying attention to me.


    I felt that way, so I asked Sylphy about it.


    ¡°You were not afraid to deal with five dragons, appease the angry ones, heal the injured ones with your own hands, and even though you didn¡¯t beat them up, they offered their scales to you. The entire Elven village saw it with their own eyes. Even the most stubborn Elves can¡¯t help but be impressed by you when they see that.¡±


    Seeing the reaction of the Elves, Sylphy was in an excellent mood. It seems that she is pleased that the Elves have taken notice of me as a dragon rider and as someone who can communicate with dragons.


    She sat on her usual rattan couch with a wooden cup of honey wine in her hand and kept smiling.


    ¡°Have you changed your mind about me too, Sylphy?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I need to reevaluate my opinion of Kosuke. You are my best partner, after all. Yet, I have fallen in love with you all over again.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m embarrassed to hear you say that directly to my face.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all I can say. Kosuke is my proudest partner.¡±


    I didn¡¯t expect to be praised by Sylphy just for feeding the dragons and talking to them for a while.


    But it was dangerous to think about it, wasn¡¯t it? Grande papa was pretty furious.


    If he had suddenly attacked me, I would have been prepared to survive the blow. I always had a batch of stone blocks on standby!


    I knew that it would basically attack from the front or the side, whether it was a bite, a tail attack, a breath attack, or a headbutt. If I could survive one blow, I could escape or further fortify my defense. If I could defend myself well, I could probably fight back.


    In other words, as long as I survived, I could do something. I think I can compete with Sylphy and Melty when it comes to the ability to survive. I can even handle an angry Grande papa, after all.


    ¡°Now that we¡¯re done for the day, what should we do tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ lazing around at home is fine, but how about letting Grande show us around the depths of the Black Forest?¡±


    ¡°Oh, that sounds interesting. It would be a bit of an adventure.¡±


    ¡°The depths of the Black Forest are unknown and unexplored. I bet we¡¯ll see some rare plants and animals, monsters, and spectacular natural scenery.¡±


    ¡°That sounds good. In that case, we¡¯d better get ready for tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by preparation? It¡¯s all in your inventory, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. I¡¯ve brought my leather armor, and my weapons should be no problem either.¡±


    The leather armor and iron helmet I made in the basement of Merinesburg are carefully stored in my inventory. As for weapons, the assault rifle is a good choice. The ammunition for the assault rifle has been replenished since I returned to Erichburg, and I¡¯ve also collected other prototype weapons. Some of them have been taken apart for research¡­ Good grief, the research and development department is a greedy bunch.


    ¡°So, tomorrow, we¡¯ll have a tour of the Black Forest with Grande.¡±


    ¡°If only Grande would come while the sun is still high.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes. If that¡¯s the case, I should have told her to come early tomorrow. Should I make a golem communicator for Grande¡­?¡±


    Grande is surprisingly good with her hands. It might be a good idea to make it look like a wristwatch, with a belt that wraps around her front legs so that she can operate it with her hands.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    As I was formulating a plan for a golem communication device for Grande, someone tugged at the hem of my shirt. Of course, the only person who would do such a thing in this place would be Sylphy.


    When I turned my head to look at her, I saw that she looked a little pouting.


    ¡°It¡¯s just the two of us now, I mean¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you want to flirt?¡±


    ¡°That kind of¡­ Um, yeah.¡±


    She was murderously cute as she blushed and muttered to herself at my straightforward statement.


    If it¡¯s what my master desires, then I will do so. I¡¯m a loyal servant who adores my master, after all.

 CH 133

    Chapter 133 ¨C It Wasn¡¯t A Peaceful And Pleasant Morning


    The following day, I spent the night alone with Sylphy, messing around with her to no end.


    When I woke up, Sylphy was already out of bed. I could smell something good. Apparently, she had already started making breakfast.


    ¡°Good morning, Sylphy.¡±


    ¡°Oh, good morning.¡±


    Sylphy, who had already finished getting ready and was standing in the kitchen, looked back at me. I could not help but look at her with love and respect. I couldn¡¯t help but admire her.


    ¡°What are you doing there in the morning¡­? I¡¯ve set up a water trough in the backyard, so go refresh yourself.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll go and freshen up.¡±


    I thanked Sylphy firmly and headed for the backyard. I should say as many words of apology and gratitude as I can. Even if we are close to each other, it is not good to neglect that area. Saying ¡°good morning,¡± ¡°thank you,¡± and ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± are very low-cost lubricants in human relationships.


    I took a bath in the backyard for the first time in a while. I¡¯ve been taking warm baths lately. I wonder if I should build a bathroom in this house. Maybe I should demolish my work shed and turn it into a bathhouse.


    When I returned to the living room, Sylphy was already preparing breakfast.


    ¡°You¡¯re back. Come on, let¡¯s have breakfast.¡±


    This morning¡¯s meal consisted of steamed potatoes, vegetable and bean soup, baked bacon, and boiled eggs.


    ¡°That¡¯s a lot of food for breakfast.¡±


    ¡°We worked out a lot last night, after all.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you are right. We¡¯re going to have another big adventure today. We have to eat a good breakfast.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    I dipped the hot potato in some kind of Elven-made butter. It looks like butter, but it¡¯s not butter. Is it margarine¡­? It tastes good, so whatever.


    The soup is lightly salty and brings out the sweetness of the vegetables. The beans give it a great texture. The bacon is salty but goes well with the steamed potatoes. The bantam bird¡¯s eggs are hard-boiled. Sylphy said she prefers hard-boiled eggs. I don¡¯t care either way. I¡¯m happy when I dip boiled eggs in salt and munch on them.


    ¡°It¡¯s delicious, Sylphy.¡±


    ¡°Really? I think Kosuke¡¯s cooking is more elaborate¡­¡±


    ¡°It may be so, but I like your cooking better. I don¡¯t know what to say, but I think my food is more ready-made. Sylphy¡¯s cooking has the warmth of homemade food and a definite sense of satisfaction.


    ¡°Is that so¡­? Yeah, I¡¯m glad to hear that.¡±


    Sylphy smiled very happily as she said that.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    After the meal, it was time to prepare for the adventure.


    I¡¯ll be wearing leather armor and an iron helmet on my head ¨C but not now. It will be fine after Grande arrives. If I equip the weapons registered in my shortcut, I¡¯ll be completely armed, though.


    Oh, I should at least have a mithril shortsword on my hip.


    ¡°It¡¯s all set.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m ready too.¡±


    Sylphy was equipped with her usual black leather rider suit, along with Pale Moon on her left hip, a revolver on her right hip, and two steel kukri knives behind her hip. Completely armed.


    ¡°The rest is waiting for Grande¡­¡±


    ¡°GYAOOOOOOON! (I demand a hamburger!)¡±


    ¡°GOAAAAAAA! (Booze! More booze today!)¡±


    ¡°GYAOOOOOOOOO!? (Brotheeerrr!?)¡±


    I hear the roar again, this time with a secondary voice. I also heard it yesterday, just like this.


    ¡°It¡¯s coming from over there.¡±


    ¡°Looks like it.¡±


    Sylphy smiled bitterly at my words.


    ¡°What now?¡±


    ¡°Two of Grande¡¯s brothers have come to beg for food and drink.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ what are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°It depends on their attitude.¡±


    If they want to be friends as equals, then fine, but if they don¡¯t¡­ then let¡¯s deal with them accordingly. I don¡¯t have Melty here, but I do have Sylphy, so I think I can handle that.

 CH 134

    Chapter 134 ¨C Kosuke Gets Angry


    ¡°GYAUUUUUUUUU! (Hamburger, please, human!)¡±


    ¡°GURRRRRRRRRR! (Booze! Bring me the booze, human!)¡±


    ¡°GYAOOOOOOOON! (Stop, brothers!)¡±


    I moved to the square where I had welcomed The dragon family yesterday, following the echoing cries, and found that the jittering Grande and her two brother dragons were pinning her to the ground with their feet.


    Yeah, first of all.


    ¡°Get your filthy feet off of Grande right now, you stupid lizards.¡±


    I was so furious.


    From the look of Grande, it was not hard to imagine that she was trying to stop her brother dragons from trying to do something rude. Upon closer look, I could see scratches on her scales here and there. This is unacceptable, isn¡¯t it?


    ¡°Don¡¯t get too cocky; just give me the hamburger!¡±


    ¡°Booze! Give me the booze! Now! Quickly!¡±


    Why are these guys so loyal to their instincts¡­ ¡°Intelligence: animal-like¡±? Even though Grande and Grande¡¯s mama are relatively rational¡­ Grande papa was also, well, rational compared to these guys.


    I can¡¯t judge whether these guys are totally stupid or whether male dragons are instinctive in general.


    ¡°I¡¯ll say it again. Now, get your feet off of Grande immediately!¡±


    I pointed my fingertips at the two damned lizards that were kicking Grande in the leg.


    ¡°Hey, Kosuke.¡±


    ¡°Sylphy, I don¡¯t care if they¡¯re dragons or not; I can¡¯t be friends with someone who kicks my friends to the curb.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ that¡¯s true too. I feel the same way.¡±


    ¡°Right? I¡¯m going to go and have a little talk with them; Sylphy can stay here and watch over me. If things look bad, I¡¯d appreciate your help.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Sylphy nodded and sent me on my way. She stood with her arms crossed and seemed to be ready to observe the situation.


    ¡°Ko-Kosuke, it¡¯s not right to fight with my brothers¡­¡±


    ¡°Fools, a brother who kicks his sister down is a piece of trash. More importantly, I can¡¯t stand anyone who kicks my friends. So get off your feet right now, you fucking lizard. I¡¯ll kick your ass if you don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°How is a weak human supposed to do that? Just give me the hamburger already.¡±


    ¡°Booze! Booze!¡±


    The brother dragon A snorted as if to ridicule me, and the brother dragon B breathed out as if he was thrilled. Yeah, these guys are no good.


    ¡°This is my last warning. Get your feet off Grande. Or I¡¯ll blow you away.¡±


    Instead of obeying my words, the dragon brothers seemed to put all their strength into the foot that was stepping on Grande.


    ¡°Uugh¡­!¡±


    Grande let out a pained cry and flailed around.


    Yeah, I¡¯ll blow them away.


    I took out a certain item from my inventory and held it up. It¡¯s a grenade launcher with a large rotating magazine. It¡¯s loaded with six 40mm multi-purpose grenades and has an armor-piercing capacity of about 50mm.


    ¡°What is that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll blow you up.¡±


    Pop, pop, pop. A series of slightly distracting firing sounds echoed, and the multi-purpose grenades from the grenade launcher flew in an arc through the air.


    ¡°Nnguooh!?¡±


    The multi-purpose grenades that flew into the air landed on the face and neck of the brother dragon A without missing a single shot, causing an explosion. The head of brother dragon A turned upside down, perhaps because it was too much for him.


    ¡°You too!¡±


    Another shot was fired, three times in a row. As expected, brother dragon B tried to avoid this, but it was aimed at his huge body this time. There is no way he can avoid it with his size, and after being hit by three multi-purpose grenades in the body, brother dragon B retreated backward.


    ¡°It hurtssss!¡±


    ¡°Hey, Kosuke, the debris hit me too.¡±


    ¡°Sorry about that.¡±


    I apologize to Grande, who is complaining to me while I¡¯m reloading. To be honest, I don¡¯t have the skill to beat those guys with my bare hands, so I have to rely on this thing. I¡¯m sorry.


    ¡°You hurt me, human! Alright, I¡¯ll buy that fight¡­¡±


    Pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, pop.


    ¡°Ouch! It hurts! S-stop! It hurts! Please stop!¡±


    When I silently gave brother dragon A six shots in a row, he started to cry, probably because the multi-purpose grenade was so effective. Since blood is flowing out of the point of impact, it seems that even a 50mm armor-piercing capacity will work reasonably well against dragons. This means that if I use a solid anti-tank rocket launcher, I might be able to kill a dragon.


    ¡°I will do what you say; please forgive me.¡±


    Brother dragon B quickly surrendered when he saw the devastation of brother dragon A, who had taken three shots and six in a row. He rolled over on his back in a pose of complete submission.


    I silently reloaded and pointed the muzzle of the six-round grenade launcher at brother Dragon A again.


    ¡°Me too; I¡¯ll do the same, so please forgive me, please stop.¡±


    ¡°¡­Both of you should apologize to Grande. I¡¯ll forgive you if you do.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Grande. Forgive me for stepping on you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I stepped on you, little sister.¡±


    ¡°U-umu. I forgive you.¡±


    ¡°Alright, don¡¯t move.¡±


    I restrained the two dragons by filling them with stone blocks, just in case, and collected eight 500 ml glass containers full of fresh blood from the wounds before treating them.


    For some reason, Sylphy was watching the whole process with a grin on her face. I wonder why?


    ¡°I healed your wounds. As you can see, I got some of your fresh blood as a fee for the trouble. Is that okay with you?¡±


    ¡°¡±Yes.¡±¡±


    The brother dragons, who had been released from the restraints I had placed on them and were sitting side by side, nodded obediently.


    ¡°So, it was food and alcohol, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡°Yesterday, since Grande has always taken care of me, I treated her to food and wine as a way of greeting her family when she returned to her homeland and reunited with them. Although I usually provide food and drinks to Grande, it¡¯s not a one-sided deal. Grande and I have an equal relationship. She does some kind of work for me, and in return, I provide her with food and alcohol.¡±


    ¡°¡±Work?¡±¡±


    The brother dragons nodded their heads at the same time. It¡¯s a little cute. The face is evil, though.


    ¡°Yes. She hunts down medium and large-sized monsters and brings them back to me, as well as provides me with blood and scales.¡±


    ¡°¡±I see.¡±¡±


    ¡°As a token of our reconciliation, I¡¯ll be serving food and alcohol today.¡±


    ¡°¡±!!¡±¡±


    ¡°If you want to eat and drink after tomorrow, hunt down a medium or large-sized monster that lives in the depths of the Black Forest and bring it to me, and I¡¯ll give you food and alcohol. However, they can¡¯t be too big, so please bring something the size of a wyvern.¡±


    ¡°¡±Okay!¡±¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s just while I¡¯m here. I¡¯ll be back in a week or so to a city farther north, where the people live.¡±


    ¡°¡±I see¡­¡±¡±


    The brother dragons shuddered. I want to do something about it, but I don¡¯t think the production capacity of the Elven village can support the stomachs of two dragons, so there¡¯s nothing I can do. I don¡¯t care if it¡¯s just Grande, but it would be hard for me to feed the brother dragons, too. Well, I guess I¡¯ll talk to the elders about it.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s it. Let¡¯s reconcile.¡±


    ¡°Yeah!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s be friends!¡±


    The brother dragons roared. Shut up; it was too loud.


    I set up a dining table with stone blocks and served them oversized cheeseburgers and a large barrel of honey wine.


    ¡°Delicious! What is this? It¡¯s better than yesterday¡¯s!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a cheeseburger. A special kind of hamburger with extra cheese.¡±


    ¡°Cheeseburger, huh? Delicious!¡±


    ¡°Booze¡­ Booze¡­¡±


    Brother dragon A bites into an oversized cheeseburger with gusto, while brother dragon B plunges his head into a large barrel of honey wine. He¡¯s really an alcoholic dragon, isn¡¯t he?


    ¡°Do you want some, Grande?¡±


    ¡°U-umu¡­¡±


    I also served an extra-large cheeseburger to Grande, who seemed somewhat sluggish. I¡¯m not going to offer you any alcohol since you¡¯ll be flying with Sylphy and me after this. I¡¯m afraid to fly while you¡¯re drunk.


    ¡°What¡¯s with the slurred speech?¡±


    ¡°I-it¡¯s nothing, really.¡±


    Grande averts her gaze from me and begins to chomp down on an oversized cheeseburger. She usually opens her big mouth and gobbles it up, but she seems to be eating it elegantly. What¡¯s wrong with this girl? I try to look away, but she keeps glancing at me. It¡¯s not like she¡¯s in a bad mood, though, because her tail is beating the ground.


    ¡°Everything seems to be going well.¡±


    Perhaps having decided that the situation was well under control, Sylphy approached from behind and called out to me.


    ¡°You can see it. I¡¯m glad we managed to reconcile. I¡¯m just glad they didn¡¯t take me seriously.¡±


    If the brother dragons had charged at me with the intention of killing me from the start, I might have been in danger. Well, at that time, I was planning to build a barrier with stone blocks and attack gradually. I would also have used anti-tank rockets or anti-tank recoilless guns instead of the six grenade launchers.


    ¡°Fufu¡­ Kosuke is strong. How could you take down two dragons? Are you sure you¡¯re not a legendary hero?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just that my weapon is strong. I¡¯m a weak small-fry myself, and compared to the warriors of this world; I¡¯m extremely weak.¡±


    ¡°You underestimate yourself too much, Kosuke. If you fight me from a distance, I¡¯m not even sure I can win.¡±


    ¡°I think I would lose in an instant.¡±


    If someone approaches me at a speed I can¡¯t see and starts a melee, I¡¯ll die quickly. I might be strong against a big one like Grande. But it¡¯s impossible for me to fight against the people of this world.


    ¡°Fufu, really? Should we try it next time?¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t¡­ I¡¯m not going to fight with Sylphy.¡±


    Stop hugging me from behind and whispering in my ear. It¡¯s too stimulating. In fact, even though Sylphy is hugging me, I can barely feel her happy touch because of my leather armor. Goddamn it!


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    When I was flirting with Sylphy, Grande forgot to eat her cheeseburger and was staring at us for some reason. When I looked at her, she averted her gaze as if in a panic and began to eat the oversized cheeseburger again, chewing on it little by little. I wonder what¡¯s wrong with Grande.


    [T/n: Jealous Grande is so kawaii.]


    Author Note: By the way, with the power of anti-tank rockets, a single hit can kill or blow off a limb if it hits in the right place.


    The power of a 40mm multi-purpose howitzer is about the same as a human being getting stabbed with a cutter with the tip sticking out about 1cm.


    It¡¯s not fatal, but it¡¯s extremely painful. And dragons, who are rarely hurt by nature, are very sensitive to pain.

 CH 135

    Chapter 135 ¨C Grande¡¯s Suspicious Behavior


    ¡°Brother, thank you for the food! I¡¯ll bring you a gift next time!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best, so I can drink more booze tomorrow.¡±


    [T/n: Brother dragon A called Kosuke Aniki.]


    After finishing their meal, the brother dragons quickly flew away. Tomorrow, they will bring back the proper catch. It¡¯s also a good idea to donate some of the stuff to the Elven village and exchange it for the specialties of the Elven village. There are many good quality products made by Elves¡­ Wait, what do you mean, ¡°brother¡±? I don¡¯t know if I have a brother like you guys.


    So, I thought I¡¯d talk to Grande about going on a tour to explore the depths of the Black Forest.


    ¡°Wait a minute. I-I can¡¯t let you ride on my back¡­¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°N-no¡­ I mean, you can¡¯t¡­ okay¡­?¡±


    As she said that, she let out an indulgent growl. I knew something was seriously wrong. I wondered what was going on with her? When I was tilting my head, Sylphy called out to me.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with the negotiations that seem to be going nowhere?¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t know, but it seems she doesn¡¯t want me to ride on her back?¡±


    ¡°I-it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want you to ride on my back, you know.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I said it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want you to ride on my back.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­?¡±


    Sylphy tilted her head. I also tilted my head. Grande is kind of fidgety. What is this situation?


    ¡°I bet there¡¯s some beautiful scenery deep in the Black Forest, right? I just want to see the place where Grande grew up.¡±


    ¡°U-umu¡­ there is that, but¡­¡±


    ¡°I want to see what Grande thinks is beautiful, too. Please.¡±


    ¡°Fuaa¡­ O-okay, fine¡­¡±


    For some reason, Grande starts to slap her tail on the ground. It¡¯s not like she¡¯s angry; I think she¡¯s more like happy¡­ but I haven¡¯t seen her do this before.


    ¡°Is everything okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what¡¯s wrong with her, but it doesn¡¯t seem like she¡¯s sick or anything. I think she¡¯s okay¡­ Grande, I¡¯ll put the saddle on.¡±


    ¡°U-umu.¡±


    I attached the saddle to Grande, who kept her posture low and quiet. Yes, there seems to be no problem. What¡¯s with her sudden change in behavior?


    ¡°Where do you want me to take you?¡±


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know anything about the terrain deep in the forest. Sylphy, Grande is asking me where we should go. Do you have any requests?¡±


    ¡°Hmm. How about Grande¡¯s homeland?¡±


    ¡°Oh, that sounds good. Grande, I¡¯d like you to take us to your homeland.¡±


    ¡°W-well, I can¡¯t because I¡¯m not ready yet¡­!¡±


    Grande rejects my proposal while trembling. I¡¯m not sure what she means by ¡°ready.¡±


    ¡°W-well then, take us to an appropriate and beautiful place. A waterfall, a field of flowers, or a place high up where we can see all around us would be good.¡±


    ¡°Did she refuse?¡±


    ¡°She said she wasn¡¯t ready yet. I¡¯m not sure, though.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    Sylphy began to ponder something with a serious expression.


    ¡°M-my opinion of a beautiful view and Kosuke¡¯s opinion of a beautiful view may differ¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m also interested in the view that Grande thinks is beautiful.¡±


    ¡°I-I see. Yeah, I¡¯ll take you to the most beautiful places.¡±


    This time, her tail began to tap the ground in a good mood. Please don¡¯t do it; Mr. Ground¡¯s HP is already zero, you know. The only area that is lower is the area around the tip of Grande¡¯s tail, though.


    ¡°Sylphy, now that we talk, let¡¯s get a ride.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, yeah, okay. Thanks for your help today, Grande.¡±


    ¡°What did the black elf say, Kosuke?¡±


    ¡°She said she¡¯s grateful for your help today. I¡¯m grateful to you, too.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Umu, leave it to me.¡±


    I stroked Grande¡¯s cheek as she groaned, then climbed on her back with Sylphy, sat in the saddle, and secured her body with a leather belt.


    Suddenly, I looked towards the Elven village and saw that many Elves had come to watch over the protective wall. Did I startle them with the sound of the grenade explosion?


    ¡°We¡¯re leaving!¡±


    When Sylphy waved her hand, the Elves waved back. I waved to them too, and they waved back to me. I was kind of happy.


    ¡°Grande, let¡¯s fly.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Hold on to me.¡±


    Grande lowered her posture, gathered her strength, and folded her wings. It seems that she is planning to take off without a run-up. Sylphy and I followed her advice and clung to the saddle.


    Grande leaps up with all the spring in her body and spreads her wings. At that moment, a tremendous wind blew up from directly below, and Grande¡¯s huge body slowly began to rise.


    ¡°We¡¯ll head for the rocky mountains deep in the forest first.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡±


    ¡°Umu. We¡¯ll fly slowly, but hold on tight.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, okay. Sylphy, we¡¯re going to the rocky mountain at the deep end of the forest.¡±


    ¡°Oh, a rocky mountain. I wonder what¡¯s there.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡±


    I looked at the Black Forest from the back of Grande as she flew slowly. That¡¯s why it¡¯s called the Black Forest; I can¡¯t see the ground at all. The density of the forest is too thick or something like that¡­ Are the trees in this forest special, or is the soil special¡­? Speaking of soil, I need soil from the Black Forest to make farmland blocks, so I need to dig it up while I¡¯m here.


    ¡°Oh, there¡¯s the rocky mountain ahead.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a pretty steep rocky mountain¡­ and it¡¯s pretty big.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t imagine how it was formed.¡±


    I can see some streaks of white on the huge rocky mountain. It seems that the water that gushes from the top of the mountain is pouring down to the ground as a waterfall. The waterfall turned into a mist as it approached the ground, and there was a rainbow near the base of the rocky mountain.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s amazing! The rainbow is beautiful!¡±


    ¡°It sure is beautiful¡­ Hmm, I didn¡¯t know there were places like that deep in the woods.¡±


    ¡°Fufu, that¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. There is always a rainbow there. But it¡¯s always raining there. You¡¯ll get wet if you get too close, and the footing is not good. There are a lot of water-dwelling monsters, so it would be dangerous for humans to get close to that place.¡±


    ¡°I see. It¡¯s beautiful, but it¡¯s not safe for us to approach.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. But it¡¯s enough to see it from a distance. It¡¯s not often that you see such beautiful scenery.¡±


    Sylphy then continued to look at the rainbow with a bit of excitement. Waterfalls that create rainbows, huh? In this fantasy world, it seems that there are precious materials in such places ¡ª something with rainbow-colored magic condensed in it. There seem to be powerful monsters living there. It might be a good idea to go there sometime.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go up there.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡±


    Grande began to rise rapidly, and I felt as if my body was being pushed against the ground. Grande seems to be rising quite fast.


    ¡°There is a spring at the top of the rocky mountain with clean water gushing out. It¡¯s beautiful there, too.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡±


    As Grande circled around the sheer rocky mountain, she rose higher and higher until we finally reached the top of the mountain.


    ¡°Wow¡­ this is incredible.¡±


    ¡°This is a beautiful place¡­¡±


    The top of the rocky mountain was like a paradise. A spring with clean water was gushing out, and beautiful flowers were blooming around it. I wondered if it was some kind of high mountain plant.


    ¡°It¡¯s safe there. Let¡¯s go down.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Sylphy, she says we are going down to that spring.¡±


    ¡°Really? I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡±


    Sylphy was also fascinated by the flower garden and the beautiful spring, and her voice sounded happy.


    Perhaps adjusting the landing point, Grande circled over the rocky mountain for a while and then gently landed on the top of the mountain. She was very thorough in landing on the rocks so as not to crush the flowers.


    ¡°That¡¯s impressive, Grande. It must have been hard to land on the rocks without crushing the flowers.¡±


    ¡°Fufu, it was no trouble at all. It would have been a shame if I had trampled all over the beautiful scenery.¡±


    Grande turned her head around and looked at me while making a happy whimpering sound. It looks like she¡¯s trying to make a smug face.


    ¡°Okay, we¡¯re going down. Hold still for a moment.¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. Sylphy, let¡¯s get off.¡±


    ¡°Yeah!¡±


    I unfastened the belt that was holding my body in place and carefully climbed down from Grande¡¯s back. As soon as I got down to the ground and approached the flower garden, I could smell the scent of flowers softly. It seemed to be a flower with a strong fragrance.


    ¡°It smells good.


    ¡°Yes, it does. I¡¯ve never seen these flowers before¡­ Why don¡¯t you take some of them as a gift for Isla?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. Grande, can I pick some of the flowers?¡±


    ¡°As long as you don¡¯t uproot them, I guess it¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°Sure. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    I took out a one-handed gardening shovel from my inventory and carefully picked the flowers, soil, and roots, and all. Eh? Why don¡¯t I use the Mithril Shovel +9, you ask? If I use that thing, I¡¯ll uproot them.


    After collecting about five flowers of each type, I approached the spring with Sylphy. I don¡¯t see any fish or other creatures.


    ¡°Can we drink it?¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better if you put it in your inventory to see if it¡¯s drinkable?¡±


    ¡°I suppose so.¡±


    I drew some water from the spring into a wooden canteen and put it in my inventory. It seems to be clean water.


    ¡°It says it¡¯s clean water. It¡¯s drinkable, but it doesn¡¯t seem to have any special effects. I had high hopes for it.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, I guess you can¡¯t conveniently find anything rare.¡±


    I shrugged my shoulders in disappointment, and Sylphy chuckled.


    ¡°This is a beautiful place, nonetheless¡­¡±


    As we sat by the fountain, Sylphy looked around with an enraptured expression on her face. The spring is surrounded by colorful flowers, and when the wind blows, the fragrance of the flowers tickles our nostrils. It¡¯s certainly a beautiful place.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a little cold, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a high place, after all. It¡¯s good that the wind is calm today, but when it¡¯s blowing hard, it can be scary.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    I looked at Grande to see what she was doing, and she seemed to be standing still on the rock, watching us or sniffing the flowers in the field. I walked over to the rock where Grande was.


    ¡°Oh, the flower garden is beautiful, but the view is amazing! I don¡¯t want to get too close to the edge of the cliff because I¡¯m afraid of falling off.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s quite a view.¡±


    How high is the altitude here? I¡¯m not sure how high it is, but it seems really high because of the sheer rock cliffs. The top is not very wide. I think it¡¯s smaller than a school ground, even with all the rocky terrain.


    But seriously, I don¡¯t know how this rocky mountain was formed. Magma spewing out of the ground wouldn¡¯t have hardened it into such a shape, and if it was a big rock carved out by wind erosion, I¡¯m sure there are other rocks nearby. Hmm. I¡¯m not a geologist, so there¡¯s no point in worrying about it.


    ¡°Whoa, what is that place? Isn¡¯t that tree really big?¡±


    There was an unusually large tree growing in front of where I pointed. It was clearly taller than the other trees, not just by a head or two, but by about five. The trunk of the tree looks quite thick as well.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ that¡¯s pretty big. The tree at the village meeting place is also magnificent, but that tree is probably more than twice as tall as the tree at the village meeting place. It¡¯s definitely the tallest tree in this forest.¡±


    ¡°Shall we go? With my wings, I can fly over it.¡±


    ¡°Great, I¡¯d love to see it up close. Sylphy, Grande says she¡¯ll take us there.¡±


    ¡°Really, I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡±


    Sylphy and I climbed on Grande¡¯s back, who lowered her posture and sat down in the saddle to steady ourselves again. The next stop is the big tree at the far end of the Black Forest. Hopefully, this time we¡¯ll find something unusual, material-wise!

 CH 136

    Chapter 136 ¨C Black Forest Fairy Tree


    ¡°It¡¯s huge!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s huge.¡±


    Sylphy nodded her head to my words as we looked up at it.


    The big tree rising at the far end of the Black Forest was huge anyway. I wondered how many meters high it was. I can¡¯t be sure because I can¡¯t see the tops of the branches and leaves, but I¡¯d say it¡¯s over 100 meters tall. The area where the branches protrude is also large. It¡¯s probably more than the size of a baseball field.


    Besides, the roots are amazing. Many of the roots overhanging the ground are more than one meter in diameter. These roots were further folded and intertwined, stretching across the ground. It was hard to get to the trunk.


    ¡°It¡¯s a different kind of tree from the one at the village meeting place, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°The leaves are different. But it¡¯s a majestic sight¡­ I can¡¯t imagine how long it¡¯s been standing here.¡±


    When I looked up at the tree with Sylphy, a leaf fluttered down towards us, and Sylphy grabbed it dexterously.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ that¡¯s a leaf shape I¡¯ve never seen before.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s pretty big. I¡¯ll take this as a souvenir for Isla.¡±


    ¡°She might like it since she¡¯s never seen something like this before.¡±


    I took the leaf from Sylphy and looked at it. Well, it¡¯s a shape I¡¯ve never seen before, but it looks like a normal leaf. The shape of the leaf is¡­ similar to a grape leaf, I guess. It looks like it¡¯s sticking out in three directions. I¡¯ll put it in my inventory for now.


    ?Black Forest Fairy Tree Leaf x 1


    ¡°I put it in my inventory, and now I know the name of the tree. It¡¯s a fairy tree.¡±


    ¡°Fairy tree¡­? Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it says it¡¯s a leaf from the Black Forest Fairy Tree, so I¡¯m pretty sure that¡¯s what it is. Are there fairies as well as spirits in this world?¡±


    I¡¯ve seen spirits many times when Sylphy uses spirit magic. It¡¯s like a vaguely glowing sphere. I¡¯m not sure what it is, but it seems that I have a constitution that allows me to be liked by spirits. In Elven lore, marebito like me are guided by spirits to come to this world, so maybe there¡¯s a deeper connection.


    ¡°The fairy tree is said to be home to fairies, but¡­ Kosuke doesn¡¯t know anything about fairies, does he?¡±


    ¡°The only thing I can think of is that they¡¯re little beings with wings who like to play tricks. I don¡¯t know what they are like in this world.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not wrong. Fairies look like little human beings with wings, some are as small as a human adult¡¯s wrist to the tip of the middle finger, and some are not much bigger than a human child. It is said that they have the ability to disappear and can control powerful magical powers.¡±


    ¡°¡­Aren¡¯t they strong?¡±


    ¡°They are strong. Fairies are basically innocent and cheerful beings, but they are said to be very dangerous when they get angry. Well, they rarely get angry enough to kill people, and when they do, it¡¯s often just to get a nasty prank.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s scary¡­ Does that mean we shouldn¡¯t get too close?¡±


    ¡°Could it be that Grande knew this and flew away as soon as she landed nearby?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s possible.¡±


    As soon as Grande carried us to this fairy tree, she said, ¡°I remembered something urgent,¡± and immediately flew off somewhere. In fact, we were at a bit of a loss as to how we were going to meet up with her since she flew away before we could say anything.


    Well, if we can¡¯t meet up with her, we can walk slowly back to Elven village. In case of a dangerous night, we could stay in an underground shelter or a stilt house, and we have enough water and food. With Sylphy, there¡¯s no shortage of self-defense capabilities, and I¡¯m not helpless either. However, I¡¯m not very good at it.


    We were in no hurry at all because we knew we could handle it.


    ¡°Do you want to get closer?¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯d like to get a closer look, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea to get too close and provoke the fairies. I mean, it¡¯s so big that if we get too close, we¡¯ll just see it like a wall.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. Let¡¯s go to a place with a better view¡­ maybe climb up on top of that root and look at it.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s do that.¡±


    Sylphy and I worked together to climb over the roots of the fairy tree, which were several meters high and sat down on top of it. This is easy if I pile up woodblocks.


    ¡°The wind is pleasant. It¡¯s even warmer than the spring.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is. It¡¯s a comfortable temperature. Speaking of which, I have been in this world for quite a while, huh?¡±


    ¡°There is a change of seasons. It¡¯s autumn now. Winter will be here soon.¡±


    ¡°Winter¡­ Is it going to get cold?¡±


    ¡°Yes. But it doesn¡¯t often snow on the plains. Sometimes it snows at higher altitudes, such as in the mountains. It rarely gets cold enough in winter to cause frost.¡±


    ¡°I see; it¡¯s quite warm. I used to live in a place where winters could get pretty cold. It was normal to get snow up to your knees, and if you didn¡¯t turn on the heater, everything in the house would freeze.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s harsh¡­ There will be a lot of people freezing to death in winter.¡±


    ¡°Nowadays, lifelines such as heaters and water systems are much more widespread, so there are fewer deaths, but there are still more than 1,000 people who freeze to death a year¡­ But in spring, cherry blossoms bloom, and it¡¯s beautiful.¡±


    ¡°Cherry blossoms bloom in spring¡­ What kind of flowers are cherry blossoms and plums?¡±


    ¡°The cherry blossoms have pale pink flowers that bloom all over the tree. They are really pale pink, and they are called ¡°sakura color.¡± The blossoms are short-lived, and when they start to fall, they fall all at once. A strong wind blows the petals around like a snowstorm, and it is sometimes called a cherry blossom blizzard.¡±


    ¡°It must be very beautiful¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it was beautiful.¡±


    I remembered the scene, thinking inwardly that I would not be able to see it in this world. I remember the scene of the cherry blossom petals flying around.


    Then, suddenly, a strong wind started blowing around the area.


    ¡°Mmm?¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    The wind seemed to be blowing around us, and the dead leaves blowing in the wind began to circle around us.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a normal wind. Are they fairies?¡±


    ¡°Are they around¡­? Hmm?¡±


    Something pink began to mix with the wind that was blowing around us. The number of them gradually increased, and they began to cover the vision of Sylphy and me like a blizzard.


    ¡°Cherry blossom blizzard¡­¡±


    It was indeed a cherry blossom blizzard. The pale cherry blossom petals covered our entire field of vision, swirling and dancing.


    ¡°This is¡­? Is this the work of fairies?¡±


    A strong feeling of nostalgia arose in me. I don¡¯t have any family back home. But that doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t feel nostalgic. This world is still not the one I grew up in.


    Tears spill from the corners of my eyes. It seems that I had shed tears without realizing it. The next moment, Sylphy stood up, her beautiful face twisted in anger, and threw a sharp look at the surroundings.


    ¡°Stop it. No matter how good your intentions are in doing this, I will not allow you to make Kosuke shed tears.¡±


    Sylphy¡¯s beautiful silver hair began to shimmer and move like a living being. At the same time, the cherry blossom blizzard stopped for a moment. No, they disappeared ¡ª the petals that were dancing and the wind that was making them dance vanished like an illusion. In fact, this was probably a kind of illusion.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because the marebito wanted it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I showed it to him.¡±


    ¡°But I didn¡¯t expect it to be like that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    I could hear many small voices around me. All the voices sounded sad and apologetic. They were probably the voices of fairies.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Sylphy. I just got a little nostalgic and burst into tears.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re okay?¡±


    I wiped the tears from the corners of my eyes with my hand and tried to smile. Sylphy still showed a worried expression, but I nodded at her words.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s fine. Thank you for being angry for me. And thank you to everyone who is around. I was happy because I thought I¡¯d never see it again.¡±


    As I said this, a small voice came back from the surroundings.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not upset?¡±


    ¡°Are you sad?¡±


    ¡°Yes, really! Those tears I shed were not sad tears; they were happy tears, tears of joy! You showed me something good. Thank you. Sylphy, you thought it was beautiful too, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Mmm¡­ yes¡­ it was indeed a beautiful sight.¡±


    ¡°Sylphy¡¯s not mad at them anymore, right?¡±


    I asked with a smile as I tugged on the hem of her dress, and she smiled and sat down next to me on the root of the tree again. I¡¯m glad she figured it out.


    ¡°Well¡­ if Kosuke wasn¡¯t crying because he was sad, then I guess my anger was out of line. I¡¯m sorry, fairies.¡±


    ¡°So, will you please calm down?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not mad at me anymore?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m not angry anymore. Let¡¯s make up.¡±


    As Sylphy said this, several small figures appeared in the air as if they were oozing out of the landscape. They were small people with the appearance of fairies. They vary in size, but most of them seem to be about the size of my palm. On their backs were glowing wings, which they moved in small increments. The feathers seemed to be sprinkled with glittering particles.


    ¡°Oh, so this is a fairy¡­ Yeah, it¡¯s very typical. It¡¯s really a fantasy.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen one up close like this before. I¡¯ve seen them from a distance a few times when I was hunting in the forest.¡±


    The fairies were surrounding us from a distance as if they were still cautious or worried about making me cry. All of them seemed to have the expression of an angry child.


    ¡°I¡¯m not angry anymore, and neither is Sylphy. In fact, we are grateful to you for showing us such a beautiful thing. Now, let¡¯s make up. How about some sweet treats as a token of our reconciliation?¡±


    I said, taking out a basket of cookies from my inventory. The cookies were made with Harpy¡¯s eggs, Minotaur¡¯s milk and butter, flour from the fields I created, and sugar crafted from sugar cane.


    ¡°Here, Sylphy. Aamm.¡±


    ¡°Aamm?¡±


    I shoved one of the cookies in her mouth, and then I brought one to my mouth as well. Some of the fairies may have never seen this kind of sweets before, so it would be better for us to try it first.


    ¡°It¡¯s sweet, crunchy, and delicious. Don¡¯t hesitate to try them.¡±


    The fairies looked at each other as we presented the baskets to them and slowly approached us. When the fairy came up to the basket and looked at us, we smiled back.


    The fairy picked up one of the cookies and tried to hold it up with both hands. However, it seemed to be too big for the fairy.


    ¡°Too big?¡±


    ¡°Too big, too big.¡±


    ¡°Which one?¡±


    Once the basket was placed on the tree¡¯s root, between Sylphy and me, I picked up one of the cookies and crushed it into smaller pieces. It would be a shame to break them into powder, so I made them small enough that even a small fairy could easily hold them.


    ¡°How about this?¡±


    ¡°Thank you!¡±


    The fairy took one of the crushed cookies in her palm and bit into it with both hands.


    ¡°It¡¯s crunchy and sweet and delicious!¡±


    ¡°I know, I know. There are a lot of them, so you can have some too. Come on, Sylphy.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Sylphy also took one of the cookies, crushed it, and put it on her palm. Then the fairies started to gather. At first, many of them gathered at my hand, but when some of the fairies saw that there were too many to take from my hand, they began to take cookies from Sylphy¡¯s hand, and then the other fairies who had been watching also began to take cookies from Sylphy¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Delicious.¡±


    ¡°Crispy.¡±


    ¡°Sweet.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t choke on them in a hurry.¡±


    While laughing at the fairies who were gobbling up the cookies with sparkling eyes, I took out a wooden canteen of milk and a large plate from my inventory and poured the milk into the plate. The milk was, of course, the Minotaur¡¯s milk. No, I often get it as a gift¡­ I have a good amount of stock.


    The fairy landed on the edge of the plate and sipped at the milk, perhaps because their mouths had become dry. They don¡¯t seem to be particularly evasive or anything. Well, I didn¡¯t say it was the Minotaur¡¯s breast milk, and I don¡¯t have to say anything.


    After filling up on cookies and milk, the fairies climbed on my shoulders, knees, and head, singing songs and dancing in front of us. It was like a cat cafe, but a fairy cafe!


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    ¡°See you later!¡±


    ¡°Bye.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    A group of fairies managed to lift a basket full of cookies and carry it away towards the fairy tree. As we listened to the fairies¡¯ stories and conversely told them ours at their request, the sun was setting, and we decided to part ways.


    ¡°It was a great experience, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it was. I don¡¯t think many people have had that much contact with fairies.¡±


    Sylphy and I stood up and patted each other on the body, dropping cookie scraps on the ground. The fairies were eating the cookies and listening to us. That¡¯s the way it goes.


    ¡°Now¡­ let¡¯s build a shelter some distance away.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s do that. I hope to meet up with Grande tomorrow.¡±


    From what I heard, the fairies were apparently afraid of dragons and would not have shown themselves if they had been nearby. Grande must have thoughtfully left us here.


    ¡°Where would you like to go tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Well, I guess. Grande¡¯s homeland would be nice.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m looking forward to it. It¡¯s a little scary, though.¡±


    ¡°Certainly.¡±


    While talking about this, we left the fairy tree.

 CH 137

    Chapter 137 ¨C Dragon¡¯s Den


    The next day, I spent the night in harmony with Sylphy. Having purified ourselves, we immediately set out to meet up with Grande.


    However, walking around in the depths of the Black Forest in the dark was not a good idea. It would be difficult for even Grande to find us in the forest from above, and since we couldn¡¯t see the sky, we wouldn¡¯t be able to find Grande either.


    That¡¯s why I started to cut down the trees around the shelter. The purpose of this was to create a landing spot for Grande, as well as to secure a clear view. At the same time, I could get some wood. Three birds with one stone, right?


    And before I could cut it down, Sylphy gathered up the raw wood and built a fire. Naturally, there was smoke rising from the fire. Yes, it was a smoke signal. I thought it would be easier for Grande to find us if we cleared the forest and made a smoke signal.


    On the other hand, there was a possibility of attracting monsters from the depths of the Black Forest, but we concluded that Sylphy and I would be able to deal with most of them. We¡¯ve built a defense base on stilts, and we¡¯ve carved out a fairly large area of the forest, so as long as we can notice the enemy approaching, we can easily intercept them.


    ¡°Kosuke, that¡¯s a rather¡­ ostentatious looking weapon.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s very strong, you know.¡±


    I set up three 50-caliber, or 12.7mm, heavy machine guns on top of the stilted defense base. If I say that the bullets used are the same as those used in what is commonly called an anti-material rifle, will that give you an idea of its power?


    Some anti-material rifles use bullets of a larger caliber than this, but it is safe to assume that most anti-material rifles use this type of bullet. This is the kind of thing that can fire those bullets in rapid succession. A human being would be worse than minced meat with this thing, and even a dragon would probably be seriously injured if shot with this.


    The problem is that the cost of ammunition is too high to be used that often. Also, it¡¯s so heavy that it¡¯s impossible to shoot it with my hands. Only a self-proclaimed newspaper reporter, a super creature, would be able to do such a thing. That guy is so dangerous that he can pull out the flesh with his bare hands. And he¡¯s still alive and well even after being shot with an anti-material rifle. It¡¯s impossible to say that he¡¯s human, though. I¡¯m sorry, I got off-topic.


    [T/n: Obviously, it¡¯s Clark Kent.]


    ¡°If Grande would come right away, I wouldn¡¯t have to use this thing.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not going to be that easy, is it?¡±


    Yes, it was not that easy.


    ¡°Well, they¡¯re all so big.¡±


    ¡°This weapon is too strong¡­¡±


    We waited for a while, raising a smoke signal. Well, the monsters kept coming. A wild boar as big as a house, a praying mantis about the same size, a centipede, something that looks like a griffon, a spiral made of unidentifiable tentacles, and other things that I don¡¯t understand are coming at us in droves.


    Well, we crushed them all with the overwhelming violence of lead bullets. I showed Sylphy how to use it, and she took to it with ease. Well, you put the target in the center, and with a switch, the bullets come out with a bang. It¡¯s not that difficult.


    I¡¯d draw them in as close as possible and take them out, and then I¡¯d run to collect them, and Sylphy would cover me. The enemies appeared sparsely, so we spent about three hours without any danger.


    ¡°GYAOOOOON! (There you are!)¡±


    Grande descended from the sky with a saddle still attached to her body. We parted ways yesterday, after all.


    ¡°Good morning, Grande. You¡¯ve come to pick us up, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t come for you yesterday. The fairies are afraid of dragons. I went to check on you from the sky a few times, but you seemed to be enjoying yourself so much that I thought it would be tactless to disturb you.¡±


    ¡°That was a good decision. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Fufufu, that¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. I¡¯m a very capable woman, after all.¡±


    Grande slumped over and exhaled through her nose. I¡¯m sure she¡¯s making a smug face right now.


    ¡°What is she saying?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s sorry for leaving us here yesterday. She went to check on us a couple of times, but she felt bad about interrupting us while we were having fun with the fairies, so she left us alone.¡±


    ¡°I see. I guess she decided that Kosuke and I wouldn¡¯t be in danger anyway.¡±


    ¡°Maybe. Grande, have you eaten breakfast?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I have eaten already. What are you planning to do today?¡±


    ¡°Sylphy and I were talking about seeing your homeland.¡±


    ¡°O-of course, I don¡¯t mind. Yeah, it¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°I see. Well then, I¡¯ll be back in a few minutes.¡±


    I said that and started to prepare for the move out with Sylphy. But, Sylphy-san, you can carry that with the tripod gun rack attached? Seriously? What kind of power is hidden in your thin arms?


    I shuddered inwardly at the thought of Sylphy¡¯s hidden physical strength as I dismantled the stilted base. The underground shelter where we stayed yesterday had already been dismantled in the morning, so our preparations were now complete. We¡¯ve cleared some of the forests, but it¡¯s okay to leave that behind.


    ¡°We¡¯re all set. Thank you for your time today as well, Grande.¡±


    ¡°U-umu¡­¡±


    She seems to be slurring her words. I wonder if there¡¯s something that worries her. While tilting my head, I urged Sylphy to get on Grande¡¯s back with me.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, please.¡±


    Grande starts to make a run for it, and as soon as she jumps, she spreads her wings wide and starts to ride the wind. No matter how many times I experience it, this moment always gives me the chills. It¡¯s like the excitement of flying is mixed with the worry of falling.


    ¡°Kosuke, you were tilting your head earlier. Is something wrong?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, no. There¡¯s something suspicious about Grande¡¯s behavior and speech. I was wondering if she had something in mind concerning her dragon homeland.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    Sylphy was deep in thought.


    ¡°It seems that it is something very important for dragons to carry people on their backs, so maybe it has something to do with their own customs or something.¡±


    ¡°I see. Maybe you should ask Grande¡¯s parents for more information about that.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s not often you get to hear from a dragon. Of course, I might be able to find out something that even Sylphy doesn¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Maybe so. I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡±


    Sylphy smiled softly. Even when she was in Erichburg, she seemed to be relaxed when she was with her family, but she seems to have a more natural expression since she came to the Black Forest. I guess she was still under a lot of stress from her daily duties.


    We flew on Grande¡¯s back for more than ten minutes. We had reached the innermost part of the Black Forest.


    ¡°So the depths of the Black Forest are rocky mountains, huh?¡±


    ¡°It seems so. Not many people have seen this scene before.¡±


    From the break in the Black Forest, there seemed to be a long line of what looked like rocky mountains. It would be more accurate to call it a mountain range rather than a rocky mountain. It was a rocky mountain with few plants growing on it.


    ¡°Is this Grande¡¯s homeland?¡±


    ¡°Yes. A family of dragons lives here and there in those rocky mountains. They make holes in the rocks to build their dens.¡±


    ¡°I see. Do dragons other than the Grand Dragon live here?¡±


    ¡°No, only Grand Dragons live here. Occasionally a Sky Dragon will borrow a room here, but I don¡¯t think so now.¡±


    ¡°Borrow?¡±


    ¡°Because they fly all over the world. When they get tired of flying, they borrow other dragons¡¯ nests to rest their wings.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°What is it? Did you hear something interesting?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well¡­¡±


    I¡¯ll tell Sylphy what I heard from Grande.


    ¡°Sky dragons¡­ There have been sightings, but the biology of those dragons is not well understood.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    Grande told me in detail that Sky Dragons usually fly at supersonic speeds in the sky, so people rarely notice their existence. The Sky Dragon that was seen was probably seen coming down to the ground to rest its wings.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s the den where I was born and raised. Let¡¯s go down there.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Sylphy, we¡¯ve reached Grande¡¯s home, and she¡¯s coming down.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I understand.¡±


    Grande is turning and gradually losing altitude. If it were only Grande, she would probably dive down and land, but we could get hurt badly if she did that. I think Grande is a kind and caring dragon.


    ¡°Here we are.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ it¡¯s just like a normal cave.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, it looks like just a cave.¡±


    After getting off Grande¡¯s back, Sylphy and I looked up at the large cave opening into the rocky mountain and let out the same comment. The entrance to the cave was a gentle upward slope, which we assumed was to prevent rain from entering.


    ¡°Should we go inside?¡±


    ¡°No, it looks like a lot of work. Do you want to go in there, Sylphy?¡±


    ¡°The dragon¡¯s den? Hmm¡­ I¡¯d like to go in there, but is it safe?¡±


    ¡°Grande, I¡¯m asking if it¡¯s safe for Sylphy to go in there.¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t be a problem if she¡¯s with me. It¡¯s my parents¡¯ house, after all.¡±


    ¡°I see. It¡¯s her parents¡¯ house, so that it won¡¯t be a problem.¡±


    ¡°Shall we go there then?¡±


    ¡°Alright. Grande, show us the way.¡±


    ¡°Yes, leave it to me.¡±


    I stood behind Grande as she began to walk briskly ahead of us¡­


    ¡°Your tail is super dangerous.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±


    The tail that swung in a good mood almost knocked Sylphy and me off our feet. Yeah, that¡¯s what happens when you walk behind someone.


    ¡°Let¡¯s ride on her back.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s do that. Grande, put us on your back.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    So the tour of the dragon¡¯s den on Grande¡¯s back began. Perhaps Grande was paying attention to me, but there was hardly any up and down movement. This way, I wouldn¡¯t have to become a merlion.


    [T/n: I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t know what it means.]


    ¡°Hahahaha! Human¡¯s booze tastes so good!¡±


    ¡°This hamburger is good too!¡±


    ¡°Oh, we¡¯re out of snacks. Someone go outside and get some snacks.¡±


    ¡°Well, it can¡¯t be helped. Then I¡¯ll just go and get some wild boar or something.¡±


    The result was as you can see.


    No, I don¡¯t get it, okay? The depths of Grande¡¯s den, or rather the depths of the Grand Dragon¡¯s den, are connected by a rocky mountain. This is the so-called shared space of the grand dragons. It¡¯s also known as a banquet hall.


    It¡¯s a huge underground space about the size of a small town, with many stone stages and tables (super big because they¡¯re the size of dragons). And now, there were about twenty grand dragons crawling around.


    ¡°It¡¯s a scary place.¡±


    ¡°This is no place for a normal human to survive.¡±


    All of the dragons moving around look like monsters from a monster movie. If we were to get caught up in their wriggling, a human being like us would be minced.


    How do we keep ourselves safe in such a dangerous space? Well, you know.


    ¡°I feel like a carp on a chopping block.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what carp means, but I kind of know what it means.¡±


    We were at a huge table carved out of the rock. I didn¡¯t want to sit directly on the rock surface, so I took a soft cushion out of my inventory and sat on it, huddled tightly together. In front of me were the faces, and faces, and faces of the fearsome Grand Dragons. To the casual observer, we appear to be the prey of the Grand Dragon¡¯s table.


    I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on with Grande, but she seems to have been taken away by Grande mama and is sitting in the corner of the banquet hall, face to face with the other dragons, talking in circles. I wonder what they¡¯re doing there.


    ¡°Just so you know, I don¡¯t have an endless supply of food and drink in my inventory.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, yeah, I know, I know. The marebito this time has an interesting ability.¡±


    ¡°The last ones that came here were boring. All he had was a strong body and great strength.¡±


    ¡°He was annoying. He wouldn¡¯t give up when I tortured him, and he wouldn¡¯t die either.¡±


    ¡°In the end, it got so annoying that whenever he came to me, I threw him in the direction of the human inhabitants with all my might.¡±


    The old Grand Dragons, whose heads were much spikier than Grande¡¯s, surrounded me and started talking about the past. Apparently, they¡¯ve met other marebito other than me. I mean, what kind of person gets hurt by a bunch of Grand Dragons, and doesn¡¯t die easily, and then finally ends up being troublesome and has to be dealt with by Bashira (physical)? Is he Hercules or something?¡±


    [T/n: I couldn¡¯t understand about this too, the katakana is ¥Ð¥·¡ð©`¥é£¨ÎïÀí£©, if someone knows about this, please let me know :D]


    ¡°By marebito, do you mean that guy could talk too? With dragons?¡±


    ¡°In a manner of speaking. But being able to talk is not the same as being able to understand!¡±


    ¡°He said something I didn¡¯t understand and attacked me out of the blue. I don¡¯t remember anymore.¡±


    Apparently, even his brain was made of muscle. It¡¯s tough for a dragon to get tangled up with something like that. But it¡¯s even harder for me to get tangled up with a dragon and be forced to take supplies from my inventory.


    As I was thinking about this, a Grand Dragon approached me from the corner of the banquet hall, making a thumping sound. The dragon looked familiar.


    ¡°Grandfather, didn¡¯t you say there was once a dragon that fell in love with a human woman?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah, there it is. A curious Aqua Dragon. It was a long way west of here.¡±


    The dragon squealed in a high-pitched voice. This must be Grande¡¯s mother, and the other dragon is Grande¡¯s great-grandfather.


    ¡°As I recall, the dragon turned into a human and married her, right? How did he do it? Is it that easy?¡±


    ¡°What, you¡¯re looking for a human now? Who is it? Is it this marebito?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not me. Delgis is a fool, but he is my husband. So, what do you think?¡±


    ¡°The technique itself is not difficult, but it requires a catalyst, which is impossible to obtain. You need a magic sparkling stone the size of a human eyeball.¡±


    ¡°Oh, really? That¡¯s difficult¡­¡±


    That sounds strange. I¡¯m not so dumb that I can¡¯t figure out why Grande mama is asking that question. I¡¯m not dumb, but¡­ that¡¯s a lie, isn¡¯t it? Was there any such element? Or rather, what is this flow? Isn¡¯t that a little too abrupt?


    ¡°Hey, do you have any magic sparkling stones?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any.¡±


    ¡°Sniff, sniff¡­ I can smell that you¡¯re lying to me.¡±


    Grrr¡­ and Grande mama bared her fangs. How can she know that? Is she an esper or something? Or rather, can she tell by the smell?


    As I was dripping with cold sweat, Sylphy, who saw the situation, tilted her head and called out to me.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Kosuke? Isn¡¯t that dragon Grande¡¯s mother? Is she threatening you in any way?¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, a little¡­ uh, Grande¡¯s mother?¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°I just want to make sure. What¡¯s it for?¡±


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s used to turn Grande into a human. You can¡¯t lust after a dragon grande, can you?¡±


    ¡°No, I can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I wanted Grande to become human.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a huge leap of faith¡­¡±


    I hold my head involuntarily. I felt a tug on my arm.


    ¡°Kosuke, translate the conversation for me.¡±


    ¡°Oh, um¡­ okay. Don¡¯t be surprised, okay?¡±


    ¡°What? I don¡¯t know, but I understand.¡±


    I will translate the conversation so far for Sylphy.


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s very shocking.¡±


    ¡°Me too.¡±


    ¡°Well, yeah. Let me talk to her. I¡¯ll do the talking, and you can do the translating.¡±


    ¡°Aye aye, ma¡¯am.¡±


    And I became a translation machine.

 CH 138

    Chapter 138 ¨C Evolution


    The translation process was very difficult. I don¡¯t think I need to tell you this, but it¡¯s about my own love life and my situation with women. I was forced to expose them all. And I was dealing with all the Grand Dragons in the banquet hall, mainly the female members of the Grand Dragon. It was painful.


    The females are making a lot of noise, the males are grinning and giggling, and Grande papa is making a lot of noise.


    ¡°Huh, is he alive?¡±


    ¡°His tail is moving slightly, so I think he¡¯s okay¡­?¡±


    In front of our eyes was Grande papa with his head buried in a wall of rock, looking lifeless. When he heard what I translated, he said, ¡°How can I give my daughter to that shitty human who is a sex demon?¡± without reading the air and was beaten to a pulp by the females.


    By the way, it was Grande¡¯s mother who pinned his face against the rock wall and beat him with her tail as if she was hammering nails into the wall to put him in that state. Let¡¯s never go against her.


    And there is one more person who has become motionless.


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    After being freed from the females¡¯ siege, Grande was lying down against the wall, slack-jawed and fidgety. That would be the case. She was forced to reveal¡­ um¡­ all of her secret feelings for me. And directly to me. The sympathetic pressure (physical) of the ladies was too vicious.


    ¡°Hoho, I¡¯ve never seen a magic sparkling stone of this size before.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I guess there are places where you can find them. With this, we can perform the ritual.¡±


    The old dragons seemed to be having a lively discussion around the magic sparkling stone that I brought out. There seemed to be a fair amount of young dragons in the mix, so perhaps they were passing on their knowledge of rituals as well.


    ¡°Okay, so we¡¯ve shared the knowledge of the ritual. Now, let¡¯s get started. Grande, daughter of Delgis, come here!¡±


    One of the old dragons declared, and Grande was dragged along by her tail by the females. You should treat her a little more carefully, you know¡­


    ¡°So, Grande, daughter of Delgis. We will perform the ritual of humanization on you.¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡°Geez, Grande-chan, how long are you going to be sulky?¡±


    ¡°Can you think why I¡¯m like this? What¡¯s so sad about this is that I have to say a lot of stuff in front of many dragons! And¡­ of all places, in front of Kosuke!¡±


    ¡°Because we¡¯re having fun? And if I may say so, is it because Grande-chan is weak?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so blunt! I mean, what can I do when I¡¯m surrounded by my mother and the others!¡±


    That¡¯s right, for a dragon, power is justice. It seems that there¡¯s nothing I can do about that, so I¡¯ve decided to take care of Sylphy.


    ¡°Hey, Sylphy, are you sure this is the right way to go?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. The fact that Grande has such feelings for Kosuke, a different species, was a surprise to me, but when I heard about it directly from Grande¡­ I was generally convinced. I have no choice but to shudder at the thought of Kosuke unknowingly hitting on Grande.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t mean it at all¡­ I indeed thought Grande was cute, but I thought of her more as a pet or as a friend who transcends species¡­?¡±


    As I told Grande mama, it¡¯s impossible to lust or have romantic feelings for a stubborn dragon. The only reason I thought she was cute was because I saw a rather evil-looking dragon munching on a hamburger or lounging in the sand.


    How did it come to this? If I said ¡°I can¡¯t do it¡± in this situation, I¡¯d be minced meat for sure¡­ No, I was surprised and happy that Grande thought of me like that, though. Somehow, the feeling of a clear bolt from the blue is overwhelmingly stronger.


    ¡°So, I will apply the secret of evolution to the daughter of Delgis, Grande. Let the ritual begin.¡±


    The dragons surrounded Grande and began to roar as if they were chanting in a circle. In the center of the circle, Grande seems to be standing still with a magic sparkling stone in her hand. That magic sparkling stone is about the size of a human eyeball, but when it¡¯s in Grande¡¯s big hand, it looks like a bead or something.


    The dragon¡¯s chanting reverberated through the cave and seemed to penetrate deep into my head. It should have been nothing more than noise, but strangely enough, it made me want to listen to it.


    Eventually, the magic sparkling stone that Grande was holding began to change. It began to emit dazzling light.


    I wondered what she was going to do with it, but to my surprise, she put it in her mouth and swallowed it. Oh, is that okay? Isn¡¯t it going to upset your stomach?


    As I watched on in amazement, the next thing I knew, Grande herself began to transform. Her whole body began to glow, and she began to writhe in pain. Hey, hey, hey, is she going to be okay?


    In the meantime, the light began to get stronger, and a flash of light that made me have trouble looking directly at it blanked out my vision. The light looked like it was coming from a workbench upgrade.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on¡­?¡±


    After the flash of light, there in the center of the circle of dragons was undoubtedly a girl. Although it was too far away to see clearly, I could see that she had horns on her head, dragon wings, and dragon-like arms and legs. She was also completely naked.


    ¡°Hmm? Is it a mistake?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that just about right?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s better to have a unique character than to be completely human, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    The old dragons are chattering in circles as they watch Grande finish her transformation. It¡¯s not a failure, is it? Hey, why are you so unsure of yourself?


    ¡°There is something wrong with my body¡­ I feel weak.¡±


    Grande is looking around, squeezing her hands, and jumping up and down as if she were checking out her transformed body. It certainly looks weak compared to the dragon¡¯s body.


    ¡°Hey, Grande-chan. Go show it to Kosuke-chan.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Grande then spread her wings and flew towards me.


    ¡°Noaahh!?¡±


    And then, with the speed of a bullet, she plunged into the ceiling and was buried. Hey? Buried head first in the ceiling, Grande managed to pull herself out of the ceiling by herself and fell down in front of me in a heap. At first glance, she doesn¡¯t appear to be injured. She¡¯s so sturdy¡­ The ceiling is pretty high up here.


    ¡°I-it¡¯s too different from what I¡¯m used to¡­ My body is light, and I¡¯m having trouble controlling my magic¡­¡±


    ¡°A-are you okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a little out of it. It¡¯s hard to get used to this body.¡±


    Perhaps having been struck on the buttocks, Grande stood up and walked over to me, patting her white buttocks. I observed her from the top of her head to her toes.


    There are two vicious twisted horns through the gaps of her shoulder-length dull blonde hair. On her back is a pair of dragon wings that are the same color as her hair. The elbows are covered with dusky golden scales that match her hair, and her fingertips are covered with sturdy-looking claws. In the center of his chest, I can see what looks like a glowing magic sparkling stone. And when I move my gaze downward, I see that it is from the knees down. She was covered in scales from the knees down, just like her arms, and her toes were also equipped with sturdy claws. Yeah, she looks like she¡¯s only half-human, doesn¡¯t she?


    Eh? The size of her breasts? They¡¯re bigger than Isla¡¯s and Harpies¡¯. They are not that big, but I think they are good.


    ¡°Ko-Kosuke, what do you think?¡±


    ¡°Come closer and let me get a better look at you.¡±


    ¡°U-umu.¡±


    I took Grande¡¯s hand as she approached and felt her touch. It¡¯s warm, but the dragon¡¯s claws seem sturdy and sharp. When I looked up from my observation of Grande¡¯s hand, I found myself eye to eye with her.


    Grande¡¯s eyes were golden, and the shape of her pupils was different from that of a normal human. Her pupils were long and vertical, like a snake. As I stared at her, Grande¡¯s face began to turn red.


    ¡°Hey, say something.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I think you¡¯re cute. What do you think, Sylphy?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I think she¡¯s adorable. It¡¯s amazing that such a big dragon can become such a pretty girl. I mean, she can talk our language too, can¡¯t she?¡±


    ¡°Hmm? That¡¯s exactly what you said. I understand the language of the Black Elf.¡±


    ¡°My name is Sylphiel. You can call me Sylphy, not Black Elf.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. Umu, all right, Sylphy. You can call me Grande. Please take care of me from now on.¡±


    Then Grande made a smug face stretching her chest. Yeah, that smug face is delicate, but let¡¯s hide your boobs and stuff. I was just about to take something out of my inventory that would hide her body when Grande mama stretched out her neck to me.


    ¡°What do you think? Is Grande getting prettier?¡±


    ¡°Yes, she¡¯s a lovely girl.¡±


    ¡°Can you mate with her now?¡±


    ¡°Too straightforward! Well, we¡¯ll get to that in due course. First of all, Grande needs to get used to her new body.¡±


    ¡°Eh¡­ why don¡¯t you try it right now?¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t do it! I¡¯m not into that kind of thing!¡±


    It¡¯s too difficult to do it in the presence of the public. I mean, are you trying to expose your daughter to the public in that way? What the hell is wrong with dragon ethics?


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Grande mama asked me to do it with Grande right now. Show it to her? You know what she means, right?¡±


    ¡°Eeeh¡­¡±


    Sylphy was shocked. Grande covered her reddened face with her big hands and slumped down.


    ¡°Um, let¡¯s change the topic. So, if Grande is in that form, can she ever go back?¡±


    ¡°U-umu? I wonder about that? In the lore of dragons who have married humans, it seems that they can transform between human form and dragon form at will.¡±


    When I asked the old dragons, the answer was yes. With practice, the dragon can transform between human and dragon forms at will.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how, though! Hahahaha!¡±


    ¡°No one has used the secret of evolution for over a thousand years.¡±


    ¡°And we weren¡¯t interested in it either.¡±


    ¡°To love a human is a kind of uniqueness for a dragon¡­¡±


    One of the old dragons was blown away by the females. I think that¡¯s a totally stupid move.


    ¡°We¡¯re cheering for you, Grande-chan!¡±


    ¡°Love between a dragon and a human that transcends race is wonderful!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s so romantic!¡±


    Grande was reluctant to participate in the situation, as she was confronted with many questions. She was originally losing in strength, but now she is even more overwhelmed by her physical size. It¡¯s scary when you¡¯re cornered like that.


    ¡°Grande, if you continue to train, you will eventually be able to take the full form of a human being.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you must be diligent. You¡¯re not a Grand Dragon anymore, you¡¯ve taken in the magic sparkling stone, and you¡¯ve evolved. You can be said to be beyond us. Be careful not to be swayed by your mighty power.¡±


    ¡°I-I understand.¡±


    The old dragons, who had been blown away by one of the females, suddenly straightened up and began to exude dignity. If you did that from the beginning, the phrase ¡°avoiding unnecessary talk can prevent disaster falling on one¡± would pass through your mind.


    ¡°Well, I mean, you know what? Grande?¡±


    ¡°U-umu?¡±


    ¡°Please take care of me from now on.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ Yeah, me too.¡±


    And then Grande gave a shy smile.

 CH 139

    Chapter 139 ¨C The Dragon Girl Is Not Good At Holding Back


    After all the fun with the dragons, we made our way out of the dragon¡¯s den and back into the sunny day. With full bellies and drinks, the dragons were satisfied and went to sleep.


    ¡°Maybe they¡¯ll stay in bed for a few days.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t they sleeping too much?¡±


    ¡°Dragons are like that. They don¡¯t have to work as hard as humans. They basically just eat and sleep. There aren¡¯t many idiots who would go out of their way to invade dragon territory.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true¡­ but if those many dragons were to gather and attack someone, there would be nothing they could do.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s probably it. But Kosuke might be able to handle it.¡±


    ¡°No, there¡¯s nothing I can do if all those dragons attack me at once. Grand Dragons can dive into the ground, you know.¡±


    In other words, even if I escaped underground, they would probably dig into the ground and chase me. I¡¯m not one to fight head-on, so I don¡¯t want to be in a situation where I have to get into a fight with a dragon.


    ¡°Do you think you can do it if you just want to wipe them out?¡±


    ¡°I will not do such a horrible thing. They¡¯re Grande¡¯s family, after all.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°Yes, they¡¯re basically peace-loving creatures.¡±


    ¡°R-right¡­?¡±


    Oh, do you have a problem with that, Grande-chan? She¡¯s the one who said such things.


    ¡°Nuuaaaaa.¡±


    When I ruffled her dull blonde hair, Grande shivered as she shut her eyes. Apparently, she was confused by the new feeling of her hair and scalp.


    ¡°Grande needs to get used to her new body as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°U-umu. I can¡¯t shake the feeling of discomfort all over my body.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you try some exercise? I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I think it¡¯s a good idea to actually jump and bounce around to see how your new body feels.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, yes. I¡¯ll give it a try.¡±


    So, the three of us decided to do some light exercise. We started with a light run.


    ¡°No problem. It¡¯s just so strange to be running on two legs.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve always walked with four legs, after all.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it rather amazing that you can run on two legs when you¡¯ve been walking on four?¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡±


    Next, we decided to try running as fast as we could.


    ¡°Nojaaaaa¡­!?¡±


    ¡°That was a crazy leap.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s terrible.¡±


    With the first step, Grande crushed the ground under her feet and flew tens of meters away.


    ¡°It blows up when I give it my all¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve lost volume and weight in your dragon-human form, but perhaps not so much in muscle strength, right?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Kosuke, try setting up some brick blocks.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    I did as Sylphy asked and set up the brick blocks. The durability of the brick blocks is quite high because they are made of bricks and cemented in between.


    ¡°It was a tough time for me¡­¡±


    ¡°Grande, try to hit this brick wall. With all your might.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Alright. Teii.¡±


    Grande¡¯s fist shattered the one-meter brick block with a single blow. It¡¯s not like there was a hole in it, but it shattered and blew away without a trace. It was probably because the durability of the brick had been reduced to zero.


    ¡°This is amazing¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Kosuke, add another one.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Grande, try hitting the brick wall again. Give it your all. But this time, no magic.¡±


    ¡°No magic enhancement? Umm, let¡¯s give it a try.¡±


    After a short pause, Grande held up her fist and unleashed it again. Then Grande¡¯s fist was buried in a brick block with a bang.


    ¡°Noaaaa!? I-it hurts!¡±


    Grande was surprised and teary-eyed as she pulled out her fist and began to rub her right hand with her left. It¡¯s not like she¡¯s bleeding or anything, but it¡¯s pitiful that she¡¯s in pain, so I give her a life potion.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I see. Perhaps, Grande¡¯s body itself has become more suitable for her size after she became a dragon-human, but her magic power remains the same, or perhaps it has become stronger.


    ¡°Um, what do you mean?¡±


    ¡°In other words, even though your body is now the size and weight of a human being, your magic output and magic power are the same as a dragon¡¯s, or even higher. So, if you think you have the body of a dragon and you strengthen your magic power, you will be able to exert a tremendous amount of power because your body is smaller. No, your human body will probably not be able to withstand that kind of output, and the body¡¯s sturdiness itself is that of a dragon¡­?¡±


    Sylphy closed her eyes and pondered. Hmm, in other words, it¡¯s like a jumbo jet transformed into a small Cessna, but the engine power remains the same as the jumbo jet, so the engine power goes up to full blast?


    Normally, the plane would fall apart because it couldn¡¯t withstand the power output, but since it doesn¡¯t, does that mean that even though it¡¯s smaller, the overall durability is still the same as a jumbo jet? I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on here.


    ¡°In other words, the problem is that the output of the magic power is too high, and if she immediately exerts all her strength, a catastrophe will occur?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what I mean. The fact that she could strengthen her body with magic power on an unconscious level is just like a dragon, but this makes it dangerous for her to blend in with people and go about her daily life.¡±


    ¡°I-is it dangerous¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is dangerous. For example, let¡¯s say that Grande is sleepwalking and swings your tail around. If your body is unconsciously strengthening itself while you are asleep, anyone on the other end of the swing could become ground meat.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s scary.¡±


    ¡°It could be even more dangerous for Kosuke. If Grande gets emotional and hugs him with all your might while you¡¯re doing that thing¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    It¡¯s too scary to think that every bone in my body will break, or worse, I¡¯ll just crumple up¡­ The tail may also be dangerous. I¡¯m not going to tell you exactly, though.


    When Grande heard what Sylphy said, her face turned red, blue, and teary-eyed; it¡¯s like she was making a hundred faces. There are indeed a lot of problems with the way things are now.


    ¡°E-even though I got the precious magic sparkling stone from Kosuke and got a human-like body¡­¡±


    Grande¡¯s tears dripped down her face. Oh, don¡¯t cry, don¡¯t cry.


    ¡°Sylphy, do you have any good ideas?¡±


    ¡°Well, yes¡­ one is to practice so that you can consciously control the body enhancement using magic power instead of doing it unconsciously.¡±


    ¡°I see. That¡¯s what the Grand Dragon Elder said about depending on the training. Are there any other methods?¡±


    ¡°Yes, using a slave collar.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Are you saying we have to put a slave collar on Grande? Oh, wait, what? I remember hearing something about a slave collar and the magical power inside the body.


    ¡°The slave collar is a magical tool that uses the wearer¡¯s magic power to form a magic circuit and restrict the wearer¡¯s actions. If you use that mechanism, you might be able to create a tool that restricts Grande¡¯s physical enhancement.¡±


    ¡°I see. So it¡¯s a limiter specifically for Grande. If you just want to prevent excessive body enhancement, you don¡¯t need to add a function that makes it impossible for the user to remove the collar by themselves or a function that makes it necessary for the user to listen to the commands of the person wearing the collar. It¡¯s dangerous if you can¡¯t take it off by yourself in case of an emergency.¡±


    Sylphy nodded at my words.


    ¡°You are right, of course. There are craftsmen in the Elven village who are well versed in making magic tools, and I think it can be managed.¡±


    ¡°I see. Grande, it looks like we can do something about it.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yeah. Thank you, Sylphy.¡±


    ¡°Fufu, you¡¯re a bit of a crybaby, aren¡¯t you, Grande?¡±


    Sylphy laughed while wiping Grande¡¯s face with a handkerchief she took out of nowhere. Yeah, yeah, it¡¯s good that you two are getting along so well. I¡¯ll pat Grande on the head when the time is right.


    ¡°If the Elven craftsman can¡¯t make it, I¡¯ll use my abilities to make something that looks like it. Don¡¯t worry; I¡¯ll figure it out.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Grande is in a good mood and smiles with red eyes. Yes, it¡¯s cute. I just thought about it.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you put some clothes on Grande now?¡±


    ¡°¡­Now that you mention it, yes.¡±


    ¡°Clothes¡­ Come to think of it, that¡¯s what the people wear, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    She didn¡¯t care at all and was so unconcerned about it that Sylphy and I couldn¡¯t help but ignore it.


    ¡°But it¡¯s not easy to put clothes on her¡­ Normal clothes can¡¯t get through her legs and hands.¡±


    She has huge claws and dragon-like feet on her arms and legs, so it¡¯s unlikely she¡¯ll be able to wear any kind of shirt or pants. There are also wings on the back.


    ¡°It should work for now¡­¡±


    There was a bikini armor that I had made for a fashion show with Sylphy, Isla, Melty, and other subhuman women, so I decided to have her wear it. No, really, this is the only clothing I have on hand that Grande could wear.


    If I go back to Erichburg or some other rear base, I might be able to get a wingman¡¯s jacket or something, but I just don¡¯t have it on me. No, should I use the spinning wheel and workbench to create an item of clothing for Grande to wear? Well, for now, let¡¯s just have her wear the bikini armor.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°I made it for a material frame, and it¡¯s been sitting in my inventory.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­. looks nice and light. How do I wear it?¡±


    ¡°Sylphy, please.¡±


    After receiving the bikini armor from me, Sylphi put it on Grande. By the way, the color of the bikini armor is red. When it comes to bikini armor, this is the color to use.


    ¡°It¡¯s still an armor without a shred of rationality. But it looks good.¡±


    ¡°It hides very little of the important parts.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind it.¡±


    I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s because she hasn¡¯t worn any other clothes yet, but maybe Grande has a sensitivity that makes her feel like wearing clothes is a chore. Well, she¡¯s been living as a dragon and has been completely naked for all of her life, so it¡¯s only natural that she finds clothes annoying.


    ¡°You should try on some normal clothes, too. You would look so cute. Sylphy should wear more different kinds of clothes too, I think.¡±


    Sylphy often wears a black leather combat uniform. I¡¯d like to see her in more cute outfits. How about a sweater made of knit fabric? I¡¯ll even make her some glasses if she wants.


    ¡°Hmm, well,¡­ if Kosuke says so, I guess it¡¯s a good idea to try on some different outfits, yeah.¡±


    ¡°Haha, that sounds painful. I¡¯ll try to pay more attention to fashion in the future.¡±


    ¡°Do it. I¡¯ll make as many clothes as you want. No, it would be better to buy some things to stimulate the economy.¡±


    If I make all the clothes, the clothing store will cry. It would be healthier to buy things from the market unless you can¡¯t find them or they don¡¯t exist.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go back to the Elven village.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ how do we get back?¡±


    ¡°Eh? That would be on Grande¡¯s back¡­¡±


    I looked at Grande, who was wearing bikini armor. Grande looked at me and gave me an awkward look.


    ¡°Um, can you go back to your original form¡­?¡±


    ¡°I still don¡¯t know how to change back¡­.¡±


    ¡°Can you fly straight as it is¡­?¡±


    ¡°I can, but¡­ I don¡¯t know if it is safe to fly like this¡­¡±


    I asked Grande to try her best for a while, but she couldn¡¯t return to her original form, so I decided to let her practice flying for now. As long as she can fly safely, I can take care of the rest.


    ¡°I have a better idea.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m kind of worried¡­?¡±


    Sylphy says something terrible. It¡¯s all right, it¡¯s all right, just leave it to me, and everything will be all right. Trust me!

 CH 140

    Chapter 140 ¨C Predictable And Unavoidable


    I was setting up the golem workbench and experimenting with item creations when I heard a scream in the distance.


    ¡°What are you making? I don¡¯t think a saddle is going to help with a body that small.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not making a saddle. It¡¯s something much better.¡±


    I said, wondering what to do with the design.


    What I¡¯m trying to make is something like a portable gondola. It could be something like a ski lift with a flying seat, or it could be a basket or a birdcage, or it could be a gondola that literally looks like a flying carriage¡­ The seat type is the easiest and lightest to make. So, let¡¯s try to make the seat type first.


    The frame should be made of steel and sturdy, with footings at the four corners so that it can be placed on the ground when it lands, the seat should be upholstered and filled with cotton for comfort, and there should be a seat belt and a handle at the top so that Grande can hold it easily¡­


    ?Gondola for Grande ¨D Materials: Steel Leaf Springs x 6, Cloth x 4, Fiber x 20, Leather x 3


    Okay, item creation was successful. I¡¯ll make a crafting reservation for the golem workbench as soon as possible.


    Since the new golem workbench, the crafting time for items has become much shorter. It depends on the item, but the crafting time is usually less than half to a tenth of the time at best. I guess it was worth the effort to upgrade.


    A little while later, the finished product was a steel frame and a couch with a seat belt.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a gondola to be carried by Grande. Sylphy and I will sit here and use this seatbelt to secure our bodies, and Grande will hold the handle on top of it and fly.


    ¡°I see¡­ but for safety¡¯s sake, wouldn¡¯t it be better to use a box shape?¡±


    ¡°I thought about that, but I thought it would create too much air resistance.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ that¡¯s true, too.¡±


    The box-shaped gondola is expected to have much greater air resistance from the front. I thought it would be hard to fly because the hand and arm holding the gondola would be swept back.


    ¡°It¡¯s just that it¡¯s going to take some time for Grande to get used to it¡­ Let¡¯s make some different shapes.¡±


    ¡°Yes, the more options, the better.¡±


    Using the first gondola for Grande as a reference, I discussed with Sylphy to increase the variations of the gondola. I made the box-shaped one that Sylphy proposed, a basket-shaped one like a balloon gondola, a birdcage-shaped one surrounded by iron bars, and a swing-shaped one with a seat suspended by chains from a metal frame¡­ I made the second, third, fourth, and fifth gondolas, respectively.


    ¡°I¡¯ve made a whole bunch of them¡­ Which one do you think is the best?¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s best to prioritize the ones that are easy for Grande to fly, don¡¯t you think so?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ let¡¯s just have her fly with it for now. Grandeeeeeee!¡±


    When I called out loudly, Grande passed over our heads at great speed. There was a cracking sound of rocks behind us and a scream.


    When we turned around, we saw that Grande had been stuck head first into a rock. It was very painful to see her limp tail swaying and flapping.


    ¡°Gnunu¡­ it¡¯s hard to control.¡±


    Grande pulled her head out of the rock and shook her head to shake off the pebbles and stuff. If it were a normal human, the damage would have been instantaneous. That¡¯s how strong a dragon can be.


    ¡°Are you calling me, Kosuke¡­? What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°I was thinking that we could sit down here and have Grande carry it for us.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see. I just have to grab the top handle and fly, right?¡±


    Grande looked at the gondolas lined up with interest.


    ¡°Yes. Can you try to see which one is easier to fly?¡±


    ¡°Yes, leave it to me.¡±


    Then Grande spreads her wings, floats up, and flies away with the basket-shaped No. 3, which looks like a balloon gondola. Perhaps it¡¯s because there¡¯s nothing inside, it¡¯s too light, and it¡¯s quite difficult to fly. I called Grande once and asked her to fly again after adding some weight.


    After adding the weights, it looks easier to fly than before. I make weights for the other gondolas, put them on the seats, and fasten them with seat belts. Each weight weighed 80kg. Both Sylphy and I are lighter than this, but there¡¯s a possibility that we¡¯ll have Danan and Sir Leonard on board in the future.


    It seems that Grande¡¯s flight is becoming more stable as she gets used to the gondola and practices flying.


    ¡°The ones that are easy to fly are this one, this one, and this one.¡±


    After about an hour of test flights, it was determined that the seat-shaped No. 1, the birdcage-shaped No. 4, and the swing-shaped No. 5 were the easiest for Grande to carry. The box and basket types seemed to have too much air resistance and were difficult to hold.


    ¡°Is the flight going to be okay?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it should be fine. It¡¯s nothing once I get used to it. I don¡¯t think there will be any problem flying normally.¡±


    ¡°Normally?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. If I try to fight in the air, I¡¯ll overexert myself and go too fast.¡±


    ¡°I see. Well, you won¡¯t be fighting in the air while carrying us, so it should be okay.¡±


    ¡°I hope so. Well, the speed will be faster than before. If it comes down to it, we can just fly straight up and out of the way.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that would be dangerous for us¡­¡±


    Sylphy smiled bitterly. It¡¯s true that if she¡¯s accelerating too fast, the sudden change in G-force could cause me to faint. It¡¯s like a blackout or redout. Also, the wind pressure might be bad. The only thing I can rely on for wind pressure is the magic of Grande and Sylphy to protect me.


    ¡°Which one should we go with¡­?¡±


    ¡°I would recommend the safest one, No. 4¡­¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go with No. 4.¡±


    The No. 4 is a birdcage-shaped, steel-latticed version of the No. 1 with enhanced defensive capabilities. It is a measure against bird strikes. If you were getting attacked, you could certainly avoid a direct hit, but you will also be exposed to blood and contents. I think it¡¯s safe to say that the wind magic will protect you from that in the first place.


    ¡°Okay, we¡¯re ready.¡±


    Sylphy and I climbed into the No. 4 gondola, ensured our bodies were secured with seat belts and called out to Grande.


    ¡°Umu, let¡¯s go. Be careful not to bite your tongue.¡±


    Grande floated up, grabbed the handle on the top of Gondola No. 4, and flew up into the sky. The flowing scenery, the blowing wind, and the strong G¡¯s that push your body into the seat, what is at the end of it is¡­!


    ¡°U-uoh¡­¡±


    ¡°Orororo¡­¡±


    As soon as we landed in the square in front of the gates of the Elven village, Sylphy¡¯s face went pale, and I threw up.


    You know, I can¡¯t do this. The speed, the exquisite swaying, and the ups and downs are just too much. Sylphy, who had cured herself of motion sickness with light spirit magic, cast a recovery spell on me as well. This feels so good¡­ I manage to feel better.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry about that¡­¡±


    ¡°N-no, it¡¯s not Grande¡¯s fault.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the seat. Yeah, this was a bad seat; maybe the fifth one with the suspended seat would have been better.¡±


    The fourth seat is firmly fixed to the frame, so the swaying of Grande¡¯s body directly hits us. It might have been a little better if the seat had been like a swing in the fifth. Or perhaps there is room for improvement in No. 5 as well. I think it would be better to make the swing chains more elastic to prevent vertical swaying.


    Now that I¡¯m feeling better, I use the shovel to bury my puke. I feel like I haven¡¯t thrown up in a long time¡­ Ugh, I think I¡¯m going to throw up again.


    ¡°After resting for a while, let¡¯s go to an elf craftsman to ask about making a limiter for Grande. We don¡¯t have a lot of time to spare, after all.¡±


    Today is the fourth day of our vacation. The vacation is supposed to last for a week, so there are only about three days left, including today. It is best to consult with the craftsman as soon as possible.


    ¡°Yes, the sooner, the better. It would be better if it could be completed while we are here.¡±


    ¡°If it can¡¯t be done in time, we¡¯ll have to have it made over there. I think Isla and the others can make it too.¡±


    I took out a plastic bottle of drinking water from my inventory and rinsed my mouth. I also gave a bottle of drinking water to Sylphy.


    ¡°Do you want some water too, Grande?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll have some!¡±


    The bottle¡¯s cap would be impossible to remove with Grande¡¯s hands, so I removed the cap and handed it to her. I¡¯m not sure if her hands are as dexterous as I thought they would be, but she seems to be able to grip the bottle and drink from it without any problem.


    ¡°Hmm, even with this body and this much water, it seems like quite a lot.¡±


    ¡°Haha, I guess so. The size of the body has been reduced by a factor of ten, or even a factor of a hundred or so? You¡¯ll have to get used to it.¡±


    ¡°I guess so. For now, let¡¯s add a bed in the living room and let her sleep.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? I don¡¯t mind sleeping on the ground, you know.¡±


    ¡°If you want to live as a person, you have to change your way of life. A soft, warm bed is good for you, you know.¡±


    ¡°Fumu, that kind of thing¡­ Enjoying the life of a person may indeed be a good thing.¡±


    Grande tilted her head and thought about it, then nodded repeatedly as if she was convinced. Yeah, yeah, keep it up and get into human life. To be honest, letting her sleep on the ground with her appearance looks like abuse or something from a visual standpoint. I can¡¯t help but feel painful or even ashamed when I see it.


    ¡°You¡¯re feeling better by now? Then let¡¯s head to the craftsmen.¡±


    ¡°Aye aye, ma¡¯am.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll follow you.¡±


    And so, the three of us once again set foot in the Elven village together.

 CH 141

    Chapter 141 ¨C Grande And The Elven Village


    ¡°W-who the heck is that girl¡­?¡±


    ¡°Do you remember the Grand Dragon who came with us to this village? She¡¯s that dragon. Her name is Grande.¡±


    ¡°Umu, I¡¯m Grande. Please take care of me.¡±


    As soon as we entered the Elven village, we were stopped by the Elven soldiers who were guarding the gate. The Elven soldier was stunned by Sylphy¡¯s explanation and Grande¡¯s greeting, his mouth agape.


    ¡°D-dragon¡­?¡±


    ¡°Indeed, I¡¯m a dragon. Would you like me to show you my breath?¡±


    ¡°Eh, you can do that in that state?¡±


    I was surprised by that remark. Grande, in humanoid mode, is about the same height as Isla. To be honest, I can¡¯t imagine her spitting out a dragon¡¯s breath.


    ¡°Umu, I have not done that since I¡¯ve been in this body, but¡­ I¡¯ll give it a try.¡±


    She then turned her back to the Elven village gate and looked up into the sky.


    ¡°Suuuuuhhh¡­ nojaaaaaaaaa!¡±


    Something like a pure white, ultra-thick laser came roaring out of Grande¡¯s mouth with her distracted scream. The temperature around us rose quickly, and my cheeks tingled as if they were burning.


    ¡°Phew, I can still do it.¡±


    ¡°Was that a breath¡­?¡±


    Sylphy let the words slip out as she groaned, dripping with cold sweat. I thought it looked more like a laser cannon or something than a breath. A laser cannon? I wonder if it could make a big hole in the mountain?


    It was flashy, but I¡¯m very curious to know how powerful it really is. I wonder if a 3-meter thick brick wall would be able to prevent that¡­? It looks impossible, right¡­?


    When we turned around, the Elven soldier¡¯s face had turned pale, and he was sweating heavily. Yeah, I know the feeling. Dragons are dangerous, but the current Grande looks even more dangerous than that.


    ¡°Anyway, that¡¯s how it is.¡±


    ¡°A-ah¡­ she¡¯s not dangerous, is she?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a rational dragon. I would never go on a rampage in the Elven village.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Grande is rational.¡±


    There is no doubt about it. Although she is a bit stubborn, Grande is extremely rational and peaceful. You can say that she¡¯s timid and vulnerable.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯ s right.¡±


    Grande nodded her head with a satisfied look on her face. Hmm, I think it would be a bad idea to take Grande into battle. If I take her out on the battlefield, I¡¯m going to die of guilt. At least I¡¯ll be able to move around with her so that I don¡¯t have to do that.


    ¡°A-alright. Just be careful, okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, no problem. Come on, you two.¡±


    ¡°Aye.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    We followed Sylphy into the Elven village. The destination is the artisan district, a district near the center of the Elven village.


    There is always the sound of knocking, grinding, and the thumping of some kind of machine in the artisan district. Some Elves stop their work to take a break, and sometimes they chat and drink in the daytime.


    ¡°Hello, Sylphiel. How was your trip deep into the forest?¡±


    ¡°There was a lot to see. There was a waterfall that made rainbows and a fairy tree that was bigger than our meeting place.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s the young lady over there? She looks like an unfamiliar race.¡±


    ¡°My name is Grande, and I am a Grand Dragon! The dragon that brought these two to the Elven village.¡±


    ¡°Oh, dragons can take on the appearance of humanoids?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of such a thing.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, do you mind if I make a quick sketch of you?¡±


    The craftsmen immediately gathered around her and started to make a fuss. Me? I¡¯m squatting in the shadow of an abandoned barrel some distance away, in stealth. If the craftsmen see me, they¡¯ll surround me and try to beg for gems and mithril from me!


    ¡°Where is Kosuke-dono?¡±


    ¡°He must be here somewhere.¡±


    ¡°There he is! Surround him!¡±


    ¡°Uwaaaaaaaa!¡±


    Sylphy and Grande are here, so there¡¯s no way I¡¯m not present as well. They found me immediately and surrounded me. It¡¯s not like I was hiding for real; it was more like hide-and-seek.


    ¡°Actually, I need you to make something for me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll help you with anything.¡±


    ¡°Is it energy pills? I have something that works great.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re going to give a woman a gift, it should be jewelry.¡±


    ¡°No, no, no, it should be gold or silver work.¡±


    ¡°Beautiful fabrics and clothes.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m interested in all of them, but no. Sylphy.¡±


    ¡°Umu, we want you to make us a magic tool.¡±


    With that as a preamble, Sylphy consulted with the Elven craftsman about the possibility of applying the slave collar mechanism to create a magic tool that would limit Grande¡¯s unconscious and excessive body enhancement.


    ¡°Hmm, I see.¡±


    ¡°An application of the slave¡¯s collar, huh¡­? No, wait? Couldn¡¯t you use the Bracelets of Protection?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes. It¡¯s also a tool that can be used to adjust the magic circuits in the body.¡±


    ¡°But wouldn¡¯t a simple material be able to withstand the magic of a dragon?¡±


    ¡°As for the material¡­¡±


    The Elven craftsmen¡¯s gazes are drawn to me. Right?


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you whatever materials I can provide.¡±


    When the Elven craftsmen heard my words, they smiled a filthy¡­ wicked smile on their faces. That¡¯s scary.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    In the end, I had to offer a certain amount of mithril, gemstones, and pieces of magic sparkling stone. At first, I tried to deal with it with magic stones, but when the Elven craftsman measured Grande¡¯s magic power and its output with a magic tool to check the amount of magic power, it turned out that the magic stones would need to be about the size of Grande¡¯s head, or about eighty of normal size, to be able to catch Grande¡¯s magic power. So it was decided to use something else.


    When I asked for opinions on what other materials could be used to solve the problem, I was told that the magic sparkling stone would work¡­ so I offered it. There was a huge commotion. I had to lie and say that this was all I had. I want them to just give up on it. Yes, please give it up!


    ¡°I¡¯ve had it rough.¡±


    ¡°They were so greedy, weren¡¯t they¡­?¡±


    When we arrived back at Sylphy¡¯s house, Grande and I let out a sigh. An Elven painter was asked Grande to draw a picture of her, to record the oddities that happened in the village, and the Elves, who were trained in alchemy and the making of magic tools, begged her for her hair. Dragon scales, skin, and leather were well-known materials, but dragon hair was an unknown material. Dragons don¡¯t have hair in the first place.


    In the end, the Elves backed off after Grande gave them a few strands of hair per person. They jumped up and down and with joy. I thought to myself, ¡°There are mad scientists everywhere.¡±


    ¡°Maybe Isla and the others will do the same to you when we return to Erichburg.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve learned a lesson. Even an agitated beast becomes docile when its stomach is full.¡±


    Grande seemed to have learned to give up quickly after today¡¯s incident. Sometimes it¡¯s better just to give up and be at peace. Haha, she¡¯s gotten wiser.


    In my case, the things I create are dangerous and inexhaustible as long as I take my time, so I have to draw a line somewhere. Especially in the case of the magic sparkling stone, it seems that depending on how it is used, it can become a weapon of destruction even worse than the spirit stone, and there is no way to let it leak out without reason.


    If I¡¯m being honest, if it¡¯s just to destroy the Holy Kingdom, I think I can mass produce bombs that use magic sparkling stones and turn the Holy Kingdom¡¯s territory into scorched earth. I¡¯m not going to do that, though.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad we were able to order the magic tool.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m glad. But what¡¯s so special about the Bracelet of Protection?¡±


    At first, we were talking about using the mechanism of the slave collar to put a limiter on it, but it turned out that the Bracelet of Protection was a better idea. The Bracelet of Protection was a name of a tool I had never heard of.


    ¡°Some Elven children are born with great magical powers. They can break things around them or hurt someone just by crying out.¡±


    ¡°O-oh¡­ that¡¯s quite dangerous, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Umu, it is dangerous. For such children, the Bracelet of Protection is used. It¡¯s a magic tool that forcibly sucks up and stores a certain amount of magic power when it¡¯s released to prevent excessive magic power from harming you or the people around you.¡±


    ¡°What do you do with the stored magic power?¡±


    ¡°It will be released naturally. But I think we might have to add a special function to the one created this time. Dragon¡¯s magic seems to be very powerful, so even if it¡¯s not very efficient, it will have some useful effects.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be a mistake to use a tool that is designed to suppress excess power to create a useful effect¡­?¡±


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s true, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Sylphy and Grande nodded their heads. Right?


    ¡°Well, we have no choice but to leave that to them. In the meantime, do you want to eat something light?¡±


    It was almost time for the sun to set. I think I¡¯m getting a little hungry after my massive reversal earlier.


    ¡°Hamburger!¡±


    ¡°You really like hamburgers, huh¡­? It¡¯s fine, though¡­¡±


    I took the hamburger out of my inventory with a wry smile and placed it on the plate I had set out on the table. Grande happily reached for a hamburger on her plate, and I did the same, grabbing one. Sylphy seemed to have brought a bottle of honey wine from the kitchen.


    ¡°Nnfufu¡­¡±


    Grande bites into her hamburger, gulping it down with a twinkle in her eye. Her tail tapped the floor as if she was happy to be eating the same hamburger together¡­ Wait, wait.


    ¡°Grande, tail, not your tail. You¡¯ll blow the floor.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, this is a difficult thing to control.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. This house is alive. If it gets a little dented, it will heal quickly.¡±


    Sylphy laughed and forgave the disappointed Grande. All of the Elves¡¯ houses are designed to look like they¡¯re made out of wood, but they¡¯re really wood itself. Do they use magic to make their houses? Interesting.


    Grande seemed relieved that Sylphy didn¡¯t get angry with her. Although she uses arrogant words, Grande is basically a straightforward, timid, and thoughtful girl.


    ¡°Sorry¡­¡±


    ¡°There are other subhumans who express their emotions with their tails. Lizardmen and Lamia sometimes hit the floor with their tails when their emotions are violently shaken. It can even make a hole in the floor. Don¡¯t worry so much; it¡¯s not just Grande¡¯s problem. I¡¯m the owner of the house, and I don¡¯t mind, so that¡¯s fine, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes. But I¡¯ll be careful.¡±


    ¡°Really. Grande is a good dragon.¡±


    ¡°Umu, I¡¯m a good dragon.¡±


    Sylphy and Grande smiled at each other. The two of them seem to get along well together. I¡¯m sure that Isla, the Harpies and the others will be fine, but the problem is Melty¡­ Grande is not very good with Melty.


    ¡°Tell me a lot about you, Grande. I¡¯ve never really had the chance to talk to you before, after all.¡±


    ¡°Umu, it¡¯s okay. But you have to tell me about you too, Sylphy.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    The two of them smiled at each other as they began to talk, and I was optimistic that things would be all right.

 CH 142

    Chapter 142 ¨C End of Vacation


    The three days we spent back in the village were very peaceful. Since we originally came here for a rest, there was no need for us to go sightseeing.


    After waking up in the morning, we took a bath and had breakfast. After that, we took a walk around the village and the surrounding forest or did some craftwork and just relaxed.


    It seemed that Sylphy occasionally visited the elders to discuss trade, but I didn¡¯t accompany her. There was no use for me to go. If I were to go there with Sylphy, the elders would start teasing her, and things would get out of hand.


    Grande has been going back and forth between the Grand Dragon¡¯s Nest and the Elven village. She sometimes brings the A & B brothers with her, but it¡¯s not a big deal because all I have to do is give them some food and alcohol. In fact, they bring me powerful monsters that live deep in the forest as prey, so there is no loss for me.


    I leave the dismantling to the Elves and hand over some of the materials as a fee. The rest of the materials can be exchanged for grain flour, vegetables, and honey. If I use the meat as it is, I¡¯ll have more than enough for the burgers and honey wine that I serve them. Just by passing the ingredients from right to left, I can keep my pocket full.


    Well, with the amount of food production in the Elven village, it¡¯s impossible to keep providing enough grain and vegetables for two dragons to consume, so if I keep doing the same thing here forever, the Elves will be in trouble. I can solve this problem by using the farm block to produce crops, though.


    Over the past three days, I¡¯ve been able to make a few more things. First of all, I¡¯ve made an improved version of the gondola for Grande to carry me around. I further improved the swing-type gondola No. 5 by adding springs to the chains that suspend the seats. Now it can handle swaying in all directions, back and forth, up and down, left and right. After a test ride, I concluded that the swaying was fairly well controlled, and there would be no problem in long-distance flight.


    It seemed that Grande had been training to fly, to control her strength, and to change her appearance at will. She even went back to the nest to ask the elders to teach her.


    ¡°I can¡¯t change my body yet, but I think I¡¯m starting to get a feel for it.¡±


    Grande said that as she ate a pancake with her mouth sticky with honey, nothing had come of it yet. Let¡¯s hope for the best.


    Sylphy was taking it easy as if she didn¡¯t have anything to train now. She seemed to be in a good mood, probably because it had been a while since she had been able to spend time peacefully without having to think about anything. The only training she did was the pistol shooting training I invited her to.


    Sylphy, who has a strong body and grip strength as well as good eyesight, was able to use the revolver I gave her without needing any training¡­ No, really, how can six bullets from a pistol always land in one hole at a distance of 10 meters? Isn¡¯t that strange?


    ¡°I think I can use a stronger pistol.¡±


    ¡°Seriously?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Since Sylphy said so, I made a revolver that could use larger caliber ammunition. The revolver she was using now used .357 Magnum ammunition, so I prepared one that used .44 Magnum ammunition, one that used .454 Casull ammunition, and one that used .500 Magnum ammunition.


    ¡°Be careful with this one, this one, and this one in particular, because if you don¡¯t use them carefully, the recoil from the shooting could injure you.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Fumu¡­ this is quite a heavy piece of equipment.¡±


    Sylphy muttered, suddenly holding in her hand a large revolver that uses .500 Magnum bullets.


    ¡°It¡¯s really dangerous, so be careful when you shoot.¡±


    A deafening roar sounded, and the bricks of the target set up ten meters away were shattered to pieces.


    ¡°Fumu¡­¡±


    The sound of gunfire, like the roar of a fierce beast, was heard in rapid succession. And each time, one by one, the bricks were torn to pieces.


    Eh? Is she firing in rapid succession? With one hand? Seriously?


    ¡°The recoil is a little harsh.¡±


    ¡°A little¡­?¡±


    In my former world, this gun was said to have ¡®specifications that pushed the limits of the human body.¡¯


    ¡°Let¡¯s try another lower one.¡±


    Saying that, Sylphy picked up a large revolver that used .454 Casull bullets. It was the Raging Bull, popular in the anime and novels of my former world.


    And again, Sylphy starts firing repeatedly. I told you it¡¯s a dangerous gun!


    ¡°Hmm, this is just about right.¡±


    ¡°Is that so¡­?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s try another one.¡±


    This time she started shooting a revolver that uses .44 Magnum bullets. No, no, what¡¯s with that three-point burst thing? Isn¡¯t it strange?


    ¡°Fumu¡­ I think the second one is the best of the three.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yeah. Should I customize it in any way? Maybe putting a bayonet on it for close quarters?¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t want anything like that. It¡¯ll be too heavy. I just want it to be sturdy.¡±


    ¡°Aye aye, ma¡¯am.¡±


    Thus, Sylphy¡¯s favorite gun was replaced with a more powerful one. How about the customization, you ask? The frame and barrel were originally made of mithril alloy, so I don¡¯t think it¡¯s particularly necessary, yeah.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    Three days passed, and the time for us to return arrived. The fact that we hadn¡¯t heard from Erichburg until today probably meant that there were no problems there.


    ¡°Come and visit us again!¡±


    ¡°Bring the baby with you next time.¡±


    ¡°I want to see our grandchildren.¡±


    ¡°You should go all out, Husband-dono. Push it powerfully.¡±


    ¡°Here is the Elves¡¯ special energy drink. Take it with you.¡±


    The elder, who looked like a little girl, handed me a cloth package. At times like this, I think these people are crazy for handing out energy drinks instead of bento boxes, rice cakes, or boiled vegetables.


    ¡°Thank goodness we made it in time. Here¡¯s your special Bracelet of Protection.¡±


    An Elven craftsman with dark circles under his eyes handed me a shining silver bracelet. It¡¯s a beautiful bracelet with intricate patterns engraved on it. The magic sparkling stone, about the size of the tip of the little finger, glistens in the sunlight. The golden glow was like the eyes of a dragon.


    ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll give it to Grande later.¡±


    We¡¯re going to fly away now, and having a magic tool that restricts her magic power will only hinder her now.


    When I looked towards where Sylphy and Grande were, they seemed to be discussing something with the village¡¯s women. I decided to take the improved gondola out of my inventory while I¡¯m at it. Grande noticed this and walked over to me.


    ¡°Is that the new cage?¡±


    ¡°Oh. This should not be as disastrous as before.¡±


    ¡°The two of you were going oeeghh.¡±


    ¡°Sylphy was just barely holding it back.¡±


    But I couldn¡¯t.


    ¡°Look at this.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s beautiful! Is this the bracelet?¡±


    ¡°Yes. You can try it on when we arrive at Erichburg.¡±


    ¡°Is it bad if I try it on here?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind, but I think it will interfere with your flight.¡±


    As I said that, I handed Grande the bracelet. It¡¯s not a complete bracelet, but a bangle-type bracelet with a part of the circle missing. It¡¯s flexible to a certain extent and can be easily put on and taken off by Grande¡¯s hands, which are covered with strong claws.


    ¡°Hoaaa~¡­¡±


    Grande¡¯s eyes sparkled as she looked at the Bracelet of Protection that was attached to her arm. Maybe she likes such accessories?


    ¡°Do you like such accessories?¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Umu. Dragons are generally fond of shiny things. I¡¯ve never been able to wear such a bracelet before. It¡¯s good to have a humanoid body.¡±


    ¡°I see. Well, I¡¯ll make you some accessories when we get back. I can¡¯t make you a ring, so I¡¯ll make you a bracelet, anklet, or necklace.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Since you¡¯re now in a humanoid body, I think it¡¯s a good idea to dress up in various ways.¡±


    Grande nodded several times with sparkling eyes. The Harpies also like accessories, so I think they might be a good match in that direction. I want them to get along well with each other as they have the same wings.


    ¡°Ufufu, I¡¯m starting to look forward to going home.¡±


    Grande¡¯s tail tapped the ground. Maybe it¡¯s because she¡¯s wearing the Bracelet of Protection, but the power of her tail seems to have diminished quite a bit. No, the ground is still somewhat dented, though. Even with the Bracelet of Protection, the original strength and weight of the tail are not reduced.


    In the meantime, Sylphy walked over to us as if she had finished her conversation.


    ¡°Sorry to keep you waiting.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. Grande.¡±


    ¡°Umu.¡±


    She took off the Bracelet of Protection from her arm and handed it to me. Sylphy looked at the bracelet.


    ¡°Is that the special Bracelet of Protection?¡±


    ¡°Yes. We haven¡¯t had a chance to see how well it works yet, though.¡±


    ¡°Just try it tonight.¡±


    ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be too sudden, right¡­?¡±


    Isla, the Harpies, and Melty are also waiting for us. Grande turned a puzzled face towards us as she listened to the conversation between Sylphy and me. Yeah, she doesn¡¯t understand. I want her to remain innocent.


    ¡°Let¡¯s discuss that when we get there. Yeah.¡±


    ¡°I guess so.¡±


    We were struck by her innocent gaze, so we turned away from Grande, who was tilting her head and hurriedly boarded the gondola. All we have to do is take a seat and fasten our seat belts.


    ¡°Well then, I¡¯m off! Call me at the fort if you need anything!¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your help!¡±


    ¡°Bye!¡±


    After saying goodbye to each of them, Grande¡¯s hand took us off into the sky. As Grande circled above the village, she rapidly gained altitude. The Elven village became smaller and smaller until it was buried in the forest, and I could no longer see it.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go. Is everything okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m okay too.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Then let¡¯s fly!¡±


    Grande said and started to fly north. It¡¯s fast. This is probably faster than when she was in her dragon form.


    When I looked at Sylphy sitting next to me, her eyes looked a little sad. I took her hand in mine. Then I put my mouth to her ear.


    ¡°Let¡¯s come back some other time.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes, let¡¯s. We¡¯ll come back a later time.¡±


    She smiled at me and squeezed my hand back. The body temperature from her soft hand is comfortable. She can handle a weapon so well and shoot a gun with a huge recoil, but her hands are so soft. I wonder what¡¯s wrong with it.¡±


    ¡°The vacation is over. It¡¯s time to settle things with the Holy Kingdom.¡±


    ¡°You say that, but it¡¯s not that easy, is it?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. But if we take one step at a time, we will eventually reach our objective.¡±


    Sylphy¡¯s gaze was fixed on the far northern land beyond the Great Omit Wilderness.


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave the logistics to you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you can count on me.¡±


    Sylphy squeezes my hand again and smiles. I squeezed her hand back. There was no need for any more words between us.

 CH 143

    Chapter 143 ¨C Return To Erichburg


    After a week of absence, the atmosphere in Erichburg was quite normal. In fact, the number of merchants, farmers, and adventurers coming in and out of the city had increased, giving the impression that it was becoming more active.


    ¡°There doesn¡¯t seem to be any problem, does there?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. I guess that means everyone is doing a good job of keeping things running.¡±


    As we lined up to go through the gate into the city walls of Erichburg, we observed the people in the same line. All of the people seemed to have an atmosphere of life in their eyes. As far as we can tell, the Liberation Army hasn¡¯t done anything wrong so far.


    The ratio of people standing in line was probably sixty percent human and forty percent subhuman. Most of the humans are merchants, with a few farmers. In contrast, the subhuman population consisted of 30 to 40 percent farmers, and the rest were merchants, craftsmen, and soldiers of the Liberation Army with weapons ¨D or perhaps adventurers. They may have come to participate as soldiers of the Liberation Army.


    ¡°It¡¯s very lively.¡±


    ¡°Erichburg is now the biggest base of operations for the Liberation Army, and it¡¯s also the front line.¡±


    Erichburg is also a major transportation hub with roads leading to various places. It is also a gateway that divides the Merinard Kingdom into north and south. It is surrounded by steep mountains and deep forests, and it is very difficult to go to the south without passing through here.


    In fact, Melty and I were attacked by a bunch of Wyverns and encountered a Grand Dragon due to plowing through those steep mountains. If it were a normal army, there would probably be a lot of casualties just getting through.


    ¡°Kosuke, I¡¯m hungry.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes¡­¡±


    The Grand Dragon is now tugging on the hem of my clothes and begging for a snack. I¡¯m not sure how this happened¡­ She was supposed to be a pet, but why is this happening? It¡¯s all part of God¡¯s plan.


    I gave Grande, who wore a silver bracelet on her arm, one of the block cookies that I took out of my inventory. It was originally an emergency food for refugees, but it tastes good and is suitable as a snack.


    ¡°Fumu, it¡¯s not too hard, is it? It crumbles when you bite into it and is sweet.¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s too hard, it¡¯s hard to eat.¡±


    ¡°But it makes you thirsty.¡±


    ¡°Here.¡±


    I also gave her a plastic bottle of water with the lid open. This will keep her quiet for a while.


    While we were waiting for the line to move forward, a couple of soldiers from the Liberation Army arrived. They were probably patrolling to make sure that no one in the line was causing trouble.


    They walked from the front to the back of the line, looking at the people, and after making sure everything was okay, they moved further back. Then they stopped and looked twice.


    ¡°Um¡­ Could you be Sylphiel-sama and Kosuke-sama¡­?¡±


    The soldiers were unfamiliar subhumans ¡ª a pair of Lizardmen and a Beastman wolf or dog type.


    ¡°Indeed, I¡¯m Sylphiel.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m Kosuke.¡±


    ¡°I thought you were riding the dragon to come back¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we¡¯re back with her.¡±


    ¡°Umu, I carried them.¡±


    The soldier¡¯s eyes went black and white at Sylphy¡¯s and the mysterious subhuman ¨D Grande¡¯s words.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­? What do you mean¡­? No, more importantly, there is no need for you to line up!¡±


    ¡°Is that so¡­? Alright then.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    It¡¯s no use arguing about it even though other people are standing in line here. It also fulfilled the purpose of the inspection; it would be better to ask the soldiers to lead the way calmly.


    ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s okay if we don¡¯t line up?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re both the leader and the second-in-command of the Liberation Army. It¡¯s a special case.¡±


    ¡°Is it okay? Are you sure about this, Kosuke?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know? Well, as long as it¡¯s not too much.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    Grande tilted her head and decided not to pursue the matter further. I also have no idea why and I don¡¯t know how to explain it either.


    If leaders, commanders, nobles, and other rulers are stopped at the gate every time, it will interfere with quick decisions and communication.


    We bypassed the gates, attracting the attention of the people lining up to enter Erichburg through the gates, and headed for the lord¡¯s mansion, the headquarters of the Liberation Army. We said we didn¡¯t need any guide, so it was just the three of us.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s flourishing. Is this what the capital of the people is like?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve only seen it from a distance, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Umu. I¡¯ve only seen it from a distance. I don¡¯t want to get hurt, after all.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you see it when you were with me?¡±


    ¡°It will frighten people when I look inside, right? I¡¯m a good dragon, so I didn¡¯t do that.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha. Grande is a good girl.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, yes. You should praise me more.¡±


    I patted Grande¡¯s head, which was in good shape. Then Sylphy bumped my shoulder. I looked at her and saw that her cheeks were puffed up. I wondered if she was jealous.


    ¡°Do you want me to pat you too, Sylphy?¡±


    ¡°¡­No, thanks.¡±


    She felt embarrassed when she imagined herself being patted on the head in the same way as Grande, and she turned her face away. Her ears twitched and turned a little red.


    ¡°Kosuke, Kosuke, where are we going?¡±


    ¡°You see that big building straight ahead? That¡¯s the lord¡¯s mansion. That¡¯s where Sylphy and I are staying.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s where Kosuke and the others are staying. I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll prepare a room for Grande, too. There are so many rooms, after all.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    As we walked and guided Grande around, we were sometimes approached by familiar faces.


    ¡°Hello, Princess, are you back?¡±


    ¡°Yes, from the rear. I¡¯ve been talking to the Elves.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s so early. Are the Elves¡¯ goods coming in?¡±


    ¡°Yes, eventually.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s Kosuke. I haven¡¯t seen you for a while.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been in the rear with Sylphy for a while, after all. How¡¯s it going?¡±


    ¡°Not bad. The demand for meat is going up, so the profits are going up too. However, I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯m an adventurer or a hunter anymore now. Anyway, who¡¯s this girl? I haven¡¯t seen her before.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s Grande. She may look small, but she¡¯s got a lot of power. When it comes to fights, even if there were ten of me, I¡¯d be no match.¡±


    ¡°Kosuke¡¯s got no physical strength, after all, right?¡±


    When we arrived in front of the lord¡¯s mansion while occasionally making small talk like this, we found Melty and Isla, as well as Danan and Ms. Zamir, waiting for us. Since Sir Leonard isn¡¯t here, I wonder if he¡¯s off on a mission to settle the south?


    ¡°Welcome back. How was your trip?¡±


    ¡°I had a good talk with the Elves. Have you checked the communication network?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it went without a hitch. And who is that?¡±


    Melty looked at Grande, who was grabbing the hem of my clothes. Why are you hiding? Are you shy?


    ¡°It¡¯s Grande.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­The dragon?¡±


    Isla tilted her head. Danan and Ms. Zamir were giving her suspicious glances. That¡¯s right. They have only ever seen a big dragon, after all.


    ¡°Through some kind of secret dragon ceremony, Grande, who used to be a huge Grand Dragon, took on this form. Isn¡¯t that amazing?¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    Everyone, including Melty, has a look on their face as if to say, ¡°Again?¡±


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t do anything to her. It¡¯s the secret art of dragons, for real. I did nothing¡­ No, I did something, indeed. I provided a little material. But nope, nope. I was half threatened by several adult Grand Dragons, so I had no choice. Please don¡¯t assume that it¡¯s my fault.¡±


    I desperately insisted on my innocence. All eyes turned to Sylphy.


    ¡°Well, yeah. I think Kosuke bears about fifty percent of the blame.¡±


    ¡°Eehh, fifty percent¡­?¡±


    I¡¯m slightly unconvinced.


    ¡°W-well, no matter how it happened, I welcome you. Yes, we welcome you. You seem to be able to understand our language now, right?¡±


    Melty smiled at Grande. Grande hid in my shadow. She is trembling slightly.


    ¡°She¡¯s scared.¡±


    ¡°H-huh¡­?¡±


    ¡°Melty made a terrible first impression on her¡­¡±


    ¡°T-that was inevitable for several reasons. I won¡¯t do that again. Let¡¯s be friends, okay? Okay?¡±


    ¡°Grrr.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m being threatened.¡±


    ¡°Mumumu¡­¡±


    Grande¡¯s tail is tapping sharply on the ground. It seems that she is really wary or even scared. I guess we¡¯ll just have to wait and see what time brings.


    ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s check on the situation. What about you, Kosuke?¡±


    ¡°If I should hear it, I will. If not, I¡¯ll take Grande to her room.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it okay to have just Her Highness alone for now?¡±


    ¡°I think so, too.¡±


    Danan and Ms. Zamir seemed to have decided that it would be fine without me. Melty nodded after a few moments of hesitation.


    ¡°Then, we¡¯ll start with Her Highness alone.¡±


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll show Grande to her room.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    Isla gently snuggles up to me. It seems that she is going to follow me.


    ¡°That¡¯s it then. I¡¯m going to relax, for now, so come back when you¡¯re done talking.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll see you later.¡±


    She kissed me on the cheek and then walked upstairs with Melty and the others to the office.


    ¡°I¡¯m Isla; nice to meet you again.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Grande. Nice to meet you.¡±


    When I saw the short Isla and Grande greeting each other, it made me feel warm and refreshed. They both look like young girls¡­ but they are definitely not young girls. I think the combination of a One-Eyed Sorceress and a Dragon Girl is quite fantastical.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    I followed Isla¡¯s lead and started walking again. The time is already approaching evening. I guess we¡¯ll have to start moving in earnest tomorrow.

 CH 144

    Chapter 144 ¨C Welcome Party And¡­


    ¡°¡®¡±Welcome back, you two! And welcome, Grande-chan!¡±¡±¡±


    ¡°Umu.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°U-umu¡­ thank you.¡±


    On the night we returned to Erichburg, a welcome party was held at the lord¡¯s mansion, hosted by the Harpies and others, to welcome us home and also to welcome Grande. The idea came to me thirty minutes ago, and I provided the food and drinks, so I guess it¡¯s more accurate to say they were the initiator rather than the host.


    ¡°I¡¯ll bring out the souvenirs.¡±


    ¡°¡±¡±Woohoo!¡±¡±¡±


    The Harpies clapped their hands with their wings. Isla and Melty also clapped their hands.


    ¡°Err, first of all, to Isla. It¡¯s a rare flower, with soil and roots, that I collected from the depths of the Black Forest.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    I pulled out a table from my inventory and laid out all the high-altitude flowers in pots on it.


    ¡°It¡¯s a plant from a very high place, so it might not last very long on the plains.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m happy with the unusual flowers. It might have medicinal effects. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a beautiful flower.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen such a flower before.¡±


    ¡°Flowers are such a romantic gift.¡±


    Melty and the Harpies¡¯ eyes also sparkled at the colorful flowers. Women love flowers, after all.


    ¡°For Pirna and the others, I¡¯ve brought back an assortment of fruits from around the Elven village, dried fruits and jams.¡±


    ¡°Wow, this brings back memories.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t had a chance to eat since I left the forest!¡±


    ¡°When I was in the forest, the sweetness of the fruit was the only thing I enjoyed.¡±


    The Harpies¡¯ eyes lit up at the baskets of fruit, bags of dried fruit, and colorful jams in magnificent glass jars.


    ¡°For Melty, a bottle of wine from the Elven village. It¡¯s good wine from a lucky year.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Kosuke-san.¡±


    I give Melty a set of red and white wine in a bottle. It¡¯s not the type of wine that you can open with much fanfare at a party; it¡¯s more like vintage wine.


    ¡°After that, I gave everyone some of the Elves¡¯ woven fabrics. You can divide these among yourselves.¡±


    The last item I brought out was a large number of cloths, both patterned and monochromatic. I exchanged these at the Elves¡¯ shared warehouse for gemstones, magic crystals, enchanted materials, and monster materials brought by the gluttonous dragons.


    ¡°Wow! It¡¯s a beautiful cloth!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take it to a tailor in the city and have them make some clothes for me.¡±


    The Harpies were crowded around the cloths, cackling with excitement. As we were drinking honey wine while watching them, the Harpies unfolded the cloths, surrounded Grande, put them on her body, and began to talk to her enthusiastically. Apparently, they were thinking of clothes for Grande to wear using the Elves¡¯ cloths.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that clothing ¨D or something that can¡¯t be called clothing ¨D a hobby of yours, Kosuke-san?¡±


    ¡°Definitely not. It was the only piece of clothing I had on hand that could cover her private parts without being affected by the wings and the huge claws on her hands and feet. I chose that because I thought it would be a little bit better than having her wear just a bra and panties.¡±


    ¡°Is that so¡­? Would you like me to wear one? Something like that.¡±


    As Melty says that, she pushes her breasts up with her arms to emphasize their size. Kuh, my gaze is drawn to it. How cowardly.


    ¡°¡­Next time, okay?¡±


    ¡°When we¡¯re alone?¡±


    ¡°T-that¡¯s right.¡±


    As I tried to calm myself down, I looked away from Melty, who was leaning against me, and Isla, who was sitting on the other side of Melty, hugged my body tightly.


    ¡°Do you want me to wear one too?¡±


    Her large eye stared at me. The bikini armor¡­ in Isla¡¯s shape is also good. I think it¡¯s the best for a beautiful, voluptuous woman to wear, but I also think it¡¯s good for a smooth, flat-chested woman like Isla to wear.


    ¡°N-next time, okay?¡±


    ¡°Fufu¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    As Melty leaks a seductive smile, Isla silently relaxes her cheeks a little and plays with my body with a soft touch. Oh, no, don¡¯t do that! Customer! Customer! Please, it¡¯s troubling me! Ah! Customer, customer!


    [T/n: Idk why he called her okyakusama here.]


    ¡°Ah! Melty-san and Isla-san are flirting with Kosuke-san!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not fair!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not nice to sneak around like that.¡±


    ¡°Come on, Grande-chan. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Ah, o-oh¡­¡±


    Whoa! And then the Harpies rushed in, shoving their thin breasts in my face, giving me light kisses on the cheeks, lips, and neck, and rubbing and puffing with the wings of their arms. Grande is also hugging my legs as she sits on the couch with her eyes rolling back and forth. What are you doing?


    ¡°Mmm, I¡¯m not giving up this spot.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t lose.¡±


    ¡°Ouch, it hurts.¡±


    Melty and Isla tighten their hugs on me, but it¡¯s simply too tight and painful. Sylphy is quietly tipping back the bottle of honey wine while looking at us with a smile on her face. I guess that¡¯s what you call a generous smile. Why don¡¯t you share some of that room with me?


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t touch it¡­ Wait, don¡¯t take it off! Ouch! Who bit me on the neck? You can¡¯t leave teeth marks or anything like that in a visible place!¡±


    ¡°Well, well, well, well, well, well.¡±


    ¡°Stop¡­! Wa-wait! Wait! The welcome party has just begun! We haven¡¯t even eaten yet¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. We¡¯ve been served food that tastes good even if it gets a little cold. I¡¯ll feed you on the way, okay?¡±


    ¡°Wha¡­? Your request for food was made with this in mind from the beginning¡­!?¡±


    There were indeed few dishes that tasted good when hot, such as pizza, soup, and gratin¡­ but n-no way!


    ¡°A-are you going to do that¡­?¡±


    ¡°Ufufu¡­ We love that, after all¡­¡±


    ¡°Danna-sama just needs to swallow it!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll take care of everything for you¡­¡±


    The Harpies, with their debaucherous smiles, began to drag me towards the bedroom. Kuh, I can¡¯t shake my conscience. If I shake it off here, I¡¯m going to make them sad¨D¨D.


    ¡°Hmm, once you get used to it, you¡¯ll start to like it too.¡±


    ¡°I like it a lot, too.¡±


    With a plate of sandwiches, burgers, and fruit in each hand, Isla and Melty followed behind the Harpies. Grande was carrying a large water bottle, looking flustered. You¡¯re well-hydrated, aren¡¯t you?


    ¡°I¡¯ll join you later.¡±


    ¡°¡±¡±Yes!¡±¡±¡±


    Sylphy smiled at us and held up a bottle of honey wine. The door was then closed.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m so tired.¡±


    ¡°You reap what you sow. You are lucky you are still alive, and I think your endurance is first-rate.¡±


    With a strange look of admiration, Sir Leonard helped me to sit down in a chair. Oh, the table is nice and cold. More importantly, Sir Leonard is back, huh? He wasn¡¯t here yesterday.


    ¡°Heh¡­ I¡¯m completely burned out, you know¡­ what I saw was all white¡­¡±


    I woke up in the early afternoon and walked to the lounge on the first floor of the lord¡¯s mansion. With a staggering gait. What is the maximum value of my life and stamina, you ask? It¡¯s about 20% of both, what about it?


    ¡°Well, you should do it in moderation. You need to take care of yourself.¡±


    ¡°I hope you won¡¯t die of kidney deficiency. It would be better if you told them to be a little more careful too.¡±


    Danan and Sir Leonard are discussing countermeasures in a serious tone. I can¡¯t stand it.


    ¡°Putting that aside, how are the negotiations with the Holy Kingdom going?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ You want to hear it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m asking. Is it bad for me to ask?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing bad about it. There is nothing to hide from you.¡±


    ¡°Nothing?¡±


    ¡°Well, the saint that we contacted may have authority, but she doesn¡¯t have the power to control everything, does she? There are two people who are in charge of the government and the military, and each of them is in charge of the political and military affairs. The saint is only in control of religious affairs. Even so, it seems that the military governor cannot ignore the wishes of the saint and take military action because she is the most authoritative of the three.¡±


    ¡°She is the saint of truth, after all. Just by standing in front of her, the truth and lies are completely exposed. It will be difficult to outsmart her and do any harm.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    I¡¯ve heard that she is a saint of truth and that no lie can penetrate her. I didn¡¯t really understand it either.


    ¡°However, it seems to be difficult for the army to attack us anyway, as they are in the process of reorganizing and replenishing their troops. It seems that they can barely maintain security and exterminate monsters by using mercenaries and adventurers. With their feet in such a state, it¡¯s impossible to direct an army towards us.¡±


    ¡°Unless large-scale reinforcements come from the Holy Kingdom¡¯s home country.¡±


    ¡°I see. So, what about the negotiations for the return of the territory?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been difficult. We demanded the return of all of the former Merinard Kingdom and its enslaved citizens, whereas they have already colonized the Merinard Kingdom with their own Holy Kings, so they can¡¯t accept our demands.¡±


    ¡°Is it going to be a war?¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s the quickest way to do it. If we can¡¯t get rid of them by talking, we have to take them by force. The southern part of the country has been pacified, and the Liberation Army is gaining momentum. It is possible to invade as far as Merinesburg now, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    The Liberation Army is aiming to regain its footing, and the Holy Kingdom, once victorious, has placed the Merinard Kingdom under its control. I thought it was possible to solve the problem by talking, but now¡­?


    ¡°Should we ask another country to be involved?¡±


    ¡°It would be a bad idea. Countries don¡¯t always go hand in hand and get along well. If other countries intervene in this situation, we don¡¯t know what kind of demands they will put on us after the war.¡±


    ¡°There are some suspicious movements in the coalition of small states bordering the western part of the country. In some cases, this could lead to a two-front operation.¡±


    ¡°What would we do? Should we act before they do?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s where our opinions are divided. Her Highness seems to be against the idea of aggressively attacking, but Melty argues that from the perspective of an internal affairs officer, it is almost impossible for the other side to make concessions, so it is better to attack and recover the land quickly.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s aggressive, indeed. What do you two think?¡±


    ¡°We have no choice but fight, I think.¡±


    ¡°I think it would be better to wait a little longer. If the nostalgic faction to which the saint belongs can check the current government of the Holy Kingdom and the current mainstream of the Adel religion, then waiting for that is more reliable. No matter how powerful the weapons given to us by Kosuke are, the original ground power between the Holy Kingdom and us is too different.¡±


    Sir Leonard was reluctantly in favor, while Danan was more cautious.


    However, it¡¯s not a good idea to give them too much time. The more time we give them, the more likely they are to respond to the Harpy¡¯s bombing tactics, and the more time we give them, the more advantageous it will be for them to have the greater ground power.¡±


    ¡°I suppose that¡¯s true.¡±


    Ellen ¨D it depends on the work of the saint of truth, Eleonora? Is there anything I can do to help her? As I recall, she mentioned something about ruins. Wouldn¡¯t it be nice to be able to have a little something to do in that direction?

 CH 145

    Chapter 145 ¨C Tea Time With Ms. Zamir


    I left Danan and Sir Leonard, who had some business to attend to, and went outside the lord¡¯s mansion. Sometimes it¡¯s good to walk alone. It was quite intense last night¡­ and I wonder where everyone went. It¡¯s a new experience to wake up and find no one around.


    ¡°Um, Ms. Zamir?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Why are you following me?¡±


    ¡°Because if I let you out of my sight and you get kidnapped again, I won¡¯t be able to live anymore.¡±


    The reptilian eyes, unreadable and emotionless, stare at me. In her hand, she held a long jumonji spear with a long blade that reflected the dazzling sunlight, attracting the attention of the people around her.


    ¡°That spear belongs to General Zamir, right?¡±


    ¡°What about it?¡±


    ¡°That mithril glow¡­ must have been made by a famous smith.¡±


    I¡¯m sorry, that¡¯s like a factory-made product¡­ But when did Ms. Zamir become known as a general? Well, it¡¯s no surprise that she¡¯s called that since she and Sir Leonard were in charge of the strike force that took over the South.


    ¡°Well, that doesn¡¯t mean that you can¡¯t live¡­?¡±


    When I received this Meteor, I swore that I would protect you as well as the Princess. However, I was so embarrassed that I let Qubi outsmart me and kidnap you¡­ If it happens again, I won¡¯t be able to live comfortably.¡±


    ¡°No, please don¡¯t kill yourself or anything like that. I¡¯ll cry if I come back and they say you took responsibility and committed suicide.¡±


    ¡°¡­Is that so?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. You have to protect not only my body but my heart as well, I beg you.¡±


    ¡°Heart too¡­¡±


    Ms. Zamir¡¯s eyes widened. Fufu, I told her something good, didn¡¯t I?


    ¡°So, am I going to be in your harem too¡­? It¡¯s a bit too much for my race, being an¡­ oviparous.¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I meant. It means don¡¯t lose your life because of excessive self-sacrifice or sense of mission.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    In fact, Ms. Zamir is probably a real clumsy person outside of combat¡­ This thought crossed my mind, but I shook my head and dismissed the thought. If anything, I had a feeling that the problem was with my work.


    That¡¯s right, Sylphy, Isla, the Harpies, Melty, Grande, and even Ellen, who isn¡¯t here¡­ Yeah, they can¡¯t argue with that, even if you think I¡¯m a pink-headed stud. It¡¯s not your fault, Ms. Zamir.


    ¡°Where are you going, by the way?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any particular purpose; I want to ask for advice on what to do, but all my advisors are out, so I¡¯m just wandering around looking for them.¡±


    ¡°Advice?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯d like to do something to move things along, but I don¡¯t want to do anything on my own, you know? So I thought I¡¯d consult with Sylphy, Melty, and Isla. Danan and Sir Leonard seemed to be busy as well.¡±


    ¡°I see. Would you like to hear about it from me? Maybe I can help you with that.¡±


    I heard that Ms. Zamir was very active in the pacification of the south, so she is a perfect person to consult.


    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll ask you for it. But with that spear in your hand, we can¡¯t just go to any random store to talk about it¡­ Oh, that place looks good.¡±


    I found what looked like an open cafe, so I headed over there. It might be a good idea to put Ms. Zamir¡¯s Meteor on a nearby wall, though.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we just go back to the lord¡¯s house?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve come all this way, so why not take advantage of these stores? I¡¯m interested in the menu.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°Yes. What would you like to drink, Ms. Zamir?¡±


    ¡°Anything, as long as it¡¯s not alcohol.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s have iced tea then. I want to order, please.¡±


    I ordered two iced lemon teas and some tea snacks from the cat-eared lady who came to take my order. Shortly after, the cat-eared waitress brought us iced lemon tea poured into an opaque glass. The tea snacks seemed to come a little later.


    I took a sip of the iced lemon tea, moistened my mouth, and started talking.


    ¡°I¡¯ve just heard from Danan and Sir Leonard about the current situation to some extent. It¡¯s a stalemate, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true. It¡¯s not looking good.¡±


    ¡°So I was wondering if there was anything I could do to move the situation along. Specifically, I was wondering if I could do something to help Ellen, the saint of truth.¡±


    ¡°The saint¡­? What does that mean?¡±


    ¡°If we want things to work the way we want to, it would be most convenient for the saint and the nostalgic faction to which she belongs to gain power in the Holy Kingdom, wouldn¡¯t it? In the end, the reason why the Holy Kingdom turned against the Merinard Kingdom is largely due to the Adelian doctrine.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. They have a doctrine of human supremacy.¡±


    ¡°Ellen¡¯s nostalgic faction is questioning that. They say that there are signs that the doctrine of Adel has been drastically altered in the past. If that¡¯s true, there¡¯s a high possibility that it could be a blow to the current mainstream of human supremacy.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what I¡¯ve heard. But if that¡¯s the case, will the Holy Kingdom immediately change their human supremacy and return the territory of the Merinard Kingdom? I highly doubt it.¡±


    Ms. Zamir closed her eyes and shook her head.


    ¡°When I was born, the Holy Kingdom already had a human supremacy policy. They have been taught from the time they were born that subhumans should serve humans and that humans are a superior species that should be treated and used above all others. People don¡¯t change their minds that easily.¡±


    ¡°So you think what Ellen is trying to do is pointless?¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so. It is a good thing for us that there are forces among our opponents that are friendly to us, and it is in our interest that these forces gain momentum. However, if the balance of power between the mainstream and the nostalgic factions within Adelian is disrupted, then¡­¡±


    ¡°And then?¡±


    ¡°I think there will probably be an internal struggle before we can reconcile with them. If that happens, will the forces belonging to the saint be able to compete with the mainstream?¡±


    Ms. Zamir tilted her head. Fumu?


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it hard to imagine that they would physically eliminate them regardless of their pretense? They may be from different factions, but they are still citizens of the same country and believers in the same Adel religion, right?¡±


    ¡°I wish that were the case, but¡­ both the current Holy King of the Holy Kingdom and the Pope of the Adel religion are mainstream factions. In some cases, the nostalgic faction may be exposed to severe suppression. Perhaps the nostalgic faction is approaching our Liberation Army in anticipation of this.¡±


    ¡°Are they trying to use us as a fighting force in an internal conflict?¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t deny that possibility. In that case, we would have the advantage of helping them.¡±


    ¡°Is there any advantage? No, in that case, I would definitely want to help Ellen and the others.¡±


    Basically, getting involved in the internal strife of another country, even a religious one, seems like a foolish thing to do, like jumping into a quagmire of war.


    ¡°If we can get them in, we will have a window of opportunity to communicate with the Adel religion, or the Holy Kingdom, through official channels. In addition, the neighboring countries that feel threatened by the human supremacy of the Holy Kingdom and the Adel religion will also be able to support the Adel religion¡¯s faction that has a harmonious philosophy toward subhumans. This is especially true if their legitimacy can be proven to some extent by past documents. We will be able to acquire human resources that we can use to negotiate with other countries. Human priests have a high level of social credibility.¡±


    ¡°I see; that¡¯s one way of thinking about it.¡±


    In other words, there is a certain amount of merit for the Liberation Army to get along with Ellen and the others. If there is anything we can do, we should try it.


    ¡°In that case, the best thing to do would be to find the old Adelian scriptures in the ruins of the Omit Kingdom.¡±


    ¡°I suppose so. Fortunately, the Great Omit Wilderness is our sphere of influence. I think we¡¯ll get some results sooner or later.¡±


    ¡°Maybe my abilities will come in handy when it comes to digging up the ground.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes, but Kosuke-dono is the key to our Liberation Army¡¯s supply line. I don¡¯t want you to do anything too dangerous.¡±


    ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean that I can sit idly by every day in Erichburg. I have Grande now, and if I ask her to help me, I can do anything I want about transportation¡­¡±


    Moving, moving, huh? I¡¯ve been thinking about developing an alternative means of transportation to the horse-drawn carriage. Hmm, considering the overall efficiency, is it better to proceed with the development of the means of transportation first?


    It wouldn¡¯t be good to use Grande too conveniently, either. She doesn¡¯t belong to the Liberation Army. She¡¯s only cooperating with me as a personal favor to me.


    ¡°It¡¯s not good to be too impatient. It¡¯s times like this that you have to think calmly and logically and move efficiently.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Everything should not be done in a hurry.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Ms. Zamir. That was very useful.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m glad I could help you.¡±


    Based on what I¡¯ve heard from Ms. Zamir, I¡¯m going to discuss it at length with Sylphy, Melty, and Isla tonight.


    After that, I spent some time chatting with Ms. Zamir normally while eating the tea cakes that were brought to us. We talked about what I had seen in the Black Forest and the workbench I had recently built.


    ¡°I wish you could make my Meteor even stronger¡­?¡±


    I may have been careless in mentioning the granting workbench¡­! I¡¯d like to note here that it took a lot of effort to appease Ms. Zamir, who came at me with a keen eye.

 CH 146

    Now, we must decide on our future plans in a calm, logical, and efficient manner.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m asking you, Melty-sensei, Isla-sensei.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean by ¡°that¡¯s why,¡± but I understand.¡±


    ¡°Leave it to me.¡±


    I honestly don¡¯t think I can do it. Yes, sure! If I leave it to them, in the end, they¡¯ll be like, ¡°It¡¯s too much trouble, let¡¯s just blow it all up!¡±


    To be honest, if the enemy is insistent, even if we blow them up, there will be little human damage, but if we blow them up in a big way with an explosive block or a magic sparkling bomb using a magic sparkling stone, it could be like a bad type of terrorist, like ¡°If you don¡¯t accept our demands, we¡¯ll blow up the Holy City next.¡±


    I can analyze myself accurately, right?


    ¡°So, what¡¯s this all about?¡±


    As soon as we finished eating, I suddenly started to say something strange, and Sylphy tilted her head. Right now, it¡¯s just me, Sylphy, Melty, Isla, and Grande here. The Harpies all went to the public baths today and said they were going to sleep at the Liberation Army dormitory before leaving. By the way, Grande is sleeping buried in a cushioned space in one corner of the room.


    ¡°I talked to Danan, Sir Leonard, and Ms. Zamir this afternoon. We¡¯re in a stalemate with the Holy Kingdom, aren¡¯t we? The longer we wait, the more likely they will respond to Harpy¡¯s bombing tactics. That¡¯s why I¡¯ve been thinking about what I can do to get us out of this situation.¡±


    ¡°I see. So you want to talk to us about what to do?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what I meant. What do you three think about the current stalemate?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a very favorable situation. As Kosuke-san said, the enemy has the upper hand in the first place. The longer we wait, the more disadvantageous it will be for us. I think that now that we have the troops in place, we should make a quick comeback.¡±


    Melty was the first to open her mouth and develop a hard-line argument.


    ¡°I disagree with the idea that the longer we wait, the worse it will be for us. Now, with the new materials provided by Kosuke and the lower cost of high-grade materials, the Liberation Army¡¯s technological capabilities have improved dramatically, and we are on the verge of making high-quality equipment. The number of troops is indeed small, but in terms of the quality of the troops, the quality of the equipment, and the breadth of the tactics, this army overwhelmingly surpasses the Holy Kingdom. Although there is little chance for us to win the battle on the plain where the number of soldiers is the most important factor, we can destroy the Holy Kingdom if we continue to set up defensive battles and ambushes and cut down the enemy without engaging in battle. That¡¯s assuming Kosuke¡¯s presence.¡±


    Isla refutes Melty¡¯s hard-line argument that emphasizes speed. No. A rebuttal¡­ rebuttal, huh? She¡¯s just saying that even if we don¡¯t attack aggressively, defensive combat is enough to crush the enemy, so there¡¯s no rush. The murderous thoughts about the Holy Kingdom have not changed at all.


    ¡°Sylphy, aren¡¯t the two of them a little bloodthirsty?¡±


    ¡°Melty is that kind of person¡­ Isla is also the kind of person who basically shows no mercy to her enemies.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    That¡¯s probably because Melty is a demon species. At first glance, she appears to be an easygoing and gentle older sister, but the reality is that she is a mutant with combat abilities that would make even a dragon tremble.


    Isla is tiny and cute, but she¡¯s actually a pretty skilled mage. She¡¯s also trained in alchemy and was once a court mage. She looks like a professional magician and an elite one at that.


    ¡°If possible, go straight at them and blow them away. If so, why don¡¯t you take a political approach and deal with the situation peacefully and smartly instead of blowing them off?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s impossible.¡±


    ¡°Impossible.¡±


    Both of them shook their heads at my plea.


    ¡°Whether or not the nostalgic faction to which the saint belongs succeeds in expanding its power, there will definitely be a battle to reclaim all of the Merinard Kingdom territories. Even though we have expanded our power by defeating the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army stationed in the Merinard Kingdom, we are still a weak force in the eyes of the Holy Kingdom. They will not negotiate for the return or cession of our territory. If the nostalgic faction expands its power, it might have a few less people to fight. That¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°¡­Everything I was going to say has been uttered.¡±


    Melty¡¯s expression twists with frustration, and Isla snorts with smugness. For now, I¡¯ll just pat the subtly teary-eyed Melty on the head.


    ¡°Me too.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes.¡±


    Isla also came to have her head stroked, so I stroked her. In this case, I have to pet Sylphy as well.


    ¡°¡­What is it.¡±


    ¡°C¡¯mon!¡±


    ¡°¡­Sigh.¡±


    I think that Sylphy is really a good girl because she obediently came to me and let me pat her head while she exhaled a sigh. Pat, pat, pat, pat, pat.


    ¡°So, yeah, that¡¯s it. You said that fighting is inevitable, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    ¡°I guess so.¡±


    ¡°To be frank, I want to be able to see Ellen with open arms as soon as possible.¡±


    I decided to speak my mind honestly. It is best to be honest about these things. Even if the result is a little painful, it¡¯s healthier than hiding things.


    ¡°You were honest.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so brave in a weird way, telling us that.¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    Sylphy pinches my side. It hurts; it hurts so much.


    ¡°I also want to see Lime and the others.¡±


    ¡°Kosuke-san, don¡¯t you think you have a bad hobby? Those three are even eviler than me.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°If they hadn¡¯t been forced to surrender using the people as a shield, I think the three of them would have been able to defend the castle on their own.¡±


    ¡°As expected of those three.¡±


    I feel like I got into a lot of trouble, but those three helped me a lot. I want to see them again, and I want to sleep in that most comfortable bed. Once you¡¯ve tasted it, no bed is comfortable enough. Am I being too honest about my desires? I think it¡¯s better to be open about it and have everyone say ¡°meh¡± when it goes too far than to hide it and let it grow to an abnormal size.


    ¡°So, to get back to the point, I wanted to ask you if there was anything I could do to make such a desire of mine come true sooner rather than later.¡±


    ¡°How about squeezing you so hard that you don¡¯t even feel like it?¡±


    ¡°Kosuke, Onee-chan can spoil you a lot more.¡±


    ¡°Kosuke is mine. He¡¯s mine.¡±


    Melty, positioned on my right side, leans down and gently strokes my chin, while Isla, positioned on my left side, gently strokes my cheek. Sylphy was kneeling directly in front of me, her body between my legs, looking up at me with tears in her eyes.


    ¡°OK, calm down, all three of you. I know I¡¯m not supposed to be talking to all of you about this. But the three people I can rely on are Sylphy, Isla, and Melty. I¡¯ll take as much scolding as I can get, but I need your help somehow.¡±


    They looked at each other and then nodded.


    ¡°You said you would take as much scolding as you can, right?¡±


    ¡°I did.¡±


    ¡°Sure, I heard.¡±


    Melty smiled nicely¡­ Isla nodded with a straight face, and Sylphy also nodded while rubbing her eyes, which had been filled with tears. Did I dig a grave? No, I¡¯m forcing everyone to endure for my sake. This much risk is nothing to worry about.


    ¡°So, let¡¯s take the time to resolve Kosuke-san¡¯s anything-goes issue later, and I¡¯ll lend my wisdom to Kosuke-san for his auspicious attitude.¡±


    ¡°Well, I said I would accept scolding, but I didn¡¯t say I would do anything¡­¡±


    ¡°What did you say? It means that you can take as much scolding as you want, doesn¡¯t it? Even though Sylphy cried, are you going to say that you did not mean what you said earlier?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes.¡±


    How can I say no to Melty, who smiled at me and even mentioned Sylphy? There was no way I could.


    ¡°That said, there¡¯s not much Kosuke-san can do about it personally. To be honest, it all depends on how well the saint can act. There are two ways to support her actions. One is to find old Adelian scriptures to support the claims of the nostalgic faction strongly. The other is to make Kosuke-san¡¯s presence as an apostle of God known to the public and publicly declare your support for the nostalgic faction.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°It is risky to make Kosuke¡¯s existence known to the world largely. If we were to do it, it would be a last-ditch effort. It¡¯s too risky to do it right now.¡±


    ¡°Is that how it is?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the way it is. In some cases, assassins might be sent from the Holy Kingdom or the Adel religion. It¡¯s better to liberate Merinesburg and wait until Kosuke can stay in the royal castle.¡±


    ¡°You mean you want Lime and the others to protect me?¡±


    ¡°Yes. If the three of them are with you, the assassination will never succeed.¡±


    Isla nodded. Melty and Isla¡¯s trust in Lime and the others are amazing. I have no doubts about the fighting ability of the three of them either.


    ¡°So, we¡¯ll start by searching for the scriptures in the Great Omit Wilderness?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s probably best. I¡¯ll accompany you on your search.¡±


    ¡°Eeehh? Isn¡¯t that unfair?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not fair.¡±


    ¡°Melty and Sylphy-Anee are essential to the operation of the Liberation Army. I belong to the Research and Development Department, so I have a lot of freedom. And being near Kosuke is the most convenient way to advance research and development. And I can support Kosuke¡¯s excavation work with detection magic.¡±


    It was a perfect theoretical argument. It was true that the Research and Development Department of Erichburg would still be running without Isla, and as an alchemist who protects everyone¡¯s health and heals injuries, Isla was not essential. There are other alchemists and herbalists as well.


    ¡°We only need some Harpies, Zamir or Leonard as guards, a few adventurers, and Grande.¡±


    ¡°Mumumu.¡±


    ¡°Kosuke¡­¡¯


    Melty groaned, and Sylphy became teary-eyed.


    ¡°Sylphy-Anee traveled with Kosuke for a week. Now it¡¯s my turn and the Harpies¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Ugh¡­ You¡¯re right.¡±


    The teary-eyed Sylphy was beaten back by a rough hit to the vital point.


    ¡°Melty should have spent enough time alone with Kosuke when she went to rescue him alone.¡±


    ¡°Ugh¡­ it can¡¯t be helped.¡±


    Melty was also defeated by Isla, and Isla raised both clenched fists to the sky as if she was proud of her victory. Is that a victory pose?


    ¡°So, we will make our preparations and set out on a quest shortly.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°But first, We will do something for Kosuke.¡±


    Isla grabbed my arm with a firm grip.


    ¡°Err¡­¡±


    ¡°Be prepared. We¡¯ll spoil you a lot.¡±


    Then Isla, who usually keeps her face expressionless, smiles seductively. Oh, this seems to be another bad day.


    I relaxed my body so that I could conserve my strength as much as possible. I¡¯m going to leave myself to the torrent and assimilate¡­ I¡¯m going to be out of shape before then, though. Hahahaha!

 CH 147

    The next day, I was completely exhausted. Mentally.


    ¡°Here, Kosuke. Ahhh.¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    I stared silently at the fork with a sausage stuck in it that Sylphy offered me. Then I look at her face.


    ¡°Look, can¡¯t you hear what Sylphy-Oneechan says? Hmm?¡±


    ¡°¡­Ahh.¡±


    I gave up to the smiling Sylphy and opened my mouth, and Sylphy shoved the sausage into my mouth with a happy smile on her face. I chewed the sausage that was shoved into my mouth. Hahaha, it¡¯s so salty.


    ¡°Here¡¯s the next one, Kosuke-san.¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    Melty smiles and brings a small piece of bread to my mouth with her hand. I realized that resistance was pointless, so I meekly opened my mouth and accepted the bread into my mouth. Hahaha, the bread is soft and delicious.


    ¡°Thank you, Melty-Oneechan.¡±


    ¡°Fufufu¡­¡±


    When I thanked her, Melty smiled at me in a very good mood. A One-Eyed girl is grinning at the situation.


    ¡°Isla¡­¡±


    ¡°Isla-Oneechan.¡±


    ¡°Isla-Oneechan¡­¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you do something about it?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t. Not until we¡¯re satisfied.¡±


    ¡°Gnunu.¡±


    I was pampered to the hilt last night. The three of them spoiled me more than I could have ever imagined. Physical exhaustion was not a big deal. Even mentally, it was nothing because I was in a state of unconsciousness from being pampered and drunk.


    The problem came when I woke up in the morning. Memories of last night flooded in! The unspeakable abominations! My mind took a tremendous amount of damage over time. I¡¯m done, I¡¯m done¡­ The three of them are in a great mood, though!


    What¡¯s wrong with Grande, you ask? Grande is still asleep, buried in the cushions¡­ As expected of a dragon, once she starts sleeping, she doesn¡¯t wake up! It¡¯s probably a good thing that Grande didn¡¯t witness the ugliness of last night.


    And while this was happening, the Harpies showed up.


    ¡°Good morning!¡±


    ¡°Morning!¡±


    ¡°Good morning!¡±


    ¡°Morning.¡±


    And suddenly, the place became lively, and the atmosphere of continuing the sister-brother play was erased. Yes! The Harpies are the best! They¡¯ll help me when I need it most! That¡¯s what I love about them!


    ¡°Good morning! Did you eat breakfast? If you haven¡¯t, I¡¯ll serve you whatever you want!¡±


    ¡°Well then, hot cake, please! The one with lots of cream and strawberry jam!¡±


    The bright, fearless, and sensitive Pessar makes a request with sparkling eyes. All right, all right, pancakes. I¡¯ll serve you as many as you want.


    I put the pancakes out on a flat plate and quickly cut them into bite-sized pieces with a knife so that the Harpies could eat them easily. This way, even the less dexterous Harpies can eat them with just a fork.


    The Harpies started to eat the pancakes with their forks, looking happy and cheerful.


    ¡°Noja, noja!¡±


    Grande, who woke up before I knew it, was also among them. When did she wake up? I mean, her sense of smell for pancakes is amazing.


    After breakfast, it¡¯s time to take a short break. People in this world don¡¯t live in a time crunch. I guess it¡¯s different for people who work as farmers or in business, though. Sylphy and Melty usually start their work early, but today they are taking their time.


    ¡°Kosuke has decided to go on an expedition to the Great Omit Wilderness. The purpose is to explore the ruins of the Omit Kingdom and look for old books.¡±


    At Isla¡¯s words, the Harpies, who were literally poking at the pancakes while cackling, fell silent.


    ¡°Noja, noja.¡±


    Grande is not shaken. The Grand Dragon is unfazed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll accompany him since I can use detection magic, also a few Harpies who can scout from the sky, plus Grande and Zamir for escort, and also a good adventurer since we¡¯ll be exploring the ruins.¡±


    The Harpies were shocked, and their feathers swelled up with a buzz. They exchanged glances with each other as if they were checking each other out.


    ¡°I think one person as direct cover for Kosuke and two or three for surveillance would be appropriate. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ When exploring the wilderness, you¡¯re going to set up a temporary accommodation on stilts at night, aren¡¯t you, Kosuke-san?¡±


    ¡°I think so.¡±


    ¡°When it comes to that, you don¡¯t need to be very vigilant at night, but it¡¯s better to have at least one person who can see at night.¡±


    Pirna, who is in charge of organizing the Harpies, glances at two people who can see at night: Flamme, a small brown-feathered Harpy with animal-ear-like feathers on her head, and Capri, another brown-feathered Harpy similar to Flamme but without animal-ear-like feathers on her head.


    ¡°I-it¡¯s either Capri-san or me, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s either Flamme or me then.¡±


    The two looked at each other and nodded at the same time.


    ¡°Then, how about the two of us go?¡±


    ¡°Of course, our eyes work well at night, but we also have good eyesight during the day, too, you know?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s no good. Depending on the situation, we may need to do some nighttime reconnaissance, so one of you will have to stay here.¡±


    Isla shook her head firmly, making a cross mark in front of her chest.


    ¡°Normally, we operate in groups of three, but since we don¡¯t want anything to happen to Kosuke-san, we decided to have four people in total. One of them is one of the two who can see at night, so that leaves three more.¡±


    How on earth are they going to decide who will accompany me?


    ¡°I think Ygrett would be a good choice. You haven¡¯t spent much time with Danna-san, have you?¡±


    ¡°M-me?¡±


    Ygrett flinched wide-eyed at Pessar¡¯s recommendation. She¡¯s a white-feathered harpy, a beauty with an air of nobility about her. She is a large bird species with a relatively large body among the Harpies. She has a swan-like image.


    ¡°That¡¯s good, I think. The same reason for Eyja.¡±


    ¡°¡­?¡±


    The jet-black-feathered Harpy, Ray, recommended the dark-reddish-brown Harpy, Eyja, and Eyja, who was recommended by Ray, said, ¡°Me?.¡± She, like Ygrett, is a large bird-type Harpy and a taciturn girl. I hardly remember hearing her voice. She is a beautiful woman with sharp eyes.


    ¡°Who would you like to be for the last one?¡±


    ¡°Well, if Orio, Aegis, or Dicle were here, I would have recommended them. But they¡¯re away on missions.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s decide who¡¯s left.¡±


    ¡°As you wish.¡±


    Ygrett, Eyja, and the rest of the Harpies, except for Flamme and Capri, who are discussing, are all walking out of the lord¡¯s mansion. What are they doing? I was curious and decided to follow suit.


    ¡°What¡¯s the format?¡±


    ¡°Battle Royale.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fair enough.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t lose.¡±


    There was only one slot left, and the seven Harpies vying for it were Pirna the blue-feathered Harpy, Fronte the light blue-feathered Harpy, Bron the pink-feathered Harpy, Fitch the orange-feathered Harpy, Ray the jet-black Harpy, Shou the red-feathered Harpy, Pessar the dark-brown-feathered Harpy, and Torch the green-feathered Harpy. All of them are small birds, and they are all of a similar build.


    ¡°Now¡­ let¡¯s all begin flying!¡±


    With Pirna¡¯s call, a strong wind blew, and in an instant, the seven Harpies soared into the sky. They circled above the lord¡¯s mansion for a while, then formed a circle in the sky at almost equal intervals. Then, unexpectedly, the circle in the sky collapsed, and the Harpies began to follow behind each other in a complicated trajectory. It¡¯s like a fighter jet in midair.


    ¡°How is the victory or defeat determined in that game?¡±


    ¡°If you can get behind them and hit them with a physical or magical blow, you win.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°Fumu¡­ that¡¯s not bad.¡±


    Grande is looking up at the Harpies who are fighting in the air. I¡¯m sure Grande is quicker in a straight line than them, but I don¡¯t think she can fly with such finesse, you know.


    After a while, the Harpies, who seemed to have dropped out, came down. And the last one left.


    ¡°I did it.¡±


    Pirna swoops down from the sky and strikes a pose with a smug look on her face. Well, I think it¡¯s fair to say that she¡¯s the one who put everyone together.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t beat the captain¡­¡±


    ¡°So strong.¡±


    ¡°I was so close¡­¡±


    The defeated Harpies kneeled on the ground and hung their heads. It was Isla who followed up on these girls.


    ¡°We will not be leaving today; we need to prepare. In the meantime, the remaining people should have more contact with Kosuke.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. That would be good. Isn¡¯t that good? Is that okay, Kosuke-san?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine, but be gentle with me.¡±


    The expressions of the defeated Harpies brighten. Isla is quite aware of these details. She¡¯s very good at coordinating interests, or so to speak.


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep a low profile during the preparation period. Kosuke, please be kind to the people who will be staying here.¡±


    ¡°I-I understand. I¡¯ll do what I can to help.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, do that.¡±


    Isla looks up at me and smiles. Hmm, she has overflowing motherhood and generosity. Although her body is small, she may actually be the most mature of them all.


    ¡°How should we proceed with the preparations?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll arrange for supplies and adventurers.¡±


    Melty raises her hand and speaks up. It¡¯s best to leave such matters to Melty.


    ¡°It would be best if Kosuke could carry the supplies. However, this alone is dangerous if we get separated from Kosuke. It¡¯s best for each of us to have a certain amount of water and food.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll prepare a golem communicator for the Harpies.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯ll come in handy.¡±


    ¡°We should make a gondola for Grande to carry people. Not for two people, but for more people.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. That gondola can only carry two people, after all.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s see, it¡¯ll be me, Isla, Ms. Zamir, and some adventurers, right? Do you think you can carry eight people?¡±


    ¡°I still have a lot of strength left in me, so I¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    She said it would be difficult to fly if it was a box-shaped carriage that had too much wind resistance¡­ Should I make a streamlined gondola with aerodynamic characteristics? I don¡¯t think the bullet shape would be a good idea. I will try to make various kinds.

 CH 148

    Our destination is the Great Omit Wilderness. The goal is to find the Adelian scriptures before their teachings were modified. I was accompanied by Isla, Ms. Zamir, several adventurers, the Grand Dragon Grande, the Harpy Pirna, Ygrett, Eyja, and Capri.


    Grande and Pirna can fly, which is fine, but of course, me, Isla, Ms. Zamir, and the adventurers can¡¯t fly. So I had to build a gondola to carry us.


    ¡°How did you come up with the unusual shape?¡±


    ¡°Considering the air resistance, yes.¡±


    There was something in front of Grande and me. It was a thick, missile-shaped object, to put it simply. It has an overall streamlined body, with round glass windows in some places to look out through. Four stabilizing wings were also attached. Though, I¡¯m not sure how effective they are.


    No, I¡¯ll be honest about it. This thing looks like a toy spaceship or rocket. It¡¯s made mainly of wood, though, to make it as light as possible.


    It has a door at the back, through which you can get in. There are a total of eight seats inside. The seats are equipped with suspension springs to prevent motion sickness, but I have no idea how effective they are. I¡¯ll just have to ask Grande to do her best not to shake it as much as possible.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to fly with this thing¡­?¡±


    ¡°Is it impossible?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m going to try.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll put on enough weight.¡±


    Eight weights of 50 kg each, for a total of 400 kg, were fixed to the seats with seat belts. I tried to cut down the weight as much as possible, but we¡¯d all be dead if the thing disintegrated in midair. The gondola itself was also quite heavy since I couldn¡¯t make it too thin considering its durability.


    ¡°Mmm, it¡¯s quite heavy. But¡­¡±


    Grande took off her protective bracelets and stored them in her skirt pocket. Today, Grande is wearing a halter-neck shirt and a miniskirt. The other day, when me, Danan, and Sir Leonard were discussing in the lord¡¯s mansion, I was told that the tailor in Erichburg had made it for her.


    The reason why no one was present when I woke up that morning was because they had immediately gone to order clothes from the fabric I had brought as a souvenir. Especially Grande, who was wearing a bikini armor because there were no clothes that fit her, so she got this shirt and skirt made right away by modifying the ready-made ones.


    Grande has huge claws on her hands and feet, so she can¡¯t wear clothes with sleeves, and because of her wings, she can only wear clothes with an open back. She also can¡¯t wear pants, so naturally, she can only wear skirts. As for underwear, she can only wear string panties, and since she can¡¯t tie the strings, she can¡¯t even put them on by herself. She must have gotten someone to put them on for her today.


    ¡°Mmm.¡±


    Grande grabbed the handle of the rocket-shaped gondola, spread her wings wide, and floated up softly.


    ¡°Umu, it looks okay. I¡¯m going to fly like this for a bit.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, be careful.¡±


    Grande is flying with the rocket-shaped gondola carrying the weight. As long as I look at it, she seems to be able to fly without wobbling. By the way, Grande¡¯s panties today were white. The skirt is short, so I can see it well. It doesn¡¯t matter that I can see them. There was no sexiness in them.


    ¡°The gondola is fine now¡­¡±


    The rest is supplies and adventurers. If it¡¯s going to be a long stay, I can plant a field over there. I¡¯ll ask them to prepare the seeds and seedlings for the crops. Grande circled around the sky for a while or flew a little farther, and then after watching her return, I decided to head to the Liberation Army¡¯s supply warehouse with Grande after she landed.


    ¡°How¡¯s it going? Can you fly long distances?¡±


    ¡°My arms will get tired if I fly too long.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll take it easy. I don¡¯t want to overwork Grande that much, and more importantly, if you slip and fall, we¡¯ll all be dead, including me.¡±


    I¡¯ve got a parachute that will keep the speed of the fall down in case of emergency. It can be deployed from inside or outside. I¡¯ll have to actually test this later. When it comes time to use the parachute, it would be trouble if it didn¡¯t open.


    We entered Erichburg through the city gates from Grande¡¯s bedroom outside the city and moved to the stockpile warehouse. Melty was just there.


    ¡°Melty.¡±


    With her head covered in curly horns, Melty turns at my voice and gives me a soft smile. When I look at her like that, she looks like a gentle sheep beastman Onee-san. But that horn is not a sheep; it¡¯s a demon horn.


    ¡°Kosuke-san, huh? Have you completed the test?¡±


    ¡°The flight test is done for now. We haven¡¯t done the drop test yet. I think Grande will get tired if she has to do too many tests in a row, so let¡¯s take a break and place an order.


    ¡°An order?¡±


    ¡°I want you to prepare seeds and seedlings for the crops since we might have to stay there for a long time. That way, we won¡¯t have to worry about supplies.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see. I understand; I¡¯ll prepare them for you.¡±


    Melty took out a note from her pocket and started writing with a ballpoint pen. Of course, that ballpoint pen is something I crafted. One day, I gave it to Melty, who complained about how difficult it was to use a quill pen.


    She was so delighted with it that she ordered a hundred of them. Since then, I have been making hundreds of them regularly. Although it is sometimes difficult to write on some of the papers prevalent in this world, they are generally accepted as convenient. The problem is that no one but me seems to be able to make them.


    To be more precise, if I wanted to make it, I could, but considering mass-production and cost performance, it seems to be impossible to make. Incidentally, the materials used were iron, wood, and slime material. Apparently, the slime material can be used as a substitute for plastic or as a material for ink. Slime is amazing.


    ¡°Speaking of which, how are the arrangements for adventurers going?¡±


    ¡°Oh, we¡¯ve already made the arrangements for that. I¡¯ve set up a quest that will start in three days when the supplies are ready.¡±


    ¡°Adventurers. What kind of people are they?¡±


    ¡°They are trustworthy people. I know them, Kosuke and Isla know them too¡±.


    ¡°¡­Could it be Shumel and the others?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but¡­?¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ then I have to rebuild the gondola.¡±


    Shumel is a red oni, and her two other party members are also red oni and a cyclops. They are all females, but as they are from the oni race, they are taller and have more flesh. They¡¯re not fat, or even partially fat, but they¡¯re simply massive.


    ¡°Grande, can you handle more weight?¡±


    ¡°Mmm? I think there¡¯s plenty of room for weight.¡±


    ¡°Apparently, there are three onis accompanying us.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re three muscular women, about one and a half times taller than me.¡±


    ¡°That sounds heavy.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Maybe we¡¯ll have to increase the size of the gondola.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better if I could somehow turn myself into a dragon?¡±


    ¡°Can you do it in three days?¡±


    ¡°If I focus on it¡­?¡±


    Grande tilted her head to the side. Yes, it¡¯s cute. But¡­


    ¡°I¡¯ll rebuild the gondola, and you work on the dragon transformation.¡±


    ¡°Umu.¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ I¡¯m sorry, Kosuke-san. I wasn¡¯t thinking it through.¡±


    Melty apologized to me with an apologetic look, but I shook my head at her apology and replied.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think we have a choice because I don¡¯t think we have nearly enough other options given their competence and reliability. In fact, I was naive for not asking first and not being able to predict. The gondola itself won¡¯t go to waste, so it¡¯s okay. It might be possible to get by with just some modifications.¡±


    As a gondola that can carry up to eight people of normal height, it should have perfect performance, so there is no problem. The eight-seater gondola I made this time can only be modified to carry six people: three onis and three humans. It will be fine. It might get a little cramped, though!


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    As it turns out, I was successful in modifying the gondola. I think it will be a bit cramped, but I think it¡¯s just about right. There were no problems with procuring supplies. As for Grande, is she able to transform into a dragon?


    ¡°It was impossible.¡±


    ¡°You couldn¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°I feel like I¡¯m getting close.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°Umu.¡±


    Who could blame Grande, who was happily chewing on her pancakes with a muffled smile? I¡¯m sure that if I were to condemn her here, her happy face would turn into one of sadness. I can¡¯t do it, at least not for me.


    ¡°If the sky is no longer an option, we can travel by carriage and foot. It will take more time, but you don¡¯t have to worry about it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I think it¡¯s fine to travel slowly.¡±


    ¡°Yes, there¡¯s no need to rush.¡±


    ¡°That way, we can take our time and enjoy ourselves, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    Isla, who¡¯s also eating pancakes for breakfast with a muffled smile, and the Harpies Pirna, Ygrett, Capri, and Eyja, all are nodding their heads silently.


    ¡°¡­The sooner, the better, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, the sooner you start, the sooner things will move, so hurry up as much as you can, okay?¡±


    ¡°Come to think of it, we¡¯ll be there soon enough, and if things go on too long, we can switch sides.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Sylphy, Melty, and others complained about the expedition team, which insisted that safety comes first and that it was okay if it took longer. Stop it! Don¡¯t fight for me!


    ¡°Even if you¡¯re joking about taking it slow, safety first is a must. If you think it¡¯s going to be too much for you, we¡¯ll consider moving on the ground.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s not just us and Grande-san, but also Kosuke and Isla, because if we fall, we¡¯re finished.¡±


    ¡°I have a parachute just in case.¡±


    I muttered to myself as I sipped my after-dinner tea. The parachute has been tested after the incident to ensure safety. There should be no problem.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like you want to free fall, so if it looks bad, just go down to the ground.¡±


    ¡°Umu, leave it to me.¡±


    Grande, who has cream all over her mouth, snorted wildly. Ah, jeez, such a mess. I wipe the sticky mouth with a napkin.


    ¡°Grande has a different atmosphere when she interacts with Kosuke¡­ than when she interacts with us.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not. When I look at him, I feel a warmth deep inside my heart.¡±


    ¡°When he treats Grande-chan, it¡¯s more like he¡¯s treating a child or a daughter than a woman¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s very fatherly.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just that Grande is the only girl I have to take care of. You guys are so independent that there is no room for me to take care of you like this.¡±


    At my words, Sylphy and the others looked at each other. Yeah, you can¡¯t suddenly spill your food or drink out of the corner of your mouth. It¡¯s too obvious.


    ¡°That kind of thing will come in time, one of these days.¡±


    ¡°Gnunu.¡±


    ¡°Kuh, I feel defeated.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s time for us to take our chances.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so desperate¡­ That¡¯s a little too much.¡±


    ¡°I like to spoil Danna-san instead¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­..?¡±


    Sylphy and Melty distort their faces in frustration, and Isla and the others are having a disturbing conversation. Yes, she¡¯s sharp and beautiful, but there¡¯s a certain aura about Eyja that makes me want to take care of her as well as Grande. I¡¯ll definitely try to take care of her during this expedition.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    ¡°Hey, boss, long time no see.¡±


    ¡°Long time no see.¡±


    ¡°Long time no see. Please take care of me this time.¡±


    Shumel and the others were waiting at the south gate of Erichburg, which was the meeting place. The one in the front is the red oni Shumel, who has fought with us as a member of the Liberation Army, and behind her are the members of Shumel¡¯s party, a red oni, and a cyclops. I haven¡¯t heard their names mentioned.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while. How are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Not bad. And this one that you made for me is good too.¡±


    Then Shumel grinned and flicked the big gold crusher she was holding with her fingertips, making a nice tinkling sound.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen you two. I didn¡¯t get your names the other day, by the way.¡±


    ¡°Oh? You didn¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°Speaking of which, you might be right. Since we knew you, I thought we had already told you our names. My name is Tozume. Pleased to make your acquaintance.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Bella.¡±


    The cyclops carrying a large wooden mallet and the red oni carrying a large axe each introduced themselves to me. Tozume-san is the cool cyclops, and Bella is the subordinate red oni. I will remember them.


    [T/n: It seems cyclops such as Tozume and One-Eyed race such as Isla is different, according to Kosuke, cyclops is a race that has a similar build to oni, Author-san also use different words for them, he use Kanji for One-Eyed race and Katakana ¥µ¥¤¥¯¥í¥×¥¹ for cyclops.]


    ¡°By the way, where are the carriages? We¡¯re not going on foot, are we?¡±


    Shumel, who placed her hand on the tip of the gold crushing rod and thrust it into the ground, looked around. Yeah, no matter how much you look, there is no carriage.


    ¡°We don¡¯t use carriages. And we don¡¯t walk either.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go outside the gate for now.¡±


    We all left the south gate together and immediately turned off the road to the grass by the side of the road.


    ¡°Kosuke-dono, how can it be that we don¡¯t use carriages or walk¡­?¡±


    The lizard woman, Ms. Zamir, who carried a long-bladed spear on her shoulder, tilted her head and asked.


    ¡°We are going to ride this.¡±


    I answered Ms. Zamir¡¯s question by pulling out the six-seater gondola. It looks completely like a toy rocket thing.


    ¡°This is¡­?¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s like a vehicle. It¡¯s been tested for safety, so it should be fine. In fact, it¡¯s perfectly safe.¡±


    I opened the door of the rocket to show the inside. Looking inside, there were six seats. The one for Ms. Zamil has a tail, so it looks like a stool for one person, but you¡¯ll have to forgive me.


    ¡°¡­Um?¡±


    ¡°Well, well, well¡­ just get in. The three of you can sit here, here, and here for weight balance reasons. Also, as you can see, it¡¯s not very spacious, so I¡¯ll take your weapons.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Although Ms. Zamir was a little reluctant, the oni girls obediently handed over their weapons to me. Eventually, Ms. Zamir gave up.


    ¡°Has everyone fastened their seatbelts? Except for Ms. Zamir.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I did.¡±


    ¡°Y-yes, I did¡­¡±


    ¡°I did.¡±


    ¡°Hey, what kind of vehicle is this?¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    Ms. Zamir must have sensed something because she became restless. Hahaha, that¡¯s impressive. She has good intuition. But it was too late.


    ¡°Grande, close the door, please.¡±


    ¡°Umu.¡±


    ¡°Close the door, please.¡±


    ¡°Got it, leave it to me.¡±


    The rear door, or rather the hatch, is closed, and I hear the sound of Grande climbing to the ceiling.


    ¡°O-oy, could it be?¡±


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s take off, Grande!¡±


    ¡°Nojaaaaaa!¡±


    There was a slight creaking sound of wood. Before long, an indescribably soft feeling tickled my insides. The plane seemed to have taken off without a problem.


    ¡°Grande, is the weight okay?¡±


    ¡°Yes, no problem. Harpies, don¡¯t be late!¡±


    ¡°Leave it to me!¡±


    ¡°No matter how many dragons we¡¯re up against, we¡¯re not going to be slowed down.¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡°Be very careful.¡±


    The voices coming from outside are truly heartwarming. Shumel, who is sitting next to me, is trembling, the blood drained from her red face.


    ¡°B-boss¡­ C-could it be, this is¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, we are flying. Just enjoy the flight.¡±


    I smiled at her. When Shumel heard my reply, she took a short breath, and then¡­


    ¡°Nnoooooooooooo!?¡±


    ¡°Hahahaha, you¡¯re so energetic!¡±


    The dragon express is flying through the sky with Shumel¡¯s shout echoing in the background. Yes, unfortunately, we are not at an altitude where we can descend anymore. So, I want you to give up.

 CH 149

    Chapter 149 ¨C Rear Base


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard big sis Shumel make a voice like that before.¡±


    ¡°I wonder if that¡¯s her real voice.¡±


    A few hours after departing from Erichburg, we arrived at the rear base ¨D the base that used to be called the main base ¨D and went outside the gondola to enjoy the fresh air. This base has inexhaustible vein holes that can pump out magic power and wards to keep out monsters, and it is a base that makes the most of its inexhaustible supply of magic power and uses various magic tools powered by magic power in its daily life.


    Waterwheel-powered and magic-powered processing machines run all over the base, processing ore collected from the surrounding wilderness and wood brought in from the Black Forest. There are also machines that extract and refine the overflowing magical power and extract it as magic crystals, as well as machines that artificially create magic metals by transforming iron, steel, copper, silver, and other metals with magical power. However, the magic metals did not seem to be going well.


    So, what¡¯s up with the topic about Shumel?


    ¡°Fugghh¡­ Uh¡­¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay. That was scary.


    ¡°Somehow, I feel sorry for you.¡±


    She was crying while holding her knees at some distance. Isla and Grande are consoling her, and the height of their heads is almost the same: Shumel sitting on her knees, and the two standing patting her head and rubbing her back. The difference in physique is amazing. Or rather, is it okay to use Grande¡¯s hands to rub her back? Wouldn¡¯t she get scratches or something?


    ¡°You¡¯re afraid of heights, aren¡¯t you, Shumel?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess I am.¡±


    ¡°I never noticed that before.¡±


    The two members of the trio had no idea about Shumel¡¯s fear of heights.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I¡¯ll leave Shumel to you.¡±


    ¡°¡±Eh?¡±¡±


    Leaving the stunned Tozume and Bella behind, I dashed into the rear base. I¡¯m sure Isla and Grande will be fine. The Harpies have entered the rear base to gather information ahead of time, so I¡¯m thinking of joining them there.


    ¡°I can¡¯t have you running off like that.¡±


    ¡°To be honest, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Ms. Zamir, my escort who was following behind me as I dashed, was angry with me. Because I didn¡¯t want to just sit there and watch Shumel lying on the ground, I didn¡¯t feel comfortable.


    ¡°So, what are you going to do after this?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going to stay here for the night. There is nothing we can do with Shumel in that condition. We¡¯ll gather information and finish preparations today and tomorrow, set a destination tomorrow night, and leave the day after tomorrow morning.¡±


    ¡°Agreed.¡±


    While roughly discussing the future plan with Ms. Zamir, I headed for the gate of the base.


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m coming through!¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your hard work!¡±


    The people living in the rear base were freed. Most of the people living in the rear base were sheltered here in the very early stages of the Liberation Army. I remembered almost all of them, so I could basically pass by the gate or anywhere else. Well, the only people who come here in the first place are the Liberation Army transport troops with escorts, us, or the elves of the Black Forest, so the gatekeepers are mostly a formality.


    But from a security standpoint, we can¡¯t afford not to have them. There¡¯s also the possibility that an unidentified traveler might wander in.


    I passed through the gate and headed straight for the center of the base. Pirna and the other three Harpies should have entered the base first to gather information, but I¡¯m unsure where they are. The only places I can think of are the large cafeteria in the center of the base, or maybe a meeting place. If they¡¯re gathering information, they¡¯ll be in a place where people gather.


    ¡°Ah, Danna-sama.¡±


    ¡°Danna-san, you came here, huh?¡±


    When I walked into the cafeteria, I found Ygrett, the white Harpy of the large bird species, and Capri, the brown Harpy of the small bird species, chatting with the base¡¯s inhabitants. The people they talked to seemed to have finished their morning work in the fields early and were taking a break. From the sun¡¯s position, it¡¯s still a little early for lunch, so they¡¯re probably just resting here until lunch.


    ¡°Yeah. Did you get any useful information?¡±


    The purpose of this expedition is to search for old Adelian scriptures that contain the teachings of Adelian before they were altered, in order for one of the Adelian sects that are relatively friendly to the Liberation Army, the Nostalgic sect to which the Saint of Truth Eleonora belongs, to compete with the mainstream Adelian sect.


    I asked the four Harpies, Pirna, Ygrett, Eyja, and Capri, to go into the rear base before us and gather information on whether they had seen any such items and whether they had any information on ruins where such items were lying.


    ¡°It seems that a good number of ruins have been found, but they have not been excavated.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to dig up the ground. There are still a lot of Gizma around here.¡±


    ¡°I see. Well, then, can you make sure to get the exact location of the ruins?¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll check out the meeting place as well.¡±


    I¡¯ll leave this to them and move to the meeting place. It¡¯s easy to understand the role of the grand cafeteria from its name, but a meeting place is a gathering place for people who are in charge of various jobs within the base, such as a group of craftsmen, a group of farmers, leaders of explorers who search for various things outside the base, a group of people who take care of children, and the manager of the warehouse who manages food and other supplies. It¡¯s a place where people who are in charge of various tasks in the base gather to coordinate each other¡¯s work, supplies, and allocation of personnel. It may sound like a stuffy place, but it¡¯s a place where people with positions gather to have well-informed discussions.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for interrupting. And Pirna¡¯s here too, huh?¡±


    When I entered the meeting place, I saw Pirna, the blue Harpy, talking to the sheep beastman who was organizing this rear base. Eyja, the brown Harpy, is a very quiet person, so she¡¯s not very good at talking. That¡¯s why she¡¯s working with Pirna, the leader.


    ¡°You are here too, Danna-sama? Have you been to the grand cafeteria?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I came by.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see. We¡¯re going to get a copy of the map of the area here.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good. Just knowing the surrounding terrain will make our search much easier.¡±


    It¡¯s kind of hard to keep searching for something you have no idea where it is without a map. I¡¯m very grateful to have a map.


    ¡°Have there been any books or other artifacts found in the excavation?¡±


    ¡°No excavations are going on except for the underground ruins of this base. Even though there are crossbows that are effective against Gizma, when it comes to excavating ruins, you have to sit and dig for days or even weeks¡­¡±


    The man with the fluffy white hair looked apologetic as he said this.


    ¡°I see. We don¡¯t have that much room yet, do we? The remaining personnel is mainly craftsmen, researchers, and farmers.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what it is¡­ In the meantime, former adventurer residents are gathering and digging, making maps of the area, mining various materials, and escorting miners, but we haven¡¯t gotten around to excavating the ruins¡­¡±


    ¡°No, no, you don¡¯t need to apologize so much. I¡¯ve seen people walking around in the grand cafeteria and in the streets, and they all look peaceful and happy. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s been any mistake in the policy so far.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ Thank you for your generous words.¡±


    The sheep beastman wiped away his tears; his eyes were moist. He¡¯s a tearful man!


    ¡°Well¡­ that¡¯s right, I¡¯d like to stay here for two days today and tomorrow, and then go exploring. Can you arrange a couple of vacant houses for me?¡±


    ¡°Leave it to me. As for Kosuke-sama¡¯s accommodations, the ones you used when you built this base are still there. It¡¯s been cleaned properly, so you can use it as it is.¡±


    ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll take advantage of it. Can you assign Isla, Grande, and the Harpies to my side, and Shumel and Ms. Zamir to the rented house?¡±


    ¡°No problem.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine, I guess.¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    Ms. Zamir and Pirna agreed with me. Eyja nodded her head, so she was fine with it.


    ¡°That¡¯s it then. Can you arrange for bedding and such?¡±


    ¡°Leave it to me. It will soon be time for lunch. What do you want to do, Kosuke-sama?¡±


    ¡°What am I going to do? Since it¡¯s almost time for lunch, how about we have lunch in the grand cafeteria?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m interested to see what kind of food they serve.¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s important to see what life is like in this base.¡±


    Pirna, out of curiosity, and Ms. Zamir, as if they were advising royalty or something, agreed to have lunch at the grand cafeteria.


    ¡°I¡¯m supposed to be a commoner myself.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, you¡¯re kidding.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not a civilian, are you, Kosuke-dono?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think Danna-sama is a civilian either.¡±


    The three of them, the sheep beastman, Ms. Zamir, and Pirna, quickly denied it. Why?


    ¡°Oh, and I¡¯ve got some supplies and materials from Erichburg. I¡¯d like to put them in the warehouse after we finish eating. Also, I¡¯d like to get an idea of the location of the ruins, so can you gather as much information as you can?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir. I¡¯ll contact the person in charge of the supply warehouse. I will tell him to provide the information about the ruins to the person in charge of the outer area.¡±


    ¡°Please do. Well then, I guess we¡¯ll go to the grand cafeteria.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir. I¡¯ll have the map ready by tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Thank you again. See you.¡±


    I left the meeting place after parting ways with the sheep beastman leader. I looked up at the sky and saw that the sun was almost directly overhead. It¡¯s nearly noon, isn¡¯t it?


    ¡°Pirna, I¡¯m sorry, but can you go tell Isla and the others at the landing site to come to the grand cafeteria?¡±


    ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll be going.¡±


    Pirna smiled and flew away, probably happy that she was asked to do so. Eyja looked at Pirna as she flew away and me and seemed unsure of what to do.


    ¡°Eyja, I think you should come with me to the grand cafeteria.¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    Eyja nodded her head and smiled happily. U-umu, but she is really taciturn, isn¡¯t she?


    When I returned to the grand cafeteria, I took Eyja, who was in a good mood, and Ms. Zamir, who had the usual sullen expression (to be honest, I can¡¯t discern the expression of Ms. Zamir, who is a lizard woman), and found Ygrett and Capri waiting near the entrance.


    ¡°Welcome back. Did you finish your conversation at the meeting place?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we¡¯ve been given a copy of the map. We will get it tomorrow, so we can compare it with the information they gave us and decide on our destination. I¡¯ve just asked Pirna to call the other five, so we can write down the information they¡¯ve given us while we¡¯re at it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. You might forget it as time goes by.¡±


    I put a log or a wooden box as a chair near the cafeteria entrance, where it wouldn¡¯t interfere with the flow of people, and asked Ygrett and Capri for information on where the ruins might be.


    ¡°I see, in the middle of the northeastern wilderness is what looks like some kind of historical site, at the foot of the eastern hill are many unnaturally shaped rocks that look like they are made of stone, and to the west is a large dry pit that looks like the remains of a lake, and around it are the remains of what looks like some kind of historic structure.¡±


    ¡°Where should we look?¡±


    Capri tilted her head. The others also seemed to be pondering where to start looking.


    ¡°It would be nice if we could discover the remains of a library or church. A map of the time would be helpful.¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s a library, it can¡¯t be near a lake, can it? Humidity is not good for storing books and scrolls. If it¡¯s near a lake, there will be fog, and if it gets flooded, it will be a disaster.¡±


    Ms. Zamir gives us a highly convincing opinion. Yeah, I guess that might be true.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s a good idea. Let¡¯s look at the northeast and east first, then. There may be other information gathered, so we¡¯ll make a final decision tomorrow night.¡±


    ¡°I agree.¡±


    Ms. Zamir nodded in satisfaction. She is calm and intelligent. I thought she was more of a musclehead because I had a strong image of her happily jumping into hand-to-hand combat with a spear during the battle for the fort, but she doesn¡¯t seem to be that way.


    ¡°I¡¯ve brought everyone here!¡±


    As we were discussing this, Pirna came back with Isla and the others. Shumel is¡­ yeah, she seems to have recovered a bit, though not as she normally does.


    I guess we¡¯ll have to try the lunch in the grand cafeteria then.

 CH 150

    Chapter 150 ¨C Today¡¯s Lunch Menu: Stewed Potatoes And Freshly Baked Bread


    We entered the grand cafeteria and waited in line for our food to be delivered.


    ¡°Looks like today¡¯s menu is a soup with lots of ingredients and bread.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, potato and vegetable soup and fresh bread.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not bread baked in the morning, but freshly baked, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Pirna sniffed and nodded her head.


    ¡°In this base, you can utilize the inexhaustible magic power from the vein holes, so there is no need to conserve fuel. That means you don¡¯t have to bake a whole day¡¯s worth of bread in the morning or several days¡¯ worth at once.¡±


    ¡°I see, so you can have fresh bread every time you eat.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s very nice to have fresh, warm, soft bread with every meal.¡±


    ¡°Bread that has been baked for a long time is tough and dry, and you have to dip it in soup to soften it up.¡±


    Bella, the Red Oni girl, and Tozume, the Cyclops girl, were impressed by Isla¡¯s explanation. And then it was finally our turn.


    ¡°Ara, Kosuke-sama, are you eating here today?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I wanted to know what people usually eat. Is there anything I¡¯m missing?¡±


    The monkey-type beastman lady who was in charge of serving the food smiled when she heard my words.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. We¡¯ve got plenty of vegetables, and since Gizma often comes around, we kill them, so we don¡¯t have to worry about meat. Recently, the Merinard Kingdom has brought us bantam birds and goats, so I¡¯m sure our foods will be even better.¡±


    ¡°I see. If you have any problems, you can contact Erichburg through the coordinator, okay?¡±


    ¡°Yes, thank you very much.¡±


    Since it would be bad for the people behind me if I talked too much, I put a deep bowl of freshly baked bread and a bowl of soup on a tray and headed for an empty seat. Soon everyone was seated, so we said our prayers and got to work on the soup.


    ¡°The ingredients are taro potato, nigi, carrol, dikon, gabbage, and is this¡­ Gizma meat?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, maybe so. Is this dried meat from a cut-up Gizma?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s probably roasted and dried. It smells fragrant.¡±


    ¡°They must have devised a way to preserve the fast-feeding Gizma meat.¡±


    The soup seems to be seasoned only with salt, but it is quite delicious with the vegetables and the broth from the roasted dried Gizma. The gabbage¡¯s soup is made up of taro potato (taro-like texture), carrol (yellow carrot-like taste), dikon (black radish), and gabbage (red cabbage). Nigi is a leek. They are thicker and shorter than the leeks I know, but they taste and smell just like leeks. It is also used as a flavoring vegetable in this world.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s salty potato stew.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s delicious.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s full of vegetables and potatoes, so it¡¯s very nutritious.¡±


    ¡°I can feel the good broth coming from Gizma¡¯s meat.¡±


    The bread was just freshly baked and delicious. But it goes well with the soup, and it¡¯s very filling.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s delicious, but how does it compare in terms of the grade of food in this world?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not comparable to ordinary village food. It¡¯s like a feast for a village harvest festival.¡±


    ¡°I think so too. The food is much more sumptuous than the food you have to pay five copper coins for in Erichburg.¡±


    ¡°Because of our size, they gave us bigger bowls and three pieces of bread.¡±


    Bella and Tozume explained to us. Theirs and Shumel¡¯s soup bowls are indeed bigger than ours. They also seem to have three pieces of bread.


    ¡°It¡¯s like heaven to be able to eat a full meal like this.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because of Kosuke¡¯s help. If it weren¡¯t for Kosuke, we would never be able to live like this in this thin and dry land.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. The wall, the house, the fields, and the water source were all built by you.¡±


    ¡°Especially the water source and the fields, they are out of this world.¡±


    Well, an infinite water source and a field that can be harvested in a week. If you don¡¯t have to worry about water and food, you can live a rather peaceful life.


    ¡°So, what are you going to do after you finish eating?¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m going to check the sleeping quarters and check my equipment. I have some time on my hands, so if I need to maintain my equipment, I¡¯ll take care of it, and if there¡¯s any equipment you want, I¡¯ll make it for you.¡±


    ¡°Is that whatever I want?¡±


    ¡°Well, as long as it¡¯s something I can make.¡±


    Ms. Zamir¡¯s eyes flashed with a sharp light. Ah, have I done something wrong?


    ¡°I want you to make me a short spear.¡±


    ¡°With ¡®that¡¯?¡±


    ¡°If it is possible. The meteor is too long and difficult to handle in confined spaces such as inside the ruins.¡±


    What I mean by ¡®that¡¯ is mithril. I don¡¯t mind because I can make mithril as much as I want, but Sylphy has told me not to make mithril weapons too carelessly.


    ¡°If you¡¯re fine with iron alloy¡­¡±


    ¡°Of course, that¡¯s fine. It¡¯s heavier than the pure one, but it has more destructive power. It would be more convenient for a short spear.¡±


    ¡°¡­I want you to think about what shape you want by this evening.¡±


    ¡°As you wish.¡±


    Ms. Zamir smiles at me. Yeah, that face of hers is scary, isn¡¯t it? I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s rude to say this, but it looks like she¡¯s trying to intimidate me.


    ¡°You make weapons too?¡±


    ¡°Weapons, armor, whatever you want. You¡¯ll have to work for it, though.¡±


    ¡°What materials?¡±


    ¡°The metal materials are iron, steel, pure iron, magic steel, and mithril alloys. There are also various materials from the Black Forest, such as Wyverns and Grand Dragon scales.¡±


    When Bella and Tozume heard about the materials I had on hand, they looked a bit confused.


    ¡°Yeah, I guess I can¡¯t blame you for reacting that way, but I do have something. The more power you have, the safer I¡¯ll be, so don¡¯t hesitate.¡±


    ¡°Eh¡­? Eeeh? Really? Are you serious?¡±


    ¡°A-are you really sure about this?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, of course. Do you want me to remake your gold shattering club with magic steel, Shumel? Or do you prefer mithril iron alloy?¡±


    ¡°¡­Mithril alloys are basically sharp and a bit mushy, so it¡¯s not suitable for blunt weapons. I¡¯d rather use magic steel.¡±


    Shumel, who had been silent all this time, finally spoke up. It seems that I managed to get her in a good mood.


    ¡°So, I¡¯m going to make sure that Shumel¡¯s gold crusher is made of magic steel. If you have any requests regarding length or shape, I¡¯m all ears.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine with it as it is now. I don¡¯t mind if it gets a little heavier.¡±


    ¡°Okay. What about you two?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like the length and balance of the handle to be similar to the axe I¡¯m using now. The material is¡­¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s an axe, it¡¯s a blade, so why not use mithril iron alloy?¡±


    ¡°I-is that okay¡­? I feel like it¡¯s inappropriate¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all a matter of becoming skilled enough for the weapon. Don¡¯t be intimidated by it.¡±


    Shumel encourages Bella¡¯s confusion. Yeah, I¡¯m glad to see you¡¯re feeling better.


    ¡°U-um, I¡¯m¡­¡±


    ¡°Aah, I¡¯ve got a plan for Tozume¡¯s weapon. Shumel can take care of the blows with the gold-crushing club, and Bella can take care of the slashing with the axe. So, I think that Tozume¡¯s weapon should be something that can also stab. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°Stabbing? I can¡¯t use a spear, you know?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll devise a weapon that can both strike and pierce.¡±


    If she had been fighting with a large wooden mallet with a hammerhead, she would also be able to use a war hammer. The hammerhead should have a wider striking area, one side of the striking area should be flat, and the other side should have a sharp tip to be used for both striking and stabbing attacks. It would also be easier to use if the length and balance of the handle were adjusted to be similar to that of the large wooden mallet she was currently using.


    ¡°Hmm, I¡¯m getting motivated. Let¡¯s have a quick eat and get to work.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll stay close by and make sure Kosuke doesn¡¯t do anything rash.¡±


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll continue our patrol of the base and gather information.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll check every nook and cranny.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to check on the skill level of the guards while I¡¯m working on the design of the short spears.¡±


    Isla will stay by my side to keep an eye on things; while the Harpies will continue to gather information, Ms. Zamir will train the guards at the base¡­ Good luck, guards-san.


    ¡°What should we do?¡±


    ¡°I need to make some adjustments to the weapons, so if you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯d like you to stay with me.¡±


    ¡°Very well.¡±


    After deciding on today¡¯s course of action, we finished our meal and began to move.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    ¡°Now, that being said, I¡¯m going to begin to power up the weapons of the three of you.¡±


    ¡°Up?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, up. I¡¯ll start with the workbench.¡±


    I nodded to Isla, who tilted her head and set up the granted workbench, the golem-type workbench, the improved workbench, and the blacksmithing facility in front of the building where we will stay today.


    ¡°The power you use is as mysterious as ever.¡±


    ¡°Where did this come from?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind the details. Or you¡¯ll go bald.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea to talk to a woman about going bald.¡±


    In addition to the workbench, a table is set up, and the weapons that the three of them have entrusted to me are placed on the table.


    ¡°It¡¯s as heavy as ever. I don¡¯t know how you can wield this thing, Shumel.¡±


    ¡°The way I work out is different, you know.¡±


    ¡°Your arms aren¡¯t that big, though.¡±


    Shumel is indeed bigger and more muscular than me, but she also has a feminine softness to her. It¡¯s not like she has a muscular body. It¡¯s strange.


    ¡°Kosuke, your eyes are so lewd.¡±


    ¡°False accusation. I plead not guilty.¡±


    But it would be rude to stare too closely at a woman¡¯s body. Let¡¯s get to work.


    ¡°It¡¯s easy because there¡¯s no room for error with Shumel¡¯s gold shattering club. I¡¯m just going to make the material into magic steel¡­ It¡¯s rather boring, though. Do you want to add some interesting features or something?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need anything like that. I¡¯m not that skillful.¡±


    ¡°Really? Well, if you say so.¡±


    So, I used the magic steel as a material to make the gold shattering club. It doesn¡¯t take much time to make one at the golem workbench.


    ¡°What about Bella¡¯s axe? Should I make the blade a little wider?¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a good idea. I¡¯d love to have it.¡±


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s make it like a bardiche. The handle should not be too long, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. If it¡¯s too long, it¡¯s hard to use in the woods or ruins.¡±


    Then Bella¡¯s axe is a mithril iron alloy bardiche with a trimmed handle. It¡¯s a short bardiche.


    ¡°What are you planning to do with my weapon?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m thinking of something like this for Tozume.¡±


    I drew a picture of Tozume¡¯s war hammer on the ground. One side of the handle is flat with a wide striking surface, and the other side is pointed like a pickaxe. Well, it¡¯s a typical war hammer. Compared to an ordinary war hammer, the weight of the pommel head is quite a bit heavier, but I¡¯m sure Tozume the Cyclops can handle it. The mithril iron alloy is slightly lighter than normal iron.


    ¡°I¡¯m relieved that it¡¯s not as strange a weapon as I thought.¡±


    ¡°Whoa? What is it? Shall I make it a strange, eccentric, magical-looking weapon? Do you want to be a Cyclops magical girl, Tozume-chan? Huh? I¡¯ll even give you a frilly pink magical girl costume now. Huh? If you want, I can make one for all three of you and call you Trio Onicure. Hmm?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what it is, but I don¡¯t want to do it.¡±


    ¡°If you want to do it, please make it just for Tozume.¡±


    ¡°It was my fault. Please forgive me.¡±


    Tozume bowed her head nearly on her knees. I¡¯d like to see the three of them in the magical girl costume, and I highly recommend it. Don¡¯t you like it? You don¡¯t want to? Then I¡¯ll give you a break.


    ¡°Is the magical girl costume the one I wore before?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes. Shall I make you a new one?¡±


    We did a fashion show quite a while ago, didn¡¯t we? I had Isla wear a magical girl-style outfit or something like that.


    ¡°Do you want me to wear it tonight?¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ I like it!¡±


    She¡¯s going to wear a costume tonight. The last one I made was a frilly one. I wonder what I should make this time. I can¡¯t decide.


    ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ll make the weapons. It should be fine, but if you have any complaints about the weight balance or anything else, let me know. I¡¯ll adjust it.¡±


    With that, I started to make the weapon.

 CH 151

    Chapter 151 ¨C Material¡¯s Delivery


    Well. I¡¯ve already reserved the crafting of the weapons to be given to each of them, so all I have to do is wait for them to be finished.


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll go deliver the goods to the supply warehouse.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I thought you forgot.¡±


    ¡°No, crafting takes time from the time it is reserved until it is ready. I was thinking of reserving the crafts first and then going to the warehouse.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    It¡¯s not like I forgot and just remembered. So Isla, please stop that lukewarm stare. It¡¯s affecting me.


    ¡°Eh? Are you done with the work now? Don¡¯t you have a fire in the furnace to melt and heat the metal and bang on it?¡±


    ¡°My ability allows me to specify what I want to make, and the rest is done automatically by the facility. Isn¡¯t that great?¡±


    ¡°You must be hurting the craftsmen with that ability.¡±


    Tozume gave me a dumbfounded look. She has a big, single eye, like Isla, but Tozume is a cool, beautiful woman, and because of her height, she looks down on me, which is very intimidating.


    ¡°Hahaha, I guess so. So don¡¯t tell the craftsmen. They might attack me secretly. Well, I¡¯m sure it will be fine because I only make things that don¡¯t compete with the craftsmen or when there is an urgent need.¡±


    ¡°What would happen if you didn¡¯t control yourself?¡±


    Bella tilted her head as if she couldn¡¯t imagine it. Well yeah, it¡¯s hard to get a feel for it without concrete numbers.


    ¡°For example, right now I can make one steel sword or spear per workbench in less than a minute and a half. In other words, I can make forty swords or spears in one hour per workbench. If I increase the number of workbenches to five, I can make two hundred steel swords or spears in an hour. And I could operate the craft all day long if I wanted to. In other words, I could make 480 steel swords or spears in a whole day. If I add more workbenches, I can make armor and helmets at the same time too.¡±


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s scary. There won¡¯t be any need for armor makers anymore.¡±


    ¡°Right? And this is not just about weapons. I can make pots, pans, farming tools, food, clothes, medicine, and everything else the same way. If I don¡¯t control myself, the people who make those things will die. Economically.¡±


    Moreover, the quality of the product is stable, and there are no inferior products. The steel sword I made for testing was examined by a professional blacksmith, and he said that it was a high-quality steel sword, though it was far from a masterpiece. In other words, the quality was better than that of ordinary steel swords.


    What would happen if such a thing became available in large quantities? It was all too easy to imagine.


    ¡°Kosuke can control himself, thinking of everyone. That¡¯s great.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, that¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. You can praise me more.¡±


    ¡°Onee-chan will praise you a lot in the night.¡±


    ¡°Onee-chan¡­?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not really sure, but I think Isla is thirty or forty years old. I heard she was a court mage 20 years ago.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    Shumel revealed Isla¡¯s age to the dubious expression of Tozume, and Bella was astonished at the fact. Yes, she may look small, but she is a lady older than me. She looks younger than me because of her body shape and her tone of voice.¡±


    ¡°Well, I will be going now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go too.¡±


    ¡°What do you want to do?¡±


    ¡°I have nothing to do, so I¡¯ll just go along.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll wait here. Someone passing by might try to play a trick on it.¡±


    The four of us, except for Shumel, who took over the guarding of the workbench, began to move to the warehouse to stockpile supplies. When Isla reached out her small hand, I took it on mine and walked slowly.


    Our hands are so different in size that it¡¯s hard to hold hands like lovers. Maybe that¡¯s why Isla only grasps my index and middle fingers at times like this. This seems to be the best fit for her.


    ¡°I feel like I can guess just by looking at you.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re not careful, the height difference looks like a father and daughter¡­ Hyiee.¡±


    The moment Isla looked back at Tozume, who had commented about father and daughter, it seemed as if I heard Tozume¡¯s frightened voice. It must have been my imagination, hahaha. Isla is scary when she¡¯s really upset, so you¡¯d better be careful what you say.


    We walked for a while in a friendly atmosphere and arrived at the supply warehouse. A squirrel-type beastman who looked like the manager came trotting up to us.


    ¡°Kosuke-sama, we¡¯ve been waiting for you!¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I had to check the sleeping quarters first. Here¡¯s the list.¡±


    I took the list of supplies Melty had given me out of my inventory and handed it to the squirrel-type beastman manager. The main items I brought this time were wood, refined metals, gemstones, spices, sugar, preservable sweets, alcoholic beverages, salted meat, rock salt, and other items that are hard to find in the rear base.


    There is also a small amount of metal mining going on in the rear, but the amount of metal that can be mined is not enough to meet the demand in the rear, and it is dangerous because of the risk of being attacked by Gizma. The only way to get wood is to bring it in from the Black Forest, which is nearly impossible. The surrounding area is a wilderness of nothing but stone, sand, and soil.


    As for luxury goods, food production is still a priority, and the amount produced is not very large. As for meat, although the raising of livestock has begun, it is still not enough to meet the demand, and as for salt, there is no place nearby where it can be collected, so it has to be transported from the Elven villages and the Merinard Kingdom.


    In addition, refined metals, gemstones, and luxury goods can be used for trade with the Elven village. In fact, the truth is that I have prepared them for trade with the Elves. I¡¯m not sure how to actually trade them.


    ¡°This time, there¡¯s a lot of them. Will it fit in the warehouse?¡±


    ¡°There are some valuables in there, so if you want, I can make another sturdy one.¡±


    ¡°Can you do that for us?¡±


    The three of us, including the squirrel-type beastman manager and Isla, discussed the location and structure of the warehouse and decided to expand the existing one instead of building a new one. Since I built the building, the work itself was easy. If it were a normal building, I would have to think about the pillars that support the roof and other things. I don¡¯t have to think about such difficult things.


    In some games, gravity is calculated properly, and if the weight becomes heavier than the supporting force, the building will collapse. My ability doesn¡¯t seem to do that, so it¡¯s easy.


    ¡°Thank you very much. I think everything will be fine now!¡±


    ¡°Order the shelves and stuff from the craftsmen.¡±


    ¡°Understood!¡±


    The squirrel-type beastman manager instructed his subordinates, a large bear-type beastman, and a cow-type beastman, to start carrying many supplies I had taken out of my inventory into the expanded warehouse one after another.


    ¡°Well, this is outrageous. In less than thirty minutes, the warehouse became huge.¡±


    ¡°This is out of the ordinary. You¡¯ll probably succeed as an adventurer.¡±


    ¡°You can carry as much luggage as you want; if your weapon breaks, you can repair it or even make it on the spot, and you can prepare a safe place to sleep and a delicious meal on the spot.¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    Isla did not interrupt their assessment. In fact, there are other abilities that might be useful as an adventurer, such as the ability to heal or the ability to use a gun for powerful long-distance attacks, but there is little point in telling them that. I have no intention of becoming an adventurer now.


    ¡°Anyway, are you done with your business for today?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m going to go back and relax while I adjust the weapon. If you want, I can make you some costumes; it¡¯s been a while since I made any.¡±


    ¡°Like the magical girl dress?¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s part of it. I¡¯ll make something for Bella and Tozume, too. Maybe a dress.¡±


    Bella and Tozume looked surprised at my words. I like it; I like that kind of reaction. Lately, the people around me have gotten used to what I do and don¡¯t show that kind of expression.


    ¡°Huh? A dress? For us?¡±


    ¡°No, we¡¯re not really into that kind of thing.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re both beautiful; you¡¯ll look good if you dress up. Well, think of it as a bonus for this request.¡±


    ¡°We can already build a house with the extra money.¡±


    Bella said with a straight face. Hmm? I don¡¯t know the market price, but I don¡¯t know if mithril iron alloy weapons are that expensive. Considering the ratio of iron to mithril, the amount of mithril is very small.


    ¡°Well, well, don¡¯t worry about the details. You¡¯ll go bald.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea to call a woman bald.¡±


    Despite her vulgar speech, Bella is a serious person, isn¡¯t she?


    ¡°I¡¯m starting to understand what Shumel was talking about¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm? What?¡±¡±


    ¡°She said it¡¯s best to let him do what he wants and not get tired of watching him do it.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, Shumel. When we get back, I¡¯m going to dress her up in some kind of white, frilly, lacy, fluffy wedding dress. You two help me with that.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ but is that okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m scared, but I want to see it, so I¡¯ll help.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll help too.¡±


    With four of us, even Shumel could not resist. It¡¯s been a while since the last fashion show.

 CH 152

    Chapter 152 ¨C Fashion Show Again


    ¡°Isn¡¯t magic unfair¡­?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not.¡±


    Hello. I¡¯m Kosuke. This is Kosuke lying on the ground after being hit by Shumel. By the way, Bella was knocked down after being punched, and Tozume was writhing in agony after having sand poured on her face and blinding her big eye.


    Immediately after returning from the warehouse, I made a white, frilly, fluffy dress and tried to dress Shumel in it, but of course, she refused. Then the bell rang for battle! This Kosuke-kun got blown away! And then when I realized it, this is the outcome.


    Now, Shumel is bound in a ¡°´ó¡± character, with each of her limbs restrained by a shining ring of light. Her body is floating a bit, isn¡¯t it? But still, Isla¡¯s magic is incredible!


    ¡°In the first place, it¡¯s just a matter of getting dressed. It¡¯s not like you are being made to wear humiliating clothes, and Shumel is narrow-minded enough to be violent over something like that. In the adventurer¡¯s terms, you¡¯re a chicken-hearted.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a bit arrogant of you to strip me of my clothes and force me to wear something I don¡¯t want to wear, isn¡¯t it¡­?¡±


    ¡°Are you really don¡¯t want to wear it?¡±


    As Isla stared at Shumel, Shumel turned her eyes away quietly.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay; everyone wears it. There¡¯s no shame in it.¡±


    I responded with a thumbs up in response to Isla¡¯s words. Fine, I guess it¡¯s solved if I make enough for everyone. So I made a pure white dress with lots of frills and lace for everyone.


    ¡°N-no, it doesn¡¯t look good on me¡­¡±


    ¡°No, it looks good on you, nee-san. It¡¯s cute and beautiful.¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯m feeling a little uncomfortable.¡±


    ¡°Kosuke, do I look good?¡±


    ¡°It looks good on you. It looks super good on you.¡±


    Shumel¡¯s face is red and teary-eyed in her frilly, fluffy dress, and Tozume is fidgeting, perhaps uncomfortable. Bella is surprisingly unconcerned. Maybe she¡¯s just more worried about Shumel and Tozume than her own condition.


    And Isla. Isla is cute. It¡¯s bad. It¡¯s bad to the point where my vocabulary is deteriorating. Why isn¡¯t there a screenshot function in my abilities? No matter whether I¡¯m focusing on F2 or F12. PrintScreen. I can¡¯t even hear a click. Damn it.


    ¡°Let¡¯s try making something else.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I¡¯ll try it on.¡±


    ¡°But what should I make¡­? Okay, let¡¯s go with something that will look good on Shumel and the others.¡±


    So I decided to make a very thin, skin-baring, aggressive outfit of denim hot pants and a short tank top.


    ¡°It¡¯s a lot better than the last time.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it a little too short? Won¡¯t someone be able to see underneath?¡±


    ¡°It might be good for indoor wear. Though I¡¯d feel more comfortable if it was a little longer.¡±


    ¡°Kosuke.¡±


    ¡°The more skin you show, the better it looks.¡±


    It looks great on the boom, whack, bang Shumel and the others. It¡¯s more like tight, or rather, they¡¯re six-pack, these girls. They are muscular.


    What about Isla, you ask? I think hot pants on a loli body is also a very good thing. Isla¡¯s white skin is dazzling.


    ¡°This is a normal length tank top.¡±


    ¡°Oh, this is good. I want a few of these.¡±


    ¡°Nice.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I want some, too!¡±


    ¡°Me too.¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay, I¡¯ll give you five of each, so you can wear the clothes I¡¯m going to make for you.¡±


    Their sizes are almost the same, so I only need to make fifteen tank tops of the same size. It¡¯s easy to do.


    And now this.


    ¡°It¡¯s too tight with the ribbon around the neck and the buttons all the way up.¡±


    ¡°Can you loosen it and take off a couple of buttons?¡±


    ¡°It feels tighter somehow.¡±


    ¡°Is it cute?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s cute!¡±


    I made a short sleeve Y shirt and a short pleated skirt to look like a JK. Don¡¯t tell anyone that the whole thing smells like a crime.


    [T/n: JK = Joshi k¨­sei = School girl.]


    Shumel and Bella immediately began to disrupt public morals by loosening the ribbons and unbuttoning the buttons. Yeah, well, that¡¯s what they were aiming for, right? It seems that Tozume doesn¡¯t mind wearing a tightly fitted outfit, and she¡¯s wearing it properly. Yeah, she¡¯s cool. She looks like the head of the public morals committee.


    As for Isla¡­ Yeah, it smells like a crime. The clothes were supposed to be designed to look like a high school girl¡¯s clothes, but the elementary school where young ladies from good places are attending¡­ shouldn¡¯t be any better. But I think this is a good one. Yeah.


    ¡°Oh, this is good. The fabric looks sturdy.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll blend-in in the woods.¡±


    ¡°I think it would stand out in the wilderness.¡±


    ¡°Does it suit me?¡±


    ¡°Isla looks better in a cute outfit. Well, you look pretty in that.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    This time, I dressed them in a camouflage suit made of sturdy fabric. Yeah, it looks good when the three Oni girls wear it. When Isla wears it, she looks like a child in a costume.


    ¡°No, this is¡­¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯m a little embarrassed.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think this is¡­¡±


    ¡°Do I look good?¡±


    ¡°It suits Isla too well if you ask me.¡±


    This time, I dressed them in a lyrical, mini-skirt magical girl outfit. This is the birth of the Trio¡îOnicure.


    Shumel is pink, Bella is red, and Tozume is light blue. I decided to go with black for Isla. Shumel and the others seem to have an aversion to these frilly, fluffy, flashy costumes. I think it¡¯s cute and not weird at all.


    ¡°Shumel and the others are hardly equipped with any armor that looks like armor, after all.¡±


    ¡°Oh? It would be expensive to make armor to fit our physique, and too much weight would slow us down. Unlike soldiers, adventurers have to walk long distances and carry food and water for themselves to eat and drink. They can¡¯t afford to wear heavy armor.¡±


    ¡°I see. Well, if those clothes had protective effects, that would be the solution!¡±


    ¡°No, I want them to be less flashy. This kind of clothing will get caught everywhere and get torn up in the forest.¡±


    ¡°It would be better to wear the camouflage outfit from earlier? I like that kind of camouflage. I¡¯d rather not expose my skin to avoid bugs and leeches.¡±


    ¡°There is no romance in that.¡±


    ¡°Adventuring has a certain romanticism, but the actual work itself is so serious that there¡¯s no room for romance.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a hard world¡­ Oh, yeah.¡±


    I took out a piece of leather from my inventory. It¡¯s a very large piece of leather, though.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make you some armor out of this leather.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a big piece of leather. What kind of leather is it?¡±


    ¡°Wyvern leather.¡±


    ¡°Heh, wyverns¡­ You mean real wyverns?¡±


    Tozume looked up at Isla¡¯s explanation.


    ¡°Yes, they attacked me in the Sorel Mountains when I met Grande. Good grief, they were a pain in the ass.¡±


    ¡°Eh, you hunted them down, Kosuke-san?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Does someone who hunts Wyverns need us to protect him?¡±


    ¡°Because he is naive, he can be easily fooled and kidnapped.¡±


    ¡°He certainly seems like a good person. Even at the bottom.¡±


    Tozume nodded in response to Shumel¡¯s words. Despite these girls, I wandered my gaze around the surroundings.


    ¡°¡­So, where¡¯s Grande?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t find any sign of Grande. Hmm? When did I start to lose sight of her?


    ¡°¡­Now that you mention it, I have a feeling she was already gone when we were eating.¡±


    ¡°Seriously¡­? Well, Grande is not a child, and she has a sensible personality, so I think she¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    The people here are calm, and I¡¯m sure nothing unusual will happen. But I am worried.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know what to do. I think we should go look for her.¡±


    As Grande¡¯s guardian, I think I should do that, but Grande is not a child, and it would not be too dangerous for her to get lost in this rear base.


    ¡°We¡¯ll go look for her, so you just stay here. She might be with the Harpies, and they might accidentally mix up.¡±


    ¡°Right. Bella, you stay. It¡¯s not good to have no one to protect him.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Okay. I¡¯ll wait here.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ I¡¯ll get changed first.¡±


    After saying that, Shumel went into the house to change from the frilly magical girl clothes to normal clothes. Why don¡¯t you just go ahead and wear it? You¡¯ll definitely be the center of everyone¡¯s attention!


    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know what to do. I feel so uncomfortable.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to panic. As Kosuke said, Grande is not a child, and she is a Grand Dragon. If you leave her alone for a while, she won¡¯t die or get hurt.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. You¡¯re worrying too much. I think she might be playing around with the kids, don¡¯t you think so?¡±


    Grande playing around with the children¡­ is too uncomfortable.


    ¡°It could not be helped if I panicked¡­ Yes, yes, I know. I¡¯ll be waiting for you to make some armor out of Wyvern leather.¡±


    ¡°I want it too.¡±


    ¡°Isla doesn¡¯t need leather armor¡­ Yeah, but I¡¯ll make a cloak out of the wing membrane.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to the wyvern cloak.¡±


    ¡°You know, Wyvern leather equipment can cost dozens of gold coins¡­?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. As long as I procure it myself and make it myself, it¡¯s like it¡¯s free.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the problem here¡­¡±


    I opened up the crafting menu on the golem workbench, ignoring Bella, who let out a sigh. Oh, Shumel and the others¡¯ weapons are finished, too. I¡¯ll have them test it as soon as they get back.

 CH 153

    Chapter 153 ¨C It Will All Be Clear When We Talk


    ¡°That¡¯s not fair. I want the clothes that Kosuke made too.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s not fair. We want the clothes you made, too!¡±


    ¡°I-I want it too!¡±


    ¡°I wish I had one.¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡°All right! All right!¡±


    When I put the Wyvern leather armor and the Wyvern wing membrane cloak into the crafting menu, the winged ones flew in and surrounded me. Yes, it was Grande and the Harpies. They seemed to be working together and literally flew back before Shumel and Tozume, who had gone to look for Grande. Was it really that shocking that I made clothes for them?


    ¡°I can usually make clothes for you girls if you ask me¡­ but I can¡¯t make clothes for you yet.¡±


    ¡°Mmm, what?¡±


    ¡°In order to use my crafting abilities, I need to have a certain idea of what I want to make.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that?¡±


    ¡°¡­..?¡±


    Grande tilted her head. Next to her, Eyja tilted her head in the same way. Eeei, isn¡¯t that cute?


    ¡°In other words, with my poor imagination, I can only make clothes that look a little bit like the ones you are wearing now, with a few tweaks. If you¡¯re okay with that, I¡¯ll make it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine! I want the clothes you made for me!¡±


    ¡°I-I see. Well, before I make Grande¡¯s clothes, I¡¯ll take out Shumel and the others¡¯ weapons since they¡¯re ready. Bella, when the two of them return, you can try them out.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Oh, so this is the glow of mithril alloy.¡±


    I took out three weapons from the golem workbench and left them with Bella.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s try to make some things.¡±


    ¡°Make it cute, make it cute.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask for anything complicated¡­¡±


    Can I make a halter-neck dress by attaching the halter-neck shirt and skirt she¡¯s wearing now, and make the skirt part fasten with a zipper¡­ or hook in the back so that it opens completely?


    Grande has stubby claws on her feet too, so it¡¯s hard to get them through her legs like this. The claws are sharp, so if they get caught, the clothes will get scratched.


    I chose to use more ruffles and lace. I¡¯ll try to make two colors, white and bright red.


    ¡°There you go.¡±


    ¡°Ooh¡­ I¡¯m going to put it on right away!¡±


    ¡°Isla, I don¡¯t think she can do it by herself, so help her.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, okay. Don¡¯t take it off here.¡±


    Isla pulled Grande into the house to start changing there. Grande tried to take off her clothes here, and that¡¯s just how Grande is. In the eyes of a dragon, clothes are nothing more than decoration.


    ¡°So, next is¡­¡±


    ¡°¡±¡±¡­..¡±¡±¡±


    The Harpies are staring at me with glowing eyes. I don¡¯t know what to do with you girls! You don¡¯t like to wear too many frilly clothes because they get in the way of your flight, right?


    However, there are few parts that get in the way of wearing it as much as Grande. They have bird-like legs from the knees down, but if they close their legs, the claws are hidden, and they are almost the same size as human ankles. From the shoulders down, the wings are wings themselves, so they can¡¯t be worn with long-sleeved clothes.


    ¡°Let¡¯s try to make some things. If it¡¯s not long-sleeved, Harpy can wear pretty much anything.¡±


    Sleeveless ¨D in other words, as long as it doesn¡¯t have sleeves, it¡¯s fine. If it¡¯s sleeveless, it can be worn with anything from a dress to a mini-skirt, or even with a sleeveless top and hot pants or a mini-skirt.


    All I had to do was change the color and design to fit each person¡¯s size. I continued to work in silence. After making them, the Harpies and Isla carried the outfits into the house, changed into them, and came out. Yes, I remember that Pirna and Isla are almost the same sizes, so they can actually wear the same clothes, right, girls?


    In the meantime, the gallery of women from the rear base¡­ who witnessed the fashion show began to increase. This trend is not good!


    ¡°Kosuke.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°You have to give up.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    The Beastman, Lamia, the Dwarf lady who I thought was a child, and the Lizard Woman¡­ Ms. Zamir. Please don¡¯t mix it up. Oh, yes, I¡¯ll make it. I think that a military uniform would be perfect for Ms. Zamir, what do you think? Eh? White frilly¡­?


    Fumu, let¡¯s make it¡­ It may be rude to say it is unexpected, but it looks rather good on her.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    ¡°I¡¯m tired.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for your effort.¡±


    It was late in the evening when I was finally freed, and I¡¯m now lying on Isla¡¯s lap in the house. She was smiling at me and stroking my head with her small hand. It¡¯s very soothing.


    The weapons and Wyvern leather armor of Shumel and the others didn¡¯t need any adjustments, so it was good that I didn¡¯t have to do anything, but it was hard to make clothes for the ladies who came over.


    ¡°It was a good way to vent, I think. It¡¯s not like there¡¯s a lot of entertainment here.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to do something about that.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but that¡¯s for them to figure out for themselves. Don¡¯t worry, after they¡¯ve lived here for a while; they¡¯ll start to organize their own events. Right now, they¡¯re just struggling to survive.¡±


    ¡°Is that how it is?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s how it is.¡±


    Isla nodded her head. I think that¡¯s what it is if you say so. But I still want to do something.


    ¡°Speaking of which, how is the development of the golem communication transmitter going?¡±


    ¡°It will be finished soon. Why?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m thinking that once it¡¯s finished, we can start broadcasting on the radio. It would be a great source of entertainment.¡±


    ¡°Radio broadcasting¡­ I remember it¡¯s the kind with the golem transmissions, the ones that give you information about different places and play songs and music?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it. The news can be as trivial as desired. For example, a festival was held in a certain town, or the food in a certain town is delicious, or a monster appeared on the road between a certain town and a village, but the Liberation Army troops exterminated it and made it safe, or something like that. It¡¯s fun just to listen to new information about unknown places.¡±


    ¡°I see. That sounds like fun.¡±


    ¡°Right? I¡¯d love to do that when the research is complete.¡±


    Well, radio broadcasting is not only for entertainment but also for military purposes. It can be used to broadcast propaganda. I¡¯ve heard that the literacy rate is not that high in this world. In other words, the education is not very good. It would be dangerous to broadcast propaganda in such a country. No, it would be beneficial if used properly. I¡¯ll explain the dangers when the time comes to put it to practical use.


    ¡°Why do you leave me alone?¡±


    ¡°Oof.¡±


    Grande rushed into my stomach as I lay on the couch. If she had really hit him, I would have been blown up, and the couch would have been cut in half. It is good that Grande has the bracelet of protection to keep her strength in check.


    ¡°Hey, Kosuke. I have the appearance of a human being, and then I am married to you.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°But you don¡¯t seem to touch me much, do you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mean that, but¡­¡±


    As I sat up from Isla¡¯s lap pillow and sat on the couch, Grande stood in front of me. Even if she is standing there, her line of sight is not much different from that of me sitting on the chair. She is a petite dragon girl.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s right. You have been flirting with Sylphy, Isla, the Harpies, and that demon species, but the only thing you do with me is pat me on the head.¡±


    ¡°Is¡­ that so?¡±


    If that¡¯s what you¡¯re thinking, you might be right. I think I might not have hugged her as much as I should have.


    ¡°And I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve been¡­ f-flirting¡­ more closely with someone other than me!?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s, yes, that¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°My size is not that much different from Isla¡¯s and Pirna¡¯s! Why don¡¯t you do that¡­ kind of thing with me?¡±


    ¡°Why, you ask¡­?¡±


    It¡¯s because it¡¯s Grande¡­ No, she is cute, though, isn¡¯t she? For me, Grande is more like a pet, a healing pet. I can¡¯t help it because I can¡¯t seem to get myself to do it.


    ¡°The other day, while I was pretending to be asleep, you just brought food and drink into my bedroom and didn¡¯t even try to flirt with me¡­ Why are you leaving me out?¡±


    Grande¡¯s eyes started to tear up as she stared at me. That¡¯s when I thought I had to say something.


    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s the purpose of this expedition.¡±


    The woman sitting next to me, Isla, started to say something incomprehensible. I¡¯m not sure what that means.


    ¡°We don¡¯t need to fly for a while after coming this far. Even if your body gets a little strange, it¡¯s okay.¡±


    ¡°Wait, wait, what are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯ll work on dragons, but I¡¯ve prepared some medicine.¡±


    ¡°What medicine?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll help you!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll help!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry; I know exactly where Danna-san¡¯s weaknesses lie.¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡°Whoa, you just suddenly entered the conversation!¡±


    The Harpies who had been sitting at a table some distance away, talking about something, also joined in. And while Isla explained something to Grande, she showed a kind of medicine bottle containing colorful liquid from the hem of her robe. There¡¯s also a rainbow-colored medicine that looks dangerous. Isn¡¯t that the kind of medicine that will blow you to the moon if you take it?


    ¡°We haven¡¯t even had dinner yet, so let¡¯s calm down. Wha?¡±


    ¡°If we get hungry, Kosuke can bring it out midway. No problem.¡±


    ¡°Now that you¡¯ve kept Grande-san waiting for so long, you¡¯d better prepare yourself.¡±


    ¡°Wait, calm down. It will all be clear when we talk.¡±


    ¡°No questions asked.¡±


    I tried to resist, but a magic shackle was placed on my wrist. Fuh, fool. Do you think that abnormal status magic will work on me ¨D or will it, eh?


    ¡°The kind of magic that affects the magic power in the body or the magic power circuit will not work on Kosuke, who has no magic power. But that is not the case when it comes to magic with physical restraints.¡±


    ¡°I-is it your idea, Isla?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Kosuke¡¯s fault for keeping your hands off of Grande for so long. I feel sorry for Grande. Take him away.¡±


    ¡°Yees!


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry; it won¡¯t hurt.¡±


    ¡°It will be over before you can count the stains on the ceiling.¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    While I¡¯ve bound by Isla¡¯s magic, the Harpies start dragging me towards the bedroom. I-I¡¯m not going to give up! I¡¯m not going to be defeated by Isla¡¯s weird potion!

 CH 154

    Chapter 154 ¨C Please Don¡¯t Eat It!


    Spirit alone is no match for drugs. Some of the drugs didn¡¯t work, but Isla was muttering something like, ¡°As expected.¡± Isla-san, you used me as a guinea pig in the heat of the moment, didn¡¯t you? Just remember¡­!


    So, what is the situation now?


    ¡°Hmm¡­ aguagu.¡±


    Grande was half-covered, snuggled up to me as she slept. And for some reason, she was biting my left shoulder while sleeping. When I looked over, the area where Grande was biting was red, and there were subtle teeth marks on it. Please don¡¯t eat me.


    What happened to Isla and the others? I don¡¯t know, but they¡¯re not in this bedroom. I don¡¯t know if they woke up first or if they never slept in this room in the first place. I think they were here at least halfway through last night.


    I tried to move, but with her tail wrapped around my right leg, my right foot underneath Grande¡¯s, and my left shoulder aching, I could only move my neck and right arm.


    ¡°Grande, wake up, wake up, and also stop eating me.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­?¡±


    I stroked Grande¡¯s head while calling out to her, and she woke up. She looked at my face and my left shoulder in front of her with a sleepy gaze and then started to lick my left shoulder, which was covered with drool and teeth marks.


    ¡°That tickles.¡±


    I said, but she didn¡¯t stop licking. She seemed to be completely sleepwalking, didn¡¯t she? I thought, but then she stopped licking me.


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Then, for some reason, she put her left shoulder in front of my mouth. Err? What does this mean?


    ¡°Do the same.¡±


    ¡°Eehh¡­¡±


    ¡°Quickly.¡±


    I felt my right leg tighten. Ouch, that¡¯s a powerful tail. I had no choice, so I bit Grande¡¯s thin, white shoulder as gently as Grande did. To the extent that it doesn¡¯t leave teeth marks.


    ¡°Harder.¡±


    ¡°Eehh¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡°Ouch, ouch. Like this?¡±


    I bite Grande¡¯s shoulder a few times, hard enough to make teeth marks, and lick her slightly reddened skin. It might taste a little like sweat.


    ¡°Hmm¡­?¡±


    Grande¡¯s eyes wander to my left shoulder and her own left shoulder, and she grins. I don¡¯t know what this is. It feels strangely embarrassing.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get up.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Grande releases the tail restraint on my right leg and gets off of me. Hmm¡­ I feel pain in every part of my body. Whether it¡¯s because I couldn¡¯t turn over, or because I overworked myself last night¡­ it¡¯s probably both. Surprisingly, my strength and stamina gauges are not decreasing. Is this due to the drugs that were injected into me¡­?


    ¡°I want to get cleaned up.¡±


    ¡°Do you want to take a bath?¡±


    ¡°Bath?¡±


    ¡°Like dipping in water.¡±


    I put on just my underwear and left the bedroom to find Isla and the Harpies in the living room. Apparently, they were preparing breakfast for us.


    ¡°¡­Hmm.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re doing great.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great. I¡¯ll try that next time.¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    All eyes focused on me and Grande¡¯s left shoulder. Please stop it. It¡¯s embarrassing. Why does Grande have such a smug look on her face? I pulled Grande¡¯s hand while she was smiling and took a bath. I felt refreshed.


    Eh? I¡¯m just going to wash off my sweat and stuff, so I won¡¯t be in there that long. It¡¯s morning, and food has already been prepared. When I got out of the bath, there were clothes ready for me¡­ Why only underwear and pants? You want me to spend the rest of the day naked?


    ¡°Don¡¯t hide it.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, no.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    This is peer pressure¡­! I¡¯ve been defeated by that. Yes, I lost. Because if I try to wear clothes that cover my shoulders, Grande looks like she¡¯s going to cry. I had no choice but to use the golem workbench in the morning to make a running shirt.


    ¡°Heh¡­¡±


    Grande is in a good mood and is eating the barley porridge that Isla and the Harpies made for her. Although it is called barley porridge, it is a kind of Chinese porridge that contains dried Gizma meat and vegetables. The broth from the Gizma meat came out well and was delicious.


    After breakfast, I met up with Ms. Zamir, and Shumel and the others. We will continue to gather information and rest today. We plan to gather in the evening to share information and decide where to explore. Also, I will make Ms. Zamir¡¯s short spear that I was supposed to make last night.


    ¡°It would have been foolish to go into that place.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    I will make a short spear of mithril iron alloy as requested by Ms. Zamir. I thought it would be another one with a long blade, but the length was within the range of a normal short spear.


    ¡°If you make it too long, it will just be difficult to use. Since the emphasis is on maneuverability in tight spaces, it won¡¯t be wielded much.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    However, the blade is wide and thick. I can¡¯t tell if the priority was on sturdiness or striking power. Apparently, Ms. Zamir prefers spears with special blades.


    ¡°Well, we¡¯re still gathering information as we did yesterday¡­¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going to fly around and scout the area. There are three locations that we know of, and we¡¯re going to check out how to get there.¡±


    ¡°We are going to grab the hunters and the guard and ask them if there are any other suspicious places.¡±


    ¡°I will be in charge of protecting Kosuke-dono.¡±


    Shumel and the others will gather information in the base, and Ms. Zamir will accompany me.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go to Ovis and ask him if there¡¯s anything troubling him in this base.¡±


    ¡°Ovis?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a sheep beastman. He¡¯s the guy in charge here.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see. I¡¯ll go with you then, okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you too.¡±


    Grande is back to her normal self and seems to be coming along with me. Well, Grande is only cooperating with me; she is not a member of the Liberation Army.


    After confirming our plans for the day, we each split up and started moving to our respective destinations. I was in a formation with Isla on my right, Grande on my left, and Ms. Zamir behind me. Isla is holding my index and middle fingers as she did yesterday, while I am holding one of Grande¡¯s fingers, or rather her claw. I guess that¡¯s what it means to have a flower in each hand.


    This is how I came to see Ovis, the sheep beastman who was in charge of coordinating all the activities.


    ¡°Is there a problem¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll see what can be done.¡±


    ¡°Since I¡¯m here, I think I can help with most problems. Buildings, farmland, expansion of the base¡­¡±


    ¡°Kosuke.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll use my powers as I see fit, Isla.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yeah, I understand.¡±


    Both Isla and Sylphy are opposed to the fact that the Liberation Army relies too much on my power. Indeed, an organization that relies on the power of one person is not a healthy organization at all. But I think it¡¯s better to use it if possible. Although I don¡¯t mind bondage play, I think it¡¯s something that only a few perverts do.


    ¡°Farmland¡­ isn¡¯t really farmland, but¡­¡±


    After pondering for a bit, Ovis opened his mouth. A fluffy bipedal sheep is kind of cute to look at. The voice is that of a stern old man, though.


    ¡°The wood is very difficult to procure. Bringing it in from the Black Forest would be difficult, and there are no trees growing around here. We have tried several times to bring saplings from the Black Forest and plant them, but they die outside the base even if we water them properly. They grow around the farmland, though¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see¡­ Greening the wilderness, huh? That¡¯s a lot of work.¡±


    ¡°Not really. The land that Kosuke cultivates will allow plants to grow normally in the wilderness. Even if it¡¯s not a farmland block, we tried this at the beginning of the construction of the base.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I remember that. Oh, I see. And now I have this, right?¡±


    Then I took out a hoe from my inventory.


    ?Mithril Hoe +9 (Auto Repair, Efficiency Enhancement III, Range Enhancement III)


    ¡°Eh, what¡¯s with the shiny, high-grade hoe?¡±


    ¡°The magic Mithril Hoe. When wielded by Kosuke, one swing of the hoe will plow an area of approximately one square mile.¡±


    ¡°Err¡­ you¡¯re kidding, right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m not. You¡¯ll see for yourself.¡±


    So, I decided to go outside the base with Ovis and all the other visitors, carrying mithril hoe +9.


    ¡°If we have to go green, where do we start? It¡¯s not good to be too close to the walls, is it?¡±


    ¡°Considering that we¡¯ll be expanding the base later on, it¡¯s better to stay a little further away.¡±


    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s walk a bit. Thanks to the wards that keep the monsters away, Gizma rarely comes near this area.¡±


    We walked for about thirty minutes, listening to any other problems. There didn¡¯t seem to be any urgent problems at the moment, but I heard that some people were a little sickly and some elderly people had bad backs, so I was going to check on them later. Other than that, there were no problems.


    ¡°If we can have a large green space, grazing will go well. If we can make progress in animal husbandry, our diet will improve greatly.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, leave it to me.¡±


    This is where it gets good, so I decided to wield my mithril hoe +9 right away.


    ¡°Sooii!¡±


    The hoe sticks into the ground with a crack. The next moment, a shockwave of sorts erupted, plowing an area about 20 meters wide and 50 meters deep in an instant. When Ovis and the visitors saw this scene, their mouths dropped open in astonishment.


    ¡°I can do this all over again. The tilled soil is now ready for normal crops. Of course, ordinary grasses will also grow.¡±


    ¡°But it doesn¡¯t rain much around here, does it? What about water?¡±


    Even if the soil is good, plants will not grow without water. Irrigation will be necessary.


    ¡°There are many ways to do it. We could draw a canal from the base or make a magic tool that activates the water magic. Since we can make as many magic crystals as we want, the running cost is practically zero.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    The water in the base is provided by multiple infinite water sources, so it is better to draw water from those infinite water sources. In the center of the base, there is a higher water tower than the walls, which uses infinite water sources, so you can also supply water from there. As Isla said, you can also use a magic tool that uses water magic.


    ¡°There is a magic tool that sprays water.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a luxury to use a magic tool to water a field. We can do it because of this base.¡±


    ¡°So you want to start with development? Then I have an idea.¡±


    ¡°Really? Tell me about it later.¡±


    A magic tool like a sprinkler would be good. If you want to generate water with magic, you don¡¯t need plumbing. You can make it look like a stake that you stick into the ground and then devise a structure for the head so that you can replace the magic crystals¡­ No, it¡¯s too much work to replace them one by one. So maybe you can connect them with a conductor that passes magic power and then fit the magic crystals into the parent unit?


    Why don¡¯t we just build water towers with infinite water sources at regular intervals without having to go through all that trouble? I¡¯ll have to consult with Isla about that as well.


    ¡°In the meantime, let¡¯s just keep plowing.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, work hard.¡±


    After this, I plowed the wilderness like crazy. To be honest, it was more difficult to move than to plow.

 CH 155

    Chapter 155 ¨C Historical Sites


    ¡°How do you feel? Does it feel good?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ much better¡­¡±


    It was the evening of the second day after I arrived at the rear base to explore the ancient scriptures. I was lying on the bed getting a massage from Bella, a red oni adventurer. In order to make the area around the rear base more green, I had run around the base a lot and swung my hoe around.


    As a natural consequence, I was exhausted and was limping back home when Shumel and the others came back from gathering information and found me.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to do nothing with all this stuff I got.¡±


    ¡°Bella, why don¡¯t you give him a massage?¡±


    ¡°Me? Well, I don¡¯t mind.¡±


    The next thing I knew, I was being carried to the bed in my bedroom, lying face down and receiving a massage from Bella. The massage felt so good as she rubbed my whole body with just the right amount of force. I felt like the contents of my head were going to leak out.


    Where did Isla and Grande go? What are they doing now? I can¡¯t think of anything else, but it feels so good. Bella¡¯s big hands grabbed my not-so-thin calves and thighs and squeezed them just right. My blood circulation is getting better, and I feel warm and fuzzy all over. I feel like falling asleep.


    ¡°You can sleep if you want. I may roll you onto your back if necessary, but don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    ¡°Uyeyy¡­¡±


    I surrendered to the feeling and let go of my consciousness.


    ¡°Good morning.¡±


    When I woke up to someone shaking me, I saw a large eye peering into my face in the dim darkness. It was Isla.


    ¡°Huh? Um¡­¡±


    I remembered why I was asleep. Bella had given me a massage, and it had felt so good that I had fallen asleep. The light leaking from the living room helped me to see, but it was already dark outside.


    ¡°Sorry, I thought you had a meeting. I was asleep during your meeting.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s okay. It¡¯s over now.¡±


    ¡°Over?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, the meeting¡¯s over. We¡¯re going to explore the point in the northeast that we were talking about yesterday.¡±


    ¡°Really¡­?¡±


    ¡°You look tired, Kosuke. Should I not have decided on my own?¡±


    As Isla showed an uneasy expression, I shook my head.


    ¡°No, no problem. I¡¯ll have to apologize to everyone tomorrow for oversleeping.¡±


    I know she was trying to be considerate, but it would be too bad if the person who suggested that we get together to discuss it fell asleep and skipped the meeting. I¡¯ll have to apologize to Ms. Zamir, Shumel and the others tomorrow.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Isla. And thank you for taking care of me.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yeah.¡±


    In the end, Isla¡¯s expression clouded over, as if it was painful for her to think that I had to apologize to everyone. After patting her on the head, I got out of bed and stretched out.


    ¡°I¡¯m feeling a lot better now. I¡¯m hungry, so I think I¡¯ll eat, take a bath, and go to sleep again.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. I¡¯ll make dinner for Kosuke.¡±


    When I moved to the living room with Isla, who clenched her fists in both hands and got fired up, I found the Harpies and Grande chatting happily about something. They noticed me and greeted me, and waved their hands (wings?) at me.


    ¡°Good morning. It¡¯s already late at night, though. I¡¯m sorry I skipped our meeting.¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry about it. You work very hard during the day.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It was obvious from the sky that you had plowed a lot of lands. You¡¯ve plowed a tremendous amount of land.¡±


    Grande and the Harpies seem to forgive me. I¡¯m really sorry.


    After that, I took a bath with Grande and the Harpies, and after the bath, I ate the dinner that Isla had made for me and went to bed right away. The dinner was light, with slightly sweet barley porridge, fruit, and lukewarm milk. Isla thought it would be best not to put too much weight on our stomachs if we were going to sleep soon.


    Then we all huddled together to sleep on the big bed. The Harpy¡¯s feather quilt was very warm.


    The next day.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about yesterday.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. The only new information was that there was an unnatural rocky area to the southwest.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s a long way away, so it¡¯s better to excavate from the ruins of the building in the northeast.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry about that. You were really fast asleep, and I told myself not to wake you.¡±


    ¡°But it was good. You look like you¡¯re full of energy and vitality.¡±


    In the morning, I bowed to Shumel and Ms. Zamir, who had gathered, and they graciously allowed me to join them. The reason why I¡¯m so full of energy and strength is because last night, we really just slept together. I think it¡¯s good to have a peaceful night like that. I hope we can do it again in Erichburg.


    ¡°So, uh, the destination is about a day and a half on foot, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. If we leave now and camp overnight, we should be able to get there around noon tomorrow, right?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, then. Shumel and the others will be in the front, Isla and I will be in the middle, and Ms. Zamir will be in charge of rearguard?¡±


    ¡°I think that¡¯s fine. What about you, Zamir?¡±


    ¡°I think that¡¯s fine too. Still, it is surprising that Kosuke-dono knows the rules of moving in small groups like this.¡±


    ¡°There are also various things in my world.¡±


    It¡¯s a standard technique in classic TRPGs to place strong characters in front of and behind you when moving in a party in an adventure. I took a bit of a gamble with that, too.


    I¡¯ve also heard that wolf packs move in a line with the strongest and youngest at the front, the weakest in the middle, the second youngest and strongest at the back, and the leader of the strongest pack at the end. If you want to be more specific, the front row is made up of experienced but old individuals who walk around to make decisions about where to go and to control the overall momentum, but I¡¯ll skip that part.


    We proceeded with the Harpies leading the way, pausing every hour and a half to two hours to replenish our fluids and calories. Isla¡¯s stride is small due to her small size, and she has little physical strength, so I carry her on my back. She insisted that she didn¡¯t have a problem with it, but if I were to say that, then carrying Isla on my back would not be a burden at all, so I forced myself to carry her.


    ¡°Watching Kosuke-dono move makes me feel uneasy.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s very good that you don¡¯t shake at all, so I don¡¯t get sick from the motion.¡±


    Yes. I was moving forward without moving my legs most of the time, imagining the W of command action. It¡¯s basically the same as standing still for a long time, so I don¡¯t get tired at all when moving at normal walking speed. I could even do a sort of moonwalk if I wanted to.


    So I kept walking, subtly undermining the sanity of Ms. Zamir, who was watching me from behind, and by noon the next day, we had reached our destination.


    In the wilderness where not a single blade of grass grew, rocks and gravel lay strewn about. In the midst of it all, there were scattered pieces of what appeared to be stone that had clearly been used by people and the remains of a decaying stone building.


    ¡°This is¡­ I wonder what it was?¡±


    ¡°The foundations have collapsed, and it¡¯s hard to imagine from what¡¯s left on the ground. The only thing I can tell you is that it was a large building.¡±


    After getting off my back, Isla touched a rock that looked like it was a piece of stone nearby. Ms. Zamir is standing by our side, and it seems that Shumel and the others have immediately begun to explore the above-ground portion of the ruins to see if there is anything dangerous or suspicious.


    ¡°First, let¡¯s build a base of operations.¡±


    Fortunately, there are many things lying around that could be used as materials. I¡¯ll make the most of it.

 CH 156

    Chapter 156 ¨C Setting Up an Exploration Base and Collaborating with Isla


    Now that we had arrived at our destination, I decided to set up a base for our stay here. After all, a base on stilts is the best way to ensure security and reliability. Even if the enemy attacked, if the base was at a height where the enemy¡¯s attack could not reach, there was no need to be afraid of the enemy¡¯s attack. There are not many things safer than this.


    In that sense, it is also safe to be in an underground base where the enemy can¡¯t recognize you in the first place. An underground base is inevitably oppressive and confining¡­ So that¡¯s why I prefer stilts rather than underground bases. It has a sense of openness.


    I¡¯m in the process of collecting debris from the area with my pickaxe and reusing it to build pillars.


    ¡°Kosuke, didn¡¯t you say you were going to build a farm?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you want a base on stilts?¡±


    ¡°Everything is fine.¡±


    I said to Isla, who tilted her head slightly, and proceeded with the work. Once the pillars are in place, it is time for the foundation. It can be called a platform in the original sense.


    ¡°It¡¯s huge.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s not only me, Isla, the Harpies, and Grande, but also Ms. Zamir, Shumel, and the others, right? If we¡¯re going to make accommodations for everyone, it has to be spacious. Besides, the bigger the space, the more open it feels.¡±


    It was a large platform, 80 meters by 80 meters. In terms of area, it was a little smaller than a soccer field. However, it¡¯s big enough for us to have our own living space.


    First of all, there is a dining hall in the center where we can all eat together. On the west side of the dining hall, there is a large house for me, Isla, the Harpies, and Grande to stay in, and on the east side, there is one house for each of Ms. Zamir and Shumel and the others to stay. The houses have beds to sleep on, writing desks, chairs, and a little storage space.


    The dining room in the center of the house has not only a large table and chairs but also a space with cushions, a thick carpet to lie down on, and a rattan couch with a low table. It¡¯s not a cafeteria, but a living and dining room.


    ¡°The rest is water and a bath.¡±


    ¡°The water will be on the east and west sides, and the bath on the north side.¡±


    ¡°And the south side will be a field?¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    I¡¯m used to this kind of work, so I can make it quickly and easily. The stone I had collected was not enough, so I used the brick blocks I had brought from Erichburg. I also built three toilets, one on each of the east and west sides. The toilets are flushable using an infinite water source and can be stored in the tanks under the platform. I plan to store the tanks in my inventory and dispose of them periodically. If I can get the whole tank into the inventory, I can dismantle it as is!


    Then, I placed a farm block on the south side, surrounded it with brick blocks, planted some seeds, and the base was complete. The main crops to plant are tomatoes and lettuce, which are relatively popular vegetables. Grande eats a lot of hamburgers, so she consumes a lot of them¡­ Well, tomatoes have a lot of uses, and lettuce can be used for almost anything if you want to make a salad, so it¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll plant some other vegetables as well.


    The rest of the team, except for Isla and I, are investigating the ruins. They are trying to find out if there are any underground facilities, if there is anything useful, or if there is an entrance to the underground.


    ¡°We still have some time before everyone comes back, so let¡¯s do some development.¡±


    ¡°Developments?¡±


    Isla, sitting on the couch in the dining room, tilted her head slightly.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to create a means of high-speed transportation that doesn¡¯t rely on Grande. I would like to make something that can travel over rough terrain that is difficult for a horse-drawn carriage.¡±


    ¡°That sounds like fun. Do you have any ideas?¡±


    ¡°I do have some thoughts¡­¡±


    Then I took out a notebook from my inventory and showed her a sketch of a two-wheeled vehicle. I¡¯m not much of an artist, so it¡¯s just a simple sketch.


    ¡°This is the kind of vehicle that was used in my world. When you twist this handle in your hand, the individual engines generate power to move these wheels.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I think we can make one by substituting a golem for the engine. But this one has a lot of parts, so it will be hard to manufacture and maintain.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the thing, isn¡¯t it? This vehicle was basically developed after the mass production of bullets for bolt action rifles became possible. In this world, I¡¯m probably the only one who can make the parts, so even if I did, it would be difficult to use it normally in this world, just like other weapons and stuff in my world.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. But the idea is interesting. Usually, a vehicle is a carriage or a horse. The rest are riding animals that can be ridden like a horse. This vehicle that Kosuke is talking about doesn¡¯t rely on an animal but is powered so that it can move on its own. This is very reasonable.¡±


    ¡°If you have animals towing the vehicle, you¡¯ll also have to load food and water for the animals that will be towing the vehicle.¡±


    Isla nodded greatly at my words.


    ¡°Yes. But if you don¡¯t rely on animals for power, you can carry a lot more cargo. This is very convenient for both trade and military purposes.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s put the cost issue aside for the moment. I mean, if it¡¯s powered by something other than an animal, it would have to be a golem, and if that¡¯s the case, the cost of moving it would have to be magic power.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s true. When it comes to magic power, there are magic stones that can be obtained from monsters, magic crystal stones that are processed from magic stones, and magic crystals that are manufactured in the rear base. All of these are not that difficult to procure nowadays.¡±


    The magic stones and crystal stones are supplied by the adventurers and soldiers of the Liberation Army who defeat monsters every day, and the magic crystals are being manufactured in the rear base. It¡¯s a promotional method of materializing the inexhaustible flow of magical power.


    ¡°So, let¡¯s think about the specifications. What level of performance do you want?¡±


    ¡°Hmm. First, the ability to run on rough terrain.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. That¡¯s the original purpose. Secondly, it must be faster than a horse-drawn carriage.¡±


    ¡°How many people can it carry?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d say a minimum of two and a maximum of six.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the load capacity?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re aiming for the same capacity as a two-horse carriage.¡±


    ¡°That means we¡¯ll have to make it as wide and as long as a two-horse carriage.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. If it¡¯s too wide, we won¡¯t be able to use it on the existing roads.¡±


    This is how Isla and I discussed our ideas and decided on the specifications.


    ?It has the ability to run over rough terrain.


    ?It will be powered by magic.


    ?The number of people allowed to use it is between two and six.


    ?The load capacity and size should be the same as a two-horse carriage.


    ¡°That¡¯s about it?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Okay, let¡¯s start with the ability to drive over rough terrain.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t carriages have the ability to go over rough terrain? Let¡¯s think about that.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. On uneven terrain, the wheels can get buried accidentally or step on a large stone or something, and the axle will break, or the wheels will detach.¡±


    ¡°In other words, the vulnerability of the undercarriage is the problem. To solve this problem, we can use¡­ unbreakable material?¡±


    ¡°Steel? It will be very heavy. If it gets too heavy, it will be buried in the ground and won¡¯t be able to move properly. What did they do in Kosuke¡¯s world?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯d have to make the wheels thicker, cover them with a soft and elastic material, make the axle metal, and then build a mechanism into the axle to minimize friction¡­ In this direction, you¡¯d run into the same problem as the motorcycle I showed you in the sketch.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it will. That¡¯s why I think we need to change the way we think.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, change the idea of¡­ not touching the ground in the first place?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? A flying vehicle?¡±


    ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t have to fly that far. As long as it doesn¡¯t come into contact with the ground, say 20cm or 30cm, it won¡¯t be affected by the ground, right? Maybe you could float a big board the size of a carriage and use wind magic or something to propel it forward. It¡¯s like a ship running on land, so to speak.¡±


    What I have in my mind is a hovercraft. It would be able to run on the plains, in the wilderness, in swamps, and on rivers. It may not be suitable for driving on uneven terrain, but what about a world with magic?


    ¡°There is a magic called levitation. It is a magic that only makes things float, and it is not very useful. You can levitate things, but it doesn¡¯t mean you can move them. It¡¯s only useful for moving heavy things.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good magic. After that, we can add some wind magic to it to give it some propulsion.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to maintain balance with this magic. Anything that floats will easily tip, and there is no effect to bring it back automatically.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, can you adjust the height or something?¡±


    ¡°It can be adjusted with the amount of magic power. Moving up and down is rather easy.¡±


    ¡°If so, why don¡¯t we put the levitation tool and the golem¡¯s eye on the square of the board and use the golem core to control the square so that it maintains a certain distance from the ground? If it is too far from the ground, reduce the magic power supplied to the tool, and if it is too close, increase the magic power. If we do that, we can maintain some balance.¡±


    If the levitation magic can¡¯t detect and compensate for inclination, I think I can manage it by using the golem to control it. The problem is the brakes, but it might be necessary to jet the wind in the opposite direction of travel and force the vehicle to the ground¡­ Well, it¡¯s a vehicle for driving on rough terrain in the first place, so it might not need such strict brakes.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I can¡¯t say for sure until we try.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s make an experimental machine first. A small one.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, experimentation is important.¡±


    That¡¯s why Isla and I decided to experiment with a wooden board the size of a seat cushion. It would be difficult for just the two of us to develop it, but I think it¡¯s good to try things out.


    Eventually, we would like to make something like an air bike. Air bikes and air boards are a man¡¯s dream, aren¡¯t they?

 CH 157

    Chapter 157 ¨C Prototype Air Bike


    They say that failure is the basis of success.


    When we fail, we should reflect on the cause of the failure and improve our methods and shortcomings, which will lead to our ultimate success or something like that. In other words, what is the point? You know what I mean, right?


    ¡°Ugh¡­ ueekk.¡±


    ¡°Fight, Kosuke.¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯ve got this¡­ orororo.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s dirty, Kosuke.¡±


    I feel like I¡¯ve been having a bad relationship with vehicles lately¡­ No, this may be a normal part of vehicle development.


    In conclusion, by attaching the levitation tool to the square of the board, we were able to avoid the board from leaning too much. However, we cannot put the golem eye that measures the height on the square and keep correcting it to maintain a certain distance from the ground.


    If it¡¯s moving on a flat surface like a paved road, there¡¯s no problem, but if it¡¯s moving in the wilderness, it¡¯s shaking like a ship in a storm. I felt sluggish within five minutes.


    Undeterred by our failure, Isla and I continued to make improvements. How about reducing the frequency of correction by the golem eye? How about using four sensor locations, front, back, left, and right, instead of a square? Wouldn¡¯t it be better to have a single sensor in the center? In other words, don¡¯t we need a sensor? It took me too long to realize that.


    That¡¯s right; there was no need for the sensor correction in the first place.


    This levitation magic was designed to maintain the height according to the amount of magic power based on the location where it was first activated, no matter how much it moved. The magic itself contained a formula to memorize the reference point of altitude. There was no need to go to the trouble of installing sensors in the square, updating the altitude reference point in real-time, and correcting the tilt.


    In other words, we set up the levitation tool in a square to keep the balance of the object we wanted to levitate and placed the sensor in the lower center of the vehicle to measure the reference point when it is first activated. The sensor that measures the reference point when it is first activated is placed at the bottom center of the vehicle. All that was needed was a mechanism to equalize and control the amount of magic power flowing into the magic tool.


    It was a roundabout way to go and a painful waste of time and effort.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I haven¡¯t used levitation much.¡±


    ¡°No¡­ it¡¯s good that it turned out to be a success. You were able to reconfirm the magic principle of levitation. But I wonder what would happen if we used it on top of a high mountain or something?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­? I have never done it before.¡±


    If you use levitation on top of a high mountain and move towards the bottom, will you be able to maintain the altitude¡­.? If the point where you used levitation is the reference point, then theoretically, you¡¯d have to try¡­ to find out. I have a feeling it won¡¯t work that way.


    ¡°Anyway, now we have a cargo bed that doesn¡¯t shake and isn¡¯t affected by the ground. It can be used as a tool to carry heavy things, right?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, even a child can carry a carriage full of heavy things with this.¡±


    In fact, we put heavy objects on this experimental device, which was the size of a seat cushion, and even Isla was able to move the objects with ease. However, the larger the load, the more magic power it consumes, so if the magic power suddenly runs out while transporting a heavy object, a major accident could occur. Some kind of safety device would have to be installed.


    ¡°Next is the propulsion system. I have a plan for this. I just need Isla¡¯s cooperation.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll cooperate.¡±


    ¡°Yes, thank you. As a court mage, Isla¡¯s cooperation is essential. You know wind magic, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s wind magic that just makes the wind blow, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s the simplest kind of wind magic.¡±


    When Isla pointed her fingertips at me, a light breeze blew into my face from her fingertips.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it. I wonder how it¡¯s generated?¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Isla tilted her head at my words.


    ¡°No, wind is the flow of air, right? It¡¯s not like the air is coming from your fingertips; it¡¯s probably gathering air from around you and releasing it through your fingertips. Can you keep blowing air out of your fingertips for a minute?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, okay.¡±


    After a lot of experimentation, I found out that wind magic is indeed gathering magic from the surrounding area and spewing it out of fingertips or the tip of a wand.


    ¡°I have learned the truth¡­ that I thought I knew, but I actually know nothing about magic.¡±


    ¡°Well, I suppose it doesn¡¯t really matter when it comes to the normal use of magic, does it? But, hmm.¡±


    I learned that some wind magic gathers the surrounding air and releases it in a certain direction. Eh? You didn¡¯t understand the magic? The magic of shooting invisible wind blades and compressed air bullets is beyond my knowledge¡­ What kind of principle is that? I don¡¯t know anything about it.


    Anyway, what I have tested this time is a magic that shoots wind from the fingertips or the wand¡¯s tip. This is a magic that gathers air from the surroundings and releases it in a certain direction. In principle, it is the same as a jet engine. However, there is a clear difference between it and a jet engine.


    ¡°I knew something was wrong.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s like a strong wind spell, where the wind blows so hard it blows you away.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. With the higher wind pressure magic, you could literally be blown away.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s not just that¡­ it was dangerous. So, if you¡¯re using magic that can blow up an entire person, why isn¡¯t Isla being blown up?¡±


    ¡°¡­..?¡±


    Since the jet is formed by taking in air from the surroundings, there must be a reaction to it. If you think about the law of action and reaction, it is logical that you should also be blown away by the air jet. I have already confirmed that the third law of motion is functioning normally in this world. So, I explained the law of action-reaction to Isla and explained that it doesn¡¯t make sense for her not to be blown up.


    ¡°¡­Is it because it¡¯s magic?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t give up! You shouldn¡¯t give up there! Why are you giving up right there?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m saying.¡±


    If you¡¯re convinced that this is the way it is, that¡¯s the end of the story. No, there is a way to get propulsion even as it is now, though, right? If you set up a sail on a levitation board (which I just named) and blow wind on it with wind magic, you can complete a ship that runs on land. But by figuring out the wonders of this wind magic, we should be able to create a faster, more efficient propulsion system.


    ¡°In other words, there must be some kind of recoil-canceling formula built into the wind magic. You see, even the Harpies and dragons like Grande fly with wind magic, right? But if you think about it with the common sense of normal wind magic, it¡¯s strange, right? That way.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s strange. The magic efficiency is obviously¡­ something like that?¡±


    ¡°Have you noticed anything?


    In other words, that¡¯s what I¡¯m trying to say. This is probably the secret of the flying method used by the races that use magic power to fly, like the Harpies and Grande. They are able to fly for a long time with surprisingly little magic power consumption. It¡¯s obvious that they use magic to fly, and we know that it¡¯s wind magic.


    But from the common sense of magic, it¡¯s strange that these girls can fly. If they were to maintain the power output of wind magic to keep their bodies afloat, they would consume too much magic power and would not be able to fly for such a long time. As for the dragon, they are huge. No matter how much more magic power a dragon possesses than a human being, can they continue to fly at ease? That¡¯s the question.


    ¡°¡­Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°¡­It was more impressive than I imagined.¡±


    After contemplating something for a while, Isla said that she would try to shoot advanced strong wind magic, so I set up a fluffy straw block behind her and let her try out the new magic while I supported her from behind.


    As a result, Isla and I both flew backward and crashed into the straw block.


    ¡°It¡¯s fun to learn new things when I¡¯m with Kosuke.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t feel bad when you say so, but please be careful. This time, I knew that the reaction would probably blow you away, so I was able to take precautions beforehand. Don¡¯t mess around with other magic to activate it and cause a major accident, okay?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I know. I¡¯m still a long way from exploring the truth, but I¡¯m still a former court mage. And I¡¯m a lot older than Kosuke. No need to worry.¡±


    Isla stretches her small breasts out with straw scraps on her head. Well, Isla is a thoughtful person¡­ isn¡¯t she? Sometimes in the heat of the moment, she can¡¯t see what¡¯s going on around her¡­ I¡¯m worried.


    ¡°In any case, we now have the propulsion system in place. As for the structure¡­ a simple tube shape is fine at first.¡±


    There may be a more suitable shape, but for the time being, a cylindrical shape will do.


    ¡°Can I use wind magic, minus the recoil-removal technique, inside this tube?¡±


    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s fine. Is it possible to reverse the direction of the jet?¡±


    If you can reverse the direction of the jet, you might be able to use it as a brake. Let¡¯s see what we can do about the brake problem. First of all, it has to physically touch the ground¡­ Or, is it possible to use air resistance to make an air brake? No, it¡¯s not a mechanism, but how do you get that much air resistance? The first thing to do is to use a normal ground brake.


    ¡°It¡¯s possible. I¡¯ll make it so that the power output can be adjusted, just like the levitation magic tool.¡±


    ¡°Maybe we can make the output adjustable on both sides. I think we can turn with the difference in power.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, okay.¡±


    It would be better to add a directional rudder at the rear. It might be better if the power difference between left and right is linked to the directional control. This can be thrown to the research and development department.


    While Isla was working on the magic tools for propulsion, I was working on the ground-based primitive braking mechanism and the body to hold them. The body of the vehicle is just a wooden board about the size of a seat cushion that has been replaced with a wooden board about the size of two tatami mats and a levitation magic tool attached to the square.


    ¡°It¡¯s done.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s make the golem core for output adjustment and the control mechanism.¡±


    I don¡¯t intend to make the control mechanism too complicated. Should I name the wind magic tools¡­ attached to the left and right levers on the left and right sides of the body? The official name should be Wind Magic Propulsion System. Just propulsion system is fine.


    The left and right levers can be used to adjust the output of the left and right propulsion units. Tilt it forward to move forward; the more you tilt it, the more the power increases, and tilt it backward to move backward. When the left and right levers are tilted outward, the plane rises, and when they are tilted inward, the plane descends. By descending, the plane touches the ground and also acts as a brake.


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s a little awkward.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a prototype, so it can¡¯t be helped.¡±


    The design of the prototype is similar to that of a certain blue cat-shaped robot time machine, and this was not an accident. If it is to travel at high speed, it will need a windshield to protect the pilot from wind and flying objects, and the design will be refined. It¡¯s just an experimental device, you know. [T/n: Doraemon time machine.]


    ¡°All right, let¡¯s get this thing running.¡±


    ¡°Be careful.¡±


    ¡°I got it.¡±


    As long as it doesn¡¯t kill me instantly, I¡¯ll be fine. I seem to have become surprisingly strong since I came here.


    The first step is to press the activation switch to start supplying magic power to each of the magic tools. The next step is to push the left and right levers outward to raise the aircraft off the ground.


    ¡°That¡¯s it for now.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s floating.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s try the vertical movement first.¡±


    I pushed the left and right levers inward and outward to raise and lower the prototype levitation device. There seemed to be no problem.


    ¡°Okay, no problem. Now let¡¯s start testing the wind magic propulsion system.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    The experiment on its own has already been a success. The first one was blown far away because the propulsion was too strong. I decided not to go looking for it because it was too much trouble. Since I flew towards the Black Forest, at least there is no chance of any secrets leaking out to the people of the Holy Kingdom¡­ Yes, I apologize for being so careless.


    Aside from that, move the left and right levers forward. The output can be adjusted in four stages depending on the angle at which the levers are turned down.


    ¡°Oh, good, good, good.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s working fine.¡±


    At the lowest power, the vehicle moves through the wilderness with a swoosh. It seems that at the lowest power, the speed is about the same as a person walking. It can also turn by varying the power of its left and right propulsion units.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s try to get some speed.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, be careful.¡±


    When I pushed both levers forward one more time, it became as fast as running. When turning, the inertia of the ship causes it to skid, and it takes some getting used to for precise control.


    I raised the altitude of the prototype for high-speed navigation. I didn¡¯t want to get hurt by hitting a rock or something.


    ¡°Whoa! Waee! Ouch!¡±


    When I raised the altitude and put it into the highest gear, the fourth gear, it was faster than I expected. I think I was going at least 50km/h. The wind on my face was strong, and more importantly, the dust from the wilderness hitting my face hurt. After all, the vehicle itself needs wind protection or goggles, masks, or full-face helmets for the passengers.


    After realizing this, I slowed down and returned to Isla¡¯s place.


    ¡°I¡¯ll ride next.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good, but you¡¯d better keep it to third gear. It¡¯s hard with the wind blowing in your face and the dust hitting your face.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve got magic.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s one way to do it!¡±


    There¡¯s no need to install a windshield. The wind barrier magic will take care of it. Maybe I can build it into the body. I¡¯ve never thought of using magic to prevent that.


    Isla¡¯s prototype levitation device ¨D that¡¯s a long story too. I¡¯ll just call it a prototype air bike. We get on the prototype air bike and ride out into the wilderness. Hmm, Isla is a careful driver. She¡¯s not the type of person who changes her personality when she gets behind the wheel.


    When Isla returned a few moments later, she looked very satisfied.


    ¡°This is a good one. When this is mass-produced, it will revolutionize travel in this world.¡±


    ¡°You have to be careful not to get into a traffic accident¡­ It¡¯s faster than a carriage, so it could lead to a serious accident.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. In addition, if they are captured by the Holy Kingdom, they may be imitated. The technology itself is just a product of this world.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ Well, I think it¡¯s inevitable that this will happen if it becomes widely used.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. But this¡­¡±


    ¡°Prototype air bike.¡±


    ¡°Some of the technology used in the prototype air bike can be used for military purposes, and the prototype air bike itself can be easily converted to military use. We have to be careful.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    I wonder if a wind magic propulsion system or something like that could be incorporated into a spear to make it as powerful as a ballista without a launcher? Of course, the shape would have to be devised for speed and stability in flight.


    If you combine it with gunpowder, explosives, or magic tools that contain explosive magic, you can create a powerful weapon. I¡¯ve made anti-tank rockets myself, but when it comes to the propulsive power of the warhead, a wind magic propulsion system might be less expensive in terms of technology and materials if made with the technology of this world.


    ¡°Besides, the technique used to eliminate the recoil of wind magic¡­ may also be dangerous if it is known.¡±


    ¡°Dangerous?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet. But, it might be possible to create a new magic.¡±


    Then Isla pondered. Magic that erases recoil, huh¡­? I don¡¯t know the principle, but it sure looks like it could be used for something.

 CH 158

    Chapter 158 ¨C Hard-Headed Oni


    ¡°What is this!? What is this!?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a prototype for a new vehicle that Isla and I have been working on. Prototype air bike¡­ No, airboard? It¡¯s not a hoverboard because it¡¯s not really hovering¡­ And a levitation board is too long. So just air board is fine, I guess.¡±


    Bella is very excited in front of the prototype air bike or airboard, and Shumel and Tozume are looking at it with indescribable expressions. Ms. Zamir is also looking at the prototype airboard with great interest.


    ¡°Is this a vehicle?¡±


    ¡°It does have a seat or something like that.¡±


    ¡°How does it work?¡±


    ¡°¡­?¡±


    ¡°The vehicle ¡­¡­ my specialty has been taken away¡­¡±


    The Harpies seemed to be looking at the prototype airboard from a distance. You know what I mean, you guys. When I say prototype, I really mean that it was made for testing purposes and not for safety reasons.


    And, Grande, you don¡¯t have to look so desperate. Not that I mean to, but you don¡¯t have to find your worth in the vehicle aspect.


    The reason why there is such a commotion is because Isla stopped moving as she started to think about the new magic, and I was working on developing goggles and such. Then everyone who had been investigating the ruins and the surrounding area came back and found the prototype airboard. And that is how we ended up here.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see it in action, shall we?¡±


    With that, I put on my goggles and mask, turned on the prototype airboard, and slowly started running around.


    ¡°Ooohh! That¡¯s amazing! It floats and moves so fast!¡±


    Thanks for the intuitive explanation. Maybe it¡¯s because there is no friction with the ground since it¡¯s not touching the ground, but once it reaches a certain speed, it can move a lot due to inertia. If you incorporate wind barrier magic that can reduce air resistance, you can travel long distances with outstanding fuel efficiency.


    The Levitation doesn¡¯t seem to be floating in the same way as a hover, but how is it floating? Is it falsifying its mass? Or is it some kind of anti-gravity method? Is it giving the object buoyancy¡­?


    It¡¯s a mystery. Is it better not to think about the details because it¡¯s magic? Maybe it¡¯s better not to think about it, but to feel it? I think I¡¯m beginning to understand why Isla calls my abilities ¡°absurd.¡± Magic is absurd. If I said this to Isla, she would probably punch me in the stomach with all her might.


    I returned to the others, slowed down while using reverse thrust, grounded, and applied the brakes. The brakes are the problem, after all.


    ¡°This is how it works. We built it to be able to move at high speed over rough terrain. As you can see, we¡¯ve got a rough sketch, and now we just need to work out the details!¡±


    ¡°I want to ride it too!¡±


    Bella raises her hand in excitement. It¡¯s a prototype, so it¡¯s not very safe, and I don¡¯t want it to get destroyed, so please refrain from using it.


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    She looked at me with a huge sparkle in her eyes. I can¡¯t help when people look at me with such sparkling anticipation.


    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t crash it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t ever crash it. It¡¯s just a prototype.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay!¡±


    I taught Bella how to operate the prototype airboard, which she got into with great enthusiasm. She¡¯s listening to me, but I¡¯m not sure if she understands what I¡¯m saying. I¡¯m very worried¡­ No, it has only two levers, and the only thing you can do with them is to fold them forward, backward, both outward and inward.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you again, don¡¯t ever bump it. Don¡¯t pretend to, okay? Don¡¯t ever hit anything! Drive safely!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay! Alright, I¡¯ll start!¡±


    ¡°Oh, you idiot! Why would you suddenly go all out on both sides? Get more altitude!¡±


    The propulsion devices installed on the left and right of the prototype airboard spewed out the wind with great force, accelerating the prototype airboard with Bella on board to launch at great speed. And then¡­


    ¡°Whoaaaaaa!?¡±


    ¡°Aaaaahhhh!¡±


    The airboard crashed into a rock. It took less than ten seconds from the start to the crash.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    ¡°Ugh¡­ I hope you¡¯ll forgive me.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±


    An Oni dressed in a mini-skirt maid¡¯s uniform with a wooden tag around her neck that reads ¡°I destroyed a valuable prototype¡± was sitting on the ground with her face down. Next to her, I was repairing a prototype airboard that had been badly damaged.


    I rarely get angry, but this time I¡¯m really upset. I was furious. I¡¯ve warned her repeatedly, and yet this happened. It was unforgivable. Isn¡¯t it too light a punishment to make her wear a mini-skirt maid outfit and sit on the ground? Maybe I should put some gravel underneath and put a heavy stone on her knees.


    ¡°This might be the first time I¡¯ve seen Kosuke-san this angry.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. He¡¯s really angry¡­¡±


    At some distance away, Shumel and Pirna are watching us.


    The wreckage of the prototype airboard is¡­ well, the damage to the board itself is nothing. It¡¯s just a wooden board. However, it was troublesome that the propulsion device on the left side and the circuit that transmits magic power to the propulsion device were broken.


    Well, the repair itself is not so bad because it seems to be able to be repaired with the repair function of the blacksmithing facility. It takes time, though.


    ¡°You know, I¡¯m mad at you for breaking it, but I¡¯m even madder because it was a close call. It¡¯s fortunate that it was a rock that you struck, but if it had been Isla or the Harpies, they could have been killed instantly. It¡¯s also dangerous for you to be on it. If there was a rock in the way you were thrown out, you could have been seriously injured. A bad hit could have killed you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry¡­¡±


    If it had been the petite and slender Isla and the Harpies, they might have died instantly, no joke. Despite all of my warnings, this Oni is such a hard-headed girl.


    Should I stop making vehicles that can travel at high speed? I can see a future where serious traffic accidents will occur here and there. It would be better if it could be treated like a horse-drawn carriage, but since it is easier to speed up than a horse-drawn carriage¡­ if it is to be mass-produced and deployed in the Liberation Army, it might require a training school and a licensing system.


    ¡°Well, I think I can manage to fix it¡­ You¡¯re going to sit there for a while. So, how was the exploration?¡±


    ¡°As far as I could see from the sky, there is no entrance to the underground.¡±


    ¡°I guess we¡¯ll have to dig.¡±


    ¡°I see. How did the surface team do?¡±


    ¡°We checked the remains, and it looks like it was a pretty big facility. The rear base was definitely the former royal castle and considering that it is about a day and a half to two days¡¯ walk from there, it might be the remains of a satellite city or a lodging town or something.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to imagine¡­ a facility in the royal capital.¡±


    ¡°Because the distance is too great. I thought it might be a defense facility, but if it was a defense facility, I think the Elves at the time would have thoroughly destroyed it, so it¡¯s not like the remains are still there. The same reason I don¡¯t think it was a political facility such as a lord¡¯s mansion.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    I nodded in agreement with Ms. Zamir¡¯s report. Those elders would indeed destroy any defense facility or lord¡¯s mansion without mercy. The quirkiest place to start is¡­ with an orphanage, hospital, or educational facility. If so, maybe we¡¯ll find what we¡¯re looking for.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been exploring the basement a bit, and I¡¯ve found a few things that seem to be man-made spaces. As a Grand Dragon, I¡¯m very good at finding such things.¡±


    Grande puffed out her chest as she continued to follow Ms. Zamir¡¯s words.


    ¡°However, many of them are old and fragile. I didn¡¯t dig them up because I¡¯m not very good at delicate work. But I did mark them out for you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s great. Well done! As expected of Grande!¡±


    ¡°Mufufu, that¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. You can praise me more for being reliable, can¡¯t you?¡±


    As she approached me, I stroked her horned head. She seemed to be happy. Her tail is thumping against the ground. Grande is so cute and easy to understand.


    ¡°We will have cheeseburgers for dinner tonight. And for dessert, we¡¯ll have pancakes with lots of cream and jam.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, really.¡±


    ¡°Yay!¡±


    Grande spun around on the spot to show her joy. Then I was hit by the spinning tail and blown away. It hurts a lot.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±


    ¡°Ha-haha¡­ it¡¯s nothing. Just be careful next time.¡±


    I think I heard a terrible sound coming from my ribs, but it was probably just my imagination. It doesn¡¯t hurt to breathe. Since I came to this world and my level has risen, my body has become more and more inhuman, so it is possible that I am healing at a faster rate. The survivor skill has also increased my recovery speed.


    I¡¯ll drink a life potion later, just in case.


    ¡°This way, too, the maintenance of the base has been completed. As you can see, it¡¯s quite a large base on stilts. There are ladders on each pillar, so use them to climb up.¡±


    Gizma can¡¯t climb ladders. It would not be a good idea to have ladders on every pillar if you are dealing with humans, but there will be no one attacking here, so we will focus on convenience.


    I led everyone up to the top. It would be a pity to leave her alone, so I let the hard-headed Oni come up too. The first one to go up.


    ¡°Haha, you wore something pretty cute.¡±


    ¡°Is it a cat?¡±


    ¡°Ugh¡­ it¡¯s humiliating.¡±


    ¡°Not that I want to see it either, but¡­¡±


    The hard-head Oni, who had everyone admiring her underwear with a cute cat back print, was sulking in the corner of the dining room. This is about a good punishment for her. I¡¯m not going to do anything devilish as to make her skip meals or anything like that. She would have to spend the rest of the day in her mini-skirt maid outfit, though!


    The rest of the day¡¯s work ended with a quick tour of the facility. I asked everyone to take off their gear and rest in something comfortable. Everyone seems to be keeping their weapons close at hand, though, as you never know what might happen in the middle of the wilderness.


    What about Isla, you ask? I don¡¯t know, but she¡¯s been whispering and thinking of new magic. She said she¡¯s going to come up with something revolutionary, but I wonder what kind of magic she¡¯ll come up with.

 CH 159

    Chapter 159 ¨C Preparing To Enter


    After dinner with Grande¡¯s favorite food, we started our excavation work in the morning the next day.


    Last night? It was a peaceful sleep, yeah. Isla was lost in thought, all the Harpies were tired, and Grande was hungry and asleep. After putting Isla to sleep, we all slept peacefully together until morning.


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s dig.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡±


    ¡°I leave it to you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m counting on you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll help!¡±


    Grande is a real angel who wants to help in this situation. Since she is an angel, let¡¯s pat her on the head and give her a candy bar. But Grande can¡¯t take it well, so let¡¯s not make her do it. I¡¯ll take care of it, and you can lick the candy quietly.


    The first thing I did was dig roughly with my Mithril shovel +9. This shovel can dig up soil that is 20 meters wide, 50 meters deep, and 1 meter thick. However, I can¡¯t really control it. In some cases, the buried treasure may be crushed by the rocks on top of it, so it can only be used for rough purposes.


    That¡¯s why I made a set of shovels with various materials.


    The Mithril Shovel +9 is a mithril shovel with a magic sparkling stone, but by changing the materials used to add the magic sparkling stone and magic crystals, and by adding magic iron, magic steel, and ordinary steel shovels instead of mithril, I was able to create shovels that can be used for a variety of purposes.


    After a quick dig, I asked Grande and Isla to investigate the ground, and I proceeded to dig towards the artificial space I wanted.


    ¡°I feel like I¡¯m looking at something amazing.¡±


    ¡°I wonder how it works¡­¡±


    As I worked, I switched to the various shovels that I had registered as shortcut keys, and Bella and Tozume, who were watching, were astonished for some reason. I wondered what they were surprised about.


    ¡°If you use that ability, you¡¯ll be able to switch from one weapon to another during battle.¡±


    ¡°It would be annoying if someone could switch from sword to spear, spear to axe, axe to dagger, dagger to two-handed sword in no time¡­¡±


    ¡°If Kosuke-dono learns martial arts, he will surely become a great warrior.¡±


    I don¡¯t plan on doing that. Why should I bother wielding a broadsword when I have a gun? I¡¯m not a soldier of a certain country who bayonets assault in the 21st century. There¡¯s no need to use melee weapons unless you¡¯re getting too close. I have machine pistols, shotguns, submachine guns, and assault rifles.


    I actually have a mithril shortsword registered as a shortcut, though that¡¯s a secret. It¡¯s survivor¡¯s nature to not be able to let go of melee weapons even when you have a full arsenal of ranged weapons¡­


    ¡°Oh, looks like I hit the jackpot!¡±


    The power of the shovel revealed a stone material that was clearly man-made. I carefully dug through the dirt to make my way to a good entry point.


    ¡°It¡¯s a sturdy looking stone wall. What are we going to do?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that obvious? Kosuke.¡±


    ¡°Aiyo.¡±


    I swung my Mithril pickaxe +9 and made a hole in the wall I dug out. A stone wall of this size is just one swing. It¡¯s dark inside the collapsed wall, and you can¡¯t see a thing. I¡¯ll need some light.


    ¡°Isla?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I¡¯ll use lighting magic.¡±


    When Isla mumbled something, a ball of light the size of a softball was generated and drifted inside. It drifted into the interior. It was a corridor of stone walls. It seems that I made a hole in the corridor wall to get in.


    ¡°Now, is there anything we are looking for?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I hope so.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t go in yet. I¡¯ll use a magic spell to check if it¡¯s full of poisonous air.¡±


    As Isla said that, a colored ball of light and a kind of magic circle are dancing in her hand. I don¡¯t understand how she grasps information with that, but she says she can use it to check for poisonous gas, toxic mold, or spores inside. The power of magic is amazing!


    I wonder if I should make a toxin detector one of these days. If I can make it compact enough, adventurers might be interested in it. No, would it be quicker to make a gas mask? If you combine it with magic, you can make a poisonous respirator that can be used in all environments, even underwater exploration.


    ¡°It¡¯s done¡­ but there are a lot of magical reactions inside.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Is that a treasure?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s possible that it¡¯s a magical artifact from the Omit Kingdom. But I could also confirm that some of them are moving. The inside of this ruin must have been a completely closed environment. So, let¡¯s assume it¡¯s a monster.¡±


    ¡°Some kind of undead?¡±


    Ms. Zamir, carrying a newly made mithril alloy short spear, bared her fangs. It¡¯s scary. But she is laughing, isn¡¯t she?


    ¡°Probably. Or perhaps golems, dragon fang soldiers, or some other magical creature.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, dragon fang soldiers, huh¡­? Are they puppets made from the fangs of dragons?¡±


    Grande, who removed her protective bracelets, said that and clutched her hands with vicious claws. These days, it seems, she has learned to control her strength and can handle close combat without problems. However, it seems that she is still unable to control attacks that use magic power, so it is forbidden to use them in enclosed spaces.


    In fact, I was going to ask her to wait on the surface with the Harpies, but she said she had no time to stay on the surface, so she decided to come with me.


    Incidentally, the party for exploring the ruins this time consisted of me, Isla, Ms. Zamir, three demon-type girls, and Grande. Since it is impossible to use explosives or fly in the narrow underground space, the Harpies had to stay at the base. They said they would take care of the fields.


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s check our equipment before we go in. We¡¯ll go in when we¡¯re done.¡±


    ¡°Copy that.¡±


    We all replied to Shumel¡¯s words, and each of us began the final check before going in.


    This time, my equipment is a set of Wyvern leather armor that I made together with Shumel¡¯s equipment, a submachine gun with a suppressor, and a pump-action shotgun. I also brought a mithril shortsword.


    The submachine gun I brought this time is a submachine gun from the land of hamburgers, nicknamed the greasing tool. It has a .45 caliber and 30 rounds. It has a thin steel stock and a long, box-shaped magazine that can be used as a foregrip.


    The low initial velocity of the .45 caliber ammunition and the suppressor work well together to muffle the sound. In this case, I wasn¡¯t looking for secrecy, but I chose this gun with a suppressor to muffle the sound because banging out a gunshot in an enclosed space surrounded by stone walls would hurt my ears and would surely be a big nuisance to the people around me.


    In fact, I wanted to use a more advanced version that uses 9mm bullets, but this one was much cheaper in terms of cost¡­ This is a design that specializes in mass production. The .45 caliber bullets had plenty of offensive power, so it was hard to find a better option when it came to escorting and covering Isla and defending myself.


    As for the shotgun, I¡¯ll spare you the details. I¡¯m not going to fire it unless it¡¯s an emergency situation because if I do, it¡¯s guaranteed to make a huge noise. In the first place, since there are four excellent vanguards, there should be no chance to fire this gun.


    It is the nature of a survivor to be prepared for any eventuality. Please forgive me. I don¡¯t feel comfortable leaving out any of the preparations that can be made¡­ I have shortcuts for more powerful assault rifles and rocket launchers, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be shooting any of them.


    Eh? A suppressor for a shotgun? It seems to be possible to make one, but at a cost, right? For some reason, compared to suppressors for assault rifles, submachine guns, and pistols, the cost is more than five times higher. I wonder why?


    The main reason why they didn¡¯t make them for assault rifles was because of the size of the sound reduction effect. Unless you use special subsonic ammunition, the sound reduction effect is inevitably low¡­ It¡¯s a good idea to have a suppressor on handguns and submachine guns that use ACP ammunition.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    Tozume tilted her head to look at the silenced submachine gun I was holding in my hand. She seemed to be curious about the unfamiliar weapon.


    ¡°It¡¯s like a bow that can fire a series of metal arrowheads at high speed. It¡¯s a weapon from my world.¡±


    ¡°Oh, a gun. I¡¯m curious to see what it looks like.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to see it in action too, so I¡¯ll shoot it when I get a chance.¡±


    The bullets are specially prepared, so they should be effective against the undead, who are immune to simple physical attacks. It¡¯s a full metal jacket bullet coated with mithril silver alloy. Mithril silver alloy has a higher hardness and lower extensibility, making it much more practical as a jacket material than ordinary silver.


    Cost is an issue, though! I¡¯ve only prepared five magazines of special mithril silver bullets or a total of 150 rounds, so if possible, I¡¯d like to see them appear in magical creatures instead of undead. I¡¯m desperate.


    ¡°But is there such a thing as an underground facility where magical creatures are stationed?¡±


    ¡°The Omit Kingdom was in a state of war at the time, and there are records that the security was quite disturbed at the end of the war. It seems that there were quite a few facilities where magical creatures were placed to prevent bandits.¡±


    ¡°The Elver has been attacking, and the security has deteriorated¡­ it¡¯s hell.¡±


    Isla answered Ms. Zamir¡¯s question, and I was taken aback, imagining what it was like back then.


    ¡°But it¡¯s not necessarily magical creatures that are here. It is more likely that they are former inhabitants who were buried alive and turned into undead due to the pain and resentment of dying from starvation or dehydration. That¡¯s more natural.¡±


    ¡°Ugh¡­ I¡¯m not very good with the undead. Sometimes they can¡¯t be attacked with weapons.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay since you have the new weapons that Kosuke made for you. They¡¯re all made of magic steel and mithril alloy.¡±


    Weapons made of iron, steel, mithril, and their alloys are effective against so-called ¡°normal weapons ineffective¡± monsters. In that sense, these weapons are precious for archaeological explorers who sometimes have to deal with the undead.


    ¡°I have my own magic. No problem.¡±


    Isla snaps and sparks her magic. It¡¯s easy to forget that Isla is a former court mage who can use powerful destructive magic because she doesn¡¯t usually show this kind of behavior. In terms of simple attack power, she is probably the best among the three, surpassing even me.


    ¡°If you leave it to me, I can take care of the undead and magical creatures with ease.¡±


    Grande also asserts herself. Indeed, Grande alone will be able to punch undead and magical creatures alike. I¡¯ve heard that Dragon¡¯s claws and fangs can tear apart spirits and monsters that are immune to conventional weapons without any special effort. Dragons are awesome.


    ¡°Are you finished checking your equipment? Then let¡¯s go.¡±


    With that, Shumel was the first to step into the ruins, followed by the rest of us.


    Now, the dungeon attack begins.

 CH 160

    Chapter 160 ¨C Are They Zombies?


    Zombies.


    It is a familiar existence for survivalists. It is a very useful character that plays the role of the enemy in many survival games.


    They are usually depicted as walking corpses, but recently there have been many that not only walk around but also run at speeds that would make a sprinter look like an idiot. In my opinion, the running type is evil. I believe that the fear of zombies comes down to two things: their numbers and the fact that if they bite you, you¡¯re screwed.


    The reason why we are afraid of running zombies is because we have a common sense that zombies are supposed to walk slowly, and we are surprised and scared when that common sense is broken. In other words, zombies walking slowly is the right way, and zombies running is the wrong way.


    What am I talking about all of a sudden? You can imagine what I¡¯m talking about so far, right?


    ¡°To hell with the running zombies! Dieeeee!¡±


    With a dry bang, bang, bang, the lead bullets fired at supersonic speed shot down the moving corpses that were running towards us.


    ¡°Kosuke, those aren¡¯t zombies. Those are ghouls.¡±


    Isla points out my mistake as she casts a thunderbolt spell on the incoming zombies ¨C or rather, ghouls. Even if you say so, the father will not be fooled. You think as long as you don¡¯t use the word ¡°zombie,¡± like ¡°infected,¡± ¡°runner,¡± ¡°mutant,¡± or ¡°ghoul,¡± it will be forgiven. [T/n: To be honest, I don¡¯t know why he said father here (Otou-san)]


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that weapon of yours really strong, Kosuke-san?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s like firing a longbow at close range. It¡¯s a very powerful weapon.¡±


    Bella and Ms. Zamir are slashing and stabbing the ghouls with their axes and short spears, respectively, while evaluating the suppressor submachine guns I¡¯m firing. You guys have a lot of leeways.


    ¡°But there¡¯s so many of them¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t really want to think about how we got into this situation.¡±


    Shumel and Tozume were wielding a gold shattering rod and a warhammer, respectively, reaping the rewards of the ghouls. These ghouls are said to be the result of starving people. That¡¯s already nearly two dozen¡­ and I don¡¯t even want to think about what really happened to them.


    ¡°But what kind of facility was this¡­?¡±


    I replaced the magazine that had been fired and prepared for another fire. The submachine gun¡¯s box magazine holds thirty rounds, but if I keep firing, I¡¯ll soon run out of ammunition. This submachine gun can only be fired in full-auto mode, so it is important to keep in mind that you should not keep the trigger pulled. Even if you use full-automatic fire, you¡¯ll waste a lot of ammo.


    ¡°The underground facility is quite large. It can hold a lot of people. It¡¯s a very unique situation to have so many people buried alive and starving to death. We can expect that this underground facility was used as an evacuation shelter or something. However, I have no idea what the remains of the building on top were.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe so many people couldn¡¯t escape. They¡¯re too weak.¡±


    Grande muttered in disgust as she tore apart the ghouls with her vicious claws and blasted them with her strong tail. It¡¯s true that with this many people, they could have escaped by working together to dig up the ground.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it have been easier to use earth magic to get out?¡±


    ¡°Maybe. But maybe something unforeseen happened while they were hiding out, keeping the Elves on guard. The truth is in the dark.¡±


    ¡°Maybe there¡¯s a journal somewhere.¡±


    The last one was taken care of by Ms. Zamir, who swung a short spear to cut the ghoul. She¡¯s quite adept at wiping away more blood using the almost pristine rags that the ghouls wear.


    ¡°Are you injured?¡±


    When Isla asks, everyone responds that they are fine. She said that the claws and fangs of ghouls are poisonous, and if they are not properly detoxified, their bodies can become numb and immobile. And it seems that the most common way to defeat the ghouls is to¡­ keep them alive until they stop moving.


    ¡°These ghouls are surprisingly vicious. that I thought.¡±


    ¡°The physical ability of the ghouls is only slightly higher than that of ordinary people, and trained soldiers and adventurers can defeat them without difficulty. But it¡¯s not something you can let your guard down against.¡±


    I wonder if that paralyzing poison will work on me. If there are so many of them pouring in, it might have been better to use a submachine gun that can use the drum magazine used by the mafia. I didn¡¯t want to use it this time because it would have been a tight space to fight in. I¡¯ll make one next time.


    ¡°Is there any use for ghoul corpses?¡±


    ¡°The poison from the claws and fangs can be used. It can also be used as an anesthetic if you adjust it well. In some cases, they may have something valuable on them.¡±


    ¡°I see. I¡¯ll have to collect it.¡±


    Leaving a large number of corpses in an enclosed space is not good for many reasons. We might use this underground facility for something sooner or later, so it¡¯s best to keep it as clean as possible.


    I can¡¯t think of any possible use for it at the moment, though. It¡¯s a long way from the rear base.


    ¡°The interior is rough¡­ These are the remains of a battle, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    I¡¯ve been looking around the corridors for some time now, and I¡¯ve noticed that many of the rooms have damaged furnishings, and some of them look like traces of a fight.


    ¡°I wonder if there was a conflict.¡±


    ¡°Since they were trapped and food and water were running low, there was a good chance that internal strife would break out.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a picture of hell¡­¡±


    In the end, they starve to death together and wander around as ghouls for hundreds of years after the death¡­ I shudder at the tragic end.


    ¡°Kosuke.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    I¡¯m storing all the junk in the room into my inventory. What I¡¯m doing is that I¡¯m trying to finish the search at once by doing this. Once it¡¯s in my inventory, I¡¯ll know what it is, just the name of it.


    This time, I decided to use it to store everything in the room in my inventory and sort it after escaping. After all, exploring a room like this is what takes the most time. If it¡¯s just trash, I can dispose of it later, and if it¡¯s worth repairing, I can repair it at the blacksmithing facility. As long as I make reservations for repairs, they can be done while I¡¯m sleeping or exploring, so I don¡¯t have to consider the number of items I need to repair or how long it will take.


    If we proceed with the exploration, of course.


    ¡°GYOAAAAAA!¡±


    And then, ghouls and other undead appear.


    ¡°Hmph!¡±


    ¡°Seeii!¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡±


    ¡°Seiyaaa!¡±


    ¡°Oryaa!¡±


    In addition to the three, there were also Ms. Zamir and Grande, so we were almost at the end of our rope and on a course to leave this world immediately. Since the battle in the hall right after we entered this underground facility, Isla and I have had no role to play at all.


    ¡°You¡¯re very good, Grande-sama.¡±


    ¡°Umu, that¡¯s right, that¡¯s right.¡±


    This time, Ms. Zamir praises Grande for rushing into the room alone and making mincemeat out of four ghouls in an instant. In the eyes of Lizardman and Lizardwoman, the existence of dragons is an existence of worship, and Ms. Zamir is often concerned with Grande in any way.


    ¡°There are many rooms of similar size.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, it looks like a fort or something. Maybe it was a military facility.¡±


    ¡°An underground military facility¡­ I wonder if the Elves would miss something like that.¡±


    ¡°Elves are sketchy. Especially in the generation of the elders.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes, I suppose.¡±


    There was no room for rebuttal. Well, it is not decided that it is a military facility, but there is a high possibility that it is a similar facility? At least, I don¡¯t think a private individual would have operated such a vast underground facility.


    ¡°If the facility is this big, it is likely that there are books in the storeroom or in the rooms of the higher-ups, right?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s possible. The problem is that we don¡¯t know where they are, and there¡¯s rubble everywhere.¡±


    ¡°As for the rubbles, they won¡¯t be a problem for you, Kosuke-dono.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of clearing the rubble.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll help too.¡±


    Grande also volunteered to clear the rubble. It is true that Grande, who has removed her protective bracelet, is strong and can work like a bit of heavy equipment.


    As we continued on our way, we saw a large door in front of us that opened both ways. Tozume checked the door for traps, and Isla used her magic to check the inside.


    ¡°There¡¯s a pretty strong magical response. There might be undead stronger than the ghouls we¡¯ve seen so far.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I see. Well then, I guess I¡¯ll just have to get into the swing of things.¡±


    Shumel carried the gold crushing club on her shoulder and smiled ferociously. Next to her, Ms. Zamir, holding her short spear, also lined up. It seems that the two of them are going in together. I think we will win this fight.

 CH 161

    Chapter 161 ¨C I¡¯ll Forgive You £¾(©b?©b )


    Bella and Tozume kicked in the doors from both sides, and Shumel and Ms. Zamir rushed into the room with the speed of a gale. I, Isla, and Grande followed, and inside the room was a rather large space.


    It¡¯s more like a reception room or office for the facility manager.


    ¡°I¡¯m impressed that you have managed to get to this ¨D W-wait¡­ Aaaaaaaaahhhhh!?¡±


    Then, a person in a terrifying robe in front of the desk was quickly beaten by Shumel with her gold crushing rod and crushed to the floor by Ms. Zamir¡¯s short spear.


    ¡°It hurts. It hurts so much! Wait! Time up! Stop! I give up. Please forgive me!¡±


    ¡°What are you begging for?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind him, just do it.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    If this guy was friendly, he could have warned us before we were attacked by the ghouls on the way, or talked to us before we got here, or any number of other ways to get in touch with us beforehand.


    And yet, he¡¯s definitely not a normal guy when he¡¯s just sitting here waiting for us.


    ¡°Aaaaahhhhh, wait, wait, wait! You must be looking for something, aren¡¯t you? I can be useful to you!¡±


    The black robe guy screamed when he saw the gold crushing rod that was raised. Hearing the word ¡°useful,¡± Ms. Zamir also stopped her attack and glanced at me. What do you want me to do? I guess that¡¯s what she meant.


    ¡°What do you think? Isla.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think we can trust what Lich has to say. I think he should be obliterated.¡±


    ¡°Oh, a Lich, huh? My understanding of a Lich is that they¡¯re an ancient and powerful undead magician, is that correct?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Did they exist in Kosuke¡¯s world?¡±


    ¡°No, they¡¯re just an imaginary being.¡±


    I can¡¯t say for sure that they didn¡¯t exist, but they probably didn¡¯t exist in a world where there was no such thing as magic.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay! It¡¯s okay! I¡¯m a Lich, but I¡¯m just a makeshift Lich made up of Ring of the Dead! I¡¯m just a small-fry Lich! I¡¯m actually safe!¡±


    ¡°You say that, but?¡±


    ¡°The Ring of the Dead is said to be an ancient relic that automatically makes the wearer a Lich when they die. However, its existence has never been confirmed.¡±


    ¡°This! This is the ring! I¡¯m not lying!¡±


    The robed guy ¨D Lich, shows me the golden ring that fits on the middle finger (bone) of his right hand, which he presented to me. I see.


    ¡°Interesting. I¡¯ll confiscate it.¡±


    ¡°If you take it, I¡¯ll disappear! Please forgive me because I will disappear! I¡¯ll do anything!¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Did you just say you¡¯ll do anything?¡±


    ¡°Eh? Yes.¡±


    The Lich raises his head and looks at me. Yeah, it¡¯s a skeleton. It¡¯s the one with the blue flames behind the eyes. I wonder if I can trust this guy.


    ¡°Then tell me your purpose. What did you use the Ring of the Dead for, become a Lich, and holed up in a place like this?¡±


    ¡°Well, the damn Elves attacked the Omit Kingdom, you know.¡±


    The Lich sat upright on the stone floor and began to speak. I wonder if there was a culture of sitting on the floor in the Omit Kingdom.


    ¡°I know that. And?¡±


    ¡°So, this is an evacuation shelter made from a dead dungeon, where I and other high-ranking people from the surrounding area took refuge.¡±


    A dead dungeon? I¡¯m curious about this word, but I know what it means, so I¡¯ll let it pass. I can¡¯t go on with the story.


    ¡°It¡¯s a shelter for the higher-ups. So how did it turn into a dungeon full of ghouls and a Lich?¡±


    ¡°I was in charge of this place, but I was the first to be killed.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s how you became a Lich.¡±


    The Lich nodded at my words, sitting upright.


    ¡°Yes. But right after I became a Lich, I was so angry and resentful that I lost my mind.¡±


    ¡°What did you do?¡±


    ¡°I was so angry that I put a curse on the rest of the food and water and made the survivors kill each other.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a really evil thing to do. I think it¡¯s better to wipe this guy out.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea.¡±


    Isla nodded in agreement with my words. The rest of the group reacted in the same way. Well, of course.


    ¡°Wait, wait, wait! Just a moment. As you can see, the people who have killed each other have become ghouls, but as I watched them wander around as ghouls for many years, my resentment and anger subsided.¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t the undead disappear when the resentment is gone?¡±


    ¡°Normally, yes. But as far as I can tell, this one is no ordinary undead.¡±


    Grande replied while maintaining a stance that allowed her to jump on the Lich at any time. The Lich nodded to Grande¡¯s words.


    ¡°Yes. The Ring of the Dead did not cause me to disappear, and I regained my reason. But I didn¡¯t have the courage to remove the Ring of the Dead and disappear on my own¡­¡±


    ¡°So you decided to play dungeon master, huh?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Well, I was bored, so I was mostly idle.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ What do you think?¡±


    ¡°Lich is still a Lich, even if he is rational. He¡¯s still a dangerous undead. It¡¯s better to wipe him out.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m with Isla on this one.¡±


    ¡°The undead are not in harmony with the world. It makes sense to exterminate them.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to explain it. But I don¡¯t see any reason to keep him alive, right?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea.¡±


    ¡°Even if he were playing dungeon master, we would have been torn apart by the ghouls. I don¡¯t think there is any room for sympathy for someone who wants to kill us.¡±


    My companions¡¯ opinions were harsh on the Lich. Well, he¡¯s undead. There is no guarantee that he will not suddenly reveal his true nature and attack the living, and there is no reason to keep him alive. Is there any reason to keep him alive? Not unless there is a safe way to control him.


    ¡°There¡¯s no safe way to keep this guy, right?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a rotten Lich. He can¡¯t be kept under control.¡±


    ¡°Not even with a slave collar?¡±


    ¡°No. There is no way a person with a Ring of the Dead could be a good person with any sense of ethics. Every single necromancer is an outcast.¡±


    ¡°What a terrible discrimination!¡±


    ¡°The world¡¯ s opinion of necromancers has been built up by the necromancers themselves. In fact, you¡¯re the one who turned those ghouls on us. There is no room for rebuttal.¡±


    Isla looked down at Lich with a horribly cold eye. Hmm, that¡¯s cruel.


    ¡°So that¡¯s it then.¡±


    ¡°Kuh..! If it comes to this¡­!¡±


    Lich¡¯s eyes shine suspiciously as he looks at me. What¡¯s that?


    ¡°Fuhahahaha! You¡¯ve been caught off guard, you idiots! I¡¯ve taken over the man¡¯s consciousness! If you want him to live¡­¡±


    ¡°What did you just do?¡±


    ¡°¡­Eh?¡±


    The Lich has a stunned look on his face. No, there was something shiny in his eyes. Did he do something to me? He said that he had taken over my consciousness, so he must have done something like hypnosis or brainwashing or something like that.


    ¡°Maybe some kind of mind spell. Brainwashing or hypnosis or compulsion. It won¡¯t work on Kosuke, who has no magic.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ So you attacked me.¡±


    When I looked at the Lich, he gave me a flirtatious smile. I wondered if even skeletons could smile.


    ¡°P-please forgive me¡­¡±


    ¡°I forgive you.¡±


    I did my best to put on a smile. When the Lich saw my smile, he looked relieved. He¡¯s a guy with a lot of facial expressions.


    ¡°But I doubt this guy will forgive you!¡±


    I pointed my submachine gun loaded with mithril silver jacket bullets at the Lich and pulled the trigger.


    ¡°Gyaaaaaaaaaa!?¡±


    The Lich, who was sitting upright, received a barrage of mithril silver jacket bullets and was torn apart. I knew I should have made a machine gun for the mafia.


    I pull out the Ring of the Dead from the Lich¡¯s shattered middle finger and place the scattered bones in my inventory.


    ¡°It was a waste of time, really.¡±


    ¡°Good grief¡­¡±


    Shumel shrugged. No, we didn¡¯t get any information, and it was a real waste of time. I¡¯m going to take what I can get and get out of this nasty place.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    ¡°Welcome back!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so glad you¡¯re okay.¡±


    ¡°Good work, guys.¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    When we returned to the surface, the Harpies flew over to us and gave us words of encouragement. They were waiting for us after they finished taking care of the fields while keeping an eye on the perimeter of the exploration base.


    ¡°What was it like inside?¡±


    ¡°It was full of ghouls. There was a Lich at the innermost area.¡±


    ¡°Kosuke tore him apart with his sabumashingan.¡± [T/n: Submachine Gun.]


    ¡°As expected of Danna-sama.¡±


    We all returned to the base and checked the things we had brought up from the ruins, arranging them one by one.


    ¡°So many things are broken.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been hundreds of years, after all. It seems that there have been internal conflicts.¡±


    ¡°But there¡¯s also a lot of valuable stuff. Jewelry, precious metals.¡±


    ¡°It seems that the Lich was telling the truth when he said it was a shelter for the influential people.¡±


    There are many things that have been damaged by the years and the brutality of the ghouls, but there are many ornaments and furnishings made of precious metals. For those that are broken, repairing them using the blacksmithing facility¡¯s repair function will increase their value.


    I¡¯ll ask Isla to make a list of the things we brought up.


    ¡°There are many ornaments and furnishings.¡±


    ¡°There are also some weapons and magic tools. Also, a lot of garbage.¡±


    There are a lot of broken beds, wardrobes, and other furniture remnants. Also, it seems that torn paintings and clothes cannot be repaired.


    ¡°There are also a lot of books, but nothing like scriptures.¡±


    There are many books like journals, stories, and travel books to pass the time, and a few grimoires and technical books. Unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t find the old Adel scriptures that we were looking for. Unfortunately, it seems that there were no religious people in that shelter.


    ¡°For now, there were many things that could be worth money, so it was a successful exploration.¡±


    ¡°Yes, from an adventurer¡¯s point of view, it was a great success.¡±


    ¡°If you become an adventurer, you¡¯ll make a lot of money.¡±


    ¡°Just being able to bring back so much stuff is a guarantee of success as an adventurer.¡±


    Just being able to carry as much luggage as possible is pretty much a violation, isn¡¯t it? I know exactly what it means. The fact that there is no limit to the amount or weight of items I can carry in my inventory is a big help to me too. That¡¯s the thing, though; there are a lot of survival games that have restrictions. For me, it¡¯s easy and a big help. Being thrown into this world out of nowhere was hard, though.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t call the mission a great success.¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. It¡¯s only the first stop. There are more places to explore.¡±


    As she said this, Isla made a list of the items we had collected. This list will be used as a basis for additional rewards to be given to Shumel and the others according to the value of the items found. Me, Isla, Ms. Zamir, and the Harpies belong to the Liberation Army, so we don¡¯t have to do that, though.


    For your information, Grande is not a member of the Liberation Army, so she is treated the same as Shumel and the others.


    ¡°I think we should have a party tonight to celebrate the success of our adventure.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s great! As expected of Kosuke-san, he knows perfectly!¡±


    Bella raised her voice in genuine happiness. We¡¯re going to have a better meal and more drinks than usual.


    And so, our first exploration of the ruins ended in success. Well, let¡¯s hope the next one goes as well.

 CH 162

    Chapter 162 ¨C Restore Your Energy


    After the first day¡¯s exploration, we decided to take a quick bath and gather in the dining hall. Incidentally, the bath I built on the north side is divided into two. They are exactly the same size and relatively large.


    The reason I took the trouble to divide it into two is because, aside from Isla, the Harpies, and Grande, I couldn¡¯t take a bath with Shumel, the other two demon girls, and Ms. Zamir.


    I suggested that we build a large bath and stagger the time we take a bath, or that I build two baths, one for me and one for the women, but Isla shook her head.


    ¡°No, because I, the Harpies, and Grande want to take a bath with Kosuke. Besides, if we decide to leave this facility here later, we can reuse it as a men¡¯s bath and a women¡¯s bath. You should make the two the same size.¡±


    As Isla said, it would be better to build two bathhouses for later convenience. So the baths built on the north side were divided into two.


    ¡°In the ruins full of ghouls, there is a Lich one in the back¡­¡±


    ¡°It was a typical ruin search, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been a tough first day. But I¡¯m glad it was a great success with no injuries.¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    The Harpies who heard my story were all talking about it¡­ No, one of them was silent. The brown-feathered Harpy, Eyja, is certainly a silent character. I feel like I¡¯ve hardly ever heard her voice. Judging from her facial expressions, she seemed to be quite excited about the story itself.


    ¡°But was it okay to defeat the Lich who came out at the end? I think it could have been used in various ways, such as to get information about the time.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t trust him. The mind control at the end was only able to be prevented by the marebito Kosuke. The other four might not have resisted and would have been taken over. In the first place, if he had planned to solve the problem peacefully from the beginning, there were many ways he could have done it. And yet, he was playing dungeon master by encouraging the ghouls. If things had gone badly, the ghouls would have torn us apart and killed us.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯ s right¡­ Well, don¡¯t you know that? Grande-chan has already found the underground ruins.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been hundreds of years since he became a Lich, and he¡¯s alone in the dark with a bunch of ghouls. It¡¯s doubtful that he was even sane in the first place.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s definitely doubtful. If it were me, I wouldn¡¯t be able to stay sane. Well, you know what? It doesn¡¯t matter now.¡±


    I¡¯ve already shot him with a submachine gun. There¡¯s no point in worrying about the past.


    However, even though it looks like a skeleton and tries to manipulate me with weird magic, I have no idea how I could pull the trigger without hesitation¡­ I guess that means I¡¯m well into this world.


    After letting Grande soak in the bathtub, which was soaked with a full body wash by the Harpies, we all got out of the bath, wiped our bodies, and changed our clothes before heading to the dining room. I feel refreshed.


    ¡°That was a long bath.¡±


    ¡°Y-you were doing something naughty in the bath, weren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°No, I wasn¡¯t!¡±


    I yell at Bella, who is strangely excited about something. She¡¯s supposed to be a taciturn woman, isn¡¯t she? No, she¡¯s not taciturn if she asks me straight out¡­? I don¡¯t care. I don¡¯t really care.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for making you wait. I was just talking about the pros and cons of dealing with the Lich.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah, that. Well, that¡¯s okay, isn¡¯t it? I don¡¯t like to say this, but I don¡¯t feel safe adventuring with that guy.¡±


    ¡°Even if he seems to be rational, an undead is an undead. In the end, we¡¯re incompatible.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I agree with you.¡±


    ¡°Is that right? I have a feeling that if we talked to him properly, we could get along.¡±


    Bella tilted her head. It seems that she is the only one who has a different opinion than the others.


    ¡°If so, he was hostile to the Elves. It¡¯s impossible to make him one of us when we¡¯re on good terms with Sylphy-ane and the Black Forest Elven Village.¡±


    ¡°I guess you¡¯re right. More importantly, I¡¯m hungry. Who cares about those bones anyway?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Let¡¯s eat and drink and get ready for tomorrow¡¯s exploration.¡±


    I took the food out of my inventory and laid it out on the table in the dining room. The main dishes are hamburgers and hot dogs, a favorite of Grande and the Harpies, and Shumel¡¯s favorite sausage platter, as well as steaks and salads.


    ¡°It¡¯s like magic in a fairy tale.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes, indeed. You know, the one where the magician conjures up a feast out of thin air.¡±


    Oh, like the pumpkin carriage, the house of sweets, or the magic lamp? I wonder if such fairy tales exist in this world. Perhaps it¡¯s a story told by a marebito from the past.


    I took out a small barrel of liquor and some bottles and prepared them for the party.


    ¡°So, thank you for your hard work today. Let¡¯s toast to the success of our first day of exploration.¡±


    ¡°Cheers!¡±


    Each of us raised our cups and drank our first drink.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t do anything, though.¡±


    ¡°We just tended to the fields.¡±


    ¡°Just don¡¯t mind the details!¡±


    Bella hands out plates of food to Pirna and Capri, who have subtle expressions on their faces. Don¡¯t show off your unexpected feminine power, you dumb Oni.


    ¡°What was the loot like?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, here¡¯s the list.¡±


    I know what it is because I read it out loud, and Isla recorded the contents in the list, but I also looked into the Isla that Isla brought out with Shumel.


    Most of the items seem to be silver candlesticks, tableware, gems, and jewelry. Silverware is good if it¡¯s recognized as a work of art, but if it¡¯s not, it¡¯s no different than a piece of silver. As for the gems and jewels, many of them were in bad condition, so I¡¯m repairing them at the blacksmithing facility. There were no cursed items, so we should be able to sell them.


    There were also a few daggers for self-defense, but many of them were also in bad condition. Some of the daggers were stuck in their scabbards because they were rusted. However, many of the daggers had glittering ornaments on them, and if they were restored, they could be sold for a reasonable price, so they were being repaired like jewelry.


    We found a few other weapon remnants, but nothing that we wanted to keep until it was repaired. They had probably been used in internal battles within the facility and left unattended to rust and decay. If it had been made of mithril or mithril alloy, it might have stayed, but unfortunately, there was no such thing.


    We also found what seemed to be coins from the Omit Kingdom. The reason why I say ¡°seemed¡± is because, aside from the gold and silver coins, the copper coins were rusty and decayed into a lump. I heard that the beautiful ones could be sold to collectors, so I kept them. The copper coins that have turned into lumps of copper can only be¡­ cast down and reused.


    I also found some other magic tools, but none of them were worth much. They were more like household goods, like lamps and water supplies. In addition, these miscellaneous household items are now being made into more sophisticated products.


    There are magic tools and romance of ancient times, but in reality, they are treated like obsolete home appliances from generations ago. Even so, there are some things that can be purchased at a premium, and some of these parts are made of high-purity mithril, which can be worth a good deal of money.


    In addition, there are some jewelry, grimoires of unknown content, diaries of people of the time, and a few books for entertainment.


    ¡°There¡¯s a lot of things that could be worth a lot of money.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, all together, it¡¯s a bit of a fortune.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want anything that¡¯s worth money. I want the scriptures. But just looking at the list of treasures is exciting.¡±


    ¡°Oh? You know what you¡¯re doing. Kosuke, I think you¡¯re a good adventurer.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m aware of that. But I have Sylphy now.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hot¡­¡±


    Shumel raised her hands as if to say, ¡°It can¡¯t be helped.¡± That¡¯s probably true. It is for this reason that I am currently digging through the Great Omit Wilderness in search of old Adelian scriptures.


    ¡°Kosuke Kosuke, do you have anything sweet?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too early for dessert¡­¡±


    While I¡¯m looking at the inventory with Shumel and Isla, Grande comes charging at me with a hamburger in her hand. The corner of the hamburger is sober and sticks in my side and hurts.


    ¡°The hamburger is delicious, but I want to eat something sweet too!¡±


    ¡°All right, all right.¡±


    I controlled my inventory and took out a plate with an assortment of fruits and a bucket of pudding from my inventory. This bucket of pudding is one of the desserts I made for Grande before she was able to take her current form.


    ¡°Pudding!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t try to eat it with your bare hands! I¡¯ll give you a spoon and a plate, and you can eat it with those!¡±


    I caught Grande about to jump on the bucket of pudding and put out plates and spoons for the number of people on the table. When I did that, they all started to crowd around the pudding.


    ¡°What¡¯s this? What¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s sweet and plump and¡­ delicious.¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    Bella and Tozume¡¯s eyes sparkled as they looked at the pudding for the first time, while Ms. Zamir and Eyja took the pudding to their mouths with great speed. Ah, don¡¯t, don¡¯t be like that, customers! Ah! Customer, customer! Please refrain from eating straight from the plate!


    Another bucket of pudding was added, and the chaotic situation was brought under control. By the way, Ms. Zamir and Eyja have a thing for pudding¡­ Or rather, Ms. Zamir has a thing for all food made with eggs. I wonder if Lizardmen like eggs.


    ¡°Don¡¯t eat too much, or you¡¯ll get a stomach ache, girls.¡±


    The girls were not able to hear my voice as they were confronted with the sweet treats¡­ No, they were all fine after the meal, though. I prepared quite a lot of food, but in the end, they ate it all. Putting aside Shumel and the others, the Harpies are pretty big eaters for such slender bodies.


    In this way, we were greatly relieved from the fatigue of the first day¡¯s exploration.

 CH 163

    Chapter 163 ¨C Basement Gacha


    The next day.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s do our best for today too.¡±


    ¡°You look tired from this morning.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    I feel like Shumel is giving me a pitying look, but I shouldn¡¯t mind it. In fact, I¡¯m fine. Look, the maximum limit of my physical strength and stamina gauge is only about ten percent down.


    ¡°Hmm, I¡¯ll do my best again today.¡±


    ¡°Me too!¡±


    ¡°Have a good day!¡±


    ¡°Take care of yourself, Danna-san.¡±


    ¡°I wish you the best of luck.¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    Everyone¡¯s skin is glowing. I guess that¡¯s what happens when you take a bath in the morning and eat a good meal, hahaha.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just like usual.¡±


    In response to the worried look on Tozume¡¯s face, Ms. Zamir says in her accustomed manner that there is no problem. Yes, there is no problem. There is not. The maximum limit will be restored in less than an hour. It¡¯s actually safe.


    ¡°Today is going to be a different kind of exploration than yesterday¡¯s dungeon, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. I believe there are a few small basement spaces scattered about.¡±


    ¡°Yesterday¡¯s ruins were a large shelter for the rich, right? So is it a private shelter?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s a possibility. Or it could be a basement warehouse of a merchant or something.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that sounds like a possibility. If you take care of the humidity, it¡¯s suitable for storing goods, and it¡¯s also a strong security measure.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Leaving Pirna and the other Harpies to take care of the field, we walked on foot through the wilderness. The Grand Dragon of the earth attribute, Grande, has already detected the basement of the surrounding area with magic and has already marked the place where there is a good basement space.


    The location of the marked areas is also known by Shumel and the others who investigated together so that we won¡¯t get lost.


    ¡°It¡¯s so hard walking around like this. I think it would save a lot of time if we could quickly build an airboard that everyone could ride on.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, sure. Since Kosuke has plenty of materials, we might as well make it tonight.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess so. The basic idea is to make the prototype airboard as large as possible, increase the size of the levitation magic tool to support the weight, increase the size of the propulsion system as well, and equip it with wind-attribute barrier magic.¡±


    As I walked along, discussing with Isla about the design of a fast-moving magic tool, we soon arrived at our destination. It seemed to be a short walk, but the height of the sun indicated that we had walked a long way.


    ¡°Here we are.¡±


    ¡°Fumu, so the basement is here.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. This place¡­ It seems to have collapsed a bit around here. There¡¯s some dirt in there.¡±


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll have to dig around here. Grande¡¯s underground sonar is very convenient.¡±


    ¡°Fufufu, yes, yes, yes, it is. You¡¯d better praise me more.¡±


    ¡°Excellent, excellent.¡±


    I¡¯ll be sure to pat Grande on the head as she proudly stretches out her thin chest. In fact, I feel like I¡¯ve been relying on Grande a lot lately. No matter how much I praise her, I can never praise her enough.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s dig.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be counting on you.¡±


    While listening to Bella and Ms. Zamir¡¯s words behind my back, I take out my Mithril Shovel +9, which is registered as a shortcut, stick it in the wilderness, and start removing the soil. With this shovel, which can remove a large area of soil with a single swing, digging up a buried crypt is no problem.


    ¡°The entrance has started to appear.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s so early¡­¡±


    It only took about five digs to find it.


    As soon as it was confirmed that it was safe, Shumel and the others went in¡­ but they soon came out together.


    ¡°This place is terrible.¡±


    ¡°Most of the stuff has decayed, probably because of the soil. I don¡¯t see anything of note.¡±


    ¡°Seriously? Well, there might be some things that can be repaired, so let¡¯s collect all the junk.¡±


    I entered the basement, which was confirmed to be safe, and sure enough, as Shumel and the others had said, nothing decent remained.


    I was able to recover some of the junk, but¡­ I¡¯m looking forward to repairing them.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go next.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    We opened several basements in this way, and the work went smoothly without any particular danger. There were many basements that were not good.


    The basement gacha is too bad. What¡¯s going on? I thought to myself.


    ¡°Oh! It looks like we hit the jackpot this time.¡±


    When the whole atmosphere had become somewhat dull because of all the disappointments, Shumel¡¯s cheerful voice echoed from the basement where she and her team had entered. We¡¯ve finally found a jackpot! Isla and I went into the basement with them, and we were delighted.


    ¡°There are so many books!¡±


    ¡°Hmm, this is great. It must have been the home of some scholar or something.¡±


    There was a room that looked like a library or something, with stacks of books packed tightly together. I could see a table in the back of the room, so it might have been a basement study or a laboratory.


    I put more and more books in my inventory and checked the names of the books. And then¡­


    ?Adelian¡¯s Scripture of the Omit Kingdom, 109th year edition (state preserved)


    ?Two manuscripts of the 109th edition of the Adelian scriptures of the Omit Kingdom (state preserved) x 2


    ¡°There it is! The Adelian scriptures! The original and the manuscript!¡±


    ¡°Thank goodness.¡±


    Isla, I really wanted you to say, ¡°Nice work!¡± Of course, there was no way the story would get through.


    ¡°Oh? Did you find the book you were looking for?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great!¡±


    ¡°It took us only two days to find it, after all the trouble we went through to set up the accommodation.¡±


    That¡¯s true. If we could have found it so quickly, we wouldn¡¯t have needed the fields¡­ No, but we still have a safe place to sleep, a source of water, and some food supply capacity there, which will help us develop the area around the rear base. It¡¯s not a complete waste, so I wouldn¡¯t worry about it.


    ¡°It would normally take a long time to locate and dig up a basement. This is thanks to the power of Kosuke-dono and Grande-sama.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am very capable, after all!¡±


    After being praised by Ms. Zamir, Grande put her hands on her hips and proudly stretched out her thin breasts. I wonder if she likes that pose? I think it¡¯s good because it¡¯s cute.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take it back to the base and try to decipher it. It will be disappointing if it¡¯s not what I expect.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true, too.¡±


    If the teachings of the current mainstream of Adelian claiming to eliminate subhumans are not intentionally falsified but are the teachings from ancient times, the position of the Adelian nostalgists will suddenly become severe.


    When I took out the book I wanted from my inventory, I found that it looked surprisingly solid, perhaps because of the way it was stored. It must be at least three hundred years old, though. I wondered if it was the effect of the brackets that preserved its condition.


    ¡°The magic that preserves the condition is firmly in place. Let me see.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Isla took the thick Adelian scripture from my hand, flipped through it, and checked the back cover, the inside, and the last page.


    ¡°It was copied thirty years before the fall of the Omit Kingdom. Chronologically, it corresponds to what the Saint of Truth is looking for.¡±


    ¡°Now, it¡¯s just a matter of what¡¯s inside¡­ But looking at the books we found, there are a lot of manuscripts as well as originals in the other books. It may have been the warehouse or workshop of a copyist.¡±


    ¡°I see. I can understand why there were so many books here.¡±


    ¡°Books are expensive.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    Even now, three hundred years after the fall of the Omit Kingdom, printing technology in this world has not advanced much. Fumu, printing technology, huh¡­? It¡¯s a technology that seems to be quite dangerous to spread. For now, I¡¯ll have to pass.


    ¡°The goal was accomplished for the time being. I was expecting it to take longer, but it didn¡¯t take long.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing it was done quickly.¡±


    It was a stroke of luck that we were able to dig up the copyist¡¯s underground warehouse at the right moment. It¡¯s so convenient that I even suspect that the person who threw me into this world had set me up¡­ Well, there¡¯s no way to be sure, and it¡¯s fine as long as it¡¯s convenient for us.


    ¡°Since we¡¯ve found what we¡¯re looking for, there¡¯s no need to search any further. Can we just call it a day?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll do that. Is that okay?¡±


    When I looked at them, Isla and Ms. Zamir both nodded. Grande? Grande is yawning like she¡¯s not interested. I think it¡¯s natural for Grande to react since she¡¯s probably just following me rather than coming to search for scripture. I don¡¯t think Grande would be interested in a book that can¡¯t be eaten.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go back then. We should go back immediately.¡±


    And while Isla is working on the deciphering, I will make a large airboard that we can all ride together.


    I think it will be useful in some way.

 CH 164

    Chapter 164 ¨C I¡¯m Really Sorry


    After finding the book we were looking for, we immediately rushed back to the base, so Isla could decipher the scriptures, I could make a large airboard, and everyone else could rest as they wished.


    The creation of the large airboard itself was not particularly difficult. It¡¯s just a matter of enlarging and reinforcing the various parts. The only problems are adjusting the power output of the levitation tool and propulsion system and adjusting the throttle. I¡¯ll also try to add a directional rudder.


    For wind and dust protection, I¡¯ll use a glass windshield¡­ No, it¡¯s cheaper to make masks and goggles for the passengers. A large glass windshield would weigh a lot. If Isla¡¯s hands are free, I¡¯ll have her make a magic tool that deploys wind barrier magic.


    The problem is the running cost. The propulsion system is quite fuel-efficient, but the levitation magic tool seems to eat up a lot of magic power. For now, one levitation tool for each of the four corners of the rectangular board is¡­ long, and a levitation device is fine. I have a levitation device, but I wonder if there¡¯s any way to reduce it.


    How about changing the board itself from a rectangle to a triangle and using three levitation devices? No, how about making the levitation device super large and using the entire ground surface as the source of buoyancy?


    Right now, there are multiple points called levitation devices to support the board. Since the board is a rectangle, there are four of them, and they support the board with four points. What if I make it a surface instead of a point? Let¡¯s give it a try.


    ¡°He looks so serious.¡±


    ¡°Danna-san always looks like that when he¡¯s making things.¡±


    ¡°Sometimes he gets that look, and then something terrible comes out.¡±


    From a short distance away, Bella, Capri, and Ms. Zamir are watching me as I work on a modified airboard. No, I don¡¯t think Bella is watching over me; she¡¯s just curious. Maybe she thinks that she wants to ride the airboard again.


    Next time she crashes and wrecks it, I¡¯m going to put her in a tiger-print micro-bikini, you know. The kind that covers only the tip and is almost out of the fabric area.


    ¡°Ugh? I got a chill.¡±


    Perhaps her adventurer¡¯s intuition sensed the danger, and she shivered. It¡¯s a pretty good reaction. But unless you break the prototype again, that future is not going to happen, so it¡¯s probably safe. Maybe.


    As I continue to work, I hear what seems to be the sound of battle in the distance. I can¡¯t find Ms. Zamir, so she and someone else are probably having a mock battle.


    The large propulsion unit that I tested the power output with had another accident where it blew off in the direction of the Black Forest, but other than that, I think it¡¯s safe to say that everything went smoothly. No, I reflected on the mistake I made the other day, fixed it to the stand, and tested the output. But the output was more than I imagined¡­ It¡¯s not my fault. I hope no one was unlucky enough to be hit by the flying propulsion unit.


    I mean, that¡¯s what it is if you think about it. Isn¡¯t it just right for sending the magic sparkling bombs far away to explode¡­? If I wanted to annihilate a large area over a long distance without thinking about the precision bombing, I could use a 20-rocket system or something like that, and it would be incredible. It would probably crush an army of tens of thousands of people.


    Hahaha, let¡¯s put away all the dangerous thoughts for now. It could literally be a weapon of mass destruction. I mean, using multiple rocket launchers against an opponent who is coming at me with spears, swords, cavalry, etc., is beyond ruthless, isn¡¯t it? Hahahahaha! Let¡¯s develop it secretly.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a really bad look?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the face he makes when he gets an idea for something dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Is everything all right?¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s something really dangerous, he won¡¯t take it out unless there¡¯s a serious problem.¡±


    I am slightly shivering at Pirna¡¯s ability to guess. After all, Pirna has been watching me since I started making guns and bombs, right? So I guess it makes sense that she has developed the ability to guess about me.


    Anyway, as for the airboard, I can make just the parts on the workbench, but I can¡¯t make the complete airboard on the workbench. I wonder why this is? Is it because I¡¯m still in the trial and error stage? I wonder if the fact that I can craft parts means that I¡¯ve already reached the level of a finished product in component units.


    I¡¯ve been doing a lot of testing on my abilities for a good amount of time, and there¡¯s still a lot I don¡¯t understand. I really wish there was a help function or something.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    In the end, I didn¡¯t get to finish making the improved airboard, so I¡¯ll finish it tomorrow. As the sun was going down, we all gathered for dinner, and after dinner, I asked Isla about her progress.


    ¡°As it turns out, this is definitely the very scripture that the nostalgists were looking for.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°Hmm. I¡¯ve only been able to decipher halfway through, but so far, I can¡¯t confirm any content that excludes subhumans and recommends enslavement. I¡¯m not that well versed in the teachings of Adel, but I do know that the famous anti subhuman article has a completely different content.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ that¡¯s interesting too.¡±


    It seems that I have the ability to automatically understand the language of this world. I wonder what would happen if I saw this scripture? So I skimmed over the original scripture in front of Isla.


    ¡°Can you read it, Kosuke?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I can.¡±


    I could see that the characters were clearly different from those used by Isla and Sylphy, but the contents entered my mind without any problem. I wondered if it would be much better if I helped her decipher it.


    When I turned my gaze to Isla, I was met with a fierce glare.


    ¡°I¡¯ve had a lot of trouble deciphering it.¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m honestly sorry about that.¡±


    ¡°I think you owe me an apology for this.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry.¡±


    I thought that Isla, who was a mage and in charge of brainwork, was the right person for deciphering these old documents. I¡¯m not really aware of the fact that I have the mysterious ability to understand the language of Dragons or any other language of the other world.


    In the end, I managed to get Isla in a good mood by providing her with the meals and desserts she requested for the whole day tomorrow. I think Isla is kind enough to forgive me for wasting half her day¡¯s effort.


    That¡¯s why Isla and I are going to decipher the scriptures tomorrow. I was also a little curious about the doctrines of the Adel religion, so maybe it was just right.

 CH 165

    Chapter 165 ¨C Deciphering The Scriptures


    The following day after dawn. Isla and I spent the morning translating the Adolian scriptures from the time of the Omit Kingdom. The translation process itself was very simple. I would read out the scriptures from the Omit Kingdom, and Isla would write them down on a blank book.


    My ability to translate is flawless, and there are basically no mistranslations. It¡¯s just as well because I can read the old Omit Kingdom language as if it were my native language.


    ¡°All the hard work I did yesterday¡­¡±


    ¡°Sorry.¡±


    As the translation process progresses at a brisk pace, Isla¡¯s eye begin to reflect emptiness. Don¡¯t look at me like that; I¡¯m scared. If you want, I can give you a lap pillow or something, so please forgive me.


    The most important thing is¡­ Hmm, how should I put it? It¡¯s like a book about what the creator, Adel, has done and the words and lessons he has taught.


    He came from beyond the stars and transformed this world.. and the Omicle, which can be seen from beyond the sky, into a world inhabited by living creatures.


    It is said that most of the creatures in this world today were brought to this world by Adol or were created by Adol himself. There are a few creatures that existed in this world before it became possible for living beings to live in this world, but they also obeyed Adol.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s just something I¡¯ve been thinking about for a while¡­¡±


    The words ¡°terraforming,¡± ¡°genetic improvement,¡± ¡°bioengineering,¡± and ¡°intelligence of protists¡± flashed through my mind. After all, this being called Adol must be some kind of alien with super technology that appears in science fiction novels.


    ¡°In other words, from Kosuke¡¯s point of view, it seems to be the work of a person or something with incredibly advanced technology rather than a god?¡±


    ¡°Something like that. Well, they say that overly advanced technology looks no different from magic or miracles, and maybe I¡¯m just making things up¡­ People who only know swords, spears, bows, and arrows would think that a gun attack like the one I use is magic or something. It¡¯s like the scale of it is much larger.¡±


    ¡°I kind of get what you¡¯re saying. But that idea is heretical. If you say something like that to an Adolian extremist, you might be burned at the stake by the Inquisition, so it¡¯s better not to say it.¡±


    ¡°Oh no, that¡¯s scary.¡±


    As the translation progressed with such conversations, the story of the creation of the subhuman came to be discussed. According to this scripture, subhumans are a race created by Adol in order to explore the various possibilities of humans.


    In other words, he used humans as a base and crossed them with various species, and genetically modified them to explore their potential.


    A mad scientist, perhaps? It seems that the word bioethics did not exist in the dictionary of Adol¡¯s mind.


    ¡°As I recall, the current teachings of the main school of Adolf¡¯s religion say that he made them subhuman in order to punish sinners.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I remember that too.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what this scripture says. In other words, this is what the nostalgists call a trace of falsification. This is the proof.¡±


    ¡°That would be it. Let¡¯s see if we can find any other traces.¡±


    So we continued to decipher for several more hours. By noon, we had finished translating the entire story.


    ¡°It seems to have been tampered with quite a bit, including the details.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. At least as far as the content of this scripture is concerned, the Adol religion of that time did not advocate the exclusion of subhumans. It is very likely that the teachings adhered to by the current mainstream of the Adol religion were altered after the fall of the Omit Kingdom.¡±


    ¡°In this way, it seems that the Adol religion before the falsification is a rather straightforward religion, in which it does not matter whether you are human or subhuman, you are all equal and can be called brothers created by the same God, so let¡¯s live together in harmony.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Perhaps, as the relationship between the Omit Kingdom and the Black Forest Elves worsened, the falsification of the teachings began gradually, and when the Omit Kingdom was destroyed by the Elves, the falsification of the teachings proceeded rapidly.¡±


    ¡°This is why the original manuscripts were thrown into an underground warehouse. In such a time, the pre-falsified scriptures might have been treated as evil books.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a possibility. But maybe the copyist who had that warehouse didn¡¯t feel like destroying the pre-falsified scriptures.¡±


    ¡°There were no other scriptures to be found, and maybe he couldn¡¯t bear to copy scriptures that had been tampered with or to have the pre-falsified scriptures destroyed. That would have been highly professional.¡±


    I thought back to the owner of the warehouse where these scriptures were stored. In fact, he might have simply thrown them in the underground warehouse because he couldn¡¯t sell them.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    ¡°So that¡¯s it. It¡¯s almost certain that the teachings of the Adol religion have been tampered with.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. I don¡¯t really get it.¡±


    ¡°When I think of Adolian, I think of the Holy Kingdom, and when I think of the Holy Kingdom, I think of anti subhuman, and when I think of anti subhuman, I think of Adolian.¡±


    ¡°You can say that the real Adol religion doesn¡¯t advocate subhuman oppression.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll be able to accept the Adolians anytime soon.¡±


    The reaction of the demon girls and Ms. Zamir is reasonable. It has been several hundred years since the Holy Kingdom, whose state religion is the Adol religion, has been active in the fight against subhumans. It¡¯s not easy to get rid of the enmity that has built up between them over the years.


    ¡°It¡¯s not the gods or spirits that saved us. It¡¯s Kosuke-san.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. Danna-sama is much more beneficent than that.¡±


    ¡°So much for the good of the world.¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    The Harpies looked at me as they munched on the crepes I served them for lunch. Even Eyja, who is nowhere near as quiet as she used to be, nodded her head with a twinkle in her eye.


    ¡°The only thing I can say is that the human race believes in nonsense.¡±


    Grande is dumbfounded as she chews on a crepe filled with cream and fruit. If it were a dragon living in a world of monsters, the strong eat the weak, religion would be nothing but nonsense.


    Incidentally, I served half of the crepes for lunch with cream and fruit and half with meat and vegetables. The sweeter ones were by far the best sellers, yes, and it might have been better to make it 8:2.


    ¡°So, now that we¡¯ve accomplished our goal, are we going home?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. The crops we planted in the field should be ready to harvest tomorrow, so we¡¯ll harvest them tomorrow and return to the rear base. I think we should hand over the management of this place and head back to Erichburg, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°¡­Are we going to fly again?¡±


    The blood drained from Shumel¡¯s face. She¡¯s afraid of heights.


    ¡°Well, I guess so. It¡¯s faster to fly.¡±


    After lunch, I¡¯m going to finish the improved airboard and use it to travel to the rear base tomorrow, but from the rear base, we¡¯re going to use the gondola that Grande carries to transport us.


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s no need to be so hasty, is there? You see, we found what we were looking for earlier than we planned, didn¡¯t we? I think it¡¯s a good idea to use an airboard or something like that to get around. You¡¯ve got some tests and stuff to do, right?¡±


    Shumel is sweating profusely and desperately trying to deny air transport by Grande.


    ¡°Shumel-ane is so desperate.¡±


    ¡°Desperate.¡±


    ¡°I understand that you¡¯re afraid of being carried by Grande-sama, but¡­¡±


    Yes, I think Ms. Zamir¡¯s thoughts are a bit off. It¡¯s not that she¡¯s a little afraid; it¡¯s just that she¡¯s scared and doesn¡¯t want to ride it.


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°Shumel has a point. Riding an airboard from the rear base to Erichburg is not a bad driving test. It takes about two weeks to get from the rear base to Erichburg on foot. I¡¯m curious to see how long it will take to get there with the prototype airboard.¡±


    ¡°Will it prove to be useful? We can get some idea of the fuel consumption.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. If there¡¯s any urgent news from Erichburg, we can have Grande bring us there.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. For now, we should go to the rear base, use the large golem communication device in the rear base to contact Sylphy in Erichburg, and if there are no problems, we can return overland after the airboard driving test.¡±


    Isla nodded, and Shumel clenched her fists in a gut pose. She hated it that much.


    ¡°We¡¯ll take a break after lunch and finish the modified airboard. I¡¯ve done some rough work on it, but I¡¯ve been stuck on how to tweak the magic tools and make it bigger and more efficient.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I¡¯ll help.¡±


    ¡°So, we¡¯ll take care of the¡­ fields?¡±


    ¡°The Harpies have already finished it. If you don¡¯t have anything better to do, why don¡¯t you take a break?¡±


    Bella looked at me, and I looked at Ms. Zamir.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll be swinging my spear.¡±


    ¡°Zamir-sama is stoic. I think I¡¯ll just watch you make airboards.¡±


    I¡¯ve always had the impression that Cyclopes like to make things. I wonder if that¡¯s the case with Tozume?


    ¡°I¡¯m going to scout around and see if I can find anything else in those ruins.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to sleep.¡±


    Compared to the hardworking Harpies, Grande is like this. But Grande has done a lot of work for us recently. It is natural for dragons to eat and sleep, so it is natural for Grande to act the same way. It is not right to evaluate Grande¡¯s behavior by our standards.


    ¡°That¡¯s it then; let¡¯s make sure there are no accidents or injuries this afternoon.¡±


    Everyone agreed with my words. That being said, the sweet crepes are out of stock¡­ Yes, I will add more. It¡¯s also delicious when it¡¯s not sweet. Oh, you like the one that¡¯s not sweet too? Alright then.


    The remaining crepes were enjoyed by me, Grande and Shumel as a snack.

 CH 166

    Chapter 166 ¨C Improved Airboard


    After much deliberation, I decided to build two improved airboards the size of a horse-drawn carriage. I wanted to make them somewhat compatible with the carriages in terms of parking space and road width. It would be difficult for all of us to ride in a carriage the size of a horse-drawn carriage. After all, there are eleven of us in total.


    If I tried to make one vehicle that could accommodate all of us, it would be much bigger than a carriage. It would probably be the size of a large bus or something. Grande and Ms. Zamir would take up a lot of space with their tails, and Shumel and the others are simply too big.


    ¡°I want to make sure that it¡¯s comfortable to ride in. It¡¯s a long ride anyway.¡±


    ¡°The ride should be less bumpy than a horse-drawn carriage. If the seats are made properly, you can even sleep in them.¡±


    ¡°The fact that the carriage can run regardless of the ground conditions means that it can run without problems even if it is raining, right? If that¡¯s the case, then I think we should make it so that it won¡¯t be a problem even if it rains.¡±


    I see, it¡¯s true that an airboard should be able to run without any problem even on a rainy and muddy road. It should be able to run regardless of the rain.


    ¡°I agree that it should be protected from the wind and rain. Besides that, I wonder what we should do about safety. Wouldn¡¯t it be easy for bandits to shoot arrows at us if we were in full view?¡±


    ¡°In either case, we¡¯ll deploy a wind magic barrier to keep out the wind, rain, and dust. It¡¯s possible to cover a whole carriage. The only problem is the cost. Whether to take the manufacturing cost or the running cost.¡±


    According to Isla, the question is what to do about the quality of the wind barrier generator. If I use more mithril and increase the production cost to improve the performance, the fuel consumption will be better. It is possible to make a magic tool that deploys a large number of wind barriers by using a smaller amount of mithril, but the performance will be lower, and the fuel consumption will be worse.


    ¡°If we eventually want to operate hundreds or thousands of them, I think the cheaper the running cost, the better.¡±


    ¡°Wait, since the weight can be ignored to a certain extent with the levitation system, wouldn¡¯t it be cheaper to use wood walls and steel plate armor to protect the crew space? It would also be much cheaper to maintain. For example, if you make everything using magic tools, it will be too difficult to maintain.¡±


    ¡°If we are talking about ease of maintenance, then airboards that use a lot of magic tools are inferior in terms of ease of maintenance. In any case, the serviceability is bad, so it¡¯s better to go through with it anyway.¡±


    ¡°I agree with Kosuke¡¯s idea. In some cases, we may have to camp out, and considering such cases; I think covered wagons or box wagons would be easier to use for camping. It would be an untitled use of magic to leave the wind magic barrier up until the time of encampment. Shouldn¡¯t the wind magic barrier be used only to keep the carriage from being agitated by the wind? If you just want to protect yourself from the wind and dust, you can wear a mask or something.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ Isn¡¯t it necessary to rely on magic tools for everything just because they are convenient and can do a lot? Let¡¯s do the things that can only be done with magic tools through magic tools.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I get it. If we¡¯re going to make two wagons, we should make one box wagon type and one covered wagon type.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Sure. It would be better to build two of them with slightly different performance and test them in operation.¡±


    The number of seats, controls and propulsion systems are exactly the same, but the floating device of the boxcar type is a large single-engine type, and the floating device of the covered carriage type is a small four-point type. As for the magic tool that deploys the wind barrier, I made it a variable output type with a normal mode to reduce air resistance and assist movement and an emergency mode to protect against being shot by a bow and arrow. It would be reassuring to know that it could provide protection in case of an emergency.


    Despite her size, Tozume was very dexterous. She had a good sense of design and knew roughly how to make covered wagons and box wagons, so she contributed greatly to constructing the airboard chassis.


    ¡°Tozume is amazing. You could work not only as an adventurer but also as a craftsman.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t compete with a professional in that field. I can only make things that are related to the adventuring business.¡±


    If the quality is this good, isn¡¯t it good enough? When I touch it, the construction itself seems to be quite robust, and there seems to be no problem with the quality.


    As a result of thinking about the ground brake, I decided to make it look like a big box sled or a big covered sled. In order to prevent the flotation device attached to the bottom of the airboard from being crushed by the airboard itself when it touches the ground, the legs of the sled are used to gain a little height. Also, I installed a separate ground brake that the person can operate like a side brake.


    ¡°It¡¯s done.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s done.¡±


    ¡°Will¡­ Kosuke and Ira each do the test run?¡±


    ¡°I guess so. I¡¯ll do that, and I want you to get in the back of one of them.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­ I¡¯ll ride with Kosuke.¡±


    We got on the improved airboard that had been made, and we each activated it using magic crystals as fuel. I¡¯m on the boxy large single-engine airboard, and Isla is on the small four-point airboard with a hood.


    ¡°Let¡¯s drive safely.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    I tucked both control sticks outward to gain a little altitude, then tucked both sticks forward slightly to start a slight forward motion.


    ¡°It¡¯s a little heavy to start with because of the extra weight.¡±


    ¡°The slower you start, the harder it will be to stop. I think braking early will be important.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. If you don¡¯t, you could have a serious accident.¡±


    While replying to Tozume, who was talking to me from behind, I carefully accelerated and took control. This time, I also installed a directional rudder that can be operated with a foot pedal. Stepping on the right pedal makes it turn to the right, and stepping on the left pedal makes it turn to the left. In addition to this, the left and right propellers can be used to turn by adjusting their power.


    The test run was successful without any problems, and the large single-engine type consumed less magic power when moving at roughly the same speed.


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°What would happen if we deliberately made one of the four-pointers malfunction and let it run?¡±


    I suggested that one of the four levitating devices be deliberately disabled, and although the lack of one of the levitating devices caused it to sway and tilt, it was still able to run.


    ¡°When one of the levitation devices broke down for some reason, the four-point system could barely run, which was a strong point. If one of the levitation devices breaks down, you¡¯re dead in a single shot.¡±


    ¡°The same is true for carriages, though, isn¡¯t it? If an axle or wheel is damaged, the carriage will be stranded unless there is a spare.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s practical to have spare levitation devices in every carriage.¡±


    ¡°But if it¡¯s a military item, we should avoid sudden trouble that could put us out of action, and we can¡¯t repair it locally. No, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s something that can be easily broken in the first place¡­ In fact, what about durability?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not something that breaks down that easily. However, you have to keep it running while driving. The only way to know what kind of load will cause it to break is to actually operate it and check it frequently.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a concern that can¡¯t be solved overnight.¡±


    The only way to test the durability of components is to actually use them until they break. I guess we¡¯ll just have to make a lot of them and keep them in operation.


    ¡°Also, regarding the manufacturing cost¡­ I think it¡¯s enough to consider the cost of materials for Kosuke to make it, but if a craftsman actually makes it, one large levitation device will take less time than four small ones.¡±


    The scales fell from mine and Isla¡¯s eyes at Tozume¡¯s point.


    If I were to make it myself, I could prepare the materials, reserve the craft on the workbench, and in a matter of hours, it would be ready. However, if a craftsman, mages, and alchemist were to actually make these levitation tools, it would take less time to make one large levitation device than it would to make four small ones.


    For example, if you want to write the magic formula for levitation on a mithril alloy base, which is the core of a magic tool, the number of letters to be engraved on the base is the same whether it is a small levitation device or a large one.


    In other words, the work time required to run a single airboard is four times as long as a simple calculation for a small four-point system.


    In reality, engraving on a large board may take a little more time than the engraving on a small board, but between four small boards and one large board, the work time for one large board will be shorter.


    ¡°I guess we should just do the technical development and let Melty or the Research and Development Department take care of the cost considerations.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. It¡¯s a little difficult for us to decide whether to focus on material cost or productivity. I¡¯ll write a report on material cost, productivity, and maintainability, along with Tozume¡¯s opinion.¡±


    ¡°Please do so.¡±


    Let¡¯s take the stance that we should leave such difficult matters to those who understand them. I think it would be better to have an expert examine the cost and operation. In the first place, we¡¯ve just built the system, and we haven¡¯t evaluated the reliability of the components yet.


    Anyway, let¡¯s just run it and get some data.

 CH 167

    Chapter 167 ¨C A Red Useless Oni And A New Weapon From Here


    The next day, after we finished harvesting the crops, we split up into two improved airboards and started moving to the rear base.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s so fast. It doesn¡¯t even shake, and it¡¯s so comfortable.¡±


    Shumel was in a very good mood as she boarded the improved airboard that I was piloting. I think it¡¯s because she can avoid Grande Airways, which she really dislikes.


    ¡°It¡¯s not as fast as flying, but it¡¯s still pretty fast.¡±


    Grande seemed to be looking out the window from the very back seat.


    The improved airboard looked like a big sled that floated and moved. I made a covered wagon type and a box wagon type, and I put a glass window on the box wagon type airboard so that the passengers could look outside.


    By the way, Grande is in the back because her tail gets in the way of the others. Ms. Zamir will probably be riding in the back seat of the covered carriage-type airboard over there.


    ¡°Sounds like you have fun driving¡­¡±


    Bella called out from right behind me. Stop whispering in my ear in a resentful voice. You useless demon.


    ¡°Do you want to drive?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I want to!¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll let you drive a little when we get to the rear base. But if you crash it¡­ fufu.¡±


    I¡¯ll dress you in a super micro bikini or a frilly magical girl outfit that only covers the tip. In addition to that, I¡¯ll have her hang a board around her neck again, and this time I¡¯ll have her parade around the rear base.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m not going to say anything. I¡¯m getting goosebumps.¡±


    ¡°What a stunning goosebump.¡±


    ¡°It tickles!¡±


    I wondered if Capri had caressed my skin. Certainly, it would be ticklish to have your skin gently stroked by those wing feathers.


    There are a total of five people on this airboard. Me, Shumel, Bella, Grande, and Capri. The carriage-type airboard operated by Isla has six people on it: Isla, Pirna, Ygrett, Eyja, Ms. Zamir, and Tozume. This one has fewer people, but it has a higher weight capacity.


    The Oni are big and heavy, and the Harpies are light in weight. One Oni is heavier than three Harpies. I didn¡¯t say this one was heavier because I wanted to save my life! It¡¯s strictly forbidden to talk about weight with women. No matter which world you are in.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    Now, the distance from the excavation site to the rear base was a day and a half on foot, but with the improved airboard running smoothly, we were able to reach the rear base in about an hour.


    This doesn¡¯t mean that we were at full speed. In terms of power, it was less than half of its maximum output.


    Why aren¡¯t we running at full speed? Because safety comes first. It¡¯s not like we¡¯re in a hurry. I did some experiments at the maximum speed. I think it was close to 200km/h. I think it¡¯s too slow for a jet engine propulsion system that nullifies wind resistance. There must be room for improvement in the propulsion system. The current one is just a tube.


    I wonder if it would be better if the shape of the propulsion nozzle could be modified or if the direction and thickness of the nozzle could be changed. Well, I think there are thrust deflector nozzles on fighter planes. I¡¯ll give the Research and Development Department a rough outline when I delegate the research to them. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯ll ever be put to practical use.


    I mean, wasn¡¯t that supposed to improve mobility in aerial combat? I don¡¯t think it makes sense to put it on an airboard instead of a car. I mean, it¡¯s not like it¡¯s going to make you that much more maneuverable. Well, but is it useful for anything¡­? I guess it¡¯s not a bad idea to tell them. The only thing needed is to be able to deflect the power to the left or right, so it wouldn¡¯t be too difficult.


    Where do you think the future of airboarding is headed¡­? Why don¡¯t we just make a technical one with an onboard machine gun? A technical airboard that glides around the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army in formation with legs faster than a horse¡¯s while taking machine gun fire¡­ like hell or something?


    But let¡¯s make it. I¡¯m a person who shows no mercy to my enemies.


    Too one-sided, you say? There¡¯s nothing wrong with being one-sided when it comes to killing each other. Just because you¡¯re the enemy doesn¡¯t mean you can¡¯t kill everyone, but it¡¯s better that no one dies on your side. If you don¡¯t want to be killed like that, just surrender and don¡¯t come to war in the first place.


    But yes, I agree. Let¡¯s give them a warning before we send them in. I have that kind of conscience. Hahaha.


    ¡°Isla and the others went to take over¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    The useless red demon is looking at me with a sparkling gaze. What is it that you love so much about airboarding? Do you like to ride?


    ¡°All right, don¡¯t crash it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    ¡°Never crash it. If you wreck it again, I¡¯ll punish you severely, okay? I¡¯ll traumatize you for life, okay?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s really scary¡­ I¡¯m getting the shivers.¡±


    I said it with a straight face, and she was terrified. Good. You should be scared, cower. But I won¡¯t forgive you if you crash it. I will put her in a super micro bikini or a frilly magical girl outfit, have her carry a board around her neck with a description of her crime, and drag her around the back of the base.


    Perhaps sensing my seriousness, Bella¡¯s driving was very cautious. She accelerated like she was sliding, cornered without any sense of inertia, and stopped at the designated spot.


    ¡°What can I say? If you do it right, you can do it.¡±


    ¡°Eh? Is that so?¡±


    I saw Bella turn around with a smile on her face, and as she did so, the right throttle opened fully forward, and the left throttle opened fully backward.


    ¡°Oh¡­ Maaaa!¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡±


    The airboard began to spin at a tremendous speed.


    ¡°Aaaaaaaaa super crawler spiiinnnnnnnn!?¡±


    It¡¯s not a caterpillar, so it¡¯s not a super-crawler spin. It¡¯s more like a rat firework. But that doesn¡¯t matter. The problem now is that the airboard with Bella and I on it is spinning at a ridiculous speed.


    ¡°Hieeeee!¡±


    ¡°You better get the throttle back, you idiot!¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    With a bang, Bella put the throttle back on. The thrust was lost from the propulsion system, whose output had been cut, and the aircraft¡¯s rotation gradually ceased.


    ¡°Geez, I¡¯ve had a rough time of it.¡±


    ¡°You little bastard¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a bastard.¡±


    She said that with a smug look on her face, so I gave her a rather serious chop on the head. Ah, I¡¯m saying that, but this girl can take it easy.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to let you drive here. I can¡¯t trust my driving to someone who will do a super-high-speed spin just because someone calls out to her.¡±


    ¡°No way.¡±


    Even if you say it in a depressed tone, it¡¯s no good. Whenever you see something that catches your interest, you might want to go for it.


    ¡°I need just one more chance! I¡¯ll do anything; I just want a chance!¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Did you just say you¡¯ll do anything?¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ yes.¡±


    I made Bella, who was twitching, listen to what I would make her do if she had an accident and threatened her like hell. I¡¯ll also make sure to explain what a micro tiger print bikini and a frilly magical girl outfit look like.


    ¡°I¡¯ll definitely drive safely.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what you should do¡­ or rather, what is it about airboarding that attracts you so much that you want to drive after receiving such a threat¡­?¡±


    ¡°Airboarding is cool! They¡¯re fun to drive!¡±


    Bella¡¯s eyes shine, and she clenches her fists as she makes a powerful argument. I try to convince her, but she just doesn¡¯t get it. Her vocabulary is too weak. But the enthusiasm was palpable. If she¡¯s this enthusiastic, I guess I can leave it to her.


    ¡°¡­The members I gathered are about to be taken by your husband?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what Kosuke-san does.¡±


    ¡°Because that¡¯s what Danna-san does.¡±


    ¡°It is a woman¡¯s nature to be attracted to a husband who is a talented engineer and a man of character.¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    Shumel and the Harpies are saying something in the distance, but don¡¯t worry; I¡¯m not trying to do anything to Bella. I think she¡¯s a good girl, silly and friendly, but I don¡¯t want to have that kind of relationship with her, and I don¡¯t think Bella does either.


    ¡°I mean, Nee-san, the way you say it, it sounds like you are trying to drag me away too?¡±


    ¡°Yesterday, you were happily building an airboard with Kosuke and Isla, right?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s not like that.¡±


    When pursued by Shumel, Tozume awkwardly averts her wide-open eye. I wonder why Tozume also likes to make things. Maybe her Cyclops blood is stirring. I don¡¯t think she has a thing for me either, so I¡¯m sure she¡¯s fine.


    But it might be a good idea to talk to Isla and the Research and Development Department so that she can show up when she¡¯s free. I think it¡¯s valuable to have someone who knows a wide range of things and has the skills to create something concrete.


    While I was teaching Bella how to fly the airboard by myself, Isla and Ms. Zamir came back. The handover seemed to have gone off without a hitch. And Ms. Zamir is carrying something that looks like a gun. What¡¯s that?


    ¡°Welcome back. What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s a prototype magic gun manufactured in the rear base. I had to take it back to Erichburg with me along with the materials.¡±


    Then Isla lifted up a thick bundle of documents that appeared to be development documents and showed them to me. I see. And then, I received the prototype of the magic gun that Ms. Zamir brought.


    ¡°This is¡­¡±


    It seems to be a front-loading type gun. The shape is very similar to the musket gun that I gave as reference material before. However, it seems that all of these guns are made from scratch by craftsmen in this world. The firing method is¡­ I¡¯m not sure about this one. Some parts look like a firing pin. The tip looks like a tiny magic crystal or something.


    ¡°Also, several supplies are to be transported from the warehouse in the rear base to the front line.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see. All right, I¡¯ll go.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. I¡¯ll look through the files.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve trained Bella to take the controls, so you won¡¯t have to drive next time. But be careful; reading material in a moving vehicle can get you dizzy.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, okay.¡±


    I left Isla, and the other members nodding and moved into the rear base. Ms. Zamir, carrying a mithril spear meteor, followed me. No, I don¡¯t think I need an escort in the logistics base¡­ but I¡¯ll let her do as she pleases.

 CH 168

    Chapter 168 ¨C Returning With A Vow of Revenge


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to bother you with this.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s my duty, after all.¡±


    In response to my words, Ms. Zamir, who carried her mithril spear, the Meteor, on her shoulder, quietly shook her head.


    Whenever possible, Ms. Zamir would keep a close eye on my security during the exploration of the Adol scriptures. She tried to protect me as much as she could, and if she couldn¡¯t, she would make sure that Isla, Shumel, or Grande would be by my side to guard me.


    As if she noticed my gaze, Ms. Zamir opened her mouth as she turned her gaze into the sky.


    ¡°Qubi once kidnapped Kosuke-dono due to my arrogance. I would never want to make the same mistake. I will never again violate the vow I made when I received this meteor.¡±


    ¡°Qubi, huh¡­? I wonder about that guy.¡±


    I still don¡¯t understand his actions. He¡¯s been hiding in the Liberation Army for years, and what he ended up doing was kidnapping me. If he had wanted to, he could have assassinated Sylphy, Isla, Danan, and Sir Leonard, and he could have easily killed me instead of kidnapping me half-heartedly like that.


    After all, he left me in the Merinesburg castle, only to have me escape and find the sewers.


    If he had been better at his job, he would have been able to keep me captive. Even if it wasn¡¯t Qubi himself, he could have stuck one or two of his strong men on me, and I would have been in jail until Ellen ¨D Eleonora, the saint of truth of the Adolian religion ¨D arrived.


    Qubi himself had fled as soon as he heard that I had escaped to the sewers. What the hell was he trying to do? If I had been captured properly, would I have met Ellen without ever coming into contact with Lime and the others? What would have happened if Qubi had been there?


    I don¡¯t know. If that had happened, what would have been in Qubi¡¯s favor? I don¡¯t understand his motive in the first place. Qubi is a subhuman. He¡¯s also a highly beast-looking subhuman who would be impossible to blend in with humans. What¡¯s the use of such a guy getting involved with the Adol religion? Even if he¡¯s used physically, it¡¯s unlikely that he¡¯ll be able to gain any position, honor, or wealth within the Adol religion¡­ or even within the Holy kingdom.


    In the first place, if he was from the Holy Kingdom, what faction did he belong to? From the way Ellen was talking, it seemed that the guards who had thrown me in a random cell were from the mainstream. If Qubi and the governor were from the mainstream, would their treatment of me have been so careless?


    It¡¯s not impossible that the same faction simply didn¡¯t take the words of the subhuman Qubi seriously, but if that¡¯s the case, Qubi¡¯s superiors would have arranged for Qubi to be in a position to properly speak to the governor or to prepare orders so that he could complete his mission without problems.


    However, this assumption also falls apart because Qubi is a subhuman¡­? It¡¯s still unnatural that the subhuman Qubi works for the Holy Kingdom.


    What if he belonged to the same nostalgist group as Ellen¡­? It¡¯s no good. No matter how much I think about it, it¡¯s still a guess. At the time, I was filled with anger at being betrayed and kidnapped, but now that I think about it, that guy¡¯s actions made no sense whatsoever. I don¡¯t know what his purpose was.


    Well, whatever his reason was, he deserves to pay for betraying Sylphy and me. I¡¯m going to shave his whole body and expose him to the world. I can¡¯t imagine what that would be like, but I¡¯ve heard it¡¯s worse than death for Beastman.


    ¡°I thought about it a lot, but I couldn¡¯t understand it. When did Qubi betray me and why?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to catch him one day and ask him myself. While shaving him.¡±


    ¡°Yes, while shaving.¡±


    We both smiled wickedly as we imagined this scene. The people in the rear base were taken aback when they saw us, but we didn¡¯t notice until the manager of the supply warehouse pointed it out to us and continued to smile wickedly.


    It¡¯s fun, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s fun to think of the scene of punishing a traitor.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    After filling up my inventory with the surplus supplies and magic crystals produced at the rear base, we started to head northward to leave the Great Omit Wilderness with the improved airboard.


    It took us about three and a half hours to pass through the Great Omit Wilderness and another three hours to pass through Fort Alpha on the region¡¯s border. In some places, we passed travelers and wagons on the road and received stares of astonishment, but we arrived at the town of Mayswood just as the sun was beginning to set.


    I was afraid of driving at night, so I decided to park the improved airboard at the Liberation Army garrison in Mayswood and set up temporary accommodation in the corner of the garrison to rest for the day. At the pace we had been going, we should be able to reach Erichburg in less than two hours, but we didn¡¯t want to risk it.


    ¡°At this speed, if we leave early in the morning, we should be able to run from the rear base to Erichburg before the sun goes down.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I think we can. The efficiency of the magic crystal consumption is not too bad. It¡¯s about 70% so far, so I think we can afford to have one each way.¡±


    Magic crystal is a blue crystal about the size of a ping pong ball. With two of these, it is possible to travel back and forth between Erichburg and the rear base.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just check every part of it.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, okay.¡±


    I¡¯ll be working with Isla to maintain the improved airboard. It¡¯s a simple structure, and there seems to be no particular problem with the propulsion system. However, the Mythril-cooper alloy magic power conductor that flows magic power from magic crystal to each device has been heated because of the continuous flow of magic power, and some deterioration can be seen. This meant that either the amount of mithril added would have to be increased, or else the magic conductors would have to be made thicker.


    As for the levitation device, the large single-shot one was fine, but the small four-point one seemed to be heating up a bit. There seemed to be no problem in operation at the moment, but the small four-point type was likely to have a shorter life as a part in a long-term operation.


    As for the control system, there was no noticeable wear or damage. It¡¯s a surprisingly simple structure. Can¡¯t we simplify the operation a little more? I wonder if it would be possible to allow the control system to become a little more complicated and use the foot pedals to accelerate and brake, the steering wheel to turn left and right, and the shift lever to switch forward and backward. That way, it would be possible to drive with one hand while shooting with the other.


    Or maybe the airboard itself could be armed? But if we arm the airboard, it better be able to move in all directions, rather than just sideways.


    Technically, I think it¡¯s possible. The thrust is managed by the foot pedals, and the two sticks are used to move, like in a certain robot game, and the sticks can be triggered like a¡­ hover tank.


    Yes, it¡¯s romantic, but a technical airboard with an on-board machine gun is enough. Rejected. I think it¡¯s possible to make one as a hobby, though. No, no, no, I¡¯m getting distracted.


    After finishing maintenance, we¡¯ll have dinner at the garrison cafeteria and relax in the temporary lodging.


    At this distance, I can use my personal Golem communicator without any problem, so I decided to try to contact Sylphi. The call sounded several times, and soon the communication was established.


    ¡°Kosuke, is that you? Since you¡¯ve contacted me on this communicator, are you nearby?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re coming back to Mayswood. I¡¯ve secured the scriptures.¡±


    ¡°I see, that¡¯s fortuitous. But why Mayswood? Grande¡¯s wing could get you back to Erichburg, right?¡±


    ¡°I managed to find some time over there to build a vehicle. I¡¯m traveling overland to test it out. We left a little late today because of some things that happened, but if we start moving in the morning, we¡¯ll be able to get from the rear base to Erichburg before the sun goes down.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ you¡¯ve made another interesting one.¡±


    As we talked about the airboard for a while, Grande crawled out from a pile of cushions set up in the corner of the room. By the way, Isla is working on a report about the airboard and the scriptures at a desk placed right there. The Harpies are going to fly outside even though it¡¯s dark, probably because they were stressed from riding the airboard all day without flying.


    ¡°Is that Sylphy?¡±


    ¡°That voice is, Grande, isn¡¯t it? How was your trip?¡±


    ¡°Fumu, how was it, huh¡­? It was satisfactory. I was with Kosuke the whole time, he fed me good food, and most importantly, he made love to me.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    What the hell are you talking about?


    ¡°Is that right? It was worth it to send you off with him.¡±


    ¡°Yes, indeed. Kosuke is a bit of a slob, isn¡¯t he?¡±


    That¡¯s true, Colonel. Grande was more of a smart pet than a girl in my mind. I knew I wouldn¡¯t be able to give up on her so easily.


    ¡°You said you got what you came for, but was there any danger?¡±


    ¡°The first ruins we entered were full of Ghouls, and there was a Lich at the deepest part. In addition to that, there were occasional undead-like creatures in the ruins, but Shumel and Ms. Zamir took care of them.¡±


    ¡°Kosuke was tearing apart the Lich with something called sabumashingan. His weapon looked weird, but it was strong.¡± [T/n: Submachine Gun.]


    ¡°Lich and Ghouls, huh¡­? I wasn¡¯t worried because Zamir was with you, but it looks like it was quite a challenge. Did you read through the scriptures?¡±


    ¡°It was written in the ancient language of the Omit Kingdom, but I was able to read the contents with my ability. The contents seemed to be what the nostalgists wanted. I translated the contents, and Isla wrote them down. There are many other books that I have recovered, but I have yet to read them.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s good to know. Tomorrow we¡¯ll be able to bring good news to the saint.¡±


    On the other side of the communicator, Sylphy¡¯s voice sounded very relieved. If the content of the report were the same as that of the current mainstream, it would have been very bad. It was a blessing in disguise.


    ¡°If we leave tomorrow morning, we¡¯ll probably get there early, before noon. Be amazed at the new vehicle that Isla and I have built.¡±


    The problem with airboards is that they move in a very rough way, so they¡¯re not very good at moving a little and then stopping. If you use it on the street, you¡¯re bound to have a lot of accidents. I wonder what to do¡­ Should I add a mode to limit the output of the levitation device so that it can brake immediately? Rather, it seems that the people in the surrounding area will be annoyed by the jet of the propulsion system when moving before that. It seems better to think about a mechanism to narrow down the diameter of the propulsion system, and if we supplement the diameter of the propulsion system, the wind will be a little better.


    ¡°I¡¯ll look forward to it. We will be communicating with the saint through Lime and the others tomorrow afternoon, so please arrive before noon.¡±


    ¡°All right. We¡¯re going to leave early in the morning, so we should be there pretty soon. From here, it¡¯ll probably take less than two hours¡­ it won¡¯t take a moment.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­ See you tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, see you tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°See you tomorrow.¡±


    The communication is terminated. In fact, there was a large Golem communication device for long-distance communication in the rear base, but that was for the Liberation Army¡¯s military service, so I didn¡¯t think it was a good idea to use it for private communication.


    I think I should make a more powerful communicator for me¡­ No, they both need the same amount of magic wave output, so it¡¯s not that easy. But I think it¡¯s not impossible.


    ¡°For now, it¡¯s tomorrow. I think we should go to bed early today.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I suppose so. I hope I can sleep early.¡±


    Grande glanced at the entrance of the temporary accommodation. I also turned my eyes in that direction and caught the gaze.


    ¡°Hiee¡­¡±


    Pirna and Capri were looking at me with glowing eyes.


    I quickly turned my attention to the window, looking for an escape route.


    ¡°Hiee¡­¡±


    Ygrett and Eyja were waving their wings at me from outside the window. And before I knew it, Isla was at my side¡­! Grande also grabbed my arm with her mighty clawed hand.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to act scared.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    I knew from the start that this would happen. Yes, sir. I guessed it when they went to the trouble of making a temporary accommodation for us. Today is the last day, right?


    ¡°Fufufu¡­ Don¡¯t think that I¡¯m always the one who gets beaten up!¡±


    I¡¯ve got a trick up my sleeve that I got at the Elven Village. With this, there is no way I could be defeated. Today is the day that I will be able to turn the tables on them all.

 CH 169

    Chapter 169 ¨C Return And Report


    The next day.


    Err, the upper limit of my strength and stamina gauge for today has been reduced by 50% and 50%. It¡¯ll probably take a few hours to recover, so everyone take care of me, please ¡ª especially Isla, Grande, and the Harpies.


    Are you guys absorbing anything from me that you shouldn¡¯t? Is that okay? If I hadn¡¯t raised my level or augmented it with various achievements or skills, I would be dead.


    ¡°I have assessed it properly. It¡¯s actually safe.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right.¡±


    Let¡¯s just say that. What¡¯s more, today we¡¯re just riding the airboard from Mayswood back to Erichburg. After that, I will meet Sylphy, take the supplies from the rear base to the warehouse, deliver the airboard, prototype magic gun, and magic crystals to the Research and Development Department, explain various things and participate in the meeting between Ellen and the Liberation Army using the golem communication device¡­ There¡¯s a lot to do, isn¡¯t there?


    W-well, as long as I eat properly, my maximum value will gradually recover¡­ As long as I don¡¯t jump or run, it¡¯s not a problem¡­ I¡¯m challenging myself to see how far I can deceive myself.


    We all took a bath in the morning, finished breakfast, and took down the temporary accommodation. The Liberation Army soldiers, who had never seen me do anything like that before, were stunned by the scene. They were probably the ones who joined the army after the Liberation Army took over the Merinard Kingdom. I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to disturb you.


    We said goodbye to the people of the Liberation Army garrison in Mayswood and set off on our airboard today. The road between Mayswood and Erichburg is packed with passersby, but we gain a bit of altitude and hit the grasslands on the side of the road.


    We passed a merchant¡¯s carriage, and the merchant¡¯s guards were very wary of us, but in less than two hours, we made it to Erlchburg.


    Eh? Trouble on the way? Both Mayswood and Erichburg are the front lines of the Liberation Army. Naturally, there are many patrols by the Liberation Army, and they also exterminate monsters during their patrols. There are no bandits in the area. The only trouble they get into is when the axles or wheels of the carriages of the merchants and peddlers break.


    We rode the airboard to the city¡¯s gates and then put it in my inventory, passed the inspection gracefully, and entered Erichburg. Perhaps the existence of the airboard and the surprise of having it disappear somewhere in an instant prevailed, but I didn¡¯t get any complaints from the people in line even though I passed the order with my face and entered the city of Erichburg.


    Eh? Are you asking me if I don¡¯t feel guilty for not following the order and just going inside? No, I don¡¯t. Our search for the scriptures is also an important operation of the Liberation Army, you know. It¡¯s also in the name of getting this to Sylphy as soon as possible.


    If we were to make a showy appearance on the airboard and just stand in a normal line, we would be surrounded by astute merchants ¡ª no doubt about it. I don¡¯t have time for that.


    When we entered Erichburg, I asked the Harpies and Grande to precede us to the lord¡¯s mansion from the sky. It¡¯s to let everyone know that we¡¯ve arrived. And as for Grande, she will be dismissed from my party for the time being. She said she would relax for a while, so she would probably spend her time in the living room of the lord¡¯s mansion, buried under the cushions.


    The city of Erichburg was indeed prosperous. This is where the headquarters of the Liberation Army is located, and people, goods, and money are gathered in Erichburg. The money comes from the crops I grow, the gemstones I mine and process, the rare metals like mithril, and the Elven products such as Elven honey wine.


    ¡°The economy seems to be improving.¡±


    ¡°Melty seems to be having a hard time.¡±


    ¡°I guess all the hard work is paying off.¡±


    I¡¯ve heard that Elven products sell particularly well. I¡¯ve heard from Sir Leonard and Danan that the price of Elven honey wine is a hundred times higher than regular ale. After the Merinard Kingdom was turned into a vassal state, there were no more Elven products coming in, and Elven honey wine was treated as a phantom wine. Nowadays, it¡¯s not surprising that its value has increased a hundredfold or even ten thousand times the price of ale.


    I shuddered when I heard this story. I had never dreamed that the liquor I drank every day without a second thought was such a high-class drink. Well, I¡¯m still drinking it now, after all. Now I can mass-produce it.


    While talking with Ms. Zamir, I greeted some familiar Liberation Army soldiers on the street as I headed for the lord¡¯s mansion, which was also the headquarters of the Liberation Army. Pirna and the others were already waiting for us in front of the main building, and they led us to the conference room.


    ¡°You¡¯re back. You¡¯re really early.¡±


    In the conference room, there was not only Sylphy but also Danan and Melty. It seems that Sir Leonard is not present. He might have been out on patrol somewhere.


    ¡°I¡¯m back. The search for the Adol scriptures from the time of the Omit Kingdom has ended successfully. This is the original, these two are the manuscripts, and this is what Isla and I translated.¡±


    I then placed the four books on the desk in the conference room.


    ¡°Shumel and her party did an excellent job of guarding us and exploring the ruins without any problems. Grande also did a great job in investigating the ruins or rather locating the underground ruins. Please reward them commensurate with their efforts.¡±


    ¡°Please leave that to me.¡±


    Melty smiled as she said this. Will it be okay¡­? Well, it¡¯s probably okay. I think Melty is the type of person who tightens up to where necessary but gives credit where credit is due. I¡¯ll check with Shumel and the others later, just to be sure.


    ¡°I¡¯ve found a lot of other books, so I think it¡¯s better to send this to the experts. If I help out, I think it will go a lot faster.¡±


    Just translating the book titles and the table of contents will make the work go much faster.


    ¡°Okay. As for the scriptures, I will check the contents later. Is it okay if I leave the book analysis to you, Isla?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I¡¯ll handle it properly.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m counting on you. The meeting with the saint is scheduled for the afternoon, so you are free to spend your time until noon. Shumel and the others can leave as well. I¡¯ve arranged for you to receive your reward at the guild.¡±


    ¡°Okay. If you need anything else, just let me know.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I might need you for an escort mission in the near future. I¡¯ll contact you directly or through the guild.¡±


    ¡°Understood. See you soon.¡±


    ¡°See you later, Kosuke-san.¡±


    ¡°See you later.¡±


    With that, the three of them left. I felt suddenly lonely when the three big girls left. They¡¯re easy to get along with in terms of personality, and I hope we can continue to get along.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s going on in the Holy Kingdom?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to be able to get to know them better. The nostalgic faction is calling for peace, but it seems to have been completely overwhelmed by the mainstream faction.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s true. There is no reason for the Holy Kingdom not to do so.¡±


    We took the southern half of the Merinard Kingdom and pacified it. However, the size of the area is not very large compared to the size of the mainland of the Holy Kingdom and the territories of other vassal states of the Holy Kingdom. It seems.


    In fact, it is said that the Holy Kingdom has an army of several hundred thousand people¡­ and I believe that the total number of combatants in the Liberation Army is less than 5000. If the numbers are correct, they probably think that 30,000 troops will be enough to crush us.


    If they actually attacked us with that many, we would be crushed, normally. As for the Liberation Army, since I¡¯m here, I don¡¯t think that will ever happen. We are working day and night to produce the best way to deal with the situation.


    ¡°And it seems that the position of the nostalgic faction within the Holy King is getting worse. The mainstream would probably consider those who deny their own doctrine and befriend subhumans to be heretical traitors.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that too hasty a move?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that the mainstream faction is rapidly expanding its influence, taking advantage of the fact that the Saint of Truth is not in the Holy Kingdom. It seems that the saint can¡¯t go back to the Holy Kingdom because things have become too disturbing.¡±


    ¡°When did this happen¡­?¡±


    Doesn¡¯t that mean that Ellen¡¯s life is being threatened by mainstream groups at this very moment? Just like the time I was stabbed. Hey, hey, this is not the time to be sitting around here. I think we should go and help her as soon as possible. What should I do? Should I ask Grande to take me? And then what? Should I just ride over to where Ellen is and kidnap her? How? No matter how.


    In fact, with my abilities, there¡¯s no way I can just sneak into that castle and kidnap Ellen alone. As long as I can get Ellen out, I can even use the airboard to break the cavalry¡¯s pursuit.


    In fact, why didn¡¯t they tell me that the situation was like that? If only I had known about it earlier, I could have done something about it.


    ¡°I guess the saint was right.¡±


    Sylphy let out a sigh, and with a quick movement, she put her hands on my cheeks and stared straight into my eyes. Her amber eyes stare straight into mine.


    ¡°Actually, the saint herself didn¡¯t want me to tell you. She said that if you heard about her plight, you would probably not be able to stay still.¡±


    ¡°Kuh¡­¡±


    I was completely predicted. I can see Ellen¡¯s expression in my mind as she snickered, ¡°Huh, as expected,¡± at me.


    ¡°But what are we going to do? In that situation, the plan to overturn the Holy Kingdom by giving momentum to the nostalgic faction will be foiled.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. That¡¯s why we¡¯re going to have that discussion this afternoon.¡±


    ¡°Nuh¡­ What does Sylphy have in mind?¡±


    ¡°Abandoning the saint and the nostalgic will not help. They are the enemy of our enemy, and I believe that we can bring them into our side. In fact, the doctrine of ¡°righteous Adolism¡± that the nostalgic faction advocates would be a good weapon against the Holy Kingdom.¡±


    The Holy Kingdom is a religious nation. If the doctrine of the religion that is the foundation of the Holy Kingdom is, in fact, wrong and is widely publicized, it will be able to greatly wobble the Adol religion, which is the backbone that supports the framework of the Holy Kingdom. Furthermore, if there are real saints who support the ¡°correct Adolian religion,¡± the effect will be even greater.


    It would be even more effective if we could invite a researcher from a neutral third country to prove the authenticity of the scriptures and the scriptures themselves.


    ¡°The saint and the nostalgic have their uses. I think it¡¯s worth the risk to bring them to our side. It might even have the effect of suppressing people¡¯s opposition from the Holy Kingdom. We¡¯re a Liberation Army, after all. The majority of our members are subhumans. As is the case now, when we regain the territory of the Merinard Kingdom, we will have to deal with more people who believe in the Adol religion. At that time, the saint and the nostalgic faction will be of great help to us.¡±


    After saying that, Sylphy removed her hands from my cheeks. When I looked at Melty and Danan, Melty nodded, and Danan wrinkled his brow and let out a sigh. It seems that Melty is for it, and Danan is reluctantly against it.


    ¡°It would be unrealistic to think that after the recovery of the Merinard Kingdom, every single Adolian believer would be expelled from the country or that they would all be killed. There are people who have already taken root in the Merinard Kingdom and were even born here.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­¡±


    Danan may be convinced in theory, but it is difficult to convince him emotionally. Although he is not here, I think that Sir Leonard is also like that. I¡¯ve heard that he, too, had his wife killed by the people of the Holy Kingdom.


    ¡°Anyway, that¡¯s how I see it. You may disagree, but in reality, it¡¯s impossible to keep fighting until one of us is destroyed.¡±


    ¡°With Kosuke, we can scorch the Holy Kingdom to the ground.¡±


    ¡°If you do that, all the other countries in the world will beat us to a pulp¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I was just getting at the question of whether it was realistic or not. I don¡¯t think that would be a good idea either.¡±


    Isla, who said something disturbing, nodded frankly when Sylphy interrupted her.


    ¡°However, Kosuke can take such an option if he wants to. And if he wanted to, he could probably do it alone. So Kosuke, as well as us, have to be very careful. Too much power can destroy you.¡±


    Isla stared at me with her big eye. I nodded curiously back at her. Fortunately, I haven¡¯t been so angry with the Holy Kingdom that I¡¯ve lost my mind, but there¡¯s no guarantee that I won¡¯t be in the future. I think Isla is telling me to control myself so that I don¡¯t overdo it at that time.


    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll be careful. The meeting will be after lunch, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m going to the Research and Development Department to cool down a bit. I¡¯ve got some things I have to hand over.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    Isla walked up to my side and grabbed the hem of my clothes tightly. I feel a strong will that she won¡¯t let me go straight to Ellen now, even if it¡¯s by mistake.


    ¡°¡­See you later.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll make lunch for you.¡±


    Sylphy smiled and sent Isla and me on our way. I¡¯m going to try to regain my composure by lunch. In times like these, it¡¯s best to immerse yourself in something.

 CH 170

    Chapter 170 ¨C Research And Development Department Is Free Today!


    With Isla grabbing the hem of my clothes and Ms. Zamir quietly following behind me, we moved to the Research and Development Department. All the while, the thought of Ellen, who might be in dire straits, kept running through my mind.


    Without actually talking to her and hearing about her situation, I couldn¡¯t be reassured, but if I thought about it, it would be possible for Lime and the others to guard her in Merinesburg. In this situation, the assassination of Ellen would only be a disadvantage for the Liberation Army, so I think Sylphy is asking Lime and the others to protect Ellen.¡¡Damn, I should have asked her. I¡¯ll ask her at lunch. For now, I¡¯ll just focus on what¡¯s in front of me and cool down.


    When I showed up at the Research and Development Department in Erichburg, researchers and craftsmen had gathered around me.


    ¡°Welcome back.¡±


    ¡°I heard you were in some kind of vehicle that I¡¯ve never seen before.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re almost out of magic crystals. Did you bring some from the rear?¡±


    ¡°Prototype magic gun from the rear¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright, calm down. Don¡¯t push me.¡±


    Our Research and Development Department has a pretty high percentage of women, and the Lamia blacksmiths and others are very exposed, so I have to be careful about many things.


    I managed to push back the researchers and craftsmen of various races who were crowding me and piled up on the large desk in the Research and Development Department the magic crystals and prototype magic guns entrusted to me from the rear, as well as the magic tools and books from the Omit Kingdom that I retrieved from the ruins.


    ¡°Hyahoo!¡±


    One of them grabbed what he wanted and dashed back to his research.


    ¡°This is¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not badly constructed, but it¡¯s not very powerful, is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s heavy, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    One of them begins to inspect the prototype magic gun sent from the rear.


    ¡°There are a lot of old books¡­ It¡¯s at least more than three hundred years old.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a saying, ¡®Learn from the past, learn from the present,¡¯ and if we read them, we might learn something new.¡±


    Some of them immediately started looking through books from the time of the Omit Kingdom.


    ¡°It¡¯s so old, the way it¡¯s made.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a lot of waste in the magic circuits. The materials used are impressive.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a waste of resources if you don¡¯t see the value in it as a document or a work of art.¡±


    A person who¡¯s ragging while inspecting the magic tools of the Omit Kingdom¡­ the Research and Development Department is a free-for-all today as well.


    ¡°Kosuke-san, Kosuke-san, I want to see that vehicle.¡±


    ¡°I want to see it too.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, let¡¯s go to the testing grounds in the back.¡±


    The alchemists, mages, woodworkers, and blacksmiths urged me towards the testing area behind the Research and Development Department. This is a large area for test driving and test firing of products. I remembered that we had to demolish some buildings to secure the site. Well, they were the mansions of wealthy people who had fled because the Liberation Army occupied Erichburg. The remaining set of household goods was deliciously confiscated by the Liberation Army.


    ¡°This is the airboard that we rode from the rear base to Erichburg. The whole thing floats with levitation magic and moves with a propulsion system that uses wind magic. The maximum speed is much faster than a horse, even with the propulsion system we¡¯re using now. If you leave the rear base in the morning, you¡¯ll be able to reach Erichburg by nightfall. As for fuel consumption, the magic crystal consumption is about 80% for a one-way trip.¡±


    ¡°Fumu¡­ There are two vehicles. Is it because of the different number of levitation magic tools?¡±


    ¡°There are four small ones and one large one.¡±


    ¡°This tube is¡­ a wind magic tool?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t there something strange about the inscriptions?¡±


    The people from the Research and Development Department rushed to the airboard I had taken out and began to analyze it. It seems that they immediately noticed something wrong with the propulsion system.


    ¡°Isla-san, Isla-san, isn¡¯t there something incomplete about the formula engraved on this wind magic tool?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not incomplete. That¡¯s right. Kosuke¡¯s words gave me a hint.¡±


    ¡°Kosuke-san can¡¯t use magic, can he?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, but he has knowledge and skills that we don¡¯t have. Perhaps he also has knowledge that could greatly improve existing magic.¡±


    I was listening to Isla¡¯s explanation. The mages and alchemists who were listening to Isla¡¯s explanation also turned their eyes to me. I mean, almost all of them are looking at me. Okay, okay, calm down, ladies and gentlemen. Even if you look at me like that, I won¡¯t suddenly come up with a plan to improve magic. It¡¯s not like I don¡¯t have some knowledge that¡¯s unfamiliar to this world or some ideas that would be considered outlandish in this world. I can¡¯t help but say to myself.


    ¡°I think the first thing to do now is the airboard. Yeah. As you can see, its propulsion system has a simple structure. It¡¯s simple enough that it probably won¡¯t be damaged, but I think it could generate propulsion more efficiently if it were more ingenious. I would like to see you pursue this aspect of your work. Everything should be taken care of one by one.¡±


    My desperate insistence was accepted, and it was decided to proceed with improving the propulsion system and controls of the airboard first. In addition, since there was no way to further improve the levitation device using levitation magic, it was decided to examine how much time and cost it would take to actually make one large and four small units by hand.


    ¡°What kind of mechanism does it use to generate power in the first place? This thing.¡±


    ¡°Originally, when wind magic creates the wind, there is a reaction to its output. However, wind magic formulas have built-in counteracting formulas from the beginning. By getting rid of the reaction-canceling formula, I created a modified wind magic formula that takes the repercussions of creating wind with wind magic seriously.¡±


    ¡°So you carve it into this tube, and the reaction of wind magic creates propulsion¡­? How much power does that have?¡±


    ¡°You can actually use it to test how much power it has. I don¡¯t recommend using it at full force. You will die.¡±


    ¡°Die?¡±


    The mages and alchemists who received the modified wind magic from Isla were sequentially blown backward. The craftsmen were laughing, holding their bellies at the sight of it.


    ¡°Hahahaha! That¡¯s quite a flight.¡±


    ¡°I can understand why you would die if you went all out.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to put so much magic into it.¡±


    ¡°Me neither¡­ But this means that the efficiency of magic power is very high, right?¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Kosuke and I are wondering if the Harpies and Dragons are using this magic to fly.¡±


    ¡°Kosuke-san¡¯s idea is solving a long-standing mystery¡­¡±


    One of the mages, who had been blown away and tattered spectacularly, blurted out. Then Isla walked briskly to get some distance from me.


    ¡°Then I worked out a new spell from the technique that had suppressed the recoil of wind magic. You can all throw rocks at me.¡±


    Isla took out a mithril wand from her pocket and held it up. Everyone, including me, looked at each other, picked up a random stone, and threw it at her. It would be a disaster if we hit her and hurt her, so we all took it easy and just tossed the stones.


    As we did so, the stone that had been flying toward Isla suddenly lost its momentum and fell directly below before reaching her. Could it be barrier magic?


    ¡°Is that barrier magic?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s similar but a little different. You can throw it like you mean it. You can also shoot me with a crossbow.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll get the crossbow.¡±


    A few of the craftsmen ran off to the lab, and as we watched them go, we threw a stone at Isla, this time rather seriously. However, the stone still stops in front of Isla and falls to the ground.


    ¡°Are you using a magic that cancels out the recoil of wind magic to kill the momentum of the stone?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°How about using magic?¡±


    ¡°It will probably stop.¡±


    As Isla said this, one of the mages fired a flame arrow magic at her. Then, as Isla declared, the flame arrow stopped in front of her before hitting her and disappeared shortly afterward. The crossbow arrows that the craftsmen brought, the handgun bullets that I shot, the shotgun bullets, the submachine gun bullets, and the rifle bullets also stopped.


    ¡°It¡¯s a great defense¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s still in the prototype stage. When activated as a barrier, it consumes an excessive amount of magic power.¡±


    Then Isla put away her wand and let out a sigh. She seemed to be quite tired.


    ¡°Maybe the reason why it consumes so much magic when it¡¯s activated as a barrier is because it keeps stopping the flow of air, or maybe invisible molecular movement or something like that all the time. I mean, if you put it over a living thing, it¡¯s going to die, isn¡¯t it¡­?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s impossible. Magic circulates within the organism¡¯s body, so it is not possible to interfere with it from the outside with magic so easily. It¡¯s a different story if you use an overwhelming amount of magic to get past the resistance. But you might be able to stop the hand or weapon of an opponent who is punching or slashing at you.¡±


    When I actually tried it, the weapons and fists I wielded were stopped in midair. It was a strange feeling. It wasn¡¯t like they hit a wall, but they just stopped. To be honest, it was a bit weird.


    ¡°It¡¯s a magic that seems to have a lot of potential for development.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. If you examine it closely, you will see that the formula for this magic still has room for improvement and analysis. The formula itself has been used in other magic, so it is being analyzed. Maybe we can create new magic that is completely different.¡±


    Isla said, her big eye shining. Yes, Isla really likes magic for some reason, doesn¡¯t she? I think she likes the unknown to be explored rather than the magic. I remember she said something about being a seeker of truth.


    Most of the mages, alchemists, and craftsmen have gone to work on the airboard and Isla¡¯s new magic, but the new prototype magic gun is also something I¡¯m very interested in.


    Now that everyone¡¯s interest has shifted to that, I will examine the prototype magic gun that the others aren¡¯t paying much attention to.

 CH 171

    Chapter 171 ¨C Prototype Magic Gun


    ¡°¡­Hmm, I see. This is very well thought out.¡±


    I looked over the instruction manual for the prototype magic gun and said with honest admiration. This prototype magic gun was made by craftsmen from this world using only the technology of this world, referring to the bolt-action rifle and front-loading musket gun I had provided for research.


    First of all, the bullet loading system is a front-loading type. In other words, it is a type of gun where the bullets are inserted through the muzzle, and the bullets are loaded by pushing them in with a stick. Because of its structure, it is naturally a single-shot type.


    If it were a conventional musket gun, gunpowder would be poured into the barrel, and then the bullet would be inserted and pushed in with a stick to solidify the gunpowder, but this prototype magic gun does not use gunpowder. Instead, only the bullet is pushed in through the muzzle, and a very small amount of explosion magic is triggered at the back of the barrel to fire the bullet with its explosive pressure.


    It seems that wind magic, not explosion magic, was used in the prototype of the magic gun, but it was not as powerful as explosion magic. They have tried various kinds of magic, but so far, using explosion magic is the most powerful.


    The barrel is made of black steel, which is highly resistant to magic. Although it is heavy, it is highly resistant to magic, and they decided that the deterioration of the barrel caused by explosion magic would be minimized. Because of its durability as a metal, it is preferred by heavy warriors as a material for armor with high magic defense. It is also more expensive than iron, but not as expensive as the magic metals, and is easier to maintain than iron because it does not rust easily.


    The rifle¡¯s barrel has a four-row right-handed rifling, perhaps in reference to a bolt-action rifle. The warhead also seems to be in the shape of a vertebrate. The bottom also has a skirt-like hollow. The bottom of this skirt swells up under the pressure of the explosion and bites into the rifling to keep the pressure in and allow the bullet to fire.


    If I remember correctly, this hollow was supposed to be filled with something¡­ Was it a wooden plug or a cork?


    The barrel is threaded at the base of the gun, and a tailstock is fitted. This tailstock is made of magic steel and seems to be a trigger for explosion magic. In the unlikely event that the explosive trigger of the tailstock is broken, it can be replaced with a simple tool. Removing the tailstock would also make cleaning the barrel easier.


    As for the firing mechanism, by raising the firing pin and pulling the trigger, the explosion magic is triggered at the bottom of the barrel, and the loaded bullet is fired. The magic power is supplied from the magic crystal stone loaded in the place where the firing pin hits the fire cap. If the magic stone is filled to the maximum, it can fire 30 shots.


    If a soldier is able to fill a magic stone with magic power, he can shoot as many bullets as he wants as long as he carries a lot of bullets and his magic gun is not broken. If not, the magic stone itself is not that big. If you carry spare magic stones with you, you can shoot quite a few. I heard that if you want to get out of a hurry, you can use an appropriate size of magic stone or magic crystal instead.


    Although the magic stones are disposable, you can get them by defeating monsters. The magic crystals are also disposable, but they can store far more magic power than a magic stone of the same size. They can fire ten times as much magic power as a magic stone of the same size. The advantage of the magic crystal is that even if the magic power is used up, you can use it again by refilling it. It¡¯s very eco-friendly. It says in the instruction manual that it is basically designed to be operated using the magic crystal stone.


    The warhead can be manufactured in the field as long as you have a mold and lead. There is a possibility that the accuracy will be slightly lower, though. It seems that those who can use a little bit of magic can replenish the magic power in the crystal stone, and if you want to make bullets, you can make them on the front line¡­ Maybe? Lead isn¡¯t something you can carry around all that often. Well, it¡¯s better to make a lot of bullets in the rear¡­ and supply them properly than to supply lead as a supply.


    Whether it is a relief for the soldiers to know that they can make bullets for emergency evacuation even in the front line¡­ or whether it is a relief for the soldiers to know that they can make their own arrowheads if they want to, considering the bow and arrow. I¡¯m afraid that some of them might start using stone bullets made with earth magic.


    In any case, making bullets is probably easier than making crossbow arrows, as long as the facilities are in place. I think this is a big advantage over crossbows. Crossbow arrows require a certain amount of time and effort to make the arrowhead, make the arrow handle, attach the arrowhead, and attach the arrow feathers.


    As far as mass production is concerned, thanks to the increasing popularity of golem-type lathes and thrust-powered lathes, mass production of gun barrels and other parts are possible. The problem is the tailstock, which is made of magic steel, but if the plan to mass-produce magical metals at the rear base goes well, it will be possible to mass-produce this to some extent.


    And as for the shooting performance, this prototype type of magic gun is¡­ very big. The caliber of this prototype gun is very large, about 15mm, by my estimate. As for the effective range, the test firing showed that it was about 500 meters¡­? Eh? Seriously? That¡¯s about the same effective range as the bolt-action rifle I supplied.


    And the power of the large-caliber bullet can kill a Gizma with a single blow. Probably an instant death for a human? If it hits a limb, will the limb be blown off? That¡¯s right; it¡¯s 15mm, isn¡¯t it? Even the largest caliber anti-material rifle I have available is a 12.7mm round.


    The power of a gun is greatly affected by its caliber. Well, my anti-material rifle will have much higher accuracy and initial velocity, so I think it will be more powerful and have a higher range than the prototype magic gun.


    ¡°However, I¡¯m amazed¡­ Didn¡¯t they just do this thing?¡±


    This is the perfect murder weapon. If this is used in large numbers, there will be many corpses piling up on the enemy side. And above all, this prototype magic gun was made using only technology from this world. In other words, if they were to capture it and reverse engineer it, the people of the Holy Kingdom would be able to manufacture it. They probably don¡¯t have golem-type or hydraulic-type lathes, so I don¡¯t think they can mass-produce them that easily.


    There are still many things that need to be improved as weapons ¡ª for example, the weight. The black steel used for the barrel is heavy, and the barrel itself is thickly built to prevent the gun from exploding, so the gun¡¯s overall weight is heavy. It probably weighed more than five kilograms. It¡¯s a burden to march with this on your back¡­ No, the people of this world, both human and subhuman, have high physical abilities, so it¡¯s not a burden¡­?


    It says that the barrel is thick and sturdy enough to be used as a weapon in case of an emergency. If the barrel is distorted, it could be dangerous¡­ But the reason the barrel is so thick is so that it can be used as a melee weapon when approached. Anyway, they are pursuing robustness. I wonder if that¡¯s enough.


    Well, I guess another improvement is the fact that it can¡¯t be fired in rapid succession. There is also the issue of supply and the high cost of production. I don¡¯t think it will be mass-produced and widely used anytime soon, but I think the ease of maintenance is well thought out.


    ¡°Let¡¯s try to shoot it.¡±


    Seeing is believing, so I decided to try out the gun. The people here discussed the airboard, dismantled it, and inspected it.


    ¡°Wait a minute! What are you doing dismantling it?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry; I¡¯ll put it back together.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just the tip.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the details. Oh, you¡¯re going to test fire the prototype magic gun?¡±


    ¡°I was interested in that, too. Let¡¯s do it, let¡¯s do it.¡±


    The blacksmiths and alchemists who had been discussing near the airboard said so and began to take broken armor, logs, and scrap wood from the test site¡¯s warehouse and set them up as targets.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t fix it properly, I¡¯ll use you as a test subject for an interesting mecha I¡¯m working on¡­¡±


    The people who were dismantling and inspecting the airboard shivered at my words. I¡¯m going to let you fly freely in the sky. If you fail, you¡¯ll fall headlong into the ground, though.


    I get my bearings and decide to test fire the prototype magic gun. The target was set up about 50 meters away, a thin wooden board with multiple circles drawn on it. There was a log with a broken metal armor on it, a simple log, and a human-sized clay doll. The clay dolls were made of earth magic and were said to be as durable as a human body.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s start with the armor.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    The shooter was me, who was most familiar with shooting. I¡¯ll temporarily disable the excellent archer¡¯s skill, which increases shooting power by 40% because a 40% difference can make quite a difference.


    I held up the prototype magic gun, used the iron sights to aim at the body of the armor, and fired.


    Boom! A loud firing sound rang out, and a large hole appeared in the center of the armor, sending the entire log flying backward. The recoil was milder than I expected, probably because the gun itself was heavy.


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s a lot of power, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a little more than I expected.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this armor useless?¡±


    A Cat-beastman alchemist who was watching the test from my side was astonished, and a Dwarf blacksmith frowned. I¡¯m sure it will penetrate any armor with this power.


    The next time I shot the clay doll, a huge wind hole appeared in its torso. When I hit the neck, the head flew off, and when I hit the arms and legs, the arms and legs blew off. This was terrible.


    And the accuracy at 50 meters seems to be within about two centimeters. Why approximately? Because the first shot made a fist-sized hole in the center of the target, and after that, no matter how many shots I fired, it was always in that one hole.


    By the way, I had a Dwarven blacksmith shoot at it as well, and he got about the same result as I did.


    ¡°The fact that I can shoot like this is truly amazing¡­¡±


    ¡°With a little training, anyone can take out an enemy soldier at this distance with a single shot.¡±


    As a test, I asked Isla to put up normal barrier magic and shoot a log with armor on it, and it penetrated the barrier without problems, smashing through the armor and blowing the log away.


    ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t that a little too vicious?¡±


    ¡°As a weapon, it¡¯s perfectly capable¡­ but to be honest, I think the crossbow can overwhelm the Holy Kingdom army at present. It might be better to deploy a few and use them to kill the Holy Kingdom¡¯s mage troops.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll report back to Sylphy and Danan about that¡­ Well, even though it¡¯s a prototype, it¡¯s pretty complete.¡±


    Of course, some improvements can only be made by actually using the product. For example, the mechanism around the trigger and the firing pin seems to be delicate, so if you handle it roughly, it might break. I think this could be improved.


    ¡°If we deploy this on the front lines, what kind of supplies should we give the soldiers?¡±


    ¡°First of all, bullets, right? I¡¯ve heard that it can fire 30 rounds if it¡¯s fully loaded with magic stones, so at least 30 bullets. The ideal is to double it to 60 bullets if possible. It would be nice to have a spare magic stone as well.¡±


    ¡°Also, there should be tools for maintenance. It would be a good idea to have a spare tailstock as well.¡±


    ¡°The tailstock is the core of this weapon, right? If you give it to them and they lose it on the battlefield, they¡¯ll be in trouble. If it malfunctions, I think it¡¯s better just to let them back.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, that may be true. You only need a tool to clean the barrel, and then a tool to remove the tailstock. Are sixty bullets enough? They¡¯re light compared to arrows, and I think they could carry more.¡±


    ¡°It depends on the supply situation. In some cases, more might be better. In fact, they¡¯ll have to carry food, water, potions, etc., and that will depend on their other equipment. If they want to carry a sword for close combat, their equipment weight will increase even more.¡±


    After the test firing, we had some idea of the gun¡¯s performance, so now we discussed the operational aspects. We actually put the bullets in leather pouches to see how much they weighed. Each bullet weighs about 32 grams, so 30 bullets weigh about 1 kg. That¡¯s a lot of weight, but if we were to make a special pouch to carry it in, we might as well use a pouch with 60 rounds. The number of pouches to be distributed could be increased depending on the situation.


    ¡°I think it would be better to make 50 of them for now, deploy them to a test unit of about 30 people, and conduct an operational test. It would be too risky to put them into actual combat without operational testing.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what I think, too.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll write a report in that direction.¡±


    I nodded at the words of the alchemist who was examining the mass production type magic gun together with the Cat-beastman. This is the way it should be to verify the prototype-type magic gun. I¡¯m sure the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army won¡¯t even dream that we are developing such evil weapons one after another. If we have to fight them, it¡¯s going to be one-sided.


    I felt a little sorry for the soldiers of the Holy Kingdom who would probably fall in the coming battle. I feel sorry for them, but I¡¯m not going to stop it. The only thing I can do is to carefully advise them to surrender.

 CH 172

    Chapter 172 ¨C While Having Lunch


    I think I was able to pass the time relatively peacefully until lunchtime, probably because I focused on developing various things to avoid thinking about things that made me anxious as much as possible. However, as soon as I stepped away from the Research and Development department and started thinking about Ellen, I felt anxiety surge through my heart again. Would Ellen be okay? Would she be in any danger? It may not be that I can do anything about it even if I¡¯m by her side, but I still feel unsettled as a person who knows about her critical situation.


    ¡°Kosuke, you look worried.¡±


    ¡°Yes, to be honest, I¡¯m quite worried. As Isla may have heard, she was once targeted by a dagger coated with basilisk poison. I was able to save her that time because I happened to be covering for her, but I can¡¯t help but wonder if it will happen again.¡±


    As Isla walked next to me, I spoke my mind honestly.


    It¡¯s a miracle that I was able to survive because of my rare ability as a human being; the miracle of the healing of the saint Ellen was immediately applied to me, and I was stabbed inside a temple that amplifies the power of miracles.


    If Ellen had been stabbed instead of me, it would probably have been difficult for her to survive. No¡­ I would not have abandoned Ellen after being stabbed right in front of me. It is very likely that I would have used antidote potions and life potions to keep her alive.


    If so, then perhaps the encounter between Ellen and me was fateful in many ways. Ellen and I probably would have met and become close friends no matter how things turned out. I still feel the intervention of a supernatural being¡­ I wonder what would have happened if I had gone to the wilderness instead of the forest that day when I came to this world? What would have happened if I hadn¡¯t built a fire, hadn¡¯t engaged that lizard and hadn¡¯t been pursued by Sylphy?


    Would I still have met Sylphy, or would I have met Isla and Melty¡­? I guess I would have ended up going to the Elven village no matter how things turned out.


    I don¡¯t know what kind of scenario has been set up for me ahead of time¡­ No, it doesn¡¯t matter if something has interfered with my destiny. I should do my best to do what I think is best. No matter the mechanism, I should do everything I can to attract the outcome I want. They say that God helps those who help themselves.


    ¡°But the reality is that there¡¯s nothing I can do about it¡­ Merinesburg is simply too far away. Even if I went to save her without thinking about the consequences, if I should die or be captured by the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army, it would be a complete disaster.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Isla agreed briefly with my words. I¡¯m sure she had some things she wanted to say, but she swallowed them down.


    It¡¯s not fun for Isla to see me obsessing over someone she¡¯s never even seen before. In addition, although Ellen is a member of the nostalgic faction, she is still an Adolian saint. It would be even more unpleasant.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that.¡±


    ¡°No need to apologize. It¡¯s unnatural for Kosuke to abandon the saint. I like you because you are such a sweet and kind man.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Isla grabbed my hand, or rather my fingers. Isla¡¯s hands are so tiny. When we returned to the lord¡¯s mansion holding hands like this, Sylphy, Melty, and Grande were waiting for us in the dining room. It seems that Isla and I are the only other people who eat together.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t Danan or Ms. Zamir going to eat with us?¡±


    ¡°Danan has plans to eat elsewhere. Zamir is in awe of the idea of eating my cooking.¡±


    ¡°Sylphy was a princess, after all.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by ¡°was¡±¡­ She¡¯s still a genuine princess.¡±


    Sylphy, who had brought in a pot from the kitchen, lightly chopped Melty on the head. The relationship between these two is kind of strange. Especially on Melty¡¯s side, there is a sense of complete separation between on and off.


    ¡°So, did you feel refreshed?¡±


    ¡°Well, yeah. I was thinking about it a lot on the way back.¡±


    ¡°Good grief¡­ Well, it¡¯s a co-schedule, I guess. I¡¯ve asked Lime and the others to take care of the saint, so don¡¯t worry.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ If that¡¯s the case, well then, yeah. That¡¯s good.¡±


    I know how strong Lime and the others are; I¡¯ve seen it myself. In a face-to-face battle, I would be helpless. It¡¯s safe to say that even Melty, who could overwhelm the Grand Dragon Grande, would barely be able to beat one of them.


    While eating the soup and chicken-like sandwiches that Sylphy made for us, we talked about what happened during the scripture search, the airboard we made over there, and the prototype magic gun we had just seen.


    ¡°It seems that you had an exciting day. It¡¯s been boring as hell here. Routine work, if you will.¡±


    ¡°I guess it¡¯s a good thing that nothing major happened, though.¡±


    Melty smiles as she elegantly munches on her salad.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I believe that a peaceful life is sometimes irreplaceable and precious, especially for you.¡±


    ¡°For us, yes. That¡¯s true, I suppose.¡±


    We¡¯re probably going to have to deal with the Holy Kingdom army soon. When that happens, it¡¯s going to be bloody for a while. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll never go to a place where I¡¯ll be directly exposed to blood.


    On the one hand, I¡¯m relieved, but on the other hand, I¡¯m not sure if that¡¯s the right thing to do. It¡¯s as if I¡¯m giving everyone weapons and sending them into battle. It will kill many enemy soldiers of the Holy Kingdom and probably damage the Liberation Army as well.


    ¡°Are you worrying about it again?¡±


    ¡°A little. Well, I¡¯ve made up my mind, and I don¡¯t really care.¡±


    I¡¯ve already made up my mind that I¡¯m going to the depths of hell with Sylphy. If I am going to do this, I can¡¯t do it halfway. I¡¯m going to have to go all the way through. I think I¡¯m going to be called the worst mass murderer in the history of this world, but I don¡¯t care.


    ¡°Kosuke-san, this eating knife is for eating. You can¡¯t send it to the front lines as a weapon.¡±


    ¡°I know what you mean, but I think it¡¯s a bit more dangerous than that, I think.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true, too. The axe¡­ is as noisy as a mithril logging axe, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, yeah, that¡¯s about as gnarly as it gets. If you think it¡¯s just a logging axe, it¡¯ll take your weapon and armor with it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good point. I think that¡¯s still too lenient of an assessment.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, Grande is right. If we let Kosuke go unchecked, he¡¯ll turn the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army into dust all by himself if he¡¯s not careful.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that too much to say?¡±


    When Melty didn¡¯t take the joke seriously again, Isla quietly shook her head.


    ¡°It¡¯s not an exaggeration. I¡¯m not joking.¡±


    ¡°What if you use a strategy like you did when you blew up the fort?¡±


    Isla shook her head at Sylphy¡¯s words as well.


    ¡°If Kosuke really wants to destroy the Holy Kingdom, even if the Holy Kingdom comes with 100,000 soldiers, he can blow up the encampment from a distance, safely, without a trace.¡±


    Isla stared at me as she said this. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever really talked to Isla about rocket bombardment using magic sparkling stone bombs and propulsion systems¡­ Isla has been working with me for a long time, building things. I¡¯m sure she figured it out.


    ¡°If you¡¯re asking if I can do it, I probably can. I don¡¯t have any plans to do so at the moment. If I did, I could probably beat the Holy Kingdom, but there would be a lot of problems if I were to do that by myself.¡±


    If I really wanted to do such a thing, I would have to create and test the detonation of a magic sparkling stone bomb, build a detonation device to ensure that it would explode, and develop a rocket that would fly the magic sparkling stone bomb to a destination without fail. It would be unfashionable if I blew myself up by shooting a rocket with a magic sparkling stone bomb.


    ¡°When did this become such a big deal¡­?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been doing this since the beginning, but I¡¯m totally in the strategic weapons arena.¡±


    I¡¯ll be able to mass-produce food and weapons, develop powerful projectile weapons that didn¡¯t exist in this world, and even gain the ability to control large areas from a distance. If I were the king of the Holy Kingdom, I would sacrifice everything to capture or kill these people.


    ¡°¡­If I heard such a story, I couldn¡¯t let you go to the front no matter what.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. But if you want to take full advantage of my abilities, it¡¯s best to put me close to the front lines.¡±


    The key to my abilities are my construction and demolition abilities and my crafting abilities. In particular, the ability to demolish buildings is far more useful near the front lines than in the rear.


    ¡°So don¡¯t store me away in the back; take me to the front.¡±


    Sylphy and Melty looked at each other silently and let out a sigh when I said that. I¡¯m not going to give up on this one either. In a way, I¡¯m helping the war along, so I need to at least see the scene and atmosphere for myself and feel it firsthand. That¡¯s my responsibility, isn¡¯t it?


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk about it at night. In bed, if you like.¡±


    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s do that.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that sounds like fun. Let me join you.¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m not going to compromise on this one.¡±


    You guys think you can get me in a straight fight, don¡¯t you? My iron will won¡¯t bend like that. If it doesn¡¯t bend, it won¡¯t bend. So calm down. Be gentle. Okay? On the other hand, don¡¯t get mixed up with me just because you think it¡¯s funny, Grande.


    I feel if I don¡¯t forget this matter by the end of the night, I¡¯ll be in trouble¡­ Let¡¯s hope that Ellen can make it! Please, Saint! I¡¯m really begging you!

 CH 173

    Chapter 173 ¨C Good News, Bad News


    After lunch, the four of us, Sylphy, Isla, Melty, and I, headed for the communications room at the back of the second floor of the lord¡¯s mansion. Originally, this room used to be the storage room for the lord¡¯s treasures. Well, it was already empty when this lord¡¯s mansion was taken over¡­ but it was a perfect place to set up a large golem communicator, which is a highly confidential item.


    ¡°Your Highness.¡±


    Danan was already there waiting for us when we entered the communications room. He seemed to be talking with a soldier of the Liberation Army who was stationed in the communications room.


    ¡°Sorry to keep you waiting.¡±


    ¡°No, I just got here myself.¡±


    ¡°I see; good work, everyone.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    The Liberation Army soldiers stationed in the communications room salute Sylphy. It seems that personnel are stationed here in case urgent communication comes in. They¡¯re not just standing by, but they¡¯re doing some paperwork¡­ I can¡¯t tell what the paperwork is unless I pick it up. Considering the confidentiality of this room, I wonder if they are intelligence-related documents.


    ¡°We¡¯ll use the back room.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Sylphy called out to the soldiers in the communications room and entered a room further in, and we followed her into the room. There, a large communication device for our purpose was placed.


    Sylphy familiarly operated the communicator and started to call the other party. Soon after, communication was established, and a voice came from the other side of the communicator.


    ¡°Yes, this is Lime from Merinesburg!¡±


    A physically sloppy voice sounded from the other side of the communicator. Yeah, she mentioned her name, but it was definitely Lime¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Lime, huh? It¡¯s me, Sylphy.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness. How are you?¡¯


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine. Kosuke is here today, too.¡±


    ¡°Kosuke¡¯s there?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m here. It¡¯s been a while. How¡¯s Lime doing?¡±


    ¡°Yeah! Lime is always good!¡±


    Lime¡¯s happy voice can be heard over the Golem communicator. The flapping sound must be from all the bouncing and clomping. She seems to be very happy.


    ¡°Today is the day for regular communication with the saint, Lime. Is the saint coming to the royal section?¡±


    ¡°Yes, she¡¯s been waiting for you.¡±


    ¡°Okay, then can you connect the communication?¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll do it. Can I talk to Kosuke later?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sure.¡±


    ¡°Yay! Well then, I¡¯ll connect it!¡±


    After a short pause, a voice came over the communicator.


    ¡°Can you hear me? This is Eleonora.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I can hear you. This is Sylphiel. I have good news for you today.¡±


    ¡°Good news?¡±


    I bet she¡¯s tilting her head on the other side of the communicator right now.


    ¡°Yeah, an Adolian scripture was found in an archaeological site from the Omit Kingdom period. After checking its contents, we were able to confirm that it supports the claims of the nostalgists. We have found one original copy issued by the Adol religion of the time and two manuscripts made by a copyist.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? That is good news. But I have some bad news.¡±


    ¡°Bad news?¡±


    ¡°Yes. The call for troops has begun at the home country, and the target is this country. It seems that the home country intends to suppress the rebellion that has taken place in the territories.¡±


    ¡°I see. I should say it was slower than I expected.¡±


    Sylphy puts her hand on her chin and ponders. Indeed, it¡¯s been quite a few months since we first reached Erichburg. The Holy Kingdom¡¯s army deployed in the Merinard Kingdom has already been cleared from south of Erichburg, so it seems a little late to start moving¡­ Well, the Holy Kingdom is a big country. The most important thing to remember is that the more you are a big country, the slower you will move.


    ¡°You are neither surprised nor panicked. Aren¡¯t you afraid?¡±


    ¡°We have been anticipating this and preparing to respond. That¡¯s all I¡¯m saying.¡±


    Sylphy then turned her gaze to me.


    Indeed, we have been preparing to deal with the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army that will be sent from the Holy Kingdom¡¯s home country. It would be impossible to deploy bolt-action rifles and magic guns for the entire army, but we have been mass-producing goatsfoot crossbows, and golem-style ballistas. Plans to mass-produce magic metals such as magic iron and magic steel are coming to fruition, and as for magic crystals, they are already in mass production.


    And as for the air bombs for the Harpies, which are expected to be extremely effective against large armies, I am steadily mass-producing them day and night. We are also increasing the number of personnel for the Harpies¡¯ aerial reconnaissance and bombing squadrons. The only ones who have a relationship with me are the Harpies who have taken refuge in the Black Forest at the moment, though. But sometimes when I go to see the training of the Harpy Air Force, the look in their eyes is suspicious¡­ that number of people will make me die, I¡¯ll tell you.


    ¡°Anyway, thanks for letting me know what¡¯s going on in the Holy Kingdom. What¡¯s the situation over there? Things aren¡¯t looking too good for the nostalgists, are they?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is not good. It seems that the nostalgist movement has been quite cornered in the home country. The mainstream seems to be holding up the inquisition one by one, and¡­ the nostalgists are slowly beginning to move into Merinard territory.


    ¡°So the suppression toward the nostalgists has begun¡­ It¡¯s like they¡¯re taking no prisoners. But then the scriptures¨D¨D¡±


    ¡°Is that Kosuke¡¯s voice? Is he there?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m here.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I heard your voice. I heard that you are having a good time with an Elven princess, a One-Eyed girl, many Harpies, and a Sheep-Beastwoman. You are in high spirits without me, aren¡¯t you? You animal.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t deny it because it¡¯s true¡­ but I¡¯ve always been concerned about Ellen. Aren¡¯t you in danger because the situation in your home country has gotten worse?¡±


    ¡°For now. If it were up to me, I would know at a glance who is thinking of insolence.¡±


    ¡°Really? You almost got stabbed by a thug in the cathedral, though.¡±


    ¡°It just happened that time. Are you making fun of me? Let¡¯s pick it back up, shall we?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve had this kind of exchange with Ellen. I was thinking what a mess and the three women in the communications room were giving me cold stares.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard about it, but you¡¯re really close to each other, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re very open with each other.¡±


    ¡°Fufu¡­ You two get along so well¡­¡±


    OK OK, calm down, you girls. Now is not the time to talk about it. Isn¡¯t it?


    ¡°Ahem. Well, so what¡¯s the future plan? In the meantime, we need to get these scriptures and manuscripts to Ellen, right?¡±


    ¡°You blatantly digressed on the subject¡­ Well, that¡¯s okay. Yes, I suppose it will have to do. I don¡¯t know how much sense it would make now, but better to have it than not, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course it is. Because it is necessary to undermine the claims of the mainstream and to put an end to the unjust inquisition and the restraints resulting from it.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I see. How should we deliver it?¡±


    ¡°It would be a good idea to entrust the delivery to trusted personnel. However, if we take a normal carriage from here, we will have to make a major detour through the Sorel Mountains¡­¡±


    With that, Melty turned her attention to me.


    ¡°If it means delivering it as discreetly and quickly as possible, I guess it¡¯s definitely with Grande. If I recall, it¡¯s two weeks by horse-drawn wagon if we take the regular highways.¡±


    It would be faster with an airboard, but bombing down the street on an airboard would be terribly conspicuous. Then it would be better to have Grande fly over the Sorel Mountains, where there are no pedestrians at all. And if I ask Grande to fly, I need to go there. Grande is not a member of the Liberation Army but only cooperates with the Liberation Army through personal friendship with me.


    ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­ that doesn¡¯t mean we should let Kosuke go alone, right?¡±


    ¡°Shall I cut my horns again?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t do that¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm, don¡¯t do that again. I¡¯m not kidding; you might die.¡±


    Don¡¯t tell me that if you did it once, it¡¯s the same two or three times. Sure, I think I can get some blood from Grande to heal her again, but I¡¯m told that cutting the horns is a very dangerous act in itself, and I really don¡¯t want her to do it.


    ¡°But what are we going to do? That leaves us with no choice but to send Kosuke-san out on his own, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°What if we put a human soldier from the Liberation Army as an escort?¡±


    ¡°Your Highness. Of course, we can do that, but in some cases, it may slow us down.¡±


    Danan, who until now had remained silent in the distance behind us, said so. Indeed, Danan was right; taking an escort with us could slow us down. Since I haven¡¯t had much contact with human soldiers since I was kidnapped once, there are probably many people who don¡¯t know what I can do.


    ¡°But isn¡¯t it too dangerous to let him go alone?¡±


    ¡°I will see to it that there is no danger.¡±


    ¡°You mean we should trust Eleonora-dono?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you believe me? We are now on the same side. At least, that¡¯s what I think.¡±


    Ellen¡¯s voice coming from the other side of the communicator made Sylphy think with her eyes closed. I¡¯ll think about it too.


    Now that we have found the scripture, we will deliver it to Ellen. This is the logical course of action.


    However, the mainstream is increasingly suppressing the nostalgist in the Holy Kingdoms¡¯ home country. In order to counter the oppression, it has become necessary to deliver the scripture to Ellen as soon as possible. The delay in delivering the scriptures will not cause fatal damage to the Liberation Army, but the Liberation Army intends to have the nostalgist beat the mainstream faction within the Adolian religion in the Holy Kingdom, and if the current situation continues, the nostalgist may be crushed by the mainstream faction.


    Well, I don¡¯t think religion can be so easily exterminated by suppression. They usually go underground when they are suppressed.


    However, we do not want to weaken the nostalgist, which currently holds a certain position and authority within Adolian, too much. That¡¯s why we have to deliver the scriptures as soon as possible.


    And the obstacle to delivering the scriptures as soon as possible is the vast Sorel Mountains. It is an undeveloped area inhabited by powerful monsters, and because it is a mountainous region, it is impossible to cross it by horse-drawn carriage or other vehicles. The only way to get there safely is to take a major detour to Merinesburg.


    However, in that case, there is a considerable risk because it would take two weeks to pass through the territory under the control of the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army.


    On the day we rode the airboard through the roads, we would be caught and interrogated immediately. As a practical matter, it is difficult to catch an airboard that is faster than a horse, but it is still dangerous. Using an airboard is a no-no.


    If we want to reduce the risk of coming into contact with the soldiers of the Holy Kingdom, we need to go through the Sorel Mountains, but unless someone like me can carry food and safe shelter, it is impossible to reach Merinesburg faster than by taking the highway. If not, it would take more than a month.


    The reason why Melty and I tried to go through the Sorel Mountains before was because of my ability and Melty¡¯s ability to fight as a demon-species. No one in their right mind would have thought of going through the Sorel Mountains. That¡¯s why there are roads, yes.


    So the fastest way to get there is by air with Grande. As long as Grande flies in the sky, the mountainous areas can be flown in a flash. It would be a huge shortcut, so if we left in the morning, we would be able to reach Merinesburg in the late afternoon.


    The advantage of using the highway is that a human being would generally be able to get to Merinesburg safely. Also, I don¡¯t have to take the extraordinarily high risk of going there.


    However, the possibility of getting tangled up with the regular kingdom army along the way is not zero. I heard that there are some bandit-like people, so I can¡¯t be sure about the transportation of the cargo. Also, it simply takes time. It will take about two weeks.


    To get through the mountainous area quickly on foot, at least myself and someone else with fighting skills as good as Melty¡¯s would be needed to accompany me. The time required would be less than ten days if the two of us, Melty and I, were to run as fast as we could. It would be even quicker if Sylphy joined us, but it would be a total waste of time to have three of the upper ranks of the Liberation Army (me, Sylphy, and Melty) head to Merinnesburg to deliver the scriptures, wouldn¡¯t it?


    Is there another way¡­ to have Harpy-san carry the scriptures across the Sorel Mountains? But there were Wyverns in the Sorel Mountains¡­ Wouldn¡¯t that be dangerous for Harpy-san? It seems impossible, doesn¡¯t it?


    There is also the option of having Grande carry it alone. But I¡¯m not sure if Grande would be willing to be such an errand girl¡­ As for the delivery, it might be possible if I specify the date, time, and location and deliver it in a secluded place. But I think it would be difficult.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll just have to ask Grande to carry me there by air, won¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡­ but¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, okay? Unlike before, I have plenty of equipment, and if something goes wrong, I can probably handle it.¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    At my words, Sylphy made a bitter face as if she was biting down on a bitter bug. When I looked at Isla and Melty, their expressions were similar to Sylphy¡¯s.


    ¡°Then, is it correct to say that Kosuke will be coming here?¡±


    ¡°Let me refrain from giving you an immediate answer; it¡¯s a big decision even for us. I would like to have another meeting tomorrow at about the same time, how about that?¡±


    ¡°Then we will come to a conclusion then. But we don¡¯t have much time to spare. Once an army starts moving, it won¡¯t stop so easily.¡±


    ¡°I understand. Give us a day to think about it.¡±


    ¡°I understand. May I speak with Kosuke for a moment?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes, that¡¯s okay. We¡¯ll take our leave.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate it.¡±


    As soon as I thought I had such an exchange with Ellen over the communicator, Sylphy turned on her heel, pinched my cheek and gave me a little tug, then walked out of the communication room.


    ¡°Oof.¡±


    Isla headbutted me in my solar plexus area, then left, and Melty picked the opposite cheek from the one Sylphy had pinched. Danan? Danan left quickly and silently, you know.


    And I would be the only one left in the communications room.


    ¡°Ah, hmm¡­ I asked you earlier, are you sure you¡¯re okay? There¡¯s always a danger¨D¨D¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not okay.¡±


    A sulky voice comes from the other side of the communicator.


    ¡°I miss you. I wanted to hear your voice earlier¡­ idiot.¡±


    ¡°Arrrrrrgh!¡±


    Ellen¡¯s words, which are so adorable, bring up a strong sense of guilt along with a variety of emotions, and I scream in agony. Damn, the destructive power is as strong as that of infantile regressed Sylphy¡­!


    ¡°I¡¯m honestly sorry. I¡¯ve got a lot of things to do over here, and this Golem communicator is basically equipment managed by the Liberation Army, so it¡¯s not like I can use it casually and privately¡­ I¡¯ll have to adjust my schedule to accommodate Lime and the others and theirs.¡±


    ¡°Ugh¡­ okay. We will probably be able to meet in the near future, so I will be patient. I am a saint. I¡¯m known for my patience.¡±


    In Ellen¡¯s mind, it seems to be a default that I go over there. Well, I think so, too. Whatever the method is for getting the scriptures to Merinesburg quickly, it will have to be me.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting for you.¡±


    ¡°I will endeavor to live up to your expectations.¡±


    Thus I exchanged words with Ellen for a while.

 CH 174

    Chapter 174 ¨C Confusing Meeting Room


    ¡°Now then¡­ I hope to see you soon. Are you expecting it?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m sure it will happen. I¡¯m looking forward to meeting Ellen too.¡±


    ¡°¡­I forgive you because you don¡¯t seem to be lying. I, too, am looking forward to it. Well then¡­ see you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, see you.¡±


    I tell this to Ellen, who seems reluctant to leave. Then, operate the Golem communicator to cut off the communication¨D¨D.


    ¡°Don¡¯t cut it off!¡±


    ¡°Wait a minute, don¡¯t cut it off just yet, okay?¡±


    ¡°We want to talk to you, too, you know?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah, sorry.¡±


    I heard the voices of Lime and the others over the Golem communicator, and I hurriedly stopped my hand to operate the Golem communicator. Yes, I remember Lime saying something like that to Sylphy first.


    ¡°Kosuke is surprisingly heartless, isn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°You were so caught up with the saint that you just let us slip out of your mind. It¡¯s just like Kosuke.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    I apologize sincerely. I had no excuse.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve heard all your stories, and I have no questions about the developments.¡±


    ¡°The private conversation with the saint is also confidential.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hot; it¡¯s hot?¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ good grief.¡±


    Well, that¡¯s no surprise since we were talking through Lime! I was totally unaware we were having this conversation! Well, I¡¯m not that embarrassed to be asked, am I?


    ¡°We¡¯re looking forward to meeting Kosuke, too.¡±


    ¡°T-that¡¯s right. Well, it¡¯s going to be fun, isn¡¯t it? When you come over here, you¡¯re staying with us, right?¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s problematic for you to stay with the saint since you are not an official emissary from the Liberation Army, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Indeed, to this point, the Holy Kingdom has not officially recognized us, the Liberation Army, as an ¡°enemy nation.¡± This means that the Holy Kingdom still regards the actions of the Liberation Army as a local rebellion, and the neighboring countries also see it that way for the time being. It means that we are not recognized as a nation.


    If Ellen were to treat us as official negotiating partners on her own initiative, the position of Ellen and the nostalgist would suddenly deteriorate within the Holy Kingdom, and it would not be very good for us to do so. It would probably be treason or something if it were done badly.


    ¡°Yeah, I think I will stay with Lime and the others. There is a possibility that Ellen will make some arrangements and have me stay at her place, so I can¡¯t say for sure.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡±


    ¡°R-right. Well, you¡¯re welcome here, okay?¡±


    ¡°Beth is not being honest. I¡¯m all for it.¡±


    Talking like this reminds me of that sewer life. I think that was quite a comfortable life. I don¡¯t have very good memories of strolling through the sewers, building things with limited materials¡­ and getting beaten up in combat training by Lime and the others.


    ¡°When Kosuke comes over here, I¡¯ll see how strong you are.¡±


    ¡°No, I shall pass. I¡¯m not the one in a direct fighting role, okay?¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s good to be strong in case something happens, you know?¡±


    ¡°I can see the logic, though.¡±


    ¡°So every time Kosuke loses one, I squeeze you once, okay?¡±


    ¡°What? That scares me more than being beaten to a pulp!¡±


    Because you three, and I¡¯m not kidding, are worse than all of Harpy-san and the others combined! They will dry up and die!


    ¡°A-anyway, I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be coming over there soon, so do me a favor then, will you?¡±


    ¡°Leave it to me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m expecting a souvenir.¡±


    Poizo, you¡¯re so cheeky. But you guys are so short on material goods, aren¡¯t you? What should I bring¡­.? Well, let¡¯s bring a variety of ingredients as appropriate. Lime and the others have a strong appetite, after all.


    ¡°All right, I¡¯ll get something for everyone. See you later?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be waiting for you.¡±


    ¡°See you soon.¡±


    After hearing Lime and the others¡¯ replies, this time, I operated the Golem communicator and disconnected the communication. I let out a sigh, then opened the thick door of the communications room and walked out. I greeted the people in the communications room and returned to the conference room, where Sylphy, Isla, Pirna, Melty, Danan, and Ms. Zamir were also in attendance, discussing something.


    A map of the Merinard Kingdom was spread out on the table around which everyone was gathered. I guess they were trying to find a way to get the package to Merinesburg quickly without using Grande and me.


    ¡°How are we progressing?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean, but it kind of makes me uncomfortable, so don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Yes. So seriously, whether or not Grande is willing or not, is there any other option for delivering it as quickly as possible without using me?¡±


    Everyone fell silent at my statement. Perhaps they were considering things while I was talking with Ellen, Lime, and the others. However, from the looks of everyone, no good ideas seemed to have come out of it.


    ¡°At least let me accompany you.¡±


    Ms. Zamir offered to do so, but Isla shook her head at the offer.


    ¡°Impossible. They will know at a glance. Melty-ane might be able to cover it up by removing her horns and wearing a hood, but it¡¯s better not to do it again. She won¡¯t survive the next time.¡±


    It¡¯s true that no matter how Ms. Zamir dresses, people will know she¡¯s subhuman. Isla is out if they see her face, Sylphy is out if she doesn¡¯t cut off her ears, it is nonsense for the leader of the Liberation Army to go there in the first place, and Melty has a track record of breaking in by cutting off her horns, but it is risky because cutting off horns is in itself life-threateningly dangerous. Or rather, I would stop such a thing.


    It is 10,000 times better for me to be in danger than for Melty to take such a risk.


    ¡°It would be most efficient and less dangerous for me to have Grande carry me there alone.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­but!¡±


    Sylphy raises his voice.


    ¡°As a matter of fact, as long as I don¡¯t die instantly, I¡¯ll be fine. Not many people can keep me in custody with all the tools and materials I have.¡±


    To put it bluntly, ropes, handcuffs, and other restraints are meaningless when it comes to me. Unless I¡¯m knocked out fast and blindfolded, as I was the other day, I can handle anything. In fact, after that, I even managed to get a measure against blindfolds. All I had to do was force open my eyes and store the blindfold in front of me in my inventory. The only thing left to do now would be to physically blind me. Magic doesn¡¯t work on me.


    ¡°If anyone tried to restrain me, it would be impossible without the constant surveillance of someone like Sylphy, Melty, Danan, or Sir Leonard, who has a fighting ability I can¡¯t even match. Above all, this is the moment of truth, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    If we abandon the nostalgist faction here, we will have no choice but to engage the Holy Kingdom in an all-out, blood-drenched war. There will be heavy damage on both sides. I think we can win the war, but if we win too much, it¡¯s going to be a lot of trouble¡­ I still think that eventually, we will need to make peace somewhere with the Holy Kingdom, and in that case, we want to secure the pipe that connects the Holy Kingdom and the Adol religion, which is the nostalgist faction. There is no way we can abandon the nostalgist after all.


    ¡°We have no choice, Sylphy-ane. Even if we stop him, Kosuke is still going to go.¡±


    ¡°Mmm¡­¡±


    ¡°I guess we don¡¯t have a choice¡­ Sylphy, in that case, we¡¯ll do the next best thing on our own, shall we? In the meantime, if there is military activity in the Holy Kingdom¡¯s mainland, we need to take action.¡±


    After being persuaded not only by Isla but also by Melty, Sylphy let out a small sigh. I¡¯m glad she¡¯s worried about me, but I don¡¯t think we have a choice this time, you know.


    ¡°There are plenty of things to do: procuring supplies, securing weapons and arrowheads, coordinating personnel, formulating battlefields, reconnaissance¡­ intelligence. Danan.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°Work with Melty on recruiting and training. The basic tactic will be interceptive combat. In addition to training crossbowmen, you will also train engineers.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    The deployment of crossbows, which are powerful projectile weapons, and hand grenades, which boast powerful destructive power, and the presence of Harpies, which conduct aerial bombardment, have led to a rapid evolution of tactics on the part of the Liberation Army.


    According to what I have heard briefly, the Liberation Army is using positional defenses to stop enemy rushes while striking enemy forces with powerful crossbows and golem-style ballistas, bombing enemy concentrations with Harpies, and using bolt-action rifles and snipers with magic guns to counter the destruction of positions by enemy mage units.


    Well, it is not likely that melee combat using swords and other melee weapons will not occur at all, so the crossbowmen are also expected to have a certain level of melee combat ability. Although their ideal situation would be to destroy the crossbowmen before they can take over the position, however, it is not so easy in this world.


    In fact, I think it would be a good idea to build a minefield in front of the encampment, but the¡­ anti-personnel mines I built are still in my inventory, unused. I¡¯ll have to use it somewhere.


    Huh? Inhumane weapons? I don¡¯t care because there is no treaty in this world that prohibits the use, production, or possession of anti-personnel mines!


    ¡°I¡¯ll have you fly in tomorrow at the earliest. Kosuke, talk to Grande.¡±


    ¡°Roger that. I¡¯ll see you soon.¡±


    Sylphy told me so, and I decided to go negotiate with Grande to have her fly me out. I¡¯ve been relying on Grande for a while now¡­ so I guess I¡¯ll have to make it up to her soon. I wonder what she¡¯s going to ask for.


    Whatever she¡¯s going to ask for, I¡¯m going to have to be sincere. I¡¯m using Grande for good, and I have to pay her handsomely for it.


    Whatever it is, I can¡¯t do anything about it until I find Grande. She is either buried in the cushions in the living room of the lord¡¯s mansion, or she is outside in her own bed since she hasn¡¯t been back here in a while¡­ I¡¯ll do my best to find her.

 CH 175

    Chapter 175 ¨C Dragon Faith


    ¡°Oh, Kosuke, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Since she was not in the living room or bedroom of the lord¡¯s house, I came looking for Grande to her sleeping quarters outside the walls of Erichburg. I came, but¡­


    ¡°What is this about?¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    Grande tilted her head as if she didn¡¯t understand the meaning of my question. No, this is an unusual situation no matter how you look at it, right?


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Rider-sama.¡±


    ¡°Is there something wrong?¡±


    ¡°No, you people?¡±


    To explain the situation in a few words¡­ Grande was being taken care of by a bunch of Lizardman. I understand you don¡¯t know what I¡¯m talking about, but I haven¡¯t caught up with my understanding of the situation either. The way they took care of Grande was as if she were a royalty or a noblewoman or an object of faith or something.


    ¡°We may have a problem¡­!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not good! How on earth can we improve it!¡±


    ¡°Wait, wait, wait! Why are you guys taking care of Grande in the first place! Explain it to me from the very beginning!¡±


    When I pressed the believers (?) to explain the situation, they eagerly told me who they were and what they were doing.


    ¡°In other words, you are dragon believers?¡±


    ¡°Yes! Most of those like us, commonly called Lizardmen, have faith in the Dragon! There is no one who does not pay homage to the Dragon!¡±


    The Lizardman who speaks vigorously¡­ I mean, Lizardwoman since she¡¯s a woman? No, let¡¯s just call her a Lizardman woman now. At her words, the Lizardmen who had been taking care of Grande spoke in agreement.


    ¡°And the one whom Dragon-sama recognizes as a rider is also eligible for the same respect.¡±


    ¡°It is only natural since they are the ones that the proud Dragon-sama has allowed to ride on her back. Grande-sama told us that she allowed Her Highness Princess Sylphiel to ride on her back as well.¡±


    ¡°Her Highness Princess Sylphiel is a marvelous person¡­ to be allowed to ride on the back of a dragon herself. She is worthy of being our leader.¡±


    The Lizardmen nodded, and their eyes twinkled with satisfaction after saying so.


    Come to think of it, Ms. Zamir also used to add ¡®sama¡¯ to Grande¡¯s name when calling her, and her attitude toward Grande seemed to be as polite as the way she treated Sylphy. I didn¡¯t pay much attention to it because Ms. Zamir is always so polite, but I guess that¡¯s how it was.


    ¡°So, Grande is enjoying the life of a comfortable Dragon-sama.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind being taken care of.¡±


    Grande is smiling as she brings a piece of fruit to her mouth, which has been served to her by the dragon believers. This is the object of faith, huh? The only reason she accompanied us was because she got teary-eyed after being beaten up by Melty, but let¡¯s get this straight.


    ¡°I understand what¡¯s going on anyway. I¡¯d like to talk to Grande alone for a while, please. We have something we need to discuss alone.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir. We will be waiting in the hut over there, so when you are finished, please call on us. Since you don¡¯t seem to know much about our faith, we would like to explain a little more about the situation to you.¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah.¡±


    Frankly speaking, I don¡¯t want to hear too much about it. It seems like too much trouble. But I have a feeling that I¡¯m already part of their faith, so if I don¡¯t ask, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll be in trouble later. I have no choice but to listen to them properly later.


    After watching the Lizardmen leave, I turned to Grande.


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry from the bottom of my heart, but I need you to do something for me again.¡±


    ¡°Mm? Do you want to fly again? I don¡¯t mind. I¡¯ll do anything Kosuke asks.¡±


    ¡°I hate to say it¡­ in return, but I¡¯ll do Grande a favor next time, too.¡±


    ¡°Umu, that¡¯s fine. I will do what Kosuke asks of me, and Kosuke will do what I ask of him.¡±


    Grande smiles happily as she lounges on an oddly luxurious couch that seems to have been prepared by the Lizardmen.


    ¡°However, it¡¯s also our turn, isn¡¯t it? I don¡¯t think there is any need to be so formal about it. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s right to demand a fee for every time a wife helps her husband, do you?¡±


    ¡°That may be true, but it¡¯s another thing to take something for granted and forget about gratitude or anything like that, isn¡¯t it? It is precisely because we have that kind of relationship that we must respect each other.¡±


    When I said this, Grande nodded happily.


    ¡°Umu umu, Kosuke is a good companion. So, what is your request?¡±


    ¡°I need you to take me to Merinesburg, which is beyond the Sorel Mountains. I¡¯m going to stay there for a few days and take care of some things.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? That¡¯s fine, but isn¡¯t that hostile territory for Kosuke?¡±


    Grande tilted her head slightly. Yeah, she¡¯s cute. I mean, that¡¯s not what I meant. I explained the situation to Grande lightly.


    ¡°In other words, there was an informant or collaborator over there, and you were going to deliver something to that collaborator to help them hunt down a common enemy.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I mean. So, basically, it¡¯s a conspicuous place for subhumans to be whizzing around over there, so humans have to go there. And since I have direct acquaintance with the collaborators over there, and considering the certainty of being able to give them what they want, and considering my ability to respond in case something goes wrong, it¡¯s best that I go.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ I got it. You can leave it to me to take Kosuke to the other side of the Sorel Mountains. I have seen the large cities of the human race from the top of the mountains. We should be there in two hours.¡±


    ¡°Two hours, huh? Then we can leave just this afternoon and be over there by sundown.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. I think we should leave a little earlier, shouldn¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see any need to notify the other side before leaving. Let¡¯s fly there before noon, maybe even in the morning.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Well, we can talk about it tonight at the mansion.¡±


    ¡°I guess so. I¡¯ll be in your care then, Grande.¡±


    ¡°Well, you can leave it to me. I don¡¯t mind flying with Kosuke on my back.¡±


    I pat Grande¡¯s head with a grin. The way she squints her eyes as if she is feeling good is like she is a cat or something. After all, Grande is a pet.


    After stroking her for a while, Grande fell asleep comfortably, so I left her there and headed for the hut of the dragon believers.


    ¡°Welcome to the hut of the dragon believers.¡±


    The hut was surprisingly well built. It was quite spacious, and in the back was an altar where some scales and pieces of scales, which seemed to have been dropped by Grande, were enshrined. Other than that, there is only a simple furnace in the corner of the room, and it looks a bit like a meeting place. It is not a chapel or anything like that.


    ¡°We have been waiting for you. Please have a seat here.¡±


    The Lizardmen bow reverently to me and offer me the best chair. I did as they suggested and sat down.


    ¡°Sorry, but please make it quick. I have a lot of work to do.¡±


    ¡°Of course. We know that Kosuke-sama, the rider, and companion of the dragon, is very busy.¡±


    The leader of the group, a Lizardman dressed like a shaman, nodded in agreement. He was wearing a necklace and feathers with a lot of jewelry, which gave me the impression that he was very much in the mood for this kind of thing.


    ¡°We Lizardmen have a deep-rooted belief in dragons. If I am correct, the awe and reverence for the strong have transformed into faith. Dragons are strong and wise, and sometimes they turn on us, and sometimes they help us. And on rare occasions, they can even carry a person on their back and become a guardian. It¡¯s all on the level of legends and fairy tales.¡±


    ¡°Legends and fairy tales, huh¡­? I¡¯m sure the Grand Dragon Elder seemed to have a hazy recollection of it too.¡±


    ¡°The Elder of the Grand Dragon¡­? Are you by any chance visiting the Dragon Sanctuary¡­?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s a sacred place or not, but I¡¯ve been to the Grand Dragon¡¯s lair deep in the Black Forest. I¡¯ve been there to say hi to Grande¡¯s parents and relatives and stuff.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ what a surprise! After all, you are the legendary reincarnation of the legend¡­¡±


    Lizard shamans and other dragon believers in front of me begin to worship me with their hands in front of me. Will you stop it?


    ¡°Actually, I am from the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom in the west. I have heard rumors that a dragon has appeared in the Merinard Kingdom to live with people, and I have been sent by the Dragonis Order to investigate.¡±


    ¡°Dragonis Mountain Kingdom¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir. It is a kingdom inhabited by those who believe in dragons and live with them. The royal family has genuine dragon blood in their veins.¡±


    ¡°Could it be the descendants of the dragon who fell in love with a human girl, as the elder said¡­?¡±


    ¡°The legend says so. If the Grand Dragon Elder also knows about it, then it must be true.¡±


    The Lizard shaman stroked his chin and nodded his head in agreement. From what I¡¯ve heard, royalty often displays features such as dragon horns, wings, fangs, and claws. That is just like the current Grande, who has been humanized.


    ¡°The Dragonis Mountain Kingdom has a large number of flying dragon soldiers and dragon cavalrymen, and although its land area is small, it is said that its war potential is comparable to that of a large country. Even the Holy Kingdom, which upholds the supremacy of humans, does not take us lightly and even recognizes us at first glance.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir. And I am sure that our country will spare no expense to support this Liberation Army to which Dragon-sama and her rider¡­ no, her companion, belongs.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°For us, a humanized dragon is an object of faith itself. And you are a saint who has returned to the holy land as her companion. It is against our faith not to support the Liberation Army to which such people belong.¡±


    Besides, with its human supremacy policy, the Holy Kingdom is not a favorable partner for us either,¡± said Lizard shaman, shaking his head.


    ¡°We have already sent an express messenger to the home country. I am sure that we will have official contact from our country in the not-too-distant future.¡±


    ¡°O-oh.¡±


    Is it good to get the backing of another country for something like this¡­? No, it¡¯s a religious connection¡­ This Lizard shaman seems to be a dedicated believer, and if they are all like this, is it possible?


    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to the top brass of the Liberation Army about this. You can expect to hear from the Liberation Army in the near future, so stay tuned.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir. What do you think? If you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯d like to discuss our doctrine with you a bit more.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t go into detail, but I¡¯m really busy. I¡¯ll be sure to come and talk to you when I get settled, so I¡¯ll leave you alone for now.¡±


    ¡°I see. That¡¯s unfortunate, but it can¡¯t be helped. By all means, please come anytime.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I promise.¡±


    This is not only about Grande and me but also about the entire Liberation Army. It would be better to treat them with some seriousness, not just talk.


    ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll see you next time.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir. Let us see again.¡±


    The Lizard shaman makes an intricate sign with his finger and bows his head, and the believers follow suit. Umm, here comes the third country getting involved via Grande¡­ I wonder how this will affect the future.

 CH 176

    Chapter 176 ¨C Speculation And Departure


    Outside the assembly hall stood Ms. Zamir. She was fully armed, carrying a mithril large-body crossed spear, Meteor, and a mithril alloy short spear also hung on her back.


    ¡°When did you¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been guarding you from behind ever since you left the lord¡¯s mansion. There is also Harpy over there.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    I looked beyond Ms. Zamir¡¯s gaze and saw a pink-feathered Harpy waving her wings in our direction. That¡¯s Bron. I hadn¡¯t noticed her at all. I¡¯ve been kidnapped in Erichburg before. I guess they have tightened up the security even when I go out to run errands.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for bothering you.¡±


    ¡°It is not a bother. Kosuke-dono is of the utmost importance to us.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, that treatment is already heavy. I know it can¡¯t be helped. So, from a Lizardman¡¯s point of view, are those people trustworthy?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    At my question, Ms. Zamir pondered for a while before opening her mouth.


    ¡°The Dragonis Mountain Kingdom and the Dragonis Order themselves are not to be alarmed. Their faith and respect for dragons and their riders are absolute.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a little scary.¡±


    ¡°There is nothing to fear. For them, Grande-sama and Kosuke-dono are like quasi-royalty. That means you are walking on the same path as the founder of the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom.¡±


    ¡°Does Ms. Zamir have anything to do with it?¡±


    ¡°No. My home is the Merinard Kingdom. But for a Lizardman, it¡¯s one of the places I¡¯d like to visit at least once.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    At least I understood that they did not seem to be enemies. I¡¯ll have to report this to Sylphy and Melty, that¡¯s for sure.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    ¡°Dragonis Mountain Kingdom¡­?¡±


    After hearing the report from Ms. Zamir and me, Melty put her hand on her shapely chin and thought about it. Sylphy, too, looked difficult and crossed her arms in thought.


    ¡°I understood that Grande-san and Kosuke-san will be the object of their faith. However, if we are talking about the country to country, it is unthinkable that they would give us support without any consideration. The question is what the other side will ask for in return for their support.¡±


    ¡°Assuming the worst of the worst, it could be the handover of Grande and Kosuke, for all I can tell.¡±


    ¡°That would be unthinkable¡­ It would inevitably cause displeasure for Grande-san and Kosuke-san. And if it goes badly, it¡¯s war. If it¡¯s in that direction, I¡¯d like you to visit the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom once, or to make Grande¡¯s lodge a place of pilgrimage, or to make out with her once a week or once a month at the lodge, or to actually fly on her back, or something like that.¡±


    Shaking her head in denial of Sylphy¡¯s words, Melty listed a series of ¡°likely stories.¡±


    ¡°Well, maybe they just want to make a mutual defense pact¡­ but no matter what Kosuke thinks, if Kosuke is in danger, Grande-san will go berserk on the battlefield. It would be a great honor for their country just to be able to fight alongside Grande-san. After all, it is the products of the Elves, isn¡¯t it? That country can use flying dragons as a means of transportation. They are not only strong in arms, but they are also excellent merchants.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re literally flying merchants¡­ It¡¯s a good backer, or rather a good partner to join hands with. From what you¡¯ve told me, they¡¯re a predominantly Lizardman country, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is said that there are many Lizardmen. But I hear that humans and other races live together as well, of course. The royalty is subhumans with the characteristics of dragons. They are called Dragonmen or Dragonians.¡±


    ¡°How are they different from Lizardmen?¡±


    ¡°I hear it¡¯s different from what it looks like. It is said that the subhuman form of Grande-san looks more like a human being. In that country, there are many scales which are said to be half Lizardman and half-human.¡±


    ¡°The scales?¡±


    ¡°They are a race of people whose limbs and parts of their bodies are covered with scales and have tails like Lizardmen.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    You mean a reptilian subhuman who is less lizard-like than a genuine Lizardman like Ms. Zamir. I¡¯m a little curious to know what they look like.


    ¡°I understand about the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom. So, has Grande agreed to go to Merinesburg?¡±


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t a problem. I¡¯m still trying to figure out what to do while we are over there.¡±


    It would be best if I could stay with Lime and the others.


    ¡°Is everything all right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be staying with Lime and the others, won¡¯t I? Maybe it¡¯s just a matter of how well she gets along with Lime and the others or the location.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    Sylphy nodded as if he had guessed. Since Sylphy is aware that the hiding place of Lime and the others are in the sewers, he must have guessed a lot of things. I¡¯ll be fine if I just hold out for the entrance, but Grande will have a much better nose than I do.


    ¡°Oh, and I¡¯m leaving early tomorrow. I want to be over there by midday when Lime makes contact with Ellen for communication purposes.¡±


    That way, I can tell Ellen on the spot that I¡¯m arriving over there, and she can promptly begin coordinating to meet me. For whatever reason, the only time we can give information to Ellen is when she and I are communicating with each other via the Golem communicator. Basically, that would be the only time Lime and the others would contact Ellen. No, I heard that they are escorting her behind the scenes, or is that not so? I don¡¯t know. Well, there¡¯s nothing wrong with going early.


    ¡°Well¡­ are you prepared?¡±


    ¡°I have everything I need in my inventory, you know.¡±


    I have the original scripture, the original manuscript, and the translated notes in my inventory so that no one can steal them if they are in my possession. I can¡¯t lose them by any chance.


    ¡°I see. Then I guess we¡¯re done for the day, right?¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Though the sun is still high.¡±


    ¡°Wait. What are you guys talking about?¡±


    I sensed something disturbing, and I retreated back¡­ and Melty came around very quickly. I looked to Danan for help.


    ¡°No problem with political affairs. I¡¯ll take care of the urgent matters.¡±


    The bastard turned his head away from me and looked down at his paperwork. You, you! Just remember this! I¡¯ll leave you behind someday when the same thing happens to you, too! I¡¯d rather kick your ass down the drain!


    ¡°Zamir, I¡¯m sorry, but can you tell someone from the Harpies that we need to convene?¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    Ms. Zamir gave me a look of pity and then walked off. How can you abandon your guard duty and not fulfill it? No good.


    ¡°Calm down, and let¡¯s talk about it. I have to go into enemy territory tomorrow and do my duty. You shouldn¡¯t have to worry about my physical conditioooooonnnnn©`©`©`.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t as bad as I thought it would be. Everyone was just worried about me, yes.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    The next morning.


    Thanks to the fact that they took it easy on me, my max life and max stamina loss was only about 25%. That¡¯s very compassionate and brings tears to my eyes. By the way, could you go easy on me to the extent that my maximum life and stamina are not reduced? Is it impossible? Yes, sure.


    If I eat well and rest well, my max value will recover in time, hahaha. Well, it will heal while Grande is carrying me.


    ¡°Kosuke, don¡¯t ever let your guard down. Not many people over there know your face, but Qubi hasn¡¯t been caught, after all. I don¡¯t think they know that we are in contact with the saint, but if they did, it is possible that a trap has been set. I say again, never let your guard down.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    I nodded at Sylphy¡¯s words as she looked me over. If I screw up again and get caught, I¡¯ll be causing trouble for everyone in the Liberation Army. Melty might cut off her horns again and try to sneak in or something, and I don¡¯t want to make the same mistake again.


    ¡°It¡¯s too late now, and I¡¯m not saying you don¡¯t befriend the saint. As far as I¡¯m concerned, we can use the setting that the saint says you¡¯re an apostle of God or something like that. But please don¡¯t forget that Kosuke-san¡¯s place of return is with us.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    I¡¯ll nod to Melty¡¯s words as well. I¡¯ve already told Ellen my thoughts on that area when we discussed it before. My priority is Sylphy and the others. If the time comes when I have to choose between them, I will choose Sylphy and the others.


    ¡°I have nothing to say. Come back safely.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry; I will be with him. If push comes to shove, I¡¯ll just fly back with Kosuke in my arms and wipe out everything in my path.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. I¡¯m counting on Grande to do it. Keep Kosuke safe.¡±


    ¡°Umu.¡±


    I was a little relieved to see Isla and Grande, who are about the same height, nodding at each other. Yesterday, though, they tag-teamed me and attacked me¡­ hahaha, I¡¯m glad they seem to be getting along so well.


    ¡°Danna-sama, be sure to come back safe and sound.¡±


    ¡°Danna-sama! Don¡¯t forget to bring me back some souvenirs!¡±


    ¡°P-please be safe and¡­ we¡¯ll be waiting for you.¡±


    ¡°Just don¡¯t hurt yourself, okay?¡±


    The Harpies surrounded me and talked to me. They also do skinship with me, stroking me with their wings and pressing their heads against me. Thank you so much for going easy on me yesterday. I¡¯d be happy if you¡¯d go a little easier on me in the future as well.


    ¡°I¡¯m off then. I¡¯ll be contacting you every day, just in case.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, be careful. Don¡¯t get involved in anything strange.¡±


    ¡°I wish you¡¯d stop raising flags¡­¡±


    When you say it like that, I¡¯ll get involved in some weird stuff. Everyone¡¯s eyes were on Sylphy as if they somehow understood what I was trying to say, even though they didn¡¯t know what the word ¡°flag¡± meant.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m not the one who¡¯s to blame!¡±


    ¡°No problem. It¡¯s just that now I have something to make fun of.¡±


    Melty smiles at Sylphy, who is flustered. That was definitely an evil smile. I can see that.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tease her too much¡­¡±


    With a wry smile, I took out a one-person gondola and climbed in. I made it for when it¡¯s just the two of us, me and Grande, traveling alone.


    ¡°I¡¯m off. Take care, everyone!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and Kosuke, too. Come back soon.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go.¡±


    Grande takes off with me in her arms, being seen off by Sylphy and the others. This should bring us to the outskirts of Merinesburg by noon. Well, I¡¯m just going to give them the scriptures, the manuscripts, and the translations, so I should be able to come back soon.


    I have a feeling that I¡¯m going to get into some weird stuff if I think about it¡­ Bing bong. I can¡¯t help but feel that someone or something that brought Ellen and me together has an agenda. I wonder what will happen this time. I hope it¡¯s as easy as possible.

 CH 177

    Chapter 177 ¨C Slimes Resting Place


    The crossing of the Sorel Mountains by Grande was generally uneventful and carried out extremely quickly. On the way, we were almost attacked by a Wyvern that found an unfamiliar object flying in the sky, but when Grande threatened it while releasing her magic power, it fled, apparently scattering various objects. Wyverns¡­ maybe it¡¯s just my imagination, but I think Wyverns have a certain bite-dog smell to them.


    The most common is that they are not a match for the average person, but when a person gets strong enough, they can kick them to the curb¡­ They are conveniently presented as a moderately strong enemy¡­ They are also good for loot and are treated as treats from the middle stage¡­ Pitiful.


    Well, let¡¯s leave the unlucky Wyvern behind.


    We landed in a forest near Merinesburg and headed for Lime and the others¡¯ sleeping place on foot. In case you¡¯re wondering, I had Grande put on a robe that covered her entire body.


    It would be a big problem if a hunter or adventurer who had the misfortune to enter the forest saw Grande¡¯s figure as it was. The other party. Because I would have to shut their mouths, it¡¯s called ¡°dead men tell no tales.¡±


    ¡°So this is where the Slimes sleep.¡±


    Grande mutters as she looks at the cave that opens its mouth behind a large rock. Grande¡¯s sensitive nose already detected the unpleasant smell, which may be why she is frowning somewhat.


    ¡°It¡¯s only at the entrance. It only smells faintly at the Slimes sleeping place.¡±


    ¡°I can already smell it. I¡¯ll be patient; it¡¯s all right.¡±


    Once we get to the section under the jurisdiction of Lime and others, there is almost no bad smell, but we have to pass through what looks like a normal sewer to get there, so it smells pretty bad.


    We continue through the cave for a while and eventually enter the sewers.


    ¡°¡­It stinks.¡±


    ¡°Be patient.¡±


    I proceeded down the sewer, pulling Grande¡¯s free hand, who was teary-eyed, holding her nose with her strong hand. I had a torch in my other hand, so both hands were completely occupied, but there was no danger at all because the big rats and other things that came out ran away at full speed the moment they saw Grande. The instincts of monsters are not to be underestimated.


    Then we crossed the sewer area and entered the territory of Lime and the others. The smell is much better now that we are here. Grande still looks uncomfortable, but she no longer seems to be in a constant teary-eyed state as she was before.


    ¡°Hmm, this is the territory of the Slimes¡­ hmm?¡±


    As if noticing something, Grande turned her gaze toward the back of the dark underground canal. It seems as if she is on the lookout for something¡­?


    ¡°¡­Eeeehhh!¡±


    ¡°Eh, what are you scared of?¡±


    I think there is some kind of strange sound approaching from the back. No, when I say strange things happen in this place, there are only three causes. It must be one of those three.


    I put my hand on Grande¡¯s shoulder to hold her as she tries to move forward, and I step forward and hold up the torch. It would be less dangerous for me than for Grande. Whoever of the three of them comes, I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be able to handle them.


    ¡°¡­sukeeeee!¡±


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°Kosuukeeeeee!¡±


    ¡°Hyieee!¡±


    ¡°Nnnn!¡±


    A thick, light blue slime rushed in, covering the underground canal. This shade was definitely Lime, but the volume and mass were not good. What if we were to be hit by it with such force?


    ¡°G-Grande! Run ¨D Whoaaa!?¡±


    ¡°Kosukeeeee!¡±


    Pop! I was so taken in by the light blue Slime that came rushing in that I couldn¡¯t see above or below. I felt like a load of laundry thrown into a washing machine. The irresistible and violent stream of water¡­ Slime flow? I am at the mercy and unable to do anything about it. I mean, seriously, aren¡¯t you doing laundry? I feel like my whole body is being licked and rubbed. I mean, it¡¯s painful! You¡¯re suffocating me!


    ¡°Let him go, you idiot! Kosuke is choking to death!¡±


    ¡°Aah, I¡¯ll get him back!¡±


    I was almost gone when Grande rescued me. Then, she chased away Lime, that was extending her tentacle-like body with her sharp claws and strong tail.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m saved!¡±


    ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s alright? This one.¡±


    ¡°Maybe¡­ It¡¯s been a long time, Lime.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Kosuke, long time no see? How are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m good, but Lime¡¯s about to make me not good.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Lime becomes small, shoulders slumped. No, wait. Just a moment ago, I think she had enough volume to cover the entire canal, and now she¡¯s as big as Grande in an instant. Isn¡¯t it actually incredibly high density, Lime?


    ¡°If you¡¯re sorry, I won¡¯t be mad at you anymore. Grande, please forgive her. Also, thanks for saving my life.¡±


    ¡°If Kosuke says so, that¡¯s good. You should be sorry, Slime.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, I got it.¡±


    Perhaps regretting her mistake, Lime nodded honestly at Grande¡¯s words.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re here. You look good.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry that Lime caused such a disturbance-nodesu.¡±


    Grande and I rode Lime for a while. We had arrived at Lime¡¯s sleeping place. The red Slime, Beth, and the green Slime, Poizo, were already waiting for us, and the familiar magic light was shining brightly in the room.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time. How have you been?¡±


    ¡°Of course. We¡¯re neither sick nor injured.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s more comfortable now that the saint no longer turns her hand to pour oil into the underground water supply and set it on fire, you know-nodesu?¡±


    Beth, a slender red slime with sharp eyes and a winning look, smiles, and Poizo, a loose-fitting green slime with somewhat sleepy, jittery eyes, says something subtly violent. Come to think of it; she said something like that before. I¡¯ve heard of being anointed with oil and set on fire, being shot with magic, and so on.


    ¡°That was quick¡­ Lime, a little monopoly isn¡¯t a good idea.¡±


    ¡°I am sure it is Kosuke¡¯s decision. There was no one better suited to come over here anyway than Kosuke. But it was too soon. Lime, you¡¯re not fair-nodesu.¡±


    ¡°Just a little more?¡±


    Lime, who had picked us up and brought us to the room, was still serving as a chair for Grande and me. Before, it was just me, so it was as big as a thing that ruins people, but this time it was big enough for Grande to relax in. Big. Or rather, the whole Lime is huge. I¡¯m using the lower half as a sofa or bed, but the upper half is the size of a giant. It¡¯s bigger than Shumel. The thing against my back is also huge. This is a new sensation. Well, it¡¯s a slime, so it doesn¡¯t matter how big it is.


    ¡°It¡¯s comfortable to sleep on¡­¡±


    Grande is about to be sunk by the Lime Sofa as soon as possible. Even the grand dragon is captivated by¡­ Lime, what a terrifying girl.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need to tell you how I got over here, now, do I?¡±


    ¡°That, of course.¡±


    ¡°We know all about the Liberation Army¡¯s dealings with the saint-nanodesu.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t help but wonder what it would be like from a security standpoint, but¡­ in the meantime, Lime and the others are on our side¡­ right?¡±


    ¡°We are on the side of Her Highness Sylphiel?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. The Liberation Army is under the command of Her Highness Sylphiel, and we, the Royal Kingsguard, are definitely on Her Highness¡¯ side.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a little late for that-nanodesu.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    I nodded to Lime and the others but still gave them a brief rundown.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯ll let her know I¡¯m already over here at the early afternoon meeting, and we¡¯ll set up a time to meet and make contact with Ellen.¡±


    ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll be here until then.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the plan. I¡¯ll be in your care again.¡±


    ¡°Yes, we will take care of you.¡±


    ¡°Everything is at your disposal-nodesu.¡±


    ¡°Please go easy on me.¡±


    Because you guys are literally bottomless! If I talk about as much as they want, I will dry up 100%. All three of them know this, so they will go easy on me to a certain extent.


    ¡°Tell me about this¡­?¡±


    Lime tilted her head as she looked at Grande, who was completely asleep. Come to think of it; they shouldn¡¯t know too many details.


    ¡°She¡¯s a Grand Dragon named Grande. Though it may not look like it.¡±


    ¡°So she¡¯s a dragon. It¡¯s certainly a magical force worthy of the name ¡®dragon.''¡±


    ¡°Hmm, not a good match?¡±


    ¡°Right. It¡¯s just not a good match for us-nodesu.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? I¡¯d appreciate it if you could get along.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mean that we are incompatible, but rather that we are incompatible when we fight. Even with the three of us, we might have a hard time.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    Grande doesn¡¯t seem to be good with Melty. As I recall, with a three-man team, Lime and the others could beat Melty, right?


    ¡°None of our attacks seem to work on Grande-san. On the contrary, many of Grande-san¡¯s attacks seem to work on us-nodesu.¡±


    ¡°We can handle Melty. But we can¡¯t do it with Grande.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    They¡¯re subtly triangulating. Melty has enough offensive power to pass through Grande¡¯s defense, but her own defense is weak, and she will lose if she is trapped by Lime and the others. Grande is not hurt by Lime and the others¡¯ attacks but loses when Melty¡¯s attack pulls out her defenses. Lime and the others can hardly be defeated by Melty¡¯s attacks, but they are defeated by Grande¡¯s overwhelming magical power. It seems to be like that.


    ¡°I wonder if Melty¡¯s magic attack will also defeat Lime and the others?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s possible, but if we catch her by surprise or whatever, with a single blow, we can win, so we have a chance to win. But with Grande, surprise or no surprise, our attack will not get through, so there is no way to win.¡±


    ¡°On the contrary, Grande¡¯s attacks probably won¡¯t hit Melty. She will probably avoid all of them, and then she will beat Grande to a pulp-nanodesu.¡±


    ¡°¡­Oh.¡±


    I remember when Grande lost to Melty. It was definitely a one-sided beatdown.


    ¡°So Melty is the best overall, with a winning record against both Lime and Grande?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a kind of monster, you know? The name ¡°demon species¡± is not just for show-nodesu.¡±


    ¡°From my point of view, everyone is a cloud I can¡¯t seem to compete with¡­¡±


    I don¡¯t think I can beat not only Melty, Grande, Lime and the others, but also Sylphy, Ms. Zamir, Sir Leonard, Isla, Shumel and the other demon girls, and Danan and the others if I try to do it right.


    If they don¡¯t take me seriously and blow me up in a trap, I¡¯m sure I could win, but saying I could win by surprise is not something to brag about.


    ¡°Kosuke, you don¡¯t know that either, do you?¡±


    ¡°I guess so. Kosuke is also afraid to fight properly. You never know what might pop up.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s best to strike first and beat them to the punch. You haven¡¯t trained in a long time, have you-nodesu?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll pass.¡±


    What is so sad that I have to do such a violent thing as soon as we meet again? What¡¯s more, it¡¯s the one where I¡¯m the one who gets beat up and hurt. I refuse to go through with it.


    ¡°I¡¯ve brought you a lot of souvenirs, so let¡¯s enjoy them.¡±


    ¡°Gizma¡¯s meat?¡±


    ¡°What did you bring?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m curious about the souvenirs-nodesu.¡±


    At any rate, Lime has requested Gizma¡¯s meat, so I give her a chunk. Of course, I give it to Beth and Poizo as well. For them, a piece of raw Gizma meat big enough to hold is like a candy bar.


    ¡°I have almost everything, but I don¡¯t know what Lime and the others would like.¡±


    As I say this, I put out barrels of honey wine, sweet snacks, preserved block cookies, and other food, as well as gold and silver accessories that probably won¡¯t interest them, and artificial flowers, beautiful cloth, rugs like rug mats, and other things that could be used for interior decoration, such as perfumes and scent bags that were sold in Erichburg.


    ¡°So tasty!¡±


    Lime seems to like the food and pulls and shivers as she picks at various items. She especially seems to enjoy sweet snacks and honey wine. Does she have a sweet tooth?


    ¡°These things are nice.¡±


    Beth seemed to like the beautiful fabrics, rugs, and artificial flowers and immediately began decorating the room.


    ¡°Fumufumu¡­ hohoho.¡±


    Poizo seemed to like the perfume and scent bags, taking the contents of the perfume bottles and scent bags into her body and looking interested in them. Lime likes food, Beth likes fashionable items, and Poizo likes perfume and medicinal herbs.


    ¡°Yum yum.¡±


    Before long, Grande is up and eating the sweet food with satisfaction. When did she¡­ Well, I guess she was a little hungry after flying over the Sorel Mountains. Let¡¯s serve her some burgers, too, shall we?


    So I arrived in Merinesburg and spent a leisurely time until it was time for the communication meeting between Ellen and the Liberation Army.

 CH 178

    Chapter 178 ¨C Immediate Fall Easy-Dragon


    would pull herself back


    I spent some time with Lime and the others having a sweet or rather early lunch, talking about what to do after leaving Lime and the others and what to do after returning to the other side until it was time for the meeting.


    ¡°You¡¯re really broad-minded, aren¡¯t you, Kosuke?¡±


    ¡°Right. You could say I¡¯m a man without restraint.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s just call it charming¡­ You¡¯re almost always pushed over.¡±


    ¡°He is an easy¡­ sweet man-nodesu.¡±


    ¡°Hey, what did you say?¡±


    Poizo spit venom at me. You poisonous Slime. Shall I put a Cure Poison Potion on you? No, it doesn¡¯t seem to work, though. Poizo is more of a medicinal Slime than a poisonous Slime¡­ and can refine poisons and medicines almost at will. It seems that the digestive capacity is also the highest among the three.


    ¡°But I¡¯m a monster, and Beth and the others are essentially the same. Aside from subhumans like Sylphy and the others, isn¡¯t it a bit of a stretch to accept monsters like me with little resistance?¡±


    ¡°Why are you being so subtly self-deprecating¡­ are you so unsure of yourself?¡±


    ¡°Mghh¡­ it¡¯s not like that, you know? I¡¯m cute, you know? I¡¯m super-pretty, aren¡¯t I?¡±


    As if she had hit the bull¡¯s-eye with Beth¡¯s point, Grande was flustered as she played with the tips of her toes, which were growing out of her big, strong hands. What? Did you have such complex feelings?


    ¡°How is it from Kosuke¡¯s point of view-nodesu?¡±


    ¡°Eh, I think she¡¯s super cute in general.¡±


    Then I patted her horned head.


    ¡°I think these magnificent horns are cute, as are the unaltered, robust limbs, the cool wings, and the thick, powerful tail. I mean, I think Grande was cute even before she took human form.¡±


    I think her reaction is cute, or her heart is cute¡­ Well, it was impossible for me to lust after Grande in dragon form before she took human form, though. There must be some people out there who can lust after Grande in dragon form. I can¡¯t do it. I¡¯m going to say this twice because it¡¯s important.


    ¡°That¡¯s the real thing-nodesu.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s so broad-minded¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not very concerned about looks, are you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so¡­?¡±


    I think they are all stunningly beautiful women and girls, not only Lime and the others and Grande, but also Sylphy and the others. And they are Slimes, Dragon girl, Elf, One-Eyed girl, Harpies, or some other strong and evil demon-like race that I don¡¯t know what it is. That¡¯s just great.


    Ellen? Ellen is a level of beauty that¡¯s hard to approach, to be honest. I¡¯m in awe of her, to be honest. I mean, when I say awe-inspiring in that sense, they all are.


    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±


    I was petting Grande¡¯s head while thinking, and Grande turned bright red and rolled her eyes. Her tail was violently slapping the stone floor. The broken and scattered pieces of stone were buried in Lime¡¯s body, bouncing around on Beth¡¯s surface and beaming into Poizo¡¯s body. It¡¯s still a powerful tail.


    ¡°¡­Love.¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°I love you!¡±


    ¡°Woah!¡±


    Grande, with her tail wagging wildly, jumped on me! Idiot! Stop it! What the hell are you doing? The Wyvern¡¯s leather armor is like a piece of paper! Ow, ow, ow! The horns are rubbing against my chest! It¡¯s scratching me!


    ¡°Nfuu¡­ sunsun¡­ nfufu¡­¡±


    Grande is rubbing her face (and horns) against my bare chest while sniffing and tripping. I can only see Grande¡¯s head and horns from me, but if I look into her eyes, there might be a heart mark or something. And the horns! The horns are hurting me!


    ¡°¡±She¡¯s madly in love?¡±¡±


    ¡°Immediately fall easy dragon-nanodesu.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind us here, okay¡­¡±


    Lime splitting (!) Poizo looked at us with a smirk on her face as she observed us from various angles. Beth looked a little taken aback, but she didn¡¯t seem to have any intention of stopping Grande.


    As a result, after about five minutes, Grande came to her senses, realizing what was going on, and nothing serious happened. My breastplate was a little sore from all the rubbing by Grande¡¯s horns, but I didn¡¯t bleed, so I guess that¡¯s a good thing.


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    Grande, having come to her senses, is sitting like the one at the PE session in the corner of the room, facing the corner. She seems to be quite concerned, as she is covering her body with her wings to form a wall.


    ¡°Grande?¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    I tried calling out to her, but her tail just twitched, and she was completely silent.


    ¡°Are you embarrassed?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be shy about.¡±


    ¡°Kosuke doesn¡¯t get angry at the mere mention of it, does he?¡±


    The divided Lime was cuddling up to such Grande and comforting Grande. Grande felt extremely guilty about tearing up my Wyvern leather armor and clothes. She didn¡¯t have to worry so much about it, though, because I could have repaired it at the blacksmithing facility in no time at all.


    Grande seems to have suffered considerable psychological damage from the guilt of the attack on my leather armor and clothes and the embarrassment of what she did. It¡¯s okay, though. It¡¯s not like I was injured.


    ¡°Monsters have strong instincts and impulses, so it can¡¯t be helped-nodesu.¡±


    ¡°Especially since Grande seems to have been in contact with humans for only a short period. Well, you¡¯ll get used to it eventually¡­ Oh, it¡¯s about time.¡±


    Beth said and started to go to the large golem communicator. Beth is going to be the one to relay the message today. Lime¡¯s main body also came toward the golem communicator. The split body seems to be continuing to comfort Grande as before.


    ¡°Ellen is already at the meeting place?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s here. Do you want me to tell her something?¡±


    ¡°Can you tell her briefly that I¡¯m already here and that I¡¯d like to see her soon? It would also be nice if you could tell her that the Liberation Army wants to talk to her about it today.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­ When are you coming after I tell her? I¡¯m just asking.¡±


    ¡°As soon as everything is ready. Just let me know when and where to go. You can tell her the same way you did today, around tomorrow or the morning after, through one of Beth and the others. Oh, but I thought Beth and the others were escorting her now?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m escorting her. Why don¡¯t you just ask for us when she¡¯s alone?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, tell her that.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­ the saint says she understands.¡±


    ¡°Roger that. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡±


    I thanked her, and Beth smiled.


    Not long after that, the meeting began, but it seemed that today¡¯s meeting would be a very short one. Ellen would soon find out that I was already here and that she had been informed of my arrival. I thought there was no way there would be any new information after yesterday¡¯s meeting.


    ¡°There¡¯s someone I¡¯d really like Kosuke to meet.¡±


    ¡°To Kosuke? What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I received news this morning that in about five days, the executive of the nostalgist group¡­ that is, my superior, will arrive in Merinesburg. I would very much like Kosuke to meet with her.¡±


    ¡°Is she¡­ a woman?¡±


    ¡°She is indeed a woman, but she is almost fifty years old. If it were Kosuke, it might be possible, but¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the way it¡¯s supposed to be.¡±


    I had to butt in. No, no matter how womanizer I am, to do that with a woman as old as my mother is, as expected.. age alone, and so are Sylphy, Isla, Melty, and Grande, right?¡¡No, no, no. It isn¡¯t. It¡¯s not an age issue. It¡¯s a matter of appearance¡­ You¡¯ve proven that age doesn¡¯t matter if you look okay on the outside, right? No, a human woman close to fifty years old, the other side would would pull herself back. No, no, no.


    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t take it so seriously. Yes, let¡¯s resume.¡±


    ¡°I think there was a subtle pause, but oh well. So, you say you want to have Kosuke meet with your boss over there; what¡¯s the intention? In some cases, I may not agree with you.¡±


    ¡°I thought of putting a crown of luminosity on Kosuke to prove that the apostles are with us.¡±


    ¡°The crown of luminosity is, as I recall, a ritual instrument to visualize God¡¯s blessing, right? What¡¯s the use of doing that? Are you planning to use Kosuke¡¯s presence as a weapon in a power struggle within the Adol religion?¡±


    ¡°It depends. In the Adol religion, a person with strong luminosity has strong authority. To be honest, the reason why the weak faction, the nostalgist, has not been crushed in a head-to-head battle with the mainstream is because they have the saint that I am. If Kosuke, who radiates luminosity comparable to mine, supports the nostalgist and brings the Adol scriptures before they are falsified, which is convenient for the nostalgists and inconvenient for the mainstream, the nostalgists will be able to regain power in a single stroke.¡±


    ¡°Are you willing to put Kosuke¡¯s life in danger for that? That¡¯s not a good idea. I can¡¯t let him take such a risk.¡±


    Sylphy immediately rejected Ellen¡¯s proposal with an immediate answer. Well, I guess that¡¯s what Sylphy would say.


    But Ellen was not the type to back down.


    ¡°Sooner or later, Adol religion and the Holy Kingdom will discover Kosuke¡¯s existence. If that happens, Kosuke¡¯s danger will be reduced if he is widely recognized as an apostle of God. If Kosuke is recognized as an apostle of God, neither the Holy Kingdom nor Adol religion will be able to assassinate him lightly.¡±


    ¡°It would be far more dangerous to make Kosuke¡¯s existence public, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°The story that Kosuke is your lover is already well known among the Liberation Army, isn¡¯t it? I think the Holy Kingdom has long been aware of that. The Holy Kingdom is not as incompetent as you think. In fact, that is how Kosuke and I came to meet. Am I wrong?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ but I thought you said you didn¡¯t know about Qubi¡¯s affiliation either?¡±


    ¡°Yes, as for the Fox-beastman in question, at least he is not a member of our nostalgist faction. But it is hard to imagine that he is a member of the mainstream faction either. I don¡¯t think they would use subhuman spies.¡±


    That brings us to Qubi, the man who kidnapped me. Who the hell is that guy, and why is it hard to believe that he¡¯s not the hand of the nostalgist group or even the hand of the mainstream group? He may be a third force that is neither, but Ellen doesn¡¯t know what kind of force that is.


    ¡°If it¡¯s neither, then maybe he¡¯s an agent of the Empire, which is at war with the Holy Kingdom.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that¡¯s an absolute possibility.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. It¡¯s more realistic than the talk of a mainstream hand.¡±


    I meant it as a joke, but Sylphy and Ellen both replied in the affirmative to my words. If so, that would mean that the empire had been harboring Qubi in the Merinard kingdom for at least three years before Danan and the others rebelled in the kingdom. Maybe even before that.


    But, true or false, spies on earth also spend years, in some cases decades, hiding in a target country¡­ For example, ninjas, originally, are not so flashy, dressed in black, carrying ninja swords, and throwing shuriken, but rather, they are essentially humble intelligence agents¡­ I¡¯m talking about blending in with the land. Given that, is it not possible that Qubi was the same?


    ¡°Well, it would be good to know that there are other beings of equal or greater luminosity than me who belong to the nostalgist group. When it is widely known to the public, there is no problem hiding the name and face. Eventually, it will be necessary to show his face, but we will be careful about that. I would like my boss to see his face, though.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ why is that?¡±


    ¡°No matter how much glitter you show, it¡¯s not enough to gain trust. It¡¯s not the same as showing it to the masses.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ well, that¡¯s good.¡±


    Sylphy seemed to have something on her mind, but she decided not to pursue the matter. I wondered if that was possible. Even if I were to actually wear that dazzling crown in person, it would be hard to believe that someone would entrust their fate to a person who hid his face behind a mask or something.


    If it was ¡°some noble and great person who is out of reach¡± from the people¡¯s point of view, they might not care so much.


    ¡°For the time being, the Liberation Army will allow Kosuke to meet your boss as a way to strengthen cooperation with the nostalgist. We will leave it to Kosuke to decide whether or not he will actually meet her. But don¡¯t forget that our objective is to recapture the territory of the Merinard Kingdom. If the nostalgist takes control of the Holy Kingdom and returns the remaining territories, we will be happy to cooperate with them, but if that is not possible, we will have to take the same approach as south of Erichburg, which is to fight and take back the territories. We have not made peace, and our relationship at this point is that of enemies of enemies, and we are essentially incompatible. Kosuke is merely a bridge between you and us. Please don¡¯t do anything strange to Kosuke¡­ I will use any means to kill you then.¡±


    ¡°I understand. I, for one, do not want to see any more deaths. Although they have different claims, the mainstream people are also Adolians, and they are my fellow citizens. At the same time, I do not want to fight with the members of the Liberation Army, who are also very important to Kosuke. I will do my best to resolve the situation amicably and without bloodshed.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget those words. Then, if you need anything else, please contact me through Lime and the others. What about the next regular contact?¡±


    ¡°If all goes well, we will discuss this in five days with my superior.¡±


    ¡°I understand. Well then¡­ Kosuke, don¡¯t let your guard down.¡±


    ¡°I understand. Call me as soon as you have something going on over there.¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course. See you then.¡±


    Sylphy¡¯s voice cuts off. It seems that she ended the communication.


    ¡°She speaks in a gentle voice to you, too.¡±


    ¡°Well, yes.¡±


    ¡°Should I be nice to you, too?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it a little late for that now? That kind of thing isn¡¯t bad, but I like our current relationship where we can talk casually.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I agree. Let¡¯s only do that kind of thing when we¡¯re alone.¡±


    ¡°O-oh.¡±


    ¡°Please give me some time to confirm the schedule for the delivery of the scriptures. As soon as it is decided, I will inform one of the Slimes.¡±


    ¡°I understand. Take it easy.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Goodbye.¡±


    ¡°¡­And the saint has also left the meeting place.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ phew.¡±


    I sighed vaguely at Beth¡¯s words. What can I say? Listening to Sylphy and Ellen discussing is more tiring than I thought it would be. It¡¯s not like it¡¯s a battlefield, but I feel like my heart is getting fatigued. The atmosphere is completely different from when Sylphy is talking with Isla, Melty, the Harpies, and others. Can I say that there is a wall between them? It¡¯s not surprising since they have never met face-to-face.


    ¡°Is it too much?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it goes that far. It¡¯s more of a probing sort of thing.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a person whose voice is the only thing I know. I don¡¯t dislike her, though. She¡¯s pretty interesting.¡±


    ¡°Lime, too. She¡¯s pretty sweet.¡±


    ¡°She is a curious girl. She¡¯s not afraid to touch us, you know-nodesu?¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    Well, Ellen might do something as normal as that. It¡¯s kind of like going her own way, isn¡¯t it, Ellen?


    ¡°Is that all for today?¡±


    ¡°I guess¡­ I¡¯ll just have to leave the armor repair alone, and it¡¯s not like there¡¯s anything that needs to be made right now ¨D Huh!¡±


    By the time I realized it, it was too late. I made a mistake.


    I made a mistake, a mistake, a mistake, a mistake, a mistake¨D¨D.


    ¡°Forgive me.¡±


    ¡°Will you be gentle?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll take care of it-nodesu.¡±


    ¡°Or, you¡¯ll be lost.¡±


    Beth¡¯s arms literally entangle and restrain me. Oh, Grande is carried from the corner of the room by Lime¡¯s sub-bodies. Grande, you¡¯re on their way, too. Hahaha.


    ¡°Let¡¯s seriously weigh ourselves down, for now, Poizo, shall we? Right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it-nodesu.¡±


    Poizo grins. No, she has zero intention of pulling herself back in. Poizo¡¯s ability to refine chemicals is really bad. Specifically, it¡¯s about three times worse than the drugs Isla makes. It¡¯s so bad that it evaporates your vocabulary rather than diminishes it. It¡¯s terrible.


    In this case, Grande is my last hope. I believe that Grande¡¯s ability as a dragon will save me.

 CH 179

    Chapter 179 ¨C Merinesburg Again


    ¡°Noja¡­ noja¡­¡±


    Yeah, it was no good. The drugs that Poizo makes work on dragons. Grande, who has been through a lot of awful things, is back in the corner of the room, saying noja noja.. poor Grande. I¡¯m afraid that if I bring Poizo together with Isla, there will be a hell of a chemical reaction.


    Eh? You are asking me why I didn¡¯t become like Grande, dead-eyed and mumbling in the corner of the room? I¡¯m used to it! Hahaha! Hahaha¡­ maybe I have dead eyes, too, though.


    ¡°Poizo, you need to hold yourself to that, seriously. You¡¯re making Grande¡¯s mental state break down completely.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s more fragile than she looks-nodesu.¡±


    ¡°Poizo? You want to have a real fight with me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry-nanodesu.¡±


    I was irritated, and she apologized when I let my anger seep into my eyes rather seriously. I wish she would apologize honestly from the beginning in a situation like this.


    ¡°You made him mad, Poizo!¡±


    ¡°You must forgive her. She¡¯s a little carried away at times. I¡¯m sure she regrets it.¡±


    ¡°¡­I owe the three of you a debt of gratitude that I can never repay, so I¡¯m willing to accept a little recklessness, but not for Grande.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry-nanodesu.¡±


    Poizo apologized as if she was seriously sorry. I looked at Grande, and Poizo approached Grande and started apologizing. Yes, it¡¯s good that she seems to be sincerely reflecting on what she did.


    I¡¯ll keep what actually happened a secret. For Grande¡¯s honor.


    ¡°What time is it? It¡¯s hard to tell the time when you¡¯re underground.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s still early morning. It¡¯s just after sunrise.¡±


    ¡°I see. Speaking of which, wasn¡¯t Ellen supposed to call me?¡±


    ¡°She said she wanted you at the castle before noon today. With a letter of invitation.¡±


    ¡°Oh, a letter of invitation.¡±


    That¡¯s the letter Ellen let me have when I left her before. In exchange, I gave Ellen a rifle bullet pendant with the powder removed.


    ¡°Then I guess I¡¯ll head out as soon after breakfast¡­ If I walk slowly, it should be just in time.¡±


    ¡°Morning breakfast.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to try something other than Gizma meat today.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll serve some Wyvern meat.¡±


    Thus a new day began.


    By the way, the Wyvern meat was quite popular with Lime and the others. Poizo seemed to like the tail with the poisonous needle. I wonder if she will make some kind of strange drug out of that tail poison?


    ¡°I reflected-nodesu. You don¡¯t need to worry-nanodesu.¡±


    She said that clearly, but I don¡¯t know¡­ I should keep a close eye on Poizo¡¯s behavior in the future.


    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯ll be okay on your own?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. I mean, no matter how problematic it is, it¡¯s a little too much for Grande to follow me¡­ it will cause an immediate uproar.¡±


    ¡°Mm¡­ nobody cares about that in Erichburg, though.¡±


    ¡°Merinesburg has a strong Adol influence, or rather the influence of the Holy Kingdoms, so it¡¯s unavoidable.¡±


    Grande also managed to recover after eating breakfast. She is still keeping her distance from Poizo, though.


    ¡°Anyway, be careful. If anything happens to you, I¡¯ll go berserk.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure that¡¯s no pun intended, so I¡¯ll be very careful.¡±


    That would be a big problem if Grande were to go on a rampage in Merinesburg. It would be terrible politically, so I shall be cautious about myself. After all, Grande is a dragon¡­ with a hidden ferocity that will trample human lives like garbage if she forgets herself in her rage.


    After breakfast, I finish getting ready to go out. Incidentally, my breakfast today consisted of milk and block cookies. I leave it to your imagination what kind of milk this milk is.


    By the way, this has nothing to do with anything, but about 30% of the raw milk circulating in areas where there are many subhumans is mother¡¯s milk of cattle type Beastman and the like. It is said that there are many whose constitutions allow them to produce milk even if they are not pregnant. Not only cows but also goats, sheep, horses, and in rare cases, camels and alpacas. Well, that¡¯s nothing to do with anything.


    Also, about 40% of the edible eggs distributed in areas where there are many subhumans are unfertilized eggs of animals that have an egg-bearing element, such as harpies, reptiles, winged people, and so on. That¡¯s a small percentage because there¡¯s not a lot of them in circulation, to begin with. It seems to be high.


    In my case, when I put them in my inventory, I get xxx¡¯s milk¡¯ or something like that, so I can tell at once¡­ No, no, no, it¡¯s nothing to do with anything. Hahaha¡­ I¡¯m getting dyed in this world too.


    ¡°I¡¯m off then.¡±


    ¡°Be careful.¡±


    ¡°Careful, okay?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t let your guard down.¡±


    ¡°Take care-nanodesu.¡±


    Lime and the others see me off as I exit the forest via the sewage system. The sun is shining brightly.


    ¡°All right, let¡¯s go.¡±


    My outfit today is mercenary style: repaired Wyvern leather armor, steel helmet, round shield on my back, short sword and knife on my waist, and short spear in my hand. Normally, I would never go out with such heavy armament, but after all, this area is hostile territory, and at the same time, it is a disguise to avoid any suspicion of a man traveling alone. If I dress like a mercenary or an adventurer, I will not be suspected.


    The rest of the disguise is completed with appropriate underwear, a sack full of dried meat and baked bread, a purse, a water bottle, and so on.


    And as for my spear and sword skills¡­ well, I can fight reasonably well. When I stayed here before, I was trained by Lime and the others in a spartan way. I accidentally mentioned it in front of Ms. Zamir after returning, and she trained me about three or four times a week. Although the training is not so severe, I am now strong enough to win against the new recruits of the Liberation Army. Is it nothing to be proud of, even if you can beat the new recruits? Yes, that¡¯s right. It is only a hair above the level of an amateur.


    But a new recruit in the Liberation Army is, in other words, a subhuman. Basically, subhumans are more physically capable than humans. In close combat using weapons, even subhuman recruits can defeat ordinary human soldiers. In other words, I who can beat a subhuman recruit can be said to be somewhat better than a human general. At least, I became skilled enough to defeat a goblin with a spear with a bit of time to spare through actual battle training.


    But I don¡¯t want more than three to come at me. If more than three come, my shotgun or the submachine gun will literally burst into flames. No matter how much training I¡¯ve had, I¡¯m still a weakling. If I told the new recruits of the Liberation Army who train with me that I¡¯m weak, they would look at me like, ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    I walked through the forest for a while, thinking about such a useless thing. I met a goblin on the way, so I used strafe jumping to escape at high speed and succeeded in getting out of the forest.


    Eh? Why don¡¯t I fight, you ask? Sure, they could be an experience, but it¡¯s not worth the risk of going out of my way to fight them, in my opinion. Frankly speaking, from the aspect of gaining experience, I think it would be better to shoot and kill Wyverns in the Sorel Mountains. It would be perfect to have Grande or Ms. Zamir or someone like them escort me.


    I don¡¯t even feel the need to level up much right now, so I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll do it¡­ If the level would release recipes for various things, I¡¯d be eager to level up, but most of the things I can improve with the skill points I gain from leveling up. All they do is improve my physical abilities or shorten my crafting time¡­ It also improves my mining abilities, but I¡¯m not in trouble at the moment, or at least I¡¯m getting too much of it at the moment.


    I have so much to do in Erichburg that I don¡¯t have time to level up.


    I left the forest and joined the street as I had done in the past and walked leisurely to Merinesburg. The roads are as busy as ever, but I have a feeling that there are fewer people on the streets than before, though not mindlessly. The number of people coming from the surrounding farming villages to house their crops doesn¡¯t seem to have changed much, but the number of merchants and travelers seems to be decreasing. Maybe it¡¯s just my imagination, though. Yeah, the number of well-dressed people trying to get out of Merinesburg is definitely down. I mean, I don¡¯t see them. It must mean that they got out of this place as soon as possible.


    I was checked at the same gate where I had entered before and went inside. It seemed that it was a different soldier from the one who had checked me in before, and there was no particular reaction when I told him my name was Ko. Since my eye color and hair color were recorded, my black hair was still considered unusual.


    When I entered Merinesburg, there was still a place near the gate where a group of boys who looked a little dirty were huddled together. One of the boys walked up to me.


    ¡°Brother? Oh, I knew you were the dark-haired brother from back then! You¡¯re back?¡±


    It was the boy who had guided me through the city on my previous visit to Merinesburg. By the looks of it, he was not seriously injured or ill. I am glad to see that he is in good health.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time.¡±


    ¡°Can I show you around again?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    I¡¯m just going to the castle, so I don¡¯t really need directions. But since I am in Merinesburg, I might as well pick up some souvenirs, right? But it¡¯s not something to do now. I should go to the castle as soon as possible.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got some business to attend to, so I don¡¯t need a guide right now. But after I¡¯m done with my business, I¡¯m thinking of doing some shopping. Where is a good place to buy souvenirs or something?¡±


    ¡°Souvenirs? Then there¡¯s the market, or the artisans¡¯ district, or maybe the general store along this main street.¡±


    ¡°I know where the artisan street is, but I don¡¯t know where the market is. Where is it?¡±


    Then I showed him a copper coin, and he held up two fingers. Two coins? Well, okay, but that¡¯s pretty bold, isn¡¯t it? When I handed him the two coppers, he smiled at me.


    ¡°Turn right down this road, and after a while, you will see the market on your left. This time of year, dried apricots and prunes are good.¡±


    ¡°I understand. See you later.¡±


    ¡°Use me again if you need anything!¡±


    I wave to the boy calling out to me from behind and walk straight to the castle. The castle is visible from anywhere in town, so there is no chance of getting lost. I walked on, feeling a little sluggish under the weight of the armor I was not usually wearing.

 CH 180

    Chapter 180 ¨C Reunion With The Saint


    It took me a few dozen minutes of walking, asking ladies and men on the street for directions to the castle¡­ It must have taken about an hour or less. I finally reached the front of the castle. Too long, you say? No, no, no, Merinesburg is bigger than Erichburg, and the road to the castle is not a straight one, so you have to turn one way and another way to get to the castle. It took a lot of time.


    The soldiers seemed tense. When I asked them why, they told me that there had been several assassination attempts against the saint. Most of the attempts seem to have failed, and such as when the soldiers were rushing toward the saint, they were knocked unconscious by mysterious stone-throwing when they tried to use magic, or when they tried to snipe the saint with bows and arrows, they were set on fire and fell from the roof at the sniping point. It was definitely the Slime girls, that¡¯s for sure.


    And then I came face to face with the knight guarding the castle gate.


    ¡°You are..? Hmm, dull face and dark hair, just as described.¡±


    Sorry about my dull face! It¡¯s none of your business, idiot! I swallowed the word in the back of my smile and let the knight say what he wanted to say. I don¡¯t consider myself handsome at all. In fact, there is no damage. Yes, yes, zero damage.


    ¡°The letter of invitation is definitely authentic. There¡¯s no problem with you entering the castle, but I¡¯m going to have to take all your weapons.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, but I have to ask you to take off your armor, too.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    I¡¯m not guilty of anything, and if it comes down to it, I can get my weapons and armor out of my inventory, so I don¡¯t see any problem.


    I¡¯ll leave my short spear and short sword, plus a knife, round shield, and Wyvern leather armor with the knight, and I¡¯ll also leave my miscellaneous bags with only my valuables, or rather my purse leather bag and my letter of invitation. Finally, I was checked to see if I had any weapons hidden in my body and finally entered the castle.


    By the way, when they checked my whole body for concealed weapons, they touched my buttocks and crotch strangely¡­ Let¡¯s not talk about this. I don¡¯t want to think about it.


    ¡°I just sent out a messenger. The guide should be here soon, so wait here.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    After the inspection, I entered the castle and saw a wide variety of people. Especially conspicuous were the soldiers and knights armed with short spears. As one would expect, carrying a weapon gives a different sense of intimidation or presence. The repeated attacks on the saint have made them very tense.


    And busy moving around are men and women in nun¡¯s uniforms. Speaking of castles, shouldn¡¯t they be maids? It is hard not to think that the castle staff is fortifying the castle for fear of assassination. But, in the first place, are they not the ones who are plotting the assassination? I wonder what is going on in that area.


    As I waited in a daze for my guide, a familiar sister walked up to me. Uh, I think her name is.


    ¡°Amalie-san?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am Amalie. It¡¯s been a while.¡±


    The sister smiled benevolently as she said so. As I recall, she was the sister who was pulled up by the outrageous saint who was covered with the crown that made that luminosity and such visible. She was also the sister who took care of me when I fell to the poison dagger.


    ¡°Eleonora-sama is waiting for you. Please come this way.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Thank you for coming.¡±


    ¡°No. Eleonora-sama is already looking forward to meeting you. She¡¯s been so anxious to see you since yesterday.¡±


    ¡°Huh.¡±


    Ellen, they¡¯re going to wonder how in the world you got in touch with me or something¡­ Or have you explained the situation to Amalie-san? From her looks, she doesn¡¯t seem to be harboring any suspicions or anything of the sort¡­?


    ¡°Eleonora-sama seems to be getting a lot of oracles lately, and she said that your coming was given to her by an oracle.¡±


    ¡°I-I see.¡±


    It seems that Ellen is using the information she gets via Lime and others, calling it an oracle. Is that okay? In a religious sense.


    After walking along the corridor for a while and climbing the stairs several times, I arrived at a rather luxurious, or rather massive, wooden door. Amalie-san knocked on the door.


    ¡°Eleonora-sama, you have a visitor.¡±


    ¡°Please come in.¡±


    I heard Ellen¡¯s reply. Then, for some reason, Amalie-san made me stand right in front of the door and look around to make sure no one was around before opening the door.


    While I was inwardly tilting my head at her mysterious behavior, the door was opened, and suddenly a golden object jumped into my chest.


    ¡°Oooh!¡±


    I tried to catch the object that jumped into my chest with an unintentional shout. However, before I could catch it, something tightened around my torso. This must be an arm. And the golden object that flew into my chest was probably a human head.


    ¡°Ellen, you startled me.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about that. You should embrace me too.¡±


    ¡°Oh, good grief¡­ okay, okay.¡±


    I hugged Ellen, who buried and rubbed her face against my chest and stroked her back. After doing so for a while, Sister Amalie clears her throat.


    ¡°Eleonora-sama, Kosuke-sama, I don¡¯t know when people will see you, so could you please stop right there? If you wish to continue, please do so only after entering the room.¡±


    ¡°¡­It can¡¯t be helped.¡±


    Ellen flinched, and I released my arms that were holding her back, and Ellen pulled herself away from me with an expressionless but somewhat regretful look on her face. I was, as a matter of fact, feeling pretty out of sorts because my motives had become so intense. I was surprised when she suddenly hugged me, but I couldn¡¯t seem to stay normal when I touched Ellen. What in the world is this?


    I entered the room as calmly as possible and found myself in an office-like room. The room was quite spacious, with a massive desk in front of it, a rather luxurious reception set to the left, and a door behind it. There seems to be another room on the other side.


    There are not many furnishings, or rather none at all. There are some unnatural gaps as if something that was originally there has been moved somewhere else.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°No, I just thought it was neat for its size.¡±


    ¡°Of course it is. This was originally the office of the white pig bastard who calls himself a bishop. It was so overgrown with grotesque furnishings that we had to get rid of it.¡±


    ¡°Eleonora-sama, your language is a bit dirty.¡±


    ¡°I beg your pardon, but I have spent many frustrating days with so much bad taste in furnishings.¡±


    Ellen walked toward the reception set with a blank expression on her face and sat down on a comfortable-looking sofa. Then she patted herself next to her, but I sat down on the opposite side.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you sit over here?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯ve got something to give you now, and it would be easier to do it face to face.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about that kind of position.¡±


    Ellen, who keeps knocking on the seat next to her, is overcome with patience and gets up from her seat and moves to sit next to me. Ellen then leaned over to me with a somewhat satisfied look on her face and began to rub her cheek against my right arm. Are you a cat or something?


    ¡°Can I go now?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°As I thought¡­ it¡¯s okay, though, because you¡¯re cute.¡±


    After I let her do what she wanted for a while, she was satisfied with gripping me, and now she started using my lap as a pillow. I had no choice but to gently stroke her head, being careful not to mess up her golden hair.


    ¡°You look so spoiled¡­ is that the kind of character you are?¡± [T/n: He said kyara here, kyara = character.]


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that ¡°Kyara¡± you were talking about, but since you left, I have been waiting to meet you again. Each moment seems like an eternity to me. I think God will forgive me for this.¡±


    Ellen turns over on the sofa and stares into my eyes with her crimson eyes. If it weren¡¯t so public, I would have loved to kiss her, but I couldn¡¯t let that happen. It¡¯s a big problem for both of us. Maybe it¡¯s too late for that.


    ¡°Saint-sama, please do not go any further.¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped¡­ now that I¡¯ve had a little satisfaction, let¡¯s get down to business.¡±


    ¡°I like that mood of yours, Ellen, yes.¡±


    Ellen, who tries to be pompous to no end, is somewhat comforting to watch. When Ellen stopped lying on my lap and raised herself up, I smelled a soft and pleasant fragrance. I was strangely thrilled. What is this?


    ¡°Well, for now, I¡¯d like to talk about something that we¡¯ve been talking about for a while now¡­¡±


    I glanced at Amalie-san.


    ¡°What is it? Are you making eyes at Amalie? In front of me?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that. I just wasn¡¯t sure if it was okay to talk in front of Amalie-san.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. I¡¯ve already told Amalie everything that happened.¡±


    ¡°Is that so¡­? Then¡­ here¡¯s the stuff.¡±


    Saying this, I took from my inventory and placed on the reception room table an original, a manuscript, and a translation of an Adol scripture from the time of the Omit Kingdom. Amalie-san seemed surprised because it was the first time for her to see my ability.


    ¡°I see; these two books are of old make, as you can see. Only the making.¡±


    ¡°Since it was kept in the underground archives under the preservation magic. This is the original, this is the manuscript, and this is the translation that I translated, and Isla scribbled. I¡¯m sure there are no mistakes in the translation, but I think it¡¯s better to do some research and translation there as well. There are sticky notes between the translation and the manuscripts, where we have written the differences from the current Adol teaching, from what we can tell. You can check them against each other and refer to them.¡±


    ¡°I see. May I have a look at it?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    When I said this, Ellen picked up the original and began skimming through its contents. I wondered if she could read the script of the Omit Kingdom.


    ¡°Can you read it?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s part of our job to read the scriptures. Hmm, the phrases and such are still a bit old¡­ I see.¡±


    As she flipped through the pages, Ellen¡¯s red eyes narrowed as if she had found a section that contained a different description from what the mainstream advocates today. It seems that she is intensively checking the parts of the current scriptures that suggest the exclusion of subhumans.


    ¡°Amalie, please inspect the contents of that manuscript as well.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Amalie-san sat down opposite Ellen and me and, with a careful hand, began to check the contents of the scripture manuscript in her hand. Eventually, she reached the description in question and slightly wrinkled her brow.


    ¡°What¡¯s it like for you as an expert?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m still convinced that the current mainstream claims result from falsification.¡±


    ¡°Do you have any concerns about the authenticity of the scripture, or evidence that it is authentic, or anything like that?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that will be a problem. The original was issued by a cathedral in the then-famous Omit Kingdom, and the seal seems to be legitimate. However, if we were to hand it over to the mainstream, they would probably suppress it.¡±


    ¡°What are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°We need to think of a way to make it work, but that¡¯s our job, so you can leave it to us. Regardless, this scripture will be a powerful weapon that will cause a major crack in the mainstream¡¯s argument. It may even be the move that gets that obnoxious bastard Pope and the Cardinal Pigs on the firing line.¡±


    Ellen¡¯s crimson eyes cloud over, letting out an eerie laugh. Amalie-san smiled wryly at the situation, but she didn¡¯t seem to be paying attention. She used to warn her about such comments, but it seems that she has reached a point where she feels something about it.


    ¡°These three books will be kept in strictest confidence.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like you to do that. And don¡¯t let it ever get stolen.¡±


    ¡°Of course. Only I and Amalie know that this is here, so it should be fine. If no one knows it exists, it cannot be searched or stolen.¡±


    With that, Ellen put the scripture on the table and looked at me.


    ¡°Now that the scripture thing settled, what¡¯s next is four days from now?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re talking about your boss coming over.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I would like you to meet with¡­¡±


    In the middle of her words, a thump-thump sound came from the door, a very rough knocking sound for a knock.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Ellen tilted her head, and Amalie-san quickly got up from her seat and headed for the door. As the extra person¡¯s eyes seemed to be on me, I quickly got up, stowed the scripture in my inventory, and moved to the seat opposite Ellen.


    ¡°How can I help you? Our saint is in a meeting with a guest right now.¡±


    ¡°A messenger has arrived from Her Eminence the Archbishop and her delegation, who are on their way here.¡±


    ¡°A messenger¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yes, may I escort him this way?¡±


    Amalie-san gave Ellen a look. Ellen thought about something for just a moment and then nodded.


    ¡°Please let him through.¡±


    I don¡¯t know what is going on, but something seems to have happened with Ellen¡¯s boss, who is heading this way. I have a bad feeling about this timing¡­ or something.

 CH 181

    Chapter 181 ¨C Messenger


    A knocking sound can be heard from the door.


    ¡°Please come in.¡±


    An extremely calm voice was heard from overhead. It was Ellen¡¯s voice.


    Eh? Where am I, you ask? I¡¯m under the desk in the inner office! I thought Ellen was going to hide me in a back room, but for some reason, she shoved me under her desk and took her own seat at the same desk.


    Therefore, in front of me now were not Ellen¡¯s fascinating raw legs¡­ but the lower half of her body wrapped in a saintly robe.


    ¡°Excuse me! I come with urgent news by order of Her Eminence Archbishop Deckard!¡±


    ¡°Thank you very much. So, what¡¯s the urgent news?¡±


    ¡°Yes, an expeditionary force has been sent from the home country to conquer the rebel army that has been roaming around the Merinard Kingdom. The number is about 20,000.¡±


    ¡°20,000¡­¡±


    Oh, 20,000¡­ I don¡¯t know if that number includes the Transportation Corps or not, but it¡¯s a huge number. Even though the Holy Kingdom is a big country, can it allocate such a large number of troops to us so easily? How is the war with the empire going?


    ¡°The details are in this letter. Also, there is a word that Her Eminence, the Archbishop, has asked me to be sure to pass on to you.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Her Eminence the Archbishop, said to be prepared.¡±


    ¡°Be prepared¡­¡±


    Ellen muttered, and I heard a dry rustling sound as she began to check the contents of the letter. Did Ellen go to the trouble of shoving me under the office desk so that I could hear this as well?`


    But what the hell does it mean to be prepared? Well, if 20,000 soldiers are coming, there are a lot of things that need to be prepared. A place to stay, drinking water, food, and sanitary conditions that could be fatal if an epidemic broke out. I mean, is there enough room in Merinesburg to suddenly support 20,000 soldiers?


    I¡¯m curious to see what¡¯s in the letter.


    ¡°¡­I see. I have indeed received the letter from Her Eminence the Archbishop. I hope you are well-rested.¡±


    ¡°Yes, thank you very much. But I would like to return to the lord as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°I see. Then please ask Sister Amalie if there is anything you need. And¡­¡±


    Ellen was silent, or so I thought, and then she rose from her seat and was silent for a few moments. What is she doing? As I tilted my head, Ellen¡¯s leg, or rather her robe, in front of me gradually began to glow with a bright light. What light!


    ¡°It was a miracle of activation. You seemed tired.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ It is an honor to receive a miracle directly from Saint-sama!¡±


    Such an exchange took place overhead as the light subsided. I see, so now the light is a visual effect of using a miracle or something. It¡¯s quite conspicuous. If it were done in the middle of the night, wouldn¡¯t it give away your location?


    ¡°Yes. Please tell Her Eminence the Archbishop that we have taken care of everything. And thank you.¡±


    ¡°I understand. Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me!¡±


    Footsteps and the sound of a door opening and closing were heard. Apparently, the messenger had left. However, Ellen showed no sign of moving from her seat at her desk. Um, I can¡¯t get out? I poked Ellen in the knee area, and she took a half step back. So I can¡¯t get out, right?


    I looked up from the space between the slightly empty office desk and its seat and saw Ellen¡¯s crimson eyes fixed intently on me.


    ¡°I thought you might be a little more eager to enjoy my nether regions?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have that kind of fetishism. I mean, it¡¯s hidden in your robe, and there¡¯s nothing to enjoy¡­¡±


    ¡°Does that mean you want to do this?¡±


    Ellen gradually pulls up her robe and begins to reveal her raw legs. Oh, they¡¯re white, thin legs¡­ that¡¯s not what I meant.


    ¡°Stop it. It would be unladylike.¡±


    I grab the gradually rising hem with both hands and pull it down. It was close.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m not going to win against the Elf Princess unless I do this.¡±


    ¡°Such things are not something to be rushed. It should be natural, just natural. It¡¯s not about winning or losing.¡±


    Having said that, I was easily seduced and whisked away by Sylphy and the others. In other words, I am weak against temptation. I am aware of it. I¡¯m learning, yes.


    Ellen finally backs away, and I crawl out from under the desk in the inner office. Phew, I feel liberated.


    ¡°But 20,000? That¡¯s a hell of a number¡­ As expected of a big country.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is. I guess that means the home country is getting serious and starting to act to get rid of anyone who gets in its way.¡±


    Ellen then picked up a letter that was on her office desk and handed it to me. You mean I can read it, right? Let¡¯s see.


    ¡°¡­Eh?¡±


    The contents of the letter were unbelievable.


    ¡°Is this for real?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately.¡±


    Ellen shrugged her shoulders in reply to my words.


    The letter was written in a rather difficult and elegant language, but in summary, it said, ¡°The aim of the expeditionary force is not only to conquer the liberation army but also to dispose of Ellen, the saint of truth, as a witch.¡± I¡¯m a little confused as to the meaning.


    ¡°What happened to make this happen?¡±


    ¡°I suppose it means that while I have been away from the Central, the garbage I have so far disqualified with this ¡®eye¡¯ of mine has regained power. It is lamentable.¡±


    Ellen lets out a deep sigh. How could such a thing happen?


    ¡°It would be along the lines of, ¡°They¡¯ve decided that I¡¯m a witch and all the crimes exposed by my ¡®eye¡¯ were orchestrated by me, or something like that.¡± That¡¯s what they would do.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that too absurd? You don¡¯t mean to tell them that you just saw the truth with those eyes and denounced them, do you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course. With these eyes, it¡¯s easy to ask them where to find any kind of evidence. When we held those hearings, we heard everything that was said, and we also got the physical evidence.¡±


    ¡°You turned it upside down¡­ What can I say? I¡¯m speechless.¡±


    I¡¯m tempted to complain about the nostalgia faction who easily regains power in the mainstream just by missing Ellen, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s right for me to say such things irresponsibly, not knowing the inner workings of the group. In other words, the power of the nostalgia faction in Adol religion is so small that it can¡¯t even prevent the mainstream from making such an unreasonable claim.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it dangerous to stay in the castle?¡±


    The mainstream has already identified Ellen as a witch and sent an expeditionary force. The expeditionary force will arrive later than Ellen¡¯s boss, Her Eminence the Archbishop, but even if Her Eminence the Archbishop arrives here in Merinesburg, she will not be able to stop the Holy Kingdom¡¯s expeditionary force once it starts to move. If Ellen continues to stay in this castle, she will be sent to the firing squad as soon as the expeditionary force arrives in Merinesburg.


    It is no longer a matter of falsifying the doctrines of the mainstream and spreading the correct doctrines and stirring up the Holy Kingdoms ©¤ or Adol religion ©¤ by pointing this out. If this continues, Ellen will be eliminated, and it will only be a matter of time before the nostalgia faction that had Ellen as its standard-bearer will also be eliminated as heretics as well.


    ¡°I agree. If things continue as they are, I have less than a month left to live. I will be captured, tortured, forced to ¡®confess¡¯ to all my crimes, and burned on the pyre.¡±


    Ellen turned her back to me and looked out her office window. Is the sky where her gaze is directed? Before I knew it, a shroud of black clouds had appeared in the sky. It looks like a shower is coming.


    ¡°I won¡¯t let that happen. I¡¯d rather take Ellen than let that happen to you.¡±


    ¡°And then you will take me in handcuffs and make me your own?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I will. And together with the Liberation Army, we will destroy the Holy Kingdom Army. By any means necessary.¡±


    ¡°Twenty thousand people? You want to kill that many innocent people?¡±


    ¡°If necessary, I will. For me, the life of Ellen alone is more important than the lives of 20,000 men of the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army, whose faces I don¡¯t even know. Or rather, I would have to fight them even if Ellen wasn¡¯t involved.¡±


    And it is an army to conquer the Liberation Army in the first place. In any case, it is a given that we will have to cross swords with them.


    ¡°In other words, is it an afterthought?¡±


    ¡°In the big picture, yes, I suppose so. But it¡¯s important to me.¡±


    ¡°I see. Yes, that¡¯s right. I may be called a saint, but I am still just a little girl with a little special power.¡±


    ¡°Maybe so. But I think we can reduce the number of deaths.¡±


    ¡°Right. Certainly, with my miraculous powers, I could save some lives, maybe dozens.¡±


    Ellen turned around to face me and nodded her head in agreement. No, not like that.


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t mean it like that. If Ellen and Her Eminence the Archbishop, and the others openly give their support to the Liberation Army, then the Holy Kingdom and the Liberation Army can try to have a dialogue. No matter how weak the power of the nostalgia faction is in the Holy Kingdom, even the nostalgia faction would have various contacts, wouldn¡¯t they? Not only within the Holy King¡¯s own country but also to other countries.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ yes, I believe the names of myself and Archbishop Deckard are known to some extent in other countries.¡±


    ¡°I think the Liberation Army would love to have such contacts and connections. If we can reach out to other countries and make peace, there will be fewer deaths as a result.¡±


    ¡°Is that so¡­?¡±


    Ellen mutters this with a blank expression but with a somber atmosphere. This is the thing, isn¡¯t it? Everything she has done has been turned upside down, and she¡¯s quite depressed. Her reply was somewhat absentminded: ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°I see¡± ¡°So that¡¯s it.¡±


    ¡°When you¡¯re feeling down, something sweet is good for you. Come on, come on, let¡¯s relax a little on the parlor set over there.¡±


    I push Ellen, who is looking down and depressed, and lead her to the parlor set couch to sit down, and then I pull out Ellen¡¯s favorite pastry from my inventory, too. It was a fluffy pancake with whipped cream, strawberries, and strawberry jam on top.


    ¡°Here, ahhh.¡±


    Using a knife and fork, I cut the pancake into bite-sized pieces and brought them to Ellen¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°Mmm¡­ It¡¯s delicious.¡±


    Ellen¡¯s red eyes gradually returned to life as I brought the pancakes to her mouth a few times.


    ¡°I would like a drink.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes.¡±


    I take a ceramic cup of milk from my inventory and hand it to her. What milk, you ask? I will remain silent. Anything is good as long as it tastes good.


    Ellen took the cup from my hand, slurped it down, and drank the milk.


    ¡°The milk is delicious, isn¡¯t it? You made me drink it before too.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, the environment is better over there. The quality will be better.¡±


    The rear base where this milk originates is less stressful because it is fully equipped with food, clothing, and shelter, is far from the front lines and is not attacked by monsters.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s true for Ellen, but don¡¯t do anything rash. If push comes to shove, I¡¯ll kidnap you and run away.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Then I will be kidnapped like an adult.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s do that. Now it¡¯s just a matter of how it works¡­¡±


    I can¡¯t come up with an appropriate countermeasure in my head, but I think it would be better for the Liberation Army to seize Merinesburg before the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army arrives, considering what will happen later. This city is large and well defended by multiple layers of walls. Above all, our Achilles¡¯ heel could be Sylphy¡¯s family ¨D the royal family ¨D sleeping in the frozen section of this castle.


    No, Sylphy would probably choose to fight even if her family was taken hostage¡­ I don¡¯t want her to make that decision. I still think we should let the troops advance to Merinesburg. The problem is the march¡­ Can we make it here before the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army arrives while taking control of the forts along the way? Even if we take only Merinesburg, if they cut off our supply with the rear and isolate us¡­ we will be fine with me, won¡¯t we? It might be more effective to keep the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army bleeding while holed up in Merinesburg. It might also be possible to continue attacking the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army surrounding Merinesburg from the direction of Erichburg.


    Mass produce airboards and form a fast maneuver force and quickly occupy Merinesburg, ignoring towns and forts along the way. Meanwhile, the main force marches forward, capturing the towns and forts that the high-speed maneuver force has ignored. The fast maneuver force that occupied Merinesburg extracts a portion of the fast maneuver force and intermittently raids the advancing Holy Kingdom forces, delaying their invasion and forcing them to bleed out. If the main force reaches Merinesburg before the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army does, it will hold the city and fortify it; if it fails to reach Merinesburg in time, the main force will attack the hinterland of the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army while the mobile units ahead of it hold fast in Merinesburg. Hmm¡­ could that work?


    Air bombardment by the Harpy Air Force, maneuver attacks by pickup airboards with machine guns attached to airboards that are faster than horses, and defense using golem-style ballistas and goatsfoot crossbows: if we can use these effectively, it does not seem difficult to repel the 20,000-strong Holy Kingdom army. And if the need arises, we can also use the magic sparkling stone bomb as a trump card.


    ¡°I sense a hint of evil.¡±


    ¡°I beg your pardon. I was just thinking about our strategy against the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army.¡±


    The content of the plan is something that could kill the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army mercilessly and unilaterally, though. As expected of a saint, she has a keen intuition.


    ¡°Well, I think we can manage about 20,000, so don¡¯t worry too much.¡±


    ¡°I envy you your confidence in asserting that you can manage against an army of 20,000 men. Are there flowers blooming in your head?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re getting back into the swing of things. Keep it up, keep it up.¡±


    I pat Ellen¡¯s head, which is regaining her usual sharpness, while I continue to think about tactics against the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army.


    Well, my tactics will probably be full of holes, so I¡¯ll need to have Sylphy and the others consider them. Then, I would need to contact them and explain the situation to them.


    I thought of that, and in order to contact Sylphy and the others, I first drifted my eyes around the room to look for Lime and the others who might be lurking somewhere in the room.

 CH 182

    Chapter 182 ¨C Urgent Talk


    ¡°You wanted to see me-nodesu?¡±


    As I drifted my gaze around the room, trying to get in touch with Lime and the others, Poizo, perhaps sensing this, sprang up from the wall. Dripping.


    ¡°Is Poizo in charge of the escort today?¡±


    ¡°Yes. We take turns for a day.¡±


    Green Slime seeping out of the wall takes on a human form. Though it is a humanoid, it is not constituted from the mid-thigh down.


    ¡°I need to get in touch with Sylphy and the others as soon as possible. Can you do it?¡±


    ¡°I can do it-nodesu. But isn¡¯t it dangerous here-nodesu?¡±


    Poizo then turned her gaze to the door of the office. Certainly, it would be a bad idea for Poizo to be seen just by opening one door. It would be possible to relay the message even if she was not visible, but in any case, there is nothing good about having an unrelated person see us communicating with Sylphy and the others.


    ¡°Shall we use the back room?¡±


    ¡°The back room. Oh, that door.¡±


    I turn my gaze to the door on the far wall of the space where the reception set is located. I wondered what kind of room it was, but it was a room for secret talks. I see.


    ¡°Shall we go then?¡±


    ¡°Oh. You too, Poizo.¡±


    ¡°Yes-nanodesu.¡±


    We headed for the back room door together. Ellen stood first and unlocked the door with a key of some luxurious construction. That¡¯s a mysterious level of security.


    Ellen opened the door for us, and we went in first.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    The room appeared to be a bedroom. The window was small and was attached to a high wall, so it seemed dim even though it was daytime. The walls seemed to be thick. The most conspicuous feature of the room was the large bed. It was truly a king-size bed. And what¡¯s this smell¡­? It¡¯s a subtle aroma that seems to permeate the room.


    ¡°Hey, Ellen.¡±


    The sound of the door being locked sounded exceptionally loud. In the dimly lit room, Ellen¡¯s crimson eyes sparkled bewitchingly.


    ¡°H-hey?¡±


    Ellen walked toward me at a brisk pace, emitting an unusual presence. Ellen walks right in front of me and pushes me away.


    ¡°¡­Why didn¡¯t you fall down?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not so bean sprouted as to be pushed down by Ellen¡¯s slender arms, no matter how much you try to push me down.¡±


    Not to mention that I am now also wearing Wyvern leather armor. Wyvern leather is supple, strong, and shock absorbent. I was also prepared for the push, which is why I could withstand it.


    ¡°I thought that was the part where you were supposed to be pushed.¡±


    ¡°No, no, no, no. What are you going to do if you push me away?¡±


    ¡°I was just teasing you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t do it. I mean, it¡¯s the other way around. Why do girls in this world try to push me down? Isn¡¯t something funny? Isn¡¯t it usually the guy who pushes you down?¡±


    ¡°Is that the way things are back home? Then, by all means.¡±


    ¡°No, don¡¯t by all means me. This is not the time for this.¡±


    I poke Ellen hard on her forehead, with her back to the bed and her arms outstretched, and make her sit on the bed. If the situation weren¡¯t what it is, I would have jumped on it, but I really don¡¯t have time for that right now.


    ¡°What a coward.¡±


    ¡°Hey.


    ¡°Coward.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t provoke me. There is an order to things¡­ or something. I have much more experience in that area than you. If you provoke me too much, that¡¯s already a terrible thing, so it¡¯s better for you if you don¡¯t do that.¡±


    ¡°¡­Mmm.¡±


    Ellen¡¯s cheeks puffed out. She was already looking dissatisfied.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s not nice to insinuate a relationship with another woman at a time like this. You pu**y eater.¡±


    ¡°Saint-sama¡­ your language is dirty.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s so rude of me.¡±


    Where did you learn those words! There really is something off about Ellen. I wonder if she is receiving not only oracles but also suspicious radio waves.


    ¡°Are you done-nodesu? If you want, I can leave you alone for an hour or two, you know-nodesu?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so considerate.¡±


    ¡°Now I can also give Kosuke a nice little medication that will blow his rationale out of the water-nodesu.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s interesting. But I still want my first time to be gentle.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s difficult-nodesu. It¡¯s hard to do because he¡¯s already a full-blooded beast himself. If you want, I can prescribe the same thing for you-nodesu.¡±


    ¡°Hey, stop it, you idiot. Stop joking around.¡±


    I force myself to stop the horrible conversation. If I don¡¯t do something, Ellen and my chastity will be violated by the diabolical poison slime.


    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped-nodesu. But it would be a pity to make her wait too long, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°I know. I¡¯m restraining myself on that, so guess what?¡±


    ¡°I understand-nodesu. Then please wait a moment while I link up the communication.¡±


    With that, Poizo began to drift her gaze in the air. Suddenly, my eyes meet Ellen, who is sitting on her bed.


    ¡°What is it¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you restraining yourself?¡±


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s right. There¡¯s a position, you know. Right?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes, I know. I have a feeling we¡¯ll be resolving that issue soon, though.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if it will work out that way. As far as I¡¯m concerned, that¡¯s fine.¡±


    Suddenly a familiar voice came from Poizo. It was definitely Sylphy¡¯s voice.


    ¡°You don¡¯t mind?¡±


    ¡°No problem. One or two more people won¡¯t matter. If there were ten more, Kosuke wouldn¡¯t be able to handle them, so I¡¯d urge him to be more careful.¡±


    ¡°Please stop; you¡¯ll kill me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not easy being the master of a harem, is it?¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re literally all by yourself. Now, it¡¯s fun to keep talking about these things, but let¡¯s get down to business, shall we?¡±


    Sylphy urged me to talk. Yes, it¡¯s not a story with much time to spare. Let¡¯s talk quickly.


    ¡°Oh, I was able to hand over the scriptures without any problem for the time being, but I received urgent news from Ellen¡¯s boss. It seems that the Holy Kingdom has sent an army of 20,000 troops toward the Merinard Kingdom to mop up the Liberation Army.¡±


    ¡°Twenty thousand¡­ same as twenty years ago. Probably accompanied by a troop of tiger mages.¡±


    ¡°Twenty years ago¡­ It seems like a lot can change in 20 years.¡±


    Twenty years is the equivalent of one or even two generations in the human lifespan. The Holy Kingdom has been in a fierce struggle with the Empire, and it is possible that it has made more powerful strides militarily than it did 20 years ago.


    ¡°I am not too familiar with military affairs, but I hear that the Holy Kingdom¡¯s mage units are still playing a trump card on the battlefield. Also, the Holy Knights are the ones to watch out for above all else.¡±


    ¡°Holy Knights¡­ you mean the knights made up of magic users?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It is a group of knights with combat abilities unmatched by ordinary soldiers and knights. Their swords can cut enemy soldiers in half with their armor, and they can cut down enemy mages with no regard for their enemies¡¯ magical attacks.¡±


    ¡°¡­I hear they¡¯re a group that¡¯s been making headway for a few years or so.¡±


    Sylphy¡¯s voice, which I heard via Poizo, was somewhat dark and blended with a dark atmosphere. I tilted my head inwardly, not understanding why.


    ¡°Yes. The first time I heard of it, it was a small group of elite people, but now they are expanding their scale greatly. I am sure they are participating in this expedition.¡±


    ¡°Those holy knights are probably from noble or holy clergy families.¡±


    ¡°¡­? Yes, it seems so. So what?¡±


    ¡°There are few Elves left in Merinard today. Other subhumans have been reduced in number to a greater or lesser extent over the past twenty years, but there are hardly any Elves left. And in the roughly 20 years since Merinard was defeated, the number of people with magical powers has increased in the Holy Kingdoms. Now that I¡¯ve said all this, I don¡¯t need to say much more, do I?¡±


    ¡°Is that¡­ such a thing?¡±


    Ellen seemed shocked by Sylphy¡¯s words. I was not so shocked because I had heard Sylphy hint at such a thing beforehand. But for Ellen, it seemed to be a shocking story.


    ¡°I can¡¯t say for sure because I didn¡¯t actually see it with my own eyes. But I can¡¯t say that there is no connection at all. We have to fight against them¡­ Well, that¡¯s fine. It¡¯s not something we can do anything about now. It¡¯s about how we move forward, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Right, so here¡¯s what I¡¯m thinking¡­¡±


    I told Sylphy about the tactics I had just thought up against the Holy Kingdom Army. In short, a high-speed maneuver force would be organized separately from the regular force, and the high-speed maneuver force would use its maneuverability to ignore key points along the way and occupy Merinesburg, the Holy Kingdom¡¯s main stronghold within the Merinard Kingdom.


    By first capturing Merinesburg, which is an important base for commanding the Holy Kingdom¡¯s forces within the Merinard Kingdom, the command structure of the Holy Kingdom¡¯s forces within the Merinard Kingdom will be destroyed so that they cannot coordinate with each other. The Holy Kingdom forces within the Kingdom of Merinard may attempt to retake Merinesburg, but if I repair the walls of Merinesburg and devote myself to an interceptive battle, Merinesburg will not fall in the first place. We can stay holed up and bombard the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army surrounding Merinesburg with the Harpy Air Force for a long time.


    And if there is a move to recapture Merinesburg, it will make it easier for the regular forces to capture key positions along the way. After all, that¡¯s how much force will be dispersed. The main force would just have to trample down the key points that have been thinned out.


    ¡°In order to carry out this plan, Ellen¡¯s cooperation will be indispensable.¡±


    ¡°There is not much I can do. I think I can only do so much as surrender early.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. We¡¯ll take care of the mainstream ones. That will ultimately protect you and Kosuke, so leave no stone unturned.¡±


    ¡°¡­I understand. However, we will not tolerate any unprovoked acts against innocent people. Please keep that in mind.¡±


    ¡°Of course. We do not intend to persecute people simply because they are human. The Merinard Kingdom was originally formed hand in hand between humans and subhumans.¡±


    ¡°¡­I would like to see as few sacrifices made as possible. That¡¯s all.¡±


    I don¡¯t know how to describe the incompatibility between these two, or the tense atmosphere that comes with it. Well, it may be inevitable when one is a former princess whose hometown was taken away from her, and the other is the saint of the country that took that hometown away from her.


    ¡°I have to admit that it pains me to bring Ellen into the mix. Should we just go ahead and kidnap her and use Ellen as a shield to force them to surrender?¡±


    ¡°That would be a bad idea. There would be a tremendous backlash from the Adol believers if we kidnapped a saint.¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s not good?¡±


    ¡°Not good.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind being kidnapped. If I don¡¯t, I¡¯ll be burned at the stake by apostates who call themselves the mainstream.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s possible that eventually, that will be necessary, but that¡¯s not now. I want Eleonora to take control of the people of Merinesburg. What I¡¯m more concerned about is how long it will take for those 20,000 men to arrive.¡±


    ¡°It certainly is. It¡¯s easier to schedule things if you know the time limit.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think we have that much time, considering that my boss sent the messenger after being informed that there are only five days to go to Merinesburg. Perhaps they are already close to the border between the Merinard Kingdom and the Holy Kingdom.¡±


    ¡°If they did reach the border between the Merinard Kingdom and the Holy Kingdom, how long would it take them to get to Merinesburg from there?¡±


    ¡°The march of 20,000 people will not be very fast. If they can advance half a day on foot in a day, it will be good enough. But that is in enemy territory. In the Holy Kingdom, there would be no need to worry about supplies, and even after entering the Merinard Kingdom, they would not have as much trouble getting supplies as they would in hostile territory. It takes about ten days on foot from Merinesburg to the border. Two weeks at the most, if there is room to spare. Let¡¯s send Harpy out on a reconnaissance mission with a golem communicator.¡±


    ¡°I think that would be a good idea. Just make sure to take the utmost precautions for safety, okay?¡±


    ¡°Of course. I will order them to put their own lives above all else. Kosuke will come back, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I have to go back and get things ready. I¡¯ll leave as early as today.¡±


    ¡°I understand. Be careful on your way back. We¡¯ll discuss the details when you get back here.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Anything from Ellen?¡±


    Ellen shook her head when I asked her that.


    ¡°Nothing in particular. Then I¡¯ll be back tomorrow at the latest.¡±


    ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll be waiting for you.¡±


    ¡°¡­The communication was cut off-nodesu.¡±


    Poizo, who had been acting as a relay until now, shuddered as she said so.


    Well, I¡¯ve got a lot to think about¡­ There¡¯s so much to do and think about that I¡¯m afraid I will lose my head. First of all, I think I need to do something about the saint lady who is looking gloomy in front of me.

 CH 183

    Chapter 183 ¨C Pursuer


    ¡°Shocked?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the way it is¡­ I have a strong feeling that it¡¯s horrifying.¡±


    Then Ellen sighed deeply. In order to increase the number of children with magical powers, they have made the Merinard Kingdom, which has many Elves, into a vassal state, and have captured the Elves against their will and forced them to have children. When it was suggested that this was likely to be the case, Ellen¡¯s expression was dark¡­ or rather pale.


    ¡°Do they not have a human heart to engage in such horrific acts in order to gain power¡­? Those who were kidnapped must have had families and loved ones.¡±


    ¡°From the mainstream¡¯s point of view, I guess that means anything that isn¡¯t human is livestock that should serve humans. Maybe they think livestock don¡¯t have gods.¡±


    Ellen is immensely surprised at my words. I guess she didn¡¯t want to think that there was that much of a gap in ethics between believers of the same Adol religion, even though they belong to different factions, the mainstream and the nostalgic.


    ¡°I thought that¡¯s how the Adol believers thought after hearing stories from the people who actually suffered various persecutions in the Merinard Kingdom under the rule of the Holy Kingdom. That was before I met Ellen and learned of the nostalgic faction.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ after all, and then we must be deeply resented by the subhuman¡­¡±


    ¡°That might be true. Did I tell you? When I first entered the village of the Elves of the Black Forest, dozens of subhumans surrounded me and almost beat me to a pulp just because I was human. They hated me so much that they thought that humans = Adol believers = enemies who deserved to be surrounded and tortured to death.¡±


    Ellen exclaims again. When people talk about how much they hate and resent you, that¡¯s what happens. But even if I don¡¯t tell her, she will find out sooner or later, and I think it¡¯s not a bad idea to let her know early on.


    ¡°Well, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll take care of it.¡±


    ¡°¡­Will it be okay?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry; I can handle it. Leave it to me. I was able to gain understanding from a situation where I was lynched by a group of people. There¡¯s always a way to get out of it.¡±


    If we can openly cooperate with the nostalgic faction, in this case, we will be able to create a more or less receptive ground for the nostalgic people. We also have a common enemy in the form of the Adol mainstream and the Holy Kingdoms. If there is a common enemy outside, joining hands should not be too difficult. Maybe.


    ¡°For the time being, Ellen just needs to take proper care of herself. However, there is a possibility that many people will be injured, so it would be better to take countermeasures against that. It might be a good idea to arrange for medical supplies and also to arrange for preserved food.¡±


    ¡°I understand. Are you leaving already?¡±


    Ellen turns her anxious eyes on me. Don¡¯t look at me like that; it¡¯s going to be hard for me to leave you behind, so don¡¯t do it¡­


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve got to go. The sooner I move, the better chance we have of reducing human deaths.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    Ellen, who is a bit dejected, is almost too cute to wriggle, but I¡¯m going to be a heartless devil here and start to work on Ellen, who is still sitting on the bed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave now.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    Ellen takes my hand and stands up. Then she hugs me just like that.


    ¡°This is about as good as it gets, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­Just a little bit. It¡¯s hard when you can¡¯t hold back. There¡¯s a gallery out there.¡±


    I say this and catch a glimpse of Poizo grinning in the corner of the room. I hurriedly ran out of the bedroom with Ellen, who was still in my arms, as Poizo began to make bubbles made of some kind of suspicious pink gas. That was a definite bonus, that one.


    ¡°Poizo, make sure you take care of that monstrous gas.¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. It¡¯s okay if you just bang her fast, don¡¯t you think-nodesu?¡±


    ¡°A girl shouldn¡¯t talk about that.¡±


    I keep Poizo in check with a snap as she squeezes out of the doorway. Poizo is still the most dangerous of the three. She¡¯s toxic in every sense of the word.


    ¡°I¡¯m an amateur when it comes to military tactics. Ellen, please stay in close contact with Sylphy and the others and keep things moving.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you soon. Take good care of yourself. Poizo, too, make sure you fulfill your guard duty.¡±


    ¡°I understand-nodesu. Be sure to tell Beth and Lime as well-nodesu.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do just that. See you¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes. ¡­See you.¡±


    So I left Ellen¡¯s office and was guided by another sister, not Amalie-san, to retrieve my equipment, and we walked out of the castle.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    Now that things have come to this point, there is not even a moment to slow down. If the enemy is already on the move, it is necessary to organize a task force, manufacture its equipment, and conduct minimal training as soon as possible. Strategies and tactics also need to be worked out as soon as possible.


    I can come up with a variety of ideas using what I can make, but the actual implementation of these ideas will definitely need to be brushed up by experts. I can handle maintenance and logistics by brute force with my abilities, but that is not the way an organization is supposed to operate. The lives of each and every soldier are at stake.


    Unfortunately, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to keep my promise to the guide boy who was hanging out near the gate.


    Once on the main street, I head straight for the gate, undergo a quick check, and head out of Merinesburg. The checks are loose for a mercenary-looking guy like me with only a few baggage items. They only checked my weapon to make sure I hadn¡¯t cut anyone.


    After walking along the road for a while, when I saw the forest I was looking for, I turned off the road and headed for the forest. There, I looked behind me and noticed something.


    I was being followed by a group of three.


    I wondered, was it because of the contact with Ellen? Or am I being targeted by pursuers simply because I¡¯m alone? If they say it¡¯s because of the contact with Ellen, they may be mainstream operatives.


    Now I am in trouble. What should I do?


    It probably won¡¯t be hard to disperse them. If I enter the forest and use strafe jumping to move at high speed, I¡¯m sure they won¡¯t be able to catch up with me. However, if I do that, I will have to chase and trample the plants and trees so much that if there is someone who is good at tracking, they might track me to the place where Lime and the others live.


    So, should I hide by crouching and sneaking around? There¡¯s a good chance I could get away with it, but it¡¯s not a sure thing. Maybe my constitution won¡¯t be caught by detection magic stuff, but there¡¯s a good chance they¡¯ll find me in a normal way.


    The most reliable way is to shoot them all up with my gun, store their bodies in my inventory, and use my ability to cover up all other evidence without leaving a trace¡­ Can I pull the trigger? I¡¯ve pulled the trigger on the Gizmas, Goblins, Kobolds, Wyverns, Ghouls, and Lich with no problem, but what about humans? I feel like I could go for it, but let¡¯s see. What should I do?


    As I headed into the forest, I wondered how I would deal with the mysterious pursuers.

 CH 184

    Chapter 184 ¨C Curiosity Killed The Cat


    ¡°Preemptive strike, annihilate them all, is the easiest way to do it¡­¡±


    It¡¯s very hard to believe that they are clearly following me and have zero intent to harm me, but it¡¯s a big problem if they had no intent to harm me. Even if that were the case, the problem itself would disappear if I just put all the dead bodies in my inventory, but I don¡¯t want to do that.


    Once in the forest, I run through the forest at high speed, using the sprint command action as well. I purposely don¡¯t use strafe jumps but leave a trail behind me. After advancing for a while, I came to a place where the forest had opened up a bit. I run through the open area, and at the place where I entered the forest again, I climb up to the top of the tree with a double jump using both my own jump and a command jump.


    ¡°I¡¯ve become a bit of an inhuman myself before I knew it¡­¡±


    I jump from tree to tree in the same manner, blurring, and moving around the open space I just plunged through and hid in a treetop that gives me a bird¡¯s eye view of the open space.


    ¡°Ta-da, silenced sniper rifle¡­¡±


    I pulled out of my inventory a silenced sniper rifle with a large suppressor covering most of the barrel. The effective range is only about 400 meters, but it is compact and uses specially developed large-caliber subsonic rounds that have an immensely effective silencing effect. It can be used with either 0-round or 20-round magazines. It is also easy to use and capable of full-automatic fire.


    Thanks to the improved accuracy of the Golem workbench, it is now possible to make guns with relatively advanced mechanisms such as this. Unfortunately, the cost is so high that mass production is absolutely impossible. The cost of bullets is not that different, though.


    Incidentally, it is known that polymer and rubber materials can be substituted with slime. Ever since I figured this out, I¡¯ve been diving into the sewers of Erichburg every so often to clean slime, fufufu¡­ And I can get gunpowder materials with it, too! I don¡¯t want to go there too often, but the slime material is very useful¡­ Could I share it with Lime and the others?


    So I sent the first round into the chamber of my silenced sniper rifle and waited for a while. Finally, the three men who seemed to have been tracking me appeared at the edge of an open area. Perhaps sensing that it was an obvious place for an ambush, the three men seemed to be on high alert. They did not come out to the open space easily.


    ¡°©¤©¤¡­I can¡¯t find©¤©¤¡­¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s kept like this¡­ we¡¯ll lose him©¤©¤¡­¡±


    They seem to be discussing something briefly, but I can¡¯t hear them very well. I¡¯m sure Sylphy and Melty can hear them. My ears aren¡¯t long, and I don¡¯t have animal ears either. So it can¡¯t be helped.


    In the end, they decided to track me rather than risk it and stepped cautiously into the kill zone I had set up. No, I¡¯m not going to make the kill. At least not yet.


    The target is within 50 meters, at a rough estimate. The ammunition used in this gun has a heavy warhead weight, and when sniping at long range, the drop of the warhead has to be taken into account, but at this distance, there is no need to worry about it.


    I looked through my optical scope and set my sights on the knees of the pursuers, all of whom seemed to be men. It must have been very painful, and if not treated properly, it would have been more serious than an arrow in the knee, but if they were not hostile, I think I can cure it with a potion and a splint, so please forgive me.


    I heard a very small ¡°toot¡± sound of firing and, at the same time, a cracking sound of the engine working. In the next instant, a red flower of blood bloomed around the knee of the pursuer who was walking at the rear.


    ¡°Gyiih!¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Suddenly, the two men in front look back at the anguished voices coming up from behind them. Yes, I had it.


    A small ¡°thud¡± sound was heard again, and a 16-gram lead bullet flew out of the gun¡¯s muzzle at a speed of about 300 meters per second, hitting the clean air of the forest and hitting the ground. It tore apart and landed on the thigh, a little above the second person¡¯s knee.


    The lead bullet that landed penetrated the leather armor with ease, tore through the outer skin and plunged into the muscle tissue, causing it to roll over in the flesh and tear the muscle tissue and blood vessels in the thigh to shreds, causing great damage.


    ¡°Gaaaah!¡±


    The second one also falls down, holding his leg as he struggles to stand. The last one seemed to understand that they were under attack, even though he had not yet grasped what was happening, and he lowered himself to an alert posture.


    But no. He was not aware of the existence of guns and could not take the option of getting down as quickly as he could. Even if he got down a little lower, it would be impossible for him to escape my sniper fire.


    Three small gunshots rang out, and the third man fell to the ground.


    ¡°¡­I shot them without hesitation.¡±


    Talking to myself, I watch the three fallen pursuers through my scope. The third one was a lucky shot, as he fell down but got back up again, so I shot him in the opposite leg.


    ¡°Aaaaahhhh!¡±


    They are screaming terribly. It must be painful. However, there is a possibility that there are others following behind, so I cannot just show myself right away. It might be an act to lure me out. Maybe they have a means of recovery, like a life potion I make and are waiting for me to approach them with it.


    I feel like I¡¯m doing something worse than killing them all at once, but it¡¯s also for my safety.


    After three minutes of waiting and no followers, I decided to show up, maybe a little early. I put my silenced sniper rifle away in my inventory, and I take up my short spear and shield.


    I approached the three men, stepping through the grass, and called out to them.


    ¡°Yo. I¡¯m going to ask you straight out, what were you pursuing me for?¡±


    They had already noticed my approaching presence. The man who was shot through the knee first looked up at me as he fell to the ground. The other two men also looked up at me while holding the spot where they had been shot. Their faces were distorted with pain. I thought I might have hit the artery in the thigh of the second guy, but apparently, it wasn¡¯t a fatal wound. No, maybe he used some kind of potion or restorative magic or something?


    ¡°You think you can do this to us and get away with it?¡±


    ¡°Oh, no, don¡¯t be like that. I said, ¡°Just be direct,¡± right? Well, I could tell by your reaction that at least you weren¡¯t trying to build a friendly relationship with me.¡±


    With that, I thrust my spear into the ground and pulled a handgun from my inventory, a .45 caliber with a magazine load of seven rounds. Do you like .45s, submachine guns, and handguns? Sorry, I¡¯m a .45 believer. It¡¯s a subsonic round, so the suppressor is very effective. It¡¯s great.


    ¡°So what? You think I¡¯m going to talk to you honestly?¡±


    ¡°No? There are three of you, and I¡¯d be willing to take one or two less.¡±


    With that, I pointed the muzzle of my gun at the shoulder of the man who was looking at me provocatively and pulled the trigger.


    With a popping sound, the approximately 15g warhead landed on the man¡¯s shoulder, tearing his skin and shattering his bones. The man, who had been hit by a large-caliber handgun bullet at close range, began to sprawl on the grassy area, screaming. To my own surprise, I was able to pull the trigger without hesitation. Perhaps something around the mass murderers of achievement has a special effect on my mentality.


    The other two turned pale as they looked at their friend, who had been shot in the shoulder and was sprawled out screaming.


    ¡°I ask you again, for what purpose have you been following me?¡±


    I say this quietly and point the gun¡¯s muzzle at the shin of the third person, who has shot both legs.


    ¡°I-I would never talk¡­ Gyaaahh¡±


    Bang, the sound bursts out. I purposely missed this time, but the guy went blank and passed out. I point the muzzle at the last man, the one who was shot in the thigh by me.


    ¡°What about you? You want to take another one just like it?¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯ll talk! I¡¯ll talk!¡±


    The third man twisted around as if to escape the gun¡¯s muzzle, holding his thigh where he had been shot. Fear was evident in his eyes. The fear of being wounded by unknown means must have completely taken over his mind.


    ¡°Then, let¡¯s hear what you have to say.¡±


    There is a possibility that he will lie, but if I take this guy to Lime and the others and let them handle it, they will be able to double-check. They¡¯ve said before that they could do that. I wonder if they are showier than slimes anymore. I wondered if they were really slimes, but then I came to the conclusion that the prototype for the existence of slimes was the Sh*ggoth, so I guess it¡¯s not that different.


    The man¡¯s story was interesting in its own way. The man told me that these guys were spies dispatched by the mainstream who suspected that Ellen was in cahoots with us, the Liberation Army.


    However, they are not really agents of the Adol mainstream but rather personnel dispatched by the outlaw group¡­ that exists in the Holy Kingdom, in other words, a guild of thieves.


    ¡°I see¡­ you guys also have a tough time, don¡¯t you?¡±


    It is just unfortunate that they tracked me, of all people, who is nothing but a bundle of secrets for the Liberation Army.


    Probably because I met Ellen with a letter of introduction in front of her in a dignified manner¡­ Well, it was bad luck. Now that they¡¯ve seen me and my gun, I can¡¯t let them leave alive. I had to use it to be safe.


    With the remaining bullets in my head, I stood up and looked sideways at the other two people I was talking to. Apparently, both of them were unconscious. I aimed at the forehead of one of them and pulled the trigger.


    With a bang, the unconscious man¡¯s body jumps up with a jerk. I see a hole in his forehead and a pool of blood on the ground, even though it is grassy. The second man, who had confessed everything to me, began to shake, his teeth clattering.


    Bang. The other man¡¯s body trembles. At the same time, I stowed the two bodies in my inventory. I¡¯ve heard that when conducting an interrogation, it is necessary to ask the same questions to several people to get consistency, but one person should be enough for a direct look at the contents of the brain. It would take a lot of effort for me to take two or three people by myself and bring them to Lime and the others.


    I pull a pair of metal handcuffs from my inventory and place them on the terrified survivor¡¯s hands.


    ¡°I¡¯ll heal your wounds. Now, come with me obediently.¡±


    ¡°I-I-I don¡¯t want to die; I don¡¯t want to die¡­¡±


    ¡°You do what I say, and I¡¯ll think about it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll just think about it, though, I mutter to myself as I pour a little of the life potion on the man¡¯s thigh and make him drink the rest. The wound on the man¡¯s thigh was completely healed in no time at all. The life potion still works like a charm.


    I stood the man up, put the spear that was still propped up on the ground, the pistol and shield in my hand in my inventory, and took out my submachine gun. I also retrieve the shell casings.


    ¡°Walk as I tell you. I still have questions for you.¡±


    ¡°H-hey! I¡¯ll tell you everything! Help me! Please!¡±


    ¡°Shut up and walk. Do you want to be like your friends and just disappear from the world?¡±


    ¡°H-hyii¡­¡±


    I kick the man¡¯s ass from behind and make him walk. It¡¯s depressing.


    But it¡¯s a little late for that now, after blowing up a thousand people with bombs. Or, more specifically, after I handed everyone weapons and let them fight the Holy Kingdom at gunpoint. Nothing like getting my hands dirty firsthand. Yeah, it¡¯s no big deal.


    I told myself as I kicked the guy¡¯s ass and headed for Lime and the others¡¯ sleeping quarters.

 CH 185

    Chapter 185 ¨C Relax


    ¡°W-where are you taking me? What the hell is this cave?¡±


    ¡°Shut up. Just keep walking. Do you want to be torn to pieces like a goblin? Huh?¡±


    ¡°O-okay, stop pointing that thing to me!¡±


    I have been walking around kicking the ass of the surviving spy for about an hour. We were attacked by goblins on the way and bee-hived a few of them, but other than that; we made it to the cave that leads to Lime and the others¡¯ hideout without any other troubles.


    I kicked the spy¡¯s ass some more, who was scared of where I would take him, and we proceeded through the cave and out into the sewers. The spy became restless and began to peek around the area as I did so.


    ¡°H-hey, isn¡¯t it dangerous to go any further? This is the sewers of Merinesburg, right? They say there is a ferocious slime monster in this sewer.¡±


    I silently kicked the spy¡¯s ass. We continued on our way for a while. The unpleasant smell of the sewers faded, almost imperceptible to my nose. It was a sign that we were in the territory of Lime and the others.


    ¡°H-hey¨D¨D¡±


    ¡°Welcome back. Who is this?¡±


    Just as the spy was about to whine about something again, Lime appeared and called out to me. The spy was beyond astonished at the sudden appearance of Lime.


    ¡°He is the spy of the Holy Kingdom who followed me and tried to catch me. So I brought him here to have Lime and the others confirm whether what he said was true or not.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, so he¡¯s an enemy.¡±


    The voice I heard from Lime was the coldest I had ever heard from her, shaking with a shiver. It¡¯s amazing¡­ to hear such a voice from an innocent and jovial Lime.


    ¡°H-hyii¡­¡±


    The spy dude seemed to be hunched over in front of Lime, who took on the form of a little girl. To sit back down at such a cute little figure, you miserable bastard. Slime girls are cute, aren¡¯t they? Eh? Special proclivities, you say? That¡¯s absurd.


    ¡°So, it pains me to have to rely on Lime and the others, but as I recall, you can peek ¡®directly¡¯ at this, right?¡±


    When I pointed to my own head, Lime smiled and twitched.


    ¡°I can do it! But what about this person after that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll think about that later.¡±


    ¡°I see. Do you want me to do it?¡±


    ¡°No matter who it is, as long as the final goal is fulfilled. I just want you to focus on the accuracy of the information.¡±


    ¡°Then Poizo is good. I¡¯ll take him with me.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, please.¡±


    Lime, which changes her form with a gurgling motion, twists around the spy with blinding speed, seals his body movements and mouth, and takes him to the back of the sewers. The spy is already in a state of panic. He seems to be struggling while raising his voice, but it would be impossible for him to escape from Lime¡¯s restraints by physical means. I think Sylphy or Melty might be able to shake it off with their magical power.


    Then, I walked a little while looking at the spy who was entangled with Lime and struggling. Then, a light came into view ahead. It is the hideout of Lime and the others.


    ¡°Ara, welcome back¡­ who is this guy¡±


    ¡°Is he a prisoner of war-nodesu?¡±


    As soon as we entered the hideout, Beth and Poizo approached us. Grande seemed to be sleeping peacefully on Beth, who was spread out like a bed. Maybe she had been sleeping because I wasn¡¯t there.


    ¡°As Poizo predicted, he¡¯s a prisoner of war. Apparently, the mainstream of the Holy Kingdom¡¯s mainland suspected some kind of connection between Ellen and the Liberation Army, so they dispatched him. According to this guy, he himself is not a spy for the mainstream Adol church, but rather a hired spy.¡±


    ¡°I see-nanodesu. So we just have to find out if it is true, right-nanodesu?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I don¡¯t care if he dies as a result. He¡¯s seen me, he¡¯s seen my gun, and either way, I can¡¯t let him go back to where he belongs.¡±


    ¡°!!?!?¡±


    The spy, whose mouth was still sealed by Lime, opens his eyes when he hears my words, grunts with all his might, and begins to lash out. However, that does not shake Lime¡¯s restraints at all.


    ¡°You¡¯re out of luck to have tracked me down, of all people. No luck for you, my friend.¡±


    ¡°Well then, I will go take a little peek inside his mind-nanodesu. Are you sure you want to leave the handling of the prisoner of war to me-nodesu?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. But the only thing I can¡¯t allow is to let him out alive. Even if you mess with his mind and process his memory, he might be able to extract information by magic or some other method like Poizo¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°I understand. Then I¡¯ll take care of it. It won¡¯t take that long-nodesu.¡±


    Poizo, who received the spy from Lime, drags the spy away as if on the sly. The spy was also expected to go berserk, but the moment Poizo touched the spy, he lost his strength and was taken away without any resistance. I wonder if he was sedated or something in that split second of receiving the spy from Lime¡­? Poizo is really tricky, isn¡¯t she?


    ¡°Let¡¯s leave that one to Poizo and wake up Grande¨D¨D¡±


    I stepped out to wake Grande, who was sleeping on top of Beth and was suddenly entangled from behind. Beth is right in my line of sight, so it is probably Lime.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°You have a wrinkle in your hair, you know?¡±


    Lime then reached out with several tentacle-like tentacles to touch me between my eyebrows and squeeze me. Not only that, she started touching and rubbing my cheeks, neck, shoulders, and all over my body.


    ¡°I will try to put all my energy into it. When that happens, you shouldn¡¯t move, okay?¡±


    Lime must have sensed something from the way I was looking at him because when she said this, she pulled me into her body without asking me any questions. I was helpless to do anything about it as Lime, who had somehow become enlarged, took me in, with only the top of my neck protruding.


    ¡°So? How many were there, those men?


    ¡°¡­Three people.¡±


    ¡°Then two, huh? Well, that doesn¡¯t feel good. I don¡¯t think you should worry too much about it. It¡¯s not doing anyone any good.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the way it is.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the way it is. But not caring too much is a problem, too.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the way it is.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the way it is, huh?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard.¡±


    Beth offers a kind of counseling to me while Lime gives me a full-body massage. Whether I¡¯m still excited or not right now, I¡¯m just surprised that I¡¯m less shocked than I thought I would be. Yet, I still can¡¯t help but feel like the achievement is doing something to me. I mean, before I know it, my armor has been removed, and I¡¯m in my underwear.


    ¡°Lime?¡±


    ¡°Just relax.¡±


    Apparently, they were simply dressed comfortably. The full-body rubdown feels so good that it makes me sleepy. Ah, it¡¯s soothing.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to take a little while for Poizo to get things out of the captive. You must be mentally exhausted, so get some sleep.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ I understand.¡±


    I feel Beth¡¯s voice, with her calm tone, echoing directly from my ears to my brain. Well, the magic of this world shouldn¡¯t work on me, so it must be the power of Beth¡¯s voice, which is not magic or anything.


    ¡°Good night.¡±


    I can hear Lime¡¯s bell-rolling voice in my ear. And it somehow sounds nice. I feel like I remember this smell¡­? Such thoughts passed through my mind, but my head, which was already on the verge of turning off, could not turn any further, and my consciousness fell into darkness.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±


    ¡°Yaaann.¡±


    As soon as I wake up and try to raise my body, my hand is buried in something soft and sloppy. So I tried to get up and found that my hand was buried in Lime¡¯s body, which had become my bed.


    ¡°Sorry, I was sleepwalking.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all right. Are you feeling better?¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Oh¡­ my head feels clearer somehow.¡±


    Waking up was exhilarating. Perhaps it was the mental shock of having disposed of my pursuers with my own hands, but I felt as calm as if I were on the surface of a lake with no wind. I don¡¯t think I had any particular dreams or anything, but I guess the whole body rubdown of¡­ Lime and the best sleeping environment had a tremendously relaxing effect? Was there something that bothered me before I went to bed, you say¡­?


    ¡°You¡¯re a sleepyhead, Kosuke.¡±


    ¡°When Grande told me that, that means I¡¯m screwed in many ways¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a lazy person. In fact, I¡¯m an early riser for a dragon. Even today, I only dozed off for a few minutes.¡±


    ¡°Sleeping from morning till late afternoon and then taking a little snooze¡­ the timescale for dragons is huge¡­¡±


    As I said this, I looked around, but it seemed that only Lime and Grande were at the hideout. Beth seems to have gone out somewhere.


    ¡°Hasn¡¯t Poizo come back yet?¡±


    ¡°She came back a while ago, you know?¡±


    ¡°Oh. She said that the information obtained by Kosuke had been verified. So she¡¯s going to see if there is any other information they can squeeze out of him. But she said it will take some time.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ Then I guess I¡¯d better leave the interrogation to Poizo while Grande and I go back to Erichburg first. We can share the results of the interrogation with the Golem communicator.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ that might be a good idea. Should we go back as soon as possible?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ sorry, I won¡¯t be able to greet Beth and Poizo.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll send them your warm regards.¡±


    Then Lime makes a hand shape with her whole body and gives a goofy thumbs up. Hmm, it looks super strong if you punch it as it is.


    ¡°I get it. Then, I¡¯m sorry, but please give them my best regards.¡±


    ¡°All right. Are you coming again?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll be back soon. Grande, please.¡±


    ¡°Mm, leave it to me.¡±


    After saying goodbye to Lime, I proceeded with Grande through the underground passageway and headed out via the sewers. For some reason, Grande, who was walking next to me on the way, looked up at me sullenly as we walked.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ no, it¡¯s nothing. The Slime¡­ no, the spirit is a big deal, I just figured.¡±


    Grande shook her head and gently patted me on the hip with her large hand as if she cared about me.


    ¡°¡­?¡±


    Inwardly tilting my head at Grande¡¯s suspicious attitude, I continue walking.


    Well, it¡¯s probably nothing to worry about. Now I have to get back to Erichburg as soon as possible. It will be hard on Grande, but if we take a quick flight, we should be able to get there by the time the sun goes down.

 CH 186

    Chapter 186 ¨C Return & Preparation


    The return trip to Erichburg was smooth. There were no monsters in the Sorel Mountains that could catch up with Grande, who was flying at high speed. However, since it was a little late to depart from the other side, Grande seemed to have taken the flight a little more seriously.


    Even so, we arrived at Erichburg just before the sun went down, so we made it just in time. The area around Erichburg is relatively safe thanks to the fact that it has become the headquarters of the Liberation Army, but the gates are closed at night. Well, even if the gates are closed, Grande and I can still get in whenever we want. Both in terms of authority and physically.


    ¡°Welcome back.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m back. There wasn¡¯t¡­ much danger.¡±


    ¡°Liar.¡±


    ¡°It hurts.¡±


    Sylphy greets me and pulls both of my cheeks while glaring at me. She could tear my cheeks off when she gets serious, no joke, so I¡¯m sure she¡¯s just taking it easy on me.


    ¡°Welcome back.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m back.¡±


    While I was being pinched on the cheek, Isla hugged me and looked up at me from my chest. I patted her head, which was in just the right position, and she squinted her big eye pleasantly.


    She¡¯s so small, but she¡¯s older than me.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear you¡¯re all right. How did it go with the saint?¡±


    A horned demon, who was smiling with a big smile on her face, asked me such a question from a little distance away.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything wrong with that.¡±


    ¡°She didn¡¯t attack you like an animal, did she?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    I was about to be pushed down. It¡¯s almost, though.


    ¡°I mean, I¡¯m glad that you¡¯re happy to see me safe, but we¡¯re running out of time, so I¡¯m going to cut the pleasantries a little bit short.¡±


    ¡°¡±¡±Eehh?¡±¡±¡±


    The Harpies, who were waiting for their turn to come out now, started booing loudly. There are more than ten of them, and if each one of them were to give her own story, it would take up the whole day, wouldn¡¯t it?


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    There is not much to discuss at this stage of development¡­ and it would be much more efficient for me to spend the time I have to spend on discussions on the production of equipment and leave the other adjustments to Sylphy and the others.


    However, it is not only making things that I have to do.


    ¡°It makes a very loud noise, so those who are sensitive to sound should be careful¡­ okay? Then I¡¯ll shoot.¡±


    After saying that, I pulled the trigger and fired a bullet.


    The sound of the gunshot echoes continuously as if it is tearing through cloth, and the bullets that continue to be fired cleave the armored targets lined up on the shooting range in a single sideways flash. This machine gun, called Small Moustache-san power saw, has a very short firing interval.


    Yes, what I have to do is to teach the proper people how to use weapons from ¡°the other world¡± that do not exist in this world.


    ¡°This weapon is an extension of the bolt-action rifle. A machine gun ¨D what is a machine gun, you ask? As you can see, it is powerful enough to tear an opponent to pieces, regardless of whether they are wearing armor or holding a shield. The ammunition used is exactly the same as the bolt-action rifles everyone else is using.¡±


    Saying this, I pull out a rifle clip from my inventory. In this case, it might be better to call them machine-gun rounds rather than rifle rounds.


    ¡°This thing fires bullets at a tremendous rate of 1,200 rounds per minute. But, of course, if you keep firing bullets at such a high rate, the barrel will heat up and become a terrible mess, so you have to replace the barrel frequently. You still need a spare barrel, though.¡±


    Saying this, I opened the hatch next to the air-cooled barrel cover and pulled out a heavy barrel.


    ¡°It¡¯s hot!¡±


    I almost got burned and hurriedly put it back inside the barrel cover. I should have worn gloves.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    The captain of the riflemen, Jagira, who was watching the scene, smiled wryly. Her ears were flattened down, and I was impressed by the way she kept the noise down. A Beastman is helpful in so many ways. I still have an earache, though.


    ¡°I mean¡­ that¡¯s a hell of a weapon.¡±


    Jagira looked at me with a flattened ear and a grim expression.


    ¡°Is it too powerful to use against humans?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, well¡­¡±


    Jagira nodded at me. The rest of the riflemen had the same look on their faces.


    ¡°Yeah, well, it¡¯s reasonable to think so. Bolt action rifles are just an extension of bows and crossbows. They are tools for individuals to kill individuals, and I think they can be called ¡®weapons.¡¯ In contrast, this machine gun, I believe, is a ¡®weapon¡¯ designed to allow a small number of people to overrun and mop up a large group of people unilaterally.¡±


    Jagira and the others listened to my words with serious expressions on their faces. After confirming this, I continued.


    ¡°I think this kind of weapon, including bolt-action rifles, is something that should not exist in this world. A battle using this weapon would no longer be a battle, but a one-sided violation. But I will still put it on the battlefield and let you use this weapon to kill your enemies. Because it is absolutely necessary.¡±


    What will be needed in the battle ahead is the mobility of the airboard. However, mobility alone is not enough. You need to have enough offensive power to stop the enemy in its tracks. It must be an offensive capability that can inflict certain damage without taking advantage of the overwhelming force of the enemy.


    ¡°Sylphy and Danan will tell you about the riflemen¡¯s mission in the future. But in order to accomplish that mission, this weapon will definitely be needed. So you will have to learn how to use it.¡±


    ¡°I understand. How about all of you?¡±


    The riflemen nodded in response to Jagira¡¯s question.


    If there is such a thing as hell in this world, Jagira and the rest of the riflemen will be along for the ride. If possible, I would like it to be just Sylphy and me. I think there are some extenuating circumstances since Jagira and the others were coerced by us.


    ¡°What are you talking about? Come on, tell me what you¡¯re doing with that thing.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    I replied to Jagira¡¯s voice and began teaching her how to load ammunition, change barrels, and so on.


    I¡¯m going to recommend them to leave before they use it to attack the Holy Kingdom army, but I¡¯m sure it will be useless¡­ bombs blew up thousands of people and hurt the Holy Kingdom army in the territory of the Merinard kingdom in many other ways. Anyway, I¡¯ll do my best not to cause any damage to the riflemen who handle this thing due to outbursts or accidents.


    It would take an omniscient and omnipotent God to save an enemy who is approaching with a weapon. If it were a game, it would be easy because the enemy character just falls down and disappears in a flash, but¡­ it¡¯s just not possible. Good grief.

 CH 187

    Chapter 187 ¨C Riflemen¡¯s Training


    The sound of ear-splitting gunfire is incessant. It is like the roar of a beast¨D¨D.


    ¡°FOoooooooooooooo!¡±


    It is like a roar¨D¨D.


    ¡°Unyaaaaa!!¡±


    A roar¨D¨D.


    ¡°Hyahaaaaa¨D¨D!!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the roar of a real beast!¡±


    I shouted and stomped on the ground.


    No, I¡¯m not, am I? I was heartbroken that I would be forced to unilaterally kill the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army by providing them with a weapon that was too powerful, you know?¡¡I was unwilling to force them to do it, you know?


    ¡°It¡¯s¨D¨DSo¨D¨DFuuunnn!!¡±


    And look what happened! The riflemen were firing as if they were relieving their frustration at not having been able to shoot very well with their bolt-action rifles. And all of them are shooting with the bipods still in place. Are your shoulders okay? Can you control the recoil? Oh, no problem at all, you say? I see.


    Come to think of it; you guys have absurdly high physical capabilities compared to humans in my original world, don¡¯t you? Even Jagira, who looks thin at a glance, has more physical strength than me, right? That¡¯s right, even a general-purpose machine gun weighing over 11 kg can be wielded with ease.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a good idea to walk around with a loaded belt hanging from your body, is it?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    I took out a drum magazine from my inventory and handed it to Jagira, who was complaining.


    ¡°Hmm? How do you use this?¡±


    ¡°You see, this is¡­¡±


    I showed her how to use the drum magazine, which can hold up to 50 rounds of ammunition. This drum magazine is like a round ammunition box that can be attached to a machine gun. The only difference is that the round container holds a coil of ammunition, and the loading method is exactly the same.


    ¡°Hmm, there are advantages and disadvantages. If you want to use it sitting down, you can use the ammunition belt straight from the ammunition box.¡±


    ¡°I guess so. The actual ammunition belt is usually a very good choice for the people who are looking for the best ammunition for their particular needs.¡±


    ¡°Right. So, that¡¯s the thing about giving this stuff to us. You¡¯re going to put us against someone who needs this kind of thing, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what it means.¡±


    No matter how I answered, it was obvious from the weapons I had given them that Jagira was right, so I decided not to play dumb.


    ¡°Well, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not going to throw you guys into the danger zone on foot. I¡¯m coming with you too.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Well, if Kosuke¡¯s there, I guess we can manage.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of the ammo supply.¡±


    As a matter of fact, bullets are still being mass-produced at this very moment. The recent discovery of a cave near Erichburg yielded a large amount of raw materials for gunpowder, so there will be no shortage of gunpowder for some time to come.


    Eh? What is that, you ask? It is an accumulation of feces from the big bats that live in the cave. In other words, it¡¯s poop. It¡¯s good stuff that can be used as fertilizer, yes.


    As for metal resources, I have Grande carry them to the mountains during the standby time when I am manufacturing weapons and ammunition and mine them for guns, so I am not worried about depletion at the moment.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have you train with special care on how to replace and reload the barrel, and this guy is next.¡±


    The next thing I pulled out of my inventory was an airboard. It was not a prototype that I had made but an advanced mass-production model that had been repeatedly tested and modified by the Research and Development Department members.


    ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a vehicle called an airboard. It has the mobility to run from the rear base to Erichburg in a day with a single magic crystal.¡±


    ¡°Eeh? From the rear base to here in a day?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Yes, it can run over any rough terrain. It can travel over bumpy grasslands and wilderness areas with no problem at all. Not in the woods, though.¡±


    The appearance of the airboards of the first mass-produced model resembled the lower half of a pickup truck cut out and placed on a board, with a tubular propulsion system attached to either side of the board. It looks like only the cockpit is covered by armor.


    ¡°It certainly looks somewhat like a carriage, but¡­ where are the wheels?¡±


    ¡°There are no wheels on this airboard.¡±


    The machine gun is mounted on a gun rack installed in the rear part of the cargo bed of the preceding mass-produced airboard. This rack was designed to hold 250 rounds of steel ammunition boxes so that the machine gun could fire smoothly without the help of a loader.


    Actually, I wanted to install a turret that could rotate, but I had to abandon the idea due to weight and technical considerations. However, the riflemen were able to swing the machine gun without using a gun rack, so there was no need to be concerned about a revolving turret. I am now thinking that the gun racks could be simply attached to the sides and rear of the cargo bed to hold the ammunition boxes.


    The weight limitation could be addressed by increasing the output of the levitation device or by increasing the number of levitation devices, but this has been postponed because the first priority is to have a certain number of devices, and, in any case, there is not enough time to balance the buoyancy and thrust.


    ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll do a test run. Jagira will be the shooter, and another person will be in the back to assist with loading and changing barrels. The rest of you will gather here and stand by.¡±


    Following my instructions, Jagira and a small squirrel-type Beastwoman climbed into the back of the vehicle, and the rest of the personnel settled down at the designated standby point. We¡¯re going to be performing some shooting on the move, so we can¡¯t afford to lose any points if an accident should occur.


    ¡°Jagira, fit these Wyvern-leather gloves for changing barrels. After 250 rounds per box, the barrel will be replaced. While Jagira is replacing the barrel, you will load the gun. Make sure you know how to secure the ammo box and the loading procedure. I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be too bumpy, but when turning, you¡¯ll feel your body being pulled in the opposite direction of where it is trying to turn, so don¡¯t get thrown off.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    The squirrel-type Beastwoman nodded, and Jagira also put on the Wyvern leather gloves. After confirming this, I inserted the magic crystal into the fuel slot in the cockpit and twisted the starter to activate the airboard. Immediately, magic power spread from corner to corner of the airboard, and the entire airboard lifted off the ground.


    There was much debate in the Research and Development Department about the control system.


    If it is to be used for combat, it would be better to use the same control system that I have created, which allows precise operation. I also suggested that the current system should be operated with a steering wheel and foot pedals, just like the car I once told them about.


    In the end, we decided to go with the twin-stick control system that I had created for the first time in the interest of mass production. After all, we had so little time to spend on development that we did not have time to develop a new control system. The use of a steering wheel and foot pedals was considered, but it was clearly incompatible with the airboard, which uses levitation and propulsion systems for maneuvering.


    The maneuverability of an airboard is more similar to that of a ship than that of a horse-drawn carriage or a car, and it was thought that a complex turning system using only a steering wheel and foot pedals would require advanced Golem control.


    Therefore, we settled on a twin-stick control system that simultaneously controls the left and right propulsion systems and the levitation system and a foot pedal to operate the directional rudder. The improvement of the directional rudder and the propulsion system has increased the turning performance and speed and, furthermore, improved the magical power efficiency.


    ¡°Oh, it floats!¡±


    ¡°The height can be changed somewhat by operation. It can float up to a maximum of 1.5 meters, but it is not recommended to float too high because the higher it floats, the less stable it becomes. Now let¡¯s get it moving!¡±


    First, the vehicle begins to move slowly, using a moderate amount of thrust. Jagira and the squirrel-type Beastwoman on the back and the riflemen watching from a distance were surprised to see the cart move even though it had no wheels.


    ¡°The speed gradually increases, and Jagira, you shoot at the target from the back of the cart.¡±


    ¡°Roger that.¡±


    The propulsion system increases its output and approaches the target, turning as it passes by and pointing the rear of the cart in the direction of the target. Then, ¡°Ratatatata!¡± A continuous roar began to echo from the rear. It seemed that she started shooting immediately.


    After firing and reloading for a while, we returned to where the other riflemen were waiting.


    ¡°How did it go?¡±


    ¡°I thought it was amazing that you could run around without much shaking and without regard to the condition of the ground. The speed is great, and it seems to be able to turn around as well as or better than a horse. But did you need the gun rack?¡±


    ¡°I guess so. With the gun rack, you can only attack the back of the vehicle. Maybe we should have an ammunition box fixture that spins around in the center of the back of the vehicle?¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a good idea. That way, you can fire in either direction.¡±


    ¡°Not a gun rack, but an ammo rack¡­ I hadn¡¯t thought of that idea.¡±


    The fact that you can control the recoil of a machine gun without a gun rack without any problem and not suffer from the weight of a machine gun is unexpected to me.


    But it is true that if there is a fixture for the ammunition box that spins around in the center of the cargo bed, in other words, an ammunition rack, it would be possible to feed ammunition from the ammunition box smoothly. If there were such a thing in the middle of the cargo bed, it would definitely be in the way during normal driving, so it would be better to make it removable or to make it so that it can be integrated with the floor of the cargo bed when it is not in use.


    ¡°I will pass on your feedback as soon as possible. However, I don¡¯t think it will be ready in time to add a rotating ammunition rack in the center. I¡¯ll make sure to put fixed ammunition racks on the front, back, left, and right.¡±


    ¡°Understood. Shouldn¡¯t we have the rest of the team practice?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. I¡¯ll make sure everyone learns how to fly it too.¡±


    So, I spent the day teaching the riflemen how to handle the machine gun and operate the airboard.

 CH 188

    Chapter 188 ¨C High-Speed Striking Force, Sortie


    So, is the training over?¡±


    The night after the riflemen¡¯s training. I spent the night with Sylphy and Isla in the lord¡¯s mansion. We had just finished bathing and eating and were having an after-dinner drink and relaxing.


    ¡°Yeah, just the basics. Just thinking about the amount of ammunition used for training gives me a headache.¡±


    Saying this, I took a sip of the mead Sylphy poured for me and let out a sigh. The sweet aroma of mead tickled my nose. I know that when I drink mead, my breath becomes sweet and floral.


    Well, that¡¯s the thing about training. You can¡¯t just shoot one a day and be done with it. But, of course, you don¡¯t have to shoot them every day either; you just have to have them shoot again after a day or two, just as hard as today.


    One box of ammunition holds 250 rounds, so if all the members of the riflemen, who have been increased to 20, shoot four boxes of ammunition, that would be 20,000 rounds. However, all the ammunition shells used for training were recovered, so the cost was cut in half. Moreover, the shell casings are made of steel, not brass, which is heavy in cost.


    Eh? Do you think iron shells are difficult to reload? Hahaha! When I use my ability to reload, it doesn¡¯t matter if the bullet rim is rolled inward, if there is a dent in the body of the shell casing, or if the shell casing is made of hard steel. I can reload it perfectly and with the same feel as if it were brand new! All I need is gunpowder and a warhead. Well, even so, the recovery rate of shell casings was not 100%. It was difficult to recover the shells fired from the airboard¡­


    ¡°The Research and Development Department is also at full capacity.¡±


    Isla looked up at me with her big eye as she rested her head on my lap. Apparently, she adopted a policy of being pampered today instead of pampering me. Sylphy is also snuggled up to me today, so it seems that both of them have adopted a policy of being pampered today.


    ¡°For now, just make sure you get a good night¡¯s sleep. Also, I¡¯ll help you with the delivery date, so if you need something that¡¯s faster to be produced by me, just ask me, okay?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, okay. I¡¯ll get the list made up first thing in the morning.¡±


    ¡°Do that. But don¡¯t push yourself too hard, Isla. Sylphy, too. The most important stage is ahead of us, and it would be meaningless if you are exhausted by the preparation.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know. That¡¯s why I¡¯m clinging to Kosuke like this to build up my strength.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, Kosuke¡¯s power.¡±


    They say that they are recovering from a mysterious power. It is eco-friendly to be able to recharge your batteries just by sticking to me. But I also feel like I¡¯m being healed by being attached to Sylphy and Isla. I wonder if this is a new kind of perpetual motion system?


    ¡°Have you heard any additional information from Ellen?¡±


    ¡°No, as far as the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army coming from the home country is concerned. However, she seems to be making a lot of moves in regard to the control of Merinesburg.¡±


    ¡°Even if she¡¯s making moves¡­ that doesn¡¯t mean they¡¯re going to open the castle in response to our invasion, does it?¡±


    The number of soldiers stationed in Merinesburg, including the city guards, probably numbered thousands. I don¡¯t think it is possible to persuade all the soldiers to surrender to us so easily.


    Incidentally, the high-speed strike force we will be operating this time consists of 20 Harpy bombers, 20 riflemen led by Jagira, plus 4,000 elite soldiers led by Sir Leonard, and a group of magicians led by Isla. In addition, we are planning to launch a mobile battle with a total of 500 people, including the necessary personnel for governance.


    Following that, Danan will lead the main force of 3,000 men, including crossbowmen, heavy infantry, and a ranger force made up of former adventurers. Oh, and also, a test unit equipped with a prototype magic gun would be working together.


    Basically, a 500-member high-speed strike force, divided into airboards, would smash fortresses and city walls and gates that would get in the way of the following main force¡¯s invasion, and the following main force would overrun the battered enemy strongholds. This is the plan.


    The high-speed strike force would not wait for the main force to arrive but would move on to the next and the next, using its high striking power to destroy the Holy Kingdom forces stationed at each base individually before the enemy could act in an organized manner.


    We will try to minimize civilian casualties as much as possible, but it will not be without casualties.


    ¡°It seems that she intends to send the mainstream soldiers and generals out of Merinesburg for some reason or other. There will be large-scale patrols, mountain climbing as training, supply missions for the Holy Kingdom¡¯s troops coming from the home country, and so on.¡±


    ¡°Is it safe?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. That woman will do it her own way. No, even if she had a tenuous relationship with the mainstream, she was unmistakably a saint of the Adol religion. Suppose she takes full advantage of her status as a saint. In that case, she¡¯ll probably be able to handle the situation a little better.¡±


    ¡°I wonder if that¡¯s the way it¡¯s going to be.¡±


    Sylphy says so, but for me, I¡¯m worried about it. When I gathered information on the title of ¡°saint of truth,¡± I found that she condemned several corrupt clergies and crushed insolent people who attacked her in a fit of rage with a miracle of God. To me, Ellen is nothing more than a delicate, fragile girl who looks as if she would break if you touched her.


    ¡°That¡¯s just it. Anyway, I don¡¯t know what the outcome will be, but it won¡¯t be amicable no matter how it turns out. All we can do is try to minimize the casualties as much as possible.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a hard world, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°I hate to say we don¡¯t have a choice, but this is war.¡±


    Then Isla closed her eye and let out a sigh. It¡¯s not like Sylphy and Isla are fighting a war because they like it. Sylphy is trying to get her family and country back. Isla is trying to free her persecuted people from the control of the Holy Kingdom, Melty and Ms. Zamir share the same intentions as Sylphy, and Danan and Sir Leonard are trying to achieve revenge against the Holy Kingdom.


    Of course, there is a bigger goal, not only for personal reasons but also to help the subhuman people who are suffering under the rule of the Holy Kingdom and restore the former Merinard Kingdom.


    Is war the only way to achieve this great goal? I think the only answer is ¡°yes.¡± The ideologies of Sylphy¡¯s homeland, the Merinard Kingdom, and the Holy Kingdom are too different.


    The Merinard Kingdom, where subhumans and humans coexist equally as ¡°human races,¡± and the Holy Kingdom, which upholds human supremacy and uses subhumans as slaves, are too incompatible in terms of ideology. Even if we tried to discuss the matter, the Holy Kingdom would not listen to us as things stand now, yes.


    ¡°I hope this battle will be enough to decide the matter.¡±


    ¡°I think so, too.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, me too.¡±


    The only way now is to fight, so it can¡¯t be helped, right? We have to be careful not to just say, ¡°We don¡¯t have a choice, or it¡¯s inevitable,¡± and continue fighting in the mud.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    And a week passed in the blink of an eye after I returned to Erichburg, and the day of the operation came.


    ¡°I feel like I¡¯ve managed to row my way through¡­¡±


    The morale of the High-Speed Strike Force was high. A total of 500 people were riding in 100 airboards, and the sight of all the airboards lined up in a row was quite a spectacular sight. The Research & Development Department must be happy behind the leaves of grass, as they had ordered not only airboards for the High-Speed Strike Force but also those for the following main unit¡¯s Transportation, and they worked hard to deliver all of the airboards. Go to heaven. Amen amen.


    Incidentally, I alone am in charge of the logistics of the high-speed strike force. But I have enough water and food for a day¡¯s worth of the crew. Even so, if I were to die suddenly, it would be the end of the high-speed strike force.


    No, if I don¡¯t engage in battle because of my mobility, can I escape back to Erichburg with time to spare? If I can retreat, can I manage it? I think losing Sylphy would be more dangerous than losing me. Sylphy is the leader of the Liberation Army, and she would be needed to free the royalty who have frozen themselves in the royal castle in Merinesburg, keeping their bodies and hearts frozen and sealed in.


    ¡°Princess, Kosuke-dono. Would it be possible to move a little further to the rear, or rather to the middle of the convoy?¡±


    Ms. Zamir, who was riding with us, looked at Sylphy and me with her reptile-like emotionless eyes and asked.


    ¡°No. I¡¯d actually prefer to be at the front of the line.¡±


    ¡°Considering our abilities, it would be obvious that we should be behind the riflemen, who are considered to be vulnerable to damage and high ammunition consumption.¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    Ms. Zamir exhales a sigh with her eyes closed after being rejected by Sylphy and me at the same time.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. My new type of barrier can even prevent dragon breath.¡±


    Isla, who is also on board, seems to be trying to cheer up Ms. Zamir by saying that, but I think that¡¯s supposed to reinforce the fact that Sylphy and I are saying we¡¯re fine in this position.


    ¡°With this group, we can break through even if we¡¯re surrounded by a large army of the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army. And if push comes to shove, I¡¯ll fight too.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be part of a war between human races, but if it comes to that, I¡¯d be happy to fly away with all of you in my arms.¡±


    Melty is sitting on the backseat of the airboard smiling, and Grande, who is on Melty¡¯s lap with a sleepy look on her face, is giving further support.


    Ms. Zamir, perhaps giving up, lets out another sigh and closes her eyes.


    The position of the airboard we are on is quite far forward in the formation. We were right behind the airboards of the riflemen equipped with machine guns. If an encounter were to occur, there was a very high possibility that we would be caught in the middle of the battle.


    However, the Harpies are flying as scouts, so there is no way that an encounter would occur. Furthermore, harpy, who plays the role of a scout, is equipped with a golem communicator, so contact will be made immediately as soon as they spot the enemy.


    ¡°The roll call is complete for the infantry and the governing support units.¡±


    As I was appeasing, or rather persuading, the worried Ms. Zamir, I heard Sir Leonard¡¯s voice coming from the small golem communicator on the airboard we were riding on.


    ¡°Riflemen are ready.¡±


    ¡°Harpy Bombardment Squadron also ready.¡±


    Hearing the transmission, Isla picked up the golem communicator and opened her mouth.


    ¡°Hmm, the Mage Corps is riding with the riflemen, so they¡¯re ready. Yes.¡±


    ¡°Umu. Then, as planned, we will move with the airboard of the riflemen in the lead. Everyone keeps a safe distance from each other and does not cause any accidents. It would be laughable if we had to leave the front line before fighting the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army due to an accident. The first target is Bobrovsk. The high-speed strike force, let¡¯s go!¡±


    At Sylphy¡¯s command, about 100 airboards lined up float up and begin to move as if sliding. In the lead are the airboards of the riflemen with the machine gunners and mages, followed by our airboards, the airboards carrying the Harpies, and behind them are the airboards carrying the elite soldiers.


    Well, it was hard work to teach over 100 people, including spares, to fly airboards¡­ In my original world, they were a bunch of novice drivers who wouldn¡¯t even have gotten their provisional licenses yet. It would be a miracle if we didn¡¯t have an accident.


    By the way, I¡¯m the driver of the airboard we¡¯re on. Of course, I am. Naturally, my airboard is a special edition. You can tell when you see the trigger on the control stick.


    ¡°Let¡¯s do it.¡±


    I¡¯m already prepared to shoot the enemy with my hands. All I have to do is just do it.

 CH 189

    Chapter 189 ¨C First Round


    We proceed along the road, having Harpy, the scout, catch and kill a suspicious bird that looks like a messenger pigeon. It looks like there are scouts lurking in the woods. Well, we don¡¯t have time to worry about them now, and there is no way they can keep up with our speed, so we leave them alone.


    We continued on our way for about an hour. Finally, we arrived at Bobrovsk, a town in the Holy Kingdom¡¯s sphere of influence. The defense force of Bobrovsk didn¡¯t seem to notice the invasion until they saw us, probably because the scout Harpy and the others had blocked the communication of information in advance. It seems that the civilians who were being inspected at the city gate were hurriedly and urgently taken into the city. At this rate, the defense would be completely unprepared.


    ¡°Kosuke, let¡¯s use the speakers.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Sylphy picked up the microphone installed between the driver¡¯s seat and the backseat and raised her voice.


    ¡°Attention all Holy Kingdom forces present in Bobrovsk, we are the Liberation Army of the Merinard Kingdom! Disarm and surrender immediately! If you do not surrender by the end of the quarter-hour, we will launch an attack!¡±


    We are far enough away from the defensive walls and gates that arrows cannot reach us, so we are not sure how our opponents will react. However, it seems that at least they do not intend to go on such an outburst that they will strike out immediately.


    And while this is happening, the following airboards are emerging from the roads one after another and encircling Bobrovsk. The riflemen equipped with machine guns, as well as the elite soldiers under Sir Leonard¡¯s command, are proficient in the handling of crossbows, so all of the members of the high-speed strike force have the means to attack at long range.


    Naturally, it is possible to fire from above the airboard, so all of them have some fighting ability, especially without dismounting.


    ¡°Do you think they will surrender?¡±


    The sound of bells began to ring intermittently from the town of Bobrovsk as if to signal an emergency situation. There must be chaos in Bobrovsk by now.


    ¡°I doubt they will. If it is said that they surrendered without a fight, it will greatly affect the progress of the Bobrovsk defense commanders, and basically, the commanders who are placed on the front lines are solid men who do not have to worry about being overrun by the enemy¡­ Three units of the riflemen will go around to the north gate to block the passage. Kill anyone who tries to force their way through.¡±


    ¡°Copy that.¡±


    This time, Sylphy picked up the microphone on the vehicle-mounted Golem communicator and began issuing instructions to all sides.


    ¡°Harpy¡¯s scouts, check to see if there are any fast horses rushing out of Bobrovsk. Bombardment squads, start bombing. Two of you will coordinate with the scouts, and if the fast horses escape from the blockade, you will bomb them. Capture any pigeons that escape the blockade as before.¡±


    ¡°Understood!¡±


    Sylphy¡¯s rather merciless instructions flew out. Well, it is important to block the enemy¡¯s information, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s impossible to prevent it completely, but it¡¯s better for us to do it than not to do it.


    There are many points in which we have an advantage over the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army and our liberation army, but the biggest is our information advantage. We have a golem communication device that allows us to exchange information in real-time, even over a distance.


    In contrast, the fastest means of communicating information in the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army is the pigeon, followed by the fast horse. As for the pigeon, there is a fatal difference in speed: the pigeon may be missed, but it lacks certainty, to begin with, and the horse is almost as fast as an airboard blitz invasion, even if attack time is subtracted.


    And if the information is not conveyed, the Holy Kingdom¡¯s side will always be subject to surprise attacks. It is very difficult to set up a proper defense system in a quarter of an hour ¨D 30 minutes. They would also have to evacuate civilians. If they were to throw all of that out, they might be able to set up some kind of defense system¡­


    ¡°This is the north gate. A group of men, probably messengers, have appeared and are advancing toward us with cavalry.¡±


    ¡°Proceed.¡±


    ¡°Copy that.¡±


    From a distance, a crackling sound of gunfire can be heard.


    ¡°Processing is complete. We have no casualties.¡±


    ¡°Good job. Continue to maintain vigilance.¡±


    ¡°Copy that.¡±


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    Jagira¡¯s POV


    ¡°As you have heard. The second and third units will follow me. The fourth unit will be in charge of the situation. If anything happens, ask the Princess to give you instructions.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    After receiving Princess¡¯s instructions, I used the golem communicator to give support to the riflemen and then lightly tapped on the window behind the driver¡¯s seat. In response, the airboard began to glide over the fields surrounding Bobrovsk. It is wonderful that it can move over the fields in this way and not trample the fields. Moreover, it is impeccable because it is fast and has more maneuverability than a horse-drawn carriage. The only drawback is that there is nowhere to hide if bows and arrows or magic attack you, but since two mages who can use barrier magic are deployed, it is unlikely that the enemy¡¯s attacks will penetrate the vehicle.


    In this march, the airboard on which the riflemen ride has two riflemen and two mages, for a total of five people on board. The mages also serve as loaders. Although this is a trial deployment, I think it is a very reasonable formation.


    When we rounded the back of Bobrovsk toward the north gate, the road was already deserted. The bells had been ringing earlier, warning of an emergency situation, so all the farmers who had been working in the field and the travelers who had been visiting nearby must have been accommodated in the city. No, if you look closely, it seems that there is still some kind of mess going on around the gate. I instructed the driver to deploy to a place far enough away from the gate.


    ¡°Block the road and stand by. Check your machine guns for ready fire.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Captain.¡±


    While giving instructions to my subordinates, I also check the machine gun myself. The maintenance was done by Kosuke yesterday, so all I have to do is check the operation and load the ammunition.


    The city gate opened a little later, and about twelve cavalrymen jumped out. They were obviously trying to break through our blockade. Two horses were carrying lightly-armed riders who looked like messengers, and the rest were armed cavalrymen. The cavalrymen would act as shields and charge, and they would probably try to exploit the gap between us and let the messenger break through. I immediately contacted the Princess using the golem communicator.


    ¡°A group of what appear to be messengers have appeared at the north gate and are advancing toward us with cavalry.¡±


    The Princess¡¯s reply to my report was very short and decisive.


    ¡°Proceed.¡±


    ¡°Copy that. First, second, and third units. Target, enemy cavalry. Pull back, not yet¡­ Prepare for annihilating fire ©¤©¤ Commence firing.¡±


    With an order, we pull the trigger and shower the enemy cavalry coming toward us with bullets.


    Rat-Tat-Tat! Rat-Tat-Tat! The cavalrymen are transformed into a cloud of blood smoke.


    Even bolt-action rifles could blow away enemy soldiers in armor with a single blow, but this machine gun weapon fires 20 such shots in rapid succession in one second. No matter how well armored they were or how well they rode their horses, they were as good as paper in the face of this offensive power.


    The storm of bullets from the six machine guns, two per airboard, literally annihilated the cavalry group in a very short time. There were no survivors. Naturally, the horses were also killed.


    ¡°With bolt-action rifles, you could have killed only the riders.¡±


    Indeed. If the number of the enemy was twelve, there were twelve riders. If six men fired with bolt-action rifles, it was possible to kill all of them before the enemy got close to us.


    ¡°That may be so, but the purpose of this mission was to show overwhelming power.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the horses.¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped.¡±


    Horses are very versatile livestock. It¡¯s a triple threat: good to ride, good to plow, and good to eat. If you tell this to a horse-type Beastman, they will give you a nasty look¡­ but that¡¯s not important right now. Report report report.


    ¡°Processing is complete. We have no casualties.¡±


    ¡°Good work. Continue to maintain vigilance.¡±


    ¡°Copy that.¡±


    I finished my report on the communicator and switched frequencies.


    ¡°We¡¯ll pull the dead enemy soldiers to the side of the road. Get one person out of the second and third units. The rest of you will cover the recovery team. The mage will stay on the vehicle.¡±


    ¡°Copy that.¡±


    ¡°Roger.¡±


    The second and third units replied.


    ¡°Well then, go ahead.¡±


    ¡°Eh? I¡¯m going?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the captain, after all. I have to command.¡±


    ¡°Ugh! Jagira¡¯s an idiot!¡±


    Hahaha, what a loyal subordinate I have! Now, how will the enemy react?


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    It seems that some enemy cavalry had tried to break through at the north gate, but after that, Bobrovsk remained silent like a shellfish in its shell. No, that is an apt description since there were glimpses of what appeared to be garrison soldiers on the defensive wall. Anyway, there was no movement of any kind in response to the surrender call.


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s about time.¡±


    Sylphy muttered to herself as she checked the position of the sun. I can hardly understand it, but it seems that Sylphy can measure the time rather accurately by the position of the sun. My sense tells me that thirty minutes have already passed, but apparently, I was somewhat in a hurry.


    Sylphy picked up the microphone on the speaker again.


    ¡°Time¡¯s up! Raise the white flag if you are willing to surrender. If not, we will attack!¡±


    She called out again, but Bobrovsk made no move. That¡¯s as far as it goes, it seems.


    ¡°Harpy Bombardment Squad. Destroy the south gate of Bobrovsk.¡±


    ¡°Copy that. We will begin bombing.¡±


    The Harpy Bombardment Squadron, which had already been deployed above the city, begins bombing at Sylphy¡¯s order. It is a dive-bombing from the sky. After dropping the bombs, the Harpies return to the sky as if they were leaping up. And the next moment, a huge explosion occurred at the gates of Bobrovsk. In reality, there were only several medium-sized explosions at the same time, but because of the perfect timing, it looked as if a huge explosion had occurred.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t the Harpies working too well together?¡±


    ¡°They were training in their spare time. They often used my bedroom as a virtual target. I used to help them collect dummy bombs. I also used to make a kind of wall out of the dirt.¡±


    Grande¡¯s sleepy voice came from behind. I wondered what the Harpies were doing.


    Anyway, the south gate was crushed and collapsed by a single blow like a craftsman¡¯s art. Another bomb was dropped there, and this time the rubble was blown away without a trace. Now the Harpies must have bombed out both legs, so they need to come back for a re-bombing¡­ that¡¯s great.


    ¡°The next targets for attack will be the garrison, barracks, and armory on the defensive wall.¡±


    ¡°Roger that!¡±


    The Harpies flew off again, this time blasting the garrison on the defensive wall en masse, followed by the sporadic bombing of Bobrovsk¡¯s internal defensive installations. Again, all we can do is watch.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s one-sided.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the way it¡¯s supposed to be. They attack from a height that neither bows and arrows nor magic can reach, so there is no way to resist.¡±


    I hear Isla¡¯s calm analysis from behind me. Well, yeah, that¡¯s right, since they¡¯re one-sidedly beating the enemy from out range.


    ¡°Um, what are we going to do after this?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll leave the handling to the others, and we¡¯ll move on.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    We don¡¯t have time for postwar processing. The role of the high-speed strike force is to destroy enemy bases one after another with overwhelming speed and firepower and to pave the way for the following main force to easily overrun the enemy bases. If we wait for the main force to catch up with us every time, there is no point in making our legs faster.


    ¡°Report the results of the battle.¡±


    ¡°This is the scout. The garrison on the defensive wall has been wiped out. We have confirmed the destruction of the main defenses.¡±


    ¡°All right, Harpy Bombardment Squadron, return to base. After a 15-minute pause, we will resume our advance. All personnel must replenish their fluids.¡±


    ¡°¡±¡±Copy that.¡±¡±¡±


    ¡°Fifteen minutes. I¡¯ll go replenish the air bombs while I¡¯m at it.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything to worry about, but be careful.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    I replied to Sylphy and jumped down from the cockpit of the airboard. Now, let¡¯s get into a quick replenishment.

 CH 190

    Chapter 190 ¨C Magic Sparkling Stone Bomb


    ¡°The enemy base is no longer resisting.¡±


    ¡°Leonard, send the infantry in.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    It was the second day of operating the high-speed strike force. On the way to Merinesburg, we were again destroying the bases of the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army. Yesterday, we destroyed a total of four defensive bases of the Holy Kingdom Army. Today is two. The skill of the high-speed strike force is improving with each successive attack.


    The riflemen led by Jagira immediately sealed off the entrances and exits after issuing a warning and a recommendation to surrender. Then, in coordination with Harpy¡¯s scouts, the messengers and other means of information transmission were destroyed, and at the same time, elite troops led by Sir Leonard began preparations for a raid.


    Basically, the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army will take a siege position without surrendering, so the Harpy bombardment unit will bomb the stronghold relentlessly. After neutralizing the enemy¡¯s resistance, elite soldiers rush into the enemy base. The base is suppressed. After confirming control, I enter the enemy base with my escort and quickly remove the debris and collect the loot. Meanwhile, Isla and other mage troops heal the enemy survivors with magic. Then we quickly moved on to the next battlefield. In general, we were steadily conquering enemy strongholds with this kind of flow.


    ¡°The enemy strongholds were no longer resisting, or rather, had barely collapsed?¡±


    ¡°Was the builder a slacker?¡±


    ¡°From what I can see, it doesn¡¯t look like they¡¯re being stingy with the stones¡­¡±


    ¡°The stones are piled so high that if they were to collapse from the side in an explosion, there would be no way to stop it. And if one part collapses, the rest will collapse in a chain reaction.¡±


    ¡°¡±¡±I see.¡±¡±¡±


    The Grand Dragon certainly is an expert when it comes to dealing with ground and stone.


    ¡°That¡¯s the bomb those Harpies are dropping. If you want to deal with them, you should not build high walls but dig many moats in all directions and fight within them. Even if falling bombs explode on the surface, you will not be exposed to the shockwave or debris if you are inside the moat. If the bomb is completely inside the moat, a direct hit will probably kill the target, but the area of damage will be reduced. And it would be easier to hide from gunfire.¡±


    It is amazing that Grande, who would have never heard of the concept of trench warfare, came up with the idea of digging trenches as an effective defense against bombing and gunfire. Nevertheless, the wisdom of the dragon is not to be underestimated.


    ¡°That¡¯s the way it¡¯s done. Clever.¡±


    ¡°Yes, indeed. I am impressed.¡±


    ¡°I know, I know.¡±


    Grande is in the best mood after being praised by Isla and Ms. Zamir. But you shouldn¡¯t slap the floor of the airboard with your mighty tail. It will shake and break the floor.


    It¡¯s a bit heartwarming, but we¡¯re still in the middle of a battle. We¡¯re not kidding around. I wonder if my senses are getting numb to it.


    ¡°Kosuke, we will use that thing at the next fortified base.¡±


    In response, Sylphy looked tense with a difficult expression on her face for a long time. I am becoming numb to the situation, and Sylphy is maintaining a sense of urgency. I don¡¯t know which one is better.


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m not too keen on it, but experimentation is necessary.¡±


    Saying that, I took out of my inventory the special air bomb I had made up last night.


    It is not much different in size from an ordinary air bomb. However, this bomb has a folded parachute attached to it. The detonator is also of highly reliable specifications, utilizing a golem core.


    Why is a parachute attached to the bomb? It is to prevent the Harpy from being caught in the explosion after the bomb is dropped.


    And this bomb¡­ this bomb does not contain explosives. Instead, it contains one standard size magic crystal and two very small pieces of magic sparkling stone.


    Yes, this is a magic sparkling stone drop bomb.


    I did not fully understand the principle of its operation, but Isla, who analyzed it after dismantling it, told me that the magic power of the magic crystal is amplified by circulating it between the two pieces of magic sparkling stone and finally produces magic power that greatly exceeds the capacity of the two pieces of magic sparkling stone, thereby causing a large explosion. This is said to cause a huge explosion.


    I see. I don¡¯t understand.


    ¡°According to my calculations, the output is enough to blow up a small fortress.¡±


    ¡°According to the calculations.¡±


    If, by some chance, the calculations are off by one digit, it could blow up the entire fortress and us. So we need to take all possible precautions in operation.


    ¡°The control is complete. Recover and rescue.¡±


    ¡°Well done. Mage corps to the fort. Kosuke, too.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Okay.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Following Sylphy¡¯s instruction, I put the aerial magic sparkling stone bomb in my inventory and got out of the driver¡¯s seat. Next, Isla and Ms. Zamir, who was carrying a weapon, also got out of the vehicle. Sylphy and Melty stayed behind, and Grande seemed to have no intention of getting out of the vehicle in the first place. She is smart but basically lazy. She is a dragon, after all.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s get to work¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    We headed for the collapsed fort, checking the shortcuts so that we could retrieve the weapons at any time, just in case.


    What we are doing now is an act of war, washing blood with blood and treating the lives of our enemies as if they were dust. But even so, we have established a line of defense.


    Since the Holy Kingdom only recognizes us Liberation Army as bandits, there is no law of war between the Holy Kingdom and us. Therefore, no one can blame us for torturing the survivors or using them as human shields.


    Of course, this does not mean that there are no problems. If we commit too many atrocities, we will not gain the support of the people, and it will affect the political negotiations later on. Moreover, if the enemy learns that surrender is meaningless, they will become a desperate army, and, true to their word, they will resist us with deadly vigor. That would be a big downside for us. So far, we have destroyed them without any resistance, but that is not a good thing.


    Well, to put it bluntly, it¡¯s like creating an alibi for negotiations with the Holy Kingdom later on.


    We have adopted three major stances.


    ¡°We give notice and recommend surrender before the attack.¡±


    ¡°Treat enemy soldiers who are wounded and have lost their fighting ability.¡±


    ¡°We do not leave the bodies of the dead unattended but cremate them together.¡±


    That¡¯s it. In fact, since there are no laws of war, we can attack the enemy without warning and without mercy, and we don¡¯t have to give aid to wounded soldiers or bother to dispose of the bodies of enemy soldiers.


    However, we would hate to have the content of this battle later used as material for the Holy Kingdom to use in their verbal attacks. That¡¯s why we are treating the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army with a certain degree of moderation. We are not trying to play the good guy or anything; we are just doing it because it is necessary.


    As I was walking along thinking about this, I was poked in the side of my head. I turned my head to look at Isla, who had poked me, and her big eye was staring up at my face. Hmm, cute.


    ¡°Are you nervous about using the magic sparkling stone bomb?¡±


    ¡°Things are a bit complicated. I can¡¯t say I don¡¯t have psychological resistance.¡±


    The magic sparkling stone bombs don¡¯t cause serious radioactive contamination, and the fallout doesn¡¯t fall over a wide area, but when I see the incredible destructive power of the bombs, I have a psychological allergy to them.


    Turning a fort into a pile of rubble with a massive air bomb or turning a fort into a pile of rubble with a single magic sparkling stone bomb is no different.


    ¡°When the main force is coming from the home country, we cannot just go out there and do it on the spur of the moment. Well, we¡¯ll just have to do it.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, necessary.¡±


    While we were talking like this, we arrived at the collapsed fort. Isla waved me off and walked away to the area where the wounded were being collected, and I went with Ms. Zamir to store all the debris and pieces of enemy flesh scattered all over the place in my inventory.


    While clearing away the debris, we sometimes find buried survivors, and other times we find bodies that have been badly disfigured. If a soldier with a good nose finds a survivor buried in the rubble, they will dash to the bottom and remove the debris. They are treated like heavy machinery.


    Well, that¡¯s all well and good, but the hardest part of this work is seeing so many dead bodies. Nothing could be harder than this. A corpse with a part of the body missing is still a good thing, and there are usually a lot of corpses that have been cut in half or have the upper and lower body missing. I¡¯m used to it now, so I don¡¯t puke anymore, but it¡¯s not a pleasant job.


    After cleaning up, I dig a hole and put the collected corpses in it, and the mage corps burns them all down at once with fire magic. Then we bury the ashes, carve today¡¯s date and the words of this world¡¯s repose on a stone monument, and the job is done.


    All the supplies in the fort, including weapons, armor, food, money, materials, and even the wreckage of the collapsed fort, are stored in my inventory. This time, the entire fort was destroyed by bombing, so it is almost completely cleared. Only the memorial stands as if to prove that the fort once stood here.


    ¡°Shall we go next?¡±


    ¡°I guess so.¡±


    While saying so, Sir Leonard, who had been watching me set up the memorial nearby, now turned his attention to the survivors of the Holy Kingdom soldiers, who had gathered around and were stunned.


    The healed soldiers of the Holy Kingdom were given only enough supplies from the fort¡¯s stockpile to get to nearby villages and towns and then released. They were treated until they could barely walk, so they were left to fend for themselves. Frankly speaking, we don¡¯t have time to take care of them.


    ¡°I have a thought.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ those feckless people are of no concern to me. Let¡¯s move on, then.¡±


    ¡°I see. Right.¡±


    I shrugged my shoulders and followed Sir Leonard¡¯s back as he walked away. He seems to be restraining himself.


    ¡°Next time, I plan to use the magic sparkling stone bomb.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? The Holy Kingdom¡¯s army being blown up by the experiment is a little pathetic.¡±


    The back of Sir Leonard shook slightly as he said this. He is probably laughing at the fact that the entire fortress of the Holy Kingdom is being blown up by the magic sparkling stone bomb.


    Normally, Sir Leonard is a carefree, easygoing old man, but he had his wife killed by the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army in the war 20 years ago. And he was severely disgraced. Even though he may sympathize with them in words, his true feelings of resentment probably make him feel a little better.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    ¡°And, well, that¡¯s about it.¡±


    ¡°Leonard has become quite well-rounded since then, though. He¡¯s been hunting remnants of the Holy Kingdom army here and there for the past few months as a general in the Liberation Army, and I think he¡¯s starting to feel the sting of old wounds.¡±


    Sylphy said as she looked out from the trench that Isla and I, with the help of the mage corps, had built and turned her gaze toward the fortress.


    After arriving at the third enemy defensive base of the day, we immediately made the surrender announcement and are now waiting to see what the enemy will do. Since they were not prepared to intercept us at all when we arrived, it seems that we were still able to advance the attack faster than the enemy¡¯s information.


    ¡°They must be puzzled.¡±


    ¡°No doubt. An enemy suddenly appears on an unseen vehicle and then destroys the fort after a quarter of an hour. And in addition, they are surrounding the fort from afar, digging a moat and hiding in it.¡±


    It must have been incomprehensible to the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army.


    But they seem to be making preparations for defense in spite of their incomprehension, and there is no sign that they are going to surrender at all.


    ¡°Sylphy-ane, it¡¯s about time.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­ Kosuke.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    I took out a wind-magic loudspeaker from my inventory and handed it to Sylphy. This is the one that was made together with the airboard loudspeaker when it was made. It is a magical version of the so-called transistor megaphone.


    ¡°To the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army holed up in the fortress. Surrender immediately! Or the entire fortress will be destroyed!¡±


    Sylphy called out, but the reply from the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army was a sporadic shower of arrows. The arrows were barely reaching us because they were out of the effective range.


    ¡°Well, there it is. Pirna, let¡¯s execute the operation.¡±


    ¡°Roger that. The magic sparkling stone bomb will begin to drop.¡±


    ¡°All personnel take anti-shock defenses. Watch out for incoming fort debris.¡±


    The captains of each unit replied over the radio.


    Incidentally, the airboards are already stored in my inventory. It would be a disaster if they were broken by the explosion¡¯s impact.


    ¡°Hmm, Pirna¡¯s flying.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. She dropped it. Let¡¯s get under cover. Sylphy, too.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    I pulled on Sylphy¡¯s sleeve to make her hide in the trench to watch the moment of explosion.


    Still not there yet? The next moment, I saw a blank, and the sound disappeared.


    I should have been hiding in the trench, but my sense of equilibrium was strange. I couldn¡¯t tell whether I was standing or sitting. I thought I could hear a keening sound coming from my ears. I wonder if my eardrums have been damaged.


    ¡°Kosuke, Isla, are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m still dizzy.¡±


    I put my hands on the ground and shut my eyes, and as I managed to recover, I stood up and looked out of the trench.


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see a trace of it.¡±


    ¡°The power was largely in line with my calculations.¡±


    The fort that should have existed at a distance had been blown clean away, leaving not even its foundations. There was probably not a single survivor.


    ¡°It would be dangerous to abuse this. It should only be used as a last resort.¡±


    ¡°I wonder. Well, we¡¯ll decide that at tonight¡¯s war council.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s a good idea.¡±


    Sylphy and Isla disagreed with my cautious argument on the spot.


    The final production and supply of the raw material, the magic sparkling stone, is very much dependent on me, so even if my opinion is not accepted, I think I can control it¡­ I have to be careful, yeah.

 CH 191

    Chapter 191 ¨C Operation Meeting


    It was the night when the magic sparkling stone bomb was put into action. The Liberation Army, which had entered Fort Berlich, the last fort that had been conquered today, treated the soldiers to a hearty meal and a glass of fine liquor.


    It might seem stingy to drink only one glass, but the soldiers will be fighting again tomorrow, so they can¡¯t afford to drink too much. In fact, Sylphy would probably like to give them a day or two of rest. But unfortunately, there is no time for that right now. Our mission now is to eliminate the threats along the way and get to Merinesburg as soon as possible.


    And just as the soldiers were eating and drinking their only glass of liquor, a man with a big smile on his face said to me.


    ¡°We are going to kill them all and destroy the fort anyway. So we should use it as much as we can. It will save us a lot of time and trouble.¡±


    ¡°After using the magic sparkling stone bomb, the degree of increase in the surrounding magic power concentration is extraordinary. If it is abused, there is a possibility of some kind of magical disaster. As a mage, I cannot support the abuse.¡±


    ¡°Although it is quick to use the bomb, I don¡¯t want it to blow up the fort and supplies along with the enemy soldiers. No matter how effortless it is for Kosuke to rebuild the fort, abuse is not good because it could affect the future governance of the city. We can¡¯t loot the supplies either.¡±


    ¡°Regardless of the pros and cons of how much we use it in the future, it is very effective in boosting morale, isn¡¯t it? But, on the contrary, the enemy soldiers will be horrified when they see it.¡±


    ¡°I am not worried about the operation of the magic sparkling stone bomb itself. I can evacuate before the explosion. I will drop it as many times as I have to if I am ordered to do so.¡±


    These were the opinions of Sir Leonard, Isla, Melty, Ms. Zamir, and Pirna, respectively.


    Sir Leonard¡¯s opinion is quite reasonable. We are in a hurry now, and it is efficient to blow away the bombs without taking a lot of time and effort.


    However, it is necessary to listen to what Isla said as well. In the past, the Elves of the Black Forest created the Omit Wilderness, an uninhabitable land, as a result of their destructive attacks using spirit stones. Abusing the magic sparkling stone bombs may have the same result. Isla warned us of this.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t Melty just being greedy?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a bit of a shock to hear you say that. Fortresses and garrisons are built because they need to be there. Soldiers are placed there to guard the roads and, if necessary, to use their strength to destroy bandits and monsters. That is why they are built-in birds. In the short term, the loss of the fort won¡¯t have a big impact, but in the long term, it will likely need to be rebuilt. That will require sending Kosuke-san to the rear. There are so many things we want Kosuke-san to do, but it would be inefficient to send you to the rear by destroying a fort that doesn¡¯t need to be destroyed, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Ah yes.¡±


    ¡°Besides, we¡¯re in a war right now. In order to continue military operations, we need weapons, armor, arrowheads, medicine, food, money, and all sorts of other supplies. The more we have, the better. You understand that, don¡¯t you, Kosuke-san?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s terrible to call me¡­ greedy.¡±


    Melty deliberately covered her eyes with the sleeve of her dress. Very deliberate, but greedy was an overstatement, yes.


    ¡°I understand. Greedy was an overstatement.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay if you understand.¡±


    Melty smiles nicely. She got over it so quickly, didn¡¯t she?


    ¡°So, the morale. Does it still have an impact?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it does. The riflemen didn¡¯t seem to be too worried from the beginning, but the infantrymen seemed to be concerned to a certain extent. The power of the magic sparkling stone bomb to destroy a fort with a single blow seemed to bring them a sense of security.¡±


    ¡°No matter how large the army is, it will inevitably be annihilated if it is hit with a volley of those bombs. It¡¯s only natural.¡±


    ¡°We have no war agreement with anyone, so there¡¯s no reason for us to call for evacuation no matter how we use it. But, if we use it excessively, we will be confronted later on.¡±


    ¡°We will think about it later. The priority now is to win.¡±


    ¡°Then it will cause trouble later for Sylphiel, for me, and for the royalty waiting for us in the castle.¡±


    ¡°If we don¡¯t win, there will be plenty of trouble. If we have a weapon that can kill all of the enemy¡¯s soldiers without killing ours, we should not hesitate to use it.¡±


    Melty and Sir Leonard¡¯s eyes were clashing at each other, sending sparks flying in the air.


    Pirna was smiling as she looked at them. Her stance is that if we want to use it, so be it. She is more of a ¡°follow our decision¡± kind of person. Or maybe it¡¯s more for ¡°me¡± than for ¡°our.¡±


    I glanced next to her and saw that Sylphy was staring at the exchange of tongues between Melty and Sir Leonard, who were bickering with each other. She seems to be deep in thought, though her gaze seems to be directed in that direction. In fact, she is probably thinking about the operation of the magic sparkling stone bomb.


    Her gaze is directed toward me.


    ¡°What are you thinking about, Kosuke?¡±


    ¡°Me? Hmm¡­¡±


    Sylphy¡¯s comment drew the attention of everyone at the meeting table to me. If you look at me that hard, there will be a hole in me, you know.


    ¡°To put it bluntly, the cost isn¡¯t that high. The amount of magic sparkling stones used are quite large. Even magic crystals can be substituted for larger monsters¡¯ magic stones if you want to do it. So it¡¯s possible to throw in a lot of magic crystals, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea to shoot too many.¡±


    ¡°How do you feel about that?¡±


    ¡°I think that if we don¡¯t know when to use our trump card, we may be strangling ourselves. If it can be managed by other means, I think it is better to use those means without being willing to do some damage or go through some trouble. Frankly speaking, I am afraid of the magic sparkling stone bomb that can take hundreds or thousands of lives in an instant. I don¡¯t think we should hesitate to use it when we have to, but I¡¯m not too fond of the idea of abusing it to the fullest. Besides, it wouldn¡¯t be good for us to go around killing more Holy Kingdom soldiers than we have to, considering what will happen later, would it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. It is not a good idea to incite hostility more than necessary.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Right now, our landing place is to take over Merinesburg, drive back the subjugation forces coming from the Holy Kingdom mainland, and rebuild the Merinard Kingdom, right? Then, in the end, we have to get the Holy Kingdom to recognize that through diplomatic means. Am I right?¡±


    I said and looked around at the people in the meeting room.


    ¡°The magic sparkling stone bomb will be one of the trump cards in that diplomatic arena. So, therefore, I think it would be better to operate it carefully.¡±


    ¡°As expected of Kosuke-san. You are really different from the muscle brain lion man, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I have only considered the efficiency and safety of the troops first in my own way. What does Zamir think?¡±


    ¡°When it is necessary to use it, we will not hesitate to use it. I think that¡¯s good.¡±


    After saying this, Ms. Zamir turned her attention to Sylphy. In other words, she was saying that the final decision on whether or not to use the weapon should be made by Sylphy.


    ¡°I understand. Then I will use my judgment on the use of the magic sparkling stone bomb, taking into account the diplomatic repercussions later on. Is that right?¡¡Kosuke.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yeah.¡±


    Although I said that, I am the one who makes the final decision in an essential sense. The decision on whether or not to follow Sylphy¡¯s request and take out the magic sparkling stone bomb from my inventory is always left up to me.


    Because Sylphy has no way to take something out of my inventory, completely ignoring my will. I¡¯m the last safety valve for genocide. I don¡¯t like that role.


    ¡°Don¡¯t give me that look.¡±


    Sylphy saw the look on my face and smiled. It seems that I looked really terrible.


    ¡°That is all you need to know about the operation of the magic sparkling stone bomb, understood? Now, let¡¯s disperse for tomorrow.¡±


    Sylphy announced, and we all disbanded. The only two people left behind were Sylphy and me.


    ¡°Where are the others?¡±


    ¡°Not satisfied with just me?¡±


    ¡°No way. I was just curious.¡±


    Normally, we are not alone at a time like this. For some reason, everyone is so close that they¡¯re all willing to share the goodness with each other. If I didn¡¯t have this mysterious ability with its accompanying health and stamina system, I¡¯d have died of kidney failure long ago. No kidding.


    ¡°What kind of windfall is that?¡±


    The table and chairs used for the meeting are stored in my inventory, and a wicker couch and low wooden table are set up as usual. I can change a meeting room into a living room in an instant. I¡¯m good at it.


    ¡°Not for any particular reason. Melty just went to check on her subordinates because she couldn¡¯t leave them in charge of the supplies that had been taken, and Isla said she had a meeting with the mage corps. Pirna said that she was trying to calm down the Harpies, who were getting too excited by the daily bombings and the appearance of the magic sparkling stone bombs.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    The two of us nodded and sat down side by side on wicker couches. It seems that there really isn¡¯t anything special going on. Well, maybe there is a consideration to leave Sylphy and me alone somewhat.


    ¡°It¡¯s only the second day, but you must be tired. Kosuke is not very good at such a situation where there are many deaths, after all.¡±


    ¡°Well, yes.¡±


    I had done all kinds of gruesome things in games, but to see them in front of me in real life was naturally unfamiliar. Still, I think I¡¯m a lot more used to it than I was when I first came to this world. I¡¯ve also shot and killed the Holy Kingdom army¡¯s spies with my own hands.


    ¡°This is what it means to walk with me. You must be sick of it.¡±


    ¡°This is mentally tough, of course. But being with Sylphy is more important to me than all that.¡±


    ¡°¡­I see.¡±


    Sylphy turned her head and leaned toward me. Normally, she would have taken out a bottle of mead, but it seems that Sylphy is more in the mood to be spoiled by me than by mead today.


    ¡°All right, all right.¡±


    I gently pull her down and pat her head on my lap. As I did so, Sylphy¡¯s eyes narrowed like a cat being stroked. Even in the dusty environment of the battlefield, Sylphy¡¯s hair still feels silky and smooth to the touch. I wonder if the Elves have some kind of blessing that keeps their bodies in beautiful condition.


    ¡°Sylphy is doing her best. It¡¯s hard to make decisions with everyone¡¯s life on your shoulders.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s very hard.¡±


    Sylphy lets out a sigh and closes her eyes as I pat her head.


    A soldier of the Liberation Army will die with just one of her decisions. Sylphy has been making such decisions for the past two days. It must have been a very stressful time for her.


    ¡°Sylphy is doing a good job. Everyone thinks so, and so do I.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes. So today, I¡¯m going to spoil Sylphy to the fullest. I¡¯ll do whatever I can to make you happy.¡±


    ¡°Really? Then¨D¨D¡±


    Sylphy had no hesitation expressing her selfishness to me. Yes, yes, papa¡¯s here.


    ¡°Sylphy-san?¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    The next morning, Sylphy returned to herself, wrapped herself in the sheets after a long time, and went into ¡°bagworm¡± mode.


    ¡°What did we do yesterday?¡±


    ¡°Shall I tell you?¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡¯ll kill Kosuke and then kill myself if you tell it.¡±


    That was a serious tone. It was so serious.


    ¡°You heard that right.¡±


    ¡°Then I guess I can¡¯t listen to it. It¡¯s a shame.¡±


    Melty, who heard it, sensed Sylphy¡¯s seriousness and gave up on it honestly. I think it¡¯s better to do so. I don¡¯t want to slip up and get myself in trouble.

 CH 192

    Chapter 192 ¨C Quick Surrender


    ¡°We¡¯re finally here.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. It¡¯s not going to be easy.¡±


    Today, as usual, we continued on for several hours, destroying several defensive bases. Finally, our high-speed strike force reached the front of Merinesburg. Today is the third day since we left Erichburg, and considering that we have destroyed every defensive base along the way, I think our speed is astonishing. If we had enough airboards to transport more troops, we wouldn¡¯t have to destroy the defensive bases along the way¡­ It will be a challenge in the future to transport a large number of troops. I wish there were an easier way.


    ¡°But still, that¡¯s a lot of people¡­ How many are there?¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯d say more than 1,000, but less than 2,000.¡±


    Sylphy and I both looked ahead and saw the soldiers with matching armor and helmets lined up in an orderly fashion. The vanguard was made up of heavily armored infantrymen. Behind them were long spearmen with long spears outstretched, and behind them were archers with bows and arrows. On either side of the group were mounted cavalrymen on horseback.


    Our number was exactly 500 men. I would have to wait for a report from the scout, the Harpy, to know the difference in numbers alone, but the difference in strength between them and us is about two to three times. If we were to clash with them, we would have no chance of victory.


    ¡°Considering the situation as it is, the difference in strength is hopeless¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­We look like sitting ducks.¡±


    Sylphy mutters with a wry smile at the sight of the enemy¡¯s formation while Isla blurts out something absurd next to her.


    ¡°Will you do it? The surrender recommendation.¡±


    ¡°Well, yes. It¡¯s just a formality. I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll comply, though.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    Basically, numbers are the deciding factor in this world of warfare with swords and spears. Therefore, it is unlikely that the side with more numbers will surrender at the behest of the side with fewer numbers.


    Although we are riding in strange vehicles, our numbers are less than half of theirs. Even if it is a battle against subhumans with superior physical capabilities, they must think that if it is a field battle on the plains, they have the advantage because they have more numbers.


    ¡°Let¡¯s do it.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    I handed Sylphy the microphone of the external speaker, and after clearing her throat a few times, she began to speak through the microphone.


    ¡°I am Sylphielle Danal-Merinard, commander of the Merinard Kingdom Liberation Army. Attention, Holy Kingdom Army deployed in the territory of the Merinard Kingdom. Disarm and surrender! Or else you are doomed to be exposed to this place. If you disarm and surrender, I promise to send you safely back to your home country.¡±


    Sylphy¡¯s voice echoed through the speakers. Then, after a short pause, laughter erupted from the enemy camp. My ears can¡¯t hear it accurately, but I can sense the nuance of mockery.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t sound like they¡¯re going to surrender.¡±


    ¡°Yes. It can¡¯t be helped ©¤©¤ riflemen, begin the attack. It¡¯s a big place. Stir them up to your heart¡¯s content. Harpy bombers, destroy the enemy¡¯s rear guard. Infantry, stand by. Your turn will come after we destroy those fools who challenged us to an open battle.¡±


    Many replies came back from the other end of the transmitter, saying, ¡°Understood.¡± At the same time, the Harpies began to take off from behind us, and the airboards on which the riflemen were riding began to accelerate, gliding smoothly.


    In response, the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army brought its long spearmen forward, their bluntly glowing tips sticking out like hedgehogs. It seemed that the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army had judged the airboards to be a kind of chariot. But, unfortunately, it¡¯s not such a lukewarm existence.


    Intermittent sounds of gunfire began to be heard in the distance. At the same time, the long spearmen deployed in front of the infantry unit were reaped, and the spear line collapsed in the blink of an eye.


    ¡°Ah, the enemy archers are shooting at us.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s pointless in front of the halting barrier.¡±


    True to Isla¡¯s words, the rain of arrows that are pouring down seems to be losing momentum and falling before reaching the riflemen¡¯s airboards. The mage on the airboard uses Isla¡¯s newly developed barrier magic to prevent the arrows from reaching the airboard. I don¡¯t really understand how it works, but it seems to be special barrier magic that takes away the kinetic energy of flying arrows. I heard that it took a lot of effort to specify and condition the target.


    As the airboards of the riflemen were chipping away at the enemy soldiers in this way, intermittent explosions occurred behind the enemy lines. The Harpy bombers, who had reached the skies above the enemy lines, began dropping air bombs one after another from altitudes beyond the reach of arrows.


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell you how many times I¡¯ve seen this.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a one-sided massacre, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    The Holy Kingdom¡¯s army is already in a state of extreme confusion.


    That¡¯s probably true. Their front and back are being torn to shreds. The soldiers in the vanguard are exposed to unknown attacks and are in a state of panic, while the rear is being overrun by air bombs and is a festival of mincemeat. The chain of command was no better. It wasn¡¯t a good idea to be so densely packed.


    Soon after, the Holy Kingdom Army¡¯s Merinesburg defense force was destroyed. With the machine-gun fire of 20 riflemen and the relentless aerial bombardment of the Harpy Bombardment Squadron, the number of Holy Kingdom troops in the area was reduced to between 1,000 and 1,500 in just a few minutes. It was too much.


    ¡°Should we rescue the survivors?¡±


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know for sure.¡±


    Sylphy¡¯s sharp gaze was fixed on Merinesburg as she said that. She seems to be on the lookout for something.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t find any mage units among the enemy. There¡¯s a risk that they might fire chorus magic at us during the rescue operation.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see.¡±


    Indeed, we can¡¯t go forward carelessly, can we? The place where the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army was positioned is relatively close to the walls of Merinesburg, maybe not more than 100 meters. Ordinary magic would probably not be able to reach that distance, but the chorus magic used by the Holy Kingdom¡¯s mage corps would probably have enough range to reach it.


    While I wondered what to do, several white flags went up on the city walls, and the gates, which had been closed, began to open with a sound. The sudden turn of events caused tension in the vehicle.


    ¡°What is going on?¡±


    Sylphy called out to the scout Harpy and the riflemen via the golem communicator, and a bewildered voice came back from the riflemen¡¯s airboard.


    ¡°Um¡­ Some Adol Priests with white flags are coming out of the city gates. What should we do?¡±


    Priests, priests, huh? Does this timing mean Ellen did well?


    ¡°What shall we do?¡±


    ¡°If they raise a white flag, we can talk anyway.¡±


    Saying this, Sylphy shrugged her shoulders. At any rate, is this the end of the battle for Merinesburg? It was quite astonishing¡­ probably that¡¯s how well Ellen handled it.


    Anyway, we have no choice but to deal with them without letting up on our vigilance. It would be bad if they responded with enthusiasm and were rounded up.

 CH 193

    Chapter 193 ¨C Selfish Dragon


    The riflemen ahead of us made contact with Ellen and her group, who came out with a white flag and informed us by golem communicator that Ellen and her group had offered to surrender and asked for help for their wounded.


    Me, Leonard, and Melty will go to the negotiating table. I will have Kosuke set up a place for us. Yes, please, in that area. A stone floor with tables and chairs would be fine. You can put the field back later.¡±


    Sylphy pointed to a field by the side of the road. She seemed to have chosen a place where the archers from the city walls could not reach. It¡¯s someone¡¯s field, though. Whether it was fallow or just before planting, there didn¡¯t seem to be any crops growing in it.


    ¡°Roger that.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    ¡°Zamir, stay with Kosuke. Isla, use the riflemen as a security force to assist in the relief of the wounded.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Got it.¡±


    Each of them started to move in response to Sylphy¡¯s instructions. Then another voice came up.


    ¡°What about me? I¡¯m bored as hell, you know?¡±


    Grande, who until now had been idly coasting along on the airboard, devouring sweets and looking bored at the battlefield scene, was now returning to her former position.


    ¡°Grande has nothing to do with it¡­ If you can return to your original form, you can use it to intimidate people, but Grande isn¡¯t interested in our quarrels in the first place, is she? And I don¡¯t see any reason for you to lend a hand.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. But I¡¯ve got some free time on my hands, so I¡¯m going to follow Kosuke around.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no limit to the number of hands we can have to escort Kosuke-dono.¡±


    As soon as the decision was made, everyone got off their airboards, so I stored them all in my inventory, and Sir Leonard also joined us from the rear. We were all walking in the same direction, toward the city gate. The only difference was how far we had to walk.


    ¡°Be careful.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, no problem.¡±


    I, Ms. Zamir, and Grande, who were working at the front of the line, were the first to part ways with the others.


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s get on with it.¡±


    With a mithril shovel, I dig up a small area and lay down rock blocks in a single stroke. Then, one large long table and ten chairs are set out and ready to use. It only took a few minutes.


    ¡°Kosuke¡¯s power is as mysterious as ever.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s amazing, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, praise me won¡¯t bring you anything.¡±


    I said that and wondered if there was anything else I needed to do. Is there anything else necessary? Should I at least prepare something to drink? But this place is dusty when the wind blows. There are no walls. Even if I prepare drinks, the wind might blow the dust into the cups if I use ordinary cups. Considering this, a plastic bottle is a very convenient container. If the lid is closed, there is no need to worry about that.


    ¡°Should I prepare drinks or something?¡±


    I asked Ms. Zamir.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s much point. They probably won¡¯t touch it¡­¡±


    ¡°I know, right?¡±


    Ms. Zamir¡¯s opinion was that they would be wary of the poison and would not touch it.


    ¡°Kosuke, I¡¯m hungry.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ the meeting is about to start here, so please be patient.¡±


    ¡°No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, I¡¯m hungry, I¡¯m hungry.¡±


    ¡°Aah! Customer! Dear customer! That¡¯s no good, dear customer! You shouldn¡¯t have lashed your tail to the stone floor I just made, dear customer! Aah!¡±


    Grande begins to whine in a barbed voice. This is a deliberate attempt to annoy me, isn¡¯t it? I can¡¯t tell right now if she just wants to bother me or if she has some kind of idea in mind. However, if I leave things as they are, the stone floor will be destroyed. In fact, it¡¯s already broken, and pieces of stone are beginning to scatter. She¡¯s so powerful.


    ¡°All right, all right. What do you want to eat? A hamburger?¡±


    ¡°Pancakes. With lots of cream and jam.¡±


    ¡°Oh, pancakes. You can¡¯t eat those standing up, can you?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a table right there, isn¡¯t there?¡±


    Saying this, Grande smiled and looked innocent ©¤©¤ no, she looked innocent, but she was up to something. I¡¯m sure of it. What the hell is it?


    ¡°No, I¡¯m going to use that place right now, okay?¡±


    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m starting to feel a bit desperate. I¡¯m getting a bit rough around the edges, like my hands and arms.¡±


    Grande wiggles her tough hand, which has sharp claws, as if to show off. That claw has the power of a Grand Dragon¡¯s claw, doesn¡¯t it? If she wanted to, she could tear apart not only a table but also a stone floor and ten mm-thick steel armor.


    ¡°Okay, okay. Is this okay? This is okay, right?¡±


    Saying that, I brought out a table and chair for one, but Grande shook her head.


    ¡°No, that seat is better.¡±


    Grande pointed to a spot on the long table for the meeting. It was the so-called birthday table. Eehh¡­?


    ¡°Grande-san?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve had a few days of free time. Isn¡¯t it nice?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    I looked at Ms. Zamir as if to ask for help, but she quickly turned away. Why are you turning away? Won¡¯t you help me? No? Is it for reasons of faith? Oh yeah, if it¡¯s for reasons of faith, I can¡¯t blame you. Well, if Grande gets serious in the first place, we can¡¯t stop her. No, maybe Ms. Zamir has a chance.


    After that, we negotiated a little, but Grande was adamant about sitting at the birthday table, so we had no choice but to prepare a chair at the birthday table and prepare pancakes as requested. As long as she finished eating before Sylphy and the others arrived, there was no problem¡­!


    ¡°Another pancake, please.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    There was no way Grande would be satisfied with just one pancake. Apparently, Grande can also hoard food, and sometimes she eats like this on impulse¡­ I wonder if her belly is connected to another dimension?


    And so, when I had no choice but to serve Grande, Sylphy and the others arrived. With Ellen and her attendant sisters and priests in tow.


    ¡°¡­Kosuke?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a force majeure.¡±


    When I pointed to the shattered stone floor, Sylphy looked at Grande without saying a word.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine, isn¡¯t it? That¡¯s what they call an observer. It¡¯s like a watchman.¡±


    Sylphy heard Grande¡¯s words and looked at Grande for a while but then gave up, let out a sigh, and quickly took her seat.


    ¡°Everyone from the Adol religion, please take a seat over there.¡±


    Melty led Ellen and the other members of the Adol religion to sit on the opposite side of Sylphy¡¯s seat. The only ones I know are Ellen and Amalie-san. There was one other man of mature age who was dressed in luxurious priest¡¯s robes and looked like a high-ranking priest, and one man of mature age who wore armor and looked like a warrior ©¤©¤ or rather a guard ¡ª four men in total.


    In contrast, our team consisted of Sylphy, Melty, and Sir Leonard. I assume that aside from Melty, Sylphy and Sir Leonard are fully armed and look intimidating.


    ¡°That girl¡­? She is not like a human being.¡±


    Ellen¡¯s red jade eyes turn to Grande and narrow as if she were looking at something dazzling. Could it be that Grande has some kind of luminescence?


    ¡°She is a Grand Dragon transformed into a human-friendly form by a secret technique. Her name is Grande. She is not a member of our Liberation Army but is accompanying us as a personal friend to a man there named Kosuke.¡±


    ¡°My name is Grande. I¡¯m kind of a witness. Think of it as an ornament.¡±


    Grande, whose mouth was stained with white cream and red jam, was smug and puffed out her thin chest. The members of the Adol religion are puzzled as to how to react to this. No, yes, that¡¯s right. I wouldn¡¯t believe it if anyone told me that such a small person is a dragon. It would be impossible if I were in their shoes.


    ¡°They¡¯re not lying.¡±


    However, when Ellen said this, the confusion of the Adol religion grew even stronger. They probably have absolute trust in Ellen¡¯s ability to detect the truth, who is also known as the saint of truth. If she says that Sylphy and the others are not lying, then she is probably not lying¡­ but the atmosphere is one of disbelief.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about her. As she said herself, she¡¯s just going to see this through. So let¡¯s continue our conversation.¡±


    When Sylphy said that, the members of the Adol religion turned to Sylphy as if to follow her words ©¤©¤ no, Ellen is looking at Grande, or rather, she¡¯s looking at the pancakes hungrily, isn¡¯t she? And then she notices my gaze, and now she¡¯s staring at my face.


    No, I can¡¯t get it out under this circumstance. Just give up, please? Ellen let out a small sigh with an attitude that said, ¡°You¡¯re useless, aren¡¯t you?¡± Stop being so unreasonable, okay?


    ¡°If you say not to care, then let¡¯s do so. Let¡¯s continue our discussion then, shall we?¡±


    Ellen then turned her red eyes to Sylphy, and Sylphy¡¯s amber eyes were also turned to Ellen.


    There¡¯s probably no occasion for me to speak up here. I wiped Grande¡¯s mouth and watched the meeting between the two camps.

 CH 194

    Chapter 194 ¨C Meeting


    ¡°Now then, let me tell you our demands. First, Merinesburg will be liberated from the control of the Holy Kingdom by our Liberation Army. In the meantime, the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army stationed in Merinesburg will be disarmed of all weapons. In addition, all weapons in the armory will be confiscated.¡±


    ¡°Is that all?¡±


    ¡°Basically, yes. Our objective is to take back the former territory of the Merinard Kingdom and rebuild the Merinard Kingdom. In the Merinard Kingdom, there is no difference in treatment between subhumans and humans. Everyone is equally people. Therefore, we will not exclude anyone simply because they believe in the Adol religion. However, in the name of the Merinard Kingdom, we will not tolerate discrimination against subhumans based on faith. If that is unacceptable to you, we will ask you to leave.¡±


    Sylphy turned her amber eyes to Ellen, adding the words, ¡°Even if it¡¯s forced.¡±


    ¡°I see. I understand your demands. Then I assume that you will not commit massacres or looting of civilians, is that correct?¡±


    ¡°In principle, yes. However, those who have mistreated the subhuman population will be given a suitable punishment. We are aware that you, the people of the Holy Kingdom, are abusing innocent subhumans under the guise of indoctrination.¡±


    ¡°¡­Not all of the Holy Kingdom¡¯s citizens are involved in such acts.¡±


    Ellen wrinkled her brow at Sylphy¡¯s words and muttered quietly.


    Indoctrination is, in layman¡¯s terms, the act of mistreating subhumans and then rephrasing it to make it sound like a good thing.


    According to the teachings of the mainstream of the Adol religion, subhumans are all born sinners who have been branded as guilty by Adol, the main god of the religion. Therefore, righteous Adol believers must punish them and help them atone for their sins or something like that. No matter how much they talk about it, what they are doing is simply an act of abuse. Beating and kicking are commonplace. They make them do hard labor until they are on the verge of collapse without giving them water or food, and they do things to them that they would never say to a child. I have not seen it firsthand, though.


    ¡°Of course, I am aware of it. I know that those who are involved in such acts are the nobles, wealthy merchants, and other powerful people, as well as high-ranking priests of the Adol religion, who are supposed to be clean and pure. And I also know that the reason for the invasion of the Merinard Kingdom by the Holy Kingdom 20 years ago was because they wanted the Elves to increase their magical power.¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    Ellen¡¯s expression clouds over even more at Sylphy¡¯s sarcasm.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t see why we should tell such a thing to a pure saint. The only thing you need to grasp is that we are not willing to kill any more than necessary with that understanding. I will not allow the soldiers of the Liberation Army to loot and slaughter. That would make them no better than you.¡±


    ¡°Sylphiel-sama!¡±


    Sylphy was about to open her mouth again when Melty called out to her from the side, interrupting her further words.


    ¡°The grudges we have accumulated over the past twenty years are no small thing. But that is that, and this is this. Let us work out the details.¡±


    Saying this, Melty began discussing the neutralization of the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army stationed in Merinesburg, as well as temporary governance, defense, and security systems.


    For the time being, all of the Adol religion¡¯s, or rather the Holy Kingdom¡¯s, forces will be disarmed and their armaments confiscated. However, the guards of Merinesburg, who were responsible for maintaining security, were exempted from the confiscation of light armor, batons, canes, and other arresting arms. This is because the sudden disappearance of the guards is likely to cause a significant deterioration in the security situation in Merinesburg.


    It seems that a part of the infantry of the Liberation Army will also be in charge of maintaining security in Merinesburg, along with the Merinesburg Guards. My guess is that in addition to that, Harpy¡¯s scouts will be sent out to monitor the situation from the air as well. With the Golem communicator, they can move without having to wait for citizens to call in.


    Other governance details were also worked out, such as restricting nighttime outings in Merinesburg for the time being and making arrangements to minimize the impact on the city¡¯s economic activities.


    ¡°And what about our disposition?¡±


    Ellen asked when the discussion had come to a close. By ¡°our,¡± I assume she means the Adol religion people, including Ellen, who had been in a leadership position in Merinesburg up until now.


    ¡°¡­As I said before, we are not going to take anyone¡¯s life just because you are an Adol religion priest. We also do not have the hobby of beheading people, nor do we wish to cause unrest among the citizens of Merinesburg by doing so. Basically, it will be business as usual under our watch. There will be some gradual changes in the way we do things.¡±


    ¡°Will your people be satisfied with such an unacceptable punishment?¡±


    ¡°That is not your concern.¡±


    Ellen¡¯s question was answered with a sharp reply, and Sylphy got up from her seat.


    ¡°First of all, we have to disarm the army. If you don¡¯t want any more deaths, you¡¯ll have to convince the soldiers as best you can. Leonard takes half of the infantry and half of the riflemen and takes control of Merinesburg.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    ¡°The other half, Zamir and Kosuke, will go with me to the royal castle. I will ask the saint and the others to come with me. The captain of the guard, Gustav-dono, will accompany Leonard.¡±


    ¡°U-understood.¡±


    ¡°Very well.¡±


    The middle-aged man who looked like a guard in armor was Gustav, a member of the Merinesburg City Guard. The Guard led by him was not on the battlefield with the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army but was assigned to intercept the enemy on the walls of Merinesburg.


    However, it seems that they chose to surrender early after seeing approximately 2,000 regulars being ground to meat in just a few minutes.


    Is he a coward at worst or a man of calm judgment at best? To be honest, at this point, I can¡¯t judge him at all. However, if he had chosen to fight a thorough war, there would have been a certain amount of damage to the guards and to Merinesburg itself, so I think we can say that his decision was a wise one.


    ¡°We will accompany you to the royal castle, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes. As soon as the rescue measures are in place, tell Isla and the mage corps to come to the castle. The infantry and riflemen will escort them. Also, tell Harpy¡¯s scouts to scout the area and the bombers to keep an eye on Merinesburg.¡±


    Melty nodded to Sylphy¡¯s words and sent off the instructions. The ¡°we¡± that Melty is referring to is probably the civilian staff that is accompanying her. They had done little work up to this point, but from this point on, it was their battlefield.


    ¡°What, are they done?¡±


    Grande, who had finished her pancake and was looking at the stairs with a bored look on her face, said.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s over.¡±


    Hmm¡­ after all, why are the two of them quarreling so much? I¡¯ve been listening to the conversation, but I never really understood it.¡±


    ¡°It all started with the war twenty years ago. So it¡¯s a long story.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ human beings don¡¯t live more than a hundred years, so it doesn¡¯t make sense that they would go to the trouble of killing each other¡¯s kindred.¡±


    Grande stood up from her seat and spread her wings with an unexplained expression on her face.


    ¡°Kosuke is going into the city, isn¡¯t he? I¡¯m going to go play in my old house for a while.¡±


    With these words, Grande flapped her wings and flew away into the sky in the blink of an eye. The people on the Holy Kingdom side rolled their eyes when they saw this. Perhaps they finally recognized that Grande was a transformed dragon. She indeed looks like that. She is a thin girl who looks like a dragon, but not quite a little girl.


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s get moving. I¡¯m going to ask you to come with me. Kosuke, bring out the airboard.¡±


    ¡°Roger that.¡±


    The troops who are going to conquer Merinesburg can¡¯t go to the castle on foot. It¡¯s quite a distance.

 CH 195

    Chapter 195 ¨C In The Vehicle


    I took out the required number of airboards for the troops going to the castle from my inventory, and we split up and headed for the castle.


    Riding on the airboard I was driving were Sylphy, Melty, Ms. Zamir, and Isla, whom we had picked up before we boarded the airboard in Merinesburg. Also on board are Ellen and Sister Amalie-san. The other members of the Holy Kingdom were boarded on other airboards. Gustav, the guard captain, walked with Sir Leonard to Merinesburg, though.


    ¡°Even so, I was surprised. To be honest, I thought that all that number might have been too much for you.¡±


    As we all boarded the airboard and I started to move the airboard, Ellen suddenly cut in with an emotionless voice.


    Eh? Isn¡¯t it bad to talk like you were worried about us and not the Holy Kingdom Army when Amalie-san was present?


    ¡°That degree is nothing compared to the power that Kosuke has given us. Or rather, is it okay?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s no use keeping it under wraps forever.¡±


    I glanced at the rearview mirror, where I could see the backseat, and Ellen had just nodded her head with a completely unenthusiastic expression on her face. Amalie-san, who is sitting next to her, is nervous, not understanding the situation. Or rather, she has looked at me through the rearview mirror several times.


    That¡¯s right. After all, Amalie-san has been taking care of me for so long, and now I¡¯m here with the Liberation Army and being treated like I¡¯m one of the close associates of Sylphy, the leader of the Liberation Army. During the meeting, she had been giving me glances several times¡­ or rather, she had been staring at me in a blatantly surprised manner.


    ¡°U-um, Eleonora-sama? What in the world happened here?¡±


    ¡°I was actually in contact with the Liberation Army.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°The scripture in the example was brought by Kosuke, but Kosuke originally was a member of the Liberation Army. After that, I was connected to the Liberation Army via the Slimes that nested in the royal castle.¡±


    Amalie-san looked so pale that she looked as if she might faint at any moment. That¡¯s probably true. The fact that the saint she served was in contact with the enemy, the Liberation Army, must have been a nightmarish event for Amalie-san, who is also an adherent of the Adol religion and a good citizen of the Holy Kingdom.


    ¡°Incidentally, the reason I am supporting the Liberation Army, or rather Kosuke, is because it is an oracle. As to the content of the divine oracle, I believe I told Kosuke about it as well.¡±


    ¡°S-so then, you also conspired to kill Commander Barth and the others¡­¡±


    ¡°No, that was not my intention. I did indeed incite them a little.¡±


    Did she incite them?


    ¡°As a result, he was summoned to death, which was very ©¤©¤ Ahem. It was a very tragic incident.¡±


    If you¡¯re going to deceive her, you should deceive her properly, shouldn¡¯t you? I mean, you¡¯re so dark, Ellen. Why don¡¯t you act like a proper saint? Look, Amalie-san is about to have a stroke.


    ¡°How can she be a saint¡­? Adol must be blind or something.¡±


    Sylphy stares at Ellen with a serious look in her eyes. The big eye of Isla, who is sitting next to Sylphy, also has a serious look. Melty is kind of smiling, though. Oh, I think she and Ellen might be kindred spirits. Yeah.


    ¡°If it is an organization of only a few thousand people, it may be possible to keep everyone on good terms, but when it is an organization of hundreds of thousands or million, factions, interests, personal greed, and ties make it difficult for everyone to be on good terms.¡±


    ¡°It is lamentable, isn¡¯t it? That¡¯s why people who don¡¯t even consider their own kind as their own kind¡­¡±


    And when Sylphy let out a sigh while shaking her head lamentably, Melty and Isla opened their mouths.


    ¡°The same is true for the subhuman race. It is said that if three people gather together, they form a faction.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. My master also said that he had a hard time because of that.¡±


    The sudden defense of Ellen by Melty and Isla made Sylphy look like she had been betrayed. Seeing Sylphy¡¯s situation, Ellen smiled very kindly.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking for a while now that the Black Forest Witch, contrary to her terrifying nickname, has a very simple heart.¡±


    ¡°¡­Stop that uncomfortable expression on your face right now, as if you were looking at an infant.¡±


    Perhaps sensing the disadvantage of her situation, Sylphy said just that and fell silent with a blank expression on her face.


    Are you asking me if it¡¯s okay to look so closely behind me while I¡¯m driving? It¡¯s okay. I have deployed Isla¡¯s shock-absorbing barrier. Even if we hit something, it will be a soft contact, so it¡¯s actually safe. It also has the convenient function of stopping flying arrow balls and magic attacks.


    ¡°Um¡­ Eleonora-sama.¡±


    ¡°Yes, what is it?¡±


    ¡°What is this oracle about¡­?¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll tell you. I don¡¯t think it is necessary to keep it to myself at this point. God said: I will face death wherever I go. But I will meet my destiny beyond that point. I must live with my destiny. And that wig pig bastard¨D¨D¡±


    ¡°Saint-sama, please correct your language.¡±


    ¡°¨D¨DAhem. I was almost assassinated by the former archbishop¡¯s men, which I took as a confrontation with death, and I considered Kosuke, who saved me from that event, to be my destiny. Then I acted, and here we are. Since I have not yet lost my eyes to see the truth or my luminosity, I believe that my interpretation is not mistaken as a result.¡±


    After clearing her throat in response to my protest, Ellen told Amalie-san the contents of the oracle that she had told me before. I had thought that she had shared the contents of the oracle with Amalie-san, but it seems that this was not the case.


    It seems that Sylphy and the others did not know the specifics of Ellen¡¯s oracle, and they looked interested in it. Especially Isla.


    ¡°Interesting. Kosuke must have appeared in this world in accordance with the lore of the Elves of the Black Forest. According to the lore of the Elves, it was a spirit that led Kosuke to this world. However, a being thought to be Adol brought the saint and Kosuke together in the form of an oracle. Adol is the only God. That is common in both current and old teachings. And yet, to give an oracle that seems to recognize the existence of Kosuke, a being summoned by the spirits that are the object of the Elves¡¯ faith¡­ Kosuke¡¯s power is of a nature that is close to a miracle¨D¨D¡±


    Isla immediately began to mumble rapidly. But, hahaha, Isla never wavers.


    ¡°That is why I believe that my actions align with God¡¯s will. In fact, I am delighted to see that the scriptures that contain the correct teachings have been discovered and that the current mainstream has deviated from God¡¯s teachings. God must be annoyed with the recent corruption in the Adol religion and the upper echelons of the Holy Kingdom.¡±


    ¡°I-is that so¡­?¡±


    Amalie-san is trembling, with her face turning blue. Ellen does not doubt in the slightest that her actions are not wrong as long as she has not lost her power. As a result, she seems to have no feelings of fear or trepidation about the loss of nearly 2,000 lives. The power of faith is amazing¡­ It¡¯s a little scary.


    ¡°We, too, have read through what is called the old teachings of the Adol religion. At any rate, we think that the content of that book would be acceptable in the Merinard Kingdom. At least, I don¡¯t think we¡¯re actively trying to get rid of it.¡±


    ¡°Is that so¡­?¡±


    The words of Amalie-san had completely lost their power. If I were in her shoes, I might have a pit in my stomach. I would prescribe her a life potion later.


    As I continued driving the airboard, I could finally see our destination.


    ¡°We¡¯re almost there!¡±


    I told the backseat passengers, who were in a delicate mood, as I slowly moved the airboard forward.


    It has been about 20 years since Sylphy left this castle. After such a long time, she finally crossed the threshold of her parents¡¯ house.

 CH 196

    Chapter 196 ¨C Reunion


    The castle was in an uproar.


    Of course, it was. The information that the army that went out to defeat the bandits calling themselves the Liberation Army, had been wiped out had arrived, and the Liberation Army, the very bandits, had rushed into the castle along with their leader, the saint. They came in numbers of about 300 people. It was no wonder that they were trembling with fear, wondering what would happen and what the bandits were going to do to them.


    ¡°What should we do?¡±


    ¡°First of all, we need to calm them down, don¡¯t we?¡±


    I asked, and Sylphy pulled out a microphone from the airboard that was connected to the speaker. The mithril copper alloy cable has a generous length, so the speaker itself can be used as long as it is in the immediate vicinity of the airboard. Good thing I made them a little longer because I figured it would be inconvenient to use them unless we were in the vehicle!


    ¡°We are the Merinard Kingdom Liberation Army. And I am the commander, Sylphielle Danal-Merinard. The army of the Holy Kingdom, which is your main hope, has been crushed by our hands, and the saint has offered to surrender to us. And we accepted. We do not want any more bloodshed. We will not harm you if you comply with our disarmament, but we will not tolerate it if you resist. That is all.¡±


    Sylphy announced over the loudspeaker, then put the microphone back on the airboard and sent out instructions to the infantrymen. For the time being, they were to gather the confiscated weapons in the castle courtyard. The civilian officials will move to take control of the castle and its administrative structure, and they will do this and that inside the castle with the riflemen as their escort.


    ¡°What about us?¡±


    ¡°We need to have Kosuke put the confiscated weapons and supplies in your inventory, but first, we¡¯re going to the royal family¡¯s living quarters. Isla and the others will follow us.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, got it.¡±


    Isla nodded her head, and the mage corps nodded their heads in unison. Ellen also seems to be following us.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you too. Amalie and the others will guide the civil servants over there.¡±


    ¡°Y-yes. Um¡­ you alone?¡±


    ¡°Yes. No problem.¡±


    Ellen nodded at the worried Amalie and the others with a blank expression and stood next to me.


    ¡°If it comes down to it, I am sure that my destiny will help me.¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    Ellen, who was pitifully attached to me after saying that, was staring at Sylphy and Isla with a stern look in her eyes. Hyiee¡­ invisible sparks are buzzing.


    We climbed the stairs several times and walked through the corridor to the destination while scattering a subtle and unsettling atmosphere. The furnishings in the castle were minimal or even plain. Is this Ellen¡¯s taste?


    ¡°I miss it so much. Memories of twenty years ago are gradually coming back to me.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s been a long time. Many of the furnishings have changed, but the castle itself hasn¡¯t changed at all. The candelabra and other things are exactly the same as they were.¡±


    Isla looked up to see a dull golden candelabra mounted on the wall. It is probably made of brass. The Holy Kingdom¡¯s people didn¡¯t pull out the brass candelabra from the wall and take it with them. If they had been made of gold or silver, they would have been pulled out.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t it feel kind of cold?¡±


    I just noticed that the ambient temperature seemed to be dropping as we walked.


    ¡°That means it¡¯s about time.¡±


    Sylphy said and continued to walk with a stern expression on her face.


    Oh, by the way, I remember that Sylphy¡¯s father¡¯s power freezes the whole compartment. Normally, people die when they freeze, but I¡¯m sure there must be some kind of magic that allows them to stay frozen without dying. I don¡¯t want to think too much about it, though.


    It would be tactless to go into the mysterious phenomenon of magic with a scientific approach, especially when it comes to life and the soul.


    If it were a simple physical phenomenon, it would be a different story. Wind magic seems to have a lot of interesting uses. I¡¯d like to try my hand at explosion magic and light magic one of these days.


    Magic that produces super strong flashes of light, and if used properly, it could be used to create laser weapons.


    ¡°This is as far as I can go. Lime-san and the others will stop me if I try to go any further.


    Ellen stopped in the middle of a corridor leading to somewhere. The cold air is clearly felt on the skin at this point. It was as chilly as if we were in a refrigerator.


    ¡°Will it be okay to go on?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s probably all right. I¡¯m sure they are watching us.¡±


    Sylphy didn¡¯t seem to be bothered by the cold and continued on her way. This is followed by Ellen and me, and then Isla and the mage corps. The cold air felt on my skin became even stronger, and it was so severe that I could almost describe it as stinging. I can still stand it, but Isla, who has a small body, is shivering with coldness.


    ¡°Isla.¡±


    I held out my hand to her, and she squeezed my hand with both of hers. Her hands are now completely cold, and I hold them as if I¡¯m wrapping them in my hands.


    ¡°It¡¯s warm¡­¡±


    ¡°Hang in there; it¡¯s going to be a little while longer.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Isla, who had regained some of her energy, nodded her head. Sylphy and Ellen looked enviously at her.


    ¡°¡­Do you want to hold it?¡±


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Sylphy hesitated for a moment, and Ellen immediately decided to hold both of my hands. It is truly a flower in each hand.


    ¡°What about this picturesque scene¡­? Isn¡¯t this a serious scene?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it; this is it.¡±


    Sylphy said so and moved forward through the icy corridor. Ellen and I followed, and Isla and the mage team followed with a flurry of footsteps.


    After walking for a while, we finally arrived.


    ¡°This place is amazing.¡±


    It was a frozen space.


    The elegant furnishings, the soft sofa, the beautiful princesses sitting on it, the king lying on the floor, the queen cuddling up to him, everything was frozen and stopped.


    Mysterious lights were dancing in the frozen space. It seemed to resemble something I had seen before. Yes, that was early in the morning of my second¡­ or rather third day in this world.


    ¡°A spirit?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. An ice spirit.¡±


    Sylphy looked at a total of five people who were sleeping with their bodies frozen in place.


    One was the king lying on the floor. He was a very handsome man who looked to be in his late 20s or early 30s from my point of view. And then there was a woman who looked like the queen, frozen with a sad expression on her face as she was kneeling on the king¡¯s lap. Her face looks somewhat similar to Sylphy¡¯s.


    In addition, there are three beautiful princesses who are frozen on the three-person and one-person sofas in the center of the room. All of them seem to look somewhat similar to Sylphy. Are they Sylphy¡¯s sisters?


    ¡°Is this a spirit¡­? But this is¡­¡±


    When Ellen saw the spirit, she had a difficult expression on her face. Then, while I was tilting my head at Ellen¡¯s appearance, Sylphy let go of my hand and stood at the entrance to the frozen room, stepped firmly on the stone floor with both feet, and began to sing something that sounded like a song.


    It probably wasn¡¯t words. Judging from what had happened so far, I should be perfectly capable of understanding the language and writing of this world. But nevertheless, I couldn¡¯t understand what Sylphy was singing. So I guessed that what she was saying was probably not in a definite language.


    However, the effect was enormous.


    The ice spirits, which had been shimmering freely in the room with a sparkling bluish-white glow, began to follow Sylphy¡¯s song and began to move around the room in an orderly fashion, gradually diminishing in size. At the same time, the cold air that stung the skin gradually eased, and the frozen room began to melt. Time in the room slowly began to move.


    The first to wake up was the other elf princess, who was sitting on the sofa in front of the room, leaning against the beautiful elf princess sitting next to her, her eyes closed as if she were sleeping slightly. She was the smallest of the three princesses and not much bigger than Isla.


    ¡°Nnn¡­ It¡¯s so cold.¡±


    With that, she shuddered and rubbed her eyes sleepily as she turned her attention to Sylphy, who was standing in the doorway of the room and then to her surroundings.


    Her bluish silver hair sways, and her aquamarine eyes begin to look around.


    ¡°Who in the world are you¡­? If-aneesama? Dri-aneesama¡­?¡±


    When she woke up, she called out the name of the princess she was leaning on and the other princess and began to call out what seemed to be the name of the princess sleeping next to her, trying to shake her awake.


    ¡°¡­Cold.¡±


    The first princess who woke up shakes her awake, and the second princess who was sleeping next to her wakes up. Could she be If-aneesama?


    ¡°Aqua¡­? And Dri-aneesama and Mother¡­ Father¡­?¡±


    She is still unconscious and shaking her head, her eyes glazed over. Her hair was a shining red color. It is a color that would not be possible on earth, but strangely enough, it seems to suit her. Her eyes are azure, shining like emeralds.


    She is a slender woman with long limbs. She is a woman who can be described as slender.


    ¡°Hmm¡­?¡±


    The next person to wake up was a blonde princess with a healthy body who was sitting on a one-person sofa. I think she¡¯s a little shorter than Sylphy in height, but moderately¡­ yeah, she¡¯s more than Sylphy on that side. Amazing. It breaks my boring stereotype of Elves as slender.


    When she woke up, she held her temples as if she was enduring a headache and slowly looked around the room. Then she turns her gaze to Sylphy, who is standing in the doorway of the room.


    ¡°¡­Sylphie-chan?¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°Eeeh?¡±


    The two people who woke up first were startled by her mutterings, and their eyes turned to Sylphy. It seems that the two people who woke up first didn¡¯t know much about Sylphy.


    ¡°¡­Ix.¡±


    The queen-like woman who woke up last mutters what seems to be the king¡¯s name and looks at Sylphy with a sad expression on her face. The same amber-colored gaze as Sylphy¡¯s caught sight of Sylphy and looked at her slightly.


    ¡°Sylphiel¡­?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes, Mother.¡±


    Sylphy replied in a strangled voice and turned her head down. Then, a faint sob was heard.


    ¡°Well¡­ you really are a crybaby. Come on, come here.¡±


    The woman Sylphy called mother smiles and beckons to her. Sylphy walked up to her with dazed steps as if she were being pulled along and crumpled beside her, kneeling down on the floor and hugging her.


    ¡°Thank you¡­ you did your best, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    In an inaudible voice, Sylphy cried and buried her face in the chest of the woman she called her mother. The woman whom Sylphy called mother kept stroking her head like that forever.

 CH 197

    Chapter 197 ¨C The One That Rolled And Escaped


    I knelt down next to the king-like man who was lying on the ground and took his wrist to check his pulse while watching Sylphy being petted by a woman who seemed to be her mother. His body was as cold as ice, and I could not feel any pulse from his wrist. I knew that he had bought time by freezing the lives of his wife and daughters in exchange for his own life, just as Lime and the others had told me.


    ¡°Lime.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    I called, and something fell from the ceiling. The falling object quickly formed a human shape and tilted her head. As I expected, she had been observing our movements.


    ¡°Is the king already beyond saving?¡±


    ¡°Impossible, I think? He used all of his magic and life force, and his soul already shattered 20 years ago.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    I wish I could help him somehow, but I guess that will not work out that way.


    ¡°At any rate, we can¡¯t just leave him like this¡­¡±


    I glanced at Sylphy, but she seemed to be still crying with her face buried in the chest of the Elven woman who seemed to be her mother. First of all, I should make contact with Sylphy¡¯s sisters.


    I get up and approach the woman who was called Dri-aneesama by the other two sisters. She looked to be the oldest of the three sisters. The woman called Aqua, who was the first to wake up, had bluish silver hair, the woman called If-aneesama, who was the second to wake up, had shiny red hair, and this woman, who woke up last, had gorgeous blonde hair that could be described as golden.


    Aside from Dri-san, the other two women¡¯s hair would never have been that color on Earth unless it was dyed. At least I¡¯ve never seen or heard of anyone with hair that naturally that color.


    ¡°Nice to meet you. My name is Kosuke. I was picked up in the Black Forest by Sylphy¡­ Sylphiel-sama, and after my life was saved, I have been fighting with everyone in the Liberation Army to take back the Merinard Kingdom from the hands of the Holy Kingdom.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ I am Driada Danal Merinard. I¡¯m Sylphiel¡¯s older sister. The red-haired girl over there is Ifrita, and the blue-silver-haired girl is Aquawill. They are also Sylphiel¡¯s older sisters.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ Is it correct to say that the woman over there is the queen¡­ your mother?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Seraphita Danal Merinard¡­ is the wife of King Ixwil Danal Merinard and the mother of us, four sisters.¡±


    ¡°Four sisters¡­ is that right?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Saying this, Driada-san gives a slightly troubled smile. Perhaps it is because, even from her point of view, Sylphy¡¯s appearance has been drastically changed. The current Sylphy looks about the same age as Driada-san, who is in front of me right now, or even a little older, if I¡¯m not mistaken.


    Sylphy is probably taller than Driada-san, and her growth in various areas is probably almost the same as Driada-san¡¯s. In other words, Driada-san is about shorter than Sylphy, but¡­ if you look at her that way, you¡¯ll probably be guilty of disrespect or something! Anyway, there it is. It¡¯s very impressive.


    I also look at Ifrita-san and Aquawill-san, who are snuggled up on the multi-seater sofa and looking at us. Ifrita-san¡¯s physique is slim, while Aquawill-san is as flat and smooth as Isla¡¯s. But all three of them are beautiful women and girls beyond reproach. It is not surprising that the people of the Holy Kingdom would want to get their hands on them at any cost. In addition, they are also strategic supplies that produce one-hundred-thousand soldiers. It¡¯s nauseating.


    ¡°First of all, I know you must be worried about the suddenness of the situation, but please don¡¯t worry. We have been fighting together with Sylphy to save you and restore the Merinard Kingdom. And that battle is now in its final stages. Perhaps.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ How long have we been asleep?¡±


    ¡°About 20 years. I know you have just woken up from sleep, and it must be hard on your body, so I think it would be better to explain in detail after you have rested.¡±


    ¡°You may be right¡­¡±


    She said this and slowly stood up, holding and closing her hand as she did so.


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    As she stood up, Driada-san¡¯s clothes crumbled to ragged dust. The two fruits that tumbled out in front of me swayed.


    The air in the room froze with the suddenness of the event. Hahaha, it¡¯s just like before Sylphy broke the spell.


    At any rate, I closed my eyes, covered my eyes with my left hand, took a clean white sheet out of my inventory, and held it out in the direction of Driada-san. Naturally, I don¡¯t do anything to touch her body in doing so. After all, I had a good sense of distance from her!


    ¡°¡­Can I open my eyes?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    I called out to her a little while after the weight of the sheets had disappeared, and I opened my eyes as Driada-san¡¯s shy voice returned to me. I then saw Driada-san¡¯s bright red face, wrapped in a white sheet, sitting back down on the single-seater sofa.


    ¡°I¡¯m kind of, I mean, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°N-no¡­ it was an accident.¡±


    Driada-san¡¯s voice sounded as if it was about to fade away. I know; that¡¯s what happens when a man you¡¯ve never met looks at you naked, right? But I had no choice. It¡¯s a man¡¯s nature to freeze up when he is shown something like that under any circumstances. In fact, I should be praised for recovering at an early stage, covering my eyes, and holding out the sheet. Maybe.


    ¡°Um¡­¡±


    ¡°D-don¡¯t look at me!¡±


    When I turned my attention to Ifrita-san, she was red in the face and hugged Aquawill-san as if to protect her and stuck her palm out at me. Oh, if you move so much¡­


    ¡°Hyiuuh!¡±


    ¡°Sooii!¡±


    I quickly took out a second sheet from my inventory and threw it at Ifrita-san and the others when I saw their clothes start to fall apart.


    ¡°Whaah!¡±


    The white sheet spread out spectacularly in mid-air and covered Ifrita-san and Aquawill-san. Fufufu, I am a man who can learn. I won¡¯t make the same mistake twice.


    ¡°Melty.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Without looking back at Sylphy and the others, I call out Melty¡¯s name, take out the third sheet from my inventory, and lift it over my shoulder. As soon as I did so, the sheet fell away from my hand. Melty would take care of the rest.


    ¡°Uh, maybe the clothes have been under cryogenic temperatures for a long time and have deteriorated or something like that.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, maybe so. I hadn¡¯t noticed.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll just throw out all the clothes I can find in various sizes. Sorry, Lime, you¡¯ll have to carry me out of the room.¡±


    ¡°Leave it to me.¡±


    I threw out all the women¡¯s clothes from my inventory, covered my face with my hands, and crouched down. Then my body was lifted easily by something soft and started to be carried. Lime is a good and convenient girl.


    No, I don¡¯t mean convenient in a bad way, you know? I don¡¯t mean to take advantage of her. I just mean that she¡¯s dependable.


    I heard the door close behind me and opened my eyes. I then see that not only Lime and I but also Ellen have come out of the room.


    ¡°It would be impossible to have a pile-up conversation with an Adolian saint in the same room, right? I am a caring saint, you know.¡±


    ¡°I see. Well, I¡¯m glad to see that one of Sylphy¡¯s goals has been fulfilled, anyway. If possible, family is¡­ well, it is better to stay together.¡±


    I don¡¯t really feel it, though. My parents divorced, and then my mother died of an illness, and my father and I were estranged. There must have been some good memories when I was little, but even those memories are fuzzy now.


    ¡°Kosuke doesn¡¯t have very good memories of his family, does he?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s complicated. It¡¯s not something I can talk about quickly. The sense or consciousness of marriage is probably different from this world.¡±


    Unless you are from a very religious family, the Japanese marriages that I know are very casual, or you just go to a government office, write a document, stamp a seal, and that¡¯s it. Well, I don¡¯t think that is actually the case. I heard that divorce involves alimony, child support, and various other troublesome matters.


    However, having witnessed the various events leading up to my parents¡¯ divorce, marriage and family were something I could not relate to. I felt as if they were on the other side of a wall or even an LCD monitor. I can see them, but I can¡¯t touch them. I don¡¯t even want to touch them. It¡¯s like that.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have very good memories of it. My parents were devout Adol believers, and as soon as they found out about my powers, they gave me to the Adol religion. In exchange for a bag of gold coins.¡±


    ¡°In exchange for a bag of gold coins. That¡¯s not a nice thing to say.¡±


    ¡°Well, as a saint, I was raised like a butterfly and a flower, and I was carefully nurtured and cared for without starving, and I am sure that my parents lived a good life with the gold they got in exchange for me. No one was unhappy.¡±


    ¡°Can I have my little sadness back?¡±


    ¡°You demand something that has no form¡­ So you will demand obscene things from me because of your heartbreak, are you?¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ Kosuke scheme?¡±


    Ellen narrowed her red eyes and cuddled herself as if to protect herself with a thin smile, while Lime looked at me with eyes that were extremely pure and yet exhilarating.


    ¡°That¡¯s not it. It¡¯s not like that. And I¡¯m not a schemer or anything.¡±


    I feel exhausted after talking to these two. But my mood may have lightened a little.


    ¡°Well, for Sylphy, it¡¯s an emotional reunion¡­ Then, after the emotional reunion, the death march begins.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s tough.¡±


    Fufufu¡­ I¡¯m saying this like it¡¯s someone else¡¯s problem, Ellen, but I¡¯m willing to have you help me, too. At least for me! Although I have no idea what I¡¯m going to ask you to help me with, I¡¯m definitely going to ask you to help me with something!


    ¡°Do you want some help from Lime too?¡±


    ¡°Well, if there¡¯s anything I can get Lime to help me with, I¡¯ll ask you. I¡¯d like you to help Sylphy and the queen and the others first, though.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    I thought that Lime was so cute and honest¡­ when I saw a glimpse of red and green slime in the corner of the hallway.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m tired, I¡¯m so tired. I wish Beth and Poizo would heal me.¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped.¡±


    ¡°We will jump out when we are called out-nanodesu.¡±


    Beth and Poizo came out of the corner of the hallway, and together with Lime, they lifted me up and started shaking me. Am I some kind of portable shrine or something?


    ¡°¡­Really, it doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s a human, subhuman, or monster, does it?¡±


    Lime and the others seem to be more like spirits than monsters. I seem to have the disposition to be liked by spirits and fairies for some reason. There doesn¡¯t seem to be a shred of magic involved. More importantly, once you sleep on the Lime and the others¡¯ jelly-like beds, you¡¯ll be addicted to it. You should give it a try.¡±


    ¡°¡­A little bit then.¡±


    Ellen looked a little wary but saw me relaxing without any problems. She seemed to have decided to try the slime bed. Fufufu, you should fully enjoy this demonic pleasure that must ruin even the saints.

 CH 198

    Chapter 198 ¨C Harmony In A Family


    ¡°Kosuke, wait ¨D what¡¯s this all about?¡±


    Sylphy, who had come out of the room, shouted in bewilderment. I can understand that feeling very well. When she came out of the room, she found Ellen and me in a state as if we had been half taken in by the three slime girls. We, however, were in a state of paradise. We are being rubbed all over on the most comfortable bed, and on top of that, we are being enveloped by the unexplainable fresh fragrance that Poizo emits.


    It was like receiving a full-body massage and aromatherapy at the same time. It is very effective for me and Ellen who have been overworking our bodies and minds. It feels so good that nothing else matters.


    ¡°Hey, you¡¯re sure there aren¡¯t any nasty components in this stuff?¡±


    Sylphy stares at Poizo while covering her mouth and nose with a cloth she pulled out from somewhere. Ahhh¡­ it feels great¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s not addictive, you know-nodesu?¡±


    ¡°Release Kosuke and the saint now.¡±


    Sylphy declared this to Poizo in a serious tone and clenched her fists. Hehehe, yo Sylphy! Don¡¯t be so hot headed like that. This smell is the best high I¡¯ve ever had, you know?


    ¡°You know how stressed out these two are-nodesu?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take your word for it, but it¡¯s not a good idea to make them so worn out that they¡¯re useless right now. Let¡¯s get them cleaned up quickly.¡±


    ¡°The spirits are being used roughly-nodesu.¡±


    ¡°Buooh!¡±


    ¡°Nnnngh!¡±


    Suddenly, a terrible aroma that tingles in the back of my nose penetrated my brain. This is that one; it¡¯s like having too much wasabi! It hurts! I¡¯m tearing up!


    ¡°~~!¡±


    Ellen also held her nose and got teary-eyed. It¡¯s too stimulating, even if it¡¯s just a distraction. But the teary-eyed Ellen is kinda cute, though.


    ¡°Have you come to your senses? Kosuke?¡±


    ¡°Fuha, fuha.¡±


    Sylphy pinched my nose while puffing out her cheeks, forcing me to turn toward her and pull my gaze away from Ellen. The slightly puffed-up cheeks are cute. What a cute creature. Is it jealousy? Is she jealous? She¡¯s jealous, isn¡¯t she? That¡¯s the most intense outburst I¡¯ve ever seen! It¡¯s not that it hasn¡¯t happened before, but isn¡¯t this the first time that Sylphy has revealed her feelings of jealousy to this extent?


    ¡°Achoo!¡±


    ¡°Hnnn!¡±


    Next to me, Lime was doing something with her hand on Ellen¡¯s nose. No, I know what she is doing, but you know what? In some cases, that kind of behavior may result in a SAN check, so don¡¯t do it.


    ¡°W-what an insult to me, a precious saint¡­¡±


    Ellen, freed from the slime bed, is on all fours and shivering. The slime-style nose-teasing was a shock, apparently.


    Me? I¡¯m being pulled out of the slime bed by Sylphy¡¯s hands, and my slightly disheveled attire is being fixed. I have learned that at times like this, it is best to be honest and pampered, or rather, to leave things as they are done to me. I¡¯m a smart guy.


    ¡°Audience¡­ No, we¡¯re ready for the conversation. Come in.¡±


    ¡°Roger that.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    Ellen snapped¡­ and instantly went into expressionless saint mode. It¡¯s kind of funny to see Lime behind Ellen, stretching out her tentacles to fix Ellen¡¯s disheveled attire. I mean, in that way, Lime seems to like Ellen quite a bit. I don¡¯t feel any kind of separation from Ellen from Beth, who has become Ellen¡¯s bed, or from Poizo, who has become a comforter. In fact, they even seem to like her.


    Did Ellen become good friends with Lime and the others while they were exchanging information with the Liberation Army in a way that I am not aware of? Or does Ellen also have something that makes the spirits like her? I guess it could be either.


    I entered the room that had been frozen until a moment ago, thinking such things in the corner of my mind¡­


    ¡°Hmm!!¡±


    I managed to hold back the thought that I was about to erupt.


    Yes, Aquawill-san, well, that¡¯s okay. I mean, she is wearing a little frilly, or rather, the magical girl-like outfit I made for Isla before, but it¡¯s okay. It¡¯s just a pretty dress, depending on how you look at it.


    But Ifrita-san. Why are you wearing a red potato jersey? No, I think it¡¯s a garment that seamlessly hides bare skin, but why the red jersey? Is it because her hair is red that she wore a red jersey as well? Red jerseys and elf princesses are too much of a mismatch.


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡±


    When I looked away, I saw Driada-san wearing a sleeveless knit sweater. Oh¡­ excellent. I still think the choice is a mystery, but it suits her well. A vertical knit sweater on big boobs is the best, right?


    ¡°Ouch.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve seen too much.¡±


    Sylphy pinched me on the thigh. I don¡¯t think I¡¯m staring at her as much as she says¡­ See, Driada-san is squirming shyly because Sylphy said that.


    ¡°It was a great cause. Kosuke-dono¡­ No, Kosuke-sama.¡±


    I was called and turned to the owner of the voice.


    She was a beautiful person in any case¡­ how should I put it. Her eyes are the same amber color as Sylphy¡¯s, and each strand of her hair is like a shimmering silver thread. Yes, she is a woman with silver hair and amber eyes, just like Sylphy. Her face also looked somewhat like Sylphy¡¯s. It is probably because they are mother and daughter.


    She was wearing a black dress and smiling at me with a slightly melancholy smile. I kneeled down in front of her and lowered my head. Regardless of how she will be treated in the future, she is the wife of the late King of Merinard. I thought I should be as respectful as possible. I put aside for the moment the fact that I had been groping Sylphy and the fact that I had given the sisters an impolite look.


    ¡°I am not worthy of your kind words. I was born and raised in a different world from this world, so I may be a bit rude in many ways, but please forgive me.¡±


    ¡°There is no need to be so formal. Sylphiel told me that without your help, it would have been difficult for Sylphiel to step on this land. Besides, you are a marebito, a visitor from another world, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, well, yes.¡±


    ¡°Then, even more so. The real marebito are, in a sense, as authoritative as kingship¡­ From what Sylphiel, Melty, and the others have told me, there is no doubt that you are a marebito.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s how it is, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°That is what it is. Above all, you are Sylphiel¡¯s husband, aren¡¯t you? I have no interest in making my son-in-law kneel for my satisfaction.¡±


    Seraphita-san smiled slightly. I wonder if it was a joke in her own way. I don¡¯t know how to react!


    ¡°I¡¯d really like Kosuke to have a long talk with my dear mother and sister. But we don¡¯t have much time right now.¡± [T/n: Sylphy called her mother with Hahaue here.]


    ¡°You can call me Mother as usual, okay?¡± [T/n: And Seraphita corrected it with Oka-sama.]


    ¡°¡­Kosuke, I¡¯m sorry, but I need you to keep my late father¡¯s body in your inventory. It will be safest to have you keep his body until we can hold a funeral for him.¡±


    ¡°Sylphy-chan has been ignoring me¡­ Dri, Sylphy-chan seems to be rebellious. What am I supposed to do?¡±


    ¡°Mother. Sylphiel seems to be very busy¡­¡±


    Yoyoyo, Driada-san is appeasing Seraphita-san, who is making a fake cry. Hmm¡­ I wonder if she¡¯s just acting tough. I guess she is trying to keep her grief over the loss of King Ixwil in the back of her mind and is trying to cheer up Sylphy, Driada-san, and the others by acting cheerful.


    ¡°I will follow Sylphy!¡±


    The red jersey started to say something absurd.


    ¡°If-aneesama?¡±


    Aquawill-chan¡­ I mean, san? The girl in the frilly, light blue, almost white, magical girl outfit looked up into the face of Ifrita-san, AKA the red jersey, who was standing by her side.


    ¡°Before I went to sleep, Father told me to give up, but I won¡¯t give up on fighting those people. This is a good opportunity; I¡¯ll fight them too.¡±


    The red jersey snorted as she said that. Well¡­ I don¡¯t know much about Ifrita-san, so I can¡¯t say anything about her. From her name and appearance, I have an image that she seems to have a high affinity with fire spirits = high fighting ability, but I wonder how she really is. I think she might be a bit of a loose cannon because of her position as a princess, which would only bring trouble.


    ¡°If-aneesama. I¡¯m sorry, but I want you to keep quiet for now. We can¡¯t waste any time now to take control of the whole of Merinesburg.¡±


    ¡°Sylphiel, you¡¯ve grown a lot in size and attitude in the little time I¡¯ve been away from you, haven¡¯t you? Just leave it to me. I will burn all the people of the Holy Kingdom with my spirit magic.¡±


    Saying that, Ifrita-san was puffing out her thin chest. Hmm, this is a bad one, isn¡¯t it? I gently looked at Melty and Isla, but both of them closed their eyes, shook their heads, and made troubled expressions. I see. I grasped it.


    ¡°Sylphy. We¡¯ll take care of the situation in Merinesburg, so you can spend your time with your family.¡±


    After saying that, I glanced at Ifrita-san. When she saw me looking at her, she hugged herself as if to protect herself and let out a cat-like growl. It was like she was a cat or something.


    ¡°¡­Haha.¡±


    ¡°Hey, wait a minute, where did you just look and laugh? I¡¯m going to kill you.¡±


    ¡°Well then, Sylphy, please.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°Wait a minute ¨D Whoaa! That¡¯s powerful! Hey, Sylphiel, when did you turn into an Ogre?¡±


    ¡°Fufufu¡­ Ifrita-aneesama. Shall we play a little?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not in the mood¡­ hey, ouch. What are you ¨D Aahh!?¡±


    The red jersey screams coming from behind are shut out by closing the heavy door.


    ¡°Lime, Beth, Poizo. I¡¯ll leave the defense of this place to you.¡±


    ¡°Leave it to me, okay?¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped.¡±


    ¡°I understand-nodesu.¡±


    ¡°Isla, Melty, Ellen, and Ms. Zamir. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Let¡¯s do what we have to do while Sylphy is restraining the cannonball.

 CH 199

    Chapter 199 ¨C Like A Cart-Horse


    The work to seize control of the castle itself proceeded swiftly. This was due to the fact that Melty gave out crisp instructions, and Ellen followed up on those instructions, using not only the Liberation Army but also the people in the castle to carry them out. The fact that the soldiers of the Liberation Army were feared was probably a major factor. After all, they had crushed the outnumbered forces of the Holy Kingdom¡¯s regular army without casualties. To the people of Merinesburg, the current Liberation Army must be seen as a powerful army of thousands strong.


    The first step was disarmament at the royal castle in Merinesburg. As for the castle¡¯s security, the riflemen and elite soldiers of the Liberation Army would take care of it, so there was no need for the Holy Kingdom¡¯s forces to be involved. Since it would be a problem if they were to rebel at any opportunity, weapons such as swords, spears, bows and arrows, and even armor and gauntlets were thoroughly confiscated.


    The next items confiscated were goods and food. Among the confiscated goods were money, jewelry, precious metals, and bills. Artwork and furnishings were also thrown into my inventory, leaving only the bare essentials. This is not to confiscate everything but to use my inventory to check the breakdown in detail. I will give the breakdown verbally, write out the list, and return it to the treasury tomorrow.


    The same goes for food. The food reserves in the castle are emergency rations in case of siege or famine, so it would not be a good idea to leave them empty. If I keep them, there is no need to worry about them being stolen or deteriorating, but if I do that, I will be held as a warehouse keeper, so I plan to return them to the warehouse after writing out the list as well.


    The reason why I am doing this is because it is risky to trust the documents from the Holy Kingdom side. In any case, the Liberation Army needs to examine everything at once for security reasons, so we are talking about doing it all at once. If we discover any discrepancies, we will be able to smoke out those who are sloppy in their management.


    ¡°So much to do¡­! There are so many things to do, hey¡­!¡±


    Once the supplies have been stored in the castle, we must now go around Merinesburg to the various guard stations, military camps, quarters, armories, pantries, and other places to collect the government¡¯s supplies, excluding civilian stocks as well. I had to make sure that the right supplies were in the right place at the right time and in the right quantity.


    Naturally, I would use my inventory to do this. It is convenient to get an accurate number right away. After all, things are things. The number of swords, spears, and arrows alone is considerable, and when it comes to stockpiles of food, the mixed bag of defective items is still a cute little thing. There were even cases where the numbers didn¡¯t quite add up or where the contents of a sack of wheat stowed away in the back of a warehouse were just gravel. Too much sloppy management¡­!


    Whenever such a situation was discovered, Melty would smile a really nice smile. It¡¯s a very amusing smile. Scary! Whoever is in charge, apologize! Apologize now! Hurry up! It¡¯s not too late, you know!


    After we finished storing the supplies with a shiver inside, it was time to construct a facility to house the prisoners of war. Most of the soldiers of the Holy Kingdom army who had engaged in the battle were dead, so the number of POWs was not so large, but many of the wounded were badly injured and needed clean beds and continuous medical care.


    It is more of a hospital than a POW camp. Yeah. Well, it¡¯s a bit of a high-security hospital.


    This was to be built by provoking the land of a mansion in Merinesburg that was no longer occupied. It was apparently the residence of an influential man who fled from Merinesburg when the Liberation Army closed in on Erichburg.


    The remaining furniture was thrown into my inventory, and the mansion was destroyed with a mithril tool to make it into a resource. The fences that the mansion was originally equipped with were high and sturdy, so we decided to use them as they were and completed the project by building watchtowers at key points. Since the water source was scarce, a water tower was built in the center of the POW camp using an unlimited water source.


    Oh, numerous residents witnessed me smash the mansion with shiny pickaxes and shovels, level the ground, and in the blink of an eye, create magnificent tofu¨D cough, cough¡­ magnificent POW camp. Honestly, there¡¯s no way to hide it¡­ The grounds are huge, after all. It was also difficult to evacuate the entire surrounding area.


    As soon as it was completed, we asked Harpy of the bomb squad to fly in and bring the POWs to us.


    Uh, so what¡¯s next¡­? Damn, that¡¯s a lot of work!


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    ¡°I¡¯m so tired.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re such a softy. Refill.¡±


    ¡°What the hell?¡±


    ¡°Kosuke is kind enough to offer us a refill despite his anger.¡±


    After the hellish tallying work, I was also exhausted from the work of returning stockpiled supplies to the warehouse in the castle, which was supposed to be done tomorrow, but I was released when the sun went down, and it got dark. Or rather, I was rescued from Melty¡¯s clutches by Sylphy. As an introduction, she asked me to serve her family an earthly dish. Sylphy is a real angel. Melty is evil.


    And now, I¡¯m serving Sylphy¡¯s sisters and her mother a menu full of variety, which I put out at random to rave reviews. Aquawill-san prefers sweets, while Red Jersey¡¯s favorites are meat-based dishes, pasta, and hearty dishes. Driada-san prefers junk food such as pizza and fried chicken.


    The mother, Seraphita-san, seemed to have a small appetite, and after picking up a variety of dishes, she seemed to enjoy the mead I served her.


    ¡°It¡¯s amazing. There are so many sweets I¡¯ve never seen before; it¡¯s like a¡­ dream.¡±


    ¡°They don¡¯t taste bad.¡±


    ¡°They are very tasty.¡±


    I don¡¯t like the attitude of the red jersey a little, but it seems to be generally well-received. What? Do you think it¡¯s just a little girl¡¯s joke, and it wouldn¡¯t bother me. I think she¡¯s actually older than me, though.


    ¡°Kosuke-san has a lot of talent, doesn¡¯t he?¡±


    Driada-san smiled at me, her cheeks slightly upturned. She has a beautiful face, but it¡¯s a little disappointing that she has pizza sauce around her mouth. But I don¡¯t mind women who eat a lot, yeah.


    ¡°I¡¯m not so sure myself. I¡¯m just good at what I do.¡±


    ¡°I think that the ability you are born with as a marebito is also your talent. You are using it well, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Is that so? I hope so.¡±


    Seraphita-san said so, but when it comes to whether or not I am using my abilities to the fullest? I have to ask myself that question. I don¡¯t do much to actively aim to unlock the achievements, and I think there are many areas that I have yet to work on due to being swept away by the circumstances around me. To begin with, I have not yet fully grasped the full extent of my abilities.


    ¡°You¡¯re surprisingly condescending, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just trying to be objective. When it comes to fully utilizing my abilities, I¡¯m not that confident. I killed a lot of people before arriving here.¡±


    Perhaps I could have shed less blood.


    That said, I don¡¯t think what I¡¯ve done so far has been drastically wrong. It may not have been the best, but it would have been better. For the time being, however, Sylphy¡¯s goal of freeing her family has been achieved.


    ¡°I apologize. It¡¯s not the kind of thing to say at a celebration, is it?¡±


    ¡°No. We are the ones who have to accept everything, including those things.¡±


    ¡°That is true. Mother is right.¡±


    Driada-san agreed with Seraphita-san¡¯s words.


    Twenty years passed before the girls woke up. The number of subhumans who lost their lives or suffered misfortune, even if they did not die, due to the rule of the Holy Kingdom during that time is immeasurable. In addition, there were many soldiers of the Liberation Army who were killed by the Holy Kingdom in order to rescue them. They are now standing on the corpses of these people.


    ¡°What are we going to do now? We will have to make a decision.¡±


    It is no exaggeration to say that their existence is a direct cause of the attack on the Merinard Kingdom by the Holy Kingdom. The Holy Kingdom wanted their blood, even if it meant starting a war. If the girls are released from their slumber, the Holy Kingdom may invade the Merinard Kingdom again.


    If the Liberation Army regained the territory of the Merinard Kingdom, how would they treat the girls? Since Sylphy is the leader of the Liberation Army, it is unlikely that the girls will be treated lightly as their relatives, but does that mean that there is a place for them in the core of the revived Merinard Kingdom? That seems a bit subtle to me.


    Of course, it is not difficult to imagine that they will be treated reasonably as Sylphy¡¯s family, but I do not have a good idea about their political status, position, or what kind of role they will play. I don¡¯t have a clue about the hard stuff.


    ¡°Well¡­ I think it would be better to put all the hard talk to the side and just be happy to be reunited with family members.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who started the conversation.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s rude! Eat this!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s this¡­ Hot?¡±


    I offered the Takoyaki to Red Jersey after saying that. I¡¯ll tell her what¡¯s in it after she eats it all. And I¡¯ll give a SAN check to Red Jersey for eating that unidentifiable creature.

 CH 200

    Chapter 200 ¨C Royal Castle Meeting: Assessing the Current Situation


    After the meal, the royal family members were asked to rest, and the leaders of the Liberation Army were gathered for a meeting.


    However, Sylphy¡¯s mother, Seraphita-san, who was the queen of the former Merinard Kingdom, and Driada-san, Sylphy¡¯s older sister and the eldest of the four royal sisters, wanted to attend the meeting, so both of them were present as well.


    ¡°We will not interfere, so please just let us hear what you have to say.¡±


    ¡°Mother, sister. You must be tired since you just woke up from a long sleep.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re fine. Although If and Aqua seemed to have reached their limits.¡±


    The two royalty¡¯s smiles overrode Sylphy¡¯s concern. What can I say? The aura is different. It¡¯s like an overflowing sense of nobility. Every little gesture is noble. As for Sylphy¡­ I don¡¯t think so. I think she had an incomplete education as royalty from her upbringing, so it can¡¯t be helped.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. So, uh, first of all, reports from each department, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll report accordingly.¡±


    Melty then looked down at her notepad. I made that notepad with my crafting ability and gave it to her. I have been distributing it along with a ballpoint pen to Melty and other internal affairs officers, and it has been very popular with the internal affairs officers and the supply staff of the Liberation Army because it is very easy to use. I was told that they would never be able to go back to using parchment or wooden letters with quill pens again.


    ¡°First of all, regarding the prisoners of war of the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army, we have taken a total of 168 prisoners. All of them were wounded.¡±


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s a lot fewer than I thought, huh?¡±


    From what I¡¯ve seen, I think there were over 300 survivors. However, they weren¡¯t all physically intact. There must have been some soldiers of the Holy Kingdom army who were captured in Merinesburg. I think there are too few of them.


    ¡°We showed mercy to those who were seriously wounded with little hope of recovery or who were likely to suffer serious aftereffects even if they did recover.¡±


    I shudder at Melty, who says such a thing so casually. In other words, she was saying that she had put an end to them. We can¡¯t save everyone, is that it? A recovery potion made from Grande¡¯s blood might be able to restore the lost limbs, but it would be practically impossible to get it at several hundred scales.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t the Adol religion say anything about this?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Rather, we did so at the suggestion of the Adol clergy and at their own desire. I heard that wounded warriors who are not nobles or magician commoners are often unable to find good work and live in poverty.¡±


    We have no intention of abandoning our friends, Melty said, shrugging her shoulders. I guess this is another difference between the Holy Kingdom Army and the Liberation Army. In the case of the Liberation Army, thanks to the distribution of life potions, it is unlikely that they would suffer irreversible aftereffects, and even if they did, we would send them to the safe rear to become logistical support personnel. We can¡¯t all use the blood-based recovery potion, though.


    ¡°Continue.¡±


    ¡°Yes. As for these prisoners of war, the nobles and those with magic powers will be managed with magic restraints attached to them. Commoner soldiers who are not seriously injured will be treated the same as prisoners of war up to now. Basically, they will be used as diplomatic cards after diplomatic negotiations with the Holy Kingdom begin.¡±


    Melty, who had been urged by Sylphy to go on, continued.


    ¡°The number of prisoners of war still has some room, so I don¡¯t think there will be any problem taking prisoners of war from the defeated forces from the Holy Kingdom¡¯s home country that are on their way to us. However, considering the number of enemy wounded soldiers we have obtained from the battle so far, if we want to save more wounded soldiers, we will need to organize personnel specializing in rescue and prepare a large amount of Kosuke-san medicine.¡±


    ¡°I see. Regarding the formation of a rescue team, you should contact the saint tomorrow. Can you arrange the medicinal herbs? Kosuke should make the life potion with the herbs Melty collected.¡±


    ¡°Wait, Sylphy-ane. Kosuke¡¯s medicine works well, but we also need ordinary medicine. If we forcefully take the medicinal herbs available on the market, the price of medicines and medicinal herbs will skyrocket in Merinesburg, causing an epidemic and increasing discontent among the people.¡±


    ¡°Fumu¡­ what should we do?¡±


    Sylphy tilted her head at Isla¡¯s words.


    ¡°The price of medicinal herbs is high, and the people¡¯s dissatisfaction will grow. If we use Kosuke¡¯s power, we should be able to mass-produce a large amount of medicinal herbs in no time at all.¡±


    ¡°I see. Do you have the seeds and seedlings?¡±


    ¡°Kosuke has some. We can get the rest from the apothecary¡¯s store or the alchemist¡¯s store in the castle town. We could also have adventurers bring them to us from the nearby forest.¡±


    ¡°I see. Melty, please work with Isla on the procurement of medicinal herbs as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Understood. Next, I will report on the supplies we requisitioned in Merinesburg.¡±


    The summary of Melty¡¯s report was that there was enough food stored in Merinesburg for about two months. Two months¡¯ worth, huh?


    ¡°Does that mean we can stay in the city indefinitely?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, Yes.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    Seraphita-san and Driada-san were the only two who voiced their puzzlement. No, because, hey? If we have two months to spare, it would be easy to rearrange the plots in Merinesburg and make a large-scale field. If we take our time, it would be possible to create fields on the rooftops of all the houses where we can harvest crops in a short period. Of course, it would be necessary to change the shape of the houses, but that could be done in two months.


    ¡°There are some supplies that are not available in Merinesburg, so it may not be infinite¡­ Well, I am sure that the enemy will dry up first if we just stay in the castle. But that doesn¡¯t mean we¡¯re going to take such passive measures.¡±


    ¡°Sylphiel, what do you mean?¡±


    Driada-san asked Sylphy a question with a puzzled expression. Sylphy pondered for a bit and then opened her mouth.


    ¡°If we use Kosuke¡¯s power, we can harvest the crops in a short period. If Kosuke takes care of everything from one to ten, wheat will be harvested in three days.¡±


    ¡°¡­..?¡±


    Driada-san looked at Sylphy with an expression that said, ¡°What is this girl talking about?¡± She then looked at the people around ©¤©¤ Melty, Isla, and Sir Leonard ©¤©¤ who naturally all nodded their heads as if affirming Sylphy¡¯s words.


    ¡°???¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true. By the way, even if I don¡¯t take care of it, the farmland I have prepared can produce a crop in about two weeks, even if other people sow the seeds.¡±


    I added to Sylphy¡¯s words as she looked at me as well.


    ¡°Driada. It sounds ridiculous, but Kosuke-sama is a marebito. If everyone says so, then it must be true. So don¡¯t bother pointing it out.¡±


    ¡°Is¡­ that so? I am sorry.¡±


    ¡°No, we know better than most that Kosuke¡¯s powers are insane. No wonder Dri-aneesama can¡¯t believe it.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. It¡¯s a mass of absurdity.¡±


    Isla, who was the one who was most shaken by the unreasonableness of my ability, is looking at the bewildered Driada-san with an extremely kind eye. Because Isla still sometimes looks at me with a faraway look in her eye when she sees what I do.


    ¡°And then there¡¯s the matter of security in Merinesburg¡­ Leonard.¡±


    ¡°The Holy Kingdom¡¯s military facilities in Merinesburg have been taken care of without a problem. The guards are basically cooperating with us. As for security, we have already finished promulgating the curfew. We are planning to patrol around Merinesburg, focusing on those who have good night vision and capturing those who are acting suspiciously at night. We are working on it even as I speak.¡±


    ¡°The people we will be dealing with will be mainly humans, so¡­ make sure you do it properly.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    Sir Leonard nodded with a supremely serious expression at Sylphy¡¯s words. After all, Sir Leonard is very strict with the people of the Holy Kingdoms. As for Sylphy, she is probably worried about overdoing it.


    ¡°All that remains is¡­ the treatment of the Adol religion.¡±


    The atmosphere in the conference room instantly became heavier at Sylphy¡¯s words. Well, yes, it is a matter of concern. But I¡¯m against too much outrageous treatment.

 CH 201

    Chapter 201 ¨C The Matter About The Adol Religion


    ¡°I see. Well, that¡¯s a reasonable line.¡±


    The next day. Ellen, who heard the news about the Adol religion, quietly nodded her head in agreement.


    ¡°If you think it¡¯s reasonable, that¡¯s glad to hear.¡±


    Sylphy, who sat opposite Ellen, exhaled.


    The treatment of Adol religion was decided at last night¡¯s meeting. It was straightforward to maintain the status quo.


    Naturally, the Liberation Army¡¯s instructions will be followed, but we will return the Adol religion¡¯s property in Merinesburg as it is. In return, the Adol religion will stabilize the hearts and minds of the believers who visit the church.


    The Adol religion will also be asked to eliminate its anti-subhuman teachings according to the contents of the old scriptures discovered in the Great Omit Wilderness and to promote the spread of the Adol religion as it should be. A sudden change of policy would probably cause distrust among the people, so this will be a gradual process.


    We have obtained a tentative agreement that the budget given to the Adol religion by the Liberation Army or the administration will be revised after a close examination of how the current budget is being used. Ellen also seems to want to take this opportunity to get rid of the so-called ¡°money-grubbing¡± priests.


    Since such people are basically from the mainstream, she wants them to be banished or executed by making up appropriate charges. Ellen had a very nice smile on her face when we were talking about this topic. It seems that Ellen was quite annoyed with the stinkers in the mainstream group.


    And so, after all the discussion was over¡­


    ¡°Sylphy! Why are you showing such a soft face to this invader? They should all be crucified and then burned!¡±


    The red jersey, which had remained silent next to Sylphy until now, uttered an extremely radical remark. Hearing those words, Sylphy covered her eyes with one hand and let out a sigh, while Ellen gave me a ¡®what¡¯s with this stupid-looking tomboy¡¯ look from next to me. No, yes, I know exactly how Ellen feels.


    ¡°If-aneesama¡­ you promised not to talk, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­ isn¡¯t it strange! The Merinard Kingdom is in trouble because these people incited the Holy Kingdoms! And so it¡¯s strange that they¡¯re practically blameless!¡±


    The red jersey pointed at Ellen and shouted.


    ¡°It¡¯s already been twenty years since If-aneesama went to sleep. One generation has already passed in Merinesburg. Naturally, there are more and more Adol believers in Merinesburg. Under such circumstances, if we, who are in effective control of Merinesburg, massacre the clergy, it is obvious that the security situation will deteriorate significantly. Besides, Eleonora¡¯s sect is not a mainstream sect that advocates the exclusion of subhumans but a nostalgic sect that tries to protect the old teachings that advocate harmony with subhumans. It is also close to the philosophy of the former Merinard Kingdom. It is in our mutual interest to join hands and build a cooperative system.¡±


    ¡°But the Adol religion is our enemy! I mean, you! Why are you sitting next to her?¡±


    ¡°Eh, because it would be unbalanced if it were like three against one. It would be like we¡¯re pressuring her.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you on Sylphy¡¯s side! Sit over here! That¡¯s not right!¡±


    The red jersey screamed. She pointed at me and sat down and stamped her feet.


    ¡°Hey, Sylphy, is she really your sister? Is she really a princess? She¡¯s so far away from my image of a princess.¡±


    ¡°If-aneesama is a bit¡­ passionate.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a very thoughtful way of putting it.¡±


    ¡°It must be difficult for the Witch of the Black Forest to have a sister who¡¯s so inadequate.¡±


    ¡°Why are you all acting so unified!¡±


    Mukii! The red jersey shouted at us three with an angry glare! The red jersey is really a very loud one, geez.


    ¡°What if we do what you say and wipe out the Adol clergy, but then the believers start a riot? Are you going to wipe them out too? There are a lot of Adol believers and a good number of clergy in the territory of the Merinard Kingdom, you know?¡¡Do you want to crucify them all and burn them to ashes? Who stands to benefit from that?


    ¡°T-that¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°If you do that, you will never be able to make peace with the Holy Kingdom. Are you saying that we should kill each other until either the Holy Kingdom or we are completely destroyed? Hmm?¡±


    In fact, I think it¡¯s not impossible to clear the Holy Kingdom if we use magic sparkling stone bombs all over the place, but I have no intention of doing that.


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    Where did all that energy from earlier go? The red jersey immediately became silent¡­ If you¡¯re going to get all teary-eyed and silent at the slightest poke, then don¡¯t talk from the beginning, you idiot.


    ¡°Kosuke, just leave it at that. If-aneesama is, um¡­ still young, after all.¡±


    ¡°Young, you said, but she¡¯s Sylphy¡¯s sister, right?¡±


    ¡°That is true, but as an Elf, she is still a child¡­ although the age difference between us is almost gone after twenty years of sleep.¡±


    Sylphy then turns a concerned look at the red jersey. The red jersey that was looking down ©¤©¤ Ifrita-san was spilling tears from her azure eyes. Why are you crying? It¡¯s as if I made you cry.


    ¡°You made her cry. You made her cry.¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡±


    Ellen is expressionless, pointing at me with both index fingers.


    ¡°If-aneesama¡­ Um, we¡¯re not at the stage now where we just need to defeat the enemy anymore. We have to act with a view to making the Holy Kingdom agree to our demands and how we can bring this conflict to an end. If we do so, the existence of the Adol religion, which has a pipeline to negotiate with the Holy Kingdom, is indispensable for us. So we can¡¯t do what If-aneesama said.¡±


    ¡°Some of them can be burned to the ground to your heart¡¯s content, though. Or the stinking priests who drink in the daytime and take their women into their bedrooms.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to get my story straight, so don¡¯t mix it up¡­ Speaking of which, isn¡¯t your boss or whoever he is supposed to be getting here by now?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. He should be here today or tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ if he is, he should be caught in the reconnaissance alert by now. As soon as we find them, we¡¯ll contact you, and you can get ready to welcome them.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    Sylphy leaves the room with Ifrita, who is still shedding tears.


    ¡°You are not going with her?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the one who made her cry. Well, I can¡¯t stay too long with her.¡±


    Today, I have to make a field for making medicinal herbs and also life potions using the herbs that are gathered in a way that will have minimal impact on the market. I have a feeling that if I have to make a field, I will be forced to make not only a field for medicinal herbs but also a regular field. Potatoes and beans can be stored well and will not go to waste even if I start making them now. If there are any leftovers, they can be sold or used in soup kitchens or any number of other ways.


    ¡°You are also very busy. I have a strong image of you just lying in bed, though.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because we first met like that. I¡¯m actually a very hard worker, you know.¡±


    I said this and made a strong fist, and unexpectedly Ellen fell toward me. She laid her body on my lap and looked up at me with her back flat on the floor.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to work. Everyone is always coming at me with anxious eyes, calling me Saint-sama, Saint-sama. It¡¯s exhausting.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s tough. You work very hard, Ellen.¡±


    I gave her a combing stroke around her forehead, and her red eyes, which were looking up at my face, narrowed pleasantly. Hmm, cute. I wish I could skip work like this¡­ but that happiness didn¡¯t last long, and shortly after, a horned devil appeared and took me away to work.

 CH 202

    Chapter 202 ¨C Kosuke¡¯s Interest: In The Case of The Eldest Sister


    ¡°The Harpies are moving around in a hurry.¡±


    In the corner of the vast courtyard of the royal castle. I was digging up the soil with my mithril shovel to create a medicinal herb garden there. I looked up at the sky and muttered to myself.


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    The one who asked me this question was a beautiful woman with blue eyes. The pointed ears peeking out from between her gorgeous blonde hair like golden threads were loudly asserting what kind of race she was.


    ¡°Yes. Perhaps Ellen, I mean the saintess¡¯s boss ©¤ may have been captured. They seem to have arrived later than originally planned.¡±


    ¡°I see. It must be difficult to travel long distances by carriage.¡±


    The beautiful blonde woman, Driada-san, nodded her head in understanding.


    In this world, the means of long-distance travel is basically by horse-drawn carriage. However, carriage travel is often troublesome. Although they seem to have devised ways to prevent breakage by using demonized wood and other materials, axles break when they break, and wheels sometimes come off the axle and are damaged. An attack by monsters or bandits can cost not only time but also lives.


    Therefore, it is rather normal for a long-distance journey to be late. Well, Ellen¡¯s boss is the leader of the nostalgic faction, whose position in the Holy Kingdom is rapidly deteriorating, and there were probably various obstructions from the mainstream faction, the rival faction.


    ¡°But still, Kosuke-san is a mysterious person, isn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°Well, I am aware that I have not only one foot in the interesting people, but both feet in them, and I am immersed in them up to my shoulders.¡±


    Now that I can dig up a large area of soil with one swing of the shovel, I don¡¯t think I can deny Driada-san¡¯s words at all.


    ¡°Were these mysterious powers bestowed upon you by the spirits?¡±


    ¡°To tell you the truth, I don¡¯t really know. When I came to, I found myself in this world. I don¡¯t remember conversing with any spirits or gods. I entered the forest that was right in front of me in order to survive, and I suddenly became aware of my abilities, and just then, I met Sylphy.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ Um, how did you meet Sylphy? I¡¯m curious.¡±


    Driada-san asked me excitedly, her cheeks flushed with excitement. Meeting Sylphy. My encounter with Sylphy, right¡­


    ¡°I was knocked out of my bed in the morning when my vision didn¡¯t work.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°I was panting from the impact of the fall and tried to retrieve my weapon, but she stabbed me with a knife or something that went through the back of my hand and into the palm of my hand.¡±


    ¡°??¡±


    ¡±I was confused by the pain, and then I got kicked in the face. With the sole of her boot.¡±


    ¡°???¡±


    ¡°Then I fell down, and she stepped on me. Her boot on my head. My skull was creaking.¡±


    ¡°Um, you¡¯re talking about your encounter with Sylphy, aren¡¯t you¡­?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    Now that I remember it, I still feel a shiver down my spine. If Sylphy had intended to kill me, I would have ended up being strangled in my sleep without even waking up.


    ¡°The encounter was extremely violent. It really was.¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    Driada-san, who was probably expecting a romantic encounter, covered her eyes with one hand and let out a deep sigh.


    ¡°After that, well, I managed to avoid being killed and succeeded in exchanging information, I was taken to the village of the Elves, and when I was almost beaten up by all the refugees, who were not even the Liberation Army at the time, Sylphy saved me, and I was fitted with a slave collar, and became Sylphy¡¯s slave.¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡¯ll go talk to Sylphy-chan for a moment¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah! Aah! It¡¯s alright, it¡¯s alright! Sylphy enslaved me to protect me from the refugees and other Elves who hate humans! She was being nice to me!¡±


    I said this smilingly, desperately stopping Driada-san, who was about to leave the place while emitting something like a terrifying aura. If I let Driada-san go to Sylphy¡¯s, something terrible would happen.


    ¡°It was like that when we first met, but as we spent time together, she showed me a lot of her cute side, or rather, she really only behaved violently for the first day. The slavery after that was also to protect me after all, so it was unavoidable, totally unavoidable!¡±


    ¡°¡­If that¡¯s what Kosuke-san says, I¡¯ll keep Sylphy-chan¡¯s secret in my heart.¡±


    Although she looked unconvinced, she seemed to have decided to stop her attempts toward Sylphy, at least for the moment. Thank goodness, I thought it was over.


    ¡°Can I ask you a simple question?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Why is Driada-san standing here observing my work?¡±


    I asked her this while designating the area where I would place the agricultural blocks, and she answered my question honestly.


    ¡°I wanted to know what kind of person Sylphy¡¯s friend is. It seems that her body has grown up enough, but for my mother and me, she is still just a child.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Sylphy is still a child, according to their perception, before the age of adulthood. Due to the peculiar ecology of Elves, Sylphy¡¯s body has grown to the point where she can hardly be called a child, and her spirit may be quite mature due to the harsh conditions, but from the Elves¡¯ point of view, Sylphy is definitely still a child. Driada-san, the eldest of the four sisters, and her mother, Seraphita-san, are naturally curious to know what kind of person I am who is acting as Sylphy¡¯s companion.


    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t say what my evaluation is from myself¡­ but I can assure you that I love Sylphy, and I¡¯m sure Sylphy thinks so too. As for Isla and the Harpies and Melty and Ellen and Grande¡­ well, I¡¯ll just say that they¡¯ve given their consent.¡±


    I look at her with a distant look in my eyes. But there are no excuses now. They are all important people to me. In my original world, that would be the worst kind of scum talk, but in this world, it¡¯s different.


    ¡°It¡¯s wonderful that you can deal with so many women and not worry about them. Would you like to add a few more?¡±


    ¡°Hyiee¡­ tell that to Sylphy and the others.¡±


    Ever since I came to this castle, I have been targeted by three Slime girls who are literally unstoppable and bottomless. If there were more of them, my life would be in danger. My survival instincts are acutely aware of the potential danger to Driada-san.


    ¡°I understand; I will do so.¡±


    Saying that, Driada-san left the courtyard with light steps. Eh? Are you serious? Are you seriously going to ask them? How can I say no without getting into the corners? What should I do?


    ¡°¡­Let¡¯s hope Sylphy can help me.¡±


    After thinking so hard that steam was coming out of my head, I decided to abandon my thoughts and get down to work. I¡¯ve got to build a herb garden. We need it to reduce the number of deaths as much as possible. I should also plant some fields so that we don¡¯t overproduce. Fruit trees are also good.


    Oh, maybe grapes that can be eaten as is, made into wine, or dried and made into raisins? Alright, I¡¯ll go for it!


    I was going to work hard in the fields to forget about the inconvenience and the anxiety about the harsh future that might come.

 CH 203

    Chapter 203 ¨C Contact with the Unknown: The Case of the Third Sister


    Hey, it¡¯s Kosuke. The castle is getting hectic, but I¡¯m Kosuke, not particularly called upon.


    Yeah, well, there¡¯s no need for me to be there to greet Ellen¡¯s boss. It¡¯s enough just for Sylphy, who is the leader of the Liberation Army, and Melty or Sir Leonard as her assistant. My position in the Liberation Army is practically the number two after Sylphy, but in fact, I don¡¯t have an official position like Isla, Melty, Sir Leonard, Danan, or Ms. Zamir, such as captain of the Mage Corps, the first in command of the internal affairs office, or a general.


    So even though the royal castle is getting hectic like this, I¡¯m still quietly doing the work assigned to me.


    ¡°Jii¡­¡± [T/n: It¡¯s like someone staring at you, I think you guys might have seen it in anime.]


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡°Jii¡­¡±


    While enduring the gaze of the Elf princess, who is looking at me from the shadows with high pressure. Haha. It¡¯s cute that she says ¡°Jii¡± with her mouth. Isn¡¯t it adorable? Well, the gaze she¡¯s giving me isn¡¯t friendly at all. HAHAHA!


    Then, I turned my gaze to her.


    ¡°¡­..!¡±


    The Elf princess quickly hides from my gaze, but as she does so, her bluish silver hair softly flutters and hides a little later, so it is easy to see who is looking at me. She is small in stature and is definitely the third of the four sisters, Aquawill-chan¡­ or, since she is older than me, I guess I would call her Aquawill-san¡­? Anyway, I am sure it is her.


    I think as I plant medicinal herb seeds in the courtyard field of the royal castle, which I have finished digging up and laying out the farm blocks. Why on earth is she watching me? Well, if I think about it in order, is it because I am the person who is closest to Sylphy? She must be convinced that I am a marebito, but I guess the human race itself is something she cannot trust.


    From her point of view, it was only a few days ago that her father sacrificed his own life to keep them alive after being hunted down by the people of the Holy Kingdom. So such a kind human is taking up with her own sister, proclaiming to be a marebito.


    A little sister¡­ Yeah, it¡¯s a little sister. Sylphy is her little sister. By all appearances, Aquawill-san¡¯s physique is about the same as Isla¡¯s, which means that she¡¯s the same size as a girl with a small to medium size, but she¡¯s still Sylphy¡¯s older sister.


    ¡°¡­Sweet treats!¡±


    ¡°¡­..!¡±


    Such a simple invitation would make her long ears pop out from the shadows, and she would react with a twitch! I was worried about her, especially since she is Sylphy¡¯s older sister. However, this reaction made me wonder if she was not watching me because she was worried about Sylphy but simply wanted to see how things were going for the sake of sweet treats? Suspicion surfaced, but she is still Sylphy¡¯s older sister.


    When I looked up at the sky, where the Harpies that had been flying around had calmed down, I realized that it was almost time for a snack, judging from the tilt of the sun. It has been about half a year since I came to this world, and I have been living without a clock. I have come to be able to guess the approximate time by the position of the sun. It¡¯s really only a rough estimate, though.


    At any rate, I¡¯ve finished planting the medicinal herb seedlings as far as I can go, so it¡¯s time to take a break. The only other thing I have to do now is to install an infinite water source. It would be better to consult with Isla and decide on the water supply. Even if I wanted to make an automatic water supply system, I would need Isla to make the magic tools for me.


    So, I took a short break. I took out a wet towel from my inventory, cleaned my hands and face from the dirt, and set up a wooden table and two chairs on the ground that had not been used as farmland.


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    Both of us, staring at each other¡­! Instead, I set up sweets on the table and beckoned her with a smile. The sweets I set up were the new strawberry parfait. The artistically shaped cream and bright red strawberries on top of the glass are an eye-catching gem.


    ¡°Let¡¯s eat together!¡±


    ¡°¡­..!¡±


    Of course, I served two strawberry parfaits. It was impossible for me and her to share one parfait. In my case, if I can make one, people know I can make many more, so I¡¯d rather not have to deal with that situation with anyone. There is no concept of kyaa kyaa ufufufu over parfaits together in this world. [T/n: Probably about a couple that is flirting with each other over a parfait.]


    Aquawill-san, who had been watching me, came out of the shadows and ran up to me and stopped.


    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±


    It seemed that it was not good for her to come out in front of me.


    ¡°Well, well, well. I might be able to understand what I can¡¯t understand just by looking at you if I talk to you.¡±


    I don¡¯t know if she was convinced by my words or not, but Aquawill-san took her seat despite her wariness toward me. She then took the parfait spoon I offered her, said in a small voice, ¡°Itadakimasu,¡± and made a small bow before beginning to eat her parfait.


    ¡°¡­..!!¡±


    ¡°Mmm, yummy, yummy. It¡¯s so good.¡±


    The taste of sweet cream, strawberry sauce, and sweet and sour strawberries spread in my mouth. Each creates a perfect harmony in the mouth, and a happy feeling fills the heart. I like the balance of sweetness and sourness. I think this will be popular even among those who do not like sweets.


    ¡°So, why is Your Highness keeping an eye on me?¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    When I asked her that, she hurriedly stopped eating her parfait and turned her gaze on me. The look in her eyes was clearly hostile, if not outright hostile, but at least not in a positive way.


    ¡°Uh, did I do something to offend Your Highness¡­?¡±


    ¡°¡­You bullied If-aneesama.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    I was taken aback when I discovered the cause of her not-very-favorable attitude. Sure, I made the red jersey cry, but that was only because the red jersey insisted on screwing around, and I stuffed it up. I may have been a little unpopular with the naive young lady, but the argument she made was unacceptable. I have no intention of retracting my previous statement.


    However, it seems that Aquawill-san was quite rational when she looked at me, who made the red jersey cry like this, and tried to find out what the truth was about. Fumu.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how Your Highness understands the situation, so I¡¯ll tell you what happened if you can understand it from my point of view.¡±


    ¡°¡­I will listen.¡±


    Aquawill-san nodded, and I carefully explained the circumstances that made Ifrita, aka red jersey, cry.


    I explained that Ifrita¡¯s ideas and those of us in the Liberation Army had diverged greatly, that Ifrita¡¯s insistence was radical enough to drag not only the clergy but also other Adol believers, the Liberation Army, and the people of the Merinard Kingdom into the mud of a fierce struggle. Above all, the Adol believers and the Adol nostalgics were essential because they would be our bridge to the Holy Kingdom in order to end the war.


    ¡°That¡¯s the reason. In fact, it would be too great a sacrifice to follow Ifrita¡¯s advice in the current situation. I know that my decision is not in accordance with her and Your Highness¡¯s hearts, but I cannot accept it.¡±


    ¡°¡­I see. I understand now why If-aneesama insisted on something so wild and out of line.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°That said, I think you could have explained it in a more conciliatory way so as not to make If-aneesama cry, as you just explained it to me.¡±


    ¡°Mm¡­¡±


    I am weak when you say that. It is true that my tone may have been aggressive because of my sales pitch. I might have looked down on Ifrita and said, ¡°What are you talking about when you don¡¯t know anything about it?¡±


    ¡°If-aneesama has a short and fierce temper, but at the same time, she is a sensitive person with a sensitive heart. Please be a little gentler with her. Please.¡±


    ¡°I understand. I will reflect on it.¡±


    When she stared at me with her beautiful aquamarine eyes, it was hard for me to refuse. She is small, but she has a presence that makes you feel as if you can¡¯t say no to her. U-umu, Is this the charisma of royalty?


    ¡°Yes, you are a good and honest person, aren¡¯t you? As expected of Sylphy¡¯s husband.¡±


    She smiled and began to eat the parfait again. The presence of the person who is not to be taken lightly until now is nowhere to be seen. The figure of the person who enjoyed the parfait is full of cuteness.


    ¡°Mmm¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡±


    I shook my head at Aquawill-san, who looked puzzled and began to eat my parfait again.


    She¡¯s royalty, after all. Even though she looked young, she¡¯s not something to be taken lightly. But when I think about it, I think about how disappointing the red jersey is.

 CH 204

    Chapter 204 ¨C What Should I Do Now


    ¡°Thank you for the meal. I¡¯m glad we had a chance to talk. I hope we can continue to be on good terms with each other.¡±


    After finishing her strawberry parfait, Aquawill-san expressed her gratitude with a graceful gesture and left. That¡¯s it, a courtesy kind of thing. Driada-san was like a friendly older sister, but Aquawill-san was an intelligent and polite princess.


    My first impression was that she was a timid princess who was hiding behind her sister¡­ No, maybe that appearance right after she woke up from sleep is her true nature. Maybe she is able to behave in a way that gives a different impression now that things have settled down and she has more leeway in her mind. I¡¯ll have to keep an eye on her.


    And since Aquawill-san also rebuked me. I will apologize to the red jersey ©¤ Ifrita, later. It is true that I got emotional and said too much.


    But even if I want to apologize, I can¡¯t just leave my work behind. I¡¯ll have to finish my assigned work first. The fields that can be cultivated at high speed can only be done by me.


    That¡¯s why I silently dig up the soil with a shovel, place the farm blocks, and plow with a hoe. The work itself is easy now that I can handle a large area at once.


    Once the farmland is ready, I plant herb seedlings and seeds, which is the most time-consuming part because I have to do it one block at a time. Well, I can plant while moving backward with the command action, though. The problem is that people around me would look at me like I¡¯m weird if I moved without moving my legs. It¡¯s convenient, though.


    ¡°So that¡¯s about it.¡±


    After planting seedlings and seeds in about half of the herb garden, I ran out of stock. The rest will stay that way until Isla or Melty can get them for me.


    ¡°The rest is¡­¡±


    I think about what else is left to work on. I have built a facility to hold prisoners of war. The distribution of supplies, including weapons and ammunition, has also been completed in preparation for the subjugation force coming from the Holy Kingdom. The only thing left to do is to mass-produce weapons and ammunition.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    I think it will probably be done with just the machine guns of the riflemen¡¯s corps. I¡¯ve made plenty of ammunition available for the machine guns, so I¡¯m sure there will probably be enough. No matter how much the Holy Kingdom army, if the vanguard is destroyed by the machine gun sweep of the opening shot, they will not push too hard.


    But, I think that when religion is involved, they might push in without regard to the rate of wear and tear and so on. Maybe I¡¯m prejudiced, but I don¡¯t know. If that¡¯s the case, I might have to show them more fear than faith¡­ Hmm. Should I make the automatic grenade launcher I¡¯ve been working on a prototype for full-scale operation? It has a range of about 1,500 meters and a load capacity of 48 rounds.


    The multipurpose grenade has a kill radius of 5 meters, a damage radius of 15 meters, and can penetrate 50mm of armor in the case of a direct hit. I don¡¯t know how strong the chorus magic of the mage unit, which is said to be the Holy Kingdom army¡¯s tiger cubs, is, but there is no way they can survive being shot with a multipurpose grenade that can penetrate 50mm of armor. It may be a little overpowered, but I¡¯ll make some ammunition. If it is to be operated from the top of the ramparts, it should be able to cover a wide area.


    However, if I did that, the Holy Kingdom would probably recognize me as an enemy or perhaps as a Demon King. This is not the time to worry about it, though. If they still come at us, I will crush them once and for all and then make a second request for them to surrender. That should settle the matter if the other side is sane.


    ¡°I need iron, copper, and gunpowder.¡±


    We have a good stock of all of them, but it would be better to procure them as soon as possible for future use. The stable manure used to make gunpowder can be found in the sewers, so the problem is iron and copper. If I want to get them quickly, I should ask Poizo to go out with me and collect swamp iron ore from the sewers. Although I am not sure if we can call that sewage iron ore ¡°swamp iron ore¡± or not.


    ¡°Poizo, is Poizo here?¡±


    ¡°Did you call for me-nodesu?¡±


    In the courtyard, the ground is dirt, and there are no walls nearby, so I wondered if Poizo would come out, but she came out from somewhere without any problem. How did she really come out? Really.


    ¡°I¡¯m in desperate need of iron and copper. I need that metal from the sewers.¡±


    ¡°I understand-nodesu. Where do you want me to take it-nodesu?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    Poizo thought for a moment and shook her head.


    ¡°There are some places that require a bit of walking, so I¡¯ll bring it over here-nanodesu. Kosuke doesn¡¯t know when you¡¯ll be called, so it¡¯s best not to go too far-nodesu.¡±


    ¡°Mm, is that so¡­? I see.¡±


    There is indeed a possibility that I may be called out suddenly. After all, my ability to do many things is much more versatile than I thought. It would be bad not to be able to get in touch in case of an emergency.


    ¡°I still have a lot of leeway, though.¡±


    ¡°Then you should go to the salon-nodesu.¡±


    ¡°Salon?¡±


    ¡°Yes-nanodesu.¡±


    The salon is a kind of common room around the royal quarters, right? It is the place where Sylphy¡¯s frozen sisters, the queen, and the lost king used to be.


    ¡°It¡¯s a good place to go-nanodesu.¡±


    ¡°¡­..?¡±


    I can¡¯t read Poizo¡¯s intention, but since she says so, she must really mean it. At least that¡¯s what I think she¡¯s trying to tell me. There¡¯s no reason for Poizo to be plotting against me. It¡¯s easier and faster to simply crush me and bury me in the darkness than to try to trick me, and she has the power to do that.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I get it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s good to be obedient-nodesu.¡±


    I decided to leave Poizo and head to the salon. I already know where it is, so I don¡¯t get lost. I walked to the royal quarters, looking sideways at the human maids and sisters who had worked at the castle from the beginning, who were moving somewhat hurriedly. The frozen royalty quarters were an untouchable area for the people who worked in the castle, so as I approached, the hustle and bustle of the place became less and less.


    By the time I reached the corridor that led to the royal quarters, the hustle and bustle of the castle had already become a distant reverberation. I continue down the corridor and open the door to the salon, thinking that the atmosphere is somewhat dreary.


    ¡°¡­.?¡±


    Poizo must have said something good would happen, but the salon seemed to be empty. Well, it doesn¡¯t matter if no one is there. Not sure about this.


    I scratched my head. It would be boring to just turn around and wander aimlessly around the castle. Since I¡¯ve come to the common room, which is furnished with a nice sofa, it might be nice to relax by myself once in a while.


    Incidentally, the sofa here was brought in from the unfrozen section of the castle. The one that was originally here was exposed to extremely low temperatures for 20 years, and it soon deteriorated.


    When I approached the sofa, wondering if I should sit down on it, I almost screamed.


    ¡°¡­Suu,¡±


    There, I found Ifrita sleeping, not in a red jersey but in a princess-like dress. She was lying on the sofa, so I didn¡¯t notice her presence until I got closer.


    ¡°¡­Hmm.¡±


    I was surprised to see Ifrita sleeping quietly like this, and I realized that she was a princess, too. She has an extremely well-developed face, as she is Sylphy¡¯s older sister. She¡¯s a beautiful woman when she keeps her mouth shut, which is exactly what she is now.


    ¡°Mmm¡­¡±


    Is it really good that I got to see her innocent sleeping face like this? I don¡¯t know what Poizo¡¯s intention was. But it is obvious what would happen if she suddenly woke up. She will probably say something like, ¡°Don¡¯t look at my sleeping face without my permission,¡± or ¡°Get away from me, you animal,¡± and then she will probably shoot out some magic.


    It would be wise to leave before that happens. Yeah, I guess so. That¡¯s what I decided, and I immediately left the place.


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    My eyes met with a pair of azure eyes that snapped open.

 CH 205

    Chapter 205 ¨C How To Use the Request: In The Case of the Second Daughter


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    If this had been a sleepy eye, I might have been able to get by with a quiet fade out, but it was clearly a wide-open eye. You¡¯re a good sleeper, aren¡¯t you?


    How should I do it? What to do? Think, think, Kosuke! It¡¯s okay; fortunately, I have stone wall blocks in my shortcut, thanks to the prisoner of war camp I had built the other day. So if I sense danger, I can immediately defend myself. That¡¯s what I¡¯m going to do here¡­!


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    Kosuke is waiting to see what happens!


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡°¡­Say something!¡±


    ¡°I thought you had a pretty sleeping face.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s with the formal tone? It¡¯s your style to not think of royalty as royalty, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who¡¯s talking about style¡­¡±


    Ifrita, not at all interested in what I had to say, raised herself up and gave a small yawn. As a princess or a young lady, how can you yawn in front of people?


    ¡°So? What? Did you come to rape me like Sylphy, Melty, and many others?¡±


    ¡°No, I just don¡¯t understand people who choose to wear a red jersey for everyday wear.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what it is, but I know I¡¯m being ridiculed.¡±


    Sitting across the table from each other, I pass over Ifrita¡¯s cold stare and decide to sit down. Well, what should I do now that I¡¯m sitting down? I am glad to see that her reaction was more conciliatory than I had expected.


    ¡°So what was it? Uh, am I going to rape you, you say? No, I don¡¯t think so. In many ways.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by in many ways?¡±


    ¡°First of all, I don¡¯t think I have the guts to touch a woman myself. It is impossible to touch a woman who is sleeping.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s something you need to talk about.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to clear up a misconception. I¡¯m not eating them up. Instead, I¡¯m the one being eaten by them.


    ¡°I-is that so¡­?¡±


    I don¡¯t know if she sensed the seriousness in my eyes, but Ifrita gave me a sorry look while pulling back a little. I think it¡¯s fair to say that I jumped at the opportunity to make a move or that I was bonded by the feelings that were directed straight at me, but I think it¡¯s fair to claim that I¡¯ve simply preyed upon every night since we first started our relationship.


    ¡°I told Poizo what had happened, and she told me that it would be good for me to come here. The task was over, so I came to see what it was all about, and there was no one here. I walked through the entrance to sit on the sofa and found you sleeping. Your sleeping face was so cute that I couldn¡¯t help gazing at it. But it doesn¡¯t change the fact that I gazed at your sleeping face without permission. I¡¯m sorry about that.¡±


    ¡°You apologized honestly, huh?¡±


    ¡°If you feel I¡¯ve done something wrong, I¡¯ll apologize. And I said too much the other day. I don¡¯t want to take back what I said, but I think there was a way to put it. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Saying this, I bowed my head once again.


    ¡°¡­Right.¡±


    Ifrita lowered her eyes and said in a small voice. What the heck, you¡¯re looking pretty meek, aren¡¯t you? I wonder if she¡¯s not feeling well unless she¡¯s wearing the red jersey, after all.


    ¡°Ah¡­ what is it? Uh. You see. I owe you two things for seeing you sleeping and for saying too much.¡±


    ¡°¡­And?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do you a favor or two, to the best of my ability. That¡¯s my way of apologizing.¡±


    It was not nice to watch this fellow smoldering in the sun. It was out of this feeling that the words came out.


    ¡°¡­You¡¯ll do me two favors, you say?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. If you like the food you ate last time, I¡¯ll serve it to you, and I¡¯ll make you beautiful ornaments, clothes, swords, spears, armor, or anything else you like. A sword or a spear for a girl might be too much, though.¡±


    ¡°Are you willing to do whatever that is within your power?¡±


    ¡°As long as I can. But no taking you to fight the Holy Kingdom, or destroying every last one of the Holy Kingdom¡¯s people, or dying on the spot, or anything like that. Please keep it within the bounds of common sense.¡±


    ¡°Well then¡­¡±


    Ifrita uttered the strangest words!


    ¡°¡­Come again?¡±


    I want to repeat what you said to me 10 seconds ago. No, stop, don¡¯t be too hasty!


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    ¡°¡­Kosuke?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°What does this mean?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ to be honest, I don¡¯t really know what¡¯s going on either, you know?¡±


    ¡°You are not lying, but you are not telling the truth either.¡±


    The Saint of Truth!


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be precise. I can explain how it happened, but I don¡¯t know how it happened. This fellow won¡¯t talk to me either.¡±


    Sylphy and Ellen look down at me with a cold stare. Beyond their gaze, they saw Ifrita with her head resting on my lap, looking back at them unconcernedly. Yes, she was on my lap.


    ¡°Then tell me how it happened. If you make any mistakes¡­ you understand it, right?¡±


    Sylphy glanced at Ellen. Ellen, whose gaze was directed at me by Sylphy, kept looking down at me with her red jade eyes. I was exposed to her gaze, and even if I told a lie, she would see right through it, just like before.


    ¡°After finishing my task in the courtyard, Poizo told me to come here for some good things to happen to me. Then I saw this fellow sleeping on this sofa. I was looking at her sleeping face, thinking how cute she was, and then she woke up.¡±


    ¡°I told you to call me by my name, not this fellow.¡±


    The princess on my lap said something to me.


    ¡°¡­I thought it was bad manners to look at Ifrita¡¯s sleeping face without permission, so I apologized. I also apologized to her for the way I had spoken to her the other day, regardless of the content of the conversation. Ifrita still seemed depressed, so I told her I would do her two favors for two apologies, that is, twice, to the best of my ability.¡±


    Sylphy and Ellen squinted their eyes. Hyiee¡­ I¡¯m sorry that I was so careless, so please forgive me.


    ¡°Ifrita heard it and said, ¡°Be mine.¡± I didn¡¯t know why she said that, but I told her that I was already Sylphy¡¯s and that I couldn¡¯t do that. I said I can¡¯t just be Ifrita¡¯s now.¡±


    ¡°¡­Fumu.¡±


    Sylphy¡¯s cold, sharp gaze softened. Good.


    ¡°But Ifrita replied, ¡°You said you would do whatever you could. And make me a part of your harem.¡± So I called Lime and invited the two of you to come. I thought I should go to you myself, but for the second favor, she asked for a lap pillow¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    I had to do what she said because a lap pillow is not a ¡®request¡¯ to the extent that it is unfulfillable.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t lie, did I?¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Sylphy nodded and looked at Ifrita.


    ¡°Well then, let¡¯s let If-aneesama explain the rest of this to us, shall we?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care. I don¡¯t have any good reason.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a lie.¡±


    Ellen, with her red eyes that can see the truth, quickly denies Ifrita¡¯s statement.


    ¡°¡­She was jealous of the fact that Sylphy had found a husband before her.¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡±


    ¡°So you were just envious of me, but you don¡¯t have any particular feelings for Kosuke, do you?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. From the moment I met this guy, there was no point that I had any feelings for him. I don¡¯t care about him.¡±


    Ifrita snorted at Sylphy¡¯s comment as she said this on my lap. Yeah, I knew that was the case, but to be told so straightforwardly is going to crack my glass heart.


    ¡°That¡¯s a lie.¡±


    ¡°¡±¡±¡­..¡±¡±¡±


    Why?


    ¡°That is a lie.¡±


    Since it was important, she said it twice. Ellen said so with an expressionless face, and Ifrita shook her head.


    ¡°Ugh, it¡¯s not a lie! Stop saying random things!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a lie, isn¡¯t it? I swear to the Lord God Adol, it¡¯s a lie.¡±


    Ifrita vigorously raised herself from my lap pillow, her face turning red, and shouted.


    In response, Ellen shook her head, saying so with a blank expression on her face, and waved her fingertips to cut the glowing cross, the holy seal. I heard later that this means that I swear to God I am telling the truth.


    When I looked at Sylphy, she seemed to be thinking about something as she folded her arms and put her hand on her thin chin. No, you don¡¯t have to consider it so seriously, okay?


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter with you? You¡¯ve been telling lies and telling the truth since a while ago! I¡¯m not lying!¡±


    ¡°I swear I am only speaking the truth. The Lord God Adol gave me these eyes.¡±


    ¡°I had not yet told If-aneesama, but she is a saint of the Adol religion. According to Isla, her eye is like a kind of magic eye. She has the ability to tell if what others say is true or false. As a result of experiments, the accuracy rate is 100% so far.¡±


    I don¡¯t know if Isla was conducting such experiments without my knowledge¡­ Well, I guess it was necessary for Sylphy and the others, which are not followers of the Adol religion or anything, to trust Ellen¡¯s abilities.


    ¡°U¡­¡±


    ¡°U?¡±


    ¡°Uwaaaaa! Sylphy¡¯s an idiot!¡±


    Perhaps unable to stay due to embarrassment, Ifrita suddenly stood up and ran out of the salon crying. She was so quick.


    ¡°Should I, um, go after her?¡±


    ¡°Leave her alone. She will calm down and come back.¡±


    Sylphy sat down next to me. Ellen sat on the other side. I was sandwiched between them.


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s talk about what to do about this idiot who makes careless remarks.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Forgive me.¡±


    Sandwiched between the witch and the saint, there was only one thing left for me to do. It was the so-called first move of total surrender.

 CH 206

    Chapter 206 ¨C Saint¡¯s Complaints


    ¡°In the first place. What does it mean to sprinkle powder here and there before you put your hands on me? There is also a dragon-men girl. Moreover, I heard that you have already made a move on her, even though she is someone you met after you met me.¡±


    Ellen, who was in a bad mood to the point where an onomatopoeia ¡°punpun*¡± could be heard, is lecturing me. Kosuke. I mean, is she already met with Grande face-to-face? [T/n: State of being furious or angry.]


    ¡°W-who told you that¡­?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Poizo-san.¡±


    ¡°That evil bubble slime!¡±


    I could see Poizo¡¯s face in my head. The bad news is that I¡¯m in no way a match for the three slime girls, including Poizo, so I can¡¯t retaliate in any way. No, well, it is only Poizo who stirs up the scene by doing this.


    ¡°¡­You haven¡¯t laid a hand on her yet?¡±


    Sylphy gives me a warm, fresh look. Stop, don¡¯t look at me with those eyes.


    ¡°Saint, Kosuke can be quite a wimp.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°Not so much once the first move is made, but you have to push as hard as you can on the first move. You have to repeatedly provoke him to the point of blatant provocation, or you have to push him over the edge yourself.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    Hearing Sylphy¡¯s words, Saint-sama turned her crimson eyes, which were tinged with the light of a lecherousness unworthy of her title.


    ¡°T-that¡¯s not it¡­ W-wait! Sylphie!¡±


    ¡°Kosuke, it¡¯s your fault. If you wanted to make a move, you would have had plenty of chances. Don¡¯t make her wait too long.¡±


    ¡°No, you know what? Ellen is the head of the Adol religion in this area, and she¡¯s a saint. I can¡¯t just casually lay my hands on her like that¡­¡±


    ¡°If you say that, I¡¯m the leader of the Liberation Army and a royal of the former Merinard Kingdom, you know? Isla is a court mage who was called a prodigy of the old Merinard kingdom and the head of the Liberation Army¡¯s magic corps, while Melty has no special title but is a rare demon species with a secret mission to protect the royal family. The Harpies are now the elite who form the core of the Liberation Army¡¯s strength, and even Grande is like the princess of the grand dragons who dwell in the depths of the Black Forest, right?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t even think of anything else to say.


    ¡°How do you generally agree to put your hands on them? Should we have a big wedding ceremony? When will that be? Is it after the war with the Holy Kingdom is over, and the country is at peace? Are you just going to neglect it until then?¡±


    ¡°T-that¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    I was at a loss for words and turned my gaze to Ellen, and my eyes met her crimson eyes.


    ¡°Um¡­ I think it¡¯s up to Ellen¡­ to decide what to do.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re weak-willed, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Kosuke¡­¡±


    Ellen¡¯s gaze turned contemptuous, and Sylphy called my name in disgust.


    ¡°Because it can¡¯t be helped! I¡¯m too much in awe to touch a beautiful woman like Ellen myself! In the first place, by the standards of my world, it¡¯s extremely inappropriate to touch a number of women! I¡¯ve cracked that ethic since I¡¯ve been here, but it¡¯s still too high a hurdle! The ethics I developed until I reached a good age can¡¯t be changed so easily, you know?¡±


    To begin with, I¡¯m a relatively well-behaved civilian. I¡¯m not the kind of person with good communication skills who plays team games against others. I¡¯m an introvert who prefers to play survival-type games where you have to manage harsh situations with wisdom and skill.


    ¡°Well¡­ it¡¯s important to have that kind of ethics in Kosuke¡¯s world, I suppose.¡±


    ¡°Right?¡±


    ¡°But this world has its own ethics.¡±


    Ellen suddenly leaned her weight on me as if she was going to stretch out. Oh, the comfortable weight and softness¡­!


    ¡°That reaction indicates that you¡¯re reasonably honest about your desires¡­ but the barrier that prevents you from crossing the last line looks like a thin film and is unnecessarily sturdy.¡±


    ¡°I know that. That¡¯s what you call being a quiet lecher.¡±


    ¡°Where do you come up with words like that, Saint-sama?¡±


    Also, I think I¡¯m a little bit different from a quiet lecher. I¡¯m not pretending that I¡¯m not interested in sexual matters.


    ¡°Anyway, I understand. I apologize from the bottom of my heart for making Ellen wait, and I¡¯ll do something about it as soon as possible¡­¡±


    ¡°Tonight. I¡¯ll make the arrangements,¡± said Sylphy.


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    ¡°Wait, wait, wait. That¡¯s too fast. Isn¡¯t it too early? Can we just relax a little longer?¡±


    ¡°No. You¡¯ll just keep saying that and keep postponing it.


    That¡¯s what it means to lose your nerve. I looked at Ellen as if to ask for help, but she was blushing with a blank expression on her face. Her eyes are slightly unfocused. This seems to be no good.


    ¡°I mean, seriously, are you sure? About various things.¡±


    ¡°No problem, we¡¯ve already talked about it. We have already handed the scriptures to Archbishop Deckard. All that¡¯s left is for Kosuke to prove himself with a crown of luminosity or something like that after dinner. Ah, this evening, Mother, my sisters, the saint, and the archbishop, and we will gather for dinner. Sorry, but I need you to prepare the meal.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes.¡±


    Archbishop Deckard¡­ was the name of Ellen¡¯s boss, I think. It was noisy during the day, and he must have arrived at that time. So, when the response was over, Sylphy and Ellen came over to us.


    [T/n: I was wrong before, I assumed Archbishop Deckard is a she, but he¡¯s actually a he.]


    The reason why she asked me to prepare the meal was to show Archbishop Deckard my power and as a precaution against poisoning him. With the food I serve, there is no fear of poisoning unless I put poison in the food on the spot. The mainstream forces have been cleared out of the castle, but there is no way to guarantee that there will be no leaks.


    As I was thinking this, Ellen stood up suddenly and vigorously.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to take a bath.¡±


    ¡°Fast. That was fast.¡±


    ¡°As I recall, the mood-enhancing incense was among the items confiscated from the mainstream corrupted priests¡­ Melty-san is in charge of the confiscated items. Perhaps I should consult with Isla-san about it as well.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t do it. Just be normal, just be normal!¡±


    Ellen left the room while mumbling something. Aaaaah¡­ seriously, that kind of thing is bad; let¡¯s not do it. Let¡¯s hope for Melty and Isla¡¯s conscience. Is it impossible? I guess it is impossible. If push comes to shove, let¡¯s get Lime to help me. If it is Lime, I¡¯m sure she will do something about it.


    ¡°¡­You are very attentive to the saint, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    This time, Sylphy looks a little dissatisfied. Oh, geez¡­


    ¡°I have to confess I¡¯m feeling a little nervous. It¡¯s not that I¡¯m unstable, but the swings are too big or too extreme¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­I can kind of understand that. I feel the same way as I did before I met Kosuke.¡±


    When Sylphy heard my words, she pulled back her disgruntled expression and became serious. It seems that she was not in a serious mood.


    ¡°Before you met me? Did you change so much after you met me¡­?¡±


    I didn¡¯t know much about Sylphy before she met me, so I can¡¯t really feel it.


    ¡°Yeah, I think I have changed. I¡¯ve changed because I¡¯m able to be spoiled by Kosuke like this.¡±


    After saying that, Sylphy leaned over to me and rested her head on my shoulder. I was a little tickled by the touch of her silky silver hair on my cheek.


    ¡°I have spent my early adulthood as Sylphiel, the Witch of the Black Forest, with a sense of mission to reclaim the Merinard Kingdom and a desire for vengeance against the Holy Kingdoms. But after meeting Kosuke, I think I have largely regained the state of my mind as just Sylphiel, not as the Witch of the Black Forest.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    I don¡¯t know whether I understand it or not. For me, I don¡¯t know what Sylphy looks like or behaves like as Sylphiel, the Witch of the Black Forest. Oh no, was it that unrelenting tyranny when I was beaten up the first time?


    ¡°Surely that was more hardcore than me. I was born with the gift of magic eyes, and I was sold off to the Adol religion by my parents before I could even remember. From what I¡¯ve heard, the inside of the Adol religion is an environment of power and intrigue, a condensation of human ugliness, and on top of that, I¡¯m a beauty. In order to protect my heart, I have been wearing the mask of a saint for a long time.¡±


    ¡°???¡±


    ¡°In other words, once you start being spoiled, it is an endless game. I wouldn¡¯t doubt it if you tried to stick to him all the time.¡±


    ¡°What¡­ did you say¡­?¡±


    Even Sylphy started to get spoiled by me and turned into a toddler. What the hell is that supposed to mean?


    ¡°It hurts.¡±


    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡±


    Sylphy, who had figured out what I was thinking and was shivering, pinched my cheek while staring at me with a glare. Sylphy¡¯s face is turning bright red, and it¡¯s very cute.


    ¡°But that Ellen¡­ I can¡¯t imagine much.¡±


    Pride and arrogance ©¤ is that too much to say? Ellen, the funny, expressionless saint with a somewhat pompous attitude, gets spoiled by me more than the deredere Sylphy when she is being spoiled by me? I can¡¯t imagine that at all. Rather, I can only imagine her slightly breaking her expressionless face and stepping on me while raising the corners of her mouth. No doubt she has an S-type attitude.


    While I was thinking about this, Sylphy suddenly started pushing me harder and harder. I don¡¯t know what happened, but I didn¡¯t resist and was pushed to the edge of the sofa.


    ¡°Good.¡±


    Then Sylphy laid down on the sofa with her head on my lap and made a satisfied sound. What the heck.


    ¡°If you gave If-aneesama a lap pillow, don¡¯t you think you should give me one too?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯ll even give Sylphy a special pat on the back.¡±


    ¡°Umu. No problem.¡±


    Sylphy, who had her head stroked, sounded satisfied with Grande¡¯s tone of voice.


    And so we spent a short, leisurely time in the royal salon until Melty came to call me to prepare for the dinner.

 CH 207

    Chapter 207 ¨C Archbishop


    ¡°Nice to meet you. I have heard of you for some time. A rare person from another world, the witch¡¯s collaborator, the dragon¡¯s companion, and the saint of history for all of us. My name is Deckard. I have been given the grand title of archbishop, but I am just an ordinary old man.¡±


    He was an old man with a soft face. His hair was completely white, and his beard was equally white. He had a sturdy-looking body, with no excess flesh to be seen anywhere. There was no sign of a bent back, and he was the picture of a hale and hearty old man. Perhaps he used to be a temple knight or something.


    ¡°Thank you very much for your kindness. I¡¯m Kosuke.¡±


    ¡°Hohoho, there is no need to be so formal with an old man like me.¡±


    The old man dressed in a white robe laughed pleasantly. The white robe had no extra decoration at all, only a minimal pattern and a glowing cross to indicate that he was a priesthood holder.


    ¡°But I never feel comfortable in brand-new priest¡¯s robes. I think old men like me would be fine in the usual old clothes.¡±


    ¡°Father. Even if it is good for you, it would be disrespectful to the other party.¡±


    ¡°Hohoho, you¡¯re right.¡±


    The red-eyed saint seated next to the old man who called himself Deckard let out a small sigh of resignation, and the old man smiled with amusement, perhaps loving even the sigh of resignation from the saint.


    ¡°Sylphy, this is not what I imagined.¡±


    I had always thought that the archbishops of the Adol religion were just foul-smelling monks who were all about alcohol, money, and women behind their pontificating. But this archbishop does not look like that kind of a monk. To put it better, he looks like a well-rounded, good-natured old man. He doesn¡¯t look like the kind of person who would be able to wield his wits in a power struggle within the Holy Kingdom or the Adol religion.


    ¡°I was also taken aback when I first met him. But, well, I guess this is the kind of man he is.¡±


    After saying this, Sylphy glanced at the sharp-eyed female priest seated next to Archbishop Deckard.


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    She was also looking this way ©¤©¤ or rather, she was looking at me completely. It¡¯s hard to say how friendly the look is, but I feel like I¡¯m being evaluated by some kind of predator.


    The age of the female priestess is¡­ probably around the age of 70 or 80. I¡¯m not sure if she¡¯s younger than my mother, but maybe a bit closer. She has tight chestnut-colored hair with a lot of gray in it, sharp, upturned eyes, and thin lips that look as if to say that there is nothing fun in this world. And she wears the same plain priest¡¯s robe as Archbishop Deckard. She was probably the archbishop¡¯s right-hand person.


    Perhaps noticing my gaze, Ellen introduces her to me.


    ¡°This is High Priestess Katerina. She is the right hand of Archbishop Deckard.¡±


    ¡°I am Katerina. I hope you are having a good day, Rare person-sama. I am a woman of lowly birth, but I beg you to make my acquaintance.¡±


    Where was the predator¡¯s stare from earlier? When Ellen introduced me to her, she flashed me a perfect smile. I don¡¯t quite understand the meaning of mending things now while giving her such a gaze, but perhaps both the archbishop and the high priestess want to play the role of a kind father and close associate in front of Ellen? Thinking that way, I may also have to be wary of Archbishop Deckard¡¯s good-naturedness.


    ¡°Let me skip the introductions that have already been made during the day. First of all, seated over there are my mother and sisters, the queen and princesses of the old Merinard kingdom.¡±


    ¡°Seraphita Danal Merinard, wife of King Ixwil Danal Merinard.¡±


    ¡°The eldest daughter, Driada Danal Merinard.¡±


    ¡°The second daughter, Ifrita Danal Merinard.¡±


    ¡°The third daughter, Aquawill Danal Merinard.¡±


    ¡°And I am Sylphielle Danal Merinard, the leader of the Liberation Army and the youngest sister. Well, I guess it¡¯s too late to tell you about me.¡±


    Following the greetings of the queen and her sisters, Sylphy shrugged her shoulders in greeting, then turned her gaze to Isla.¡±


    ¡°Isla. Former court mage of the former Merinard Kingdom. Now I am the leader of the Liberation Army¡¯s mage corps. And one of Kosuke¡¯s partners.¡±


    Isla, with her eye fixed on me, introduces herself in a small but clear voice. Was the last word necessary?


    ¡°After that¡­¡±


    The last person Sylphy looked at was a girl who was devouring the food with an attitude that said she didn¡¯t care about the manners of the dinner party. She was a girl with twisted horns like a demon on her head and dirty hands with tough and vicious claws.


    ¡°Hmm? What is it?¡±


    ¡°Grande, introduce yourself.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s troublesome¡­ I¡¯m the grand dragon, Grande. Just to be clear, I do not belong to the Liberation Army. I¡¯m just following my mating partner Kosuke. Well, if Kosuke wants, I will lend him my strength, but basically, I have no intention of intervening in a stupid fight between the human races. And Kosuke, I want some cheeseburgers.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes¡­¡±


    I took out a large wooden plate from my inventory, put a pile of cheeseburgers on it, and handed it to the maid who was serving me to bring it to Grande.


    Incidentally, those who skipped the introduction by Sylphy were Melty and Sir Leonard. Ms. Zamir is guarding the door of this dining room where the dinner is being held with a short spear made of mithril alloy, which I made for previous dungeon exploration.


    ¡°I was sent to the Black Forest before I received my education as a princess, so I don¡¯t know the proper dinner arrangements or etiquette. Therefore, I will welcome you with a banquet in the Black Forest Elven style. Yes, the name of the toast should be to the meeting and to the future. Well then.¡±


    Sylphy raised a cup filled with honey wine, and Melty, Sir Leonard, and Isla raised their cups in the same manner. I raised my cup as well, and the queen and Archbishop Deckard followed suit.


    ¡°To the meeting and the future.¡±


    ¡°¡±¡±To the meeting and the future.¡±¡±¡±


    The participants followed Sylphy¡¯s lead and tipped their cups in the air. The sweet aroma of honey wine that tantalizes the nostrils is pleasant. The drink is strong but easy to drink, so if you get carried away and open a cup, you¡¯ll fall over quickly.


    ¡°Hoho, so this is elvish honey wine, isn¡¯t it? Sweet, sweet.¡±


    ¡°Deckard-sama.¡±


    ¡°I know. Excessive luxury leads to corruption, does it not? But it is also against the doctrine to ignore what is offered as a favor. Is that not so?¡±


    Archbishop Deckard is listening to High Priestess Katerina¡¯s complaints as if they are nothing to him and is having the serving sisters who are standing by pouring him another drink. The maids of the royal castle were in charge of the Merinard Kingdom and the Liberation Army side, while the Adol religion sisters were in charge of the Adol religion side.


    The seats were also divided between the two camps across a long table, with the neutral Grande taking the so-called birthday seat. Well, she was eating and drinking without any regard for us, so that part of the table was a different space from the rest. It¡¯s a bit of a pity that only the maid who takes care of Grande is busy moving around.


    ¡°I wonder if this unseen dish made with ingredients I¡¯ve never seen before is a dish from Kosuke-sama¡¯s hometown?¡±


    Archbishop Deckard asked me, staining his white beard with pizza sauce. He is quite a powerful old man to reach for the pizza first. Well, there is almost no such thing as a mature dish because all of them are like junk food.


    Whether it is because most of the survival games that are the basis of my abilities or because they are made in foreign countries, the dishes I can make with my abilities are all junk food-like foods. If there was rice, I might be able to make onigiri (rice balls) and other Japanese dishes, but so far, I have not found any rice in this world. Damn it.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to say it¡¯s my hometown food. It is the food of my home world, though.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. I guess there are as many countries in the world of rare persons as there are in ours.¡±


    ¡°Yes, well. The life of human beings may not be so different in any world. It begins with hunting, then people gather to form communities, and eventually they begin to cultivate the fields and©¤©¤¡±


    ¡°And then the fighting begins. It is a very deep story.¡±


    Saying this regretfully, Archbishop Deckard ate his pizza with a bite and now reached for the fried chicken. He seems to be quite a glutton for food.


    ¡°Yes. May I ask you, what do you think of peace, Kosuke-sama?¡±


    Archbishop Deckard took a bite of the fried chicken in his hand, chewed and swallowed it, and suddenly asked a philosophical question.


    ¡°I remember hearing somewhere that peace is a period of preparation for the next war. I generally agree with this opinion, and I imagine it as a fragile thing that will surely collapse someday. To put it simply, it is a state of equilibrium.¡±


    It was a sudden question, but I answered his question immediately without hesitation. He nodded his head after hearing my answer.


    ¡°I see. I suppose that¡¯s one of the truths. In this time of war, the balance of the world is in a state of great turmoil. The balance has been broken, and disorder is causing disorder. The same human races are quarreling, despising, and killing each other. That is far from the harmony that God desires.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°I think that Kosuke-sama was sent to correct the balance and bring harmony to this turbulent world.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ isn¡¯t that a bit much to ask?¡±


    As far as I know, the main source of warfare in the world today is the conflict between the Holy Kingdom and the Empire. If I took him at his word, my mission would not only be to win the independence of the Merinard Kingdom from the Holy Kingdom but also to go beyond that. In other words, my mission is to end the conflict between the Holy Kingdom and the Empire. That is something¡­


    ¡°Please give me a break; it¡¯s so tedious it makes me want to vomit. No matter how you look at it, it¡¯s beyond my capacity.¡±


    I still don¡¯t know exactly how powerful the Holy Kingdom and the Empire are. However, this is a conflict between countries that would send tens of thousands of troops to suppress a rebellion in a single country. Just the thought of it makes me dizzy.


    If I wanted to destroy both the Holy Kingdom and the Empire, I might be able to do so, but I have no intention of making such a demon king move, and I don¡¯t think I would be able to come up with a good way to settle the relations between the two countries that have repeatedly fought bloody battles. I don¡¯t think I can come up with a way to make things right between the two countries, which have been at each other¡¯s throats for so long. I really don¡¯t.


    ¡°Hohoho, is it troublesome? It sure is a pain in the ass.¡±


    ¡°Archbishop-sama, your words.¡±


    ¡°Hohoho, this one is rude.¡±


    Archbishop Deckard, who had been interrupted by High Priestess Katerina, apologizes and reaches for a cheeseburger. Incidentally, High Priestess Katerina ate a beef-like steak with a fork and knife. How about Ellen, you ask? She¡¯s just eating pancakes and crepes with sparkling eyes.


    ¡°Well, we¡¯ll talk about this later. Kosuke-sama, if you don¡¯t mind, can you tell us about your world? I¡¯m curious to know what it¡¯s like in the world of the rare person.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m interested, too.¡±


    ¡°So am I.¡±


    Archbishop Deckard¡¯s proposal was accepted by Isla and Grande. Ellen is also munching and gulping and looking at me with great interest. The high priestess Katerina also seemed to be interested and was giving me a hard look.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s fine.¡±


    I had to choose a topic, but it was a little easier than talking about peace. I thought so and began to talk about it. I started to talk about the story I had once told Sylphy about my former world.

 CH 208

    Chapter 208 ¨C What to Ask from a Rare Person: In the Case of Mother-in-Law


    After the dinner was over, Archbishop Deckard returned with High Priestess Katerina to the guest room that had been prepared for them. The dinner was a great success, I would say, as they seemed to be satisfied with the food and my talk.


    ¡°Thanks for your hard work. Kosuke-sama. You must be tired of talking, too, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, a little.¡±


    After all, Archbishop Deckard asked me to talk not only about my original world but also about the history from the time I came to this world to the present. How many times have I told you the story of my life up to now? You must be getting used to it by now. Should I take some training as a storyteller?


    ¡°It was very interesting to see the difference between the story from Sylphiel¡¯s point of view and your own.¡±


    ¡°Uh, yes. Thank you for that.¡±


    After dinner, it would normally be a relaxing time to take a bath and talk with Sylphy and the others over drinks, but today, for some reason, I am having drinks with my mother-in-law ©¤©¤ in other words, Seraphita-sama. Sylphy, Isla, the Harpies, Melty, and Grande are all absent today.


    What in the world is this situation? What am I supposed to do?


    Sylphy asked me to sit down with her mother after dinner today, and in the blink of an eye, this table was set up for me.


    Even though she is Sylphy¡¯s mother ©¤©¤ in other words, my mother-in-law ©¤©¤ it was almost as if we were meeting for the first time. She is so young that she looks almost the same age as Sylphy. I was at a loss as to how I should treat her.


    ¡°Kosuke-sama©¤©¤¡±


    ¡°Um, it¡¯s a little weird or uncomfortable for me to be called with the suffix ¡®sama¡¯ by my mother-in-law, Seraphita-sama, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    When I said this to Seraphita-sama, who was about to say something, she looked at me with a puzzled expression and then giggled like a little girl. Oh no, she¡¯s so cute. I¡¯m going to have a crush on her even though the other party is Sylphy¡¯s mother and also a married woman.


    ¡°Fufu, I feel the same way when you, my son-in-law and a rare person, address me as ¡®sama¡¯ too, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s just that, Seraphita-sama is a queen, isn¡¯t she?¡±


    ¡°If you say that, Kosuke-sama is also a rare person, isn¡¯t he? Then let¡¯s just call each other by ¡®san¡¯ or something. Wouldn¡¯t that be better?¡±


    ¡°Ugh¡­ yes.¡±


    It is hard to say no when you are told so with a soft smile. I don¡¯t know if I should call it overflowing softness or nobility¡­ but for some reason, there is something irresistible about Seraphita-san¡¯s words.


    ¡°So, I have a question for you, Kosuke-san.¡±


    ¡°Yes, what is it?¡±


    The first time I saw Seraphita-san¡¯s serious expression, which was completely different from the cheerful one she had just shown, I straightened my back too.


    ¡°What are you going to do with us, Kosuke-san?¡±


    ¡°What am I going to do, you ask¡­?¡±


    It¡¯s difficult for me to say. I have no intention of doing anything about it. It really bothers me when people talk about me as if I have the authority to make such decisions.


    ¡°I have no intention of doing anything about it myself¡­ but what I would like you to do is to stay close to Sylphy. Sylphy has lived this far in order to see Seraphita-san and her family again. I think Sylphy should have a happy ending after all she has accomplished after all her hardships.¡±


    This is unquestionably my true intention. She was a young girl when she left her country, learned of the destruction of her homeland while staying there, spent her childhood with a fierce desire for vengeance against the Holy Kingdom that had done it, and then found me and her true intentions were fulfilled. No, it is being accomplished. She should be rewarded accordingly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mean that you should give up your own will and live for Sylphy. But at least don¡¯t do anything that will make her sad.¡±


    I have not spent so much time with Seraphita-san, but apparently, I have sensed a strange kind of fragility toward her since our first meeting. Would it be better to say that I feel an atmosphere as if she would disappear at any moment if she is touched?


    ¡°What do you want to do, Seraphita-san?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by what I want to do¡­?¡±


    She peered intently into the cup she held with both hands. What do her eyes see in the honey wine in the cup?


    ¡°What am I to do?¡±


    She raised her gaze from the cup and turned her slightly unfocused eyes toward me. Is this the same person who just smiled at me like a little girl? Her eyes are endlessly dark as if she is exhausted from everything.


    ¡°Is it okay to lose a country, lose a husband, cause misery to many people, send them to their deaths, and live in comfort without being punished? I am¡­¡±


    Seraphita-san dropped her gaze into her cup again and fell silent. Oh¡­ how should I speak to her? Isn¡¯t it a little too hard for me to somehow cheer up a woman in such a state?


    ¡°I don¡¯t mean to sound cold, but if you are talking about the responsibility for the demise of the old Merinard kingdom, I am a complete outsider, so I can¡¯t say anything to you. When I came to this world, everything had already ended, and I did not experience the hardships caused by the fall of the old Merinard kingdom. I have a certain amount of friendship with the refugees and those who were forced to suffer under the rule of the Holy Kingdom, though.¡±


    To be honest, this matter is out of my hands. Well, I¡¯m sure Seraphita-san is counting on me. She must be expecting me to condemn her. I am sure that Sylphy will not punish Seraphita-san because she is not the one to punish Seraphita-san. Because she has stained her hands with blood in order to save Seraphita-san. There is no way she could condemn Seraphita-san and her sisters, whom she rescued with her own hands.


    What about her subordinates?


    I don¡¯t think Melty has any intention of doing so. Although she herself has not clearly stated it, I think she is probably lending a helping hand to Sylphy based on her very personal feelings toward Sylphy. Perhaps she would not force Seraphita-san to do something that Sylphy does not want. Perhaps this upsets Isla as well.


    What Danan and Sir Leonard have is basically a strong feeling of hatred toward the Holy Kingdom. I have never heard them express any critical opinion of the royalty of the former Merinard kingdom. Well, they are adults. If they have such feelings, they may not be expressing them. Still, I cannot imagine them holding the royal family responsible for the fall of the former Merinard kingdom.


    Ms. Zamir seems to be in a position to take a step back further. She even feels responsible for the failure to protect the royal family despite her presence. She may have a half-obsessive desire to protect the people she is supposed to protect this time around.


    But now that I think of it this way, I understand a little more about what Seraphita-san is thinking.


    ¡°I am an outsider, so I can make an objective judgment and condemn Seraphita-san and the others, is that it?¡±


    Seraphita-san nodded her head at my words.


    I see. I am in trouble. I¡¯m super confused. What in the world do you want me to do, even if I¡¯m told to do so? What kind of punishment do you think is appropriate, even if I¡¯m asked to condemn them?


    They have ruined the country. They have made many people suffer and die. It would be an unbecoming failure for royalty. When you get right down to it, the duty of the king who rules the country and the royal family is to keep the country alive and to protect the lives and safety of the people. This is the only thing that matters. In this light, the king and queen who destroyed the former Merinard Kingdom must be culpable.


    The king froze the lives and time of his wife and children in order to prevent the Holy Kingdom from gaining further power. At the cost of his own life. His plan succeeded, and he actually protected the bodies and hearts of Seraphita-san and his family until Sylphy liberated the royal castle.


    However, his actions can be seen as abandoning his people in order to protect the dignity of his wife and children. What the Holy Kingdom wanted from the Merinard Kingdom was the blood of elves, who produced children with strong magical power. If only the royal family had offered its body and dignity to the Holy Kingdom, the people might have avoided being sacrificed.


    From Seraphita-san¡¯s reaction, I wonder if this idea is not far off the mark.


    ¡°¡­What in the world do you want me to do? Should I execute Seraphita-san and make you take responsibility for the downfall of the former Merinard Kingdom? Is that what you want me to tell Sylphy? Don¡¯t be ridiculous.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the only one I can ask.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t. The reason I went through all this trouble to come here with Sylphy is to save you and make her happy. If I execute you and make Sylphy sad, it¡¯s a complete waste of time.¡±


    ¡°Please, I beg you.¡±


    ¡°No. Don¡¯t involve Sylphy in your guilt. If there is a punishment for you, you will have to live with that guilt for the rest of your life.¡±


    What Seraphita-san is carrying is what is called survivor¡¯s guilt. This is the guilt often felt by people who have miraculously survived a desperate situation such as war or a catastrophe. In some cases, it is said that mental health care is also necessary.


    As I was thinking about what to do, Seraphita-san began to shed tears.


    ¡°Please¡­ please, help me. W-what should I¡­ do?¡±


    ¡°A-ah¡­¡±


    I was in trouble. I¡¯m very troubled. I am troubled when you cry. I¡¯m so confused. Sylphy! Isla! Melty! Lime, Beth! Or worst, Poizo! Anybody, come on over! Grande is¡­ yeah, it¡¯s okay. Grande doesn¡¯t have to come in these situations.


    But my thoughts are not getting through, and no one is showing up. Have the heavens abandoned me? I had no choice but to get up from my seat and hug Seraphita-san¡¯s head to my chest, just as if I was soothing Sylphy, who was in a bad mood and had been whining.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s okay for Seraphita-san to relax her shoulders and be pampered by someone. I hate to put it this way, but the Merinard Kingdom was destroyed once, so there will be no more royalty, no more queen, no more anything. Why don¡¯t you just leave the new Merinard Kingdom to Sylphy and live as just Seraphita-san?¡±


    When I said that, Seraphita-san put her hands around my waist and hugged me, moving her head languidly and rubbing her face against my chest. Ah, this gesture or the way in which she pampered herself was the same as Sylphy¡¯s. I guess that means they are mother and daughter. I guess she is much older than me, but she is no different from a child in this way.


    After a while, Seraphita-san finally stopped crying and released her arms that were holding me, and removed herself from my chest. When she looked up, her eyes were red from crying, and dark circles were etched under her eyes. I wondered if she was hiding it with makeup or¡­ maybe she had hardly slept since she woke up.


    I took a clean cloth out of my inventory and wiped Seraphita-san¡¯s face with it.


    ¡°Nn¡­¡±


    The dark circles under her eyes are thick, and her eyes are red from crying, but Seraphita-san¡¯s face is still amazingly beautiful. In fact, her face is so swollen and red that it looks like she¡¯s in a state of weakness, and it makes me want to protect her so badly. The other person is Sylphy¡¯s mother. My mother-in-law. Stay put, Kosuke!


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s the thing, isn¡¯t it? Let¡¯s have fun without thinking too much about such negative things.¡±


    Ah¡­¡±


    I quickly removed myself from Seraphita-san, thinking that this was not a good idea, but as quickly as I could, I saw the hand that was extended and Seraphita-san¡¯s lonely voice and expression¡­ No, no, calm down. Be cool.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go and get someone. Please wait a moment.¡±


    With that, I turned on my heel with steel will and left the room with my back to Seraphita-san. I gently closed the door behind me and exhaled.


    ¡°Hah¡­¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t push her down-nodesu?¡±


    Then I stomped down with all my might on the green slime that had gushed out from under my feet. I knew she was definitely watching me, this jerk. I know Lime and Beth are there too, just not daring to reveal themselves, right? Come on out. I won¡¯t get mad. Yes, I am. I lied. I¡¯m angry. So come on out. Come out!

 CH 209

    Chapter 209 ¨C A Night With The Saint


    After that, Lime didn¡¯t show up, but Beth showed up, but since she said ¡°I¡¯ve called a maid,¡± with a clear face, I couldn¡¯t punish her. When Beth showed up, Poizo, who I had trampled, had already counterattacked me and restrained me all over.


    After being freed from Poizo by Beth, I returned to the room assigned to me, leaving Seraphita-san under control. It was the room that Ellen had used when she met with me, a bedroom at the end of a large office and reception room. It is said that the room was originally used by the man who ruled Merinesburg. He was not a man of good reputation.


    The saint was in a very bad mood to be in such a room.


    After leaving Seraphita-san with Beth, I went straight back to the room. And when I entered the room, Ellen was waiting there alone. As soon as I appeared in the room, she approached me with an expressionless face and hugged me tightly. Then she said,


    ¡°I smell another woman¡¯s scent.¡±


    She raised her head and looked at me with a dusky glow coming out of her crimson eyes. I thought I was going to burst, too.


    ¡°There¡¯s a reason for this, a reason deeper than the ocean.¡±


    I explained that Seraphita-san had consulted me while patting the back of the saint who pressed her head against my chest and launched a high-speed gripping attack and that I patted and rubbed her back the same way Ellen does now to quiet her when she started to cry.


    ¡°How dare you make me, a precious saint, wait and treat another woman so nicely? Have some shame.¡±


    ¡°But if I left my mother-in-law, Seraphita-san, without comforting her in such a situation, that would have been wrong¡­ That pensive look on her face could have been enough to make her commit suicide if things had gone badly.¡±


    I recall Seraphita-san¡¯s face, with dark circles under her eyes and vacant eyes as if she had lost the will to live. However, it is surprising that she was able to maintain her mental state for several days when she could not even get a good night¡¯s sleep.


    ¡°That¡­ may be so if you say so.¡±


    I kissed the forehead of the saint, who looked up at me with a discontented expression, and then embraced her.


    ¡°¡­I think it¡¯s disgusting to fool around with this kind of approach. It¡¯s a very ripe way to do it. It is filthy.¡±


    Even as she said this, Ellen strengthened her arms around me and rubbed her face against my chest. Is she trying to overwrite Seraphita-san¡¯s scent with her own?


    ¡°I will deal with the queen from tomorrow onward. It is my duty as a clergyman to guide the lost lamb.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you okay with that?¡±


    When I think of Ellen as a clergyman, I somehow have the image of her exposing the injustice of a bad priest with eyes that see the truth rather than guiding a lost believer.


    ¡°You are making fun of me, aren¡¯t you? I am a precious saint who sees the truth, you know? In front of the eyes given to me by God, a lost lamb is as good as shorn naked. I can see through the troubles that they themselves cannot honestly express.¡±


    Isn¡¯t that not guiding the lost lamb but frightening it and putting it on the path of quick solutions¡­? I wondered about that but decided not to say it. If that is the final solution to the problem, then so be it. Seraphita-san has a group of daughters she can rely on, and even if it doesn¡¯t work out with Ellen, there should still be plenty of ways to solve the problem.


    ¡°Now, the service time is over. In other words, we are done talking about other women.¡±


    ¡°The other woman? She¡¯s my mother-in-law¡­?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a widow, not related by blood, and who is an elf who is long past her marriageable age. I don¡¯t know what will happen to her. And since you were kind to her in her weakened state, she may have already fallen in love with you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re joking again¡­ aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Ellen¡¯s forefinger closed my mouth with a snap.


    ¡°We¡¯re done talking about other women. Okay?¡±


    I nodded silently, my mouth covered.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    The next morning. Ellen and I were walking to the dining room of the royal castle. I woke up feeling fine. My body did not feel weak at all, and Ellen¡¯s face was somewhat glowing.


    Eh? I¡¯m more energetic than you expected, you say? That¡¯s because, despite the fact that she is a saint, Ellen is still an ordinary human girl. Her physical strength is also adequate, and she can¡¯t be compared to Sylphy, who has evolved into a fighting type with superior physical abilities among elves, or to Melty, who is a demon species, or Grande, who is an incarnation of a grand dragon. Neither is she a physical fighter like the Harpies nor does she drive herself to the limit with questionable drugs like Isla.


    Although she did not use her power as a saint at all, it was a night that was very kind to my body.


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m kind of frustrated, though.¡±


    ¡°I guess it¡¯s the difference in experience.¡±


    ¡°¡­Mmm.¡±


    The saint who was playing around with me so much last night punches me in my side as we walk by. If this is Sylphy or Melty, it could be a body blow to the core of my body, but Ellen¡¯s punch is a cute one. I can bounce it off with my abs, which I¡¯ve developed since I came here.


    The two of us walked together, and when we entered the dining hall, the gazes of the people who had entered the dining hall before us all came together. Specifically, there were Sylphy, Isla, Melty, Grande, and Sylphy¡¯s sisters, including Driada-san and also Seraphita-san. Also present were Archbishop Deckard and High Priestess Katerina. The group members were almost the same as at the dinner last night.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    Sylphy gives Ellen a somewhat reproachful look. It is genuinely aptly described as a head-to-toe stare.


    ¡°Umu, you can call me anee-sama from now on. Or you can just call me onee-chan.¡±


    ¡°I refuse. But Sylphiel is too long, so I¡¯ll call you Sylphy instead.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s fine too. It is too much of a stranger for me to call you saint or Eleonora. So I will call you Ellen from now on.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sylphy.¡±


    Ellen nodded her head with a blank expression, and Sylphy smiled a fearless smile that could be described as ferocious after a long time. I haven¡¯t seen that kind of smile for a long time. I wish she would smile in a more cute and smiling way like she always does. It seems we haven¡¯t quite gotten to know each other yet.


    ¡°I¡¯m Isla. Pleased to know you, Ellen.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Melty. I look forward to spending time with you.¡±


    ¡°Grande. Hello, newcomer.¡±


    ¡°Newcomer¡­¡±


    Ellen glares at me. And there was someone else who was giving me the same look.


    ¡°That¡¯s filthy!¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    The red jersey¡­ even though she¡¯s not wearing it anymore, it¡¯s inappropriate to call me that. She is a noisy one with a red face and hair and also the High Priestess Katerina. Aside from the red one, High Priestess Katerina¡¯s gaze is as sharp as a razor blade and a little scary.


    ¡°Ara ara, isn¡¯t it good that you are so resourceful?¡±


    ¡°Hohoho, that¡¯s dependable.¡±


    In contrast, Driada-san and Archbishop Deckard are smiling cheerfully. I mean, both of you, meat in the morning? And a pile of steamed potatoes and butter¡­ that¡¯s powerful, isn¡¯t it?


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    And Seraphita-san is kind of giving me a feverish look in the morning. Aquawill-san, who is sitting next to her, is waving her hand in front of Seraphita-san¡¯s face, but she doesn¡¯t notice it at all. Let¡¯s see, let¡¯s pretend I didn¡¯t see that one. Yeah.


    ¡°Well, things have come full circle, but¡­ there are still a lot of problems.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess so. The issue includes the defeat of the subjugation forces coming toward here, the post-war handling after the defeat, the taking over of the territory of the Merinard Kingdom and the subsequent governance issues, the friction between humans and subhumans, the treatment of the Adol religion, and diplomacy with other countries. And the list is endless when it comes to other internal political issues.¡±


    Melty counted off the list of problems. Fortunately, the Liberation Army is rather understaffed due to the weapons and supplies it uses, or perhaps simply due to its size. The size of the Liberation Army is not so large that it will cause problems in governing the country, so I am a little relieved on that point.


    ¡°First of all, we have to fight off the invading army. Well, to be honest, I¡¯m not too worried about it¡­¡±


    ¡°Not too worried¡­? You¡¯re dealing with an army of more than 20,000 men, don¡¯t you know?¡±


    High Priestess Katerina raised her voice in surprise.


    Well, yes. If you think about it, it is a statement of doubtful sanity to say that you are not worried about the presence of only about 500 men in the royal capital and the guards of Merinesburg, who do not even know how much they will work in the face of a large army of 20,000 men. No matter how strong the fortified walls of Merinesburg are, the opponent is indeed 40 times larger. It is not a matter of the law of three times the size of the attackers but a difference in strength. Well, in a siege, the number of people who can attack at the same time is limited only by the size of the city walls, so unlike in a field battle, the more people, the greater the advantage.


    ¡°No problem.¡±


    ¡°No problem, right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s no problem.¡±


    Isla shook her head, Melty nodded her head, and Grande, shrugging, reached for the next piece of meat on the bone. Wait a minute, what kind of bone-in meat is that?¡¡What part of the animal is it? It¡¯s the kind of mystery meat like you see in manga and anime. I want some of that.


    ¡°Where do you get your confidence from¡­?¡±


    ¡°We only put 20 men into the field to destroy about 2,000 defending troops in Merinesburg. Well, you¡¯ll see¡­ that¡¯s all Kosuke¡¯s doing, after all.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Sylphy shrugged her shoulders, and Isla nodded her head. Well, yes. I plan to have the Harpies bomb the place to hell and have the gunners use airboards for maneuver warfare. In addition, I¡¯m going to put golem ballistas on the ramparts and have elite soldiers operate them, and I¡¯m going to fire a lot of multipurpose grenades from the ramparts with my automatic grenade launcher. [T/n: Changed riflemen to gunners from now on.]


    I intend to overrun the 20,000 troops of the subjugation army one-sidedly and leave us unharmed. I love to set up an excessive amount of defenses and unilaterally reap the benefits of an onrushing enemy.


    Unfortunately, due to time constraints, I can¡¯t say that I¡¯m fully prepared for this fight back, but I still have enough supplies and firepower to overrun those armed with swords, spears, bows, and magic. We also have trump cards. There is absolutely no element of defeat.


    ¡°Hohoho, let¡¯s see how you do it, shall we?¡±


    High Priestess Katerina looked at Archbishop Deckard, who was beaming with laughter, and then let out a sigh as if she had given up. High Priestess Katerina, who probably has a lot of common sense, was probably worried about the situation.


    Don¡¯t worry, don¡¯t worry, just watch. I¡¯ll overwhelm them! HAHAHA!

 CH 210

    Chapter 210 ¨C The Night Before


    It was only five minutes after Archbishop Deckard told that to us, a large group of people had been found that appeared to be the enemy. Was it because of the flag I had set up in my mind? No, it had nothing to do with that. Considering the information that had flown in from Archbishop Deckard on the fast horse, it would have been no surprise if they appeared at any time.


    Upon hearing the news, the reaction of the people in the dining hall was almost split down the middle.


    One was those with anxious expressions on their faces. The High Priestess Katerina, the sisters who were serving the guests, the maids, and the four elven sisters and Seraphita-san, except for Sylphy, all had anxious expressions on their faces.


    On the other hand, the reaction of the remaining party was the exact opposite. Some smiled fearlessly. Some finally bared their fangs ferociously, while others continued to bring their breakfast to their mouths at their own pace. Those who smile cheerfully while observing¡­ show no signs of being overawed or anxious at all.


    Naturally, I belong to the latter group.


    ¡°At last. I hope I¡¯ll have a turn.¡±


    ¡°If there is, it will be at the last minute.¡±


    ¡°I suppose so. I hope there are no more wounded among us.¡±


    ¡°Nnu¡­ it can¡¯t be helped. But we need to have a place to play.¡±


    As Isla said, at the final moment, we will need you and your elite soldiers, Leonard. We have to take control of the main camp.¡±


    While Sir Leonard, Isla and Sylphy, and the others were talking, Melty and I were discussing today¡¯s schedule.


    ¡°You were supposed to be planting medicinal herbs today, weren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. But I should go to the ramparts, right?¡±


    ¡°Right. Because you need to set up the golem-style ballista and lay down the supply point for the air bombing squadron. What about resupplying the airboards?¡±


    ¡°The airboards themselves have enough capacity, so I¡¯ll just load them directly onto the airboards. When they run out of ammunition, they can leave the battlefield at full speed.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    The truth is, I could have built golem ballistas and supply points at any time, but I had not yet built the deployment of installation-type weapons or storage facilities for delicate air bombs because it would be troublesome if they were installed too quickly and mischievously or even sabotaged. I can remodel and set up the walls in no time at all, and I can even build a temporary storage facility like a tofu type in an instant.


    ¡°Wait, Sylphy, um¡­ aren¡¯t you afraid?¡±


    ¡°If-aneesama. We came out in the first place because we got information that a subjugation army was on its way here. If there were no chance of winning, we would have fled immediately after freeing If-aneesama and the others. We are not a group of suicidal people.¡±


    Sylphy answered Ifrita¡¯s question with a ferocious smile. Perhaps taken aback by her high spirits, Ifrita shuddered. Maybe the Sylphy in her mind was still the cute Sylphiel who was following behind her. Even if she had grown up a little and changed her appearance according to her elven characteristics, Sylphy was still the same Sylphy to her.


    However, this was the first time Ifrita saw Sylphy¡¯s appearance as the ¡°Witch of the Black Forest¡± and her attitude. It was the same for the other sisters and Seraphita-san. Their eyes, looking at Sylphy with a ferocious smile on her face, were clearly looking at something different.


    ¡± For If-aneesama, the memory of the war must be fresh. It was only a week or so ago. But for me, it was twenty years ago. I have lived for 20 years with the desire to take revenge against the Holy Kingdom, which deprived me and the people of the Merinard Kingdom and my family. The moment is approaching when that revenge will be fulfilled. How can I not smile at this?¡±


    Saying this, Sylphy held out her fist as if to show Ifrita.


    ¡°With my own hands, I have lived to crush those of the Holy Kingdom who occupy the Merinard Kingdom, those of the Adol religion, and to take it all back. For that, and for that alone, I have spent twenty years of my life.¡±


    She clenched her fists so tightly that they seemed to make a grinding sound and turned her gaze this time to Archbishop Deckard.


    ¡°The rebels are a group of people who feel more or less the same way I do, who have hated the Holy Kingdom and the Adol religion for twenty years. I will protect and support your nostalgic group as long as you continue to be useful to us and cooperate with us. But when you lose that stance, this outright hatred will turn on you without mercy. Keep that in mind. If you do the same thing as the Adol believers have done up until now, I will hang your heads on pillars and expose you to the world.¡±


    ¡°I shall keep that in my mind.¡±


    Archbishop Deckard nodded with a mysterious face. Sylphy confirmed this, removed her gaze from Archbishop Deckard, and turned her attention to Sir Leonard.


    ¡°Leonard, start preparing to intercept with Kosuke. Melty, coordinate with Leonard and Zamir while supporting them, and proceeds to seize control of Merinesburg. Isla, prepare to move the mage corps at any time and arrange for medical supplies to the extent that it is reasonable. I will give instructions using Harpy and the Golem communicator. Now, move. We¡¯re going to make a bloodbath of the Holy Kingdom.¡±


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    ¡°¡­Hah.¡±


    As I was checking the automatic grenade launcher, Sylphy, who was saying cool things this morning, was leaning on my back. I wouldn¡¯t say it¡¯s heavy, but to be honest, it¡¯s a little bit in the way. Just a little bit.


    ¡°It was good that you said that on the spur of the moment, but it was a shock to have your sister look at you like that.¡±


    ¡°Well, it can¡¯t be helped. I¡¯m not going to show weakness in front of Archbishop Deckard and High Priestess Katerina, am I?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true, though¡­ hah.¡±


    Sylphy said something about taking command of the camp, but in reality, it¡¯s almost as if the preparations are already almost complete, and the control of the troops by Sir Leonard and Ms. Zamir is perfect. The civil officers led by Melty had already organized the supplies and decided where they should be taken, so all that remained was to wait for the subjugation army from the Holy Kingdoms to arrive.


    ¡°Well, maybe it¡¯s better to be a little intimidated. No matter how I try to make up for it, my hands are stained with blood. Twenty years have passed since my sisters and mother were put to sleep. Hence, it¡¯s only natural that we can¡¯t have exactly the same relationship as we did before.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so pessimistic.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think there is anything to be pessimistic about. I¡¯m just saying that relationships have to change and that it¡¯s okay to have a new relationship now.¡±


    ¡°I can understand and support that kind of talk. If there is anything I can do, please let me know.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll ask for your help when I think of something.¡±


    While we were talking about these things, a message came into the Golem communicator. Sylphy, who had been hugging me from behind, separated from me and picked up the receiver of the Golem communicator.


    ¡°It¡¯s Sylphy.¡±


    ¡°This is Pirna. The Holy Kingdom¡¯s army stopped marching about an hour and a half away from Merinesburg on foot. They are in position at that point and are sending out reconnaissance in all directions.¡±


    ¡°Understood. Keep a safe distance and do not cause any casualties.¡±


    ¡°Copy that.¡±


    The communication from Pirna was cut off.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think Pirna and the others¡¯ positions are too far away from here?¡±


    If you say it takes about an hour and a half on foot, it¡¯s about 15 kilometers away. I can¡¯t see them from the walls here. At least not with my eyes. Since Sylphy doesn¡¯t seem to be able to see her either, perhaps it is just barely far enough away to not be captured from the city walls.


    ¡°They probably saw Pirna and the others and thought it was suspicious. According to the information they have, the Holy Kingdom is still in control of Merinesburg. No, it is not as though we have completely blocked out the spy network, so there is a possibility that information has leaked out¡­ Anyway, there is no doubt that they are on the lookout for us.¡±


    ¡°I see. What do we do?¡±


    ¡°The first step would be to send a surrender notice. We¡¯ve already sealed the gates of Merinesburg, so we¡¯ll just be on the lookout today to ensure no one from the outside gets in. Tomorrow, we will take the Adol clergyman and a few prisoners of war with us, and we will send a surrender proposal. With that breakdown, we will enter into a formal state of engagement.¡±


    ¡°Will there be a breakdown? Is it likely, right?¡±


    ¡°I see no reason not to. From their point of view, we are just a small bandit who is excited about being a local tributary state. They have no intention of negotiating with us. Tomorrow, we will make an alibi for their surrender so that they won¡¯t poke us in some strange way after all is said and done.¡±


    Sylphy shrugged her shoulders and began to circulate the information she had received from Pirna to the various divisions. The golem communicator is still very useful at times like this.


    At this stage, we are planning to open the war tomorrow when the negotiations break down and the subjugation army begins their invasion. Specifically, we will conduct air strikes by the Harpy Bombardment Unit and maneuver attacks by the gunners¡¯ airboards. If it is not poorly done, I have a feeling that this alone could crush the morale of the opponent, but, well, that is the time for that. So let¡¯s give them a thorough chase. How far can they run against airboards that move faster than horses and Harpy-san, who flies in the sky? I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll be able to escape if they¡¯re in a state of chaos on foot.


    We plan to have the Harpies, who are not assigned to bombing missions, fly over to give us updates on the frontline battle situation, and depending on the situation on the battlefield, not only the gunners but also some of the elite troops will be riding airboards to join the pursuit.


    ¡°I wonder if they will attack up to the ramparts¡­ impossible, right?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s impossible. No matter what you think, they can¡¯t even make it to the ramparts.¡±


    Sylphy, who knows both the performance of the general-purpose machine guns equipped by the gunners and the power of the aerial bombardment by Harpy¡¯s group, assured me of that. That¡¯s what I think, too.


    It¡¯s going to rain blood tomorrow.

 CH 211

    Chapter 211 ¨C Substantial Declaration of War


    The next day was cloudy. The clouds in the sky were dark and looked as if they would begin to fall at any moment.


    ¡°Hmm, it will rain in the afternoon.¡±


    A big old man who belonged to the Felidae family said this while looking at the sky, so it was probably true. If possible, I would like to finish before it rains.


    ¡°Hohoho, this is nice.¡±


    Archbishop Deckard was in a very good mood because of the gliding movement of the air board and the completely smooth ride.


    ¡°At my age, traveling long distances in a horse-drawn carriage is hard on my body. My hips and back ache, so it¡¯s not easy.¡±


    ¡°Well, I suppose that¡¯s true.¡±


    With him in such a good mood in the back seat, I acted as a driver again today. The passengers are Archbishop Deckard, Sir Leonard, Isla, Melty, and Ms. Zamir. These are probably almost the best of the Liberation Army¡¯s forces. If Sylphy had joined this group, it would have been the highest strength of the Liberation Army, without a doubt.


    As soon as the sun rose, I was heading for the enemy lines accompanied by an air board with a squadron of gunners on board. This was for the so-called declaration of war before the war started. The purpose of the mission was to negotiate with the subjugation army in advance to encourage them to surrender, but in effect, it was a declaration of war.


    The reason why I brought Archbishop Deckard and other emissaries with me is that my airboard has the best defense and is equipped with a loudspeaker that can be used to call out from inside the vehicle. Also, since my airboard is armed, I can join the battle in case of an emergency. I have only two light machine guns with black steel heavy barrels and machine parts pointing forward.


    ¡°I can see them.¡±


    Isla, who was looking ahead from the back seat, muttered in my ear. I have not been able to see anything like that yet, but Isla¡¯s eye seems to be able to see it. The only thing I can see is the smoke rising from the enemy¡¯s camp. It seems that they have long since discovered our position thanks to the surveillance by Harpy-san and the others, so they are eating their meals with impunity.


    ¡°They seem to be taking it easy in front of us, don¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°They have no idea what we¡¯re up to. From their point of view, we are a small force of only a few thousand in total. Even if there are some strong individuals, they think they can crush us with their numbers and tactics.¡±


    ¡°I suppose so. But that arrogance will only last until today.¡±


    Ms. Zamir is quietly filled with fighting spirit. It looks like she¡¯s about to run out carrying her meteor at any moment. I beg you, please don¡¯t do that.


    ¡°For my part, they are just fellow citizens who don¡¯t know the truth.¡±


    Archbishop Deckard says so, closing his eyes and cutting a glowing cross in front of his chest to show it. Well, Archbishop Deckard must have some thoughts about the battle that is about to take place. The actuality is that the two are hostile factions, but they are the same Adol believers.


    ¡°It is going to be a tough ordeal.¡±


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    Somehow, the conversation in the vehicle was lost for a few minutes. I could now see the enemy¡¯s position from a distance.


    ¡°Command to all vehicles. Load the first rounds and be ready to fire at any moment. The mages in the vehicle should also prepare to deploy barriers so that you can defend against enemy attacks at any time.¡±


    ¡°Roger that, over.¡±


    ¡°Then, Archbishop Deckard, prepare the call. Isla, Melty. Show Archbishop Deckard how to use the loudspeaker.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    Hearing the three people¡¯s replies, Sir Leonard instructed the air board to advance to a position where neither arrows nor magic would reach from the enemy side and stop. The enemy camp seemed to be in an uproar at the appearance of the unfamiliar vehicle. I can see the soldiers moving hurriedly.


    ¡°I see. It is not so difficult to use, is it?¡±


    ¡°Hmm. If you move this protrusion this way, and this part glows, you¡¯re ready to go. Then, if you speak normally, your voice will become many times louder and echo throughout the surroundings.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ with this, preaching in churches and plazas will be a lot easier. Very interesting.¡±


    ¡°It is desirable to use it in such a peaceful way. The magic and alchemy technologies are supposed to help and enrich everyone¡¯s life.¡±


    ¡°Hohoho, that¡¯s a great saying¡­ Well, then, let¡¯s begin.¡±


    After clearing his throat, Archbishop Deckard turned on the loudspeaker and began to speak.


    ¡°My name is Deckard. I am the Archbishop of Merinard. I am here with an emissary of the Liberation Army of the Merinard Kingdom, which controls the territory of the Kingdom of Merinard.¡±


    A murmur could be heard from the enemy lines at the announcement of Archbishop Deckard¡¯s name. They are probably wondering why the archbishop of the Adol religion appears with an emissary of a local rebel group.


    ¡°I¡¯m Leonard of the Liberation Army of the Merinard Kingdom. For you, the Holy Kingdom Army, it would probably be more appropriate to call me Leonard of the Twin Fangs. We appeared before you this time in order to conclude a wartime agreement on the treatment of prisoners of war before engaging in battle. We request a meeting with your commander.¡±


    Sir Leonard received a microphone from Archbishop Deckard, and as he said this, the murmur from the enemy camp grew even stronger. Apparently, Sir Leonard has a certain name value in the Holy Kingdom Army.


    For a while, the enemy camp was in turmoil, but soon a group of people carrying the national flag of the Holy Kingdom and the military flag of the Holy Kingdom Army came out of the enemy camp. It seems that they are willing to talk with us.


    ¡°For the time being, it is a success. I am glad to see that the commander seems to have at least a minimum level of rationality.¡±


    ¡°Hohoho, that¡¯s harsh, to say the least.¡±


    With a laugh, Sir Leonard, Archbishop Deckard, Ms. Zamir, Melty, and Isla get off the air board. I picked up the Golem communicator as I watched them go.


    ¡°From the command vehicle to each vehicle, unload the prisoners and take them with you. Return to vehicles after handover, over.¡±


    ¡°Roger, over.¡±


    With the reply, the POWs were unloaded from the vehicles and followed behind Sir Leonard and the others. They are relatively high-ranked among the POWs captured in the battle the other day. They are not just a single soldier but a squad leader or a platoon leader. Of course, their wounds had been treated well, they had been fed well, and they had been treated with respect.


    Eh? Mistreatment of POWs, you say? There was no way we would do such an inefficient thing. If the enemy soldiers knew that they would be mistreated and killed if captured, they would never surrender. Their morale would be boosted if they were to be killed anyway.


    If they surrender, their lives are guaranteed, and even if they are taken prisoner, they will not be treated badly. Their wounds will be treated properly, and their freedom of religion will be protected. It would be more convenient for us if they spread such stories.


    If the enemy knows that we treat prisoners of war with respect, they will be more likely to surrender when cornered, and there will be fewer troublesome people who would rather fight to the death than be taken prisoner.


    They will also be more likely to spread the word about our horror. I didn¡¯t go to the trouble of explaining to them about machine guns and air strikes and the like in detail, but I did spread the word that the magic barrier and the thick armor of the heavy infantry were torn apart like paper by an attack they didn¡¯t understand and that they were wiped out, and that fighting these guys was an absolute disaster. It would be even more helpful for us if they spread such a story.


    ¡°But I¡¯m bored.¡±


    I¡¯m very bored because everyone has left my vehicle and I don¡¯t have anyone to talk to. It is impossible for my ears to listen in on the negotiations of Sir Leonard and the others at this distance. Ah, yes.


    ¡°This is Kosuke. At any rate, we have succeeded in having a meeting with the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army. We are currently discussing the return of the prisoners of war.¡±


    I changed the frequency on the Golem communicator and contacted Sylphy, who was standing by in Merinesburg.


    Soon after, a message came in from that side.


    ¡°This is Sylphy. At any rate, it¡¯s good to know that we didn¡¯t have to engage without question. How are the talks going?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t hear the talks. I should have brought along someone with a good ear.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I still think I should have gone, shouldn¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°That would have been a bad idea¡­ Well, as far as I can see, they were able to take back the POWs.¡±


    I report back while watching the talks through the binoculars I took out of my inventory. The atmosphere doesn¡¯t seem to be very good, although it seems to be a peaceful discussion at least. Well, yes, that¡¯s right. Even though it is called a pre-battle discussion, it is in effect a declaration of war.


    Well, it would be a good thing if some sort of agreement could be reached on the treatment of prisoners of war. And maybe a signal to admit defeat and surrender?


    The discussion was over in a short time, and each of them began to leave the place. The prisoners of war seemed to have been received well, and they returned to their camp with the other side¡¯s personnel. We had been warned that they might attack us as soon as the discussion was over, but that did not seem to be the case. We were lucky that it didn¡¯t turn out like a machine gun suddenly bursting into flames.


    ¡°Kosuke, give me a spear, a sword, a sign, anything.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes. I¡¯ll take that as a no-brainer.¡±


    As soon as Sir Leonard came back, he made a strange request, so I took out the same plaque from my inventory that I had put up in front of the fort that I had blown up with the Holy Kingdoms¡¯ army and handed it to Sir Leonard. Sir Leonard had a strange look on his face when he saw that the plaque was really there, but he ferociously bared his fangs when he saw the wording on the plaque. He probably laughed.


    The sign on the plaque said simply one thing: ¡®If you continue on this path, we will consider it a hostile act, and we will return fire with all our might.¡¯


    This was the content. In fact, I had prepared for such an eventuality last night. I knew the negotiations would break down, and I knew that if no battle broke out on the spot, I would have to pull out of the meeting.


    ¡°As expected of Kosuke.¡±


    Sir Leonard, who had received the plaque with these words, came back to the center of the road, sticking the plaque in the middle of the road. The other group members saw this and returned to the vehicle one after the other.


    ¡°What was the result?¡±


    ¡°Naturally, it broke down. The other side sneered at our request for surrender and, on the contrary, recommended that we surrender.¡±


    ¡°Of course, we had no intention of surrendering either, so we mutually kicked at each other¡¯s surrender advice, and a declaration of war was successfully concluded. After that, we decided on the treatment of prisoners of war, and when we again offered to surrender, we would send a peace messenger with a white flag.¡±


    ¡°I see. Please report the details to Sylphy.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    I handed the golem communicator to Melty and left her to report to Sylphy. For the time being, the purpose was fulfilled, so we pulled back to Merinesburg once. After that, I¡¯ll have the Harpies monitor the plaque, and if the enemy army crosses the line of the plaque, we¡¯ll start engaging them.


    Author Note:


    Holy Kingdom soldiers¡¯ POV


    ¡°They were on a strange vehicle, but that¡¯s all. There are not many of them, and there is no reason for us to lose. This battle is going to be very boring.¡±


    ¡°Yes, exactly. I¡¯ve postponed my marriage because of this expedition. I¡¯m going to finish it quickly and go home.¡±

 CH 212

    Chapter 212 ¨C Mountain of Corpse, River of Blood


    After a full hour of preparation, the Holy Kingdom army began its attack.


    We were watching the boundary line from a watchtower I had improvised at a point about 2 km from the boundary line, just in case the Holy Kingdom army crossed the boundary line, and we wanted to watch the moment the war opened.


    ¡°Kosuke-dono¡¯s power is truly divine.¡±


    Seeing that I had created a magnificent stone watchtower in a very short time, Archbishop Deckard¡¯s attitude toward me had changed drastically.


    Come to think of it, the only thing I actually showed Ellen was serving her food, and I¡¯m sure Archbishop Deckard also only knew what my abilities were from what he heard about me. Perhaps my abilities were more astounding to him than he thought.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know where this power comes from, though. Well, I think it¡¯s supernatural.¡±


    As for me, I have installed an automatic grenade launcher in a watchtower and am monitoring the movements of the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army.


    The grenade had been placed on the walls of Merinesburg, but I temporarily retrieved it to my inventory because I didn¡¯t want to leave it there and have someone else touch it. The maximum range of this weapon is approximately 2,200 meters, so it is possible to attack the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army that has crossed the line from here.


    ¡°They are advancing without hesitation, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    Standing with his arms folded, Sir Leonard squinted his eyes and looked far into the distance. He seems to be able to see the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army with his naked eye even at this distance.


    ¡°Hmm. At this rate, they will soon reach the boundary line.¡±


    Isla also seems to be able to see the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army with her naked eye. The big eye seems to be as high-performance as it looks. Melty and Ms. Zamir, who are looking in the same direction as Isla and the others, also seem to be able to see the movements of the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army with their naked eyes, although they do not say anything.


    ¡°Your eyesight is amazing. I can¡¯t see them with my naked eye.¡±


    I took out my binoculars. When I adjusted the zoom and focus, I could indeed see the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army moving toward here. Wow, I think the number is about 20,000, right? This is amazing. It¡¯s like a tsunami of people. Amazing.


    ¡°Can you handle such a large force?¡±


    Archbishop Deckard, who had seen the Holy Kingdom army through the binoculars I had lent him, asked me with a serious expression.


    ¡°Well, you can just watch, and you¡¯ll see.¡±


    At the moment I said that, a message came into the golem communicator.


    ¡°This is the scout. We have confirmed that the enemy vanguard has crossed the border. Over.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    ¡°Then, we will begin our attack. The first attack will be a bombing by the Harpies. If possible, aim at the rear guard, preferably the Transportation Corps. At the same time, Kosuke will attack the enemy vanguard, and the gunners will attack as soon as that is over. There is no need for mercy. We will lay waste to them.¡±


    Sir Leonard gave the order to attack. Now, let the attack begin.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    Holy Kingdom¡¯s POV


    About an hour after the disappointing meeting. We had begun to move forward.


    As for the content of the meeting, well, to put it simply, it was a pre-war agreement. We decided on the treatment of prisoners of war and how to express our intentions when sending peace envoys, and in the end, we declared war on each other.


    Originally, there was no need to conclude such a war agreement with the Liberation Army, which was a bandit army, but when they brought out the archbishop, even though he belonged to the nostalgic faction, I had no choice but to at least negotiate with them.


    The instructions from the home country were only two: to exterminate the bandit army and deal with the archbishop in secret. Of course, I couldn¡¯t get rid of the archbishop in the presence of so many soldiers, but in the chaos of the battle, I could get rid of him in any way I wanted.


    As for the saint, I was told to capture her and keep her alive as long as possible, but let¡¯s see. I will do everything I can¡­ but as we were marching along thoughtfully, a messenger came running from the vanguard.


    ¡°The scouts found a plaque they had left behind.¡±


    ¡°Boundary line? Fine, trample it down.¡±


    They were in a strange vehicle, but there were at most 20 or so of them. There were toilet birds flying in the sky, but they could only harass us to the extent of spreading their filth around. It was depressing to have them flying over my head, but there was nothing I could do about it.


    When we had gone a little further, the movements of the toilet birds changed.


    Normally, this would not have bothered me, but for some reason, I was strangely disturbed by the change in their movements. I could say that I felt a stirring in my chest. I didn¡¯t care about the toilet birds, which were flying in a wide arc above us, looking down at us. It was that toilet bird that was flying in formation like a charging cavalryman. That was somehow dangerous. I have no proof, but it seemed so.


    ¡°Archers¡­ no, not reachable.¡±


    Their flying position is high. Unfortunately, we don¡¯t have a bow that can reach that far.


    The bad premonition was accelerating.


    ¡°Mage squad, prepare defensive barriers©¤©¤¡±


    Just as they were about to give their support, an out-of-tune whistling sound came from behind us. What was that sound? I turned around at that moment. A thunderous roar rang out in rapid succession. At the same time, there was a rush of shock and then a downpour of earth, sand, and rain. The horse I was riding was so startled by the roar that it made me almost fall off my horse.


    ¡°W-what was that? Uwaaaaah!¡±


    I screamed as I looked at my hands, wiping the dirt and rain that had suddenly fallen on me. The thing poured down on my face. It was mud mixed with blood and pieces of flesh.


    ¡°W-what the hell? What¡¯s happening?¡±


    Next, I began to hear what sounded like a series of thumping explosions from the vanguard. When I turned my attention in that direction, I saw that explosions were actually occurring repeatedly in the direction of the vanguard and that soldiers were being blown away each time.


    ¡°What in the world is going on? Is it a magic attack or¡­! Where are they shooting from!¡±


    In the confusion, no one responded to my voice.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    Bang bang bang! The sound of the automatic grenade launcher firing echoed.


    ¡°A little further to the right.¡±


    ¡°Haiyo.¡±


    Following Isla¡¯s instruction, I slightly adjusted my sights and fired again. A series of shots rang out, and a burst of explosions could be heard in the distance.


    ¡°It hit. Keep the distance and sweep fire.¡±


    ¡°Roger that.¡±


    I kept the angle of elevation of the automatic grenade launcher and swung my head to the left and right little by little, firing multipurpose grenades in rapid succession and laying waste to the enemy vanguard. The automatic grenade launcher¡¯s sight is calibrated to 1,500 meters, so beyond that distance, it is a matter of shooting by eye. But still, Isla has a good eye. The one-eyed people might have excellent abilities as sniper observers.


    ¡°The power of this gun is tremendous. You should have deployed these in the gunners¡¯ corps.¡±


    ¡°The bullets are consumed too quickly, and the succession capability is not as good as it should be. Each bullet is this size, you know. And the bullets are very heavy.¡±


    I pointed to a 40mm diameter multipurpose grenade that was being fed into an automatic grenade launcher via a belt link. The size of a single bullet is simply too different from that of a light machine gun bullet, and at this rate of fire, it would soon run out of ammunition. I have only about 900 rounds of ammunition for this weapon.


    Incidentally, the box that holds the ammunition for this weapon holds a maximum of 48 rounds and weighs about 30 kg. It is impossible to carry a large amount of ammunition without me.


    ¡°It¡¯s a big mess, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Of course it is.¡±


    Sir Leonard muttered while looking into the distance, and Melty agreed with him. Archbishop Deckard¡¯s face turned pale as he saw the battlefield scene through binoculars.


    ¡°Archbishop Deckard. It is better not to force yourself to see the battlefield.¡±


    ¡°B-but¡­¡±


    ¡°The battlefield is a battlefield, but it is not a battlefield on which you should be standing. It is admirable that you are willing to see what we have done, but it is a needless effort. This is our battle, not yours. Even if you were not here, as long as the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army sent troops to the Kingdom of Merinard, this battle would have happened.¡±


    Leonard took the binoculars from Archbishop Deckard¡¯s trembling hands and looked into them himself.


    ¡°Oh, this is quite a nice tool. Hahaha, that disgusting self-proclaimed holy knight is in a panic for no reason at all. It¡¯s exciting, so exciting!¡±


    Sir Leonard laughed out amusedly as he looked at the battlefield, which was probably a scene of hell due to the aerial bombardment by the Harpies and my automatic grenade launcher. He¡¯s got a pretty good personality, this old man in many ways.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    Holy Kingdom¡¯s POV


    The large explosion that followed the unpleasant whistle sound and the explosive attack by something flying in out of nowhere finally stopped. I understood that something dropped by the toilet birds apparently caused the loud explosion that accompanied the whistle sound, but I had no idea what the attack that had overrun the vanguard was. The scouts reported that something like a watchtower had appeared in their path at some point, but was there a connection?


    ¡°Regroup the troops quickly. Treat the lightly wounded first, then the seriously wounded. But abandon those who have lost limbs and are unlikely to survive.¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡±


    I stopped the march of the army and tried to assess the situation. The current attack alone has resulted in numerous casualties even though we had not yet even come into contact with the enemy.


    ¡°Can the magic barrier stop that weapon dropped by the toilet bird?¡±


    ¡°If it is a barrier using chorus magic by all the mages¡­ but it can only protect the mages and their surroundings. It would be impossible to protect all 20,000 soldiers.¡±


    ¡°Then can¡¯t we just knock them off?¡±


    The mage commander, who leads the mage corps, shook his head at my question.


    ¡°The altitude is too high for even chorus magic to reach them.¡±


    ¡°Damn it! Then we have no choice but to be tortured like this by them!¡±


    I screamed out in rage. If they continue to attack us in the same way, we will be annihilated before we can see the enemy. Although there are only a few of the toilet birds that seem to be scouts left in the sky above us now, there is no telling when they will return in formation.


    Perhaps they have run out of that whistling, exploding weapon, but if they are returning to Merinesburg to resupply¡­ there is a good chance they will be back again. No way it was only a single blow.


    Worse yet, if they have a large stockpile of those weapons, the closer we get to Merinesburg, the more intense their attack will be. Obviously, the closer to the supply point, the more frequent the attacks will be.


    Since we are already in their sights, even if we run away now, they will not stop attacking us unless we run very far away. It is depressing to think of the amount of damage that will be done in the meantime. Although we are advancing on the ground, they are flying in the sky. It will not be easy to escape.


    ¡°We would have to fight a short battle.¡±


    It would take half an hour on foot to reach Merinesburg and even less time if we marched at a run. They will be holed up in Merinesburg. We don¡¯t have siege weapons, but if we get close enough to the gates, we can blow them away with the chorus magic of our mage troops.


    The enemy numbers are small. The attacks of the toilet birds are a threat, but once the gate is breached, we should be able to overrun them with our numbers. The toilet birds¡¯ attack would stop once the supply points were destroyed.


    ¡°Notify all troops to charge into Merinesburg. Be careful that the mage units do not suffer any losses. I want the gates of Merinesburg destroyed by chorus magic.¡±


    ¡°I understand. That is the only way.¡±


    It seems that the mage commander came to the same conclusion as I did. If we continue to inflict casualties at this rate, we will be unable to maintain morale. Their attacks are unidentified and severe. Those who are directly hit cannot escape death, and those around them are also seriously wounded. It is dangerous to be exposed to these attacks for a long time.


    At that moment, from the direction of the vanguard came a buzzing sound like the wings of an unpleasant insect and the screams of the soldiers. What is it this time?


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    ¡°The march has stopped.¡±


    ¡®They must have halted their march to assess the situation. They have been hit hard by an unidentified attack. It is only natural.¡±


    Sir Leonard peeked out his binoculars. He must be laughing.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to move on.¡±


    I had finished shooting about half of the ammunition I had prepared and had finished retrieving my automatic grenade launcher. I left half of the ammunition because I might have to use it during the defense battle in Merinesburg. I knew it wouldn¡¯t be a waste to shoot them all here, but I didn¡¯t want to shoot them all just in case. It is a survivor¡¯s saga to fear running out of bullets. It can¡¯t be helped.


    ¡°Before you do that, you have to give the gunners the go-ahead to attack. Now that they have stopped, we can do whatever we want.¡±


    With these words, Sir Leonard used the golem communicator to give the order to the gunners on the air board to attack.


    ¡°Roger that. Let¡¯s show them what we can do, over.¡±


    From behind the golem communicator, Jagira¡¯s voice commanding the gunners could be heard, and at the same time, ten air boards literally glided down the highway. A few moments later, a booming, electric saw-like roar begins to ring out from a distance.


    ¡°It¡¯s overwhelming. The Holy Kingdom¡¯s army is being shredded to pieces.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. It¡¯s like mowing the grass.¡±


    ¡°Then that light machine gun must be Kosuke¡¯s mowing scythe.¡±


    ¡°Stop.¡±


    I seriously want you to stop calling it my mowing sickle replacing the Small-moustache-san¡¯s electric saw.


    But if this happens, the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army will no longer be able to march. After all, they are being swept by ten light machine guns when they are at a standstill. Since they have no knowledge of guns, the best they could do to defend themselves would be to hold up their shields. Unfortunately, however, light machine gun bullets cannot be protected by shields or armor made of wood, leather, or, at best, thin steel plates.


    ¡°This is Jagira of the Gunners¡¯ Corps. A white flag has been raised by the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army.¡±


    Well, that¡¯s to be expected, isn¡¯t it? Yeah.

 CH 213

    Chapter 213 ¨C Total Destruction


    Within 30 minutes of the start of the war, the subjugation army raised the white flag.


    The advance was slowed by the air bombardment of the Harpies and my automatic grenade launchers, and when they came to a standstill, they were met with a thorough sweeping attack by light machine-gun fire. These attacks were not something that could be defended against with leather or metal armor, and in the chaos, even the mage corps, which was their tiger cubs, were unable to function.


    The commander of the subjugation army, who promptly raised the white flag before the damage could spread any further, must have been quite capable. Without knowing the attackers¡¯ identity, it is not easy to make that kind of decision in the midst of chaos and information chaos.


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°I generally agree. I think he made his decision quickly because he had heard about it from the POWs.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    The POWs we handed over were the survivors of those who were kicked out of the city with light machine guns when the Liberation Army occupied Merinesburg. They must have known the horror of light machine-gun attacks, so it is highly possible that they had appealed to the commander of the subjugation army about the danger of such attacks.


    Well, you can¡¯t understand the horror of a light machine-gun sweep until you have actually been subjected to it. Even if he knew a little about light machine guns, I don¡¯t think he would be able to protect 20,000 men with the technology of this world.


    What if it were me? If the enemy is armed with light machine guns and air boards, and I can only attack them with this world¡¯s technology¡­ I guess I would have to lure them into a narrow path and saturate them with bows and magic. At least, if you¡¯re fighting in a place like this battlefield, where there¡¯s no shielding and no streets on a plain, there¡¯s no way to deal with it.


    Even that method of dealing with the situation would be out of the question with Harpy¡¯s scouting ability, the golem communicator, and air bombardment added to the mix. If I could use my ability, I would set up an anti-aircraft turret in a sturdy base to shut out the Harpies while destroying the air boards from inside the base by surface suppression with a large number of mortars.


    Since the air board is lightly armored, it may be possible to destroy it from a distance with a more powerful 50 caliber heavy machine gun or an anti-material rifle.


    And what¡¯s this escapism about?


    ¡°This is¡­ terrible.¡±


    The area was filled with the thick smell of blood and guts, and the soldiers of the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army were lying on the ground with their bodies, powerless, not even moaning. Archbishop Deckard, who saw such a scene, was holding his mouth, and his face turned blue.


    This was the area where the gunners had been relentless in their machine-gun fire. The people lying on the ground were all missing limbs or parts of their bodies, and it looked as if they had all died almost instantly. A little past the scene of the battlefield, we now come to a place where people are lying on the ground after being hit by bullets of reduced power, which have passed through the victims of the previous battle.


    In a sense, this place is even worse than the previous scene. All of them are seriously injured by the less powerful bullets, and although the wounds are not fatal, they are still extremely painful.


    Behind them is once again an area with many dead. This is the point where the people in front of them fell down after being hit by the less powerful bullets and were again exposed to a barrage of bullets that had hardly diminished in power.


    ¡°An army of 20,000 is in this condition in just that amount of time¡­?¡±


    Archbishop Deckard muttered in a serious voice. I guess he didn¡¯t expect it to be so one-sided. The number of deaths also seems to have surprised him.


    In this world, wars are basically fought with swords, spears, and bows and arrows, with a little bit of magic thrown in for good measure. Injuries are often caused by being cut or beaten with a blade on top of protective gear, so to put it straight, the instant death rate is not very high.


    However, the weapons I brought into this world, such as bolt-action rifles, light machine guns, and air bombs, are far more lethal than swords, spears, and bows. In any case, the armor of this world can hardly reduce the power of these weapons.


    Furthermore, gunshot wounds inflict far more damage on the human body than wounds caused by swords, spears, bows and arrows. I don¡¯t remember the details of the mechanism, but it is said that a bullet that enters the human body can roll over inside the body before penetrating it, damaging the inside of the body in a distorted manner or generating a shockwave inside the body, causing severe damage.


    In fact, when I saw them, the wounds of the soldiers lying on the ground seemed to be unbearable to look at. I wonder how many casualties there were.


    ¡°I will leave the matter of peace to Sir Leonard, Melty, and Archbishop Deckard. Isla and I will treat the wounded together©¤©¤¡±


    ¡°That will come after the peace is concluded. They have not yet formally surrendered.¡±


    ¡°No, but under the circumstances¡­¡±


    ¡°Not yet. It is good to proceed with preparations. However, the treatment should be started only after they have officially surrendered. In any case, we will need manpower to disarm them, so I suppose it is appropriate to move as much manpower as possible from Merinesburg to our side.¡±


    ¡°Then, we will do so.¡±


    After Sir Leonard¡¯s statement, Melty started a call on the golem communicator.


    ¡°Kosuke. The weapon you created slaughtered the enemies unilaterally. You may think so, but they are the enemy who came to kill, capture, and overrun every last one of us in the first place. If we had not been armed with Kosuke¡¯s weapons, it would have been us who would have ended up like this.¡±


    ¡°Is that¡­ so?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is. Kosuke¡¯s spirit of compassion is noble, but there is a procedure for everything. I am in charge here, so please bear with me for now.¡±


    ¡°¡­Understood.¡±


    Many lives will be lost while negotiating. But still, Sir Leonard is saying that things have to make sense first. He has more experience on the battlefield than I do, and if he says so, I have no choice but to obey him. Or perhaps it is Sir Leonard¡¯s intention, or perhaps it is just his mindset, to make me think so.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    Sir Leonard, Archbishop Deckard, and other members of the Liberation Army and the commanders of the Holy Kingdom Army were meeting again after an interval of about an hour and a half or about three hours. I am waiting on the air board as before. The only difference is that Isla is still in the air board and the gunners¡¯ air board is all together pointing its muzzle at the Holy Kingdom Army.


    The other side also seems to be trying to intimidate them by having the mage corps behind them, but if they try anything, the trigger of the light machine gun held by the gunners will be pulled sooner than that, and they will be turned into a cloud of blood.


    ¡°So far, it doesn¡¯t sound too disturbing.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. No disturbing activity on the part of the enemy mage corps either.¡±


    Isla opened the door on the roof of the air board and monitored the enemy mage group from a slightly higher vantage point. Isla¡¯s big eye can also see the flow of magic power when using magic, so she can also monitor them to make sure our side won¡¯t be caught by surprise by magic at a time like this.


    Well, it seems that this is not inborn and that she uses special magic that allows her to see the magic power¡­ but I don¡¯t really understand it because I¡¯m clueless about magic. At any rate, Isla, who invoked that magic to see magic power, was a little mysterious, with something like a magic circle sparkling in the depths of her eye.


    ¡°What¡¯s going to happen? Will they withdraw obediently?¡±


    ¡°They will have to do so. If they don¡¯t withdraw, we will just beat them thoroughly. The number of dead will increase. It is impossible to fight further after being beaten so unilaterally. I can see it in the soldiers¡¯ faces.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s true.¡±


    The face of the commanders who are talking with Sir Leonard and the others is stiff, and even I can tell that he is pushing down his fear. I have seen the faces of the surviving soldiers along the way, and every one of them looks as if everyone is pushing down their fears and anxieties. Morale is at its worst.


    ¡°Even if they say they¡¯re going to fight, it looks like the soldiers are going to drop their weapons and surrender on their own.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. The so-called holy knights and some of the faithful might still be able to fight, but I think most of them will. The soldiers of the Holy Kingdom are also human beings. Their lives are precious.¡±


    While I was talking to Isla like that, the negotiation seemed to have ended. The lion face of Sir Leonard is honestly difficult to read, but the negotiation itself seems to have gone well.


    ¡°Well, how did it turn out?¡±


    ¡°The other side will have to accept whatever we demand. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    The death toll on the side of the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army in this battle was 3,700, including 3,500 in the vanguard units and 200 in the Transportation units. Among the total of 20,000 on the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army side, about 13,000 were pure combatants, which means that the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army lost about 28% of its combatants in this battle. In addition, there were about 3,000 wounded, so only 6,300 people were actually able to move. If the wounded are also included, the loss rate of the combatants is 51%, and the battle cannot be continued.


    ¡°Well, I guess it¡¯s a total destruction.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, total destruction.¡±


    Sylphy, who had received the report from us back in Merinesburg, muttered, and Isla, who had given the report, nodded in agreement. The reason for the loss is that they were standing on sticks to receive the sweep of the light machine gun. At least if they had gotten down on the ground, the damage would have been lessened, but for them to get down on the ground, with their armored bodies and armed with swords and spears, was nothing more than a loss of combat ability. No commander in the world would be able to give such an order on the spur of the moment in that situation and make sure it was carried out thoroughly.


    ¡°Amazing, huh?¡±


    ¡°The results of the battle are a bit unbelievable¡­¡±


    ¡°Kosuke¡¯s secret weapon is a disaster.¡±


    The three slime girls who were listening to the report together were each expressing their opinions. What¡¯s up with the ¡°Disaster,¡± they say, you ask? That¡¯s¡­


    ¡°So, the prisoner of war is the enemy commander and a man of noble birth, and then there¡¯s the holy knight and the entire mage corps.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. The second-in-command and the junior officers need to be responsible for bringing the defeated soldiers back to their home countries. The rest of them are confined in slave collars to keep them from running amok or making any strange plans.¡±


    ¡°We must instruct our people to treat the POWs with respect. Prisoners of war are important bargaining chips.¡±


    The purpose of the Liberation Army is to free the Kingdom of Merinard from the control of the Holy Kingdom and to recover the former land and its people who were taken away. From now on, persistent negotiations with the Holy Kingdom will be necessary. It would be better to have prisoners of war to use as bargaining chips.


    ¡°I hope the Holy Kingdom will give up now.¡±


    ¡°I doubt it will go so well.¡±


    ¡°It will be difficult. But we must accomplish it.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, yes. For the sake of all the sacrifices that have been made so far, we have to finish the job.¡±


    It seems that the future of the liberation of the Kingdom of Merinard is still a long way off.

 CH 214

    Chapter 214 ¨C The Battle Is Over


    Holy Kingdom¡¯s POV


    Stunned. If I had to describe my feelings, this would be the only word I would use to describe them.


    The army I led to defeat was a powerful one, without any exaggeration. Trained elite soldiers, holy knights blessed by God, and mages. Excellent subordinates and ample supplies. It was a force that was not inadequate for defeating a rebel army of a single country, or rather, it should have been too much.


    I had been secretly tasked with using this holy army gifted to me by His Majesty the Holy King and His Eminence the Pope to eliminate the lowly subhumans with overwhelming force and make an example of them to those who plot rebellion by taking advantage of the war against the abominable Empire, and I had been given the power to do just that.


    ¡°How did this happen¡­?¡±


    In my cell, I held my head tightly. When I closed my eyes, the hellish scene flashed through my mind. I could not even imagine what kind of tactics had been used at the scene of that horrific battlefield.


    The shields of the heavily armed infantry had been smashed to bits. The elite soldiers were dismembered as if they had been run over by an ogre. The dead were so broken up that it was impossible to tell exactly how many had died, all of them human. The scene was exactly like that of a river of blood and corpses.


    ¡°O, God¡­¡±


    What was I supposed to do? All I could do was quickly express my willingness to surrender.


    I had no idea what the enemy¡¯s attack was. But at an alarming rate, the soldiers were being crushed and ground into meat. According to the stories of prisoners of war who had been returned before the war began, when weapons of a shape they had never seen before burst into flames, their comrades were crushed as if chewed by invisible fangs.


    The attack of the abominable bird-women was still understandable. It was obvious at a glance that something cylindrical they had dropped had exploded. Still, the power of that thing was out of my control, but it was still understandable. It must have been a disposable magic tool or something.


    But I don¡¯t understand that thing that crushed the soldiers on the front line. What in the world was that thing? Since I don¡¯t know what it is, there is no way to counter it. How could a weapon smash the shields of heavily armed infantry from a distance? Looking at that scene, it is easy to imagine that it is a weapon that unleashes a countless number of attacks of such power. With countless attacks of such power, even a defensive barrier using chorus magic would have no way to prevent them.


    It might be able to withstand one, two, or even ten shots. But if more than that, the defensive barrier would shatter. But before that, there was that magic tool dropped by the bird-women. That tool has the power to shatter the defensive barrier of chorus magic with a single blow. If they attack with that weapon after shattering the defensive barriers with that magic tool, there would be nothing we could do.


    So, should we just lock ourselves in a fortress or a citadel? That is not the answer. If that were to happen, the enemy would rain down on us with their magic tools. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s so easy to mass-produce such powerful magic tools, but we shouldn¡¯t be¡­ so optimistic.


    With those fire-breathing weapons, the bird-woman¡¯s magic tools, and the unfamiliar vehicles, something is happening among the rebels who call themselves the Liberation Army that we don¡¯t understand.


    I must somehow convey this to the home country, but all I can do now is pray to God that my second-in-command¡­ who has returned to lead the soldiers, will do so.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    ¡°Yes, and so the subjugation army was defeated. Give us a round of applause.¡±


    ¡°Yay!¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes.¡±


    ¡°Yes-nodesu.¡±


    The three slime girls clapped for us.


    After returning from the battlefield, we held a small banquet to celebrate our victory. We were serving the soldiers a sumptuous feast of food and wine, which they were enjoying at a different place from ours. The soldiers who are on patrol in Merinesburg and monitoring the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army are not so lucky, though. They are supposed to be given extra bonuses, so please bear with it.


    Ifrita was watching us from a little distance with a sideways glance.


    ¡°Hey, is it true? I thought you left in the morning, but you came back in the evening and won, so I¡¯m a bit confused.¡±


    ¡°It is true, you know. Without me having to draw my sword, Kosuke¡¯s men had killed or wounded about 6,000 of the 20,000 troops in just a quarter of an hour. I only talked to the enemy commander briefly at the beginning and end of the battle and issued warnings regarding the transfer of prisoners and other matters.¡±


    ¡°¡­It all sounds like a lie.¡±


    ¡°I can understand why Your Highness Princess Ifrita feels that way, but it is true, you know.¡±


    Sir Leonard shrugged his shoulders. He made it sound as if I did it all myself, but I didn¡¯t do anything. At best, I just drove everyone around and rained down multipurpose grenades with my automatic grenade launcher. It was mainly Harpy¡¯s bombing squad and the gunners who did the hard work. The gunners, especially, might need some extra mental care. I¡¯ll talk to Ms. Zamir about it later. Or maybe Sir Leonard.


    After defeating the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army, treating the wounded, and taking prisoners, we called in air boards with elite soldiers from the rear and returned to Merinesburg with the prisoners in tow. As for the retreating Holy Kingdom forces, the Harpies, gunners, and air boards of elite soldiers are following them in coordination and monitoring them to prevent deserters and others from becoming bandits.


    According to the agreement at the time of retreat, any soldier who deserts the main army before leaving the territory of the Kingdom of Merinard is considered a bandit and may be disposed of. Ideally, we would like to avoid even one such group, but I am sure a good number of them will desert. I think they will die in vain, though, since almost none of them will be able to escape from the Harpies¡¯ eyes and the mobility of the air boards. Well, I told them to feel free to contact me if they encounter any problems, so they will probably be fine.


    Besides, compared to the vanguard, the damage to the rear guard, or rather the logistics, was less, and although there was some damage to supplies, the fire did not spread. Fortunately or unfortunately, the number of people in the group was greatly reduced, so there seemed to be enough supplies to return to the Holy Kingdom, according to their calculations. At least they would not be stranded due to a lack of supplies.


    ¡°What will happen now?¡±


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know if it will be a diplomatic battle or if they will send more forces to help their men¡­ but in any case, I don¡¯t think this is the end.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ let me know if there¡¯s anything I can do to help, Sylphy.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Dri-aneesama.¡±


    Ifrita asked Sir Leonard to explain today¡¯s battle while Sylphy was discussing the future with Driada-san, Aquawill-san, and Seraphita-san over there.


    ¡°To that extent?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it was a tremendous scene. I am ashamed to say that it was so terrifying.¡±


    ¡°The power of the weapons Kosuke creates is amazing. But while Kosuke likes to make things, he doesn¡¯t like to actually use them to hurt anything. He¡¯d rather be making fields, clothes, food, and other useful tools for people.¡±


    Over there, it seems that Isla has joined Archbishop Deckard, High Priestess Katerina, and the Adol religion group that includes Ellen, in talking about me. I¡¯m indeed far more comfortable making something than killing people. I don¡¯t mind making weapons, though. I like to make a lot of things in preparation for something, and that includes weapons. I enjoy being prepared for any eventuality.


    ¡°Kosuke.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    I heard a voice and turned to see Grande standing beside me. I was in a state of undignified dignity as I was somehow entangled with Lime and forced to sit in the Lime chair.


    Behind my head is a soft headrest, not boobs. It¡¯s nice, though?


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    I don¡¯t know what it was, but Grande climbed up on me sitting on the Lime chair, held my head to her thin chest, and started stroking my head with her burly, clawed hands. Is this some kind of new type of scalp massage?


    ¡°What¡¯s really going on?¡±


    ¡°Mother said that a good woman comforts a man coming home from battle.¡±


    ¡°I see. Well, I¡¯m not so damaged this time, though.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    But Grande doesn¡¯t seem to intend to stop groping my head. It hurts a little, but it¡¯s rare for Grande to spoil me like this, so I¡¯ll just let her do it. Hah, but I feel like it¡¯s calming me down. It hurts a little. I¡¯m repeating it because it¡¯s important.


    And so, I was spoiled by Grande and the three slime girls throughout the banquet.

 CH 215

    Chapter 215 ¨C Yes, Happily Ever After! But That¡¯s Not So Fast


    We got rid of the evil enemy, and a peaceful era has arrived!


    The reality is that it doesn¡¯t work like that. Only in children¡¯s stories is it possible to win a war and be happy with the outcome. In reality, it takes many times longer to clean up after a war than it does to fight it.


    ¡°Well, we still won the war, and since there were no casualties, not even deaths, the postwar cleanup was a piece of cake.¡±


    ¡°Only as far as the war with the Holy Kingdom is concerned. But more importantly, we need to settle the situation in the country.¡±


    ¡°That is the point, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    The night after the decisive battle with the subjugation army was over.


    This time, in order to intercept them before the Holy Kingdom¡¯s subjugation army seized Merinesburg, we, the Liberation Army, went on a very strong march. We raided and defeated the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army in the towns and forts on the road from Erichburg to Merinesburg and occupied Merinesburg, which was not well prepared for an interception.


    Thanks to this, the supply lines of the Liberation Army were stretched to the limit.


    ¡°The supply lines aren¡¯t all that stretched, though, are they?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because Kosuke is here.¡±


    ¡°Kosuke is a mobile supply base. And he even has the ability to build a supply base in a very short period. It¡¯s called unfairness. They call it a ¡°cheat¡± in Kosuke¡¯s world, right?¡±


    Isla mutters with a glass of fruit milk I served her after the bath.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s certainly a cheat.¡±


    Where¡¯s the worry about food for the troops? That would be something like that. If I can build a field, I can harvest a mountain of crops in a week or two, even if I don¡¯t do anything to it. I can produce armors and houses in large quantities as long as I have the materials, and as for funds, I can easily obtain gemstones and mithril just by going to a rocky place and digging.


    I can solve the problems of food, armor, and money for a military-level group by myself, and I can set up any number of facilities that can solve these problems. In a simulation game, I would be a ¡°cheat unit¡± that can generate food, materials, and gold just by having me as a friend and also keep increasing the production capacity of the base. What¡¯s more, I can create super-powerful military units that completely ignore existing military technology.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s really cheating, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    From an ally¡¯s point of view, it would be a great help, but from an enemy¡¯s point of view, it would be like saying, ¡°That¡¯s a cheat! If I were your enemy, I¡¯d take you out at any cost, wouldn¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°Stay out of the castle as much as possible. If you do, take Grande, Melty, or me with you if at all possible. I don¡¯t feel that you¡¯re safe with just Zamir or Isla.¡±


    ¡°Muu¡­¡±


    Isla makes a disgruntled sound but does not complain anymore. Although Isla is a powerful magician, her physical ability is not so high. In a head-to-head battle, she could smash most enemies with her magic, but she was vulnerable to surprise attacks.


    On the other hand, Grande, although smaller, is a grand dragon and has extraordinary strength and power, as well as the ability to fly. Melty is a variant of the demon species, and her power and speed alone are enough to defeat even Grande. And Sylphy is a kind of specialized elf fighting species with the same level of fighting ability as Melty. I¡¯ve never seen Sylphy fight, but I¡¯ve heard rumors that this is the case.


    In other words, Sylphy must have decided that it would be dangerous to go out of the castle without one of the three of them.


    Eh? Is it okay if I stay inside the castle, you say? There are three slime girls in the castle who are almost as capable of fighting as Melty, and they are always guarding me, Sylphy, and Sylphy¡¯s family, the royal family, so there is nothing to worry about. By contract, they cannot leave the castle, but on the contrary, they are invincible inside the castle.


    Their bodies are ineffective against physical attacks, they can regenerate even if wiped out by magic, they have physical destructive power that can destroy even solid rocks, they have magic abilities that can resist chorus magic by multiple mages, and they have the ability to generate poison gas in a sealed space. They are difficult to deal with in the limited space of a castle.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it okay if you can leave it to me to take care of it?¡±


    ¡°We can guarantee your safety if you stay inside the castle.¡±


    ¡°It is impossible for anyone to do anything to Kosuke as long as you stay under our watchful eye, you know-nodesu.¡±


    The three slime girls appear from the corners of the room, the ceiling, and the gaps in the shelves.


    They have many troublesome abilities for malicious intruders, but this is perhaps the most troublesome of them all. The girls have ¡°duplicates,¡± or body doubles, stationed throughout the castle, constantly monitoring and guarding the castle from various angles. They are like a bio-security system. In other words, SLACOM. Or is it SLASOK? Either one is fine. [T/n: He may refer to SECOM & ALSOK .]


    ¡°Welcome back¡­ have you already taken a bath?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately not.¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. It¡¯s not good to approach Danna-san in a dusty state, so we¡¯ll go take a bath first.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The Harpies returned with Pirna in the lead. The girls had been working hard recently, but they were told to take turns and rest for three days starting this evening since they had driven off a large strike force. The four who have just returned are Pirna, the blue-feathered harpy, Pessar, the brown-feathered harpy, Capri, the brown-feathered harpy, and Rey, the black-feathered harpy, who are in charge of organizing the group.


    The other Harpies will be coming back one by one. All I can do is entertain them to the best of my ability, so I will do my best to accommodate their wishes for the next three days. The Harpies have been so busy lately that we haven¡¯t been able to spend much time together.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to take another bath too.¡±


    ¡°Be careful you don¡¯t get too excited.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, too many baths are poisonous.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be careful.¡±


    I waved at Sylphy and Isla and headed to the bathroom to take another bath with Pirna and the others. I enjoyed the slender backs of the Harpies, the slender lines of their bodies, the feel of their wet feathers, and many other things. Yes. It was a good one.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    The next day, after the Harpies came back one after another, and even Melty broke in, I finally collapsed in the bathtub.


    ¡°First of all, I had to replenish the ammunition that had been consumed and maintain the light machine gun.¡±


    In the work shed I built in the corner of the courtyard, I filled the golem workbench and the blacksmithing facility with craft appointments, respectively.


    Armed with air boards and light machine guns, the gunners are powerful but not invincible. They are limited in the amount of ammunition they can carry at one time, and after an all-out battle, they need to be replenished and serviced like this. The amount of ammunition they consume is also outrageous, and at present, if such a battle were to continue for three days, the supply of ammunition would not be able to keep up.


    If it were as large as the subjugation force this time, they would have been able to repel the attack no matter how well organized the enemy was, but I shudder to think what would have happened if they had been forced to use a number of goods that exceeded their supply capacity.


    ¡°At that point, we would have had no choice but to give them a good whack.¡±


    I let out a sigh as I check the magic sparkling stone bomb with a parachute in my inventory. Fortunately, this time we didn¡¯t have to use it, but we don¡¯t know what will happen next time. According to calculations, this magic sparkling stone bomb is powerful enough to blow up the entire Erichburg, according to Isla. If this bomb were to hit, it would be a blow to an army of tens of thousands of men.


    ¡°But this is indeed¡­¡±


    With this, the armies of any country in the world would be defeated. With this magic sparkling stone bomb, you can blow up tens of thousands of soldiers in a single blow without leaving any survivors. There is no way to counteract the fact that all witnesses will literally disappear. However, I thought it would take an extraordinary resolve to use this.


    ¡°Indeed what?¡±


    ¡°Whoa!¡±


    I shouted out at the sound of a voice suddenly coming from behind me. I turned around, and there was Ellen. She was wearing luxurious priest¡¯s robes that made her look very saintly, and she had a high level of defense.


    ¡°W-why are you so surprised?¡±


    ¡°I was completely caught off guard when you suddenly called out to me, and I was startled. Have you been working this morning?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve finished it. So, what is indeed you said before?¡±


    Ellen stares at my face.


    According to Isla, her eyes are a kind of magic eyes, which can tell when the person she is looking at is telling a lie. In fact, she used this ability to be revered by the people in the Holy Kingdom as a saint of truth, and conversely, she was resented by the evil priests and nobles who were exposed.


    What I am trying to say is that there is no point in deceiving her.


    ¡°I¡¯m just glad I didn¡¯t have to use my trump card. This time we managed to get rid of 20,000 of the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army with this, but I have something even more vicious, something that can blow everything up with a single blow.¡±


    Saying this, I pulled out a heavy-barreled light machine gun from my inventory.


    The weight of this light machine gun, which originally weighed more than 11 kg, had increased by about 30% to more than 1.5 kg as a result of the barrel and machine parts being made of black steel, a metal unique to this world. The weight increases even more when a drum magazine with 50 rounds is attached.


    ¡°Can I hold it?¡±


    ¡°Sure, but it¡¯s heavy.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s only a little heavy.¡±


    ¡°Be careful.¡±


    I handed the light machine gun to Ellen.


    I can handle something like this without any difficulty because of my higher level or because of the achievement I received when I passed the level 20 mark, but this thing must be heavy for the slender Ellen.


    ¡°Mm¡­ It¡¯s certainly heavy. Can a soldier of the Liberation Army wield something like this?¡±


    Ellen, who managed to hold the light machine gun, frowned at its weight. The picture of a saint with a light machine gun has quite a strong impact. The combination of a pistol and a machine gun with a sister¡¯s uniform is also a good one. It seems to have the same goodness.


    ¡°It is not a weapon to hit, though. Well, they seem to be able to control the recoil without any problem, so this is no problem at all.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s amazing. I can¡¯t even walk around with this thing.¡±


    ¡°Probably.¡±


    I took the light machine gun from Ellen¡¯s hand and returned it to my inventory. The one that Ellen was holding right now was one of the items that I had stored in my inventory for safekeeping. It was brand new, never been used.


    No matter whether you use it or not, it is a saga of a survivalist wanting to keep one of the weapons you have made in a usable condition, right?


    ¡°So, what¡¯s your trump card?¡±


    ¡°A dangerous weapon that can annihilate an army of tens of thousands with a single blow. The details are a secret.¡±


    ¡°Secret?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a secret. The less you know about it, the better. Only a few people in the Liberation Army know about it. It¡¯s not something I¡¯m willing to use.¡±


    Ellen tilted her head.


    ¡°If there is such a thing, wouldn¡¯t it be possible to bring the Holy Kingdom to bow down quickly if you use it proactively?¡±


    ¡°If I wanted to exterminate the existence of the Holy Kingdom, I would have done so. I don¡¯t think Sylphy and I are that inclined to go that far.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ there must be a lot of grudges that have been building up.¡±


    ¡°It would be unrealistic to destroy the entire family and clan by wielding power out of spite, and the Holy Kingdom is far too large to do so. The resentment of Sylphy and the others are deep, but it is not enough to cloud their eyes to see the reality.¡±


    ¡°That was fortunate for the people of the Holy Kingdom, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°It sounds to me as if Ellen has more resentment toward the Holy Kingdom than Sylphy does.¡±


    Ellen looked at me at my words and blinked. She looked as if my words had fallen on her heart.


    ¡°I guess so. I hate the Holy Kingdom. I even want it to be destroyed.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound very peaceful.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure Kosuke thinks so too. If you see the reality of that country in various ways.¡±


    Ellen let out a sigh and dropped her gaze to the floor. As a saint, Ellen must have had plenty of exposure to the inner workings of Adol religion and the Holy Kingdom. If she is so willing to go so far as to say this, then perhaps the corruption in the center of the Holy Kingdom is worse than I had thought.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m probably not going to actively destroy the Holy Kingdom, so please keep that in mind. I do believe they¡¯ll have to pay for the firestorm that¡¯s coming down on us, though.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s too bad. I would have loved to see that damn Pope and that damn Holy King crying and begging for their lives with my own eyes.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Saint-sama, you¡¯re giving off a black aura.¡±


    ¡°Ara ara, ufufu.¡±


    Ellen puts on her best saintly smile and hides the blackness that is oozing out of her. What the hell did the Pope of Adol and the Holy King of the Holy Kingdom do to Ellen if Ellen has such a grudge against them? I¡¯d like to ask, but I¡¯m too afraid to. Maybe I should ask Archbishop Deckard about it next time.


    ¡°What about Kosuke after this?¡±


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t have any definite plans until noon. If Melty or Sylphy give me something to do, I¡¯ll probably focus on that.¡±


    The POWs acquired in yesterday¡¯s battle should have been taken care of in the POW camp that was built when we captured Merinesburg, so there shouldn¡¯t be anything urgent I have to do. I finished treating the wounded and burying the dead of the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army yesterday. I heard that the Harpies were going to spend the daytime sleeping, too.


    ¡°Then please accompany me throughout the morning. Kosuke is a little lacking in a lot of things.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean by ¡®lacking.¡¯ Not sure what¡¯s going on here, but I have a feeling that you are being rude to me, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll understand soon enough. Come on, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Ellen then walked behind me and started to push me back. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, but it looks like I¡¯m going to have to spend the morning with Ellen.

 CH 216

    Chapter 216 ¨C The Adol Religion Trap


    The place Ellen brought me to. It was a place like a dressing room. However, there were no dresses or formal wear that would be appropriate for the royal castle. But there was no difference in the fact that the clothes were just as glamorous as the others.


    ¡°No matter what I dress you in, you don¡¯t exude dignity or holiness at all.¡±


    I was dressed in a luxurious priest¡¯s or pastor¡¯s uniform, or perhaps some other kind of vestments. Ellen has been giving instructions from now on, and the sisters who accompany Ellen, Amalie-san, and Bertha-san, have been making me change accordingly, but none of them seem to fit Ellen.


    ¡°I guess it¡¯s just that no matter what outfit you put me in, it can¡¯t be helped if it doesn¡¯t have the original.¡±


    Can¡¯t you do something a little more crisp with your expression? Like this, this.¡±


    Ellen makes a crisp, dignified expression with an aura of saintliness. I tried to imitate her, but I couldn¡¯t¡­


    ¡°Fufu¡­ D-don¡¯t make me laugh.¡±


    ¡°Rude.¡±


    She laughed at me with all her might. Fufu. Amalie-san, Bertha-san, you don¡¯t have to hold back so much, okay? Come on, laugh, laugh. Snap.


    ¡°Kuh, fufufu¡­ S-sorry.¡±


    ¡°I-I didn¡¯t mean to laugh¡­ fufu!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re all laughing, yeah.¡±


    I turned my eyes to Amalie-san and Bertha-san, who was laughing.


    ¡°But it¡¯s troubling. I always knew it would be difficult for you to match me, but I didn¡¯t expect you to look so dignified¡­ I might as well put you in pure white armor and make you wear a helmet.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not about my personal dignity anymore, but the sense of intimidation that overflows from the armor and helmet, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°I think that would be a complete reversal of the original idea. Let¡¯s just give up on what is impossible. It was fun to dress you up and play with you.¡±


    ¡°Was I being played with¡­?¡±


    I was so tired. Amalie-san and Bertha-san are young women. I don¡¯t know their specific ages, but they are probably in their early to mid-twenties. Being surrounded by such women and having them undress and dress you is mentally exhausting. It is also possible to be hit in various ways.


    ¡°Amalie, Bertha, how was it?¡±


    ¡°I think so. I don¡¯t feel that Kosuke-sama is so scary after all.¡±


    ¡°Me neither.¡±


    ¡°I see. Well, then, that¡¯s that.¡±


    My sixth sense sounded an alarm bell in this conversation. I knew that this was a conversation I should not ignore. But I felt it was also a bad idea to poke around. What should I do? I have a feeling that it is already too late¡­ No, wait, don¡¯t give up. Don¡¯t give up.


    ¡°What do you mean, you don¡¯t feel scared¡­?¡±


    ¡°We were raised in an all-female monastery from an early age, and I¡¯m ashamed to admit that I¡¯m afraid of men.¡±


    ¡°But when we are with Kosuke-sama, we don¡¯t feel such a sense of fear. I think it is because of my previous experience of taking care of Kosuke-sama, who fell ill with poison.¡±


    Bertha-san put her hand on her slightly reddened cheek.


    Oh, you took care of me, didn¡¯t you? Yes, you did, didn¡¯t you? I could hardly move my body, and the poison damaged my organs, so I was dripping with various things. There isn¡¯t a part of my body that the three of them, including Ellen, haven¡¯t seen, is there?


    ¡°Oya? Your face is red. Are you perhaps aroused by remembering how the three of us took care of you in every way? You are a pervert.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not! I¡¯m embarrassed because I remember it!¡±


    Amalie-san and Bertha-san laugh at me as they see me getting all flustered. No, wait, no. That¡¯s not it. I haven¡¯t fully pursued that disturbing conversation.


    ¡°Kosuke.¡±


    ¡°Nn¡­ What?¡±


    Just as I was about to open my mouth, I was caught off guard and involuntarily flinched. Ellen¡¯s every word has power and weight, doesn¡¯t it? When she called my name like that, I was in a position to listen to her. Is this the dignity of a saint?


    ¡°God said. Give birth, multiply, and fill the earth.¡±


    ¡°O-oh.¡±


    I¡¯ve heard that verse somewhere before! I have a bad feeling about this.


    ¡°You are an apostle of God. Therefore, from now on, you will be with me the new head of the Adol religion in the kingdom of Merinard.¡±


    ¡°I-I see.¡±


    ¡°So, although it may be a little cramped, it is necessary for you to embody the doctrines of the scriptures in your body as best you can.¡±


    ¡°This is getting a little weird.¡±


    ¡°So here¡¯s the passage I just mentioned. The Adol scriptures, before they were altered, taught the reconciliation of humans and sub-humans. It is very good that Kosuke, the apostle of God, gets along well with the subhumans, but if he doesn¡¯t get along well with humans as well, he¡¯s not doing a good job.¡±


    Her statement is completely through with me. And now I see what she¡¯s talking about. I¡¯m running away©¤©¤!


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    I¡¯m grabbed by the hem of my clothes tightly from both sides. Amalie-san and Bertha-san are staring at me with their passionate eyes. Even though the current situation is a bit flat, adding more is not a good idea. There is a limit to the number of mental shelves I can build.


    There is no such thing as a convenient fantasy contraceptive in this world. In other words, if you do what you have to do, you will have children, as a matter of course. It is difficult for humans and subhumans to have children, but it is not so for humans to have children with each other. I am from another world, so I don¡¯t know if I can have children with people from this world, though.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡±


    Bang! Someone opened the door with a loud bang. Excellent timing! It was like it was planned, but let¡¯s not worry about that.


    ¡°Sudden attack!¡±


    ¡°¡±¡±Piyopiyopiyo!¡±¡±¡±


    With a command, a rush of people rush into the room, and colorful feathers dance about.


    No, yes, the feel of these bushy feathers is definitely the harpies. Oh, they are squirming. Or rather, Ellen, Amalie-san, and Bertha-san have sunk into the flock of feathers, and I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on. I think I hear something like ¡°wah¡± and ¡°kyaa,¡± but I¡¯m not sure.


    ¡°Secured!¡±


    ¡°Teshyu!¡±


    ¡°Piyopiyo!¡±


    During the confusion, several harpies pick me up and start carrying me around like a portable shrine or something. Yeah, do whatever you have to do. Anyway, I don¡¯t care what it takes as long as I can get away from this place.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    After that, I was carried to the place where the harpies were staying, which was set up in the corner of the royal castle. Since they originally had the habit of living in groups, Sylphy had assigned them to this place in consideration of their habit. Naturally, I also had a hand in the maintenance of the environment.


    ¡°Yes, Kosuke-san. Ahnn.¡±


    ¡°Ahnn.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, fufufu.¡±


    ¡°Good. Good.¡±


    I was brought into such a place and treated like a harem king by the harpies. I was made to sit on a large soft cushion, and the harpies who were standing around me brought delicious fruits and drinks to my mouth.


    In front of my eyes, light-clothed harpies were performing a splendid dance in place of the others. The sight of the harpies with their colorful wings twirling and dancing was very beautiful.


    ¡°Thank you for your help earlier.¡±


    ¡°Yes. We are always on Kosuke-san¡¯s side. However, we have been told by Her Highness the Princess to get along with them as well, so I cannot say that we will do so every time.¡±


    ¡°Is the groundwork already laid?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    I close my eyes and look up at the ceiling. Sylphyyyyy!


    ¡°No, we have no choice before we have this much relationship with Kosuke.¡±


    I can picture Sylphy with a bitter smile on her face. Although this is indeed the case.


    I guess this is what is called a political decision. It is clear that the stronger the connection between me and the Adol religion, the better in order to unite the Adol people in the Merinard Kingdom in the long term.


    Sylphy and Isla, who are long-lived subhumans, and Melty, who is also long-lived because she is a demon species, and Grande, who has a long life span, needless to say, are in no hurry to carry a child to term.


    However, this is not the case for Ellen, who is an ordinary human being. With a lifespan equivalent to that of a human, she has a much shorter period of time in which to bear and nurture a child than her long-lived counterparts. And childbirth is a life-threatening process. Even in this world, which has elements such as recovery magic and alchemical medicine that surpass the medical treatment of the original world.


    There is a simple possibility that Ellen and I will never have a child, and even if a child is born, there is no guarantee that it will grow up safely. In this light, it is risky for me to have only Ellen as my human companion. Ellen, Archbishop Deckard, and High Priestess Katerina probably thought so, too.


    Besides, although it may sound a bit condescending or fishy, the new Adol religion to be established in the kingdom of Merinard would need a banner head, or rather a symbol. For example, a child between an apostle sent by God and an Adol believer.


    In the initial stage, Ellen, a saint, and I, an apostle of God, would play that role, but decades or centuries later, my descendants would play that role. There can be any number of blessed children born to an apostle of God and a devout Adol believer. Perhaps that is the way it is.


    Fortunately, Ellen, Amalie-san, and Bertha-san are also very enthusiastic about the idea.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s fine if the only reason is that she likes her husband. Human beings are so complicated.¡±


    ¡°I agree. It¡¯s no good to make your husband worry about this and that.¡±


    ¡°While he is with us, he should stop thinking about difficult things. Don¡¯t think about anything and just have a good time.¡±


    The unlimited pampering aura of the harpies invaded my brain. Ah~, I¡¯m going to be ruined.


    I stopped thinking and decided to bury myself in their feathers.


    I don¡¯t have any idea how hard it is.

 CH 217

    Chapter 217 ¨C Unrelenting Story


    After being pampered by the Harpies to my heart¡¯s content, I decided not to think too much about Amalie-san and Bertha-san¡¯s cases. The world of chastity, marriage, and the sense of the relationship between men and women are very different from my original world.


    In fact, there are so many other people who have already made a move on me besides Sylphy, including so many Harpies, so what¡¯s the point of having two more now? There are more Harpies than I can count on the fingers of my two hands. It is really too late.


    ¡°Kosuke is a visitor. In other words, you are truly alone in this world. I think you should leave as much blood as you want without thinking about the details.¡± [T/n: On the advice of readers, I will change rare person again to visitor. Thank you very much!]


    ¡°I guess that¡¯s the way it is¡­¡±


    It¡¯s impossible! It¡¯s impossible not to think about it! Help me, Lion Man!


    So I asked Sir Leonard to take time after dinner to consult with him, but he still didn¡¯t give me the answer I wanted. It was more like a recommendation. No, that¡¯s not it.


    ¡°That¡¯s the way it is. If things continue as they are¡­ Kosuke is surely the man who will be the king of the new Merinard kingdom, so you can have as many children as you like.¡±


    Sir Leonard said, shrugging his shoulders as he held a cup of honey wine in his hand. The small table where Sir Leonard and I were seated had not only honey wine, but also dried meat cut into thin strips for snacks. It¡¯s a little expensive, more for taste than preservation.


    ¡°Would there be any concern about succession to the throne or anything like that¡­?¡±


    I have an image that if there are too many children, there will be a dreadful succession battle between brothers and sisters. I don¡¯t want to see my children squabbling like that.


    ¡°Kosuke is just a prince consort, not a member of the royal blood of the Merinard Kingdom, right? The only child who has the right to inherit the throne is the child of Princess Sylphiel, no matter how many seeds Kosuke scatters, so you don¡¯t have to worry about it. Well¡­¡±


    ¡°Well?¡±


    ¡°It would be a disaster if you and Her Highness Princess Sylphiel were to have no children. It is said that it is relatively easy to have children between elves and humans, but elves have a constitution that makes it difficult for them to have children in the first place.¡±


    ¡°More encouragement?¡±


    ¡°That may be so, but Her Highness Princess Sylphiel is not the only one of the former royal bloodline.¡±


    ¡°¡­Hey, that¡¯s.¡±


    Does that mean that I should have children with Sylphy¡¯s sisters as well?


    ¡°As I am sure you can guess. I think it will happen sooner or later. You had better be prepared for it.¡±


    ¡°No, no, no, that¡¯s not exactly what you meant earlier when you mentioned the question of the succession to the throne.¡±


    ¡°The other princesses have stated that they have no intention of taking over the throne in the new Merinard kingdom. However, the blood that flows through their veins is the same as that of Princess Sylphiel. In case Kosuke and Princess Sylphiel are unable to have a child, you have the option of adopting a child from one of the other princesses if they have a child of their own. In terms of the survival of the nation, the more options we have, the better.¡±


    ¡°N-no, that¡¯s¡­ no, wait, I object to the fact that elves have difficulty conceiving. Seraphita-san has given birth to four children, including Sylphy, after all.¡±


    ¡°That is true. It might be Seraphita-sama¡¯s constitution, but it is not common for elves to have difficulty conceiving. The fact is that it is generally difficult for elves to conceive. Perhaps Princess Sylphiel, Seraphita-sama¡¯s child¡­ might possibly be able to conceive, but it is clear that this is not always the case, as I have seen so far.¡±


    ¡°Ugh.¡±


    I was weak when he told me that. It is a fact that Sylphy and I have not had any children up to now. I have not been using any contraceptives, so if Sylphy is fertile, she should have had a new baby in her belly a long time ago.


    ¡°¡­Tell me it¡¯s not true, Barney.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Leonard, aren¡¯t I? And what have you done to Seraphita-sama, Kosuke?¡±


    ¡°Eh. No, nothing¡­?¡±


    I was unconsciously made to behave when he mentioned Seraphita-san. No, I didn¡¯t do anything serious. No big deal, you know? I just consoled her a little.


    ¡°Even I can tell at a glance. I can see it in her eyes. She has the eyes of a woman who is completely attracted to a man.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    I had a dim inkling of it, but¡­ no, it must be my self-consciousness. Sir Leonard¡¯s eyes must also have a piercing eye. There is no such fact. Not at all.


    ¡°Well, I think it¡¯s much better than the state of being on the verge of self-determination¡­ With the princesses, the saint, and Seraphita-sama, Kosuke must be giving off some kind of scent that attracts women of noble status. Even the princesses seem to be in a good mood.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not emitting any such suspicious pheromones.¡±


    I¡¯m not sure about the spirits, Lime and the others, or the fairies liking me so much, though. At least not such dubious pheromones¡­ a pheromone¡­?


    I opened the menu and checked the achievements.


    ?Technician¨D¨D: Satisfy your partner during sexual intercourse. Not bad. ¡ùIncreases attack power to the opposite sex by 10%.


    ?Philanderer¨D¨D: Favored by more than 20 members of the opposite sex. Nice Boat. ¡ùIncreases attack power against the opposite sex by 10%.


    ?Hero¨D¨D: Kill 3,000 human beings single-handedly. If you do all this, you¡¯re not just a murderer, are you? ¡ùIncreases all abilities of all allies within a 100m radius by 10% and makes it easier to gain favoritism.


    ?Lady-Killer¨D¨D: Copulating with more than 20 members of the opposite sex. It¡¯s about time ¡ð¡ð¡ð¡ð died! I guess that¡¯s what they¡¯ll say. ¡ùIncreases attack power against the opposite sex by 20%.


    ?Dragon Slayer¨D¨D: Slays or subdues three dragon species alone. ¡ùIncreases attack power against dragon species by 15%.


    ?Death Creator¨D¨D: Kills 10,000 or more people with a weapon of your own creation. Welcome¡­! ¡ùThe performance of weapons you create is increased by 10%.


    ?Royal Killer¨D¨D: Favored by three or more women of high status. Just kill me if you want, kill me! ¡ùIncreases the attack power against the opposite sex of noble status by 30%.


    ?Madam Killer¨D¨D: Favored by five women 20 years or more older than you. Oh, you are such a bad boy! ¡ùIncreases attack power against women 20 or more years older than yourself by 30%.


    There are more things that I don¡¯t recognize, but if this increase in attack power to the opposite sex or women works on the colorful love or that side, then the total attack power to Seraphita-san is improved by 105%¡­ Right?


    The effect of the hero is not clear, but it¡¯s not shown as a percentage, so if it¡¯s bad, it¡¯s a multiplier, right? I mean, there¡¯s a possibility that the other ones are also multiplied if they¡¯re not so good, right? This ability is rather governed, you know.


    As for the comments, ignore them. If I ignore it, then I ignore it.


    But if the achievement really works the way I imagine it does, then unintentionally talking a little bit or being a little kind can cause the opposite sex to fall for me¡­?¡¡Hey, come out, administrator! That¡¯s a serious glitch! If there are still other achievements unlocked in the same line of work, it will get out of hand.


    ¡°Oh no, I think I might have found it.¡±


    ¡°What a dirty man you are. But I don¡¯t want you to be depressed.¡±


    Sir Leonard gets up from his seat and moves away from me.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a smell. As I said, it¡¯s not a smell! Please stop calling me dirty or something! You¡¯ll make me cry!¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, I was joking. Well, it will be tough, but you will do your best. Kosuke¡¯s life as a stud horse is inevitable now.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to hear that kind of judgment¡­¡±


    ¡°When you have come this far, there is nothing else to do but to enjoy it. If you don¡¯t like being surrounded by beautiful women and living as a stud horse, the unattractive men of the world will try to kill you.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha¡­ good luck Sir Leonard!¡±


    I know, I know. There are many widows who are in love with Sir Leonard in the main group that will be arriving soon. Until then, you can pretend that you have nothing to do with love.


    ¡°I-I¡¯ve devoted myself to my late wife¡­¡±


    ¡°It is impossible for a nobleman with a territory to be without an heir. So, good luck with that.¡±


    ¡°I-I am.¡±


    ¡°Good luck! I¡¯m rooting for you! I¡¯ll even pass around some good medicine to help you out if you want!¡±


    I won¡¯t let you get away with this. Just you¡­!


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    ¡°So what happened?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ well, it¡¯s more like self-loathing or sulking, or just writhing around with unresolved feelings, and that¡¯s what happened to me.¡±


    Then Melty smiles bitterly.


    I returned to the room I had been assigned after giving Sir Leonard a lot of the energizer that works so well, and there was Sylphy sitting there, with her head in a pile of cushions, her head hidden and her bottom not covered. Moreover, she was sleeping. She was not even moving, as if she had fallen asleep.


    ¡°It¡¯s hopeless, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like that. Well, that¡¯s the way it is, so you¡¯ll just have to do your best. Good luck.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ let¡¯s start by digging out this princess.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll help you.¡±


    For now, for today, I¡¯m going to devote myself to dealing with ojou-sama, who has hit rock bottom and is sleeping unfaithfully. There¡¯s still a long way to go, and for now, that gives me time to get rid of the external enemies and get a foothold here.

 CH 218

    Chapter 218 ¨C It¡¯s Not Easy To Take A Country


    Now, it will still be some time before the Holy Kingdom army that we drove away returns to its home country, and the Holy Kingdom contacts us. In the meantime, we, the Merinard Liberation Army, must make preparations to launch the new Merinard Kingdom. It is not a simple task.


    First of all, the Holy Kingdom¡¯s military forces and the local guards formed by the Holy Kingdom¡¯s military forces are currently maintaining security in the Kingdom of Merinard. According to what I have heard, the guards are in charge of security inside the city, and the Holy Kingdom Army is in charge of security outside the city. In addition, it seems that political governance is often handled by the head of the Adol religion. It is said that a high-ranking clergyman is appointed to a certain large city and is given control over the villages around the city. Is this a form of governance unique to a religious state?


    Whatever the case may be, if the country is to be a nation, it must first provide security to its citizens and prevent them from starving. Regardless of the circumstances, it is impossible to solve the problem by eliminating the current system with violence. Especially since there are dangerous monsters and thieves in this world. Everywhere you go, violence rules the world.


    ¡°It is imperative to build an information network using the golem communicator, a warning network using the harpies, and a defense network using the mobility of the air boards.¡±


    ¡°We also need to review the location of the forts and more efficiently deploy our forces. The development of the new golem communicator for wide-area communication was completed, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    Melty added to Sylphy¡¯s statement and turned the conversation to Isla.


    ¡°Hmm. The development of communication base equipment that can handle multiple communications at the same time has been completed. If it is combined with a magic wave amplifier that expands the communication range, it is possible to build a vast communication network while covering a wide area. However, Kosuke¡¯s help is needed for mass production in a short period. It takes time to build the cores.¡±


    ¡°We also need Kosuke¡¯s help to relocate the fort and to increase agricultural production capacity. Besides, it would be better to have Kosuke¡¯s help to increase the production of air boards and to strengthen our border defenses.¡±


    ¡°I would also like his help to exterminate the country¡¯s Adol mainline forces. My eyes that can discern the truth will be enough to eliminate the evil priests, but to awaken the believers whose eyes have been blinded by the lies of the mainstream, it is better to have an apostle of God with us.¡±


    Starting with Isla¡¯s statement, Melty and Ellen also began to insist that my presence was necessary for their activities in various places. Hahaha, I only have one body, even if you say that.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you do something like splitting yourself up like Lime-san and the others did?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be unreasonable. When it comes to mass production, I can do it anywhere as long as I have a workbench with me, so I can do it while moving around and before I go to bed. As for the issue of relocating forts, the only way to solve this problem is for me to destroy the existing forts and rebuild them while recovering materials, and as for the local Adol teaching, I think we should proceed with the teaching in the surrounding towns and villages.¡±


    Realistically speaking, I think that is the only way. It might be better to give the people the job of rebuilding the fortress as a public work, but that can wait until later, and the minimum appearance must first be put in place.


    ¡°Then I should accompany you on that journey. If we are going to convert people from the mainstream to our sect, it would be better to have both myself, a saint, and Kosuke, an apostle of God, together. We can also find out if the local guards can be trusted.¡±


    Ellen said this without changing her expression, and Sylphy, Isla, and Melty looked disappointed. In fact, they would like to go along with me, but Sylphy, as queen, for the time being, can¡¯t leave Merinesburg that often. The same goes for Melty, who is essentially acting as the prime minister. Meanwhile, Isla is in the process of rebuilding the Court Mages and cannot leave Merinesburg as well as the two of them.


    On the other hand, Ellen, who has Archbishop Deckard and High Priestess Katerina, who are capable of taking care of Merinesburg without her presence, is able to accompany me on my journey with confidence.


    Incidentally, Archbishop Deckard is watching us discussing over tea from a distance. Is he some kind of grandfather relaxing on the veranda?


    Sir Leonard? He¡¯s gone to join the troops monitoring the retreating Holy Kingdom army, which has been flying air boards all morning. He said that Danan was about to arrive at Merinesburg with the rest of the force and that he was going to leave the mission to pack up Merinesburg to Danan. He was a fast-running old man.


    ¡°Then the members who would accompany me would be Ellen and Ms. Zamir, a squad or two from the gunners to escort us, and a few Harpies?¡±


    ¡°I think that¡¯s about it. Grande-chan might go with you.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s so capricious, you know. Even if she doesn¡¯t follow me, she¡¯ll fly in if she wants to see me.¡±


    Even if she accompanies me, I can¡¯t take care of her while I¡¯m driving, and she ends up sleeping in the very back of the air board. If that¡¯s the case, I think she should stay in Merinesburg, where she can eat and sleep, and fly over if she wants to see me. If I tell her the general route I¡¯m going to take, she¡¯ll find me on her own.


    ¡°May I interject a little?¡±


    Archbishop Deckard entered the conversation as we were discussing who would accompany me. It would be foolish to disparage his opinion, as he had gained a lot of experience as an archbishop in the Holy Kingdom. Sylphy nodded and encouraged him to speak up.


    ¡°I think it would be better to have a clergyman of our sect accompany you, and not just Ellen. If we are going to replace the incompetent¡¯s head, we will need the right people to do it.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I suppose that¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°It would be easy to modify the logistics air board in the rear of the vehicle to make it more suitable for transporting personnel. We can use the logistics driver as is.¡±


    Driving an air board requires a certain degree of familiarity. Since we have experienced personnel, there is no reason not to make the best use of them.


    ¡°I agree. It would be better to take a good number of civilian officers to assist you¡­ and if so, it would be a good number of people. Melty, how is the appointment of civil servants going?¡±


    ¡°With the support of Eleonora-sama, we are promoting civil servants from former civil servants of the former Merinard Kingdom, guild officials, and other civilians such as merchants in the current Merinesburg. For now, the minimum requirements are to be able to read and write without excesses or deficiencies and to be able to do some calculations. We are also reviewing the continued employment of those who were involved in the administration under the rule of the Holy Kingdom.¡±


    ¡°It seems that many of them have been enjoying the sweet juices under the white pig, and their continued employment is not going so well¡­ It¡¯s absolutely lamentable.¡±


    Ellen shook her head evasively as she said this. It seems that not all of the clergy of the Holy Kingdom¡¯s mainstream are corrupt, but it seems that under corrupt people, corrupt people gather as well. Or perhaps even the decent ones have been corrupted by the influence of those at the top.


    ¡°In the meantime, the policy is to make it our urgent task to promote the domestic settlement of the country, and everyone should make preparations. In particular, Melty and Ellen should select personnel to accompany Kosuke. Kosuke, until the personnel are ready, please make preparations for the trip and carry out farmland reform in the suburbs of Merinesburg. Isla, too, will secure the materials needed to build a communications and defense network.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    ¡°Roger that.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, understood.¡±


    ¡°Then, let¡¯s get moving. If anything goes wrong, you should get in touch with each other immediately.¡±


    Sylphy stood up. The other three, including myself, also stood up and began to take action. First, I¡¯ll make a reservation for crafting air board components and core components for the communication base equipment, then I¡¯ll check with Melty about the development plan, and then we¡¯ll proceed with the rezoning within Merinesburg and the agricultural land reform in the nearby farming villages¡­ There¡¯s a lot to do!

 CH 219

    Chapter 219 ¨C Steady Activities


    I have a lot of work to do. Although there is a lot to do, they are all basically repetitive tasks. For example, manufacturing various parts is just a matter of making a reservation for crafting and leaving it alone, and the expansion of farmland is a task that has already been done to the point of boredom.


    As for the plotting of land, most of the work involves breaking up illegal overcrowded buildings and building neat and orderly standardized housing complexes. What exactly is this?


    ¡°It¡¯s time for rezoning! Let¡¯s do it, you bastards!¡±


    ¡°¡±¡±Yesssss!¡±¡±¡±


    W-whoaaa! It¡¯s the Kukakuseri! The Kukakuseri are here!¡±


    The Kukakuseri are a group of troublesome people who raid dirty rooms, whether they are in the middle of doing that ¡°thing¡± or not, and forcibly remove the ¡°contents¡± using manpower tactics, destroying the residence without a trace and constructing a completely new residence.


    According to the residents.


    ¡°They are made up of scary subhuman soldiers, so I can¡¯t complain badly. But I think it¡¯s a good thing that the houses are now clean and nice.¡±


    ¡°It was a holiday, so I was being intimate with my girlfriend, and suddenly they stepped in and threw me outside, naked. I was angry at them for what they were doing, but for some reason, they gave me a big, luxurious bed as a gift.¡±


    ¡°They took all my treasures away from me. They were a bunch of evil people. Crack? People call it junk, but I call it a treasure.¡±


    ¡°I can only thank them for cleaning up my neighbor¡¯s messy room. On a sunny day, it smelled bad, and it was very difficult. I wish my neighbor would have cleaned up his room anyway.¡±


    The residents have been very positive about the project. Is it a good reputation? Let¡¯s just say it was well received. In any case, overcrowded houses that have been added and remodeled in an unregulated manner are extremely dangerous in the event of a fire, earthquake, or other disasters. They also spoil the aesthetics, and nothing good can come out of them. These places can also be breeding grounds for crime, which is why I am out there myself.


    Of course, there are other reasons for me to be at the forefront and wield so much power.


    ¡°There is nothing to fear. He is a visitor, an apostle of God. And the subhuman soldiers who follow him are our dependable neighbors, too.¡±


    ¡°There are alms of clean cloths and freshly baked bread in the square over there.¡±


    Behind us, the Adol clergy followed us in our tyranny (?), telling people that I was an apostle of God, and then they would win them over with charity.


    Are you sure you want to advertise my existence and uniqueness in such a big way?¡¡If that were the case, the message would have reached the wrong people before Qubi escaped, and since I intend to become a symbol of the new Adol religion together with Ellen, it is impossible for me to hide. The common view of the new Merinard Kingdom and the new Adol religion is that if they didn¡¯t hide it anyway, it would be more beneficial to make a show of our presence and use it to their advantage.


    Also, I have added a new task to my life cycle: performing a miracle at the cathedral in Merinesburg.


    Not that there is anything to it in terms of content. I am dressed in shiny clerical robes, healing the believers who are left seriously disabled due to broken bones or other traumatic injuries with ¡°holy cloths and braces¡± taken out of thin air, healing the seriously ill or seriously wounded with ¡°divine elixirs¡± taken out of thin air, giving alms by making large amounts of bread and clean cloths appear out of thin air, and so on.


    Needless to say, it is all the work of inventory, splints, and various potions. I¡¯ve been called a magician and a housebreaker, along with the reputation of being an apostle of God who gives healing, but I don¡¯t care about the details.


    The driving force behind these steady activities is the medicinal herb garden I created in the castle courtyard and the farmland for the castle siege. From the medicinal herbs and crops that can be harvested there, they produce medicines and food for use in clerical activities (?), as well as medicines and food for the castle.


    I was also helping to cultivate neighboring farms and teaching air board driving lessons, but I was busy in my own way.


    ¡°An envoy from the Dragonis mountain kingdom?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes. He came to seek an audience with Kosuke, the dragon¡¯s companion, and Grande, the dragon, and to establish diplomatic relations with the newly born Merinard Kingdom. When he arrived in Erichburg and heard that Kosuke, Grande, and I were in Merinesburg and not Elichburg, he left immediately for Merinesburg.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ so it will be weeks before he arrives? I guess I¡¯ll have already left for Merinesburg by then.¡±


    Right now, Danan is in the middle of sweeping the Holy Kingdom forces in the territory of the Kingdom of Merinard with the Liberation Army and Adol clergy. It¡¯s not really a cleanup but more of a recommendation for surrender.


    He is going around with Adol clergymen to inform them that the subjugation army that was captured the other day has been wiped out and has retreated, and he is urging them to surrender on the condition that if they surrender quietly, he will take care of their families and their retreat back to their home country.


    The soldiers of the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army were not all mainstream, and among those who were drafted and organized in the territory of the Kingdom of Merinard, there were some who secretly had a relationship with subhumans.


    In fact, it seems that in some places, the Holy Kingdom is in control only at the top, and there are areas where the oppression of subhumans is not so severe. These are the places where the human soldiers of the Merinard Kingdom who had split off from the subhumans heading for the Black Forest in the past and went into hiding in the territory of the Merinard Kingdom were hiding out.


    In those places, the movement to join us, the liberation army that defeated Merinesburg, and the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army¨Din other words, the newborn Merinard Kingdom¨Dis accelerating. It seems that emissaries from such places have recently been visiting the castle, and depending on the recipient, Sylphy, Melty, Driada-san, who was already socializing in the former Merinard Kingdom, and Seraphita-san, the former queen, are also responding to their requests.


    Oops, I got off track.


    If they are traveling by carriage, let alone by air board, it is highly likely that the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom¡¯s envoys will arrive in Merinesburg while I am going around with Ellen to even out the land that Danan has exposed. Maybe Grande will be in Merinesburg, but I probably won¡¯t be.


    ¡°No, they¡¯ve taken the wyvern to Erichburg. They will arrive here tomorrow at the earliest.¡±


    ¡°A wyvern. I didn¡¯t know you could ride a wyvern.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen one in person, but I¡¯ve heard that when they¡¯re raised from eggs, they can be very friendly.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see. It¡¯s like an imprinting process.¡±


    It is said that birds recognize their parents as soon as they see them after hatching. I don¡¯t know if all birds are like that or not. Wyverns, which are thought to be oviparous, may have a similar habit.


    ¡°But I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m supposed to do when they say ¡®worship you.''¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I suppose you could ask my mother.¡±


    ¡°Mother, you mean Seraphita-san¡­?¡±


    Sylphy¡¯s expression clouds over as if she sensed something from my words.


    ¡°I want Kosuke to get along with my mother as well¡­¡±


    ¡°N-no, I think it¡¯s probably okay for us to get along.¡±


    I¡¯m just worried that we might get along too well. I didn¡¯t feel like I was being popular with people since I came to this world, and the other day I noticed what I thought might be the cause of it.


    It¡¯s not something I¡¯m trying to do, and I struggled to see if I could turn off the achievement options after that, but it seems I can¡¯t do that, and it didn¡¯t work.


    The effect of the achievement seems to have a pinpoint effect on Seraphita-san in particular, so I¡¯d rather refrain from contact with her if possible. No matter how beautiful she is, she¡¯s Sylphy¡¯s mother, a widow who just lost her husband¡­ and I¡¯m sure she¡¯s a tremendous beauty.


    ¡°Is that so? I¡¯m glad to hear that.¡±


    Sylphy smiles as if relieved by my words. Stop it. That smile that says it comes from pure joy works on me. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s my fault, but I feel so guilty.


    If I had to say who¡¯s to blame, I¡¯d say it¡¯s definitely the fun-loving bastard who brought me into this world and is granting me achievements just for the fun of it. I have no way to complain, though.


    ¡°I¡¯ll just ask Seraphita-san. Unh.¡±


    ¡°Do that. I don¡¯t have time to go and ask Mother myself.¡±


    Saying that, Sylphy let out a sigh. She has lunch break with me at the cafeteria right now, but after the meal, she is going to be stuck in her office for the rest of the day. She has a lot of things to do as the next queen. I¡¯d like to help her out, but Melty, who is working with Sylphy on the paperwork, is ten times more powerful than I am, so I¡¯d only be getting in the way.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go to Seraphita-san¡¯s after dinner and ask her about it.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll give you a heads up.¡±


    Saying this, Sylphy called one of the maid-servants who was serving us and told her to tell Seraphita-san that I would ask her after lunch. It is this move that unknowingly cuts off my retreat. Hahaha, Sylphy is so cute!


    Let¡¯s hope nothing is going on. Yeah.

 CH 220

    Chapter 220 ¨C Tea Party With Mother-in-Law


    ¡°Hello, welcome. Please come this way.¡±


    After lunch, I went to the room where Seraphita-san was waiting for me, and there she was waiting for me with rosy cheeks and a flowery smile on her face. Before I knew it, I was led to a stylish tea table and seated in an antique-looking chair.


    Then, a slightly mature maid who was waiting for us in the room immediately prepared the tea with a beautifully prepared dish and went back to the corner of the room. The woman was an unfamiliar wolf or canine type of beastman.


    ¡°She is Pieta, the maid who served me before I went to sleep. When she heard that I had awakened and was staying at the castle, she came running to me.¡±


    Seraphita-san explained this to me, and the maid smiled at me silently. However, I somehow felt something strange about her mannerisms, her behavior, or something like that.


    Upon closer inspection, I found that her maid uniform had a slightly unusual design. It had a turtleneck that covered her neck. I have spent a good amount of time at the castle and am used to seeing the clothes worn by the castle maidservants, so I could tell that her clothes were specially tailored.


    Perhaps noticing my gaze, Seraphita-san put on a sad expression.


    ¡°Pieta was my first maid attendant, so it seems that when Merinesburg was destroyed, she was severely interrogated by the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army to see if she had seen or heard any secrets concerning the royal family. Fortunately, she did not lose her life, but her throat was crushed so that she could not speak¡­¡±


    Seraphita-san looked sad as she said this, while Pieta-san smiled and silently shook her head. I did not sense any resentment towards Seraphita-san in her expression. She must be a very loyal person to have spent 20 years in such a terrible situation and come running to her as soon as she knew that Seraphita-san was safe and sound.


    ¡°I wonder, if you don¡¯t mind, if I could take a look at the wound on your throat?¡±


    ¡°Kosuke-sama?¡±


    ¡°I think I might be able to heal it.¡±


    The splint is essentially a bandage and brace for a broken limb, so I don¡¯t know if it would work on the neck or rather the throat. However, as long as the splint is applied and bandaged, any old injury can be healed, so I think there is a good chance that it can be done on the part of the body that can be bandaged with a splint, such as a neck.


    Pieta-san seemed to be reluctant to accept my offer, but Seraphita-san persuaded her to give in, and she stripped off her jacket, exposing her neck to our eyes.


    ¡°¡­How could they do this to you?¡±


    It was a terrible scar. I don¡¯t know how she was able to survive with such wounds. I wonder if she used some kind of restorative magic while she was wounded.


    Twenty years ago, Pieta-san must have been in her mid to late teens. Since her throat had been crushed, plus she was subhuman, she must have been forced to live a very hard and severe life for the past twenty years.


    ¡°I hope I can manage to heal you¡­¡±


    I took out the splint from my inventory, which I have been using with great success recently, put the splint on her neck, and wrapped a bandage around it. Why did you put a splint on my neck? Pieta-san had a strange expression on her face as if to say that, but when I finished wrapping the bandage around her neck, she suddenly looked distressed.


    ¡°¡­Uh! Cough, ugh!¡±


    ¡°Pieta!¡±


    Seraphita-san tried to rush to Pieta-san, but Pieta-san restrained her with her hand and repeatedly took deep breaths while making a whimpering sound. As I watched her, I felt relieved inside that it had probably worked.


    Soon the splints and bandages around Pieta-san¡¯s neck crumbled and turned to dust, which also turned into particles of light and dissolved into thin air. By that time, Pieta-san had regained her composure and exhaled deeply.


    ¡°A-ah¡­ Aa-aa. Seraphita-sama.¡±


    ¡°Pieta!¡±


    Seraphita-san jumped and hugged Pieta-san, who uttered a voice, albeit with a slightly unnatural pronunciation. I took a plastic bottle of water from my inventory, opened the lid, and offered it to Pieta-san, who was hugged by Seraphita-san.


    ¡°Here is the water.¡±


    ¡°This too¡­ Excuse me.¡±


    Pieta-san drank some of the water she had received from me and checked her throat a few times. Seraphita-san, who had separated herself from Pieta-san, watched her with a harried look on her face.


    ¡°Ah, aa-aaa. Seraphita-sama.¡±


    ¡°Pieta!¡±


    Seraphita-san hugged Pieta-san again, rehashing what she had just done. Yeah, yeah, I¡¯m glad it went well. After all, I feel like I¡¯m walking on the right path if I use my power for this kind of thing. I want to use my power in a direction that will make people happy and, if possible, to be grateful.


    ¡°Thank you, Kosuke-sama, for your kindness. I, how can I thank you¡­¡±


    Seraphita-san was still hugging Pieta-san, tears streaming down her face and overflowing with gratitude. Pieta-san was also shedding tears herself as she wiped the tears overflowing from Seraphita-san¡¯s eyes with a handkerchief.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    ¡°I apologize for my embarrassing appearance.¡±


    Seraphita-san, who had changed her makeup, sat down again and cleared her throat. Her cheeks were redder than when I first visited this room, perhaps because of her embarrassment. Even her ears were slightly red.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t see anything unsightly about it, though.¡±


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s embarrassing for a woman of good age to expose herself crying like a little girl to a gentleman.¡±


    Seraphita-san¡¯s cheeks puffed out a little as she said this. This is the kind of situation that makes me think that she and Sylphy are mother and daughter. In other words, they are destructively cute.


    ¡°That¡¯s that, Kosuke-sama. Once again, thank you very much for helping Pieta. I really appreciate it.¡±


    ¡°Thank you very much. I would like to serve Kosuke-sama and Seraphita-sama until the end of my life.¡±


    Not only Seraphita-san but Pieta-san also expressed her gratitude in fluent language, which was a complete change from her previous words.


    ¡°I am glad it went well.¡±


    ¡°I can see why the saint and archbishop of the Adol religion call you a messenger of God. The power you wield is truly like a miracle of God¡­ So, I hear you have something to discuss with me today.¡±


    ¡°Yes. The reason for this is that an envoy from the Dragonis mountain kingdom is coming to see Grande and me. However, I have no idea how I should behave even if we receive them, so I was wondering if you, Seraphita-san, could give me some advice.¡±


    ¡°I see, the Dragonis mountain kingdom. Certainly, it is only natural that that country would wish to have an audience with Grande-sama, a dragon who has assumed human form, and her companion, Kosuke-sama. For them, the relationship between Grande-sama and Kosuke-sama is exactly the same as that between the dragon and the daughter of the country¡¯s founder.¡±


    Seraphita-san nodded her head in agreement. The blush on her face seemed to have gone away before she knew it.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you need to worry about anything in particular when it comes to the audience. In the first place, it was the other party that initiated the request, and the use of the word ¡°audience¡± means that from the beginning, the other party has acknowledged the lower position, that is, you as a superior. To begin with, I don¡¯t think Grande-sama would care about the human race, no matter who the other party is.¡±


    ¡°That is true.¡±


    Basically, the only people that Grande cares about are those who are stronger than her. However, since she is basically a thoughtful person, she rarely behaves arrogantly. If she acts too arrogantly and causes trouble for others, Melty and Sylphy will beat her to a pulp.


    ¡°If I were to give advice to Kosuke-sama, it would be that you should not be carelessly caught in their words. They would love to invite Kosuke-sama and Grande-sama to their country and take you in. Or, if Kosuke-sama and Grande-sama have a child, they may very well want the child to be their son-in-law or daughter-in-law.¡±


    ¡°A child?¡±


    ¡°Yes. The dragon¡¯s blood that flows in the royal family of their country has been diluted over the years, I have heard. It is not surprising that they would like to bring in new dragon blood into the royal family.¡±


    ¡°¡­Wouldn¡¯t that mean that, depending on the case, they might want Grande to marry into the royal family or something like that?¡±


    Seraphita-san looked at my words with a puzzled look on her face, then giggled.


    ¡°No way. If they do that, they will surely incur Grande-sama¡¯s wrath, so they will never say such a thing. I have also heard how Grande-sama took on that appearance. No, absolutely may be an overstatement. I don¡¯t think a person with a sane mind would say such a thing.¡±


    ¡°I hope so.¡±


    If Grande were to snap, she would literally knock the hell out of them, and if it were me, I would not do such a careless thing. Or rather, I¡¯d be the one to blow them away.


    ¡°All you have to do is to be at least polite and talk to them normally. They would probably like to invite you to the Dragonis mountain kingdom when the opportunity arises, so I think you should just tell them that you would be happy to visit them when the time comes. The only thing left to do is to see what kind of proposal they will make. Even I can¡¯t read how they will react when it is the turn of the dragon and man, who is the founder of the country¡­ I think that at this time, they will probably propose that the two countries establish diplomatic relations.¡±


    ¡°Is that something we can easily accept?¡±


    ¡°The Holy Kingdoms recognize their power abhorrently due to the existence of a small number of powerful flying dragon soldiers, and they are a presence that is looked up to by the Empire as well. It is also a country that has taken a neutral position in the conflict between the two major powers, so I think it would be good for the new Merinard kingdom if we could gain their backing. Perhaps Sylphy and Melty feel the same way.¡±


    ¡°I see. I will discuss this point with them again.¡±


    ¡°Yes, by all means. My knowledge is from 20 years ago, so the situation may have changed by now.¡±


    Seraphita-san smiled as she said this.


    After finishing the conversation about the Dragonis mountain kingdom, I had tea with Seraphita-san for a while and decided to leave the place. But, as expected of a former queen¡­ I found myself getting caught up in Seraphita-san¡¯s pace and enjoying drinking tea with her. I¡¯ve promised to have tea with her again next time.


    I wonder if it will be alright. I¡¯m afraid that I might find myself in a situation where I¡¯m stuck with Seraphita-san.


    I¡¯ll be very careful. Yeah. The other person is my mother-in-law, after all.

 CH 221

    Chapter 221 ¨C Visitors From the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom


    It was the day after I had spent the day with Seraphita-san enjoying tea. Around midday, the castle became somewhat busy. I stopped tending to the fields in the castle, washed my hands, and looked around for a place where Grande might be. I didn¡¯t do much looking around since she was just buried in a pile of cushions in my and Sylphy¡¯s room.


    ¡°Grande, Grande. The people I talked about yesterday are here, so wake up.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Fuwah¡­ the people you were talking about yesterday?¡±


    Grande raised herself from the pile of cushions and yawned with her burly tail outstretched.


    Recently, that tail had been fitted with a tail cover. Whenever she is happy after eating something delicious, she taps the floor with her tail and shatters the stone floor.


    The material used for the tail cover is a part of the slime¡¯s body that Lime and the others provided. It is soft and resilient like soft rubber, yet strong and sturdy.


    ¡°It¡¯s troublesome, but I¡¯ll put up with it when I¡¯m with Kosuke.¡±


    ¡°Thank you very much. Shall we go to Sylphy for now?¡±


    ¡°Umu.¡±


    Grande¡¯s burly hand gently grabbed mine, and I gripped it back, holding hands as we walked to the office where Sylphy was occupied. While we were walking hand in hand, Grande was in a good mood, tapping the floor with her covered tail. She seemed to enjoy the feel of it bouncing back and forth.


    But what do they want? Even if they say ¡®audience,¡¯ it doesn¡¯t ring a bell.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t get it either. Well, I guess the mountain kingdom wants to do something to help us in the same situation as the beginning of the country.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. I¡¯m not going to move a nail except for the sake of Kosuke.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that, but I¡¯d like you to do what Sylphy and Melty ask you to do if you can. Whenever you feel like it.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Whenever I feel like it.¡±


    That said, both Sylphy and Melty know that Grande is working with us because of a personal relationship with me, so they don¡¯t really seem to be interested in assigning Grande the job of the Liberation Army or the new Merinard Kingdom.


    As we were walking to Sylphy¡¯s office while having this conversation, Melty came walking up from just ahead of us.


    ¡°Oh, I was just about to call for you.¡±


    ¡°The envoys from the Mountain Kingdom are here, aren¡¯t they? Where are we going to meet him?¡±


    ¡°We are arranging a meeting in the castle¡¯s guest room. I¡¯ll let them through first, and you two can wait in a nearby room.¡±


    ¡°Roger that.¡±


    I waited leisurely with Grande in a room near the guest room and went to the guest room when the attendant picked us up. It is said that in such a situation, the person in a higher position enters the room later. I thought to myself, ¡°I guess that¡¯s the way it is,¡± as I pulled Grande by the hand and headed for the guest room.


    When we arrived at the guest room, the attendant entered first, and then we were invited into the room. When we entered the room, three people were waiting for us.


    One was the Lizard shaman we had met in Erichburg. Was he a priest of the Nedragonis religious organization that is rooted in the Dragonis mountain kingdom? As I recall, he told me that from their point of view, a humanized dragon living with humans was an object of faith itself and that I was a saint for visiting their lair, the home of dragons, and being recognized by them as the dragon¡¯s companion.


    Now I wonder, am I a savior guided by the spirits of the elves in their folklore, a visitor, a messenger of the Adol god, a companion of the dragon god of the Dragonis faith, a saint, in other words, a person who holds multiple positions? I don¡¯t know what will happen to me in the future, but I¡¯m sure later historians will doubt that I actually exist. They will say that I am an entity created to connect various religions and powers.


    And the other is a man who looks like a military officer. He does not seem to be carrying a weapon, but he is a sharp-eyed lizardman wearing leather armor that probably belongs to a wyvern. The gender of the lizardmen is a bit unclear.


    The last one was male. He was a man of mature age with two magnificent horns on his head. Two horns grew from the top of his forehead, around the hairline, and curved gently toward the back of his head. The horns are so magnificent that if you told me they were dragon horns, I would be convinced that they were.


    ¡°We meet again, old man.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is a pleasure to see you again. I hope you and Grande-sama are both well.¡±


    ¡°Umu, all is well.¡±


    Grande walked over, sat down on the couch in front of them, and slumped down. She patted the sofa next to her. I guess he wants me to sit there.


    ¡°Yes, yes. Then excuse me.¡±


    Grande begged me to sit next to her, and she immediately fell into my lap with her horned head in my lap. You¡¯ve gotten good at lying down so that your horns don¡¯t hit me, Grande.


    ¡°Excuse me for looking like this. I¡¯m Kosuke. And this is Grande, as you may have heard her name. As you know, she¡¯s a grand dragon.¡±


    ¡°No, no, seeing a dragon and her companion so close together is wonderful. Let me introduce you, this is Rezalus-dono, a member of the royal family of the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom, and he is the head of this envoy group. And this warrior is Dorn-dono. He is one of the best warriors in the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom and is in charge of a group of dragon cavalrymen. I have asked him to accompany us this time as an escort on the way and to see if he can help us in our efforts to establish the new Merinard Kingdom.¡±


    ¡°My name is Rezalus. Pleased to make your acquaintance, Rider-sama.¡±


    ¡°I am Dorn. Pleased to meet you. I am sorry, but as a warrior, I am not very good at using polite language. I hope you will forgive me.¡±


    The dragon-like Mr. Rezalus and the warrior Mr. Dorn greeted me respectively and bowed to me. Mr. Rezalus has a calm expression on his face that makes it difficult to read his emotions, but Mr. Dorn conveys a sense of awe. I don¡¯t sense any hostility from Mr. Rezalus either.


    ¡°Well, what should we talk about in a situation like this? To be honest, the word ¡°audience¡± doesn¡¯t really ring a bell for us. We don¡¯t know what to talk about.¡±


    ¡°Hohoho, that may be true. No, not in a bad way. Rider-sama is a visitor from the other world, and Grande-sama is a genuine dragon. His Royal Highness Rezalus is not only a member of the royal family but also a scholar of lore. If you don¡¯t mind, I would like to hear the story of how the two of you met and what you have been up to.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­? Well, it¡¯s nothing to hide, so I don¡¯t mind.¡±


    I then began to tell them a little more about the story of how I met Grande and what we have been up to now. The old man Lizard shaman, as well as the researcher Mr. Rezalus and the military man Mr. Dorn, are all listening to my story with great interest.


    ¡°Oh, the demon species¡­ that demon woman, is she also Kosuke-dono¡¯s¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yes, well. Yes.¡±


    ¡°I see, I see. Perhaps it¡¯s only natural that a dragon¡¯s companion would attract a woman of the demonic species.¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh. But is she so fierce that¡­ she can beat a dragon with her bare hands?¡±


    ¡°Hahaha¡­ she herself doesn¡¯t really like to fight, though.¡±


    Melty wields her power as a demonic species to the fullest when necessary, but she usually focuses on her work as a civil official. It seems that the demonic species¡¯ overwhelming fighting ability is only a means to an end for her.


    ¡°So, you had a chance encounter with Grande-sama¡¯s relatives in the Black Forest?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. Well, Grande¡¯s family was very powerful, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk too much about my family¡­ but Kosuke was cool enough to beat my brother into submission.¡±


    ¡°Kosuke-dono?¡±


    Mr. Rezalus looked at me with a surprised face. The same thing happened to Mr. Dorn, who looked at me with a surprised look. Well, I don¡¯t look that strong, do I?


    ¡°Yes. Kosuke may look weak, but he¡¯s not. He can knock down wyverns like winged insects and launch a series of attacks that can pierce even the scales of dragons. The other day we drove off an army of 20,000 men with Kosuke¡¯s power.¡±


    ¡°Although that is my power, it does not mean that I am strong myself.¡±


    ¡°You say so, Kosuke. If you wanted to, you could have killed that whole army without any help, couldn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°No way.¡±


    I shrugged my shoulders.


    In fact, if you ask whether or not it could be done, it could be done. If I had buried a magic sparkling stone bomb in the invasion route of the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army and detonated it as soon as the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army arrived, I could have obliterated the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army with a single blow. Even without going that far, there were many other ways to do it. Even if I did not use such a grandiose magic sparkling stone bomb, I could have laid a large number of explosive blocks and detonated them, or I could have built a bunker and shot a mountain of bullets and artillery shells from it.


    I didn¡¯t want to go through that kind of trouble, and it would have been pointless and would have caused nothing but problems for me alone.


    ¡°Umu¡­ As expected, the one who will be the dragon¡¯s companion is outstanding enough to be chosen, isn¡¯t he?¡±


    Mr. Rezalus nodded his head repeatedly as if he was convinced. Mr. Dorn¡¯s gaze is suspicious, but I¡¯m not at all confident in fisticuffs with swords and spears, so I¡¯d rather you do that sort of thing with Ms. Zamir. If you simply want to get beat up, I can introduce you to Lime and the others.


    After that, we talked about the grand dragon¡¯s den in the depths of the Black Forest and the grand dragon¡¯s banquet, etc. They seemed to be very interested in the story of the Black Forest and the grand dragon¡¯s den, which is also a sacred place for them and seemed impressed with the story from start to finish.


    ¡°It was an interesting story. I would like to share the story with my compatriots in my country.¡±


    ¡°Whenever I have the chance. I¡¯m a little busy at the moment, so I¡¯m sure it will happen eventually.¡±


    ¡°That is true, is it not? But of course, it can¡¯t be right away. I think we should celebrate the birth of the new kingdom¡­ and the restoration of the Merinard kingdom.¡±


    Mr. Rezalus¡¯ attention changed. It seems that the chatting time has come to an end. I wonder what kind of stories will come out of this.

 CH 222

    Chapter 222 ¨C People With Too Much Respect


    ¡°I have something I would like to bring to your attention.¡±


    Here it comes¡­! I braced myself. What in the world is he going to confront me with? Is it about Grande and me having a child together and wanting that child to be his wife or son-in-law? No, I don¡¯t think so¡­? Perhaps my inner tension was felt. Grande, who had been shutting her eyes, opened one eye and glanced up at me.


    ¡°I would like to ask your approval to spread the picture of the two of you to our Dragonis Mountain Kingdom.¡±


    ¡°¡­Hmm?¡±


    It¡¯s not what I expected. Isn¡¯t it something like the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom will promise to support us in exchange for a demand that¡¯s hard to swallow?


    ¡°No, that¡¯s fine, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Really? That¡¯s good to know! And while we¡¯re at it, may I also pass on the story you just told us about how the two of you got together?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine¡­ right?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°Oh! That¡¯s fortuitous! The people are very interested in both of you, who are the second coming of our ancestors. If we can form a friendship with the two of you, the royal family¡¯s authority will be strengthened. I hope we can continue to be friends in the future.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes.¡±


    The handsome man with the big horns was looking at me with a bright smile.


    ¡°And, was it cheeseburgers and hot cookies? If possible, I would like to know the recipe for the food that Grande-sama likes to eat. The people will surely demand the food that attracts her so much.¡±


    ¡°Well, I wouldn¡¯t mind that.¡±


    The cheeseburger, or hamburger, ketchup, and pancakes, Isla discovered that a type of ore used in alchemy could be used as baking soda, and baked goods using baking soda are being researched daily in Erichburg.


    Now they are also researching baking powder, which I created with my craft, in Erichburg, but it seems that they are struggling quite a bit. I don¡¯t know much about the details of baking powder either¡­ I can make the actual stuff with craft, but I can¡¯t give advice. At any rate, I only know that it¡¯s baking soda mixed with various other things.


    By the way, as for ketchup, we use Tomel, which is a tomato-like vegetable in this world, so the color is different. Tomel is generally a green or yellow fruit vegetable, so ketchup from here is green or yellow. Cheese and pickles were not a problem, and patties could be imitated by simply adding seasonings and spices to ground meat and grilling it.


    Pancakes were not difficult to make as long as you could find baking soda. I had memorized the ingredients used for pancakes, too. Some parts were a little hazy, but I managed through repeated trial and error. Nowadays, along with hamburgers, they are sold at stalls in Erichburg as Grande-related products. I don¡¯t want anyone to lose out by giving them the recipe.


    ¡°There are probably several cooks in the Liberation Army who know the recipe, so you could learn it from them. I¡¯ll make sure to pass on the recipe to you via Sylphy later.¡±


    ¡°That would be very helpful. As for the picture, I have a painter with me on this mission, so I would be happy to ask him to paint when it suits you.¡±


    ¡°Whenever is fine with me. Even after this meeting is over, if you like.¡±


    ¡°Great, by all means.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be unbecoming of you, Rezalus-dono, to keep asking favors?¡±


    The Lizard shaman restrained Mr. Rezalus, who was smiling with a radiant smile on his face. The restrained Mr. Rezalus hurriedly tightened his expression.


    ¡°That is true. Pardon me. I got a little excited.¡±


    Mr. Rezalus, who had adjusted his posture, coughed once and then made a crisp expression. Perhaps it is because he is a handsome man, but it is interesting to see the sudden air of dignity that comes over him.


    ¡°I would like to thank you both from the bottom of my heart for your generosity. From here, I would like to discuss our response as the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom. For our part, we would like to provide as much support as possible to the Merinard Kingdom of Kosuke-sama and Grande-sama. We are prepared to dispatch troops such as flying dragons and mounted warriors, as well as provide supplies, funds, technology, and support in the areas of trade and diplomacy.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a big deal, isn¡¯t it? That¡¯s too much to pay for a picture of me and Grande, a story of how we got together, and a recipe for a meal, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Frankly speaking, it seems to me that the return for what we offered was too great. The price for just a little exchange of friendship, just because I am in the same position as the founder of their country, would be too much.


    ¡°I am sure that is not the case. It is a legitimate transaction, both politically and militarily. If the Kingdom of Merinard and its royal bloodline regains power, the Holy Kingdom¡¯s military pressure on us, the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom, will be greatly reduced, and we will be able to enjoy peace of mind. I hate to say it, but the location of the Kingdom of Merinard is a very useful position for us as a shield against the Holy Kingdom.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°Besides, the new Queen of Merinard is in a position to trade with the Elves of the Black Forest. The trade goods brought from the Black Forest are a much-needed commodity for us as well.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of which, the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom earns foreign currency through long-distance trade using flying dragons, right?¡±


    The dragon flies to its destination without regard to the terrain and is the main means of earning foreign currency in the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom. I also remember hearing that the flying dragon trade is very profitable for the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom because they can fly long distances with a lot of cargo without worrying about being attacked by wild thieves.


    ¡°Yes. The trade goods brought from the Elves of the Black Forest have been unavailable since the destruction of the Kingdom of Merinard 20 years ago. The market price has already skyrocketed to the point where it can be said that there is no ceiling. So, if we can get them back, we will be even richer.¡±


    Mr. Rezalus smiles gently. I can¡¯t say I¡¯m an expert on world affairs, but from what I hear, it sounds reasonable to me.


    I guess I¡¯ll have to let Sylphy and Melty decide what is really going on, but it doesn¡¯t sound so bad.


    ¡°I was really wary that if Grande and I had a child, you might want it as a wife or son-in-law, or worse; you might ask me to give you Grande.¡±


    ¡°No way! To tear the two of you apart would be an act of barbarism as if you were trying to tarnish the legend of our country, trample it down, and spit on it. We swear by our ancestors that we would never engage in such an act. If anyone attempts such a thing, we will do everything in our power to crush and burn them.¡±


    ¡°O-oh!¡±


    I was shocked. Mr. Rezalus¡¯ eyes were serious. The word ¡°serious¡± means ¡°for real. He really seems to think so. Mr. Dorn, the military officer, and the old lizard shaman sitting on either side of him nodded their heads deeply again and again. It seems that their awe of Grande and me is far stronger than I thought.


    ¡°We would be delighted to invite your son and daughter to our country, but such an act would be too much of an insult¡­ to make it a condition of the deal. We do not wish to take advantage of either of you. We only want to make a friendship with you.¡±


    Mr. Rezalus looked at Grande and me with unclouded eyes. Then Grande said.


    ¡°Kosuke, that¡¯s enough. It is clear that these men have no ill will toward us. I¡¯m getting a little hungry.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes¡­ well, yes. Then let¡¯s give them our full acceptance. I think it would be better to have Sylphy or Melty handle the practical matters, so I¡¯ll talk to them so that we can arrange a meeting.¡±


    ¡°I understand. I look forward to working with you.¡±


    After that, we served Grande¡¯s favorite dishes such as cheeseburgers, pancakes filled with cream and jam, and pudding to Mr. Rezalus and the others and had a pleasant chat. They seemed to like the pudding the best. When I promised to provide them with the recipe for the pudding, they were so happy that they almost jumped up and down.


    Thus, the meeting with the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom¡­ the audience¡­ audience? I don¡¯t know anymore. At any rate, the discussion was settled in a very calm manner. As for practical matters, I left everything to Sylphy and Melty. It is impossible for me to deal with military and trade matters on a national level. I should leave it to a specialist for the best results.

 CH 223

    Chapter 223 ¨C Sandwiched Between The Devil And The Witch


    ¡°Thanks to Kosuke-san and Grande, it looks like the negotiations with the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom are coming to a successful conclusion. However, there are some areas that I would like to hear more details about, so I will ask you to help me.¡±


    Melty, sitting beside me on her usual wicker couch, says this to me with a smile. I couldn¡¯t say no to her request with such a good-humored smile on her face.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind if you make plans in advance. But please ask Grande when she feels up to it. I don¡¯t want to force her to do something she doesn¡¯t want to do.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I understand.¡±


    That night after the audience, or rather meeting with the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom, Melty seemed to be in a very good mood during the relaxing time after dinner. I was happy if my and Grande¡¯s actions helped to improve her mood.


    ¡°Nevertheless, it was an unexpected connection that came about unexpectedly. The Dragonis Mountain Kingdom is going to fully support us. I am sure there will be other countries that will respond to this move. Depending on the moves of the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom, a coalition of anti-Holy Kingdom countries may be formed to the west of the Holy Kingdom. Depending on what happens, we may be able to achieve peace with the Holy Kingdom more easily than we thought.¡±


    Sylphy, who was sitting on the opposite side of the table from Melty across from me, was also in a really good mood. For Sylphy, who was planning to meet with the Holy Kingdom in the near future, it must have been like having a reassuring ally in the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom, a country that the Holy Kingdom and the Empire both look up to.


    ¡°As an outsider, I¡¯m not sure what to tell you, but don¡¯t let them catch you off guard. No matter how friendly they are to us, or rather to Grande and me, they are a kingdom with a long history. They would not do anything that would cause them to suffer losses alone, and if necessary, they would even abandon the kingdom of Merinard. For them, all they need is to ensure the safety of Grande and me.¡±


    I remember hearing something to the effect that true friendship is never fostered between nations or something like that. Not true friendship, but a true ally, right? Well, I understand the nuance.


    No matter how friendly they may seem, as long as they are a nation, their actions are driven by the nation¡¯s interests. In other words, yesterday¡¯s friend could turn into today¡¯s enemy if their interests as a nation conflict.


    In that sense, it is my presence and Grande¡¯s that could be the spark of a conflict between the Kingdom of Merinard and the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom. We are the bridge between the two countries, but at the same time, we are the spark that causes them to fight.


    Now, because of my and Grande¡¯s¨Dor rather, my support for the Liberation Army, the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom has expressed its full support for the Liberation Army and the new Merinard Kingdom. This is probably out of respect for me and Grande¡¯s will to stand by me.


    However, if they were to reverse their course and take Grande into their hands, even by force, we would immediately go to war with each other. Well, I don¡¯t really think we would lose in a fight. If their flying dragons or cavalry attacked us, our 12.7mm-caliber heavy machine guns would open a lot of fire.


    The resources of iron, steel, and leather are in great abundance thanks to the weapons we confiscated from the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army the other day, so I am secretly mass producing weapons and ammunition in preparation for the coming time. I¡¯m also working on the mass production of 12.7mm caliber heavy machine guns. Although the current 7.62mm caliber light machine gun is overkill, it is doubtful how much use a 12.7mm caliber heavy machine gun will be when mass-produced.


    ¡°We are aware of that. It is not healthy for a nation to be so dependent on others, and we should be moderate in our reliance on them.¡±


    ¡°Thanks to Kosuke-san, we have no shortage of food, money, and materials. We will mainly ask for diplomatic help. Eventually, we will have to correct our dependence on Kosuke-san.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I suppose that¡¯s true.¡±


    Without the benefits brought by my power, it is obvious that the current Merinard Kingdom would not be able to stand on its feet. It is also unhealthy for a nation to be in a state where food, funds, and materials to run the nation are provided by a single person. Such a state of affairs should be corrected as soon as possible.


    ¡°But. If that happens, there will be nothing for me to do, and I will be bored.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? I don¡¯t think you have time to be bored¡­¡±


    ¡°I guess so.¡±


    Melty¡¯s grinning gaze from the right and Sylphy¡¯s staring gaze at me from the left. Oh¡­ if this is the case, have I stepped on a landmine?


    ¡°Your Highness Princess Driada wanted to talk to you¡­ what do you want to do, Kosuke-san?¡±


    ¡°I hear you and Mother have been getting along very well lately? Mother is always talking about Kosuke and wants to know how he¡¯s doing, isn¡¯t that right?¡±


    ¡°Oh, uh¡­ yeah. That¡¯s the thing.¡±


    I turn my gaze to the ceiling, feeling their eyes on my cheeks. It is rather difficult to be asked what you want to do. As for me¡­ I¡¯d like to say that I don¡¯t want to add any more mates, but in terms of this world¡¯s view of marriage, you know.


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s my will that matters?¡±


    ¡°Yes. However, the only person who has clearly expressed a desire to be in a relationship with Kosuke-san is Her Highness Princess Driada.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ what about the two of you? I¡¯m not sure I should even ask.¡±


    After all, I¡¯m the one who makes the final decision after asking both of them for their opinions. I guess I just want to use it as an excuse to myself to ask them because they told me so. Isn¡¯t that too cowardly?


    ¡°Hmmmmmmm¡­¡±


    ¡°Kosuke-san is really reluctant to have female relations, isn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°The ethical view of marriage that you have developed since you were a child is not something that can be easily overturned.¡±


    I was looking up at the ceiling and worrying, and two people were discussing something beside me, but I was too busy worrying to hear what they were talking about.


    Well, what the heck? I¡¯ve had my hands full with not only Sylphy but also Isla, the Harpies, Ellen, Melty, and Grande, so now that there are two more people¡­ Oh no, there were Amalie-san and Bertha-san, too. That makes four people. There are nearly 20 people in the group, so I don¡¯t think it¡¯s too much to ask for four more people. But that¡¯s not the point, is it?


    ¡°For the time being, let¡¯s start with socializing. Whatever the case may be, my feelings for them have not caught up with theirs, let alone theirs for me. First of all, I¡¯d like to talk and spend time together to deepen our relationship.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense. Her Highness Princess Driada and Seraphita-sama have plenty of time to spend with each other.¡±


    ¡°And Mother, too, well, I suppose.¡±


    ¡°How about that? What about me having that kind of relationship with Seraphita-san?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a rare occurrence for a long-lived species. I never thought that I would have to go through such an experience, though.¡±


    Sylphie looked very complicated.


    ¡°The mother and daughter also have similar tastes.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s that kind of thing¡­ or rather, I have a suspicion that it has something to do with my abilities.¡±


    ¡°Ability?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, actually¡­¡±


    I explained to them about achievement and the ability toward the opposite sex. The two people who heard this story tilted their heads in the same way.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, does it? You didn¡¯t really test whether this ability to attack the opposite sex really works like charm magic, did you?¡±


    ¡°Eh, well, that¡¯s true. I have no way of verifying that.¡±


    There is no way to turn off the achievement, so there is no way to know for sure. It¡¯s been increasing for some time, and I don¡¯t see any kind of numerical value in terms of likelihood.


    ¡°There is nothing to be concerned about. Even if Kosuke¡¯s ability works in that way, it means that Kosuke becomes more attractive. Your ability is a part of you, so it doesn¡¯t matter, does it?¡±


    ¡°If you say that, then you can¡¯t walk under the sun, like the Yama tribe, can you?¡±


    ¡°Yama tribe?¡±


    Yama¡­ Enma?


    ¡°The Yama tribe are the night demons. They are also called the Dream Demons. They are a tribe of only women. However, they are a very difficult race to deal with because their magic power is released as enchantment magic even if they don¡¯t do anything.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s really difficult¡­ but I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever met them.¡±


    They are probably a succubus-like race. There was a winged race that had bat-like wings, but they didn¡¯t make me feel particularly strange, so I¡¯m sure they¡¯re something else.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m sure you have met them before. Kosuke said you didn¡¯t react in any way when people showed you their real faces, stared into their eyes, or boldly showed you their skin, so you said it wasn¡¯t funny or, on the contrary, reassuring.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ I¡¯m almost immune to any kind of magic, after all.¡±


    Apparently, it wasn¡¯t a separate thing. Come to think of it, I think there were people who would stare into my eyes and wear thin. I was so dazed by the way they looked at me, but they didn¡¯t say anything to me, especially from their side, so I went through with it.


    I wonder if it is because I am too used to charm magic that automatically emanates from me that makes me unable to communicate with them.


    ¡°I digress, but what I mean is that, like the night demons, that is part of Kosuke¡¯s charm, so there is no need to be concerned about that.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t think about how powerful you are or anything like that, just take it head on and give us your answer. Unlike the Adol case, this one is something that Sylphy can support.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a completely different story than offering you as a stud horse, you know.¡±


    Saying that, Sylphy looks as if she is about to click her tongue.


    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped if you bring up the difference in life expectancy, though¡­ I¡¯m sorry to say that in the end, I¡¯m putting it all on Kosuke¡¯s shoulders¡­¡±


    What is that hand stroking my breastplate while saying it¡¯s distressing? Before long, they¡¯re in close proximity, or rather in close contact, huh? Sylphy-san? Not only Melty but Sylphy too?


    ¡°Oh, it really pains me to say it, and more than that, it¡¯s sorely regrettable.¡±


    ¡°I bet they¡¯ll be ahead of us in less than a year.¡±


    ¡°Humans are short-lived, but they are easy to conceive.¡±


    ¡°Calm down, calm down, both of you.¡±


    My arms were already held tightly by Sylphy and Melty from both sides. There was no way I could shake them off. Not only psychologically but physically as well.


    ¡°OK, OK, calm down, both of you. Let¡¯s talk first. It¡¯s okay. We can talk, we can talk, don¡¯t give up, don¡¯t give up¨DUwaaah!¡±


    Help me, Grande!

 CH 224

    Chapter 224 ¨C The Saint And Manuscript


    ¡°You look very tired, don¡¯t you?¡±


    The next day. After finishing breakfast, I was walking toward the courtyard when I bumped into Ellen. Today, too, she is dressed in a saintly white robe with gold thread decorations, which is so divine that it is almost dazzling.


    ¡°Oh¡­ yeah.¡±


    However, I could only reply with a weak and tired body from early in the morning. After all, my maximum strength and stamina are less than a third of what they used to be. I was already exhausted.


    ¡°Good heavens, what are you doing without me?¡±


    ¡°I wonder what it is¡­¡±


    Ellen grumbled and held out her hand toward me and began to shoot out a light. Aah~, I don¡¯t know what it is, but it feels good. I suddenly focused my attention on the gauges of strength and stamina displayed in the corner of my eye; the maximum value is recovering at a very fast rate. This must be that miracle of revitalization I was told about before.


    ¡°It helped.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve done enough activation to completely heal five normal people from serious wounds.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°You still have the life force of a cockroach, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Can you stop treating me like a cockroach? But thank you.¡±


    I was completely recovered, and I honestly expressed my gratitude to Ellen. It takes me about half a day to recover from that state. If I eat properly and rest, I will gradually recover, but it¡¯s simply hard to be dull for half a day.


    ¡°Speaking of which, I heard that you had a meeting with the envoy of the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom yesterday.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Do you have any thoughts on the matter?¡±


    Her tone seemed to be slightly inclusive, so I asked her about it, but Ellen shook her head.


    ¡°No, not particularly. The main believers in the dragon faith are subhumans such as lizardmen and lamia, so there is not much overlap between them and our own Adolianism. I hope we can maintain mutual respect, or worse, non-interference.¡±


    ¡°You seemed very serious about it.¡±


    ¡°I was afraid that if you were treated as a saint even there, you would be competing with us.¡±


    ¡°I see. Well, I think it will be alright. They don¡¯t seem to be thinking of restricting me or Grande¡¯s activities.¡±


    They just want to respect us as we are. I guess we are their idols in the right sense of the word.


    ¡°I hope that¡¯s the case¡­ So, how are your preparations for the trip coming along?¡±


    ¡°Well, reasonably well, I guess. The air board has been modified, and the personnel on our side have already started familiarization training. What about your side?¡±


    ¡°The selection of personnel has been completed. Right now, we are all reading the new scriptures and examining their teachings.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ Are there enough scriptures? Not only do you all have to read them together, but you have to distribute them as well, don¡¯t you?¡±


    If you are going to spread a new (essentially old) teaching of any kind, you must widely distribute the scriptures that contain that teaching. There would also be the question of what to do with the scriptures containing the current mainstream teachings and what to do with those who refuse to follow the new teachings.


    ¡°I must confess that getting the right number of scriptures is a little difficult. We are working on manuscripts, but there are limits to what can be done with handwritten manuscripts. And we don¡¯t have enough time to print them on woodblocks.¡±


    ¡°I suppose that¡¯s true.¡±


    Although woodblock printing seems to have made some progress in this world, it does not seem to have the productivity to mass-produce thick scriptures in just a few weeks. First of all, woodblocks for printing must be made in large quantities, and even if woodblocks can be made, printing and binding require a certain amount of time and effort. Of course, it is still much faster than copying by hand.


    ¡°Well, one of the manuscripts discovered at the ruins is still in my inventory.¡±


    ¡°Well, I mean¡­ it¡¯s a very valuable book, though.¡±


    ¡°Well, well, well.¡±


    While appeasing Ellen, who was looking at me with a stern look, I took the manuscript out of my inventory and headed for the work shed in the courtyard. This is my work shed that I have built in the corner of the courtyard, and I have various work tables set up inside.


    ¡°What are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to use the workbench to mass produce this.¡±


    ¡°Can you do that?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, so I¡¯m going to give it a try.¡±


    I opened the menu of the golem workbench and put the manuscripts in the workbench¡¯s inventory, as well as a large amount of paper mass-produced from plant fibers and black ink crafted from soot, charcoal, oil, etc., in the inventory of the workbench.


    ¡°Mmmm¡­ roar, my microcosm¡­!¡±


    ¡°Kosm¡­?¡±


    Ellen, who has a dubious look on her face, is left aside for now and concentrates on item creation. When I say concentrate, I just have to think, ¡°be added to the crafting item column.¡± I still don¡¯t know the right way to do item creation. It¡¯s kind of like if you just think about it, you can do it, you know?


    ¡°Is there something to it when you say roar?¡±


    ¡°Sometimes there is. Sometimes not.¡±


    ¡°What is that?¡±


    While Ellen looked a little stunned, I scrolled through the list of craft items on the golem workbench to see if there was anything added to the list that I wanted.


    ?Manuscripts of the Adol Scripture Omit Kingdom Year 109¨D¨DMaterials: Ink x 2 Paper x 10


    ¡°It¡¯s done! The scripture manuscript!¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    Ellen leaned forward. Oh, she smells so good.


    ¡°Where is it?¡±


    Her red eyes stare at me from a distance with a sullen expression on her face.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re so impatient. I¡¯m mass producing it now. Just give me a minute.¡±


    In the meantime, I¡¯m going to reserve a hundred copies for crafting. It seems to take three minutes per book, so that¡¯s 300 minutes for 100 books. That¡¯s five hours to get them all done. Isn¡¯t it amazingly fast to have a bound book in just three minutes?


    ¡°I mass-produced a hundred books, for now, so give me a minute. It takes three minutes per book.¡±


    ¡°A hundred books? Three minutes per book means you can make a hundred manuscripts in only five hours?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the math.¡±


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s a tremendous power. In some ways more tremendous than the direct production of food and weapons.¡±


    ¡°Really¡­? When you put it that way, maybe.¡±


    Knowledge is power. And unlike weapons, armor, or money, it is a power that can never be taken away from you as long as you live. And books are one of the best tools for acquiring that knowledge. The ability to mass produce it may mean creating a large number of people with power that can never be taken away from them.


    ¡°But my power, if used without consideration, may endanger other people¡¯s lives. A production system that relies on my power alone is distorted, and I can¡¯t and shouldn¡¯t diversify too much.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s reasonable. It would be better to use it to make up for what is lacking to the extent that it does not disturb the world.¡±


    While we were talking like this, the first book was completed. I took the finished manuscript from the golem workbench and handed it to Ellen.


    ¡°¡­The text is very legible.¡±


    ¡°Which one? Oh, indeed. It looks like a typeface.¡±


    The size and shape of the letters are all the same, making them very easy to read. It is completely printed.


    ¡°The date of publication in the back of the book is still the year 109 in the history of the Kingdom of Omit.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a photocopy. I¡¯m sorry, but you¡¯ll have to do something about that by hand.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t know what to do with it, but, well, it¡¯s not much trouble.¡±


    Although I don¡¯t know what she is going to do, she will probably add the date of the duplication by hand or something like that.


    ¡°And you are the only one who can take it out, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Five hours from now¡­¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t have to stick around here, you know?¡±


    The rest will be made automatically, so all I have to do is come back in five hours to retrieve it. In the meantime, I can do other work.


    ¡°¡­Do you really hate being with me that much?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t hate it at all, though, do I? I just thought you might be busy.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Even if you get a little dizzy, it won¡¯t be a problem if you bring a hundred manuscripts with you.¡±


    The red eyes look up at me from a very close distance. My plans for today, well, there was nothing in my schedule that would have required me to meet with anyone. That¡¯s something I have to do in preparation for the expedition, but there¡¯s a lot I can do here in the work shed.


    ¡°¡­Okay, then, let¡¯s slowly and carefully work on the manuscripts.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    With a slight blush on her cheeks, Ellen gave a small nod. Well, then, I guess I¡¯ll clear off the workbench I¡¯m not using right now and set up a table and a couch.

 CH 225

    Chapter 225 ¨C Morning of Departure


    Days passed while I had tea parties alone with Ellen, talked with Sylphy on the couch at night, developed new magical tools with Isla, plowed the fields, plowed the fields, plowed the fields, etc.


    No, really, I expanded the fields quite a bit. It¡¯s not a farm block; it¡¯s really just farmland that I plowed. Still, the yield will be better than in a regular field, and the harvest time will be a little earlier.


    At any rate, the people who had been enslaved and given only the bare minimum of food until now, now that they were freed from their status as slaves, had to be fed fully. That is the duty of a nation. That is why I have been a machine to cultivate the farmland.


    Of course, I am not the only one struggling. I have to be the one to plow the land, but the work of cultivating the land itself is done by various people working with their sweat on their foreheads.


    The main laborers are former subhuman slaves who have been liberated, but it seems that the second and subsequent sons of farmers who cannot inherit their family¡¯s farmland, soldiers of the Liberation Army who have too much power, and some prisoners of war are also engaged in land reclamation work.


    Those working on the land reclamation are offered an extra wine for dinner.


    It seems that one of the purposes is to show the captives the Merinard Kingdom, which has been liberated from the yoke of the Holy Kingdom, as they would be depressed if they just sat still during the day.


    Quietly.


    After spending a few days in this way, today is the day for the expeditionary team to leave for the purpose of pacifying the country. The personnel will consist of myself, Ellen, Amalie-san, and Bertha-san, who will be Ellen¡¯s escort and my caretaker. In addition, Ms. Zamir will serve as my escort. Danan will be in command of the soldiers who will accompany us. Pirna and her subordinates from the Harpy Corps and two air boards from the gunners¡¯ corps. In addition, there is an elite military unit led by Danan and dozens of brothers and sisters of the Adolist nostalgic group. There were also dozens of civilian officers from the Liberation Army.


    The total number of soldiers would be about 500 people. The great thing about my presence is that we don¡¯t need any logistics personnel.


    All the members of the team were transported on air boards that had been converted from the large transport air boards used by Danan¡¯s troops for logistics.


    ¡°Have a safe trip.¡±


    ¡°Ahahaha¡­ I¡¯m fine. There¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡±


    On the morning of our departure, Seraphita-san held my hands in hers and looked me over with moistened eyes. That¡¯s good. But the stares of everyone¡­ are hurting me.


    ¡°¡­Hmm.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­I see.¡±


    Sylphy was thinking with her hand on her thin chin, Isla¡¯s eye were wide open as if she was surprised, and Melty was smiling happily.


    ¡°Ara.¡±


    ¡°Eh¡­ eh?¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    Driada-san was smiling in a strange way, Ifrita was upset because she couldn¡¯t swallow the situation, and Aquawill-san was looking at the scene in a daze. Notwithstanding Driada-san, this was a completely unexpected development for Ifrita and Aquawill-san. They looked like they had just been pinched by a fox.


    Grande? She seems to be planning to stay in the castle this time and just relax. There seems to be little danger, and she¡¯s going to stay out of the fights and quarrels between the human races.


    And the harpies were shouting yellow. From their point of view, having more mates means having more friends, and a husband who attracts so many women is so cool!¡¡They say it will be something like that. They are like harem-forming extremists.


    And last but not least.


    ¡°¡­Hmm.¡±


    ¡°¡­Ara.¡±


    ¡°¡­I see.¡±


    Not so calm are the three members of the Adol religion who will be accompanying me this time. The atmosphere is not so good, although it is difficult to understand the true meaning of the expressionless and smiling faces of each of them. Perhaps they are under the mistaken impression that I have developed a relationship with Seraphita-san over the past few days of rest. There is no such fact, there isn¡¯t¡­! I¡¯ve basically been plowing the fields!


    ¡°Mother, we¡¯d like to send Kosuke off too.¡±


    ¡°Right. Take care of yourself, Kosuke-sama.¡±


    Finally, Seraphita-san gave me a hug and touched me with something soft on my cheek, and moved away. Oh, did she kiss me on the cheek? Bold, isn¡¯t it?


    ¡°What a fool.¡±


    ¡°Ouch.¡±


    Sylphy pinches my cheek kissed by Seraphita-san with a smile. And when I turned my face to the front, she put her lips together with mine directly in front of me. It is already intense. The yellow cheer goes up from the harpies.


    ¡°¡­I¡¯ll let you off with this much.¡±


    ¡°Hmph.¡±


    After releasing me, Sylphy moved away from me. I¡¯m glad she moved away from me, but I feel like my back is going to be shattered¡­ I thought, and then a small shadow hugged my waist. I don¡¯t need to confirm that it¡¯s Isla. It seems like a moderately strong tackle to me right now.


    ¡°Me too.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Me too.¡±


    Isla looked up at me with her big eye. I look to Melty for help.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be next, you know.¡±


    She says so with a devilish smile like an angel. I guess I¡¯m asking the wrong person for help. Hahaha.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    ¡°You should have some modesty.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t just answer me randomly. Do you understand? You are going to be the new flag bearer of the Adol religion alongside me, and you have to lead your congregation. That¡¯s why you¡¯re such a¡­ such a¡­¡±


    Ellen, her face reddening, slaps my chest with her slap and lectures me. The two passengers on the same air board, Amalie-san and Bertha-san just looked at the situation. They were smiling as they watched Ellen and me.


    After that, even the harpies and Lime and the others who stayed behind showed up, and it became a big problem. I don¡¯t want to tell you how it got so serious. Let¡¯s just say that Ifrita turned red and ran away, and Aquawill-san also turned red and rolled his eyes.


    At any rate, I just want to say that even if they tell me to have modesty, I can¡¯t help it because I don¡¯t have the strength to resist Lime and the others. I think only Sylphy, Melty, and Grande are capable of standing up to these women, who are physically too strong in every sense of the word.


    ¡°Well, well, Eleonora-sama. I was indeed a little surprised, but if that is also the culture of the Merinard Kingdom, I don¡¯t think we can blame them too much.¡±


    ¡°I agree. I¡¯ll consider whether or not we follow that style, but I don¡¯t think there was any way for Kosuke-sama to resist¡­¡±


    Amalie-san and Bertha-san seem to be covering for me. I wish they would have covered for me a little sooner, but I guess there¡¯s no point in saying that. I¡¯ll be stuffed when Lime and the others come out.


    ¡°Mmm¡­ but he should be a little more modest and resolute.¡±


    ¡°Kosuke-sama has a gentle heart, so I think it would be difficult for him to take a firm stand against someone who is trying to curry favor with him.¡±


    ¡°He even risked his life to protect Eleonora-sama, who was his enemy in terms of position.¡±


    ¡°Mm¡­ mm!¡±


    The two Amalie-san and Bertha-san persuaded Ellen to become a cute little creature who just snarls with her cheeks puffed out. She had been hitting me earlier, but it was kind of like this, she was just peppering me to show her dissatisfaction, and it was with a force that didn¡¯t hurt at all.


    ¡°However, I would be happy if Kosuke-sama would pay a little more attention to us as well. Eleonora-sama was also very lonely.¡±


    In the end, that¡¯s what it all comes down to, I guess. It was not that I was avoiding Ellen, but since Archbishop Deckard¡¯s arrival, she seemed to be very busy, and I did not want to disturb her too much. I also had things to do, and it was rather late at night, while Ellen had a regular schedule and went to bed early, so we didn¡¯t have much time to talk.


    The other day we were able to spend a little time together, but in the end, before we had finished a hundred books, High Priestess Katerina showed up and took Eren away. I think that the fact that she saw me and Seraphita getting along so strangely before she knew it, and then seeing what was going on, she became frustrated or angry and exploded.


    ¡°I would like to give you the utmost consideration.¡±


    ¡°Yes. However, since Kosuke-sama has basically been entrusted to our care during this trip, I believe that we will be able to strengthen our bond to the fullest extent during this trip.¡±


    That¡¯s right. The Harpies have agreed to give it to us this time.¡±


    Both Amalie-san and Bertha-san smile cheerfully.


    I see, so that is the purpose this time?


    I mean, it was Archbishop Deckard who said that not only Ellen but also these two and other clergy members would accompany me as caretakers, wasn¡¯t it? Was that his intention from the beginning?


    No, it is not surprising that such a good-natured old man¡­ would do such a thing. He is a man who obtained and kept the position of archbishop while opposing the mainstream of the Adol religion, which is a whirlwind of power and intrigue.


    ¡°¡­Please take it easy on me.¡±


    I¡¯ve come this far. I have no choice but to reopen my mind. In the end, it¡¯s all about how I feel.


    If I were to be so joyful at a time like this, I would have said, ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it!¡± If I had a personality like that, I wouldn¡¯t have any trouble at all.

 CH 226

    Chapter 226 ¨C Sudden Recklessness


    After the sermon, we were off. The air board we will be on is positioned in the center of the formation, so we will basically follow the air board in front of us. With this many people and this many vehicles, it would be impossible to proceed at maximum speed, so we will be going at a moderate speed. Even so, the speed is still higher than that of a horse-drawn carriage.


    I am the driver of the air board, and Ellen will ride on it with me. There were only four passengers on board: Ellen, Amalie-san, Bertha-san, and myself. Ms. Zamir is in the vehicle right in front of us.


    In other words, it is just me, Ellen, and the sisters in this car right now.


    ¡°It¡¯s a strange ride, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s faster than a horse-drawn carriage, but it doesn¡¯t sway at all.¡±


    ¡°After riding in a horse-drawn carriage for a long time, your buttocks and back will get sore, won¡¯t they?¡±


    Both Bertha-san and Amalie-san seemed to be very impressed with the gliding feeling of the air board. Looking in the rearview mirror, their faces were not those of devout sisters or modest ladies but those of little girls with eyes sparkling with the unknown.


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    The same is true for Ellen, who stares out the window at the scenery. The usual expressionless face is slightly broken, and the way she looks at the scenery outside with her eyes shining is as innocent as a little girl¡¯s.


    After checking them in the rearview mirror, I turn my attention to the vehicle in front of me. The vehicle in front of me is the technical air board of the gunners with Ms. Zamir on board. I can see Ms. Zamir sitting in the back of the vehicle on the loading platform where the gunners are stationed, and she is looking at me. It looks like she¡¯s going to jump on board like that if something should happen with my vehicle.


    Now, under these circumstances, let¡¯s think again about this journey.


    The purpose of this journey, or rather, expedition, is to pacify the territory of the Kingdom of Merinard. There are still some cities and armies in the country that have the Holy Kingdom¡¯s influence, and the purpose of this expedition is to convert those cities and armies to our will or to exterminate them.


    Since messengers had already been sent to the villages and cities in the suburbs of Merinesburg to express their respect, we had almost completed our military seizure of those cities and towns. This time, Ellen will visit those cities and conduct inspections, or rather inquests, while I will use my power to quickly solve the problems that the cities and villages are facing, and if any problems arise, the elite soldiers and gunners led by Danan and the Harpies will bomb them to pieces.


    The accompanying clergy and civilian officials were to literally replace the heads of the political and religious leaders of the city or town if necessary. Well, I don¡¯t think it would have to be physical if it wasn¡¯t necessary. I have also received a kind word from Melty, who said that if it is not too much trouble, they will replace the head physically.


    If we are talking about physical replacement, I am afraid of misjudgment, but since we have Ellen¡¯s eyes to see the truth, misjudgment is unlikely. Anyone who has done whatever they want is probably waiting with bated breath for our arrival.


    Of course, if they escape, they will be wanted. It will be very difficult to escape from Harpy and all the predator subhumans. And now we have air boards, which are much faster than horse-drawn carriages, as a means of transportation.


    After driving the air board for a while, I noticed Ellen staring at me through the rearview mirror as if she was tired of watching the scenery go by.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m bored.¡±


    ¡°Now that you¡¯re telling me that¡­ what the heck was I supposed to do?¡±


    I¡¯m driving like crazy right now. Since we are moving at such a moderate speed, it is, of course, strictly forbidden to look away from the road. It would be a real shame if I caused a rear-end collision because I was careless driving.


    ¡°Please talk about something.¡±


    ¡°What a sudden and reckless request! Amalie-san, help me!¡±


    ¡°I want to hear Kosuke-sama¡¯s story, too.¡±


    ¡°Me, too.¡±


    ¡°It seems I don¡¯t have any allies.¡±


    It seems that I am required to have the same speaking skills as a jovial and talkative cab driver. I could not help but shudder at the sudden recklessness of the three clergymen.


    ¡°What kind of talk do you want me to tell you?¡±


    ¡°Anything is fine¡­ Well, how about a story about something that moved you when you came to this world?¡±


    ¡°A story about something that moved me when I came to this world?¡±


    That¡¯s, well, there¡¯s a lot of things.


    ¡°The first thing that moved me the most, or rather surprised me, was the existence of the subhuman race.¡±


    ¡°The existence of subhumans?¡±


    Amalie-san tilted her head. For those who live in a world where the existence of subhumans is a matter of course, this story probably doesn¡¯t make sense to them.


    ¡°In my world, there were no such things as subhumans. There are differences in skin color, physique, language, and culture, but only humans exist in my world. That¡¯s why I was so surprised when I saw Sylphy for the first time. I was also astonished when Sylphy led me to the village of the Elves in the Black Forest. There were beastman, lizardmen, lamia, winged men, one-eyed people, demon folk, and many other elves.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ a world where there are only humans. It¡¯s just like the world that the Holy Kingdom is aiming for now.¡±


    Bertha-san focuses on the reasons behind my surprise rather than the things that surprised me in this world.


    ¡°There was a lot of strife in my world, too. Well, there is no Adol religion, no miracles, no magic, so I think it¡¯s nonsense to talk about it in the same breath as this world.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ A world without miracles of gods or magic skills. But, Kosuke-sama¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    Instead of looking through the rearview mirror, Bertha-san leaned forward and put her mouth close to my ear. Oh, close, close, close.


    ¡°How is it that you use such a formal tone with us when you use such a casual tone with Eleonora-sama?¡±


    I glanced to the side and saw Bertha-san¡¯s face very close to mine. She was an exotic beauty with deeply carved features and had a very attractive appearance when seen up close. Her dark brown eyes, which were nearly black, were shining with a very dissatisfied light.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best. Please wait until I get used to it.¡±


    ¡°¡­It can¡¯t be helped.¡±


    She seemed to be satisfied with my words and returned to the back seat. I was surprised by her sudden approach. Perhaps Bertha-san is more aggressive or active than I had expected.


    ¡°Kosuke-sama, please do the same for me too, won¡¯t you? I would also like Kosuke-sama to speak to me in an easygoing and relaxed tone.¡±


    ¡°I will do my best, yes.¡±


    The two of them are both very receptive and kind, and their aura of being a clergyman is so dazzling that it¡¯s a bit intimidating to talk to them casually. They have offered to help me, and I¡¯ll make an effort.


    ¡°So, is there anything else?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s so much more. That¡¯s just about all there is to it. I was surprised when I saw magic for the first time.¡±


    ¡°What kind of magic did you see?¡±


    ¡°A recovery magic using the spirit of life. By the way, the target of the recovery was me. I was so beaten up by Sylphy in my sleep and interrogated; I was so beaten up that I couldn¡¯t even speak. My nose could have been broken.¡±


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s terrible.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s true. That was terrible.¡±


    I think that was a terrible thing to do, even now. Well, if it hadn¡¯t been Sylphy, I might have been killed before being interrogated, so I don¡¯t feel any bitterness about it now.


    ¡°Other than that¡­ I was also amazed when I first saw Gizma. Have you ever seen Gizma?¡±


    ¡°No. I believe it¡¯s an insectoid monster that lives in the Great Omit Wilderness, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes. It¡¯s a ferocious carnivore, about the size of a small carriage. They use their strong hind legs to lunge and their antennae to pierce. I was surprised at their size because there were no such things as monsters in my world. Well, as far as creatures, plants, and animals are concerned, there are many things that are quite similar to my world but also quite different, so I am always amazed when I see them for the first time.¡±


    ¡°Some things are the same and yet different?¡±


    Ellen¡¯s voice comes from the back seat. I can¡¯t tell because I¡¯m looking ahead, but I¡¯m sure she¡¯s tilting her head slightly.


    ¡°There are some. There are many vegetables that I have never seen before, but the shape is similar to the ones in my world, but the color is completely different, or on the other hand, they look exactly the same, but the taste is completely different. For example, tomel is usually blue or greenish in this world, right? But in my world, similar fruits and vegetables were basically bright red. There were some yellow ones, too.¡±


    ¡°A bright red tomel¡­ you mean kind of like a meat color?¡±


    ¡°It would add a lot of color to the dish.¡±


    ¡°In my world, black deacon is the opposite of pure white¨D¨D¡±


    While talking about such otherworldly vegetables, the saint and the rest of the group pushed on toward the pacification of the country.

 CH 227

    Chapter 227 ¨C Resisting City


    A few hours on an air board will take me completely out of the Liberation Army¡¯s sphere of influence and into the sphere of influence of cities and towns that have yet to revere the Liberation Army¨Dthe new Merinard Kingdom.


    However, this does not mean that it will lead to immediate danger. The point is that the new Merinard Kingdom is not a hostile state. In short, there are many cities and towns that have not yet decided whether to join the new Merinard Kingdom or the Holy Kingdom.


    As for such cities and towns, we believe that it will not be difficult to bring them into our side of the newborn Merinard Kingdom. This is because the Holy Kingdom is far away, and we are close. This means that it will take less time to dispatch our forces, and we will quickly become a threat to them if they become our enemy.


    In addition, the rumor that we, the Liberation Army, destroyed the Holy Kingdom¡¯s large army of more than 10,000 men with a small army is quickly spreading inside and outside the Merinard Kingdom through the merchants¡¯ network. I don¡¯t think it has spread outside the country yet, but within the Kingdom of Merinard, it is safe to say that it is already well known.


    And under such circumstances, we, the Liberation Army, have dispatched a force with even an Adol clergyman in tow. Although the forces accompanying us are not numerous, the Liberation Army is capable of crushing the regular army of the Holy Kingdom, which numbers in the tens of thousands, with a small army. It is normal to think that it is unlikely that the forces of a single city or a single town, at least in numbers, will be able to handle it.


    ¡°That should be the norm, though.¡±


    ¡°It seems that they are ready to fight a thorough war.¡±


    Ellen and I were having tea while watching the city from a watchtower made of solid stone, built at a distance where no arrows or magic could reach. Both Amalie-san and Bertha-san were seated at the same table as us and were looking at the city with worried faces.


    It has been three days since we left Merinesburg. Until yesterday, all of the cities and towns had shown their willingness to quickly bow down to the newly born Merinard Kingdom, but at last, we were faced with a city that said they would not bow down to the new Merinard Kingdom and would even resort to war!


    It seems that they already knew that we were working to pacify the country, and they are now firmly closing their gates and raising drawbridges in a defensive posture.


    It seems that they were actually trying to surprise us by pretending to welcome us, outnumbered as we are, but such a move was discovered by Harpy¡¯s scouts, who were scouting ahead of us. Before we arrived, the Harpy¡¯s hand¡­ or foot? A letter was thrown from the sky by the Harpy scouts before they arrived, and they hurriedly closed the gate, raised the drawbridge over the water moat, and took up a position for a siege.


    ¡°What in the world is the point of a siege under these circumstances?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I am not an expert on warfare, but isn¡¯t a siege something that is done when there is a chance that reinforcements will come?¡±


    ¡°Not only that, but I think that would be the most appropriate way¡­ If you have powerful interceptors, you can use the castle walls to destroy the enemy force in a defensive battle, or you can defend the castle so strongly that the attacker gives up and waits for the attacker to run out of supplies. There may be other ways to fight.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ You know a lot about it, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Well, I am an expert in defensive warfare in the Liberation Army, so I know a thing or two, you know?¡±


    Prior to that, I learned about fortifications on the net when building various types of bases across multiple survival games, and I took some knowledge of sieges and siege warfare, and modern and contemporary tactics.


    Well, I can¡¯t deny that my knowledge is limited compared to that of a professional soldier, but I still know a little about it.


    ¡°But what about this? Is it going to be a war?¡±


    ¡°Well, I think it will. If possible, I don¡¯t want to cause any more deaths.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ I hope they can be persuaded.¡±


    Amalie-san once again turns her worried expression toward the city¨DGleiseburg.


    The city of Greiseburg, which is showing its readiness for a thorough fight this time, is the central city in the northern part of the kingdom of Merinard. It is a strongly fortified city with a water moat and splendid walls and is said to have withstood the attack of the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army during the war with the Holy Kingdom 20 years ago until the fall of Merineseburg.


    What an irony that this city is now standing in front of us as we try to exterminate the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army.


    ¡°That water moat and strong city walls look troublesome at first glance, but they are not an obstacle to me at all.¡±


    If I extend a thick roofed passageway made of stone to cross the water moat, connect it to the city wall, and make a hole in the wall with a mithril pickaxe, I can send in as many troops as I want. Or, I could even create a tunnel under the moat to go directly into the city without them noticing.


    ¡°But if we want to avoid as many deaths as possible¡­ Hmm.¡±


    We are having tea in this watchtower elegantly, while downstairs, the Liberation Army, including Danan and Ms. Zamir, are holding a military discussion on how to conquer the city. Is it right to be having tea gracefully under such circumstances? I heard that the Liberation Army is planning to do something without relying on my power for the time being.


    Well, there are two squads of gunners equipped with light machine guns and a harpy bombing squad equipped with air bombs among them, and all the elite soldiers that Danan is bringing with him are equipped with powerful goatsfoot crossbows. I think it would be easy to destroy the enemy force.


    ¡°What would you do, Kosuke?¡±


    ¡°What would I do? Well¡­ I would sneak into the city and uproot their weapons and food?¡±


    My inventory could easily hold enough food and weapons for an entire city. If I and a few others could sneak in under cover of night, we could complete the operation.


    ¡°If they lose all the weapons and food they need for a siege, they certainly won¡¯t be able to continue resisting us.¡±


    Gleiseburg is closing all the gates and raising the drawbridges to block our invasion. If they run out of stockpiled food, they will dry up quickly. If that happens, they will have no choice but to surrender.


    ¡°However, it is out of the question for Kosuke-sama to put himself in danger for that.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is out of the question. You have already shouldered the fate of so many people on your shoulders that it would not be praiseworthy for you to move so lightly.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Bertha-san and Ellen warned me deeply. On top of that, Amalie-san gave me a very worried look. It looks like I¡¯m not going to be able to leave this place.


    If I¡¯m alone, I can escape from the enemy even if they find me. Especially in an urban battle, it would be near impossible for them to capture me. I¡¯m confident that I can escape from Sylphy and Melty if anything is possible. But I don¡¯t think I could get away from Lime and the others.


    ¡°¡­May I ?¡±


    As we were discussing this, Ms. Zamir peeked out from downstairs with her lizard-like features. It may be rude to say this, but she looked kind of cute with only the top half of her face sticking out from the bottom of the stairs and her eyes peeking out.


    ¡°What is it? Have you decided on a policy?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I would like to ask Kosuke-sama and Saint-sama for your opinion as well.¡±


    With that, Ms. Zamir¡¯s head disappeared downstairs. Ellen and I also got up from our seats and headed downstairs to the conference room. Amalie-san and Bertha-san were supposed to be cleaning up after the tea, so we headed downstairs with just the two of us.


    ¡°You¡¯re here.¡±


    When we entered the conference room, we found Danan and Ms. Zamir in armor, Jagira leading the gunners, and Pirna leading the harpies, all members of the Liberation Army.


    ¡°Yeah, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°We concluded that it was nothing if we just wanted to conquer the city. We¡¯re going to attack the city the same way we¡¯ve always done.¡±


    ¡°Well, yeah.¡±


    I nodded to Danan¡¯s words. We¡¯ll hurt them with firepower, pin them to the ramparts, then blow them up with aerial bombardment, and while we¡¯re at it, destroy the gates. That would be the end of it. But there was a drawback to this approach.


    ¡°But it would cause too many casualties.¡±


    ¡°Well, yes.¡±


    This way, most of the people taking part in the battle will die or be seriously wounded, especially because air strikes are so powerful. A direct hit will leave almost no human form. I know it¡¯s a little late to be doing this after blowing up the enemy so many times, but this is the time when we are trying to settle the country, so we don¡¯t want to spill too much blood.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s why I¡¯ve decided to rely on Kosuke.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ Hmm?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m asking you to make a move that will crush the enemy¡¯s hopes without causing too many casualties. But you¡¯re not going to go in there directly or anything like that. There is something to be said for this, isn¡¯t there? A weapon or two to blow up that drawbridge and the gate from a distance.¡±


    ¡°Oh, come on, I¡¯m not a blue-eared cat-shaped robot*¡­ but that¡¯s not to say there aren¡¯t any.¡± [T/n: Doraemon, of course.]


    This is the kind of thing that could happen.


    The main battlefield in this world is known to use bow and arrow and warhorse from the beginning, so naturally, I also have one or two weapons suitable for this kind of siege battle. Until now, I had not used them because we were not on the defending side and because it was difficult to operate them without me accompanying them due to transportation.


    After all, the body and ammunition are heavy as hell. The Liberation Army, which focuses mainly on mobile warfare, had little use for it. Until now, the Holy Kingdom¡¯s soldiers had to be killed, so firefighting and bombing were sufficient.


    ¡°See, I told you that he would definitely have it.¡±


    ¡°I knew Kosuke-san would have it ready.¡±


    Jagira and Pirna pointed accusatory words at Danan. Apparently, the girls had given up early on that with their current equipment, the only way to bring their opponents to their knees was to force them to suffer massacre-like casualties.


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s not healthy to rely too heavily on Kosuke.¡±


    In response, Danan looked bitter.


    ¡°I think Danan has a good point, but I don¡¯t care. The purpose of this mission is to show our capabilities.¡±


    Besides, the Research and Development Department is developing a front-loading magic gun, and if that is the case, something similar to this will be developed in a short period. There is no reason to hold back.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s get on with it. I just have to knock down the gates and walls, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Then lend me some men. I¡¯ll have them train ahead of time since similar weapons will eventually be developed.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you sure about that?¡±


    Danan asked, to which I nodded. Danan knows that the weapons I am providing to the Liberation Army are actually only a small part of it. Because the last time Qubi framed me and took me away, I once took all the contents outside and left them there.


    ¡°Let me show you the weapon that made the high walls of this world obsolete in one fell swoop.¡±


    With that, I climb down the watchtower. What kind of weapon, you ask? That¡¯s the thing. It¡¯s a rather primitive weapon that can be easily made with iron and gunpowder and doesn¡¯t use explosives in the bullets. Let¡¯s line them up in a row where the arrows can¡¯t reach and fire them all at once.

 CH 228

    Chapter 228 ¨C Artillery Operation


    ¡°Well, attention to all remnants of the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army holed up in Gleiseburg. This is an ultimatum. Disarm and surrender immediately. Otherwise, we will break down the walls and suppress you. We cannot guarantee your lives in any way. If you surrender immediately, we will guarantee your lives and promise to return you safely to the Holy Kingdom. Regarding the guards who are under the command of the Holy King¡¯s army, I also promise you that you will not be charged with any crime. I repeat, this is an ultimatum. Surrender immediately.¡±


    Using the magic loudspeaker installed on my air board, I issue an ultimatum to the remnants of the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army holed up in Gleiseburg. Well, Danan and Ellen had tried to persuade them many times before I spoke to them, but they never surrendered. I gave them an ultimatum, but the result would be the same.


    ¡°But why are they so stubborn?¡±


    I asked Ellen, who was standing by my side while I waited for the opponent¡¯s response.


    ¡°The bishop assigned to Gleiseburg is a man named Ehrwig, who is said to be particularly strict, or rather harsh, with subhumans among the mainstream. Perhaps he thinks that they shouldn¡¯t cooperate with the subhuman group or something like that.¡±


    Ellen then let out a sigh. Knowing the twisted and distorted teachings of the current mainstream, she can¡¯t help but feel sorry for this Bishop Ehrwig. He is in the situation he is in now because he only knew the wrong teachings. She must be thinking that his harsh behavior toward the subhuman must not have been so if he had only been exposed to the old and correct teachings from the beginning.


    ¡°I see¡­ Well, there¡¯s nothing we can do about the matter here.¡±


    ¡°¡­Right.¡±


    Ellen then stared at the city walls. She probably intends to burn everything that happens here into her memory through her red eyes.


    ¡°Now, unfortunately, there seems to be no response, so let¡¯s start making preparations.¡±


    This time, I prepared a front-loaded cannon with a mount. You can think of it as a so-called modern ¡°cannon.¡± It is the one that you fill the muzzle with gunpowder and shells and then fire the steel shells with a bang using a firelock.


    A black cast-iron cannon rests in the center of a wheeled stand, and metal boxes containing shells and gunpowder bags are installed on either side of it. Ten of these cannons were prepared for this mission. The number of personnel required to operate one cannon is four, so for this, we selected 40 men from the elite unit led by Danan.


    First, I selected four of them and gave them a lecture on how to use the cannon. Of course, I also let the other members of the unit observe.


    ¡°This is a weapon called a cannon. It fires steel shells at great speed, and you can think of it as a kind of battering ram that can be fired from a distance where arrows can¡¯t reach. It can¡¯t shoot with precision, but it¡¯s very effective if you¡¯re aiming at big, immobile walls or gates.¡±


    Saying this, I smacked the shiny black cannon.


    ¡°With this cannon, you can break down the city¡¯s walls without being repelled by the enemy and make the gates full of holes. Once the walls and gates are breached, it will be easier to take them down.¡±


    I taught the elite soldiers of the Liberation Army how to use the cannon while they looked at me with great interest.


    ¡°First of all, you need to clean the gun cavity. If you neglect to do so, the shells will not fire properly and may jam, causing the steel barrel to explode. I don¡¯t need to explain what happens if that happens, do I? Never neglect this task. Unless you want to die.¡±


    The elite soldiers nodded seriously.


    ¡°Oops, I almost forgot. Before you start cleaning, there is one thing you must do. First of all, one of you must hold down the fire gate at the rear of the cannon with your thumb. This is for safety. This is to prevent dust or anything else from entering the gun cavity and also to prevent a misfire in case it is loaded incorrectly. Even when the cannon is not yet loaded with ammunition, one person should always keep their finger on this fire gate except when firing. It gets hot when you fire a lot of rounds, so equip yourself with gloves.¡±


    Saying this, I have one of the four of them hold down the fire gate with his thumb.


    ¡°Then, the first thing to do is to clean it out. We¡¯ll use this spiral rod to scrape off any burning debris and garbage in the gun cavity. After that, use this sponge to thoroughly wipe off any burning debris and other trash. The gunpowder to be packed later is sensitive to moisture, so don¡¯t make it too wet. A light dab of water is all that is needed.¡±


    With these words, I plunged a stick with a spiral claw through the cannon¡¯s mouth and scraped off the dirt in the gun cavity with a scraper. Next, I dipped the sponge stick in water from a tub I had prepared beforehand and then cleaned the inside of the gun cavity. After showing them how to do it, I had two elite soldiers do the same thing.


    ¡°When the cleaning was finished, load the cannon. First, you fill the gunpowder bag in the box over here through the muzzle and push it in with the butt of this cleaning tool. This part is called a loaded arrow.¡±


    I put the powder bag in through the muzzle, received a sponge from an elite soldier, and pushed it into the back of the cannon with an arrow attached to the butt of it.


    ¡°Next, take the shells out of this box and fill them in the same way through the cannon¡¯s muzzle. Push it in the same way with the arrow so that it can be pushed firmly into the back of the cannon. Well, now it¡¯s loaded. Next, we¡¯re ready to fire. The cleaners should avoid the side of the cannon. There will be a tremendous noise when it fires, so don¡¯t forget to cover your ears.¡±


    With that, I returned the sponge to the elite soldier and went to the elite soldier who was holding the fire gate with his thumb this time.


    ¡°As part of the firing preparations, first, shove this cone into the fire gate to make a hole in the gunpowder bag. Next, pour the ignition charge smoothly into the gate. Now we are ready to fire.¡±


    I bit off the end of the paper casing filled with one dose of ignition charge and poured the ignition charge into the gate.


    ¡°After that, just push the fuse attached to this fuse pole into the fire gate, and the steel shells will fly away with a roar. Let¡¯s fire a shot as a greeting. Cover your ears!¡±


    The cannon¡¯s target was already aligned with the walls of Gleiseburg. I pushed the flare attached to the end of the fuse into the fire gate.


    Boom!


    A roar like thunder or the roar of a giant beast rang out, and a cloud of pure white smoke covered the area. At the same time, a scream or a shout came from where the mouth of the cannon aimed. As I brushed off the smoke with my hand, I looked around the area where I had been aiming and saw that part of the wall had been damaged. Yeah, if it feels like this, we can destroy the wall by firing ten cannons at once several times.


    ¡°The power is as you can see. Now you just need to fine-tune the sights, clean them, load them, and fire. Repeat. Do you remember the steps? Hold the gate, clean the claw, clean with a sponge, fill the gunpowder, load the shells, drill the holes with a cone, prepare the ignition charge, fire on command, and go back to the beginning. This time, I¡¯ll be the one giving the orders, so you just follow the orders.¡±


    There seemed to be no questions, so I put all the men in position.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, then. Target, Gleiseburg ramparts. Aim!¡±


    At my command, the elite soldiers move their cannons with mounts and set their sights on the walls of Gleiseburg.


    ¡°Hold the fire gate! Clean the claws!¡±


    The elite soldiers with spiral rods in their hands plunge them through the cannon¡¯s muzzle and clean the inside of the cannon with a scrabbling sound. Most of the cannons are new, so there shouldn¡¯t be any dirt in them.


    ¡°Sponge cleaning!¡±


    Next, the elite soldiers with sponge sticks dip the sponges in water from the barrels and clean the gun cavity.


    ¡°Start loading! Set the gunpowder bags!¡±


    The elite soldiers take the gunpowder bag out of the box and push it through the cannon¡¯s mouth with a loaded arrow.


    ¡°Load the shells!¡±


    Next, they stuff the steel shells through the cannon¡¯s mouth in the same way and push them in with a loaded arrow. The shells are now loaded.


    ¡°Prepare to fire! Open the hole with the cone and insert the igniter!¡±


    The elite soldier, who was holding the fire gate with his thumb, inserted the prepared cone into the gate to make a hole in the powder bag and then poured the igniter into the gate. Good.


    ¡°Cover your ears! Prepare to fire¡­ Fire!¡±


    Boom, boom, boom, the sound of artillery fire overlapping one another, and the area goes white with gunpowder smoke. I also hear someone coughing. Should I provide the artillerymen with masks?


    Then, a beat later, a scream is heard from the direction of Gleiseburg. When the smoke cleared, there was a wall that had been shattered here and there by ten shells. There is no sign of collapse yet, but the damage is definitely done.


    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s some nice damage. Aim at the sights!¡¡Hold fire! Start cleaning! Claws first!¡±


    The elite soldiers who have confirmed the results of the battle start reloading with a battle cry like a cheer. Let¡¯s see how many shots Gleiseburg¡¯s walls can keep.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    Gleiseburg¡¯s Guard POV


    While clicking my tongue on top of the wall, I stared at the dark-haired man who was giving us some kind of ultimatum. If I could surrender, I would. But there was nothing I could do if my wife, children, and relatives were taken hostage. We are all born in Gleiseburg, and not a single one of us in the guard is truly loyal to the Holy Kingdom or the Lord God Adol.


    When I was a child, these men who came into Gleiseburg with a self-important look on their faces treated my childhood friends and the neighborhood brothers, sisters, uncles, and aunts who used to play with me just because they were subhuman. They looked down on us, calling us sinful barbarians who had been in communion with subhumans. To hell with them.


    But who the hell is that guy? He doesn¡¯t look that strong, but the soldiers of the Liberation Army seem to be listening to him. He doesn¡¯t look like that, but is he a man of high rank? In the Liberation Army, which is full of subhumans, it seems strange that a human man has a high position¡­ But what is that guy doing? The man is doing something with a black metallic-looking tube.


    As I tilted my head, the black metallic cylinder the man was toying with erupted in a plume of white smoke, and a roar rang out. Then, a beat later, the city walls shook. What the hell!


    ¡°W-what the hell just happened! Report the situation!¡±


    The knight of the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army shouted in a pompous manner. Soon after, a soldier belonging to the guard deployed on the opposite side of the gate came to report.


    ¡°Damage to the walls? From that distance without using magic?¡±


    It certainly didn¡¯t look like magic was used, but isn¡¯t that shiny black cylinder some kind of magic tool? If it¡¯s just one shot and all this commotion¡­ hey, hey, there¡¯s ten of them lined up in a row. What the hell would happen if they all attacked at once?


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    ¡°Well, I must say that the walls of Gleiseburg were quite formidable.¡±


    After five rounds, part of the wall began to collapse, and after four more rounds, it began to collapse here and there.


    Naturally, since we were attacking unilaterally from outside the enemy¡¯s counterattack range, our damage was zero. I can¡¯t say anything about the damage on the other side, but I guess it must have been a little better since we warned them over the loudspeaker several times along the way that they were in danger if they didn¡¯t move away from the walls and gates.


    ¡°It¡¯s tremendous, isn¡¯t it? Is this Kosuke¡¯s power?¡±


    Ellen muttered, covering her mouth and nose with a white handkerchief. Amalie-san and Bertha-san are waiting in the rear watchtower, so they may be able to feel the cannon¡¯s power better than us, whose vision is obstructed by the smoke from the cannon.


    ¡°Kosuke, I want to enter the city.¡±


    ¡°Roger that. I¡¯ll build a bridge and send an escort.¡±


    I put the cannon away in my inventory, and, escorted by elite soldiers and Ms. Zamir, I head toward the moat and build a bridge over the water moat with stone blocks.


    ¡°Then we will begin our raid. Never touch unarmed civilians. Naturally, looting is also forbidden. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°¡±¡±Yes!¡±¡±¡±


    ¡°Then, let¡¯s move in. The men in charge of artillery will be in charge of protecting the rear. Understood?¡±


    ¡°¡±¡±Understood.¡±¡±¡±


    The 40 men in charge of artillery will protect me, Ellen, and the others in the rear, as well as the civilian staff and Adol clergy. I was told that even though they were covering their ears, they felt some discomfort in their ears and sense of balance due to the sound of the artillery at such a close range. In a melee, such a small difference could be fatal.


    We watched as the elite soldiers, all equipped with matching armor, entered Gleiseburg.


    I hope they have lost their will to fight after having shown such complete destruction of the city walls and gates. As long as there are many Adol clerics beside me here, we should be able to heal them as long as they are not dead, so I hope they will surrender quickly.

 CH 229

    Chapter 229 ¨C Hostage Liberation Operation


    The suppression of Gleiseburg did not end swiftly.


    ¡°Locked up in the lord¡¯s mansion, huh?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Moreover, it is said that some of the Holy Kingdom soldiers and guards¡¯ spouses and children are being held hostage.¡±


    This was done by the aforementioned Ehrwig and other anti-subhuman maniacs. They are demanding either that we, the newly born Merinard Kingdom army¨Din other words, the Liberation Army¨Dwithdraw quickly or let Bishop Ehrwig and his gang escape.


    Since they are holed up in the lord¡¯s mansion along with those in need of rescue, of course, we cannot destroy them with artillery fire as we did with the city walls. Incidentally, the lord¡¯s mansion in Gleiseburg is more like a fort than a mansion.


    Although it is not surrounded by a moat, it is a solid structure made of stone, and the gate is also made of wood and reinforced with iron or black iron. It seems difficult to break through the gate with a log.


    I heard that Ehrwig and others had been giving a very nice speech from the roof of the lord¡¯s mansion until a little while ago, but Ellen and I could not hear what they were saying because we arrived in front of the mansion after the elite soldiers led by Danan had conquered all of Gleiseburg, except for the lord¡¯s mansion.


    ¡°They were saying all they wanted, that the subhumans were messengers of filth and depravity, that we were born with sin in our hearts, and so on.¡±


    Pirna, who was standing on the opposite side of Ellen from me, said so, shrugging her shoulders and striking a ¡°Yare-yare*¡± pose. Surprisingly, Harpy¡¯s wings are very flexible, or rather, they can move not so differently from a human arm. I wonder what the skeletal structure is like.


    ¡°I wonder about what to do¡­ Well, I¡¯m going to suppress it.¡±


    ¡°Can you do it?¡±


    ¡°It can be done any way I want. I can make a hole in the wall or dig underground. The problem is that if we are too slow, they might escape. A lord¡¯s mansion might have a secret escape route or two.¡±


    ¡°Escape routes leading out of town? I¡¯m not saying there aren¡¯t, but it¡¯s not the kind of thing you¡¯d find in a lord¡¯s mansion in a normal rural city.¡±


    Ms. Zamir denies my fears. I see. So that¡¯s how it is. Well, if there is an escape route, they won¡¯t demand that we retreat or let them escape, will they? It is possible that the demand is a decoy, though.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go with the quickest way. We¡¯re going in. Tell Danan to organize a raid party. Meanwhile, Ellen and Ms. Zamir, let¡¯s talk to the POW guards to find out more about the structure of the lord¡¯s mansion.¡±


    I asked a nearby Liberation Army soldier to pass a message to Danan, and I took Ellen and Ms. Zamir with me to the place where the Gleiseburg guards who had been taken prisoner during the attack on Gleiseburg were being assembled.


    Apparently, many of the guards had been forced to follow Ehrwig after their families or loved ones were taken hostage by Ehrwig. Even if he could have gotten away with it, it would have been a bad move considering the relationship afterward¡­ Well, it is said that Ehrwig is a fanatical mainstream bishop, and he was unwilling to turn his back on the subhumans and run away or give in, no matter what means he had to use.


    With Danan, I gathered information about the structure of the lord¡¯s mansion from the guards, who were lightly restrained with their weapons taken away, and discussed where we should open the entry point. Some of them pleaded with us to stop when they heard that we were going to raid the lord¡¯s mansion to capture Ehrwig, but we managed to persuade them and get some information from them.


    We also asked if any of the captured guards or Holy Kingdom soldiers were on Ehrwig¡¯s side, but unfortunately, there were none on Ehrwig¡¯s side. Those who were on his side seemed to have been killed in action. If there had been, I might have been able to get more detailed information.


    ¡°Are the hostages being held in the dungeons or in a room on the second floor near the rooftop staircase? That¡¯s the question.¡±


    ¡°Either way, we should be able to get them under control quickly. As long as the hostages don¡¯t die, you can handle it, right?¡±


    Danan says to me. Well, that¡¯s true, but¡­ don¡¯t you think we should be more concerned about the safety of the hostages? I told him that it would be more dangerous to leave them as they were. The bishop might throw a tantrum and execute the hostages.


    ¡°Well then, I will create a diversion.¡±


    ¡°Be careful.¡±


    ¡°That should be my line. It is you who should be careful, Kosuke. There is no sanctuary here like the cathedral in Merinesburg, and there is nothing you can do if you are poisoned with the basilisk poison. Never do anything rash.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I will be careful.¡±


    I was worried about Ellen¡¯s diversion, but she was worried about me too. Well, the diversion is that she is going to use her position as a saint to engage in conversation with Ehrwig while being protected by elite soldiers, so there is certainly no danger. I¡¯m going to accompany the raiding party to suppress the attack, so it is true that I¡¯m in more danger than she is.


    This time I will be equipped with a submachine gun for close-range use only. It is a type that uses .45 caliber pistol rounds and comes with a silencer. The design is quite old, but I like it because of its high productivity and reliability.


    No, to tell you the truth, I¡¯d rather use a more modern gun, though, wouldn¡¯t you?¡¡Productivity, or rather, materials, you know? In the future, I can procure slime materials in abundance from Lime and others, so if I can make polymer-based materials from slime materials, things will be different again. I would like to innovate in processing technology, but I have no idea how to go beyond the golem processing table. I feel that some drastic innovation is needed.


    While I was inspecting the equipment, the formation of the raiding party by Danan seemed to have been completed, so Ellen, along with her escort, moved forward to the front of the lord¡¯s mansion and began calling out for Bishop Ehrwig to come out. At the same time, I, Danan, Ms. Zamir, and a small elite raiding party moved to the wall near the entrance to the dungeon. The watchful eyes from the rooftop were glued to the sky as Pirna and the other harpies flew low overhead.


    The plan this time was as follows.


    First, Ellen and the harpies would create a diversion from the front and from the sky, respectively, to loosen the surveillance. Then, the raiding party will sneak up to the lord¡¯s mansion, and I will use my mithril pickaxe to quickly break down the walls and move in. First, we took control of the dungeon and then quickly secured the hostages. I get information from the prison guard about the hostages who are not in the dungeon and secure the hostages. As soon as the hostages are secured, the leading unit will move in with the following units and seize Ehrwig. Then, together with the following units, the entire area of the building will be taken under control.


    ¡°The physical barrier is basically useless when I¡¯m around, you know.¡±


    ¡°Certainly, from a defense commander¡¯s point of view, Kosuke is a nightmare.¡±


    If you want to incapacitate me, you¡¯ll have to kill me or keep me drugged or something. No matter how tightly I¡¯m restrained, as long the restraints are restraints, I can always put them in my inventory. Oh no, if they cut off my hands and feet or bury me in a wall or something that can¡¯t be stored, there¡¯s nothing I can do about it. I¡¯m imagining that and am a little scared to say it myself.


    ¡°Here.¡±


    ¡°Copy that. Prepare to move in.¡±


    I reached the desired location, took out the mithril pickaxe from the shortcut, and tapped its tip against the wall of the lord¡¯s mansion. With a light thud, a stone wall 1 meter wide, 1 meter high, and 1 meter deep disappeared. The stone wall was not even one meter thick, so it was penetrated by a single blow.


    ¡°Let¡¯s widen it.¡±


    I further expand the entrance by swinging the mithril pickaxe and collecting the shelves and barrels that seem to be blocking my way in my inventory. It seems that this is a storage room or something. I pull out my submachine gun from the shortcut and step into the lord¡¯s house.


    I am second in line behind Ms. Zamir, who is leading the way. At first, Danan objected to this, but Ms. Zamir, who knew the offensive power and convenience of my weapons, encouraged him, and we settled on this lineup. Ms. Zamir, holding a short spear made of mithril alloy, descends the stairs to the basement, stops at a corner, and peeks around the corner.


    ¡°There are three of them.¡±


    ¡°Shall I clear them all out?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of the two in the front. Kosuke-sama, you take the one in the back.¡±


    ¡°Roger that. Be careful not to get in my line of fire.¡±


    Ms. Zamir nodded her head and ran out of the corner, and I followed her.


    ¡°Wha¨D¨D!?¡±


    The prison guard who was trying to do something was struck in the side by the hilt of Ms. Zamir¡¯s spear, and he collapsed helplessly. The other was struck by Ms. Zamir¡¯s muscular tail, knocking him off his feet and sending him to the ground. As I watch, I aim my submachine gun at the other prison guard in the back. I aimed at his right shoulder.


    The .45-caliber lead ball easily penetrated the leather armor protecting the guard¡¯s body, releasing all of its kinetic energy inside the man¡¯s body.


    ¡°Gaahhh!¡±


    The man who was hit by the gunfire fell flat on his back. One of the shots seemed to miss and hit the stone wall in the back, and the sound of pieces of the shattered stone wall falling to the floor and the sound of brass casings ejected from the sub-sync gun bouncing on the stone floor reverberated through the dungeon.


    ¡°Take control!¡±


    As Ms. Zamir stomps away at a prison guard who has fallen on his tail, she calls on the elite soldiers in the back to take control of the fallen prison guard at the back of the cell. If all I wanted to do was kill him, I could just shoot him again, but unfortunately, I don¡¯t know how to subdue a strong man. I must leave this kind of thing to the professionals.


    I decided to leave the prison guards to Danan and the others and deal with the hostages being held in the prison. The people in the dungeon looked frightened when they saw Ms. Zamir following me.


    ¡°We are the newly born Merinard Kingdom¡¯s¨Din other words, the Liberation Army. We are here to suppress this city. But we don¡¯t intend to do anything terrible to you. If anything, we are here to help you.¡±


    The hostages looked frightened and bewildered at my words. It certainly doesn¡¯t make sense that we¡¯re here to save them when we¡¯re here to take control of this city!


    The hostages were all women. They ranged in age from small children to elderly people, but all of them seemed to be related to the guards or soldiers of the Holy Kingdom.


    ¡°Anyway, just know that we don¡¯t intend to do anything terrible. Are you hungry?¡¡Are you thirsty? Is anyone sick?¡±


    I asked around and found a few people who were sick, so I prescribed a Cure Disease Potion. They seemed anxious, so I took a sip in front of them and showed them, then handed it to them, and they took it. It¡¯s a little less than the prescribed dose, but it should be enough as long as they don¡¯t have any illnesses that could kill them.


    I talked to the prison guard and the people being held as hostages and was able to confirm that all the hostages were there. It would have been troublesome if they had been scattered elsewhere, but this was an unexpected stroke of luck.


    ¡°Hostages secured. Commence entry of follow-on units.¡±


    ¡°Copy that. We¡¯ll have the follow-on unit move in.¡±


    After making contact with the follow-on unit waiting outside using the golem communicator, we returned to the surface again. Once we meet up with the follow-on unit in front of the storage area, we will begin full-scale control of the area. Well, since we outnumber them in quality and numbers, there won¡¯t be any surprise from here.

 CH 230

    Chapter 230 ¨C Gaining Total Control


    Once we had taken control of the lord¡¯s mansion, we quickly took control of the entire city of Gleiseburg. The people of the city cooperated with us because the leader of the forces that did not want to surrender fell into our hands, along with his entourage, and the hostages that had been held captive were safely rescued.


    Unfortunately, some of the people who were being held hostage lost their families when the city walls collapsed due to our bombardment. It is a tragic story, but the women who lost their families did not blame us, even though they looked sad. We left the care of people like her to the Adol clergy.


    It was too heavy a burden for me to carry alone. The most I could do was to give some large gemstones to the Adol clergy and offer them as funds for their care. Maybe money can¡¯t heal people¡¯s hearts¨Dor maybe it never will¨Dbut, well, that¡¯s it. I would be happy to help them find peace of mind.


    ¡°You look so distressed.¡±


    After finishing the restoration of the city walls and the lord¡¯s mansion, I was sitting in the lounge of the lord¡¯s mansion, idly thinking about nothing in particular, when before I knew it, Amalie-san was sitting next to me. Her expression was somewhat concerning.


    ¡°Well, I have a lot on my mind after the battle.¡±


    I¡¯m already prepared to go to hell with Sylphy, but when I see people grieving the loss of their families in front of my eyes, I can¡¯t help but think about it. In the end, I came to the conclusion that no matter what happens, I can¡¯t stop now, but that doesn¡¯t make me feel any better.


    It¡¯s not that I want to dwell on it, but it¡¯s just the way things are. If I had the sensitivity to see this world as if it were a game or something and to see the people who live in this world as if they were characters in a game¨Din other words, as if they were NPCs or something¨Dthen I wouldn¡¯t feel this way.


    ¡°Do you really have to go into battle?¡±


    ¡°I suppose that¡¯s true. But it¡¯s not like I¡¯m just going to prepare weapons and not show up at the scene and pretend I don¡¯t know anything about it. Besides, my power will be useful on the front line.¡±


    It¡¯s especially effective against opponents holed up in defensive buildings like this one. This time also, I could have joined as a universal tool to make holes in the wall.


    If I had been willing to take out the enemy soldiers and Ehrwig, it would have been quicker to go in by myself. It would probably have been much quicker to break through the wall by myself and shoot them all with a submachine gun. If I had just left the cleanup to Danan, there would have been no trouble. But that¡¯s not the same thing.


    ¡°In the end, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s right to do everything by myself. I am a member of the Liberation Army, too, after all.¡±


    ¡°Kosuke-sama, you have a strong sense of responsibility. But you are just one person. Even if you are a visitor, even if you are an apostle of God, you are still a human being, Kosuke-sama. You are a human being. There is a limit to what an ungodly person can bear. Please do not take on too much.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ I will do my best. When things get hard, I will turn to someone else.¡±


    It is also common in anime, manga, and novels for people to make a huge mistake by taking on too much without consulting anyone. I¡¯ll try not to make that kind of mistake.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s a good idea. How about me, for now?¡±


    Saying that, Amalie-san smiles at me and opens her arms as if welcoming me.


    Eh? That¡¯s how you want to play it? Isn¡¯t that a little too immediate?


    Then I won¡¯t hesitate.¡±


    But without hesitation, I lean down and lay my head on her soft thighs.


    I had learned my lesson from Ehrwig. There is no point in running away from something you can¡¯t escape from. If you can¡¯t resist, it¡¯s better to accept it from the beginning so that neither you nor the other party will have to suffer.


    Because it seems that I will basically be working with Amalie-san, Bertha-san, and Ellen on this campaign to pacify the country, and it seems that the groundwork has already been laid. In other words, it is already a matter of course for me to strengthen my bond with these girls in ¡°that sense.¡± Of course, if I were to seriously resist, it would be no big deal, but no one would benefit or be happy if I did.


    In the first place, both Archbishop Deckard, who leads the Adol believers, and Sylphy and her close associate Melty, who lead the new Merinard Kingdom, are trying to deepen their relationship by using me, who stands between them, to deepen the relationship between the two forces. In other words, both sides believe that I need to develop a bond with Ellen and the others in various ways in order for both sides to deepen their relationship and get to know each other better.


    Then there¡¯s only one thing for me to do. I should accept the situation and be open to the idea so that both parties can work hand in hand. If that makes everyone happy, including me, then that¡¯s all right, isn¡¯t it?


    ¡°¡­I was a little surprised.¡±


    Amalie-san¡¯s cheeks are flushed red as she begins to stroke my head on her lap with a gentle hand as if she were handling a broken object.


    ¡°Kosuke-sama didn¡¯t seem to be very enthusiastic about it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d be lying if I said I didn¡¯t have my doubts. But I don¡¯t really dislike Amalie-san or Bertha-san¡­ or rather, are you really okay with it, Amalie-san, being like this?¡±


    By ¡°like this,¡± I mean that Archbishop Deckard was forcing her to have such a relationship with me at his convenience. Amalie-san nodded her head, her face reddening as if she had accurately read the true meaning of my words.


    ¡°Yes. As I told you before, Kosuke-sama is a man, but I don¡¯t feel scared of you. Besides, if I am with Kosuke-sama, I can be with Eleonora-sama, too, and then¡­¡±


    ¡°And then?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen the colors when I took care of you before, you know?¡±


    Amalie-san looked away from me as she said this and moved her body restlessly and fidgetily.


    Hmm, this embarrassed expression is priceless. I see.


    ¡°Would you like me to touch your arm or something?¡±


    ¡°T-that¡¯s¡­¡±


    While saying this, her left hand, which is opposite to the right hand she placed on my head, is wagging its way around my body as if she is ready to touch me. Amalie-san seems quiet and modest, but in fact, she may be a bit more aggressive than one might expect.


    ¡°Please go ahead, don¡¯t be shy.¡±


    I said and closed my eyes. With me staring at her, it must be difficult for Amalie-san to do what she wants to do.


    ¡°W-well, then, I¡¯ll take your word for it¡­¡±


    Amalie-san¡¯s hands begin to touch my breastplate, flanks, and stomach, seemingly in a state of trepidation. I¡¯ve been doing a lot of jumping and running since I came here. I¡¯ve lost a lot of excess flesh, and now my abs are well defined. You can taste the beauty of my body¡­ Hey, don¡¯t touch my flanks! That tickles! That tickles!

 CH 231

    Chapter 231 ¨C Cleaning Up Afterward Is The Hardest Part


    As I was flirting with Amalie-san, my worries, or rather, my sinking mood, went away.


    Eh? I did something naughty, you say?


    I didn¡¯t do it by my standards. I was just tickled by being touched here and there on my body. Though Amalie-san came back to her senses, turned red, apologized to me, and left as if running away.


    Perhaps because she grew up in an environment full of women, Amalie-san¡¯s sexuality may have been distorted¡­ and she may have been confused. I don¡¯t want to confuse everyone with my own speculation. Let¡¯s wait and see. If anything, I think I¡¯m the one who distorted it. It¡¯s all the fault of that son of a bitch who stabbed me with a poison dagger.


    ¡°We will stay at least three days to a week to take control of Gleiseburg. We will be scouting the area and mopping up monsters and bandits while the civil servants will take administrative control of Gleiseburg, and the Adol clergy will be doing their part.¡±


    Danan looked around at the people gathered in the conference room of the lord¡¯s mansion with a serious expression on his face. The people gathered here are Danan, who leads the elite soldiers, two platoon leaders of the gunners, Pirna of the Harpy, a winged civil servant who is in charge of organizing the civil servants, Ellen, Amalie-san, and Bertha-san from Adol, and a male priest whose name I don¡¯t know. That¡¯s ten people, including me.


    Amalie-san is trying to look nonchalant, but every time our gazes meet from a while ago, she blushes and looks away. Ellen doesn¡¯t notice because Amalie-san is standing behind her, but Bertha-san, who is standing next to Amalie-san, seems to have noticed Amalie-san¡¯s condition and has been giving me and Amalie-san quizzical glances since a while ago. I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll get in trouble if she gets too suspicious, so I¡¯ll just let it go. It may be too late for that, though.


    ¡°Fortunately, most of the guards and soldiers of the Holy Kingdom are cooperative. It seems that not so many of them are ardent comrades of the bishop. I wonder how many of the citizens share his views.¡±


    ¡°What are you going to do about them?¡±


    The winged civil servant asked with the same serious expression as Danan. He is a winged man with brown speckled wings who used to work as a slave for a certain trading company in Erichburg. He had been a slave, but he had been deeply involved in the management of the trading company, such as keeping the books of the company.


    ¡°There was nothing I could do about it. Of course, if a slave is being treated unfairly, I will deal with it properly according to the law. It is the job of the Adol clergy to deny the teachings of the mainstream and to spread the correct teachings. Am I correct?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that is correct.¡±


    Ellen nodded at Danan¡¯s question.


    ¡°If the unjustly acquired slaves are gone, and the ideas of those around them do not agree with yours, they will naturally leave this city. I don¡¯t think you should directly touch them unless you have something to do with it.¡±


    ¡°I understand. You mean that our audit is important. How will you deal with the freed slaves?¡±


    ¡°For now, we will take care of their food, clothing, and shelter until they regain their strength. After that, we should try to meet their wishes. Please make good arrangements in that regard. Her Majesty and the Prime Minister have given us permission to use Kosuke as much as we want, so let him do as much work as necessary.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I will work.¡±


    The two people Danan refers to are Sylphy and Melty. The two heads of state are so outstanding in their fighting abilities that it¡¯s encouraging to know that there¡¯s no need to worry about assassination at all. Hahaha.


    ¡°What about the funds?¡±


    ¡°Kosuke is taking care of it from Her Majesty. Isn¡¯t that right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve got them. There are a lot of them.¡±


    It is true that I have received a good amount of money from Sylphy for this mission to pacify the country. Well, the source of this money is the gems and metal ingots I dug up and the proceeds from the sale of crops from my fields. Even if I run out of money on hand, I can get gems, mithril, gold, and silver by swinging a pickaxe at the rocky outcrops, so I don¡¯t have to worry about money.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to tell you to spend like hot water, but you don¡¯t have to worry about funds. Ask for as much as you need.¡±


    ¡°All right, thank you very much.¡±


    The winged civil servant bowed his head in agreement.


    ¡°With regard to Kosuke, if there is a need for him, Adol religion can also use him as necessary. As for the funds and supplies, please do not hesitate to ask for them.¡±


    ¡°I understand. That is my intention from the beginning.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you will.¡±


    Unconditional surrender. If it results in more people being happy and at peace, that¡¯s fine. Well, what we are going to do is basically the same as what we did in Erichburg and Merinesburg. It would be a bit easier, though, because of the smaller size of the city.


    ¡°Kosuke has already repaired the lord¡¯s mansion and the city walls, so you can start moving right away tomorrow. Kosuke will basically be working with the Adol clergy, correct?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Tomorrow, we will offer mercy to the wounded and the sick. It would be more helpful if he stayed with us.¡±


    ¡°I see. Shall I leave the funds with you while we are here?¡±


    ¡°Yes. As long as it is in the lord¡¯s mansion, it should not happen often, but it should be managed with the utmost care.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    After receiving Danan¡¯s attention, I took out a wooden box containing gold and silver coins from my inventory and placed it on the table in the conference room. Each box contained one thousand coins, and I put out three boxes each of small gold and silver coins. I can¡¯t say for sure because prices are different, but my image is that each silver coin is worth about 10,000 yen, and each small gold coin is worth about 100,000 yen.


    ¡°¡­One box of small gold coins should be enough.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    When I asked back, the winged man of the civil service looked at me like I was an idiot. Three boxes of 100 million yen each, three boxes of 10 million yen each, a total of 330 million yen worth of funds¡­ Yeah, I might not be able to sleep easily, even with a single box of silver coins. I don¡¯t really feel it because if I keep it in my inventory, it will never be stolen, but if I¡¯m responsible for keeping 300 million of the company¡¯s money and I¡¯m told to manage it in my hotel room, I would never do it. I¡¯m starting to get scared now.


    ¡°Kosuke, I¡¯ve cleared out the room next to this conference room for that thing, so please set it up for me later.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    By ¡°that thing,¡± he meant a large golem communicator. It was to be installed to deliver emergency communications, policy confirmations, reports, etc., to Merinesburg. The large golem communicator is the best-kept secret of the Liberation Army¨Dthe new Merinard Kingdom, so security and control are strictly enforced.


    The existence of the small communicator has long been known to the Adol religion nostalgists, though. They have seen the actual device. But I don¡¯t think Ellen has seen the large one yet. When we were communicating between Erichburg and Merinesburg before, Lime and the others were in between.


    ¡°Kernes, I want you to put it to good use.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I will.¡±


    The winged civil servant nodded frankly. His name is Kernes, it seems.


    ¡°Then the meeting was over. Get some rest for tomorrow.¡±


    At Danan¡¯s order, everyone got up from their seats. I can¡¯t rest yet. I have to make quarters for our soldiers.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    Today was another hard day¡¯s work. From long-distance driving to a siege, followed by a battle for control of the city, repairing the destroyed walls of the lord¡¯s mansion and city walls, and treating the wounded. After the meeting, the old barracks in this town were torn down and rebuilt. The distribution of supplies for the next few days¡­ Hmm, I must have been pretty diligent all day when I put it all together like this, right?


    With this in mind, I returned to the lord¡¯s mansion and walked down the corridor to the room that had been assigned to me. The sun was about to set, and the corridor was bathed in glowing red sunlight.


    I bumped into Bertha-san in the hallway. She was carrying a basket of freshly baked bread. Is she preparing dinner?


    ¡°Good evening, Kosuke-sama.¡±


    ¡°Good evening.¡±


    Bertha-san is a beautiful woman with a deeply carved face. She has a clear nose and powerful eyes. You could say that she has a strong power in her eyes.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on with you and Amalie?¡±


    ¡°Nothing at all.¡±


    I tried to hide my agitation, but the question was too abrupt, and I bit my tongue. Bertha-san glared at me.


    ¡°Can you say the same thing in front of Eleonora-sama?¡±


    ¡°I will keep silent for the sake of Amalie-san¡¯s honor.¡±


    If I don¡¯t speak anything, I won¡¯t reveal anything. Fufufu, I¡¯m a genius, aren¡¯t I?


    ¡°I see. By the way, I have the skill to assist Eleonora-sama as an inquisitor.¡±


    ¡°Inquisitor.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Eleonora-sama¡¯s eyes of truth can detect lies in what is said, so if the person is silent, it will cause trouble. The person who is skilled in the technique to crack such a person¡¯s mouth is indispensable to Eleonora-sama¡¯s side, isn¡¯t it? I also serve as her escort.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    I wonder if it was because of the power or power of Bertha-san¡¯s gaze that she exuded such an atmosphere. Come to think of it, Bertha-san is always accompanying Ellen like a shadow.


    ¡°I¡¯m wondering if I should use my skills as an inquisitor on Kosuke-sama.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t done anything wrong.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    Bertha-san asked me with her eyes that had lost their brightness. I¡¯m scared!


    ¡°I was given a lap pillow.¡±


    ¡°Is that all?¡±


    ¡°She massaged my arms and stomach lightly.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t lying. Amalie-san¡¯s touch was a little bit aggressive, and while she was touching me, her nose was breathing a little bit rougher.


    ¡°¡­Well, that¡¯s fine. It doesn¡¯t seem to me that you did anything particularly insolent.¡±


    ¡°If anything, I think she was the one who was being offensive.¡±


    ¡°What is it that makes her like that? Well, Amalie is always in a box, after all.¡±


    She looked as if she was trying to say she was not. Perhaps noticing my gaze, Bertha-san puffed out her cheeks a little. When a powerful and beautiful woman makes a face like that, she becomes childish all at once and has great destructive power, doesn¡¯t she?


    ¡°I¡¯m not as much as Amalie. I have seen and heard many things during my training as an inquisitor and in the process of actually conducting inquisitions.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    It makes sense. It seems that the priest or bishop who ruled Merinesburg was also doing whatever he wanted to do in a very flamboyant manner, using his power as a cover. It¡¯s a disgusting story.


    ¡°By the way¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    Bertha-san leaned in close to me as I tilted my head. The aroma of freshly baked bread is fragrant.


    ¡°¡­I probably like being attacked.¡±


    She whispered that in my ear, and then she quickly separated herself and started to walk away. I was so excited to hear her whisper in my ear that my heart palpitated with her sudden action, and I was in no hurry to chase after her.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Eleonora-sama is waiting for you.¡±


    ¡°Eh¡­ O-oh, yes.¡±


    Bertha-san, who had stopped walking a little ahead and looked back at me, saw me flustered, laughed a little, and started walking again. U-umm, well, I don¡¯t know what Bertha-san¡¯s character is¡­! All I know is that she is more aggressive and precise than I thought.


    She likes me in her own way¡­ she does, doesn¡¯t she? The action is too abrupt to read now, but I would like to think so.


    I wondered inwardly how I should treat Bertha-san and followed her, who seemed to be in a somewhat good mood.

 CH 232

    Chapter 232 ¨C Bath After Meal


    Ellen, Amalie-san, Bertha-san, and I had just finished a simple yet luxurious dinner of freshly baked bread, hard cheese, pickled cabbage, and soup with dried meat and vegetables and were taking a bath.


    The baths in the Gleiseburg lord¡¯s mansion were quite spacious, and the facilities were excellent. The bathtub was large enough for five people to comfortably soak in, and the expensive magic tools provided plenty of hot water in a luxurious and plentiful manner. The hot water supplied by the same magic tool can also be used as a shower, and it was as comfortable to use as a Japanese bath, except that the hot water was supplied by a magic tool.


    Why am I taking such a luxurious bath after finishing my meal? It is because of the following exchange that took place after the meal.


    ¡°Well, now that you¡¯ve finished your meal¡­ how do you and Sylphy usually spend your time afterward?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, we usually take a bath and then sit on the sofa and talk while sipping on drinks.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s do that. I¡¯ll reserve the first bath for you.¡±


    And it went something like this.


    Ellen seems to be thinking about establishing her own way of spending time with me. I heard her telling Amalie-san and Bertha-san that it would be a good idea to try to imitate their predecessors¡¯ ways first as she talked behind me on her way to the bath.


    To be honest, I myself still haven¡¯t figured out how to deal with the three Adol members, including Ellen, because I don¡¯t know what to do with them. It had been a good amount of time since I met Ellen, but the time we spent together was still very short. I think we were very close right after we met, but we were apart for a long time after that, and even after we met again, we didn¡¯t spend much time together, probably because of my reservations about Sylphy and the others. As for Amalie-san and Bertha-san, I have had less time with them than with Ellen.


    Due to these circumstances, the girls and I are not sure how to measure the distance between us or how to say it¡­ depending on how you look at it, we¡¯re in a frustrating state of overflowing first-time feelings. With Sylphy and me, we¡¯re already in a normal, goofy relationship that doesn¡¯t require a lot of restraint. This kind of relationship with Ellen and the others is new and fresh, and it may even be a little fun, the way I think about it.


    Or so I thought.


    ¡°Excuse me.¡±


    ¡°Bufoohh!¡±


    As I was soaking in the bathtub to warm myself by lightly rinsing my body, Ellen rushed into the bathroom with a hand towel to cover her body, which was completely naked.


    Her skin was clear and white, without a single blemish; her body was slender overall but had flesh where it was needed, like a work of art; and her blonde hair, tied up on top of her head for bathing, and the nape of her neck, usually hidden by her hair down and the veil of the saint¡­ what can I say, she had a body so beautiful that it left me speechless.


    ¡°¡­What are you looking at so intently?¡±


    ¡°Sorry.¡±


    I hurriedly look away from Ellen, who is embarrassed as she blushes and hugs herself. This is not the first time I have seen her naked, you say? No, no, it¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen her naked in such a bright light. In fact, Ellen and I haven¡¯t had much time for skinship since the timing hasn¡¯t been that great after all.


    I¡¯ve been looking away and closing my eyes, my senses are sharpened, and I feel like I can feel Ellen¡¯s every move on my skin. But what is this? What am I supposed to do? No, wait, calm down, calm down. I¡¯ve been in the bathtub with women many times before.


    Haven¡¯t I bathed with Sylphy, Isla, the Harpies, Melty, and even Grande many times before? What is there to be upset about taking a bath with Ellen now?


    If you start talking about the beauty of nudity, Sylphie and Melty are amazing, and Isla and the Harpies, too¡­


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m not saying that you shouldn¡¯t look at them, but¡­¡±


    The fact that the girl¡¯s voice is like that, I can¡¯t help but open my eyes and look at Ellen. Ellen¡¯s skin, lightly flushed and wet, was more glazed over than before¨DI was a fool. The mystery and beauty of the female body are not something universal. Just because I¡¯m used to seeing Sylphy¡¯s and Isla¡¯s bodies doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m used to seeing Ellen¡¯s.


    A woman¡¯s body is probably like a jewel. Just as each jewel has a completely different brilliance and beauty¡­ I may be trying to discover a part of my psyche that I don¡¯t understand.


    Ellen comes into the bathtub just like me, blushing at the sight of my gaze. And then she sat down at such a close distance that our skin was almost touching. The bathtub is huge! Why are you doing that?


    ¡°You are very excited, aren¡¯t you? Aren¡¯t you used to seeing women naked?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to assume that I am, but that doesn¡¯t seem to be the case.¡±


    ¡°¡­I see.¡±


    Ellen¡¯s red eyes see the truth in other people¡¯s words. Naturally, it also means that what I just said is the truth. Perhaps feeling embarrassed by this, Ellen also looked away from me. Both of us are somewhat silent.


    ¡°But are you sure you¡¯re okay with the way you¡¯re looking right now?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    I asked back, and Ellen turned her red eyes toward the bathroom entrance¨Din other words, the changing room. At that moment, the white wooden door, coated with moisture-resistant paint, opens with a small sound.


    ¡°E-excuse me for disturbing you.¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    It is needless to discuss who the woman is who barges into this bath in this situation. It is Amalie-san and Bertha-san who, like Ellen, have their naked bodies apologetically covered with hand towels.


    Rich honey-colored hair, magnificent breasts comparable to those of Melty¡¯s, and limbs that are clearly more voluptuous than those of Ellen¡¯s. Amalie-san¡¯s feminine sexiness was in full bloom.


    Bertha-san looks slender in contrast to Amalie-san, but that is probably only because she is taller than Amalie-san by about one fist length. Her long, moderately toned legs are as slender and beautiful as an antelope¡¯s, and above all, her body as a whole is very well balanced. The so-called ¡°model body¡± is someone like her.


    ¡°U-um¡­¡±


    ¡°It is embarrassing for me if you look at me that much.¡±


    The two of them are covering up their important parts with a small piece of cloth and wriggling around. This is not good. I¡¯m going to have to count prime numbers to calm down, or I¡¯m going to skip reason.


    The women who have been coming into the bathtub have been completely predatory, or rather, they have not only exposed their bodies to me, but they have also pressed their bodies against mine in various places. I can¡¯t get out of the bathtub for a while.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you get out of the bathtub and wash yourself?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not a good time.¡±


    ¡°¡­I see.¡±


    The red eyes are poured into the hot water. I see. Stop it.


    ¡°But if you keep it like that, won¡¯t you fall down from being overheated? Oh, I see. So you want the three of us to take care of you when you collapse from heat exhaustion? I think you¡¯re being too aggressive.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not looking for that kind of play. I¡¯ll give up!¡±


    Thud! I tried to stand up so vigorously that I made a sound, but then Ellen was splashed with hot water, so I quietly stood up in the bathtub and went to the washing area where Amalie-san and Bertha-san were waiting for me. Of course, I don¡¯t hide anything. I have nothing to hide! I¡¯ll just be open!


    ¡°Let me, um¡­ wash your back.¡±


    Amalie-san, your gaze is shifting at a great speed. You don¡¯t have to glance at it so much.


    ¡°¡­This kind of taking care of you reminds me of that time.¡±


    As I sat down in the washing area and poured hot water over me with the tub, Bertha-san muttered to herself.


    I guess by that time, you mean the time I was stabbed with a poison dagger while defending Ellen. I couldn¡¯t move around much at that time, so they took care of everything for me, from eating and wiping my body to taking care of my toilets.


    ¡°Then, we will take care of you just as we did then. The three of us.¡±


    Ellen, who had come out of the bathtub after me, snuggled up against my back. Naturally, there is nothing separating Ellen and me. My back is very comfortable.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Let us take care of you.¡±


    Amalie-san and Bertha-san are also attached to my left and right arms. Hahaha, I can¡¯t help it anymore.

 CH 233

    Chapter 233 ¨C Three People and the Messenger Activities the Next Morning


    It was a long fight. I was by far the most experienced fighter, but there were three of them. Even if I defeated one of them, the other one would heal their fallen comrades while I was fighting the other one. Moreover, my opponents were learning little by little and getting stronger. For me, it was a hopeless war of attrition.


    In the end, I managed to win the battle by always giving top priority to Ellen, who had the highest recovery ability. In terms of overall strength, Ellen was the strongest, Amalie-san was the toughest, and Bertha-san was the most aggressive¡­ If I were in the same situation, I probably wouldn¡¯t be able to win next time.


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    We are all lightly dressed and having breakfast together, but there is no conversation. Not in a bad way; all three of them are still somewhat spaced out, flustered, or maybe¡­ too stimulated. All three of them are somewhat absentmindedly bringing the morning¡¯s sweet and heavy breakfast of pancakes and milk that I pulled out of my inventory to their mouths.


    ¡°Who wants some sausage? Raise your hands.¡±


    The three of them look at me, and all raise their hands. It seems that they can hear me, and their appetites are fine. Well, if I leave them alone, they¡¯ll get back to normal soon. I take a plate out of my inventory and place two large pieces of frankfurter-like sausage on each of the three women¡¯s tables.


    The three of them stared at the sausage for some reason, then suddenly turned red and reacted fiercely. Ellen took down her fork and put her hands on both cheeks, Amalie-san covered her face with her hands, and Bertha-san was fidgeting and rubbing her stomach area. What did you associate with that, you guys? Well, I was aiming for it a little bit, but¡­


    ¡°Good morning, all three of you.¡±


    ¡°¡­Good morning.¡±


    ¡°¡­ning.¡±


    ¡°Good morning.¡±


    Amalie-san¡¯s voice was almost inaudible, just like a mosquito¡¯s, but I was glad to hear that all three of them had come to their senses.


    ¡°Don¡¯t leave any of the sausages.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll eat it.¡±


    Ellen picks up the fork that she had dropped on the table in desperation, plunges it into the sausage, and bites into it. It¡¯s a sight that makes me swoon for some reason, hahaha. Bertha-san also began to munch on the sausage with a subtle expression on her face. Amalie-san was not so happy about it, covering her face with her hands. Even her ears are red.


    The silent time begins again. This time, however, it is not because of the empty space above, but it is a conscious one. There is one person who is muttering what I don¡¯t know is a prayer to God or words of repentance in a mosquito-like voice with her face covered with her hands, but Ellen is too embarrassed to say anything, and Bertha-san is¡­ I guess. That¡¯s a strangely sexy expression on her face. Noticing my gaze, Bertha-san smiles shyly.


    ¡°To tell you the truth, I had half given up on the so-called happiness of a woman.¡±


    ¡°Why again?¡±


    Bertha-san is a beautiful woman, and I think she could get as many men as she wants if she wants to.


    ¡°I am an inquisitor by the side of Eleonora-sama, and I am also her escort. The mere fact that I am an inquisitor is enough to turn men off.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t seem interested.¡±


    ¡°Bertha-san is Bertha-san, and I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s too late. A title is just a title, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    I only found out about the inquisitor¡¯s title yesterday.


    ¡°The silent inquisitor is nothing when it comes to Kosuke, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Bertha-san nodded happily. I don¡¯t care how formidable an inquisitor¡¯s title is. I don¡¯t think they can compete with the Commander of the Liberation Army, the Queen of the new Merinard Kingdom, or the Witch of the Black Forest. I won¡¯t back down from such a thing, so don¡¯t worry about it in the future.


    ¡°So, how long are you doing that, Amalie-san?¡±


    ¡°Ugh¡­ but¡­¡±


    The gap between the fingers of the two hands covering her face is opened a little, and our eyes meet through the gap.


    ¡°I-I-I did such and such a thing¡­ and aaaahhh¡­¡±


    ¡°Amalie was¡­¡±


    ¡°It was bottomless, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say it!¡±


    Amalie-san screamed and plopped down on the table. The order in which they went down was Ellen, Bertha-san, and Amalie-san, in that order, although it was largely due to my strategy. Amalie-san showed no sign of endurance at all, or as Bertha-san said, she was bottomless, or at any rate, she was tough, so I decided to take my time and attack her last. I think her toughness was a good match for Melty¡¯s.


    ¡°Kosuke was no slouch either.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s tough.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think we can compete with Amalie on our own. I mean, you were taking it very easy on me at that time, weren¡¯t you?¡±


    I think she was talking about the first time Ellen and I spent the night together.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it needs to be rough or anything; it doesn¡¯t need to be intense¡­ I mean, how long are we going to keep talking about this?¡±


    Perhaps reflecting on her previous comments, Ellen clears her throat in response to my prodding. She must have realized that this was not a conversation for a lady to be having this early in the morning.


    ¡°You need to get back on your feet, Amalie-san.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t¡­¡±


    Amalie-san screamed pitifully as she plopped down on the table. This is a serious injury.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    If I could, I would have spent the whole day making out with the three of them, but the world is not so easy. We did not come here to have a honeymoon, but to settle down in Merinard, so we can¡¯t just keep flirting with each other. In a way, it¡¯s my job to get along with the girls.


    ¡°Alms will be given by the saint and the messenger of God.¡±


    ¡°Silence.¡±


    The priests of the Adol religion seat the people who have come to receive alms on the couches and wooden chairs I have prepared for them in order of arrival. I give alms to the people with Ellen, watching from the side.


    ¡°O-oh¡­ it doesn¡¯t hurt. It doesn¡¯t hurt!¡±


    ¡°Oh, I can walk! I can walk!¡±


    The almsgiving we did, in other words, was an act of healing for the residents of Gleiseburg. Ellen used miracles, and I used the life potions, cure poison potions, cure disease potions, and splints that I had in my inventory to heal them.


    It is said that the Adol religion often provides medical treatment, but it is usually during some kind of festival or on a whim when a high-ranking cleric visits the church. Usually, it is said that a reasonable amount of money is offered to the Adol church to have miraculous cures performed.


    In this case, it was to show the people of Gleiseburg that we had no harmful intentions toward them, and at the same time, it was to show that I was a messenger of God standing next to the saint Ellen.


    I would take out of thin air a potion that would instantly cure injuries, illnesses, and addictions, and with a plain piece of cloth and a piece of wood, I would heal limbs and other parts of the body that were difficult to heal with magic or miracles. Well, depending on how the performance is presented, they may or may not be messengers of God, but they may appear to be unusual and special.


    And these clergymen are professionals in such performances. When it comes to the art of elevating a mere mortal to a holy being through preaching and rituals, there is no one better than them. All I have to do is follow the scenario they have created. To be more specific, I would dress up in a slightly expensive-looking clergyman¡¯s costume and smile as I treated the inhabitants of Gleiseburg.


    I would bring in sick or injured people who could hardly stand up, and I would heal them with my life potions and cure disease potions. Of course, since they are completely healed, people who have been lying there screaming in agony can get up with a refreshed look on their faces. Even if they don¡¯t, they look refreshed and excitedly shout, ¡°I¡¯m cured; I¡¯m not in pain anymore!¡±


    In the past, it is said that in such a case, the cherry blossom is sometimes used, which is not actually a disease or injury, but in this case, it was a real one. Gleiseburg is a reasonably sized city, but not as large as Elichburg, and if there are people in town who have suffered from incurable illnesses or injuries over the years, many of the people in town are aware of their circumstances. I am the one who will help them recover from their illnesses.


    ¡°I honestly thought the idea of a messenger of God was eyebrow-raising, but this is¡­¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like magic or a miracle, but it¡¯s the real deal.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve had a little bit of magic in my life, so I know what I¡¯m talking about, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s magic or a miracle¡­ it¡¯s something much more.¡±


    There are a lot of people who seem to have heard about some big event and have come to watch. Before I knew it, there were food stalls selling food, and it was becoming a bit of a festival. And from among the onlookers, or rather, spectators, I hear a voice that seems to be congratulating one another. It was probably a cherry blossom of the Adol religion.


    So Ellen and I were treating the injured and sick in Gleiseburg one after another in the midst of the crowd.

 CH 234

    Chapter 234 ¨C The Thing Is That In the End, What You Do Is The Same Everywhere


    ¡°The day before yesterday, it was medical treatment, yesterday was cooking, and today it¡¯s civil engineering work.¡±


    I guess they want me to do everything I can in the time available to me while taking control of Gleiseburg and setting up a system. The more power I wield in public, the more my authority, or rather my reputation as an apostle of God, grows.


    What I am doing today is demolishing a complex of shacks in the southwestern part of Gleiseburg and constructing a housing complex to replace them. It is said that the area is on the verge of becoming a halfway house for the poor, and it is hoped to at least reduce the incidence of disease by replacing the shacks, which are unsanitary and drafty, with decent housing. I don¡¯t know how effective this will be in practice.


    ¡°Hey, that¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°Is that the saint or the messenger of God we¡¯ve heard so much about¡­? What¡¯s he doing here?¡±


    The residents are talking in whispers and anxiously when they see me with many priests and guards in tow. In the midst of all this, the commander of the guard squad that was accompanying me raised his voice.


    ¡°From now on, all illegal structures in this area will be demolished, and the Apostle will provide you with new housing! Cooperate with us, and accept the situation with solemnity!¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    What he said is not wrong, but there is a way to say it.


    ¡°Are you trying to destroy our home?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous!¡±


    Trash and pebbles rained down on the commander.


    ¡°You trash who don¡¯t even pay the tax! Don¡¯t get carried away!¡±


    ¡°Stop it, stop it! Don¡¯t draw your sword! Calm down, all residents, too! Calm down!¡±


    I pulled the commander back by pinning him down from behind and managed to get the residents to calm down as well. Or rather, the residents seemed to have lost their rebellious spirit when they saw Ms. Zamir, who was holding up the Meteor of the Mithril Cross spear and looking deadly. You should calm down, too, Ms. Zamir. Calm.


    ¡°For now, it¡¯s better to see the proof than an argument. I will not harm you in any way, so please cooperate with me. I promise you that you won¡¯t have to worry about finding a place to sleep today, and if it comes to that, I¡¯ll find you a place to stay.¡±


    Maybe it was the fact that not only I but also the Adol clergy had gone out of their way to persuade them, or maybe they were afraid of Ms. Zamir standing there with her meteor in her hand, but for the time being, the owner of the four shacks in the row offered to cooperate, and the owner and the guards moved the furniture out of the shacks.


    ¡°They¡¯re not so much furniture, though.¡±


    The owner of the shack, who said this self-deprecatingly, brought out some crude shelves, chairs, and tables, as well as some small items such as dishes and water bottles. The other shacks were similar, and the rest were boxes that seemed to contain a change of clothes.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll break it down first.¡±


    I took out my shiny mithril logging axe. The shacks in this area are mainly made of wood, so this is better suited for the job than a pickaxe.


    ¡°That¡¯s a very fine axe¡­¡±


    I guess the old man might think that no matter how big the axe is, it would take all day for me to break it down by myself since I am not that physically fit. In fact, no one else is working to tear down the shack except for me, so the old man¡¯s concern is understandable.


    But that¡¯s assuming I¡¯m a normal person.


    ¡°That¡¯s!¡±


    I obliterated about half of the shack with a single swing of my mithril logging axe. The shack seemed to be of low durability, and one swing was enough to obliterate the entire structure. It appears that my inventory was filled with wood and cloth as materials.


    ¡°Am I dreaming¡­?¡±


    I swung my mithril logging axe in rapid succession, destroying four shacks in less than a minute. The scattered debris and pieces of furniture were stored in my inventory and disassembled to be used as materials again.


    ¡°Clearing the ground, clearing the ground.¡±


    Using my mithril hammer, which had never been seen in Japan before, I hit the slightly uneven ground and leveled a wide area. It is a useful piece of equipment that, with a single stroke, will level a wide area and make the ground solid and suitable for building. It does not make much material, but it is also moderately helpful in destroying structures. Or rather, too much standing.


    I tried it on a stone building I was going to demolish a while ago, and it crushed it without a trace with a single blow. Furthermore, there were no materials left. To be honest, the pickaxe is a hundred times easier to use if it is not used for destruction. However, since it can flatten a wide area by hitting the ground, it will likely be useful for building foundations for the construction and maintaining city roads. Since its destructive nature is so absurdly strong, perhaps it could also be used as a weapon. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll have a chance to use it, though.


    ¡°Then, I will build it now.¡±


    What I will build is a two-story house with four rooms on the first and second floors, for a total of eight rooms. There are no drafts, and each room is suitable for up to two people. Compared to one-story buildings, the use of space on top of the building is more efficient in terms of housing supply per lot area.


    ¡°I¡¯ve built it. If you want to put locks and stuff on it, you have to do it yourself.¡±


    ¡°O-oh¡­ which room am I supposed to use?¡±


    ¡°How about you four natives talk about it and decide?¡±


    At my suggestion, the owners of the four shacks that had been demolished gathered to discuss the matter. As a result, it seemed that the two older men would live on the first floor and the two middle-aged men in the second room.


    ¡°Although we are fine for now, it may become hard to walk up and down the stairs in time¡­¡±


    ¡°The house looks warm with no drafts. I¡¯m glad it¡¯s warm because it will get cold from now on.¡±


    The two older men watched as the guards brought in the furniture.


    ¡°I will rebuild it like this, so will you cooperate with me?¡±


    ¡°¡±¡±Okay!¡±¡±¡±


    Once they saw what was actually happening, they were quick to respond. The residents were autonomously carrying their belongings out of their dwellings and helping with my work without my instructions. They were very cooperative since I would change their dwelling from a drafty wooden shack to a sturdy and beautiful stone room.


    ¡°By the way, they say it¡¯s going to get colder from here on out?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It will be winter in less than a month. It won¡¯t snow much, but the temperature will drop, and the wind will be very cold.¡±


    It¡¯s a hard season for me, Ms. Zamir said, letting out a sigh. Ms. Zamir apparently doesn¡¯t like the cold. She is a reptile, so when it gets cold, she can¡¯t maintain her body temperature and goes into hibernation.


    ¡°Winter, huh¡­?


    There have been some hot days, but there hasn¡¯t been much that has happened to make me feel the four seasons. Maybe it¡¯s because I¡¯ve been watching crops being grown that I don¡¯t care what season it is, or maybe it¡¯s because I¡¯m still getting used to the calendar here. It¡¯s been quite a while since I¡¯ve been here, and I may have arrived here just after winter had ended.


    ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s get some work done.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    Although Ms. Zamir does not do anything directly since she is only guarding me, it is advantageous to have a stern and obvious-looking guard like her. If a sharp-eyed lizardman carrying a large crossed spear emitting a glistening, swarthy shine glared at you, those who would think of doing something insolent to me would leave in a heartbeat. If someone makes a bad move, they will be cut in half with a single blow from the spear.


    I destroyed the shack with my mithril logging axe, leveled the ground with my mithril hammer, and set up the house. After repeating this process over and over again, not a single shack was left, and a residential area was created, with two-story apartment buildings neatly lined up in rows.


    ¡°What about the extra rooms?¡±


    ¡°The area will be taken care of later when someone from the lord¡¯s mansion comes.¡±


    The guard who was questioned by the residents replied in this manner. They are also probably concerned about how they will be treated in the future. The temperamental commander who pulled out his sword earlier said something about not paying population tax, so the people living in this area are probably too poor to pay tax. It is not enough to just rebuild their houses, and that will solve everything. We have to deal with the most powerful enemy that made them live in such shacks and cannot pay taxes.


    That enemy is poverty.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    ¡°It¡¯s a tough problem.¡±


    ¡°Tough problem, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    After finishing my work during the day, I met up with Ellen at the lord¡¯s mansion, and while sharing a dinner table, we were reporting to each other about the events that had happened today.


    I am good at solving short-term problems, but saving the people who lived in the southeastern section of this city was quite a challenge. I could probably solve some of their problems by giving them farmland to cultivate, but farming is not that easy. No, it may be that simple in the case of farming on the blocks of land I have laid out, but usually, it is not that simple. It is not just a matter of plowing the ground and scattering seeds.


    ¡°But I can¡¯t let Kosuke¡¯s reputation suffer. Kosuke gave them a new home, but if they end up losing their home because of it, they may think of Kosuke as a pest.¡±


    ¡°You think they will take some kind of action?¡±


    ¡°I think so. The actual burden will be on the side of the Merinard kingdom. But of course, we will cooperate with them in any way we can.¡±


    After all, it would be good if they had some kind of work to earn money. Creating jobs¡­ is not something that can be done overnight, but I¡¯m sure they will do something to make it work. Well, the soldiers of the Holy Kingdom and the people who are not willing to live with subhumans who have been treated as slaves will probably leave for the Holy Kingdom, so it is highly likely that the Merinard Kingdom will fall into a labor shortage in the future. If that happens, there will naturally be more jobs. That¡¯s where Sylphy and Melty will come in.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll just have to do what I can do.¡±


    ¡°I guess that¡¯s the way it is. For the time being¡­¡±


    ¡°For the time being?¡±


    Ellen blushed as she turned her red eyes away from me.


    ¡°How about rewarding Kosuke for your hard work today?¡±


    ¡°OK!¡±


    What kind of man would refuse such a cute offer? No, no one. I¡¯ll spoil myself to the fullest.

 CH 235

    Chapter 235 ¨C Aftermath


    The pacification of Gleiseburg continued smoothly, and towns and villages in the vicinity of Gleiseburg began to show their reverence for the city. Word spread quickly through merchants that Gleiseburg, which had the strongest defenses in the region, had fallen in just one day.


    ¡°If Greiseburg can be taken in a day, then we are no match for it.¡±


    Is what they thought? With a low profile, the lords and emissaries from neighboring towns and villages came to ask Danan for his favor.


    Then, not only Danan but also the saint of Adol is there. And then there is the apostle of God, a holy person whom they have never heard of before. And the subhuman people, who until now had been treated as slaves and shadows, are now walking around with their hands out in the open. It is only natural since they are now under the rule of the new Merinard Kingdom, or rather, the Liberation Army.


    The reaction of the messengers who saw the situation was largely divided into two.


    ¡°The good old kingdom of Merinard is coming back!¡±


    Those who were pro-subhuman and had secretly followed the old Merinard Kingdom¡¯s philosophy were the ones who were excited and snorted with joy, asking about the future plans, what kind of laws would be enacted, and how subhumans would be treated.


    ¡°This is not good. We have to get a system in place as soon as possible.¡±


    Those from the pro-Holy Kingdom villages and towns would make a pale face, give only the bare minimum of greetings in a low-profile manner, and then quickly leave. It is said that those who react in this way are easily recognized by those of subhuman beastman with a good sense of smell. They said they could smell the scent of frightened or cornered prey. Do they detect the smell of cold sweat?


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s just how it is. Most living creatures, human or otherwise, naturally express their feelings and emotions through their smells.¡±


    Danan, who had just finished meeting with the messenger, shrugged his shoulders. Today, Danan was not wearing armor but rather a magnificent military uniform, which was quite a sight to behold. As a former Kingsguard, he was one of the elites of the elite in the former Merinard Kingdom, and even his smallest gestures seemed to have an air of elegance about them. When I first met him in the village of the elves, he was so intimidating, even though he was wearing only a pair of crude trousers and a shirt that I thought he looked like a bandit¡¯s boss or something. Looks are important, aren¡¯t they?


    ¡°I guess that¡¯s how it is. What do I look like, by the way?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve got a sweet smell mixed in.¡±


    ¡°Sweet¡­?¡±


    I try smelling myself, but my sense of smell doesn¡¯t detect any such thing. After all, a subhuman¡¯s keen sense of language is an amazing thing. However, sweet is¨D¨D.


    ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s Ellen and the others?¡±


    ¡°I guess so. Well, you¡¯re always like that.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ Yeah.¡±


    Now I share a bed with one of Ellen and the others every day, and before I did that, I was like that every night with Sylphy, Isla, the Harpies, Melty, and Grande, and so on¡­ yeah?


    ¡°Eh. Does that mean that I¡¯ve always been thought of as a vigorous man by the subhumans?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Isn¡¯t it true?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s, well, it¡¯s true, but¡­¡±


    But still, that¡¯s what it¡¯s about. Isn¡¯t it like a bit of a walking obscenity, walking around with a hint of an affair in the air?


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯m used to it. I can¡¯t help it if I were in such a position myself, so I don¡¯t pay much attention to it.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ If I were to worry about every single thing, there would be no end to it, wouldn¡¯t there?¡±


    ¡°That is the point. It¡¯s obvious at a glance. Not that I¡¯m paying attention, but¡­ we¡¯re going off-topic here.¡±


    ¡°Right. So, what are you going to do now?¡±


    ¡°We will effectively control the towns and villages of those who have been acting suspiciously. It is hard to imagine a large-scale rebellion at this late stage, but if we are too slow, they might try something untoward.¡±


    ¡°And when we are done controlling the surrounding areas, we will move on to the next city, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Well, it will gradually get easier.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°It has to be that way. That¡¯s what you and the saint are playing for, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°That too.¡±


    I nodded in agreement with Danan¡¯s words. I go out of my way to appear and generally play the role of an apostle of God in the hopes of achieving that effect. No, it is more likely that I am pretending to be one, but the possibility of that is high at the moment.


    As we were talking, a soldier of the Liberation Army rushed into the conference room where Danan and I were talking, gasping for breath. It seemed that something unusual had happened.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°A rescue call came in from the town of Cur¨¦on! There is a monster¡¯s stampede!¡±


    ¡°A stampede?¡±


    I tilted my head at the unfamiliar words. Well, I can guess what it is from the words.


    ¡°You know how Gizma came to the elves¡¯ village, right? It¡¯s the same thing.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see. So what kind of monster is it?¡±


    ¡°Gluttonous Grasshopper.¡±


    ¡°Gluttonous Grasshopper¡­ Gluttonous? Grasshopper? Insect again?¡±


    And this time, it is one that seems to fly and jump. The name already sounds troublesome.


    ¡°That¡¯s about it. They are very voracious eaters. When they are hungry, they eat not only grass and crops but also trees, animals, and anything else they can eat. Usually, they¡¯re exterminated periodically to prevent a stampede¡­¡±


    ¡°But they weren¡¯t exterminated.¡±


    ¡°The number and quality of adventurers seemed to be declining under the rule of the Holy Kingdom, so their numbers must have increased without them being thinned out¡­ Well, now I don¡¯t know what to do.¡±


    ¡°Is it that bad?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s terrible. It¡¯s extremely terrible. Not only are there so many of them, but they fly. They¡¯ll devour the crops first, which could lead to a famine. The scale of the problem will not be known until a survey is conducted, but since they are not concentrated in one place, it is not something that can be solved by bombing harpies. They fly very fast, to begin with, so if the harpies fly too low, they will be in danger.¡±


    ¡°That sounds awful. I think I can manage the famine if I work hard enough to the death.¡±


    I have confidence in my ability to produce food! Though my arms and back will most likely suffer due to the constant farming!


    ¡°That may be so, but the Merinard Kingdom can¡¯t just say that it can¡¯t do anything about it. It¡¯s a matter of honor. Well, the Holy Kingdom¡¯s face is completely destroyed by this incident, so if we can get things right here, our reputation will be greatly enhanced¡­¡±


    Danan is thinking with a difficult look on his face. There might be a chance if a large number of light machine guns were deployed, but just imagining what the ammunition consumption would be like gives me a headache. Then, if it comes to this¡­


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to play the extra card here.¡±


    ¡°Extra card?¡±


    What are you going to do? Danan looked at me with an expression that seemed to ask me that. It¡¯s obvious that it will cause environmental destruction, but if it¡¯s going to be destroyed anyway, it will be the same thing anyway. I don¡¯t see any other use for it, and to some extent, I had assumed it would be used in this situation, so I think it¡¯s better to use it here.

 CH 236

    Chapter 236 ¨C Don¡¯t Do That


    ¡°Don¡¯t do that.¡±


    ¡°Yes~?¡±


    Since I couldn¡¯t operate the magic sparkling stone bomb on my own, I contacted Merinesburg with the large golem communicator installed in the lord¡¯s mansion, but it was instantly rejected by Isla, Sylphy, and even Melty. I can¡¯t believe my brilliant strategy was rejected¡­


    ¡°Kosuke. Magic sparkling stone bombs are certainly effective in getting rid of Gluttonous Grasshopper. But you shouldn¡¯t use that bomb to blow up the whole forest.¡±


    ¡°And why is that?¡±


    ¡°With that destructive power, it would blow the whole tree by its roots. I confirmed this with maps and documents, but the forest where the Gluttonous Grasshopper is currently occurring is located close to the town of Cur¨¦on, and the town of Cur¨¦on procures and gathers timber from that forest. A forest eaten by the Gluttonous Grasshopper will recover to some extent in a few years, but if it is uprooted by the magic sparkling stone bomb, there is no way for it to recover, is there?¡±


    ¡°Also, it seems that the source of the Valerius River, which is the source of water not only for the town of Cur¨¦on but also for the surrounding towns and villages, is located deep in that forest. If the magic sparkling stone bomb blows up the forest and affects the water source, there could be a water shortage over a wide area.¡±


    ¡°I see, from an economic point of view and various other considerations, it is problematic to uproot the forests.¡±


    ¡°Also, the magic sparkling stone bomb has not been completely confirmed to be safe. In the place where the bombing test was carried out, so far, not a single grass has grown. The soil¡¯s concentration of magic power has also increased compared to immediately after the bombing test. We need to continue to monitor the situation.¡±


    ¡°In other words, it cannot be used as easily as before. The problem will be even bigger if we use it easily and the forest is blown away, leaving behind only a patch of land where not a single blade of grass grows.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ So what do we do with it?¡±


    Since Danan was wondering what to do about it, I think it was probably impossible for us to deal with it with our own strength alone. That¡¯s why I thought of using magic sparkling stone bombs, but if it¡¯s not a good idea to use them, there seems to be nothing more we can do.


    ¡°It¡¯s probably okay. I¡¯ll have Grande go over there.¡±


    ¡°Grande, huh? I see¡­ I wonder if that will work?¡±


    Grande is a Grand Dragon with mighty power. She is now transformed into a dragon girl through a ritual using a magic sparkling stone, but she used to be a dragon with a large physique that you could look up at. After the magic sparkling stone ceremony, her originally strong ability is said to have been further improved, and Grande may be able to handle the Gluttonous Grasshoppers.


    ¡°I¡¯ll thank Grande well for coming over here.¡±


    ¡°Oh, please do give her a hand. At least until the Gluttonous Grasshopper extermination is over, you should take care of Grande more than Ellen and the others.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡±


    Grande has no obligation to wield her power for the people of the Merinard Kingdom. That said, she is a good girl, so I am sure she will do what Sylphy or I ask her to do. So, instead of taking advantage of her unilaterally, I should treat her with a certain amount of civility, or rather, gratitude.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    ¡°That¡¯s why Grande will be coming from Merinesburg.¡±


    ¡°Grande-sama¡­? I see. I guess we can make it work then.¡±


    Danan, who had heard my report, looked relieved. I wonder if it¡¯s a good idea to address Grande with ¡®sama¡¯ when you¡¯re calling me by my first name? Well, it¡¯s just weird to be called like that by Danan after all these times, so I don¡¯t mind.


    ¡°Is it Grande-sama¡­?¡±


    On the contrary to Danan¡¯s relieved expression, Ellen¡¯s difficult expression¡­ hasn¡¯t changed much. Her voice sounded serious, and she seemed to be thinking about something.


    ¡°Is there a problem?¡±


    ¡°No, not so much as a problem. But since neither I nor Amalie nor Bertha have had much contact with Grande-sama, I¡¯m not sure how I should treat her.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you need to do anything special. She may be a bit arrogant, but she is a good and honest girl, so you should treat her normally.¡±


    ¡°Normal, is it¡­?¡±


    Ellen¡¯s brow wrinkles slightly. She seems to be in trouble.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry¨D¨D¡±


    Just when I was about to say that, I heard a burst of sound from outside, and at the same time, a tremor struck me. I guessed it was about level 1 at the Japanese earthquake level.


    ¡°She¡¯s here already¡­ Isn¡¯t it early?¡±


    It had been less than an hour since I ended the call with Sylphy and the others. I wondered if she flew as fast as she could.


    When I stopped talking and went outside, I found that there was a great commotion in front of the lord¡¯s mansion. A large crater-like hole had formed at the center point of the commotion, and Grande, covered in dirt, had just emerged from it.


    ¡°Grande! You did it spectacularly, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Umu, I went all out and missed a little. It was all well and good until I landed here.¡±


    As she shook her head while saying that, the dirt fell clean off her face and body. For a Grande Dragon, who excels in earth-attribute magic, dirt and dust seem to be nothing for her.


    ¡°No, I failed, I failed. I made a fuss.¡±


    The crater-shaped hole was quickly closed with a wave of Grande¡¯s hand, and the shattered cobblestone pavement returned to normal.


    ¡°When did you become so dexterous?¡±


    ¡°Even I¡¯m not just lazily coasting along, you know.¡±


    ¡°Right. As expected of Grande.¡±


    ¡°I know, right? I know, right?¡±


    I patted Grande¡¯s head as she rubbed up against me. Her tail is banging against the cobblestones, but the cobblestone is not harmed, thanks to the elastic tail cover that Lime and the others made for her. The lives of innocent cobblestones were saved by Lime and the others¡­


    ¡°So, I hear you have a favor to ask me.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the thing¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve been told it¡¯s a grasshopper extermination.¡±


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all right. They¡¯re rather tasty.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re tasty?¡±


    ¡°Well, the legs get stuck in your throat if you don¡¯t chew them properly, but the belly is tender and quite tasty.¡±


    ¡°Tasty, is it¡­?¡±


    If you say it¡¯s tasty, it makes me want to eat it a little bit. No, but it¡¯s an insect¡­ and speaking of that, so is Gizma, so it¡¯s a little late for that now. I¡¯ll try it when I get a chance.


    ¡°When it comes to controlling the damage they do, it¡¯s best to act quickly. So let¡¯s get going.¡±


    ¡°Alri¨DEh, now?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. If we don¡¯t, the damage will spread.¡±


    Eehh¡­ I didn¡¯t even prepare anything, but when I looked at Danan, he shrugged his shoulders and said.


    ¡°We can probably handle the carcass with just Kosuke. I¡¯ll head out after we¡¯ve prepared, so you go ahead.¡±


    ¡°Seriously.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing we¡¯re moving so fast. Come on, Kosuke. Get that thing out, that gondola or whatever it¡¯s called.¡±


    ¡°O-okay.¡±


    It was understandable that there was not a moment to lose. I thought about it and pulled out a one-seater gondola from my inventory. It looked like a streamlined toy rocket.


    ¡°Kosuke.¡±


    I was about to get into the gondola when Ellen called out to me. As usual, her expression is emotionless, but I get the feeling that she is concerned about me.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m probably more stubborn than you think.¡±


    ¡°¡­I see. The Basilisk¡¯s poison is so strong that even if you are stabbed in the heart, you won¡¯t die instantly.¡±


    ¡°Eh? Basilisk is that thing that gives you a stomach ache when you eat it, right? It would kill a human being, normally.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m more surprised at the life force of a dragon, which is limited to a stomach ache.¡±


    I mean, have you ever tried it, Grande? I don¡¯t think putting everything in your mouth is a good idea.


    ¡°Let¡¯s have a long talk next time if you don¡¯t mind. It¡¯s all quite amusing.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I see. After we¡¯ve killed the grasshoppers, then.¡±


    Grande looked at Ellen for a moment and then nodded. Did she feel something?


    ¡°Well then, I¡¯m going ahead.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, be careful. We will be on our way as soon as we are ready.¡±


    ¡°Good luck.¡±


    Danan and Ellen saw me off as I boarded the gondola.

 CH 237

    Chapter 237 ¨C Preparation For Assault and Interception


    ¡°I see it; that¡¯s the town of Cur¨¦on.¡±


    After a short hour ride in the gondola carried by Grande, I reached the destination town. My eyes could only see that the town was surrounded by stone walls that were not very high, but from the direction and distance, I was sure that this was the town of Cur¨¦on.


    ¡°It looks like it. Shall we go down to the town?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not yet a town that the Liberation Army has conquered in earnest, and it might be dangerous, so let¡¯s not go down there. Do you know where the grasshoppers are?¡±


    ¡°I know where they are. It seems to be in the woods over there.¡±


    Grande flapped her dragon wings and changed direction. In the direction of the forest and a neighboring area that was once a meadow could be seen. The reason why I say ¡°what would have been a meadow¡± is because even to my eyes, I could clearly see a glimpse of soil color in the green meadow. I wondered if they were the remains of the Gluttonous Grasshoppers digging up the grass or traces of the Gluttonous Grasshoppers crawling out of the ground¡­ Either way, there was no doubt that it was the work of the Gluttonous Grasshoppers.


    ¡°Did they tear up the meadows and head for the woods?¡±


    ¡°It seems so. Maybe it looked like more food sources than a town surrounded by stone walls.¡±


    ¡°If so, the town of Cur¨¦on was saved.¡±


    If the Gluttonous Grasshoppers had headed immediately for the town of Cur¨¦on, they would have been wiped out before they could contact us.


    ¡°Drop me off between the town of Cur¨¦on and the forest. I¡¯ll hunt the grasshoppers that slipped in there.¡±


    ¡°Umu.¡±


    Grande begins her descent. I can¡¯t get used to this feeling of being dropped. I won¡¯t say which part, but it feels like swoosh.


    ¡°Alright. First, let¡¯s build an interception base.¡±


    ¡°Umu, do your best.¡±


    ¡°Yes. But I¡¯m not so sure¡­¡±


    If I¡¯m the only one to pack it in, will it be more like a turret than an interceptor base?


    ¡°Grande, do you have any idea how big the grasshoppers are?¡±


    ¡®Yes¡­ I think a large one would be about the size of the current me. A normal size grasshopper would be about the size of¡­ my tail?¡±


    Then Grande wagged her bushy tail, then noticed the tail cover, and began to remove it. Since she is going to be fighting, it would be better to remove it, right? Yes, I will keep it.


    ¡°Since it¡¯s grasshoppers, they fly, don¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°They do fly pretty well. It will probably try to bite Kosuke, so try not to get caught in it.¡±


    ¡°I see. I wonder what I should do. Assuming the weapon is a light machine gun with a mount¡­¡±


    After about 30 minutes of trial and error, I finally managed to build the interceptor base.


    ¡°Okay, like this.¡±


    What I created was a structure that looked like a bunker. The durability of the structure, made of strongly reinforced concrete blocks, was well guaranteed. The gun sight was built a little higher than semi-subterranean to accommodate flying grasshoppers. The gun sight is equipped with a 7.62mm light machine gun of the gunners¡¯ specifications.


    I thought about using a 12.7mm heavy machine gun, but I decided to use this one because it would be a big problem if a stray bullet hit Grande. The 12.7mm would be overkill considering the size of the grasshopper.


    ¡°I mean, are you sure you have protection against stray bullets?¡±


    ¡°That big one just now would be dangerous even for me, but this smaller one should be fine. Besides, I should be able to take care of them all, shouldn¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°I guess so.¡±


    Grande¡¯s smiling face reeks of a big flag, but I¡¯m going to let it pass. The town of Cur¨¦on is not entirely without defensive forces, so even if some leaks occur, it should be fine.


    ¡°By the way, Kosuke?¡±


    ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m hungry.¡±


    ¡°I see. Do you want a cheeseburger or pancakes?¡±


    ¡°Both.¡±


    ¡°OK.¡±


    Before the battle, we decided to have a light meal at a table and chairs outside the interception base. I only had the cheeseburger, but Grande said she would have both. Since I had to pull her out today for my convenience, I had to eat her hearty meal.


    ¡°Munch munch¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t rush; I won¡¯t take it.¡±


    ¡°But it tastes good with a mouth full of food.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. It makes me happy.¡±


    I wipe Grande¡¯s mouth with a napkin as I nod my head in agreement. Grande seems to think that pancakes are dessert, and so she starts with the cheeseburger, which she munches on. She eats it with such relish.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    ¡°What is this¡­?¡±


    ¡°You are¡­? What are you thinking, eating carefree in a place like this?¡±


    As Grande finished her cheeseburger and began to attack the pancakes, a group of soldiers, or guards, perhaps from the town of Cur¨¦on? A few armed men visited us at the interception base I had constructed. They were puzzled to see us eating at a table set up right next to a bunker made of construction materials they had never seen before.


    ¡°You sent a request for help to Gleiseburg, didn¡¯t you? We¡¯re like an advance party sent by them. Just the two of us.¡±


    ¡°Just the two of you¡­? The Liberation Army is abandoning the town of Cur¨¦on!¡±


    A soldier shouts, distraught when he hears what I¡¯m saying. He¡¯s wearing good armor. Maybe he is a big shot in the town of Cur¨¦on.


    ¡°If that¡¯s their intention, they won¡¯t send us. I told you, we¡¯re the advanced team. The follow-up party will be here shortly. Until then, we¡¯ll take care of the grasshoppers.¡±


    ¡°Ridiculous! What can you do with just the two of you? And that girl is only a child, isn¡¯t she?¡±


    ¡°Hmm. It is true that I look very small.¡±


    Nodding at the soldier¡¯s words, Grande uses her fork to cut the pancake into bite-sized pieces and brings them to her mouth. I¡¯m amazed at how dexterously she uses the fork with those big clawed hands of hers.


    ¡°She may look small, but she is a dragon. If you speak to her rudely, the Dragonis mountain kingdom or the lizardmen who believe in dragons will get really angry, so you should be careful what you say to her. Though she is so gentle that she rarely resorts to violence.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right¡­¡±


    From Grande¡¯s point of view, most of the human race is insignificant, and she doesn¡¯t need to worry about them. She doesn¡¯t even care if they bark at her a little.


    ¡°No, that is, however¡­¡±


    A soldier in good armor or a knight? At any rate, let me at least introduce myself.


    ¡°I belong to the Liberation Army¡­ I don¡¯t have an official position or title, I think?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t think I have one. Well, I¡¯m Kosuke, who probably belongs to the higher ranks of the Liberation Army. This is Grande. She is a humanized Grand Dragon.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my name is Grande. I am not surprised that you don¡¯t believe me since I have become so much smaller. However, I don¡¯t care in the slightest if you don¡¯t believe me, so do as you please.¡±


    ¡°U-umu¡­ I am Brennan, captain of the Cur¨¦onian Guard. The two men behind me are my subordinates, Hugh and Tellus.¡±


    ¡°Hugh.¡±


    ¡°Tellus.¡±


    The knight with the handlebar mustache is Captain Brennan, the mild-mannered spearman is Hugh, and the sharp-eyed shield-bearer is Tellus.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to exterminate the grasshoppers now. What about you three?¡±


    ¡°Now? Just the two of you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m in charge of shutting down the leaks that are trying to head for the town of Cur¨¦on. Basically, Grande will do it alone.¡±


    ¡°¡±¡±???¡±¡±¡±


    The three of them were incredibly confused by my explanation. Well, yes. It is understandable. If I were in their shoes, I would think the same way. But it¡¯s the most efficient way to do it, so there¡¯s nothing I can do. I was told not to blow it up with a magic sparkling stone bomb, after all.


    ¡°Well, what do you think would be best for them?¡±


    ¡°Nothing much. We¡¯ll just do what we have to do. They were the ones who asked for our help in the first place, weren¡¯t they? Then I don¡¯t think we should be dictated to by them, no matter what we do.¡±


    ¡°I see. Well, that¡¯s that then.¡±


    ¡°Umu, I¡¯m off.¡±


    After wiping her mouth covered with whipped cream, Grande spread her dragon wings and flew off toward the forest. I watched her go and then opened the heavy iron door that I had set up on the bunker.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to get ready to intercept, so I think it¡¯s best if you all go back to town.¡±


    ¡°N-no, wait!¡±


    ¡°No, I won¡¯t wait. I¡¯m sorry, but this bunker is for one person only.¡±


    With that said, I shut the door and locked it. The truth is, there is room for four people, including me, but it would be a disaster if they were to attack me from behind when I was concentrating on intercepting the grasshoppers. I¡¯m going to be very determined to keep them out.


    They may have no reason to attack me, but they may be blinded by the power of the light machine gun I use, or they may try to use me as a hostage to get Grande to do whatever they want. It is impossible to trust them at this point.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s do it.¡±


    I set up a subhuman-spec light machine gun with a heavy barrel made of black steel on the gun rack and sent the first round into the chamber. I hope Grande does well.

 CH 238

    Chapter 238 ¨C Ground Crushing


    I sent the first round into the light machine gun, and within a minute, something strange happened in the forest ahead. No, the ground began to shake before that. Was it an earthquake? While I thought that, the forest began to wriggle. As if it was breathing, it repeatedly rose and fell, making rumbling noises, and then suddenly, it exploded.


    No, ¡°exploded¡± is not an accurate description. Numerous earth-colored thorns poked out of the vast forest-like chestnuts or something. What in the world was going on? Although I am sure that this is Grande¡¯s work, but¡­ could it be that each and every one of those countless thorns is being pierced by the Gluttonous Grasshopper?


    As I tilt my head, the earth-colored thorns begin to crumble, and the forest begins to wriggle, making noise again. If there is a swarm of Gluttonous Grasshoppers in that forest, it is hard to believe that they would stay quiet in the midst of all that commotion, but not a single one of them flew in. Did Grande finish them off with a single blow?


    After observing the wriggling forest for a while, the door to the bunker¡¯s entrance started banging.


    ¡°Hey! Open up! What the hell is going on!¡±


    ¡°What a noisy guy¡­¡±


    I clicked my tongue loudly in my mind. You see, I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on. I don¡¯t know any more than what I¡¯ve seen.


    ¡°Hey! Are you sure the little girl from earlier is safe? You didn¡¯t leave her to die hiding in a safe place like this, did you?¡±


    Ah, I see¡­ Do you think I let Grande run into the grasshoppers and self-destruct? I thought I explained that Grande was a dragon, but I guess it¡¯s not so easy to believe that.


    ¡°I can only tell what¡¯s going on as I see it! But I think Grande is safe!¡±


    ¡°You think¡­?¡±


    ¡°If she¡¯s not, I¡¯ll be the one to clean up the mess. Until Grande comes back, I can¡¯t let my guard down for even a second! So shut up and go back to town or else! Sorry to say this, but you¡¯re in my way!¡±


    I yell back at the man outside the door, who is still trying to say something, and glare through the sights of my light machine gun at the forest that continues to wriggle. I believe that Grande is safe, but in any case, I have agreed with Grande to take care of it in the event that she fails to do so. No matter how worried I am, there is no way I can break that rule.


    Ten minutes passed as I thought about this, then fifteen minutes passed¡­ and the wriggling in the forest subsided. The Gluttonous Grasshoppers had damaged more than half of the trees, and a small shadow leaped into the sky from the balding forest. Naturally, I aimed at the shadow, then quickly took it out of my sights. I immediately recognized it as a small figure with dragon wings.


    I stowed the light machine gun mount in my inventory and walked out of the bunker carrying the light machine gun, which was now heavier due to its heavy barrel.


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    Outside the door, the handlebar mustache knight¨DCaptain Brennan, and his subordinates, Hugh the Spearman and Tellus the Shieldman, are standing in wait. They glared at each other somewhat.


    ¡°Are you finished?¡±


    ¡°Looks like it. I saw Grande leaping out of the forest. Right away¨D¨D¡±


    Boom! And something fell nearby with a cloud of dust and smoke. I knew exactly what had fallen.


    ¡°It looks like you¡¯re back.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m done. It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve done anything like this, and I¡¯ve overdone it.¡±


    Saying this, Grande shook herself and swept away the dirt from her body. Strangely enough, even the dirt-stained clothes became clean. For the Grand Dragon, who is skilled in using earth magic, it seems that dirt is not considered a kind of stain.


    After confirming her appearance, I put the light machine gun I was carrying on my shoulder into my inventory.


    ¡°It was a flashy move. Are they all dead?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I did not miss a thing. Or rather, I overdid it. I made a mess of the forest. It took me longer to clear the forest than it did to get rid of them.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ Well done. Thank you, Grande.¡±


    ¡°Mufufu, it¡¯s no problem for me. You can rely on me as much as you want for this kind of thing. It felt good to use magic with all my might after a while.¡±


    I patted Grande¡¯s head as she walked up to me, and she rubbed her cheek or head against my chest, giggling. This time I wore leather armor because I might be in a battle, which was a good thing. If I had not been wearing leather armor, I might have fainted from the horns that were rubbing against me.


    ¡°What did you do with the dead grasshopper?¡±


    ¡°I buried them all in the forest ground when I cleared it. They¡¯ll make good nourishment.¡±


    ¡°I see. That¡¯s very thorough.¡±


    ¡°Right, right.¡±


    Captain Brennan and the others were listening to this exchange between Grande and me with indescribable subtle expressions on their faces. I guess they were having trouble understanding what was happening and didn¡¯t know what to make of it.


    ¡°The grasshopper threat seems to have passed, but we need to check, don¡¯t we? Grande confirmed it over there, but we need confirmation over there, too.¡±


    ¡°U-umu. That¡¯s true¡­ um, really¨Dno, it¡¯s nothing. I don¡¯t think anyone could have gotten caught up in that.¡±


    Did you really take care of everything? He was about to ask but then reconsidered. Certainly, countless thorns popped up from all over that large forest. What if that magic had been unleashed in the city of Cur¨¦on? It would be wide-area annihilation magic that would annihilate countless Gluttonous Grasshoppers with a single blow. The town of Cur¨¦on might suffer the same fate as those Gluttonous Grasshoppers. In other words, it would be very dangerous for them to offend us.


    ¡°We¡¯ll send someone from here to investigate. You¨Dno, do you both want to go to after this¡­?¡± [T/n: He used Omae first, then changed it to Anatatachi.]


    ¡°The army will be arriving here shortly, so I will set up some quarters around here. Is that all right with you?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s fine, but¡­ quarters?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. You know how quickly I built this thing, right?¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ Is there anything you need?¡±


    ¡°Nothing in particular. The military will be accompanied by civil servants and Adol clergy from the new Merinard kingdom, so they will be in charge of the paperwork. Grande and I are in charge of solving the problems of the new Merinard kingdom. Oh, but if there are any food, condiments, or specialties in the town of Cur¨¦on, I¡¯d like to buy them, personally.¡±


    Captain Brennan made a strange face at my offer. After having made up his mind to offer me something, he might have been taken aback by my offer to buy some delicious local specialties.


    ¡°How should I put it? You are a strange man, Kosuke-dono.¡±


    ¡°I suppose that¡¯s true. In all the world, Kosuke is the only person who has a dragon like me in his service.¡±


    ¡°Grande, you and I are not master and servant. We are equal partners.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah, that¡¯s right. Mufufu.¡±


    Grande hugged my waist with just the right amount of force. Hahaha, you cute little fellow.


    ¡°Ah¡­ we¡¯re returning to the city to report and prepare for the next meeting.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, be careful. It¡¯s just around the corner.¡±


    With a wave of my hand, I saw Captain Brennan and his group off. Then, when the back of the group had faded away, I put my hands on both of Grande¡¯s cheeks and made her look up.


    ¡°Mnh-mnh?¡±


    ¡°Are you hurt? Is there anything wrong with your body?¡±


    ¡°What, are you worried about me? There is no problem at all. In fact, it¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve been able to use all the magic I can muster, and my body feels great.¡±


    ¡°I see. I¡¯m glad to hear that, but¡­ don¡¯t overdo it, okay?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. You worry too much, you know.¡±


    Grande says this in a teasing tone, but she looks kind of happy. Of course, it¡¯s natural to be concerned about such a small body that has unleashed such great magic that you don¡¯t really understand.


    Finally, I patted Grande¡¯s head.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll quickly build an encampment, or rather a lodging house, for Danan and the rest of the group to stay.¡±


    ¡°Yes. And a place for me to sleep.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Maybe I should remodel or rebuild this bunker¡­¡±


    If I furnish the interior, it will be livable enough, but if I add a bath or something, it will be a major renovation¡­ Then I think it would be quicker to destroy it and build the usual accommodations on high stilts.


    ¡°Anyway, should we report this to Danan?¡±


    ¡°I guess so.¡±


    I pulled the golem communicator out of my inventory. Danan and the others should have no problem reaching me at this distance. I reported the eradication of the Gluttonous Grasshoppers and checked the number of personnel coming this way. It would be better to build the quarters after that, so there would be no waste.

 CH 239

    Chapter 239 ¨C Here Comes the Urgent News!


    Two days have passed since I reported the completion of the extermination of the Gluttonous Grasshoppers to Danan and the others in Gleiseburg using the golem communicator. They said they needed to make various preparations to move from Gleiseburg, so they would not be able to leave immediately.


    After I had finished the construction of the quarters on the same day that we exterminated the Gluttonous Grasshoppers, Grande and I were left to wait in the town of Cur¨¦on. We thought of returning to Gleiseburg quickly, but the town of Cur¨¦on was originally planned to be the next place to visit after Gleiseburg.


    Even if we returned to Gleiseburg, we would have to come back again, so it would be a waste of time to go back. So Grande and I were alone, napping, walking, going out to the town of Cur¨¦on, and flirting at night, waiting for Danan, Ellen, and the others to arrive.


    ¡°Mmm, so elegant.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s so warm and wonderful.¡±


    Grande wanted to soak up the sun, so I extended the stilt house a bit to create a much larger sunroom, which was much warmer than I expected. Although it will soon be winter, the inside of the sunroom is as warm as early summer. After much trial and error, I found that the double-layered glass in the sunroom dramatically improves thermal insulation.


    ¡°I mean, it¡¯s like getting sunburned.¡±


    It¡¯s so hot, so I¡¯m wearing just my underpants. Grande, who was sitting next to me in the sun, was completely naked. I thought it was a bit strange to be completely naked in the light of day, but since this is a sunroom in the stilt house, no one would see us unless they were flying. And since we were outside the town of Cur¨¦on, there were no people, to begin with. There was no problem.


    ¡°Human skin is fragile.¡±


    Saying that, Grande poked me on my breastplate with her big nails. Stop it. You¡¯re making me tingle.


    ¡°Maybe I should put some sunscreen on.¡±


    ¡°Put on sunscreen?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a medicine to stop you from getting burned by the sun.¡±


    I had made it beforehand when I decided to build the sunroom. It was predictable that I would have to accompany Grande in the sun. I made it on the mixing table from some herbs.


    ¡°It¡¯s very thick.¡±


    ¡°It is a medicine to be applied to the skin. Apply this all over the body¡­ Ugh, crap.¡±


    I apply sunscreen that has a gel or oil-like texture. But it¡¯s hard to apply on the back. I glance at Grande, who is looking at me.


    ¡°I could try to apply it, but I¡¯m afraid your soft skin would be covered in nail marks.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    I did my best to apply it all myself.


    ¡°Next up is me.¡±


    ¡°You want to apply it?¡±


    ¡°Since it¡¯s a good opportunity. Here.¡±


    Saying this, Grande opened her hands. Grande¡¯s arms and legs are like those of a dragon from the elbows to the knees, but other than that, she is almost the same as a human being. And now Grande is completely naked. Fully open.


    ¡°You mean me?¡±


    ¡°Of course. I can¡¯t apply it with my own hands, after all.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    The sunscreen dripped onto Grande¡¯s beautiful, blemish-free skin, and I applied it with my hands.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ It¡¯s cold.¡±


    ¡°Only at first.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Here, now is not the time to be shy, is it? Go on, then.¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    Grande smirks as she makes me apply the sunscreen. What¡¯s that? Is she trying to provoke me? If so, I¡¯ve got an idea¨D¨D.


    ¡°Kosuke? There¨D¨D¡±


    At that moment, the door opened with a bang, and Ellen peeked into the sunroom. She looked at Grande, who was completely naked, and at me, who was smearing an unidentifiable slimy liquid on Grande¡¯s naked body. Me, in my underpants. I am a healthy male, by the way. In other words, you see? Well, that¡¯s what I mean.


    ¡°¡­Ara ara.¡±


    ¡°¡­Well.¡±


    ¡°¡­Hmm.¡±


    Ellen has a pasted-on smile, and Amalie-san and Bertha-san, who peeked out from behind her, each give me the same kind of smile. Now, what¡¯s going on?


    ¡°¡­How about the three of you joining us and basking in the sun?¡±


    ¡°And do you want the three of us to be coated in that obscene mucus, too? You pervert.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just reacting in a healthy way. Or rather, that¡¯s the kind of relationship I have with Grande, and I¡¯m not sure how I can be blamed for this.¡±


    I¡¯m not the only one who¡¯s been told to do this. On the other hand, I am not so inexperienced as to be upset by something like this.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. If you envy me, why don¡¯t you join me?¡±


    ¡°Wha-¡­!?¡±


    Ellen¡¯s face turned red, and she looked up, perhaps not expecting my rebuttal and Grande¡¯s covering fire. However, she held her ground and recovered.


    ¡°You should have a sense of modesty. Such obscenity in the daylight¨D¨D¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it written in your scriptures, ¡°Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth?¡± Besides, there is no day or night to nurture affection with your spouse.¡±


    ¡°Kuh¡­!?¡±


    In fact, Grande, who has a lot of free time on her hands, is quite a voracious reader. She borrows books from Isla and Melty and reads a variety of books. She is an omnivore and does not choose the books she reads, but it seems that she also reads Adol scriptures.


    ¡°H-hmm¡­ It¡¯s a little embarrassing, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s a good thing.¡±


    Amalie-san and Bertha-san retreated toward the living room, saying so, perhaps sensing the flagging of the situation. They were going to take off their clothes over there.


    ¡°Uu¡­ uugh©`©`!¡±


    Ellen also retreated from the sunroom with a red face. Phew, I won, didn¡¯t I?


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    ¡°You look tired this morning.¡±


    I¡¯m alone. On the other side, there are four of them. One of them was a physical freak, and the other three were miracle users of recovery. It was only natural that I would be exhausted. But I had no regrets. I decided to open myself up.


    ¡°Hahaha¡­ things happened.¡±


    The next morning. I met with Danan in the conference room I had set up in the quarters. Yesterday, I locked myself and Ellen and the others up in our accommodations right after their arrival. I was worried that I might have caused some trouble.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not going to get too deep into it¡­ but it helped me a lot. I thank you.¡±


    ¡°About the accommodations? Well, then¨D¨D¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s about the town of Cur¨¦on. The town of Cur¨¦on was originally aligned with Gleiseburg and didn¡¯t seem very friendly toward us, but when I contacted them yesterday, it was like they had totally surrendered.¡±


    ¡°Total surrender?¡±


    I asked, and Danan nodded grimly.


    ¡°Yeah. There was no way they could go up against the new Merinard Kingdom and the Liberation Army, which had just destroyed a bunch of Gluttonous Grasshoppers with a single blow, and had built up such a complex in the blink of an eye¨Din other words, these quarters. Thanks to Kosuke and Grande¡¯s demonstration of power, they have been obedient from the start, and we¡¯ve made a lot of progress.¡±


    ¡°I see. Well, is this what you had in mind?¡±


    This expedition with Ellen and me was a milestone in the process of raising the prestige of the new Merinard kingdom and pacifying the country. The fact that we were able to bring the town of Cur¨¦on under our control without a single battle was a good result.


    ¡°I guess so. The grasshopper commotion was an unexpected occurrence, but it will ultimately enhance the reputation of the new Merinard Kingdom. Only two people, Kosuke and Grande, were actually involved, but the town of Cur¨¦on now knows that the new Merinard Kingdom can deploy the two of you quickly to the target, if necessary.¡±


    ¡°And word would spread.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the way it is. The further away you go, the less accurate the information will be, but it will increase the prestige of the new Merinard kingdom. And the number of towns and villages that will submit to us will increase.¡±


    ¡°I see. Then, I will pursue the matter further.¡±


    ¡°That would be good.¡±


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    The town of Cur¨¦on has completely submitted to the new Merinard Kingdom. Well, it is a given that all the cities and towns will follow the new Merinard Kingdom, as we are not the only ones who are working on pacifying the territory of the Merinard Kingdom.


    The southern part of the Merinard Kingdom south of Erichburg was already under the control of the Liberation Army long ago, and north of Erichburg, the forts along the route to Merinesburg had been destroyed across the board, and all the towns had also fallen.


    In addition, the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army stationed in Merinesburg was completely wiped out, and the subjugation force dispatched from the Holy Kingdom¡¯s home country was also destroyed. In effect, there is no force within the Kingdom of Merinard that can oppose the Liberation Army in a military sense. There may be remnants of the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army, but we have a written order to withdraw issued by the general who led the expeditionary force or whatever.


    If they don¡¯t obey, they will be destroyed¡­ and most of them will choose the path of surrender. There will be those who will fight rather than surrender, but they will suffer the same fate as a certain priest or bishop in Gleiseburg.


    ¡°The human race is troublesome.¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. The human race is different from dragons, who can hunt their prey whenever they want and make their beds wherever they want to live. Human beings are weak on their own, so they gather together and join forces. In this way, factions are formed. If more than one faction is formed, conflicts will arise because of the interests of the factions.¡±


    ¡°It would be better if everyone could unite as one group.¡±


    ¡°But it won¡¯t work out that way. In the end, the person who wants to be the leader of the group will come out and form a faction.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s bothersome.¡±


    Grande let out a loud sigh as if she was sincerely annoyed.


    ¡°It¡¯s quite a surreal sight to see a visitor and a dragon discussing the social system of the human race.¡±


    ¡°Visitors and dragons are among the most popular of all fairy tale characters, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°Though I don¡¯t think this scene would be popular even if it were made into a picture book.¡±


    Ellen and others are saying whatever they want as they watch Grande and I lie side by side on the thick carpet. I¡¯m just taking it easy and relaxing because most of the things to do in the town of Cur¨¦on are done.


    Perhaps due to spending the last few days with Grande, who is unrestrained in many ways, a kind of firmness seems to have been removed from Ellen and the others, though only somewhat. They used to wear their priest¡¯s robes in the morning, noon, and night, but now they are relaxing at the table in much more casual attire. Though, they don¡¯t seem to be lying on the carpet like this.


    ¡°It¡¯s not polite to lie on the floor.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a cultural difference. In my country, it was normal to take off shoes in the house and sit or lie down on the floor with a rug.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good culture. For me, the way things are done in Kosuke¡¯s country is better suited.¡±


    Grande, with her wings dexterously folded, rolls over and snuggles up to me. Grande has a tail, and perhaps because of her nature, she doesn¡¯t like to sit on chairs. Grande seems to be very comfortable with this Japanese way of relaxing.


    Perhaps feeling jealous of Grande and me cuddling together like that, Ellen took off her shoes and stepped up onto the carpet. Then, she gradually lay down on my back and snuggled up to me.


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t I misbehaving?¡±


    ¡°Mmm¡­ It¡¯s fine.¡±


    I am pleased and fine with my back. I have no complaints.


    I was leading an exquisite life, working during the day and coming back to this stilt house to relax when the sun began to set, when I received a call from Sylphy from Merinesburg.


    An envoy from the Empire had come to Merinesburg, and she wanted me to come back.

 CH 240

    Chapter 240 ¨C At Last Your Time Has Come


    ¡°Messenger from the Empire, huh¡­? What do you think?¡±


    I asked Ellen after finishing the communication with Sylphy. Ellen, who was listening to the communication, already had a difficult expression on her face.


    ¡°It¡¯s too early, isn¡¯t it? The distance between the two countries is so great that it would take several months or even half a year for the situation in the Merinard Kingdom to reach the empire across the Holy Kingdoms. Moreover, the information would be uncertain over such a long period and distance¡­¡±


    ¡°If the information is passed on to the other side, and then a delegation is organized and sent to the Kingdom of Merinard¡­ no matter how you look at it, the calculations don¡¯t add up.¡±


    It has only been about a month since the Liberation Army took over Merinesburg and repelled the subjugation force from the Holy Kingdom. Even if we are talking about since the occupation of Erichburg, it shouldn¡¯t have been more than half a year.


    ¡°That would be the case. But¡­¡±


    ¡°But?¡±


    ¡°Because what the empire does is unpredictable. At first glance, what seems to be a useless and meaningless action may turn out to be a milestone later on, even though that action should have destroyed the other party¡¯s intention and caused them to fail.¡±


    ¡°I see. That means that you have to go there and meet the messenger before you can start, or is it just a waste of time to think about it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±


    I understand well. And.


    ¡°I will return to Merinesburg with Grande, but¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to say that I¡¯m going back with you¡­ but I can¡¯t just leave this to Danan-sama alone.¡±


    ¡°You also need to organize the Adol religion side, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes. We will stay here.¡±


    Ellen looked toward Amalie-san and Bertha-san as she said this, and Amalie-san and Bertha-san nodded as well.


    ¡°I¡¯m just supposed to carry Kosuke, right?¡±


    ¡°Can you do that for me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s no problem. Do you want to fly right away?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll tell Danan first. If we fly right now, Danan and the others will run dry.¡±


    Although we are using air boards to carry a certain amount of supplies, the amount I have is far greater than that. I had built a warehouse and accumulated supplies when I was working in Gleiseburg, but it would be better to check with Danan.


    ¡°You should do that. It would be laughable if we, who are working to pacify the country, were stranded due to financial and food shortages.¡±


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    After the meeting with Danan, I put food, weapons, arrowheads, ammunition, and other supplies into some newly built warehouses and gave the office staff some cash and other funds for activities, such as gemstones and mithril, and I flew with Grande to Merinesburg. Ms. Zamir tried to follow me, but I asked her to stay behind to escort Ellen and the others. There would be plenty of security back there.


    However, the air board is a high-speed vehicle, but it is no match for the flying Grande. She can fly at high speed, ignoring all kinds of terrain.


    I would like to make something like an airplane someday. Since there is a propulsion system that uses wind magic, I just need to figure out how to secure buoyancy. I think it would be better to use magic.


    Hmm¡­ should I start developing an airship, a staple of fantasy? I don¡¯t think I can make a large airship with my crafting ability¡­ Should I aim to develop a special workbench for making large vehicles?


    While I was thinking about these things, Merinesburg came into view. Eh? Don¡¯t you think about the messenger, you say? It is no use for me to think about those who Ellen has told me it¡¯s useless to think about. All I know about the empire is that it is a multiethnic nation at war with the Holy Kingdom.


    To be honest, I wasn¡¯t interested in a country that was a few months away, even if I went through the Holy Kingdom.


    ¡°Kosuke, we¡¯ll be going down.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Be careful.¡±


    ¡°Umu, leave it to me.¡±


    Grande begins her descent. Hmm, I really can¡¯t get used to this visceral creepy feeling when descending. I guess it wouldn¡¯t be like this if we were gradually decreasing altitude toward our destination instead of plummeting after reaching it. I¡¯ll suggest this to Grande next time.


    Grande landed in the courtyard of the royal castle in Merinesburg. The reason no one blamed us was probably because they knew it was Grande that flew in. Should we have an air defense system in place for the future? Is it too early to say? Let¡¯s just say that we should proceed with the development of anti-aircraft machine guns and autocannons. I¡¯ll also suggest it to the Research and Development Department.


    ¡°Thank you, Grande.¡±


    ¡°This much is nothing. But if you give me something, I¡¯ll take it.¡±


    ¡°What would you like? Well, here it is.¡±


    I put a candy ball in Grande¡¯s little mouth, kneaded with the nectar used to make elvish mead. Hey, don¡¯t nibble on it.


    ¡°It¡¯s crunchy.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not for eating. You roll it around in your mouth and lick it.¡±


    ¡°Give me another one.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes.¡±


    She opened her mouth, and I threw another one into her mouth. I told her not to gobble it down, didn¡¯t I? As I was fooling around with Grande on my way to the office where Sylphy was probably staying, Melty appeared from around the corner.


    ¡°Hieee¡­¡±


    ¡°Hyii¡­¡±


    She had a huge smile on her face. She is smiling, but she is overflowing with fighting spirit or anger. Eh? Eh? What? Melty, are you mad at me? I didn¡¯t do anything wrong, and neither did Grande! We¡¯re not the bad guys!


    ¡°Welcome back.¡±


    ¡°O-oh¡­ What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°Follow me, and you¡¯ll see.¡±


    I¡¯m afraid of Melty¡¯s fixated smile. Even the words she speaks seem to have a different atmosphere than usual. How should I put it? I can clearly see that she is desperately trying to hold something back. The frightened Grande hides behind my back, desperately clinging to my body. Even her tail is tangled around my legs. I know she¡¯s scared, but I can¡¯t move either, so let go of me.


    I follow behind Melty, who is overflowing with anger, dragging the frightened Grande along with me. We seem to be heading for the reception room¡­ but I¡¯ve witnessed people walking in our path many times, their faces contorted and sticking to the walls, or suddenly turning back or taking refuge in the closest room. And then they turn to me with a look that says, ¡°What did you do?¡± I didn¡¯t do anything. I¡¯m innocent. So stop looking at me like you are looking at a poor thing. I¡¯m glad you¡¯re wishing me well, but I¡¯m kind of confused. It¡¯s not my fault! I¡¯m innocent!


    ¡°Over here.¡±


    With a smile on her face, Melty knocked on the door, and I heard Sylphy¡¯s voice from inside saying, ¡°Come in.¡± It wasn¡¯t her usual voice. It was a low voice with an absurdly menacing atmosphere.


    Eh? Seriously, what is it? Melty said, ¡°Excuse me,¡± and then opened the door and urged me to go in with that smile on her face. I don¡¯t want to go in because I¡¯m very scared, but I¡¯m also afraid of what will happen if I run away here, so I¡¯m determined to go in.


    I enter the reception room, see one of them in there, take a pump shotgun from my shortcut, do a quick pump action, and load the first round into the chamber.


    ¡°At last, your time has come.¡±


    I¡¯ll never forget it. I¡¯ll never forget that look.


    ¡°Oops, I¡¯m an official member of the Varyag Empire¡¯s delegation now. I know how powerful that thing is, but pointing it at me will get you in all sorts of trouble.¡±


    He says this to me before I point the muzzle of my gun at him and stop my hand. He raises his hands and smiles at me, a fox-faced son of a bitch in the truest sense of the word.


    I could see why Melty and Sylphy were so angry on top of all this. I didn¡¯t notice it because my eyes were on Sylphy and the fucking foxes first, but Isla and Sir Leonard were also in this reception room. Both of them are calm and expressionless on the surface, but they exude uncontrollable anger and hostility.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, Kosuke. I¡¯m glad to see you¡¯re doing well.¡±


    ¡°What the hell are you talking about, you fucking fox?¡±


    I spat at Qubi, who was still smiling despite all the hostility and anger he was receiving from us.

 CH 241

    Chapter 241 ¨C It¡¯s Impossible to Ask for Forgiveness


    ¡°¡­You are quite hated, Qubi-kun.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s unavoidable, given the nature of my mission.¡±


    I feel like complaining to the Marquis Isoth for forcing me to take you on.¡±


    The elf man sitting next to Qubi rubbed the crease between his eyebrows as if he was enduring a headache.


    ¡°Er, the situation is that Her Majesty Queen Sylphiel¨D¨D¡±


    ¡°I have not yet officially taken over the throne.¡±


    ¡°Pardon me for this. I have heard this, Your Highness the Princess. I have heard¡­ Yes, well, unfortunately, even for us, we can¡¯t offer him to you for friendship and a handshake.¡±


    The elf man says this and smiles a slightly twitchy smile. He¡¯s such¨DHe¡¯s a he, isn¡¯t he? I observed him. He is an elf man dressed in the tight-fitting clothes of an aristocrat. He looks like a young man to me, but he is an elf, so he must be older than I am. Many of the elves in the Black Forest have light-colored hair, but this elf man¡¯s hair is dark brown. His skin color is also slightly yellow. I guess they are the same elves but from a different tribe than the elves of the Black Forest.


    ¡°Oops, excuse me for the late introduction. My name is Kirilovich, and I am here in the kingdom of Merinard as a diplomat of the Varyag Empire¡­¡±


    After saying this, Kirilovich glanced for a moment at Qubi, who was sitting beside him and at Sylphy, who was still wearing a severe expression.


    ¡°As you can see, the situation is quite complicated, hahaha.¡±


    ¡°How can you laugh in this situation?¡±


    ¡°We have gathered a fair amount of information along the way, you know. There is no way we can resist in this situation against you who can unilaterally slaughter 20,000 of the Holy Kingdom¡¯s subjugation force. We can only laugh about it.¡±


    Kirilovich said cheerfully, without a trace of nervousness, and sipped from a teacup on the table.


    ¡°I would like to find a way to find a solution to the problem, but I am afraid that the discussion will not proceed without you, the person concerned, so I respectfully request Her Highness the Princess from the bottom of my heart to ask Kosuke-dono to come to the meeting. I am truly sorry to have asked you to come here, but under the circumstances, it would have been difficult for me to approach you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind that you called me here, but it¡¯s very difficult to find the right place to settle things. I¡¯d be happy to blow that damn fox¡¯s head off right now and be done with it, wouldn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Hahaha¡­ as I said before, I can¡¯t just give him to you and then shake your hand.¡±


    ¡°What do you really mean?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my job to build goodwill with the Kingdom of Merinard, which is also an enemy of the Holy Kingdom, and I¡¯d like to strangle this man who stands in the way of that and Marquis Isoth who forced this man on me with my own hands, hahaha.¡±


    He is smiling, but his eyes are serious. Kirilovich really didn¡¯t seem to know what Qubi had done to us, or rather to me, until he came here.


    ¡°How about we just pretend he was missing before anyone knew about it? Like, he arrived in Merinesburg, went out for a drink at night, and never came back.¡±


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t want to be held accountable for that.¡±


    When Kirilovich and I started talking seriously about how to deal with Qubi, Qubi raised his hands with a bitter smile on his face.


    ¡°All right, all right, I give up. I am not going to let you seriously erase me. I¡¯ll tell you everything I know, but please just spare my life.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you getting too carried away?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a death penalty.¡±


    ¡°Death penalty.¡±


    ¡°Death penalty, right?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a death penalty.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m very sorry.¡±


    Qubi lies down on the floor and shows his belly. Is this some kind of beastman¡¯s prostrate act?


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t the death penalty good enough?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see the sincerity from him.¡±


    ¡°He would just drop his pride and everything and at least beg for his life if push came to shove. As long as he still has his clothes on, he can still afford it.¡±


    ¡°Even if you see him completely naked, your eyes will only rot. No one benefits from it.¡±


    ¡°Although unofficial, I think it¡¯s quite appropriate to show a surrender gesture in front of the head of a country and a diplomat¡­?¡±


    Kirilovich is a bit taken aback by our reaction, but Melty is right; this guy would throw away his pride and get down on his knees or show his belly to survive. In the first place, a man who betrays his friends cannot be trusted. What is the value of kneeling on the ground or showing his belly?


    ¡°Kirilovich-sama, this man has committed the worst kind of betrayal against us. One wrong move, and we would have lost Kosuke. Kosuke is a visitor, but before that, he was Sylphiel-sama¡¯s spouse. When this man betrayed us, Sylphiel-sama and Kosuke were already in such a relationship. In other words, this man is equivalent to a bandit who kidnapped the royal consort of a country and sold him to an enemy country. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s unreasonable to expect us to pardon a man who committed such treachery with impunity?¡±


    Melty smiles at Kirilovich as she says this. Although she is smiling, her anger and magic power are leaking out in the form of a fighting spirit. I¡¯m fine with that anger because it¡¯s not directed at me, but I¡¯m sure Kirilovich, who is facing that anger, doesn¡¯t feel like he¡¯s alive.


    ¡°Ha-hahaha¡­¡±


    Kirilovich, staring at Melty, smiles vaguely and begins to sweat profusely. Don¡¯t do it too much, or he¡¯ll pass out, Melty.


    ¡°For now, let¡¯s get him to tell us why he did what he did. Explain it all. If we¡¯re going to execute him, we¡¯ll at least need to know his story.¡±


    ¡°He won¡¯t talk unless we guarantee his life, will he?¡±


    ¡°If so, I¡¯ll just kill him right now. The more he talks, the longer his life will be. Depending on the content of the story, I may spare his life. However, if the story turns out to be a lie, I will kill him immediately. If he runs away, I will definitely kill him, even if I have to chase him to the ends of the world.¡±


    Sylphy¡¯s eyes were serious. Isla¡¯s eye, nodding at the side, are serious, too. And also, what Isla has been playing with her hands since a while ago is a collar, isn¡¯t it? That looks like the one I was made to wear in the village after I came to this world and met Sylphy.


    ¡°Actually, what do you think of it, Kosuke?¡±


    ¡°Me? I¡¯m¡­ Hmm.¡±


    I don¡¯t know if I hate Qubi enough to want to kill him. I thought I was going to kill him while I was being kidnapped and boxed up by that guy, but then I got out of jail as soon as I was thrown in jail, and I met Lime and the others, and as a result, I met Ellen. If I had not been abducted by Qubi, I would not have met Ellen, I don¡¯t know if I would have had the same relationship with Melty as I do now, and I would not have met Grande.


    I guess some of my anger has faded with time, but¡­ well, I¡¯m pretty sure I felt like I wanted to kill this guy the moment I saw his face. Though I¡¯ve calmed down a bit now.


    I¡¯ve wondered about it since then. He could have killed me if he wanted to at that time, but he didn¡¯t. He went to the trouble of leaving me in the hands of the White Pig Bishop, who was the overseer of the Merinard Kingdom and let me slip through his fingers. What on earth did he want to do? I had always wondered.


    ¡°When I think about it calmly, it doesn¡¯t seem like enough to kill him.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯d like to trim all the hairs of his body, for that matter.¡±


    I took out a clipper that I had prepared for this occasion from my inventory and showed it to him. It is a spring-loaded manual hair clipper and can be used with one hand. Then, I saw Qubi, who was lying on his back and showing his belly, shivering and trembling.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ first, let¡¯s trim his fur before we listen to what he says.¡±


    ¡°First, let¡¯s mow the inconspicuous parts of his body. Whether or not we should trim the head, tail, and limbs depends on what he says.¡±


    ¡°Shall we go with that?¡±


    ¡°I guess so.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha. I¡¯ve got some clippers ready.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t resist, okay? I¡¯ll kill you if you try to resist. I¡¯m not as soft as Kosuke.¡±


    The fun, fun time of shearing began. Kirilovich was a bit surprised, but the deed was done.

 CH 242

    Chapter 242 ¨C Executing The Plan


    ¡°Would you rather have it mangled and bug-eaten here and there than neatly trimmed?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like that either, but I¡¯d rather not have my head shaved.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s adopt Leonard¡¯s suggestion.¡±


    After deciding on a policy, I stowed away the upper body clothes of Qubi, who was lying on his back and showing his belly, in my inventory and stripped his upper body naked.


    ¡°Eh.¡±


    Kirilovich, who saw the scene, shouted in surprise. As long as it is visible, I can put it in my inventory, even if it is worn by someone else. It doesn¡¯t have a long-range, but it¡¯s going to be useful in anti-personnel combat, I think. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll ever get into a situation where I¡¯ll need to use it, though.


    ¡°First, let¡¯s show him that we¡¯re serious.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Isla nodded at Sylphy¡¯s declaration and sounded the clippers. Perhaps because of Sylphy¡¯s words that if he resisted, he would be killed immediately, Qubi was shorn of the hair on his torso without resistance.


    ¡°So beastman has nipples, too?¡±


    ¡°Obviously they do¡­¡±


    Incidentally, Qubi, who has a more beast-like appearance, had two nipples. Well, it is only natural since the beastman woman, who also has a beast-like appearance, did not have multiple nipples like some animals. I was deeply moved by the fact that even a beastman like Qubi has a human base.


    ¡°Well, this is it for now¡­ come on, talk.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    The tension of Qubi, whose torso was shorn of all its fur, is the lowest I¡¯ve ever seen. His ears are flattened down, and his tail is slumped down, and¡­ no, I think it¡¯s slightly between his legs. Most importantly, his eyes are dead.


    Incidentally, Kirilovich has been silent for quite some time now, eyes down. It seems that his idea is to at least not look at it. I can¡¯t be silent when my own people are treated like this right in front of my eyes! I¡¯m glad he doesn¡¯t have such a reckless sense of justice. If he had said such a thing and started a riot, I don¡¯t know what Sylphy and the others would have done, not to mention Sir Leonard and me.


    No, it¡¯s not a good idea to mess with a foreign envoy, so I¡¯m not going to do it.


    ¡°First of all, I was a spy for the Varyag empire, to begin with. About ten years ago, I was sent by the Varyag Empire to the Kingdom of Merinard, which had become a vassal state of the Holy Kingdom. The purpose was to gather information and create a disruption in the rear.¡±


    ¡°And that is why you cooperated with us in our rebellion?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. But three years ago, right after the rebellion in Merinard, I received another order from the home country. It was a top-priority order. That was regarding Kosuke.¡±


    I tilted my head at Qubi¡¯s words. Three years ago was long before I came to this world. There is no way to predict my arrival at that point in time¡­ or is there in this world?


    ¡°Is it some kind of oracle or prophecy?¡±


    ¡°It is not only the saints of the Holy Kingdom and the elves of the Black Forest that can receive the words of gods and spirits. There are also saints and shrine maidens in the Varyag Empire.¡±


    I see. Qubi¡¯s words made sense to me.


    ¡°The specifics of the oracle were not given to me, but the instructions to me were simple and clear. Just throw the visitor who appears to the elves in the Black Forest into the prison in Merinesburg. The only condition was that the visitor¡¯s power must be reduced as much as possible. I thought that would be unexpectedly difficult and arduous¡­¡±


    ¡°So you made Kosuke empty out his inventory.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I didn¡¯t expect it to be that easy, so I was a little disappointed.¡±


    ¡°Kosuke, that¡¯s what he said.¡±


    ¡°Leave it alone.¡±


    I just wanted to see what would happen if I threw out all the non-perishable supplies I had stored up. I didn¡¯t expect to be beaten up, strangled, and kidnapped right after. Back then, I thought Qubi was one of my friends¡­ Oh, my anger voltage is rising again. Now I want to not only shear his fur but also beat him up.


    ¡°If you were a spy of the empire, it would make sense for you to have a magic tool for the transition when you escaped¡­ However, your movements were clearly in cooperation with the Holy Kingdoms. You are a spy of the empire and a beastman, and you are fleeing in the direction of the Holy Kingdom¡­ No, I see.¡±


    ¡°So naturally, there are also spies and informants in the Holy Kingdoms. However, I also inquired about it with Archbishop Deckard and High Priestess Katerina, but they didn¡¯t seem to know anything about you, did they?¡±


    ¡°Those two are the bigwigs of the nostalgic faction, aren¡¯t they? I relied on the bigwigs of the mainstream.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying the mainstream isn¡¯t monolithic?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°I see. But as a result, the Holy Kingdom created an enemy to the east, the Empire, and to the west, us. You don¡¯t know what the Holy Kingdom¡¯s insiders are after, do you?¡±


    ¡°That is true. And I don¡¯t understand about the mainstream.¡±


    The mainstream is, in other words, the side that oppresses the subhuman race. It doesn¡¯t make sense that they would be happy to see the kingdom of Merinard regain its former glory.


    ¡°I guess that means there are a lot of different kinds of mainstreamers. I don¡¯t know the details¨D¨D¡±


    Isla silently clipped the hair clippers.


    ¡°Which do you want next, your head or your tail?¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t know what I don¡¯t know¨D¨D¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go with the tail. Beastman take especially good care of their tails, after all.¡±


    Melty smiled and made the clippers jingle at high speed. Surely it¡¯s hard to think that he doesn¡¯t know about it here, isn¡¯t it?


    ¡°Wait, wait, even if I did know, there are things I don¡¯t need to know! I can assure you! There is nothing to be gained by knowing!¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a roundabout way of saying you know about it?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what I don¡¯t know! If I knew, I would have told you honestly! Forcing me to tell you would only be speculation, and listening to my speculation would only be noise!¡±


    ¡°Let me hear your guesses. We¡¯ll decide if it¡¯s right or wrong.¡±


    ¡°Mmm, talk.¡±


    ¡°It really is just a guess! I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s wrong or right!¡±


    Qubi began to talk while holding his own tail.


    ¡°You see, the man who is in on the inside is Cardinal Krone, the monster who sat in the Cardinal¡¯s chair when he was only thirty-four years old. He¡¯s a devoted scripturalist.¡±


    ¡°A scripturalist?¡±


    ¡°It means he values the contents of the Adol scriptures.¡±


    ¡°You mean, he somehow realized that the scriptures that the mainstream now values were heavily modified in the past?¡±


    ¡°So you think he¡¯s doing this and that on the inside with the empire? That¡¯s a bit unreasonable, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°The power of faith sometimes defies logic¡­¡±


    When I heard the conversation between Qubi and Isla, Sir Leonard and I looked at each other and tilted our heads. If that is the case, I have no idea what this Cardinal Krone guy is trying to do. Assuming that¡¯s the case, why doesn¡¯t he just switch sides and join the nostalgic faction? What¡¯s the point of moving secretly within the mainstream? I don¡¯t know.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I said it¡¯s nothing more than speculation and rather confusing¡­¡±


    Qubi mutters as he hugs his tail protectively. Do you really hate having your tail shorn that much?


    ¡°Well, I¡¯d like to ask you many other questions, but I can¡¯t think of any right now¡­. I¡¯ll spare you from getting your tail fur trimmed.¡±


    ¡°¡­..!¡±


    A glimmer of hope lights up in Qubi¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°That¡¯s only for us.¡±


    ¡°¡­Hmm?¡±


    The reception room door opens with a terrifying ¡°Giii¡­¡± sound. No, why is it making such a sound? It was almost silent when I came in earlier, wasn¡¯t it?


    ¡°But I wonder if the girls will forgive you?¡±


    ¡°¡±¡±Piyoo¡­¡±¡±¡±


    Beyond the door that opened, there were the Harpies with big smiles on their faces. All of them had the same scary smile on their faces.


    ¡°Hyiee¡­¡±


    ¡°You should know firsthand the gravity of what you¡¯ve done.¡±


    ¡°Gyaaaahhhh!?¡±


    An avalanche of Harpies rushes into Qubi.


    About an hour later, a man with all his fur cut off was displayed at the castle gates in Merinesburg. Around his neck was a wooden tag that read, ¡°I have betrayed my friends.¡± In addition, due to the desperate persuasion of Kirilovich and myself, the rope was tied around his torso, not his neck.

 CH 243

    Chapter 243 ¨C The Purpose of the Diplomatic Missions


    ¡°Now, Kirilovich-dono, I believe you told us that you traveled all the way to Merinard to establish friendship and goodwill with the Kingdom of Merinard.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that is correct.¡±


    In the reception room where Qubi was taken away by the Harpies, I proceeded to talk with Kirilovich. He looked very pale, but it must have been my imagination.


    ¡°Let¡¯s let bygones be bygones for now regarding the Varyag Empire¡¯s maneuvering against us. We both agree not to mention it to each other in the future, right?¡±


    ¡°Haha¡­ I¡¯d like to ask you to return him to me just in case. He¡¯s a personnel entrusted to me, after all.¡±


    ¡°I understand that. I promise not to kill him and give him back to you when the time is right.¡±


    ¡°It would be regrettable if he were to be rendered useless, so please be considerate of that as well.¡±


    ¡°I understand. So, you said that the purpose of your visit was to promote goodwill and friendship, but can you tell us what exactly you have in mind? There is a vast territory of the Holy Kingdom between the Kingdom of Merinard and the Varyag Empire and the Great Plains of Amagara, which is a disputed territory between the Holy Kingdom and the Varyag Empire. It would take about half a year to travel one way if one were to avoid these areas.¡±


    Sylphy¡¯s words made sense to me. This is a world where there are no large passenger planes that can fly long distances in a single day while carrying large amounts of luggage, or even trucks that travel overland. In this world, trade is either by horse-drawn carriage or by ship. However, there is no sea in the kingdom of Merinard. In other words, the means of trade are limited to foot or carriage. It would be difficult for countries at such a distance to trade directly with each other, and even if they exchanged information, it would take half a year for the information to reach them. It is hard to imagine that it would be easy to establish a friendship.


    Of course, if Grande¡¯s flight capabilities and air boards for transportation become widely used, this will not be the case, but for now, we do not intend to have Grande work for us to communicate with the Varyag Empire, nor can we afford to turn our air boards over to them, nor do we intend to provide them with any technology.


    ¡°For the time being, we are wondering if we could have a diplomat here in Merinesburg.¡±


    ¡°Diplomats? What will this diplomat be doing here in Merinesburg?¡±


    ¡°Basically, they will be in charge of collecting and analyzing information and communicating it to the home country. They are also in charge of passing on information brought by our country to you.¡±


    ¡°That would mean that it would be a secret agent placed in the open, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Some people call diplomats honorable spies. But there are advantages for you too, of course. We have very good eyes and ears.¡±


    ¡°¡­I see.¡±


    That would mean that information about the Holy Kingdom obtained by Varyag Empire intelligence could be passed on to us via diplomats.


    The Merinard Kingdom, which has excellent scouts, is sufficient to gather information on the front lines, but we have no way to gather information on the political and economic movements of the Holy Kingdom¡¯s home country. Even if we sent a secret spy, the main personnel of the Liberation Army, which forms the core of the Merinard Kingdom, are mostly subhumans. I think that eventually, the human personnel will increase, but I don¡¯t know how many years that will be, and it will take even longer to be able to obtain accurate and highly important information.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ what do you think?¡±


    ¡°Me? I¡¯m hardly a participant in these forums, and I¡¯m not sure I¡¯m the best person to give an opinion.¡±


    ¡°No problem, let¡¯s hear your honest opinion.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    I am not so sure that we actually need the eyes and ears of the Varyag Empire. Of course, such information would give us a great advantage in knowing the movements of the Holy Kingdom, but at least at the present time, we have enough power to rush in and destroy the enemy if they appear on the front line without such information.


    However, from a political and economic point of view, it is useful to secure a line with the Varyag Empire. They are a major power that divides its power in this continent along with the Holy Kingdoms. Naturally, they have great political influence internationally as well. The fact that a diplomat from such a large country is staying in the new Merinard Kingdom is proof that the new Merinard Kingdom is powerful enough for the Varyag Empire to decide that it is necessary to have a diplomat.


    This would be a factor that would make people from other countries who visited Merinesburg take notice of it. It would be a great help to the international recognition of the new Merinard Kingdom as a legitimate state, which the Liberation Army and its head, Sylphy, have re-established.


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s what I think. Therefore, I think we should be positive about the diplomat¡¯s stay.¡±


    ¡°I see. What about you, Melty?¡±


    ¡°I think Kosuke-san has pretty much said it all. In addition, I think it is necessary to show the Varyag Empire that we, or rather Kosuke-san, have power.¡±


    ¡°I think it is dangerous. It could provoke the Varyag Empire to abduct or assassinate him.¡±


    Sir Leonard is cautious about Melty¡¯s opinion. There is indeed a danger like that.


    ¡°We can deal with that by taking good care of our own personal security. For the time being, I, Grande-san, and Zamir-san should always be at Kosuke-san¡¯s side. Also, I think that it would be very difficult for assassination, let alone kidnapping.¡±


    ¡°What about the proven track record?¡±


    ¡°As long as Kosuke-san doesn¡¯t do anything to reveal all the contents, it should be fine.¡±


    ¡°I regret it.¡±


    As long as I didn¡¯t do what I did when I was kidnapped by Qubi before, which was to throw out all the weapons and materials, I should be able to manage. In fact, even then, I could have escaped with brick blocks, stone blocks, tools, and weapons.


    ¡°Um, speaking so blatantly in front of me, the diplomatic envoy, is¡­¡±


    ¡°¡±¡±Huh?¡±¡±¡±


    ¡°Nothing. Yes.¡±


    Wasn¡¯t it your shitty fox that did that? Kirilovich, who had been shot dead by the three women with eyes that said that raised both hands in total surrender. Pitiful.


    ¡°Kosuke has already said so, and we will positively consider accepting the diplomats. We can¡¯t make an immediate decision on the spot, so please wait a few days to hear back from us. In the meantime, we will make arrangements for your lodging and meals, so in the meantime, please relax in the castle and recover from your travels.¡±


    ¡°Yes, thank you for your kindness.¡±


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    The delegation from the Varyag Empire led by Kirilovich then stayed at a mansion located near the royal castle. The mansion was the residence of a nobleman of the Holy Kingdom who had fled in the night just before the Liberation Army invaded Merinesburg, and the property was seized after the Liberation Army occupied Merinesburg. Once it is decided to accept diplomats from the Varyag Empire, the mansion is scheduled to become an embassy as it is.


    Incidentally, the mansion¡¯s grounds are completely visible from the royal castle. In other words, if something were to happen, we could set up a cannon in the castle and bombard it with as much fire as we wanted. It might even be possible for the gunners to snipe with their rifles. Well, that doesn¡¯t matter now. It is not important.


    ¡°It¡¯s delicious, Kosuke-sama. Next time, please let me try your food.¡±


    ¡°Um¡­¡±


    I was invited to dinner by Seraphita-san since I hadn¡¯t been back in a while, and we were going to have a junk food party with food from my inventory, but¡­ Seraphita-san was clinging to me. What¡¯s going on? On top of being so blatantly clingy, she also spoiled me immensely. What is this? Why is this happening? What the hell am I supposed to do?


    ¡°She must have been lonely.¡±


    Grande said as she looked at us and ate her hamburger. Thanks for your calm opinion. But even if she was lonely, why was she doing this? I mean, there¡¯s something wrong with that.


    ¡°Mother¡­¡±


    ¡°Filthy.¡±


    ¡°Mother¡­?¡±


    ¡°Mother¡­¡±


    I hear envious voices, surprised murmurs, and dumbfounded blurts from the four Elven princess sisters, including Sylphy. There was one person who cursed at me, but I let it slide.


    ¡°Kosuke-san¡­¡±


    ¡°As expected.¡±


    I can understand Melty¡¯s twitchy smile, but I don¡¯t understand what Isla¡¯s ¡°as expected¡± means. What kind of thing is that?


    ¡°I think this kind of thing is all kinds of awkward.¡±


    When I said this to Seraphita-san, who was clinging to me tightly and pampering me, she had tears in her eyes.


    ¡°You don¡¯t like it?¡±


    She said something like that.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not that I dislike it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s glad to hear.¡±


    Seraphita-san pulled back her tears and gave me a radiant smile. Haha, you can curse my weak will as much as you want. But this is impossible. A man who could push her away with this would have to be a very cold-blooded man or something.


    ¡°What in the world is going on here¡­?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re the ones who want to know.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not using some kind of dubious drug, are you?¡±


    ¡°I swear to Heaven, Earth, and God, I¡¯m not.¡±


    I think this requires full-fledged counseling. No matter how much my achievement is working, this is crazy. I don¡¯t know Seraphita-san in-depth, but I don¡¯t think she is the kind of person who behaves like this without any consideration of other people¡¯s eyes. Otherwise, I think there must be some external factor.


    ¡°Isla?¡±


    ¡°From a magic standpoint, I don¡¯t see any anomalies that seem abnormal. I don¡¯t sense any magic working in the ornaments you wear. It¡¯s normal.¡±


    ¡°No wayyy¡­ Driada-san?¡±


    ¡°Yes, what is it?¡±


    Driada-san, who had an envious look on her face, mends her expression and smiles. No, why are you envious too?


    ¡°Do you have any idea about the ecology of Elves? You know, the kind of thing they say beastman have.¡±


    ¡°Is it a mating season?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I tried to make it vague!¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve never heard of Elves having a mating season, but¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember hearing that from the elders of the Black Forest either.¡±


    Driada-san and Sylphy deny my guess. So, what else¡­?


    ¡°Lime.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Lime appeared from somewhere. You don¡¯t have to feel like you shouldn¡¯t come out until you¡¯re called; you can just stay as normal, okay?


    ¡°Seraphita-san and Poizo have been in contact recently, haven¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°Hmm? I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Beth.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. But Poizo seemed to be having a lot of fun lately.¡±


    ¡°Poizo?¡±


    Poizo didn¡¯t come out when I called her. It was as if the culprit was obvious.


    ¡°Lime, Beth, go get Poizo. I may have to give her a little serious discipline.¡±


    ¡°Okay. But you¡¯ll have to treat Lime and the others later, okay?¡±


    ¡°I got it.¡±


    The next day, Poizo, who had been captured by Lime and Beth, confessed that Seraphita-san had consulted with her and prescribed her ¡°a medicine which makes people honest.¡± Since it was said that the effects of the medicine would wear off faster than making the antidote¨Dor the neutralizer, I ended up spending three days being snuggled with Seraphita-san, who had become a bit mentally young.


    After the effects wore off, Seraphita-san came to her senses and stayed in her room for about a week.

 CH 244

    Chapter 244 ¨C A Story About the Visitor


    When I am staying at the Merinesburg royal castle, I quite often take my meals in the main dining hall of the royal castle. This is especially true for breakfast and lunch. This is because breakfast and lunch are convenient because, like in school cafeterias, they can be eaten freely within a certain time frame. In my case, I¡¯m often late in the morning, so it¡¯s not that I oversleep¡­ It¡¯s complicated. So many things. I¡¯m also often late when I¡¯m out working during the day.


    I had to chase around Poizo yesterday, make her reflect on what she did, and deal with Seraphita-san, who is not in a normal state.


    ¡°You seem to be looking tired¡­¡±


    ¡°Hahaha.¡±


    Kirilovich, who had just come in to eat breakfast, was worried about me¡­ You eat a lot in the morning, don¡¯t you? Kirilovich is apparently quite a healthy eater despite his thin body. I sat down next to him because it would be awkward to sit so far away from him when he called out to me.


    ¡°Kosuke-dono is a visitor, isn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°Yes, well, that¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°Oh, please don¡¯t worry about my language, just as you normally do¡­ Such a way of speaking has already become ingrained in me.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Then I¡¯ll just do what you say. You may address me as such as well.¡±


    ¡°Thank you very much. So, I have a question.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°What kind of place is the world of the visitors?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s surprisingly difficult to explain what my world is like¡­ Well, I could list a lot of differences from this world.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ For example?¡±


    ¡°When I first came to this world, the one thing that immediately convinced me that this world was definitely a different place than the one I was in was the view of the sky.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°In my world¨DOmicle, right? There was no planet that big in the sky. There was only a tiny moon¨Dlike the Runicle. So I was stunned when I looked at the sky.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­? It doesn¡¯t really ring a bell for most of us because we take it for granted that it¡¯s there.¡±


    ¡°I guess. Also, in the world I lived in, there were only humans, and there was no race that was equivalent to subhumans, and¨D¨D¡±


    And I tell Kirilovich the same story that I have been telling Sylphy and the others.


    ¡°Speaking of which, what kind of place did the visitors other than me come from?¡±


    After we had talked about all of that, I asked Kirilovich about the visitor of the past.


    ¡°There were those who came from a world where monsters and magic did not exist, just like Kosuke-dono, and there were those who came from a world where monsters and magic existed, just like this world¨DReese. The most famous of them is Kuro, the founder of the Varyag empire, the best friend of the first emperor Varyag, and a hero who is revered as the god of war in the empire.¡±


    ¡°Kuro?¡±


    ¡°Yes. According to legend, he was a visitor who wandered into this world with his wife and young daughter, and in his former world, he was a general who commanded an army. Many believe that the Varyag Empire would not have existed without him.¡±


    ¡°Kuro-san, who came from a world where magic and monsters did not exist like mine, excelled in military prowess and had experience as a general.¡±


    Maybe that¡¯s that one who had been trained by a tengu and was called Ushiwakamaru when he was young? Hahaha, it must be my imagination. Yeah, definitely just my imagination.


    ¡°Uh, is there anyone else?¡±


    ¡°If I were to mention other famous visitors, it would be Saint General Jeanne, who played a leading role in the rapid progress of the Holy Kingdoms. She is also a visitor who used her exceptional tactical eye and powerful miracle of inspiration to turn the Holy Kingdoms into a country that rivals the Empire.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ Geez!¡±


    I unconsciously covered my face with my hands. Honestly speaking. In all likelihood, it was that person from France. Why is she here¡­ someone who should have been burned by the Inquisitor? Could it be that there are Nobunaga-san, Goemon-san, Napoleon-san, Muhammad-san, Vlad-san, and others? Compared to them, I¡¯m quite inferior, aren¡¯t I? I¡¯m just a regular guy who¡¯s been playing games for a while, you know?


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°I have a little bit of an idea about those two¡­ They might be from the same world as me. Especially Kuro-san, he may be so famous in my country in my former world that he appears in a legend or a fairy tale or something like that.¡±


    ¡°¡­Kosuke is from the same country as Kuro-sama?¡±


    ¡°I think the possibility is high¡­ He was a great man hundreds of years ago, but only because he was from the same country. Minamoto Yoshitsune or Kuro Hougan Yoshitsune. One of the legendary warlords of my country, I guess¡­ I don¡¯t think he went as far as a thousand years, but he might be the same person as a hero from a long time ago. He was someone who had quarreled with his own brother and died an untimely death at the end of a plot.¡±


    ¡°Kuro Hougan Yoshitsune¡­ whose name is the true name of Kuro-sama, whom few people in the empire know¡­ I see.¡±


    Kirilovich nodded with a mystified look on his face. Somehow, the way he looks at me seems to have changed.


    ¡°What about the saint general?¡±


    ¡°She was from a faraway country in the same world. After all, she is also a person who died a violent death. She was a woman who heard the voice of God and fought hard to reclaim her homeland. In the end, she fell into the hands of the enemy, and her country abandoned her, and she was burned to death.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ and you, Kosuke-dono¡­?¡±


    ¡°I am just an ordinary person. In my world, I¡¯m just an ordinary guy who worked as a lowly member of one of the many business associations in the city. I¡¯m not a great man who would go down in history. When compared to these people, it¡¯s like comparing a dragon to an insect. You don¡¯t have to put ¡°dono¡± on me. You can put it back on.¡±


    I shook my hands and head with a straight face, denying Kirilovich¡¯s expectant look from the very beginning. I don¡¯t want to be compared to Minamoto Yoshitsune or Jeanne d¡¯Arc.


    ¡°I see¡­ but I never thought you and Kuro-sama were from the same country¡­¡±


    ¡°It is just that we are from the same country, you know? As I recall, he was born in Kyoto, but I was born much further north. We are also far apart in age. We¡¯re from the same country, but only in the broadest sense of the word.¡±


    ¡°But in this world, there is no one who is from the same place, even in the broad sense of the word.¡±


    ¡°That may be true, but¡­ Yes, stop, stop, this conversation is over!¡±


    After saying that, I start to put my hands on my nearly cold breakfast. Today¡¯s menu is something like an omelette with meat on soft bread. And some fruit, like an orange, and some cabbage or Chinese cabbage or something pickled in vinegar. And a soup with vegetables and bits of meat.


    ¡°Please tell me the story about Kuro-sama again. What kind of activities he had in his original world, he himself hardly told us, so there is nothing left in the lore, you know. Kuro-sama¡¯s followers are numerous in the empire, and I am sure they will all be eager to hear it.¡±


    Kirilovich tries to persuade me eagerly without touching his own breakfast. He¡¯s desperate, oi.


    ¡°From my perspective, he¡¯s a great man from nearly a thousand years ago¡­ I¡¯m not that familiar with history.¡±


    ¡°Still, it¡¯s been handed down how Kuro-sama is said to have played his part, how he lived and how he died, isn¡¯t it? Everyone would like to know. I want to know, too.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s really the same person¡­ If you still want, I¡¯ll tell you as far as I can remember.¡±


    ¡°Thank you!¡±


    Kirilovich smiled broadly at my words.


    ¡°However, you will have to make a solid compromise to the kingdom of Merinard for that. If you want to hear what I have to say, you¡¯ll have to do your best to flatter Sylphy and make some compromises to the kingdom of Merinard. The story of Kuro Hougan Yoshitsune in that world that only I, a visitor from the same country as Kuro-sama, can know¡­ is not cheap information, is it?


    Kirilovich froze at my words with a big smile on his face. Hahaha, the world is not that sweet, you know. I don¡¯t mind getting along with Kirilovich personally, but that¡¯s that, and this is that. Before we were personal friends, Kirilovich was a diplomat of the empire, and I was Sylphy¡¯s spouse and future royal consort.


    ¡°Kosuke, that¡¯s a bit nasty, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    Kirilovich¡¯s tone became a little more casual. Is that the real him?


    ¡°I think the words ¡°nasty¡± and ¡°dirty¡± are compliments. You¡¯ve told me a little bit about this world in return for what I¡¯ve told you about Kuro and Jeanne, right? You know, the kind of thing where you have to pay for more.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re surprisingly shrewd¡­¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not. In fact, I¡¯m a little sweet, you know. I¡¯m known as a gentle Kosuke-chan who can¡¯t say no when asked to do something.¡±


    ¡°That sounds so fake.¡±


    ¡°But limited to pretty girls.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a man, but don¡¯t you think I have a beautiful face?¡±


    ¡°Homo is NG. Reborn as a pretty girl and try again.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, maybe I should procure a gender change potion.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care what you think you¡¯re doing¡­ I mean, is there such a thing?¡±


    ¡°There is. I¡¯ve heard that a skilled alchemist can make it if they have the right ingredients.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that with a straight face; it¡¯s scary. Or rather, don¡¯t, because it¡¯s too late for that sort of thing.¡±


    It would be terrifying to be approached by the gender-changed Kirilovich who really used such a thing.


    ¡°Hahaha, you said it yourself, Kosuke. You have to take responsibility for what you say.¡±


    ¡°I see. I understand. I¡¯ll take responsibility. But that would only be if you can break through Sylphy, Isla, the Harpies, Melty, and Grande, Kirilovich.¡±


    ¡°¡­That seems impossible.¡±


    ¡°Right? So don¡¯t do it.¡±


    Thus the danger of being approached by Kirilovich in female form was averted in advance. The story of the alchemy was more shocking to me than the story of Kuro and Jeanne. Maybe I should ask Isla about such a dangerous potion next time.

 CH 245

    Chapter 245 ¨C Damage Report


    Holy Kingdom¡¯s POV


    ¡°Ridiculous! That¡¯s impossible!¡±


    I shouted when I heard the information from my subordinate. Hearing that shout, my subordinate¡¯s shoulders trembled with fear. Seeing this, I closed my eyes and began to calm my raging heart by reciting scriptures in my mind. Normally, the stormy waves of my heart would subside quickly, but this time they were not subsiding.


    It was only natural. The 20,000 holy soldiers dispatched to eliminate the bandits running rampant in a remote land were annihilated in the first battle, with the leading generals either killed or captured by the bandits, and the subjugation forces fled back to the Holy Kingdom. When I first heard this story, I thought it was a joke, but no matter how many times I asked my subordinates about it, they said it was the truth.


    ¡°So it¡¯s the truth, huh?¡±


    ¡°Y-yes¡­ I received this information directly from the survivors of the subjugation army that reached Gilgis.¡±


    ¡°This is unbelievable¡­¡±


    At first, I thought that 10,000 troops would be enough to eliminate the bandits, and I had made arrangements accordingly. However, I decided to double that number to 20,000, just to be sure.


    I knew that the bandits called themselves the Liberation Army and that thousands of Holy Kingdom soldiers stationed in the Merinard Kingdom had already suffered losses¨Dalthough the incompetent pigs in the area were trying to suppress the information.


    At the same time, I knew that the leader of the bandits calling themselves the Liberation Army was a black elf called the Witch of the Black Forest and that the person at the core of the Liberation Army was a remnant of the rebellion that took place three years ago in the Merinard Kingdom.


    I also made some calculations of their strength, using my contacts in the military to get advice. The size of the enemy was probably between 1,000 to 3,000 at the most, and they would not be able to support more than that regardless of how much they tried. Soldiers basically produce nothing. Depending on how they are used, it is not impossible to expect some economic benefits from improved security and the procurement of meat from subjugating monsters, but these benefits will never exceed the maintenance cost.


    The military believed, and it was common knowledge, that the bandits would be able to cover their costs to some extent by procuring funds and food from the towns and villages they occupied, but even so, they would only be able to maintain 1,000 to 3,000 people.


    Such people were basically low-skilled, and their equipment was second-class, looted from the villages and towns they had attacked. Therefore, 10,000 of the elite of the regular army would be enough to eliminate them. It was supposed to be that way.


    ¡°How about the survivors¡­?¡±


    ¡°About 7,000 or less have reached Gilgis. These are generally healthy soldiers who arrived earlier, which is about half of the total number. There are about the same number of wounded and those who are tending to them, and they are expected to arrive one after another.¡±


    ¡°¡­How many died?¡±


    ¡°Approximately less than 4,000. They were killed by an unidentified explosion, an attack by the Harpies using an explosive magic tool, and an unidentified attack by a mysterious vehicle that moves without a horse.¡±


    ¡°I can still understand the explosive magic tool that Harpy used, but¡­ what are these unidentified explosions and unidentified attacks?¡±


    I asked my subordinate.


    I could still understand the magic tool for explosions. It is outrageous to prepare a large number of disposable magic tools for attacks. Considering the cost of production and raw materials, it is no longer at the level of impossibility. But what does it mean that the identity of the attack is unknown?


    ¡°Even the soldiers who were standing on the scene were not sure of the true identity of the attack¡­ They said they heard a sound like a violent thunderclap or the rattle of a killer bee¡¯s wings, or something that flew at an alarming speed; then, an explosion occurred without any notice. The testimonies are all so varied that we can¡¯t really be sure. I think it was some kind of new weapon.¡±


    ¡°What kind of damage was done?¡±


    ¡°The conclusion seemed to be that the unidentified explosion was not similar to the explosive magic tool that the Harpies were using. However, they had no idea where or how it was thrown from. The weapon, which emitted a thunderous noise like a thunderclap or the buzzing of a killer bee¡¯s wings, was mounted on a wheel-less chariot-like vehicle, and when it seemed to erupt with a violent noise, the soldiers in the vanguard fell to the ground like ears of wheat being reaped. It was said to have pierced metal shields, shattered armor, pierced the bodies of soldiers, and even killed and wounded those standing behind them¡­ There was also talk that it might have been a large number of metal arrowheads flying at an invisible speed, but this has not been confirmed.¡±


    I was puzzled by the report of my subordinate. From what I¡¯ve heard, no matter how you look at it, it¡¯s not something on the level of banditry or anything like that. What they have in the Kingdom of Merinard is something worse than the most elite troops of the Imperial Army deployed in the Great Plains of Amagara.


    ¡°Just for the record, how many thousand were the enemy¡­?¡±


    ¡°According to the story, the only thing on the front lines, aside from the flying harpies, were the strange vehicles that reamed out the soldiers. That is to say¡­ there were less than a hundred of them.¡±


    I looked up at the ceiling.


    What is that? What are we dealing with?


    ¡°We need to find out what¡¯s happening¡­ You said the bandits were accompanied by the nostalgic Deckard, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it seemed that way, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Send word that I am to meet with Cardinal Dalton.¡±


    Hearing my instructions, my subordinate hurriedly exits the room.


    Dalton is the leader of the nostalgic faction. Recently, he has been losing power rapidly because he has taken his treasured saint away from his hands. It is also known that he had sent the saint to the kingdom of Merinard a long time ago. Since it is said that she was staying in Merinesburg, the Liberation Army probably already has her in their custody. Worst of all, she may have been caught up in the battle and died.


    Deckard¡¯s movements are also mysterious. Why did he go to the Merinard Kingdom at that time, and why was he working with the Liberation Army? The power of the nostalgic faction is rapidly disappearing within the Holy Kingdom. There is even a movement in some quarters to put them under inquisition as heretics. I, too, am in a position of tacit approval and non-interference, but¡­


    ¡°What in the world is he up to¡­? What is he hiding?¡±


    No one answers my quiet mutterings. Still, I couldn¡¯t help but mutter.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    Three days had passed since the meeting.


    It was officially decided that Kirilovich and his diplomatic delegation from the Empire would be accepted, and a nobleman¡¯s mansion near the royal castle in Merinesburg would be used as the Empire¡¯s embassy. With this decision, the mansion was to undergo renovations and improvements, and I was to be a part of the work.


    Well, my participation in the work was basically limited to carrying materials, some demolition work, and adding and reconstructing a fence to strengthen security. I¡¯m not really suited for detailed interior work. Not that I can¡¯t do it, though. Not that I can¡¯t do it!


    I¡¯m a fan of practicality and tofu houses, but that doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t like elaborate architecture. I think that really elaborate architecture is in the realm of art. But I am a tofu house person. It¡¯s not that I¡¯m indulging in tofu houses because I have no taste or anything like that¡­ Kuh, I can¡¯t fool myself.¡±


    It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s just that no matter how hard I try, it¡¯s just going to be a complicated, bizarre piece of modern art. I¡¯m just going to master the practical side of things¡­ and leave those things to those who have a sense of style. Don¡¯t worry; if I pursue the limits of practicality, I can reach the level of an art form. For example, a practical axe or a weapon that specializes in killing people can be beautiful and cool without any unnecessary decoration. So I¡¯m going to explore that direction. Yeah.


    And, well, after I finished my work, I was mowing the unkempt and overgrown garden.


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    I was confronted by a suspicious figure in the back of the mansion, his entire body covered by a robe and his face hidden by a hood that was also covering his eyes. I couldn¡¯t see his expression, but it was obvious that he was wary of me. I, on the other hand, was on the lookout with my recently made mithril sickle +9 in my hand.


    ¡°¡­..Zinnggg.¡±


    ¡°¡­..!¡±


    The robed bastard became blatantly shaken when I slowly took a clipper out of my inventory and showed it off. I started the clipper, and when it sounded, he started trembling slightly. You can probably tell by this reaction.


    ¡°¡­What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    The robed bastard just trembled and didn¡¯t say anything. It seems that he¡¯s really distressed.


    ¡°Ah¡­ aren¡¯t your winter coats or something gonna grow back?¡±


    ¡°They cut off my winter coat¡­¡±


    ¡°Uh, then summer coat¡­?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s in early spring¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Good luck with that.¡±


    Now it¡¯s pre-winter. Another half month from now, it will be like winter is coming, and then winter for about a month or two, less than six months until spring, but still, more than three months to go. So the robed bastard in front of me¨DQubi¨Dis going to have to stay in a state of having all of his furs cut off for the rest of the year.


    ¡°So, what brings you to this place?¡±


    ¡°¡­There will be a craftsman here to furnish the interior.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see. Do you mean you don¡¯t want me to see it¡­? Well, I¡¯ll go after I finish mowing the grass, so don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    Qubi didn¡¯t respond to anything I said and seemed to have decided to stay in a corner, out of sight. Eh? Acting alone and making contact with Qubi, or rather, visiting the Empire¡¯s embassy, was a bit careless, you say? Don¡¯t worry, don¡¯t worry. Look, there¡¯s Harpy-san on the roof. And there¡¯s one in the tree over there, too. And another one is circling in the sky. We have a surveillance system in place. Hahaha.

 CH 246

    Chapter 246 ¨C There Are Things People Are Good At and Things They¡¯re Not Good At


    Diplomatic delegations from the Varyag Empire were to stay in the newly born Merinard Kingdom as official diplomats. In addition, the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom, located far to the west of the Merinard Kingdom, also announced the new Merinard Kingdom, and the Liberation Army, which had liberated the Merinard Kingdom from the hands of the Holy Kingdom, had completed the domestic settlement of the country. The new Merinard Kingdom was officially recognized as a nation by surrounding countries other than the Holy Kingdom and the states that belonged to the Holy Kingdom.


    It has been approximately 21 years since the former Merinard Kingdom was conquered by the Holy Kingdom and became its vassal state. Finally, the Merinard Kingdom was freed from the control of the Holy Kingdom and succeeded in taking a step forward again as a nation.


    However, problems are literally piling up.


    One of them is, needless to say, the Holy Kingdom. The Holy Kingdom sent an army of 20,000 to eliminate us, but the Liberation Army¨Dor rather, just me, the gunners, and the Harpy Bombing Squadron¨Dinflicted heavy losses on them, and those officers who survived are still being held captive by the Merinard Kingdom. As a result, the Holy Kingdom has been completely humiliated, and it is certain that there will be some sort of retaliation.


    In addition, the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army has literally suffered near total destruction not only in this battle but also in the previous battles leading up to the conquest of Merinesburg and, more specifically, the battle leading up to the conquest of Erichburg. The people of the Holy Kingdom are certain to have hostility toward the Merinard Kingdom, which took the lives of its generals, and not a few of the generals who lost their lives were from the noble families of the Holy Kingdom.


    The higher-ups of the Holy Kingdom and the Adol religion would not want to send troops against the Merinard Kingdom, which uses unknown and powerful weapons, but it is certain that the argument for going to war against the Merinard Kingdom will increase in strength within the Holy Kingdom. Therefore, the Merinard Kingdom will have to stand as a nation against such a Holy Kingdom.


    I don¡¯t know what Sylphy¡¯s next target against the Holy Kingdom will be, but as far as I can think, it will be the recapture of the people who were taken away as slaves. She may also consider dividing them through the nostalgic faction. Well, at any rate, the most urgent task will be to have the Holy Kingdom recognize the new Merinard Kingdom.


    There are still many problems to be solved, but if we look at the domestic situation, in particular, we can say that the most urgent issue is to strengthen the governance system. In fact, the former territory of the Merinard Kingdom is already under the control of the new Merinard Kingdom and the Liberation Army, but it has yet to reach the level of having the new Merinard Kingdom¡¯s eyes on every corner of the country.


    Major cities and towns in the country have already shown their reverence to the new Merinard Kingdom, but there may be some who are still in a posture of disobedience. Well, in terms of military power, Sylphy, who has the command of the Liberation Army, which has exterminated the soldiers of the Holy Kingdom throughout the Merinard Kingdom, is the overwhelmingly strong one. After all, it is a matter of course that the person with the greatest violence has the greatest say, so although it will take time, the domestic pacification work will gradually progress and will strengthen the governance system. Well, I hear that many of them are not so straightforward.


    The other problem is the Adol believers within the country. As for them, I would have to leave them to Ellen, Archbishop Deckard, and High Priestess Katerina. But, of course, as a visitor, I intend to cooperate as much as possible.


    There are plenty of other details to be worked out.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know the details of the political game.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    ¡°I can see that.¡±


    Isla and Ifrita, who was here for some reason, nodded their heads in agreement with my statement.


    This is the development office of the Research and Development Department in Merinesburg. The personnel are the members of the mage corps that accompanied us from Erichburg to Merinesburg, as well as the trustworthy people among the pharmacists, alchemists, blacksmiths, and engravers who were in Merinesburg. They are relatively young, so their skills are not top-notch, but they are full of motivation.


    The reason I am here is clear: it is much more meaningful to do something I am good at rather than to get involved in a field I am not good at.


    ¡°So why are you here?¡±


    ¡°What, are you saying I shouldn¡¯t be here?¡±


    After saying that, Ifrita¨Dthe second daughter of the four Elven princess sisters, including Sylphy ¨C put her hands on her hips and stared at me with strong-willed eyes.


    ¡°If you mean if you should or not, I guess you shouldn¡¯t.¡±


    When I said this and turned my gaze to Isla, she tilted her head.


    ¡°Ifrita-sama is a magician as good as a court mage. She is also a princess of the Merinard royal family. So there is no problem in terms of trust.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see¡­¡±


    ¡°Fufun.¡±


    After hearing Isla¡¯s words, Ifrita was so pleased that she made a smug face with her small, shapely breasts. Well, as long as she doesn¡¯t get in my way, it¡¯s all good.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s going on over there?¡±


    I pointed to Grande, who was lying comfortably in an oversized Lime, and Beth was looking with interest at the inventions we had made so far, and there was a mithril barrel that was whining, making a crying sound.


    ¡°Beth is brilliant with magic. Poizo is good with chemicals and poisons. So they will be helpful.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    ¡°Please forgive me; I won¡¯t play tricks on you anymore¡­¡±


    I hear a dramatic voice coming from the mithril barrel, but I ignore it. Poizo¡¯s core is locked up in that barrel. By using mithril in the structural material, Poizo is completely blocked magically and physically, and the current Poizo is incapable of accessing her clones. Well, it is a punishment for the recent incident with Seraphita-san.


    In addition to Lime and Beth, Sylphy and Melty were also sent in to capture Poizo¡¯s main body. Poizo surrendered unconditionally to this lineup. They didn¡¯t even get into a battle.


    ¡°Um, what was the current research project?¡±


    ¡°Sylphy and Melty asked us to develop a magic tool that would be useful in people¡¯s lives. And the military is asking for mass-produced, high-performance weapons that do not rely on Kosuke¡¯s abilities.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know; it¡¯s kind of lacking in specifics¡­ If you¡¯re talking about a mass-produced, high-performance weapon, you¡¯ve got the muzzle-loader magic gun, right?¡±


    The magic gun is a weapon created in this world based on the bolt-action rifle I created with my abilities and a sample musket gun. The structure is simple: load a bullet from the muzzle, pull the trigger, and small explosive magic is activated at the back of the barrel, sending the bullet flying with the pressure of the explosion. The caliber is 15mm, a large caliber with high power, and it also has a long range of 500 meters. The barrel is made of black steel, a special metal that is resistant to heat, so it is heavy, but this does not seem to be a problem for the subhumans of this world.


    ¡°Hmm. The first mass-produced model has been deployed to a unit of the Liberation Army and is undergoing test operations. According to the reports that have come in, the feeling of use seems to be good.¡±


    ¡°Is that not enough?¡±


    ¡°They want us to make something that can counter similar weapons in case they are used.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a difficult thing to say¡­¡±


    In terms of power, it is capable of killing large monsters and even heavy cavalrymen rushing toward it. The countermeasure means equipment for defense, but it is impossible to prevent it with half-assed armor.


    ¡°Impossible?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t have a plan, but I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s cost-effective. Well, it¡¯s time to experiment.¡±


    I took Isla to the castle¡¯s backyard, which also serves as a training ground for the knights. When they heard that I was going to conduct an experiment, the Research and Development Department members followed me, wondering if I was going to do something interesting. Naturally, Ifrita, Lime with Grande in her arms, and Beth with a mithril barrel in her arms also follow us.


    ¡°This is a prototype magic gun I got from the rear base. It¡¯s supposed to have almost the same specs as the preceding mass-produced magic gun.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I see.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s see how powerful this thing is first.¡±


    With that said, I¡¯m going to line up 25mm thick wooden planks and broken armor that I confiscated from the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army. First, I fired at the ten 25mm-thick wooden planks.


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s all penetrated.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s to be expected.¡±


    While grimacing at the pain in my shoulder caused by the strong recoil, I now shoot at the iron armor of the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army. They were lined up vertically in three rows, but all of them were also penetrated cleanly.


    ¡°S-such high power¡­?¡±


    ¡°The armor is just a steel plate about 2mm thick¡­ It might be different if it had contents in it, but well, that¡¯s about it. Then there is also the distance.¡±


    Right now, I¡¯m shooting from a distance of about 20 meters. If I go to the maximum range, around 500 meters, I think the power is going to be less than this.


    ¡°And, well, as you can see, it¡¯s pretty much impossible for shields and armor to prevent it. So this is it.¡±


    I took a steel shovel out of my inventory. And I dig in the dirt and make a little trench. Then I shot a bullet into the wall of dirt that I had dug out of the trench.


    ¡°¡­It didn¡¯t penetrate.¡±


    ¡°To prevent bullets, it is more effective to catch them by making them land on sandbags or a dirt wall than bounce them off the armor. I don¡¯t know the detailed theory either. Well, if it is thick steel armor, say 30 mm thick, it might be able to block the bullet head-on, but you can¡¯t carry that around with you, can you?¡±


    ¡°It would be impossible without Kosuke.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I also think that even thinner armor could block it if you don¡¯t take it head-on and instead take it at an angle, but either way, you can¡¯t carry that kind of armor around with you. So then I think it would be better to make a tool that can easily make this kind of trench. If you could make such trenches in a short time, wouldn¡¯t it be possible to resist the assault of large monsters and cavalry? If you just heap up the soil on the ground and build a mud wall, it doesn¡¯t seem to use that much magic power. And if it can be used for digging holes, it could also be used for civil engineering work, so it could be useful not only for military use but also for civilian use.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ Indeed, earth wall magic is low difficulty magic among earth attribute magic. Even unrefined low-quality magic stones can be expected to have some effect, and making magic tools is not that complicated. I¡¯ll think about it right away.¡±


    Isla nodded and led the Research and Development Department members up to the development room. I started to clean up the experimental area, but for some reason, Ifrita stayed behind and stared at me.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°I was surprised to see you thinking so clearly. I thought you were just a womanizer.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for that.¡±


    I smile back at her comment, unsure if she¡¯s complimenting or belittling me. Well, it seems that I have been reconsidered, which is not bad.


    ¡°I¡¯ll acknowledge you for a little bit. Just a little.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, I¡¯m very happy about that. So, you¡¯re not joining us, are you, princess?¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m a real fighter, after all.¡±


    Ifrita averted her gaze. I see; she¡¯s good at throwing offensive magic but not so good at theory or making magic tools. I get it. This fellow is never failing to keep up her image.


    ¡°I can¡¯t use magic, so I have a lot of things I want to test. Will you come with me?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Well, okay.¡±


    You¡¯re trying to look nonchalant, but your nostrils widen slightly, princess.


    I see. So this is how I can control this fellow. This is a good find. Since she seems to be free, I¡¯ll make her spend a lot of time with me contemplating and experimenting with magic.

 CH 247

    Chapter 247 ¨C Ifrita-sensei¡¯s Magic Course


    Magic. I think it is the most important element that makes a fantasy world a fantasy world. Well, even if there is no magic, if there are monsters walking around and people are fighting with swords and bows, it seems to be like that.


    I don¡¯t understand the principle of this magic at all. I can¡¯t feel it, but it seems that the main source of energy is magic power. It is said to be an energy that resides not only in the air but in all things, and it is basically divided into three main types: the magic in the body, the magic that exists in nature, and the magic that resides in matter.


    ¡°I see. I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t explain it any more simply than that.¡±


    Ifrita, who had been drawing a diagram on the ground with a twig she had picked up around there and explaining it to me, gave me a stern look.


    ¡°No, I understood the explanation itself. But how to extract energy from it and convert it into physical phenomena? What happens to the magic power after the physical phenomena, and what is magic power in the first place? I feel like I¡¯m going to go crazy and die if I start thinking about it.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t answer all your questions at once¡­ First of all, it is said that in order to release magic power as magic, it is necessary to use an art formula.¡±


    ¡°Art formula.¡±


    ¡°Yes, an art formula. To put it simply, it is a way to give color and meaning to magic power, which is a power without color. For example, in the case of simple fireball magic, there are three instructions in each formula: be fire, be a ball, and send it flying to the indicated place.


    Ifrita then drew some kind of pattern on the ground with her twig. This was something similar to the letters or patterns engraved on the golem core of the golem communicator.


    ¡°However, this simple fireball magic doesn¡¯t have much killing power. It depends on the amount of magic power you put into it, but with the minimum amount of magic power, you will only get a small burn when it hits you.¡±


    A fireball the size of a golf ball appeared at Ifrita¡¯s fingertips and flew toward the sky. The fireball flew at a moderate speed but soon disappeared.


    ¡°If you want to increase the power, that is, the ability to kill, you have to modify these three simple formulas or add more formulas to them. For example, the ¡°Be Fire¡± formula could be changed to ¡°Be Flame,¡± or the ¡°Be a ball¡± formula could be changed to ¡°Be a spear.¡± Other modification formulas such as ¡°speed¡± between ¡°Be a ball¡± and ¡°Fly to the indicated place¡± could also be added.


    ¡°Modification formula.¡±


    ¡°Yes. For example, if you put the modification ¡°speed,¡± it would look like this.¡±


    As before, a fireball the size of a golf ball appeared at Ifrita¡¯s fingertips and flew into the sky at a speed unmatched by the previous one. The faster the speed, the longer the range of the fireball appears to be.


    ¡°This modification formula is a major one used in most of the projectile-type attack magic. If the speed of the projectile magic is increased, it will be harder to avoid and will also extend the range.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    Modification formula¡­ modification formula, isn¡¯t it? Hmmmmmm¡­ As expected, it¡¯s like a kind of programming language, huh? I don¡¯t know much about programming at all. It¡¯s impossible for me to play an active role in the direction of developing techniques or something like that. Yeah.


    ¡°You say ¡°I see,¡± but do you really understand it?¡±


    ¡°Was it clear to you that I don¡¯t really understand?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    I bowed my head honestly. After all, it¡¯s better to leave such difficult things to the experts, yes.


    ¡°But I wonder how complicated a single fireball can be¡­ and what kind of lightning magic Isla used before.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve learned a little bit about it before, but it was a combination of close to a hundred different formulas, both large and small.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s incredible¡­ but you need a formula to use magic, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    I just told you that, didn¡¯t I? Ifrita nodded with an expression that said that.


    ¡°When a mage actually shoots magic, where is the formula deployed? If it¡¯s a magic tool, it¡¯s engraved on metal or something, but from what I¡¯ve just seen, it doesn¡¯t look like this formula is projected in the air or anything.¡±


    I pointed to the formula scrawled on the ground with a twig.


    ¡°In your head.¡±


    ¡°In the head?¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ what does it look like? Do you picture the pattern of this formula in your mind?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ is that what it looks like?¡±


    ¡°Why are you being so vague in your reply¡­?¡±


    It doesn¡¯t seem like it will take overnight to figure out the operating principle of magic¡­ I¡¯ve only asked Ifrita about this, but I can¡¯t help but feel that these images in the head are also different for each individual person.


    ¡°Well, okay. One more question: What Sylphy and the elves of the Black Forest use is called spirit magic, right?¡±


    ¡°Right. Though, you don¡¯t have to be an elf of the Black Forest to use spirit magic.¡±


    ¡°I see. Do they have any such formula as well?¡±


    ¡°No, there is not. Ordinary magic and spirit magic are different in principle. Ordinary magic uses a formula to convert magic power into various events, but spirit magic uses magic power to speak to spirits and have the spirits cause various phenomena.¡±


    ¡°¡­I see?¡±


    ¡°Instead of having to create your own formula, you need to use multiple spirits at the same time to cause a large-scale phenomenon, which can be very difficult to control. Also, it is good if there is a spirit conveniently available for the purpose, but if not, it cannot be used, which is a drawback.¡±


    ¡°That makes ordinary magic sound more convenient.¡±


    ¡°Not really. Since a spirit can reproduce the image of the magician, the degree of freedom of magic is much greater with spirit magic. However, it requires more imaginative power, and it is difficult to cause phenomena that are contrary to the laws of nature.¡±


    ¡°H-heh¡­¡±


    If you force yourself to think in that direction, like a program, a spirit would be an application that specializes in handling wind for wind and fire for fire. When using large-scale magic, multiple applications must be launched simultaneously, which places a heavy burden on the magician, who is responsible for memory and CPU. Also, if there is no spirit on the spot = the application does not exist, and the desired phenomenon cannot occur.


    In contrast, with magic, the magician programs and performs the application on the spot, so the desired phenomenon can be triggered whenever they want, regardless of the presence or absence of the spirit. However, the difficulty level increases when using magic to cause large-scale or complex phenomena because it is necessary to create a formula to match the magic.


    ¡°So there are pros and cons.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I mean. So, what¡¯s the point of asking this? You can¡¯t use magic, can you?¡±


    ¡°It is true that I can¡¯t use magic, but magic is the most familiar technique in this world to handle the huge energy source called magic power, isn¡¯t it? If you want to make efficient tools in this world, you must at least have some knowledge of magic.¡±


    I think it is possible to develop a machine civilization in this world, but since the civilization that handles magic has developed to a certain extent, it should be easier to integrate the best parts of the machine civilization into the existing magic civilization rather than develop a machine civilization from scratch.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ so that¡¯s how you think.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I think. In fact, air boards and golem communicators were created by merging technology from my world with technology from this world.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    Ifrita gave me a stare. What¡¯s with that skeptical look?


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ it¡¯s nothing. Is that all you want to ask me?¡±


    ¡°No, there¡¯s something else¡­¡±


    ¡°Okay, ask me anything you want. I¡¯ll tell you what I know.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. Then tell me about the magic power consumption when you use magic¡­¡±


    After this, I continued to talk to Ifrita in detail about magic and magic power.


    But.


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ but I¡¯ll ask Isla this time.¡±


    Later, when Isla found out about it, she was extremely sulky about it. I asked Ifrita because I thought it would not be a good idea for me to ask such a rudimentary question to Isla, who is very busy, but Isla seemed to want me to ask her about magic. It took a lot of effort to put her in a good mood.


    ¡°If you want to know about miracles, we are the best people to ask.¡±


    ¡°Yes, we can answer anything.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not as good at it as the two of them, but¡­¡±


    I don¡¯t know where they heard it from, but when Ellen and the others returned from their business trip to pacify the area, they told me about the miracles. They taught me about it, but¡­


    ¡°God answers sincere prayers.¡±


    ¡°Be at peace and feel God¡¯s presence.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t vent outwardly, but put your energy inwardly.¡±


    ¡°Try to be more theoretical. It¡¯s almost the same as saying, ¡®whoosh and bang!¡¯ Isn¡¯t it? [T/n: Like someone explaining something with onomatopoeia.]


    Their explanation was of no use to me, but I felt that Ellen¡¯s miracle and spirit magic were close to subspecies of the same family of magic. Both seem to be the same in the sense that they interfere with invisible gods and spirits by means of images rather than by means of formulas to cause some kind of event.


    In fact, I could hardly tell the difference between recovery magic that works with light spirits and miracle recovery magic. The difference might be that a ball of light that looks like a spirit floats around after using spirit magic.


    Anyway, that¡¯s how I gradually accumulated knowledge about magic.

 CH 248

    Chapter 248 ¨C Refrigerator


    Magic, magic power, and miracles¨DI gathered a lot of knowledge about special abilities that were unthinkable in my former world.


    First of all, it was clear that all abilities, whether miracles, magic, or spirit magic, utilize magic in some form. I am almost certain that its main use is as a source of energy to cause various phenomena, but I think that the conversion efficiency is extremely high.


    For example, the lightning magic used by Isla is said to have almost the same power as naturally occurring lightning. As I recall, the voltage and current of lightning are at least 100 million volts and tens of thousands of amperes. Needless to say, these numbers are out of the norm for energy generated instantaneously by a single human being.


    Eh? Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s outrageous? Well¡­ 5,56mm NATO bullets commonly used in assault rifles are about 1,300 joules, 7.62x39mm bullets have about 1,500 joules, and 12.7mm bullets, which are used for anti-material rifles, have about 18,000 joules of energy.


    In contrast, the energy of a single lightning shot can be converted to about 1,000 megajoules. Not just joules. It is ¡°mega¡± joule. In other words, one billion joules. Well, it may not make much sense to directly compare the energy in the bullet and the energy of the lightning itself, but even so, the difference in energy between the two is about 5500 compared to a 12.7mm bullet.


    Isla can handle such energy with such a small body. Moreover, it is said that if her magic power is at full strength, she can fire about ten times in a row. I think you can see how magic power and magic are unthinkable in the common sense of my former world.


    ¡°So, I decided to stop thinking about the elucidation of magic power itself or the efficiency of energy conversion. I would like to leave such things to the scholars and mages of the future.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    ¡°Are you running away from something?¡±


    ¡°I am not running away. This is just a change of direction.¡±


    It¡¯s a matter of opinion. It¡¯s a very rational decision not to think about it because it doesn¡¯t seem to be worth thinking about in my head. It¡¯s a decision that makes me feel proud of myself.


    ¡°So, you know what? I¡¯m going to go back to basics.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I mean, that¡¯s the thing. There¡¯s nothing pressing on my mind, so I¡¯m going to take up a hobby.¡±


    This guy¡¯s starting to declare his sabotage proudly.¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t get me wrong. It doesn¡¯t mean that I¡¯m going to spend all my time eating and sleeping or drinking alcohol. I¡¯m just trying to make a tool that will help people. In some cases, it may even be officially mass-produced and become widely used, dramatically improving people¡¯s lives.¡±


    I held my hand to Ifrita, who gave me a cold stare and held up my index finger, waving it from side to side.


    ¡°Hmm, the air board that Kosuke designed is actually being used by the Liberation Army, and a low-cost version is being tested at the moment. It should be available for sale to the general public soon.¡±


    The low-cost version of the air board that Isla is referring to is a new type of carriage with a levitation device installed in place of the conventional wheels. It costs a certain amount of money to maintain, but it is said to be very popular because it can carry more cargo more quickly than ever before. Since there is no friction between the wheels and axle, the load on the horse is reduced, and the distance traveled per day is said to be nearly doubled.


    The levitation device used in the air board was created within the scope of conventional technology, including levitation magic, so there is no particular need to conceal it. However, the propulsion device created by intentionally eliminating the recoil-eliminating technique from the magic of the air blast is a technology that can be said to be quite revolutionary, and new technology has been introduced into the operating system, so they have no intention of selling an air board with full-scale specifications at this time.


    ¡°I wonder if it¡¯s that easy to come up with a tool that will be useful to people?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the thing. I¡¯m thinking of using magic to recreate useful household items that exist in my world.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ for example?¡±


    ¡°Well, how about a¡­ refrigerator?¡±


    If refrigerators become more widely used, fresh food can be made to last longer. I think they will come in handy not only in ordinary homes but also in restaurants and other establishments.


    ¡°Refrigerator?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s it look like?¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh.¡±


    I explain to Isla and Ifrita what a refrigerator is.


    ¡°I see. Fresh food indeed tends to be damaged during the summer. I understand that food is less likely to spoil in a dark, cool place like a basement than in a warm place.¡±


    ¡°In castles, there are ice-cold rooms where foodstuffs are frozen and stored, but ordinary people don¡¯t have such things in their homes.¡±


    ¡°You have a freezer?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s called an ice-cold room, not a refrigerator. When you enter it, it is as cold as midwinter, even in the summer. But the ice freezer in the castle must have been contracted with an ice spirit using such a large spirit stone.¡±


    Ifrita used her hand to show how big it was, saying it was about this big. It¡¯s a little bigger than a softball¡­ about the size of a baby¡¯s head. I¡¯m pretty sure that spirit stones are made by elves processing gemstones. That sure sounds expensive.


    Of course, I wouldn¡¯t use something with that kind of effect. Isla, there is surely magic to make ice, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, there is. Ice bullets.¡±


    After saying that, Isla quickly held out her hand and instantly created a sharp block of ice on her hand and showed it to me.


    ¡°It¡¯s a kind of magic that creates ice, molds it into a sharp shape, and sends it flying to where it¡¯s pointed, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s pretty much it.¡±


    ¡°Is there some kind of magic that freezes the water in place or something?¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡¯ve never heard of it.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ maybe there isn¡¯t any existing magic. But I think it can be made by applying the ice bullet magic or snowstorm magic formula. I think it¡¯s easy to do with spirit magic.¡±


    There isn¡¯t any? Is the magic of this world specialized only for offensive magic?


    ¡°It would be nice if we could just extract the magic formula of making ice from the magic of ice bullets and make it into a magic tool. I¡¯m thinking of something called an ice refrigerator¨D¨D¡±


    I write down the outline of the ice refrigerator I am going to build on paper. An ice refrigerator is a large two-tiered box made of a material with high thermal insulation. A metal box with high heat conduction efficiency is placed in the upper tier, and ice is placed in the box to cool the air in the lower tier. The cooled air is then trapped in the box made of highly insulating material to keep the food inside cool.


    Before the spread of electric refrigerators, iceboxes were widely used all over the world. There were even many ice houses that supplied ice to households at that time.


    ¡°In my world, each household could freeze and chill their foodstuffs directly without the use of ice, thanks to the electricity supply. In this world, it is difficult to supply a large amount of magic power in a stable manner, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Hmm. It¡¯s difficult unless there are vents in the earth¡¯s veins.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. If that is the case, why not put an ice magic tool on each refrigerator? It would be more profitable just to sell the box to the public as it was in your world and then make the magic tools to produce ice and run an ice shop in the country.¡±


    ¡°¡­Oh.¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡±


    I clapped my hands involuntarily at Ifrita¡¯s point. It may be so when you put it that way. Although I had been conscious of creating a new magic tool, it would be more beneficial for the Merinard Kingdom to create a new interest and employment for the ice shop, considering the refrigerator as a commodity.


    ¡°You guys are kind of engineers, aren¡¯t you¡­?¡±


    Ifrita let out a sigh of exasperation and shook her head.


    ¡°That being said, I can¡¯t say anything¡­ but I think the form of creating ice with magic tools is more convenient.¡±


    ¡°It would be more expensive to put a magic tool on every single piece of equipment. Even if the convenience is high, the general public can¡¯t afford such a thing, can they?¡±


    ¡°Kuh¡­ That¡¯s certainly true.¡±


    ¡°I am not good with money either, so it would be a good idea to talk to someone who is good with that sort of thing, such as Melty. I think we should start by making three prototypes, one with just a box for ice, one that includes a magic tool for making ice, and one that helps ice-makers make ice, and see what the cost would be. Then we can talk about it.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Isla and I nodded our heads in agreement. It¡¯s not enough to just make something with high performance and convenience.


    ¡°What¡¯s with that eyes of yours?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been reflecting a lot on how I¡¯ve been looking at people with preconceived notions.¡±


    ¡°I see. I would like to hear what you think of me.¡±


    It took some time to quiet Ifrita, who was smiling with a vein on her temple, but as for the casing, we were able to quickly create several prototypes by making use of our crafting abilities as well. Let¡¯s go talk to Melty as soon as we get Isla to make the ice magic tool.

 CH 249

    Chapter 249 ¨C Ice-Type Beer Server


    After making a prototype of the refrigerator and consulting with Melty, it was decided to test the ice refrigerator and ice shop. It has been installed on a trial basis in several restaurants in Merinesburg and so far seems to be well received.


    But with that came new requests, and I was back in the R&D lab working on them.


    ¡°¡­What are you working on this time?¡±


    Then I was visited by Ifrita. She seemed to be spending a lot of free time in the R&D office these days. Why is she not doing more work as a princess? I thought so, but I left it alone because it would be troublesome if I offended her.


    ¡°I¡¯m working on a device that uses ice to make cold beer drinkable.¡±


    ¡­Why?¡±


    Ifrita asks, looking seriously puzzled.


    ¡°You do know that the fridge is being tested in a restaurant in Merinesburg, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sylphy told me about it. It seems to be very well received. I just gave you some advice, and she thanked me for it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, some stores have started serving their liquor chilled in the sample refrigerators. They¡¯ve been very popular with the customers.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°As a result, the refrigerators are now used to keep liquor cold, and they are hardly used to keep food cool, as they are supposed to.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a complete reversal of the original purpose?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a complete turnaround. The capacity of a refrigerator is not enough to cool a large amount of food. So, we were asked to do something about it, and we suddenly had to make a cooling system for liquor using ice.¡±


    What I am making is an ice beer server. It chills beer by passing it through a metal tube chilled with ice. The metal tube is coiled and made of copper. I believe it has a high thermal conductivity. I wonder if other materials would be better when considering corrosion resistance, et cetera¡­? Well, it¡¯s a prototype for now, so this will do.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s do some experiments. Maybe it will work.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re confident, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°It was already made in my world, you know. So, can you bring out some ice, please?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not very good at ice magic¡­¡±


    While saying this, Ifrita produced several fist-sized pieces of ice with her magic. Well, from her name and appearance, she seems to be better at fire magic.


    I crushed the ice Ifrita had given me with a hammer and laid it on the coil pipe. Then I put a funnel on the end where the liquor would exit and pour water into it.


    Hmm, how do you actually serve the liquor? We can¡¯t just pour it into a funnel every time, can we? There is also a sanitary problem. If we just connect the keg directly to this pipe, the liquor won¡¯t flow. On the other side, you can pressurize it by connecting a soda cylinder, but we don¡¯t have such a cylinder here¡­ I¡¯ll talk to Isla about it later and ask her to make me a magic tool that emits very weak wind magic.


    If we use it as a CO2 cylinder and pressurize it, we can probably get there, right? The problem is whether the wooden barrels can withstand the pressurization¡­ Well, if the barrels are placed in a high place, and the output of the magic tool is fragile, will it be okay¡­? I¡¯m afraid the liquor barrels will explode from some kind of negligent operation.


    ¡°How cold will it get?¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s cold enough.¡±


    Well, let¡¯s just do the cooling experiment for now. With Ifrita giving me a curious look, I turn on the faucet, pour some of the water that comes out soon after into a glass, and drink it. Yes, it¡¯s very cold.


    ¡°The experiment was a success for the time being. See?¡±


    I filled a glass of water and offered it to Ifrita, who was looking at me with interest.


    ¡°¡­Yeah, well, it¡¯s cold.¡±


    Hmm? What a sudden attitude¡­ I see.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t pay enough attention to you; I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±


    Ifrita sipped the well-cooled water while saying so.


    ¡°It¡¯s really cold. Well, if you use this much ice¡­ it¡¯s very efficient, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I mean. This structure is also good for making hot water in a short time.¡±


    The structure of a gas water heater is almost the same as that of an ice heater; only the ice is turned into fire. But since the heating time has to be controlled, the golem core will probably have to be incorporated as well.


    At any rate, now that the proof-of-concept model was ready, I called Isla and the other members of the R&D department to discuss the commercialization of the product.


    ¡°Hmm, it uses copper tubing. I guess even a blacksmith in town could make one of these.¡±


    ¡°The casing is basically the same as a refrigerator, so I¡¯m sure the same workshop could make it.¡±


    ¡°A barrel and a wind magic tool¡­? I think we could make this funnel like a large tank and lightly cover it to keep bugs and debris out.¡±


    ¡°As for draining the water from the melting ice, I think we should put a stopper at the bottom, pour it into a bucket or something, and dump it out. The problem is the consumption of ice.¡±


    ¡°Or rather, let¡¯s cool the beer.¡±


    The R&D department members came up with the idea of a prototype from the proof-of-concept model of an ice beer server. The people in the R&D department are both talented and enthusiastic, so when I come up with an idea like this, they immediately understand it and develop it into a commercial product. In fact, if I used all my abilities to the full, I could create the perfect ice beer server, but I¡¯m not going to do that. It¡¯s fun to think together with everyone in this way, and above all, there are magic and magic tools in this world. Possibly, some revolutionary product will be created based on an approach I would never have thought of.


    A dwarven blacksmith brought a small keg of beer from somewhere and started chillin it.


    ¡°I love it! This is a great cold!¡±


    ¡°I never knew a cold beer could taste so good.¡±


    ¡°Another one, please!¡±


    The R&D members who had started drinking became useless after this, and other busybodies who heard the commotion joined in, and it became like a banquet.


    ¡°This will sell well, won¡¯t it? Kosuke-san, please make more of this kind of thing.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s unreasonable.¡±


    Melty, who had joined the banquet before I knew it, asked me to do something reckless. It¡¯s not as if ideas like this come out of the blue. The ice beer server was only brought to my mind after I received a request from a restaurant in the castle town.


    ¡°Please do your best, Kosuke-san; you have the ability to do it. It reminds me of the convenient goods that were very popular in the other world¡­¡±


    ¡°What a money-happy person.¡±


    ¡°If only Melty didn¡¯t have that thing¡­ I know she¡¯s doing it for the good of the country, but¡­¡±


    A little further away, Isla and Sylphy were looking at Melty as if they were looking at something pitiful. No, you two, don¡¯t just look at us here; help me, will you?


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    While I was striving to improve the lives of the people, the international situation was gradually changing. First of all, the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom, located to the west of the Merinard Kingdom and beyond the Confederation of Small Nations, welcomed the independence of the new Merinard Kingdom and announced a statement to the effect that it would recognize it as an equal nation.


    With this announcement, the Western Confederation of Small Nations movement, which had been suspiciously attempting to seize the territory of the disorganized Merinard Kingdom after the defeat of the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army, came to an abrupt halt. The statement by the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom was very favorable to the new Merinard Kingdom and contained the nuance that the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom would not remain silent if the new Merinard Kingdom were harmed.


    According to what I have heard, the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom is an opponent that the Confederation of Small Nations should never oppose. It is said that there are many nations in the Western Confederation of Small Nations that are enriched by the flying dragon trade with the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom, and if they make an enemy of the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom, they will not be able to enjoy the benefits of this trade. So, I hear that the Confederation of Small Nations is beginning to show an attitude of following in the footsteps of the right and coming closer to the newborn Merinard Kingdom. I think they are a bunch of cash grabbers.


    Next is the Empire, which established an embassy in the capital city of Merinesburg and also issued a statement welcoming the independence of the new Merinard Kingdom from the Holy Kingdom. The content of the statement was not extremely friendly like the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom, but it was something like ¡°We are glad to see the appearance of a comrade who opposes the Holy Kingdom, which advocates the elimination of subhumans and human supremacy.¡± It seems.


    ¡°The phrasing is so roundabout that it doesn¡¯t seem very likely, does it?¡±


    ¡°Well, when it comes to the higher-ups in the empire, they don¡¯t use very straightforward expressions. It¡¯s a kind of aristocratic or royal language, I suppose.¡±


    ¡°Sylphy and Seraphita-san are very straightforward in their speech.¡±


    ¡°In fact, the Merinard kingdom does not have a very long history. His Majesty Ixwill was the second king.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Come to think of it; I know very little about the history of the Merinard Kingdom. I¡¯m going to ask someone about it next time. Well, that¡¯s okay for now. Let¡¯s get back to the story.


    Of course, the response was not all friendly. The Holy Kingdom has been bitterly criticizing the new Merinard Kingdom, saying that it is outrageous that a rebel group that massacred innocent civilians and soldiers and occupied many cities by force should call itself a nation.


    It is unlikely that any of these countries will take concrete action during the winter, but who knows what will happen when the weather warms up, and they are ready to prepare their troops, etc.? No, they will certainly turn on the new Merinard.


    The Liberation Army, or the new Merinard Kingdom, has finished the battle to regain its homeland, and now it will be involved in the battle to defend itself.

 CH 250

    Chapter 250 ¨C Winter Has Come


    The season has passed, and it is winter.


    Winter in this world is not like the deep snowfall like in my former world in Japan, but rather a chill breeze that blows like a cold wintry wind. Frankly speaking, as a Japanese born and raised in Japan, where the four seasons are clearly defined, it was quite unsatisfactory.


    Well, maybe it is a good thing that it does not get too cold. Although it doesn¡¯t get very cold, it doesn¡¯t mean that there are no deaths from freezing since it gets cold enough to cause frost or a thin layer of ice to form on the water in the reservoir.


    ¡°Have you prepared for winter?¡±


    Sylphy asked Melty with a serious look on her face as she entered the magic kotatsu I had created with my crafting ability. In this situation, a beautiful brown-skinned elf with a sharp expression is talking seriously in a kotatsu with citrus fruits like tangerines on it. The sense of mismatch is terrible.


    ¡°According to reports from various places, we have enough food and fuel reserves. Kosuke is doing a great job, especially when it comes to fuel.¡±


    ¡°Because I cut down so many trees to appear in my dreams before the winter¡­¡±


    The Liberation Army, or the newly born Merinard Kingdom, which took control of the territory of the Merinard Kingdom after much hard work, hurriedly made preparations for the winter. It was to prepare for winter.


    As I mentioned earlier, it doesn¡¯t snow much in this world, or rather in the Kingdom of Merinard, even though it is winter. It is cold enough to freeze to death if you sleep outdoors without fire or blankets, but if you have a decent house, blankets, and a sufficient amount of firewood, you can pass the winter in comfort.


    And who usually provided the firewood? It was the subhuman people who were used as slaves.


    As you can probably tell from what I have said so far, the amount of firewood produced this year was far less than in previous years. The reason for this is the liberation movement of subhumans by the Liberation Army. Those who were liberated from slavery by the Liberation Army joined the Liberation Army, started farming on my farmland, worked as civil servants in the Liberation Army, or started a business. The number of people engaged in simple physical labor was greatly reduced compared to previous years.


    As a result, there were a fair amount of problems on all sides. No one chooses a job that is hard and not very lucrative when there are other jobs available.


    This is due to common sense under the rule of the Holy Kingdom that it is natural to use a large number of subhumans at a low price¡­ In other words, the stereotype that ¡®simple physical labor is the work of subhumans and the price of their labor is very cheap¡¯ has taken root among people in the Merinard Kingdom today.


    Melty is working hard to correct this, but so far, it has not yet had an effect.


    ¡°Next year will be fine. They¡¯ll learn their lesson this winter.¡±


    Melty has a dark smile on her face. I haven¡¯t heard the details, but I hear she¡¯s working something out by using the firewood I¡¯ve produced in large quantities with merchants and influential local people who still try to use subhumans as cheap labor.


    It is definitely not a good idea, so I¡¯m not going to ask for details. I don¡¯t want to poke around in the wrong place and get snakes out of fireflies. [T/n: Can¡¯t find anything about this pun, so please let me know if someone knows about this.]


    ¡°¡­Suhh.¡±


    Isla is lying down on my lap, propped up on the kotatsu. She has been very busy as of late. She is a genius mage, an excellent alchemist, and at the same time, an excellent magic tool craftsman. She is engaged in research and development of various magic tools, mixing new medicines and precious and difficult-to-mix drugs, serving as a court mage, and training her successors, performing hard work that would be out of place in a Japanese black company.


    Frankly speaking, I am worried about her health, but she is so motivated that there is no way to stop her. I can only pamper her at times like this because her battery runs out every once in a while. Maybe I¡¯ll force her to take a break next time.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you guys live a little more peacefully and leisurely?¡±


    ¡°Even we don¡¯t like to mess around with each other.¡±


    Melty, who is covering herself with a blanket and putting her lower body in the kotatsu, refutes Grande¡¯s statement with a pout on her lips. From Grande¡¯s point of view, it must seem foolish for the human races to be fighting each other. There are many monsters in this world, and plenty of lands are controlled by them and cannot be used. If we want to increase our national power, we should cultivate such places.


    Nevertheless, people cannot stop fighting with each other. Just when you think they have stopped fighting, they are preparing for the next conflict. It¡¯s probably no wonder that Grande has a hard time with all of us.


    ¡°By the way, I¡¯ve cleared my schedule for today¡­¡±


    Sylphy is in the kotatsu, twirling her legs around mine. Well, in winter, when it¡¯s cold, and you are free, it makes you long for body warmth, doesn¡¯t it?


    ¡°The child is a gift from God. So I don¡¯t think you should be in a hurry.¡±


    Ellen muttered as she peeled a tangerine-like citrus fruit in front of me. The fact that she¡¯s in the kotatsu in her usual gorgeous saint costume is surreal, but now that I¡¯m used to seeing her, no one but me cares about that at all.


    ¡°Is that so? Winter is long, after all.¡±


    ¡°Yes, indeed, you¡¯re right.¡±


    Sylphy and Ellen look at me like that. That means you want me to work harder, doesn¡¯t it? I understand, but please go easy on me. I¡¯m not going to die without seeing my own children¡¯s faces, let alone my grandchildren¡¯s faces.


    ¡°Hmm? The sun is still high in the sky. If that is the case, I will join you.¡±


    Grande, who had been lying still, looks up and smiles a radiant smile. No, I don¡¯t think starting so early in the day is a good idea.


    ¡°Well¡­ I¡¯m almost done with work for the day. Isn¡¯t that good?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah, come to think of it, I think I had an appointment to meet with Seraphita-san and Driada-san.¡±


    Saying that, I put down Isla, who was on my lap, and I was about to run away¡­ t-this is!?


    ¡°You can¡¯t run away.¡±


    Before I knew it, Isla had woken up and grabbed and held onto my clothes tightly. Yes, I¡¯m stuck. I was deadlocked. No, even if Isla didn¡¯t grab me, it would be impossible to escape from Sylphy and Melty at this close range.


    ¡°If Kosuke doesn¡¯t want to, I won¡¯t force you, but¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to.¡±


    It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t like it. I¡¯m just afraid of what will happen tomorrow at this hour. I wonder if I will be dried up and look like a mummy.


    ¡°If it comes down to it, I¡¯ll just give you a little bit of my blood to drink.¡±


    ¡°There are also miracles of recovery.¡±


    I wondered if that kind of doping method would be safe¡­ but I didn¡¯t waste any time resisting and was dragged off to bed.

 CH 251

    Chapter 251 ¨C Tactical Advisor Kosuke


    Now, the season is winter, and overall activity is down, but me being me, it wasn¡¯t that I was being pushed around by everyone from morning to night¡­ There were days like that, but not every day like that. There are no. Really, no.


    ¡°Border security is an urgent issue, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Sir Leonard said with his arms crossed in front of the map spread out on the table. Sir Leonard¡¯s mane is strangely shiny these days. Rumor has it that a few widows have come to Sir Leonard, a widower, to take care of his personal affairs¡­ It¡¯s finally time for Sir Leonard to pay his dues.


    ¡°The maintenance of internal security is just as urgent as border security. It¡¯s not a question of one or the other; it¡¯s a question of both.¡±


    Danan, whose appearance has been strangely polished recently and his manliness has increased, says in a serious voice. I heard that he, like Sir Leonard, had finally been caught by the ladies who had been in love with him for a long time.


    Well, the situation has calmed down now that we¡¯ve regained the territory of the Kingdom of Merinard. He probably had been refusing them until now, saying something like, ¡°Until I get the Kingdom of Merinard back,¡± but now that the Kingdom of Merinard is back, he probably has no excuse to refuse the advances of the ladies who were coming on to him.


    Good lord.


    Well, I don¡¯t care about the circumstances of the men who were brought down. It¡¯s a trivial matter that the two of them have been asking me for advice on various matters and have been looking at me with respect lately. Yeah, it¡¯s a trivial thing, too. So stop calling me master (shisho) or shifu. I told you to stop!


    ¡°The problem is that we don¡¯t have enough manpower, whether it¡¯s to guard the border or to maintain security.¡±


    ¡°You are right. The border is long, and the territory is vast. It is not an easy task to ensure that our eyes are always on the border.¡±


    ¡°I know, right? Then, what we need is¡­¡±


    ¡°Should we increase our personnel?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s one thing, but I think it¡¯s better to have a system that can cover a wide area with a small number of people.¡±


    ¡°That would be the best way to do it¡­ have you any ideas?¡±


    ¡°Of course I do.¡±


    I nodded and took out my compass. The compass is not the directional one but the one that draws circles. With the compass, I drew a couple of circles. First, I drew a circle with the fortress on the border with the Holy Kingdom at its center, then I drew a new circle within the radius of the fortress and filled the border line with circles.


    ¡°What are these circles?¡±


    ¡°It is the communication range of the golem communicator. It¡¯s about a 100-kilometer radius. The circle is drawn within a radius where communication can be reliably established.¡±


    With the early version of the golem communicator, communication was possible within a distance of four days¡¯ walk¨Din other words, up to 120 kilometers. Now that the performance has been further improved and the communication distance has been extended, the communication range should be within a radius of 100 km, even if some obstacles are taken into account.


    Once the border was covered with circles, larger circles would be added to the national territory, and the number of circles would be increased to cover the major bases within the Kingdom of Merinard. The final result would be a communications network on the map that would extend from the border to Merinesburg, from Merinesburg to Erichburg, and from Erichburg to the rear bases in the Great Omit Wilderness.


    ¡°The small circles are the communication range of portable golem communication devices, while the medium and large circles are the communication range of installed relay base stations and stationary large golem communication devices.¡±


    The communication range of a large stationary golem transmitter is approximately five times that of a normal type. It can cover a wide area with a radius of 600 km. Of course, this is a distance that is secured with a certain amount of margin through improvements and the addition of transmitting and receiving antennas.


    As for the relay base station, a small, inconspicuous base station was finally adopted. The function was limited to simply relaying communications from remote locations, and the emphasis was placed on miniaturization and the use of fewer materials. Even so, it is capable of covering a communication range roughly three times that of a normal golem communicator.


    ¡°And this is¡­¡±


    This time, I set the white ink on the compass and drew a large circle around a certain point.


    ¡°What is this white circle?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the area within five hours of the technical air board. It¡¯s about an eight-day walk. It doesn¡¯t matter whether it¡¯s raining, muddy, or snowing; the speed at which it travels is the same.¡±


    ¡°I thought I knew how fast technical air boards were, but seeing it again like this, it has a tremendous range of action¡­¡±


    Danan groans when he sees the size of the white circle. Eight days on foot is a wide area with a radius of about 240 km. This is the range when the technical air board is driven at a cruising speed of 50 km/h. This white circle is much larger because it is possible to run at higher speeds in reality. As expected, it would not blow by at the maximum speed of 200 km/h, but it would be able to reach speeds of up to 80 km/h. If we did so, we would be able to reach the area within the white circle in about three hours.


    ¡°We will build an early warning network by utilizing the golem communicator and hit any enemy we find with a quick response force armed with technical air boards. If we have enough troop carriers, we can respond with crossbowmen and magic gunners instead of technical air boards armed with light machine guns. After that, it would be good to proceed with organizing a small number of troops to hunt down the infiltrating enemy troops. Let¡¯s call them something like¡­ hunters?¡±


    It seems to be a slightly different character from the hunters on Earth¡­ Considering the nature of the mission, is it not so?


    ¡°Hunters, huh? Hmm, that¡¯s not a bad name.¡±


    ¡°So the mission is to find and hunt enemies that have slipped through the net of vigilance¡­ I see.¡±


    ¡°The circle I drew is a rough sketch, so the details should be worked out by the military. Now you understand the idea of the system itself, don¡¯t you? Golem communicators, light machine guns, air boards, magic rifles, and I¡¯m sure there¡¯s this security control issue as well.¡±


    ¡°You are right. It is necessary to talk with the research and development department to finalize the security measures. But this way, the number of personnel needed for border security can be greatly reduced, can¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, this system would also help to maintain domestic security. It is also strong to be capable of exchanging information instantaneously and sending a large force at high speed. It will make a big difference in both strategy and tactics.¡±


    ¡°Well, I suppose so.¡±


    On a battlefield where people are fighting with spears and bows, swords and shields, they are fighting a war with radio communication equipment, troop carriers, machine guns, assault rifles, close air support, etc. That would completely change the strategy and tactics.


    In today¡¯s world, mass warfare using dense formations is at its peak. The Holy Kingdom would be irked that they are being overrun by a modern concept of maneuver warfare. The common sense of the past does not apply at all. I am sure that the military over there must be thinking about it right now after hearing from the subjugation soldiers who have returned home.


    ¡°With this much power, it should be possible to strike back at the Holy Kingdom.¡±


    ¡°Are we going to attack them?¡±


    ¡°No way. It would be foolish to do such a thing out of hatred for the Holy Kingdom.¡±


    Sir Leonard shrugged his shoulders, but I wonder what he really thought about it. I looked at Danan, but he silently shook his head.


    ¡°What we must do now is to protect the Merinard kingdom and its people. Not to avenge and destroy our enemies out of hatred.¡±


    ¡°¡­Well, it¡¯s not really something I can say for myself.¡±


    I can¡¯t and won¡¯t tell them not to use the power I¡¯ve provided them with to get revenge. If I were worried about such things, I should not have given them modern weapons in the first place. Once I lent them my power, I couldn¡¯t act like a good boy.


    I mean, it¡¯s a little late to be making such a weapon of mass destruction as a magic sparkling stone bomb, isn¡¯t it? With it, even an army of tens of thousands of troops could be killed in less than an hour.


    ¡°As I said, it¡¯s best to ask Kosuke when it comes to tactics using new weapons.¡±


    ¡°I agree. It is difficult for us to devise such sophisticated tactics and strategies. Can you think of any new weapons or equipment?¡±


    ¡°Even if you say ¡®new weapons and equipment,¡¯¡­ that would have to be something that Sir Leonard would like, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Kosuke¡¯s gun is a powerful weapon, but it is not to my taste.¡±


    ¡°Even if you put it that way¡­¡±


    Sir Leonard¡¯s preference is for melee combat, wielding a broadsword and cutting into people, isn¡¯t it? Such things were obsolete in my generation and rarely used as a tactic¡­ Only those crazy guys who drink black tea all year round do the bayonet charge. [T/n: I don¡¯t know about this one, tehe~]


    ¡°Hmmm¡­ Ah!¡±


    I suddenly thought of something when I saw the white circle on the map. It is a personal booster that uses the air board¡¯s tubular propulsion system. The image is that of a maneuvering device in a manga about fighting titans. Whether it would be attached to the thigh or waist, or carried on the back, would need to be examined closely during the development process. [T/n: 3DM?]


    ¡°You got something in mind?¡±


    Danan asked, looking a little excited. Well, I can¡¯t say I had an idea.


    ¡°I thought of something like this: It would be effective to close the gap of a few dozen meters at once and engage in a melee, or to leap over the enemy vanguard and ram into defenseless archers or throwers, then break off with a single blow?¡±


    ¡°If you can do that, of course, it is effective, but if you rush in without any plan, you will be covered with a rain of arrows and spear beds full of holes, right?¡±


    ¡°I think we should have some tactical solutions for that, or we can use our mobility to get under the arrows¡­ but it would be better if we could deploy a wind magic barrier for a short time.¡±


    It¡¯s only good if you can prevent arrows for the first few dozen seconds you¡¯re going into enemy territory anyway, so I¡¯m not sure if that¡¯s something you can manage. I¡¯ve recently become quite involved in the development of magic tools, so I¡¯m starting to get some sense of how much power I can draw from a single magic crystal stone.


    ¡°You know that air board propulsion system, that tube-shaped thing? How about a maneuvering device that can be equipped with a size that can be used by an individual to fly at high speed over a short distance and crash into the enemy?¡±


    ¡°¡­If you make one wrong move, you¡¯ll either be quickly sacrificed or beaten to a pulp by the bedding of a spear.¡±


    ¡°It might be effective if you can master it¡­¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s worth considering because it would dramatically increase the mobility of infantry. Instead of using it in a battle, wouldn¡¯t it be useful to equip it for scouts or, for that matter, the hunters I mentioned earlier? It would require training, but I think it would be a good way to move a person at very high speed.¡±


    It would probably be quite small in size, so if we use standard-size magic crystals, the cost of magic power will last for a few days even when operating at full power, wouldn¡¯t it? The replacement magic crystals aren¡¯t that bulky, either.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ When you put it that way, there is certainly room for consideration. I think we can ask the Research and Development Department to develop it.¡±


    ¡°I agree. It would cost too much to equip the entire army with it, but it might be useful as equipment for some elite units.¡±


    Thus, the decision was made to develop a fast-moving device for personal use. Unfortunately, until it is put to practical use, the test subjects will have to deal with a constant stream of fresh injuries, such as crashing into something after flying at high speed¡­ or failing to land and rolling on the ground at a tremendous rate. I don¡¯t know who will be in that role, but I¡¯ll pray for their safety while I¡¯m at it. Amen, amen.

 CH 252

    Chapter 252 ¨C Mobility Device and Air Bikes


    ¡°Ohhhh!¡±


    The sky and the ground are overturned many times, and intense pain runs through my entire body. A tingling sensation in the back of my nose and a dizzying sensation also come over me at the same time. I feel like I¡¯m going to cry.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Do I look okay?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t see clearly.¡±


    I replied to Isla¡¯s voice that was coming down from above my head as I lay prone on the ground, and she stroked my head. It¡¯s good that you stroke my head, but things hurt all over my body, Isla-sensei.


    ¡°No bones are broken for now.¡±


    ¡°That alone is a great step forward¡­¡±


    I put my hands on the ground and lift up my upper body, my body shaking in pain.


    ¡°Here.¡±


    Isla brought the mouth of a bottle filled with red liquid close to my mouth, so I accepted it and took a sip of the liquid inside. The taste is sour and not that good. But as soon as I swallowed it, the pain in my body disappeared. Life Potion-san is as good as I expected.


    ¡°Hah¡­ What a troublesome thing.¡±


    I stood up and tapped the abominable object perched on my waist with my fist.


    Equipped on my waist is a prototype of a high-mobility device that I began developing after talking with Sir Leonard and Danan the other day. The concept is to create explosive acceleration with a pair of small propulsion devices attached to a metal frame, but it is difficult to control. Not just difficult, but maybe impossible.


    In the past two weeks, I have broken my bones thirteen times, fainted eight times, and lost count of the other injuries I have sustained. If it had not been me doing the testing, there would have been five or six deaths.


    ¡°Kosuke, I still think it would be better to have the test done by a physically gifted beastman or something instead of you.¡±


    ¡°Ngnh¡­¡±


    I groaned at Isla¡¯s worried gaze as she stared up at me. To begin with, I think that the human body is not designed to run, jump, and bounce on the ground at speeds of 30 or 50 kilometers per hour. I think so because I¡¯m in a lot of pain.


    ¡°Humans are no match for beastmen and other physically strong types of subhumans in terms of reaction speed, skeletal structure, or physical toughness. In extremely rare cases, there are humans in that category, but it¡¯s not with Kosuke.¡±


    ¡°Nnggh¡­¡±


    It is frustrating, but Isla has a point. In the beginning, when the output adjustment was unstable, the impact of acceleration alone was enough to make all the bones in my body creak, and I almost suffered a back injury. The current prototype has a propulsion system attached to the frame¡­ rather than a frame; it is more like waist armor with a solid structure from the thighs to the back. The reason is that the initial frame with a propulsion system would have put a tremendous burden on the spine and hip bones.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think the idea is bad¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s interesting. Innovative.¡±


    ¡°But the progress is clearly better over there.¡±


    ¡°Because the basic technology is well established.¡±


    From where Isla and I were looking, we saw an air bike moving at a comfortable speed. Mechanically, it was the same as an air board. However, the number of propulsion units is three in total: one medium-sized unit for the main engine and two smaller units for changing direction, and the smaller propulsion unit for changing direction is driven by moving the handlebars to the left or right.


    One small floating device is used at the front and rear of the chassis, which is now running smoothly. We are still trying to determine the best arrangement, size, and power output of the levitation devices, including one in the center and a larger one.


    ¡°If it is put into practical use, it will be more convenient than a horse.¡±


    ¡°As long as magic crystals are available, the burden on logistics will be far less.¡±


    The benefit the military will gain from mechanized means of transportation and delivery is, of course, a reduction in the logistics burden.


    Generally speaking, the weight of food consumed by a human soldier per day is between 1 kg and 2 kg. You can assume that this is a minimum figure, not including the weight of the water. In the case of a subhuman with superior physical capabilities, fuel consumption is also moderate, so it is better to be prepared for 2 kg of food. Incidentally, a horse that pulls a wagon loaded with supplies eats ten times as much as a human. In other words, 10 kg of horse feed alone is needed per day.


    By the way, the load capacity of a typical wagon in this world is about 500 kg. That is quite a performance. Thanks to axles and wheels made of magical materials. However, the speed of a wagon with a full load is slow. The speed is not much different from that of a human on foot.


    If it rains, the road becomes muddy, the wagon cannot move properly, and the speed is even slower in areas where the ups and downs are severe. Furthermore, as mentioned above, horses are gluttonous. They need about 10 kg of food per day.


    However, an air board or air bike can travel 400 km per day at cruising speed, and the supplies needed for such travel are only a few hundred grams of magic crystals.


    Hard to understand? Then let me give you a concrete example.


    Let¡¯s say you want to deliver supplies to a battlefield 200 km away.


    In this case, it would take a week for a horse-drawn wagon to go one way, and the horse alone would consume 70 kg of supplies each way. If it¡¯s accompanied by three guards, they alone will consume around 28 kg of supplies in a week. That means they would consume about 100 kg of supplies on a one-way trip. Of course, after delivering the supplies, they would return to their base, so the consumption would be doubled to about 200 kg. That means that only 300 kg of supplies can be delivered to the front line.


    Taking into account the one-way trip, which takes a week, and the round trip, 200 kg of supplies are consumed, which is barely enough to carry a day¡¯s worth of food for only 150 people by subhuman standards. That¡¯s right. This should give you a good idea of how difficult the task of resupply is.


    Now, what would happen if this were done on an air board?


    An air board capable of carrying 500 kg of supplies can cruise at a speed of 50 km/h. Unlike a horse, an air board does not need to take breaks, so it can run for eight hours, and the distance traveled per day is 400 kilometers. Moreover, unlike a horse-drawn carriage, the speed of travel is not affected by weather or road conditions.


    In other words, if they wanted to, they could reach a battlefield 200 km away in half a day and return to a supply depot. Naturally, 500 kg of supplies would be delivered to the front line in its entirety. The only thing consumed in this way is a single magic crystal, which is produced inexhaustibly in the rear base.


    The mechanization of logistics by air boards¨Dor in this case, the magicalization of logistics?¨DI hope this explanation has made it clear to you how much benefit air boards provide to the supply chain. The air boards are really awesome.


    By the way, my loading capacity is unmeasurable. There¡¯s no limit so far. And I¡¯ll create a field on the front line that can be harvested in a week at any time. I¡¯ll create fortresses, towns, anything. And to top it off, I can travel hundreds of kilometers an hour on Grande flight, not to mention air boards.


    Even just from a supply standpoint, if I were the enemy, I would do everything in my power to kill them or bring them on board!


    Let¡¯s return to the air bike.


    ?To achieve a cruising speed of 50 km/h and a maximum speed of 100 km/h, which is double that


    ?The speed must be maintained even when carrying up to 60 kg of luggage in addition to the passenger.


    ?The vehicle must be able to operate for a minimum of two weeks without specialized maintenance.


    ?Equipped with a function to maintain speed even when both hands are removed.


    The air bike currently under development is required to have the above four features. As for the ability to maintain speed even when both hands are removed from the vehicle, they are considering shooting while moving, magic attacks, and eventually a cavalry charge with heavy armor.


    I don¡¯t think a cavalry charge is a good idea. Why don¡¯t they just use a light machine gun and wipe the enemy off with it? If you want to use only the technology of this world, you could use a magic gun or a magic rifle that is under development.


    A magic rifle is another version of a magic gun, a projectile weapon that shoots out magic rather than real bullets.


    However, the development of this weapon has been difficult so far. The efficiency is not very good.


    In the case of a magic gun, a single half-size magic crystal can fire approximately 500 rounds as long as there are bullets, but in the case of a magic rifle, the same half-size magic crystal can fire only about 10 rounds. It is said that the efficiency can be considerably improved by using larger and more complicated magic circuits or by using mithril silver alloy as the material of the barrel, but the manufacturing cost would rise if this were done.


    A genius mage like Isla can shoot magic efficiently with less magic power by using complex formulas, but it seems to be a reality that it is quite difficult to make it into a magic tool.


    ¡°It can still run, can¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Hmm. After the balance adjustment is finished, we will conduct load tests and endurance tests. Then we have to work on mass production. That¡¯s a lot of work.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s really fortunate that the basic technology has been established to some extent with air boards.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. As for the mobility equipment, I will ask Sir Leonard or Danan to arrange for a live subject.¡±


    ¡°That would be unfortunate, but you¡¯ll have to do. In fact, if you think about it, it¡¯s the subhuman soldiers who will actually use it¡­¡±


    On second thought, even if it is adjusted for me, it may not be suitable for beastman and others. In that light, should we not be stubborn and leave the development to the beastman and other subhumans who might actually use the mobility devices?


    ¡°Kosuke¡¯s sacrifice will not be in vain. At least the risk of serious injury is reduced.¡±


    ¡°Because I literally broke my bones¡­¡±


    ¡°Naisujoku?¡± [T/n: She wanted to said nice joke.]


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t a joke¡­¡±


    Because my body was seriously in pain, you know. Hahaha.


    ¡°Then I left the development of the mobility device to the beastman¨DHuh!¡±


    Before I knew it, Isla¡¯s hand was firmly gripping my clothes. Suddenly, I look up at the top of a nearby building and see some Harpies with smiles on their faces.


    ¡°Calm down. You¡¯ll understand if we talk.¡±


    ¡°I will listen to you slowly in my room.¡±


    Isla started to pull me with muscular strength that was not suitable for her small body, as if she had been strengthened by some mysterious power. Stop, stop! You¡¯re stretching my clothes! I have other work to do; I have to work! If there isn¡¯t one, I¡¯ll make one! Please forgive me while the sun is still high!

 CH 253

    Chapter 253 ¨C Winter Greetings and House Arrest


    I¡¯m thinking of going on a trip.¡±


    Rejected.¡±


    I was afraid for my life as my nightlife was encroaching not only into the night but also into the day, and I offered to Sylphy to go on a trip, but she instantly rejected my offer.


    ¡®But, Sylphy. I¡¯m glad you all love me, but there¡¯s a limit to what I can do. To be more specific, it hurts and is painful in many places, in many ways.


    Of course, there are various measures to push beyond the limit, such as recovery magic, a miracle of stimulation, various alchemicals, and Grande blood, but going beyond the limit means that there is a load on some parts. If this continues, I will wither prematurely or die of kidney failure, so I really want to do something about it.


    ¡°Well, you know, I¡¯ve been doing a little too much lately, even though it¡¯s winter¡­¡±


    ¡°If the pace continues at this rate, I may even go underground, relying on Lime and the others.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of you.¡±


    ¡°Well, if you ask me.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to see how serious we are?¡±


    In this negotiation, I have brought the slime girls to this place. They were doing a lot of things while I was sleeping, but at least they won¡¯t force me to do anything. At least it¡¯s better than what is happening now.


    ¡°Kosuke¡­¡±


    Sylphy gives me a sad look as I bring up Lime and the others.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine if it¡¯s just for the night. At least after having dinner and a bath and freshening up. I don¡¯t want it to start in the middle of the day and then the next morning.¡±


    I think it is one of a man¡¯s dreams to have beautiful women and girls as his companions while the sun is still high in the sky and to have them all over the place, but there are limits to what can be done. It would kill me to have all of them onslaught me just because some of them have become happy.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell everyone to refrain from doing so while it¡¯s still light. Also, we¡¯ll discuss it and try not to put too much pressure on Kosuke.¡±


    ¡°I would be very grateful if you would do that. I¡¯m glad I talked to Sylphy first.¡±


    ¡°Kosuke¡­¡±


    Hearing my words that I consulted with her first, Sylphy looks happy.


    I brought Lime and the others with me but did not explain the situation. Sylphy was indeed the first person I consulted. Lime and the others usually listen to me when I talk to them.


    That night, the ladies¡¯ meeting was held, and my appeal was approved. I had a peaceful night for the first time in a long time.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    When I returned to my normal days of mild¡­ well, mild except at night, before the winter, many visitors came to the royal castle in Merinesburg. They were representatives of the major cities that had reverently submitted to the new Merinard Kingdom.


    It may seem surprising, but it seems that about 70% of the city representatives have not changed since the reign of the Holy Kingdom. They are the people who were relieved of their positions as city leaders by showing their reverence to the new Merinard Kingdom, the liberation army that had defeated the forces of the Holy Kingdom from the territory of the Merinard Kingdom.


    Well, the relief is only temporary. If they do not follow the policies of the new Merinard Kingdom in the future, their heads will be replaced, physically, as the case may be.


    ¡°So I¡¯m being told not to leave my room.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you didn¡¯t know what was there?¡±


    I stretch out with Grande, buried in a pile of cushions. I asked if I didn¡¯t have to greet the delegates as Sylphy¡¯s spouse, but this time I was told to lock myself in my room and never come out. Apparently, it is widely known that I have taken many lovers, and there are a certain number of people who want to secure their own position in the family by giving me a female relative.


    ¡°After all, Kosuke is just like a princess who is targeted by starving beasts.¡±


    ¡°It makes me wonder about the definition of the word ¡®princess.''¡±


    The representatives who gathered at the royal castle were here to receive their vassalage once again, as the new Merinard Kingdom led by Sylphy had finally taken control of the entire territory of the Merinard Kingdom.


    From now on, the new Merinard Kingdom will establish a monarchy with Sylphy as its queen. I will support Sylphy as her consort.


    The problem here is the governance of the regions. Normally, it would be better to place Sylphy¡¯s trustworthy subordinates in each region to make her rule absolute, but there are many heads of regional cities who have expressed their respect for the new Merinard Kingdom¡¯s rule.


    The reason why the local authorities have gathered this time is this: we will not disobey you, so please don¡¯t kill us; we beg you. If you want, we will offer our child as a hostage. Please make her your concubine, your servant, or whatever. Please help us. That was their intention.


    Sylphy seems to think that as long as the city is governed well, taxes are properly paid, discrimination against subhumans under the Holy Kingdom¡¯s rule is eliminated, and soldiers and manpower are properly provided in case of emergency, she is willing to entrust the current representative to govern the city as it is. However, since there is no way to leave the local governance completely to them, she intends to divide the territory of the Kingdom of Merinard into several sectors and appoint a governor.


    In Erichburg, Danan will be placed as governor of the south, and in the east, near the border with the Holy Kingdom, Sir Leonard will be placed as governor of the east. In the west, she is planning to place Ms. Zamir as governor of the west, but I hear that she is reluctant to do so because she will not be able to protect me.


    The western part of the country borders the Confederation of Small Nations, and beyond that lies the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom. The Dragonis Mountain Kingdom is home to many lizardmen, and I think that Ms. Zamir would be the best choice for governor of the western part of the country, where there will be many opportunities to come into contact with them.


    As for the north, Sylphy will rule directly from the center. There are countries belonging to the Holy Kingdom and its allies beyond the north, so it could become a battlefield in the future¡­ We are currently preparing to deploy defensive forces in the east, where the border with the Holy Kingdom is located, but we will have to make sure that we can deploy forces in the north in the near future. We will have to do that.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°No, I just think we¡¯re in for a rough ride.¡±


    ¡°I see. Not that it¡¯s any of my business.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to get Grande involved in the humans¡¯ quarrels, you know. Well, as Sylphy¡¯s companion, I¡¯d like to help her in any way I can.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    Grande began to ponder something at my words.


    Well, the current concern is the defense of the northern part of the country. Now that we have a handle on the eastern defenses, it¡¯s time to turn our attention to the north. There is a possibility that the Holy Kingdom will invite their vassals and allies located in the north of the Merinard Kingdom to confirm the strength of the Merinard Kingdom.


    How about I put my name forward as the governor of the north? I am thinking about it, but I am sure Sylphy and the others will oppose it. If I am sent out alone and am assassinated or kidnapped, the kingdom of Merinard could be at an impasse. Then again, I suppose we could send one of Sylphy¡¯s sisters as governor of the north. In terms of credibility, they are no less than Sir Leonard, Danan, and Ms. Zamir.


    I don¡¯t know about Aquawill-san or Ifrita, but Driada-san, the eldest sister, is probably well educated as royalty, both in terms of age and position. In terms of public support, I think she could manage if she were selected by Sylphy, who has regained the kingdom of Merinard.


    ¡°I¡¯ll help with anything Kosuke tells me to do. I¡¯m willing to get involved in a little bit of trouble.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. Grande is so cute.¡±


    ¡°Hehehe¡­ I know, I know.¡±


    I hugged Grande, who was lying next to me, stretched out on many cushions as I was, and patted her on the head. I don¡¯t mean to get Grande into trouble, but I¡¯m honestly glad that she cares for me in this way.


    ¡°Kosuke, I¡¯m getting hungry.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s have a snack.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Grande replies cheerfully, and together we escape from the pile of cushions and head for the table. Now, what shall I feed her for a snack today? Shall I make that thing that causes a big war? The round ones with various variations of filling, such as red bean paste or custard. By the way, I¡¯m an Oyaki person.


    ¡°Kosuke!¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes.¡±


    Grande pulls me by the hand while I operate my inventory. For now, let¡¯s deal with the hungry dragon in front of me.

 CH 254

    Chapter 254 ¨C Petitions From the Front


    While the goodwill visits by the local leaders continued, I convinced Sylphy and the others that it would be boring and wasteful to stay in the room all the time, so I went to the Research and Development Department.


    The Research and Development Department is the driving force behind the rapid progress of the new Merinard Kingdom. Naturally, the importance of this department is very high, and since it is well guarded, there is very little chance that I would be caught in a honey trap prepared by the local leaders. Basically, outsiders are not allowed to come here.


    For my protection, Grande also came to the Research and Development Department, and I remodeled a corner of the Research and Development Department¡¯s laboratory and set up a cushion-filled space for Grande to relax, but¡­ that¡¯s about the only thing that has changed. Generally speaking, I was back to my old routine.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been getting petitions from soldiers on the front lines.¡±


    ¡°Feedback like that is important. What¡¯s it about?¡±


    ¡°They say they¡¯re tired of eating block cookies. They want something new to eat.¡±


    ¡°Oh, now you mention it¡­¡±


    Since ancient times, the relationship between the military and food has been inseparable.


    In addition, to block cookies, I also proposed and put into practical use a behavioral food package that standardized rations for a platoon (grain, dried meat, dried vegetables, seasonings, etc.) and packed them in a single box. However, it is not very convenient because it requires making a fire and using cooking utensils.


    ¡°In other words, what is needed on the front lines is a new kind of portable food that is easy to prepare, tasty, and versatile, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. It is a very difficult issue.¡±


    ¡°Well, yes.¡±


    The block cookie was a biscuit-like mobile ration inspired by the Cal*rie Mate. The cookies were not unpleasant to eat, and they were not hard like rocks.


    ¡°First, I¡¯d like to propose adding flavors to the block cookies¡­¡±


    ¡®Then we¡¯ve already implemented that. Things like dried nuts or dried fruit kneaded into the dough, or cheese powder added to the dough before baking.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ then you¡¯re asking for something radically different.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Do you have any ideas?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    Isla¡¯s big eye stare at me, and I groan as I ponder. When it comes to preserved food with improved taste, preservation, and transportability, bottled or canned food is the first thing that comes to mind. However, I think it is difficult to mass-produce bottled and canned foods with the current technical capabilities and production system of the Merinard Kingdom. If there were vein holes here and there where magic power gushes out inexhaustibly, as in the rear bases of the Great Omit Wilderness, I think it would be possible to build factories for mass production¡­


    ¡°Is it difficult?¡±


    ¡°It would be difficult in many ways to put it to practical use right away, but as an idea, I suggest canned food.¡±


    I began to explain the outline of canned food to Isla and the other members of the Research and Development Department.


    ¡°Basically, the majority of food spoilage is caused by the growth of microorganisms.¡±


    ¡°Microorganisms?¡±


    ¡°Microorganisms are tiny creatures that you can¡¯t even see. They are actually the cause of some diseases, but I¡¯ll leave that aside for now. The canning process, which I will explain now, is a technology to preserve food for a long time by thoroughly killing these microorganisms during the manufacturing process and then sealing the canned food in a sealed airtight container.¡±


    Using a piece of chalk, I wrote a simple description of the canning process on the large blackboard in the Research and Development Department. The first step is to clean the raw materials. In order to achieve long-term preservation, the ingredients must first be thoroughly cleaned.


    Next, the internal organs of meat and fish and the skin and seeds of vegetables and fruits must be removed. In the absence of automatic processing machines, this will have to be done manually. Mass production requires hiring a large number of workers, who must, of course, be thoroughly clean and healthy. It is impossible to process food while coughing or sneezing. Naturally, contamination with foreign matter is also unacceptable. To maintain quality, thorough sanitary control is necessary.


    ¡°It¡¯s already difficult at this point.¡±


    ¡°But if you succeed in putting it to practical use, you will be able to preserve meat, fish, vegetables, and fruits for months or even years without them spoiling, ready to eat as soon as you open the can, won¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°¡­Hmm.¡±


    Isla is silent, her large eye narrowing with difficulty.


    ¡°Then we fill the cans with the cleaned raw materials. The structure of a can looks like this.¡±


    I had studied the structure and manufacturing process of canning before and watched videos, so I dug up my memory and wrote on the blackboard about the structure of the cans.


    The basic process involves attaching a lid to a thin cylinder of metal that serves as the can¡¯s body, then tightening the can body and lid together to seal them. This process is called winding. To improve sealing, it is recommended to use a slime material as a sealant at the edge of the lid. It is not impossible to make a machine for tightening the lid by using golem technology. However, the angle of the roller for tightening and the angles of the lid, and the tightening part of the can itself would need to be researched.


    ¡°Before sealing a can like this, it is necessary to fill it with seasoning liquid, oil, syrup, etc., to release air. If air remains in the can, it may cause the can to spoil or burst during the heat sterilization process. In the case of meat, it may be better to sterilize it by steaming it for a long time in the can before filling it with the seasoning liquid, etc.¡±


    I recall that in the video, they said that meat and fish should be sterilized by heating at a higher temperature for a longer period than vegetables and fruits.


    ¡°Then, after filling the can with seasoning liquid or oil and sealing it, the can is further sterilized by heating it with steam for a long period. As I mentioned earlier, microorganisms that cause spoilage are weak against heat. The can is then filled with seasoning liquid or oil to eliminate the air necessary for the growth of microorganisms and sealed with a lid to prevent the food from being contaminated by new microorganisms. The food is then sealed and heated at a high temperature for a long period to kill all microorganisms. In this way, the microorganisms that cause food spoilage are thoroughly eliminated and killed so that the food can be preserved for a long time.¡±


    Because we are dealing with raw materials, the processing work must be done quickly. A conveyor belt system is also necessary, and above all, it is no good if the process of sealing the food into cans is time-consuming. Considering the time required from the procurement of raw materials to processing, the factory should be located close to the raw material procurement location.


    A myriad of tasks needs to be completed, from basic research on processing technology to setting up a processing site, construction, and¡­ arranging personnel and raw materials.


    ¡°I understand that it is very difficult to make canned goods by hand. But considering the future, we should definitely be able to make canned food.¡±


    ¡°I agree. If it can be preserved for a long time, it could be exported.¡±


    ¡°If we can stockpile perishable foods in the form of canned foods, we can prepare for famine.¡±


    The Research and Development Department members, who had heard the outline of the project from me, began lively discussions.


    ¡°The concept of microorganisms is interesting. Foods that have been treated with purification magic are less likely to spoil, and when purification magic is applied to injured people, their wounds are less likely to deteriorate. It may be that purification magic removes not only dirt but also invisible microorganisms.¡±


    ¡°The same is true of the miracle of purification that the priests deal with, but there was a miracle of perpetual preservation among the higher level miracles, wasn¡¯t there? Maybe it is a miracle of eliminating microorganisms and then keeping them at bay.¡±


    ¡°If we purify the food to be processed and the workers with the miracle of purification, we can manage the sanitation control, can¡¯t we? If all it takes is to seal the food so that no air can get in, I think you can make a normal stew or something like that, apply a thorough purification spell, and then put it in a can and seal it.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ this process called winding and tightening is great, but it¡¯s difficult to fabricate. It is easy to make a thin sheet of metal and bend it into a tube shape, but how do you join it together?¡±


    ¡°I think we can use alchemy magic to join them together. I think it is easy if the metals are of the same material. The same goes for the lid. I don¡¯t think it would be that difficult to make a special processing magic tool.¡±


    The members of the Research and Development Department came up with ideas from their respective fields to find a solution for canning from the perspective of this world¡¯s technology-magic. The heat sterilization process can be greatly simplified by using purification magic, which can easily eliminate microorganisms. It may indeed be possible to use purification magic to thoroughly sterilize processed food.


    And as for the creation and sealing of the canned food, alchemy magic is used? Certainly, once the can body and lid are joined by magic, there is no need for a tightening process. I, for one, am impressed by this technique. There is no need to use a roller while pressing the lid against the can in order to perform the winding process. It¡¯s enough to just pop the lid on a can full of processed food and use a special magic tool to join them together.


    ¡°¡­The power of magic is amazing.¡±


    The fact that the various problems that I thought would be difficult to solve can be easily solved with the unknown technology of magic, I can only mutter this half-heartedly.


    ¡°The idea and knowledge of Kosuke are more amazing. We can discuss how to solve these problems because Kosuke explained to us how food spoils, why canned food does not spoil, and what kind of technical problems there are in canning. Kosuke¡¯s knowledge and ideas are irreplaceable.¡±


    ¡°I agree. When it comes to preserved food, we can only think of baked bread, dried meat, dried fruit, and so on. It would take a miracle to preserve cooked food for a long time without it spoiling.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s for sure. Now we have to actually make it and see if it really doesn¡¯t go bad. I mean, what material should I use to make the canned food? Is steel good enough?¡±


    The blacksmith¡¯s question prompted me to dig up from my memory what I knew about cans for canning.


    ¡°Iron is fine, but depending on the contents and how long they are stored, they may corrode, so it is better to plate them with tin if possible. Also, it would be better to have handles on either the top or bottom edge because it would be better to be able to use a can opener to open the can. I think a handle on the top would also stabilize the cans when they are stacked.¡±


    ¡°Tin. Tin is easy to make.¡±


    ¡°You can do it with alchemy, too. Which is better in terms of cost?¡±


    The blacksmith and the alchemist begin discussing the processing method of the can and the tin plating method. It seems that there is a method of dipping a steel plate into a melted tin for simply plating, but it seems that plating using alchemical magic is more even and less wasteful. The magic tool for plating has already been developed, but of course, the cost of manufacturing and operating the magic tool is quite high, so they are considering which one would be better.


    ¡°I think we can manage something. I thought canning would be difficult, so it wasn¡¯t my main plan.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°I was going to suggest something like freeze-dried food or instant noodles.¡±


    I thought freeze-dried food could be made rather easily with magic. If we were going to use magic for freeze-dried food, we should have thought of using magic for canned food production as well.


    The idea for fried noodles came from so-called instant noodles or cup noodles. I thought, why not freeze-dry the soup into powder form and pour hot water together with freeze-dried or deep-fried noodles to make it possible to eat warm noodle food on the front line? This, of course, would require some trial and error, but I thought it would be less difficult than mass-producing canned food.


    ¡°That¡¯s interesting to me too. I¡¯d like you to explain it to me.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Let me explain about this one too.¡±


    I picked up the chalk again and began to explain the concept of instant noodles and freeze-dried foods.


    As a result of my knowledge disclosure that day, the Research and Development Department was to conduct extensive research on canned food production, instant noodles, powdered soups, and freeze-dried foods.


    On the same day, Sylphy and Melty were informed, and it was decided that the budget and manpower would be allocated as much as or more than the development of weapons such as air boards, air bikes, mobility devices, and magic guns.


    I, with my knowledge, was selected to lead the development of these processed and preserved foods, and I was to be busy for some time.

 CH 255

    Chapter 255 ¨C Journal of Preserved Food Development


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡°Cheer up.¡±


    It¡¯s been three days since we started making the new preserved food. In the meantime, I have created a number of samples with my crafting abilities and distributed them to the soldiers of the Liberation Army stationed in Merinesburg. I asked them to use a can opener to open the cans, and then I asked them to actually eat the food and give me their feedback¡­


    ¡°The amount is not enough.¡±


    ¡°The metallic smell is too strong.¡±


    ¡°The lid is a pain to open, and so on.¡±


    The response was not very positive. Now, I am in a state of bending forward in utter disappointment. Isla patted me on the shoulder to cheer me up.


    ¡°Well, it was obvious that this would happen even if you let people who can eat freshly prepared food as much as they want to eat it. So it¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡±


    ¡°And as for the not-enough-quantity part, all you have to do is increase the size of the can and increase the content. Well, if I recall correctly, for cylinders, if you increase the diameter by 30%, the capacity is almost double, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. The metallic smell is probably due to the fact that it was eaten without being heated. If it is heated before eating, the metallic smell will almost completely disappear.¡±


    A fox-beastman alchemist told me so. I see. So it is no good if you eat it as it is?


    ¡°As for the trouble of opening the lid, I guess they¡¯re just being lazy¡­ The main advantage of canned food is its long-term preservation and transportability. It is also advantageous that they are made of metal, so they don¡¯t break so easily. Glass jars break easily, and if you try to make them strong, the glass will become thicker and heavier.¡±


    Unlike me, who was being torn to pieces by the straight talk of the soldiers, the reaction of the members of the Research and Development Department was very calm. You guys are very strong.


    ¡°We sent it to the front line, or rather to the border security forces and the domestic patrol defense forces, didn¡¯t we? Until we hear back from them, there¡¯s no need to worry about it.¡±


    ¡°Is that what it¡¯s about¡­?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the way it is. But, I mean, it¡¯s been a tremendous help to us, too.¡±


    The Research and Development Department members nodded gravely at the alchemist¡¯s words. Since many people in the Research and Development Department devote themselves to research day and night, many of them have unstable eating habits. Of course, the royal castle in Merinesburg has a well-equipped kitchen and dining room, and chefs with solid skills prepare meals for them, but if they miss mealtime, the kitchen fire will be turned off, so they are served only leftover bread, cheese, and pickled vegetables that can be eaten as is. They are often too lazy to do even that, and with dead eyes, they chomp on the block cookies, dried meat, and dried fruit stored on a shelf in the corner of the room.


    However, their situation has changed drastically since we started working on a prototype of canned food. The Research and Development Department has plenty of heat sources to heat up canned foods, so when they are hungry, they can now heat up canned food and have a reasonably tasty meal anytime they want.


    ¡°It is ironic that those of us in research are eating closer to the front lines than those in the military.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ I like minced meat stew with tomel. It goes well with slightly toasted bread.¡±


    ¡°It is delicious. I like canned salty meat. It goes well with alcohol.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that too salty¡­? I like spicy canned beans.¡±


    ¡°Canned peaches are the best.¡±


    The members of the Research and Development Department began to talk passionately about canned foods, and among them, Isla asserted with a can of peaches in her hand. Canned peaches are indeed delicious. In fact, they are delicious when heated up, too. Also, the minced meat stew with tomel flavor is a meat sauce. You can eat it as it is, but it¡¯s supposed to be served over pasta. Well, if you put it on lightly toasted bread, it becomes a kind of meat pie, or pizza toast, or something like that.


    ¡°For now, there is no need to change course. We¡¯re going to proceed as is.¡±


    ¡°Is that so¡­? Well, if everyone says so.¡±


    The metallic smell is a rather fatal flaw in the Liberation Army, where there are many subhumans. If everyone in the Research and Development Department says so, let¡¯s go ahead with the plan.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    Another week later. The Research and Development Department members asked the chefs in the kitchen to help them prepare stews, pot-au-feu, and other dishes and began sealing them in cans made with their own hands. They made several magic tools of purification magic for each intensity and made many samples by changing the irradiation time, etc., for the cans containing the same food. For the time being, they are going to see how it goes in one week, one month, and three months. Of course, there are also samples that will be tested for six months and a year.


    ¡°By the way, who is going to taste the samples? Are we supposed to do it?¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯ll ask Lime and the others.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°They said if it was damaged, it wouldn¡¯t upset their stomachs, and they could tell if it was damaged or not.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Indeed, those girls would not have a stomachache. There is no gastrointestinal tract to break in the first place. In fact, they can handle sewage treatment, so it would not matter if they took in a little bit of damaged food into their bodies.


    Just to be safe, ten samples were produced for each of them. Since the irradiation time is divided into three stages by the three purification tools, a total of 450 canned samples have been produced.


    ¡°All that remains is to observe each of these cans on a day-to-day basis.¡±


    I checked them one by one and loaded them up, so it¡¯s all right, but just in case, a rabbit-beastman mage with good hearing is checking for any unusual noises by lightly tapping the cans with an iron rod. I had heard that if there was air in the can, it would make a different sound when it was tapped, so I asked the mage, who has good hearing, to do it.


    ¡°Hmm. But it¡¯s about time for the report to come back from the front line. Also, we need to start working on the instant noodles.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    The instant noodles are only vaguely clear, to be honest. I vaguely remember that it was steamed and then dried with hot air or fried in oil. The only question is how to deal with the problem of moisture. Even if you make instant noodles, if they get damp, there is nothing to be done. There is no such thing as plastic packaging in this world. In the first place, if there was an alternative to plastic packaging, I would have favored retort pouches.


    ¡°But there is the problem of moisture¡­¡±


    ¡°? We could imprint it on a shelf or a wooden box where we keep the drying technique.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s used in those food storage cabinets.¡±


    While tilting my head, Isla took me to a shelf in the corner of the Research and Development Department where block cookies and dried meat are stored, opened the door of the shelf, and pointed to a strange magic circle engraved on the back of the door.


    ¡°It¡¯s a drying technique imprinted with paint made from crushed magic stone. Depending on the item, it usually lasts about six months without needing any treatment.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s very convenient!¡±


    If this kind of thing were to be put to practical use on Earth, the companies that make desiccants would probably go bankrupt across the board.


    ¡°Not really. It doesn¡¯t work well where there is too much moisture and doesn¡¯t completely prevent humidity. Besides, if the boxes and shelves are too small, it won¡¯t do any good.¡±


    ¡°I see. But if it is in a wooden box with the technique engraved on it, it can be stored away from moisture, can¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°To some extent, yes. If you really want to keep out moisture completely for a long time, it will cost you a certain amount of money. Originally, it was developed to prevent wheat and other grains from molding due to moisture. It should work for instant noodles, which are made from grain.¡±


    ¡°¡­Okay, let¡¯s give it a try then.¡±


    Thus began the development of instant noodles.


    On the same day, an evaluation of the canned food came back from the front line via golem communication.


    ¡°When we heated them over an open flame, they exploded and wreaked havoc.¡±


    ¡°I ate the canned food that I had emptied beforehand because it was too much trouble, and later I got sick to my stomach.¡±


    ¡°I lost my can opener and couldn¡¯t open the cans.¡±


    However, the front line seemed to have a generally favorable evaluation of the food. Many people said they were happy to be able to eat properly seasoned food, so the development of canned food was decided to continue.

 CH 256

    Chapter 256 ¨C The Movement of Northern Power


    While busy with work related to the new type of preserved food, Isla and I were summoned to the meeting room by Sylphy.


    What is this? When we showed up at the meeting room, not only Sylphy but also Melty, Sir Leonard, Danan, Ellen, and Driada-san were gathered there. It was unusual for Ellen and Driada-san to show up at the meeting, not to mention Melty, Sir Leonard, and Danan.


    On a large table in the meeting room, a map of the kingdom of Merinard and the surrounding area was spread out, giving me the feeling that the meeting was not going to be a simple one.


    ¡°It looks like everyone¡¯s gathered here, so let¡¯s get started.¡±


    ¡°What in the world is going to start now?¡±


    ¡°A meeting to discuss the situation in the north.¡±


    When I frankly asked Sylphy why I had been summoned to the meeting, she answered. The northern countermeasures, huh?


    ¡°When it comes to the north, was it the Duchy of Dihart and the Kingdom of Tigris?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Both of them are practically vassal states of the Holy Kingdom. The Duchy of Dihart is a puppet of the Holy Kingdom, and the Kingdom of Tigris, whose state religion is Adolism, is a half-subject to the Holy Kingdom. For us, the Kingdom of Merinard, they are potential enemies.¡±


    ¡°I see. So, what has happened that you are holding an emergency meeting?¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s what I¡¯ve been trying to tell you. Melty.¡±


    ¡°Yes, please see here.¡±


    Today Melty seems to be in work mode. With a serious expression on her face, she laid out on the table some documents with a lot of numbers written on them. There were several sets of about ten sheets on the table. I picked up one of them and started looking at it. Hmm? Was it a list of trade volume and price changes for each commodity in each city?


    ¡°Any place, in particular, that looks suspicious¡­ Hmm?¡±


    I can¡¯t say for sure because I don¡¯t have the basic knowledge to make a comparison, but I am concerned about the gradual increase in the price of food. Within the Kingdom of Merinard, the food self-sufficiency rate should be well over 100% due to the effect of the fields I planted in the early fall. However, according to the data in this document, food prices are gradually increasing slightly. The trade volume seems to be equally high¡­ or is it too much?


    ¡°Isn¡¯t the volume of food traded oddly high?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It is not unusual for food prices to rise in the winter, but this is certainly not the case in the Kingdom of Merinard.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Large quantities of food are still being brought in from the Great Omit Wilderness by transport air boards, and food must continue to be produced in food production centers south of Erichburg. And the fields Kosuke built are still producing food, even in winter.¡±


    Sir Leonard and Isla agreed with my statement.


    ¡°Those fields, do they continue to produce crops even in the winter¡­?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t think of anything else to say except that it¡¯s insane.¡±


    And Ellen and Driada-san, who heard Isla¡¯s story, are shocked. You guys? You see the fields in the courtyard and the medicinal herb fields, don¡¯t you?


    ¡°We did something similar in the elves¡¯ village, though.¡±


    Even the elves did similar things. My power isn¡¯t insane¡­ no, but it is still insane. But I disagree that people are going to be dismayed by it.


    ¡°Kosuke, that magic farm was able to operate because of its enormous magical power, the large number of elves who are skilled in spirit magic, and the Black Forest, where the spirits of life and plant life are strong. It is not worth the cost to operate such a magic farm in another country. Even the elves of the Black Forest had to spend a huge amount of magical power to produce enough food for only 300 people.¡±


    ¡°Once Kosuke-san¡¯s farm is established, it grows many crops with only simple care. I thought the magic farm of the elves was amazing when I saw it for the first time, but after seeing Kosuke¡¯s farm, its very existence itself is a blur.¡±


    ¡°Is that so¡­?¡±


    Let¡¯s accept reality. Yes, yes, insane, insane, insane. I won¡¯t make Isla look like a cat with blank stares with space as a background over and over again.


    ¡°So, what does this data suggest? You mean that the northern countries are preparing for war?¡±


    ¡°¡­That wouldn¡¯t be surprising now, but Kosuke is a man with versatility. No, we know that your abilities are extraordinary.¡±


    ¡°He has an extensive range of knowledge. Although he tends to focus on manufacturing.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve just taken a shallow and wide variety of things. It¡¯s not like I have any specialized knowledge.¡±


    Once you start looking into real expertise, it¡¯s too deep to look into and understand. I just remember what my mind can comprehend from the net and books. I have a reasonably good memory, though. And even if I have the knowledge, whether or not I can put it to use is a different story. I didn¡¯t look up anything I wasn¡¯t interested in.


    ¡°Kosuke has been strong in military affairs from the beginning¡­ Well, we can assume that Kosuke was right. We actually sent personnel to the northern towns to investigate, and it seems that merchants from the Duchy of Dihart and the Kingdom of Tigris are buying a lot of food. They say that the autumn harvest was poor, but according to the merchants of the Merinard Kingdom who do business with both countries, they did not hear anything like that in the fall. It is not impossible that there may have been a poor harvest in areas far from the borders of the two countries, but considering the time of year, we should assume that the two countries are gathering food for the war effort.¡±


    ¡°I see. As for the Research and Development Department, we would like to oppose sending Kosuke to the north, but I don¡¯t think we have any choice.¡±


    ¡°Well, we have a certain amount of ground to cover both canned food production and instant noodle production and management, don¡¯t we?¡±


    Since the direction has been decided to some extent, the work has already entered the stage of a modest trial-and-error process. For canned foods, we are searching for suitable content and making prototypes. For instant noodles, we are still searching for the right thickness of noodles, steaming time, and heat drying time, and pursuing the best taste. The only way to find the optimum value is through repeated trial and error.


    ¡°Are you sending Kosuke to the north?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It is necessary to set up a defense system in case both countries invade. Of course, it will not be right now, but only after we have a defense plan in place.¡±


    ¡°The work itself won¡¯t take that long.¡±


    With my abilities, I can build a stronghold or even a fortress in a whole day. There is still a month or so before the winter ends, so moving me would be more efficient after having a solid plan in place.


    ¡°In that case, the defense plan for the east side should also be advanced as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Umu. The Holy Kingdom may take advantage of the chaos in the north to attack. I think it will be difficult.¡±


    The Holy Kingdom sent 20,000 troops into Merinard¡¯s territory at the beginning of autumn and were completely crushed by an attack with technical air boards and my automatic grenade launchers, as well as air strikes by the Harpy Bombardment Squadron.


    A 20,000-strong force is not a large force compared to the total military strength of the Holy Kingdom, but it is also not a force of a scale that can immediately fill in the gaps.


    ¡°It¡¯s probably that. They are probably doing this to analyze our moves and our fighting ability.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps. They are probably trying to get a clue about how to attack us by having the vassal states attack us.¡±


    ¡°I guess so¡­¡±


    ¡°We have to be careful with Kosuke¡¯s guards, don¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°Hmm. That¡¯s our biggest weakness.¡±


    ¡°I know, right?¡±


    My existence is the driving force behind the progress of the Merinard kingdom, and at the same time, it is also the greatest weakness. If I were the enemy, I would do whatever it took to get me on their side or get rid of me as quickly as possible. Well, I don¡¯t intend to be easily eliminated. But there¡¯s a precedent¡­ That fucking fox bastard. I¡¯ll shear him again in the spring.


    ¡°Guard, huh¡­? It would be best if I could take Lime and the others with me.¡±


    ¡°Impossible?¡±


    ¡°Impossible, right?¡±


    ¡°Impossible-nanodesu.¡±


    Lime and the others came out of the corners and ceilings of the room to deny my words. They are basically stuck in Merinesburg, or rather, the royal castle of Merinesburg. There is the trick of the sewers and escape tunnels, but even that has its limitations.


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to rely on Grande and our trusted soldiers and adventurers. Zamir can¡¯t leave the western guard, and neither me, Melty, nor Isla can leave Merinesburg.¡±


    ¡°I can move, you know.¡±


    ¡°What are you going to do with all those extra guards?¡±


    ¡°Mmm.¡±


    Ellen raises her hand but is immediately rejected by Melty. Ellen¡¯s ability to see the truth is dependable, though. Her miracle powers are amazing, too. But she¡¯s even more powerless than me when you approach her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t really want to get Grande involved in this kind of thing¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s that, and this is this. I, too, am against taking Grande out to the Holy Kingdom or any other battlefield of humans and having her wield her power as a dragon, but I think we can count on her to protect Kosuke outside of the battlefield from those who would seek to kill Kosuke.¡±


    ¡°Overprotective. Grande understands that if she stays with Kosuke, she¡¯s going to get involved in some of the humans¡¯ troubles to some extent. We should rely on her where we can.¡±


    ¡°Mm¡­ I¡¯ll talk to Grande.¡±


    ¡°You should do that.¡±


    I am sure that Grande will be supportive if I tell her what happened, but I don¡¯t want to take advantage of her goodwill and use her too conveniently. Hmm¡­ I¡¯ll just talk to her for now.

 CH 257

    Chapter 257 ¨C Grande¡¯s Anger


    ¡°You¡¯re an idiot.¡±


    ¡°Ouch!¡±


    I asked Grande to escort me to the north, and she was furious. I mean, I got a low kick in the leg. It looks like it will break.


    ¡°Kosuke, what am I to you?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ It¡¯s embarrassing to say this face-to-face, but you¡¯re my wife.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you understand it?¡±


    ¡°That hurt!¡±


    I got another low kick. Please forgive me; it¡¯s really going to break.


    ¡°Even though you are going to a dangerous place, do you think I would leave you alone knowing nothing about human conflicts? Hmm? What do you think?¡±


    ¡°Ouch, ouch, ouch! I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry!¡±


    I apologize to Grande, who is hitting me on the buttocks with her big hands.


    ¡°Though I appreciate your concern for keeping me out of any disputes between humans, it¡¯s now my turn to help you, isn¡¯t it? The number one thing is to help each other, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s fine. Take me with you.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Umu.¡±


    Grande nodded but grabbed the hem of my clothes and wouldn¡¯t let me go.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think you need to make amends to me for making me feel lonely with your nonsense?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    After this, I spoiled Grande to the bone.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    The matter of asking Grande to escort me has been resolved, and it has been decided that I will be dispatched to the north. The purpose of my dispatch is to urgently improve the defense system in the north. In short, my job is to quickly build a defense base.


    However, this is where the weakness of the Liberation Army, or the Merinard Royal Army, is exposed.


    ¡°Even if you have a box, it won¡¯t matter much if it doesn¡¯t have anything in it.¡±


    I pointed out this weakness in the meeting room where we had a meeting the other day. I was the only one present, along with Sylphy and Danan.


    Sir Leonard is busy organizing troops for the defense of the eastern part of the country while Melty and Isla are each at work. Ellen is absent on church business, Ms. Zamir is still in the west, and Driada-san is apparently attending a tea party with a visitor today.


    ¡°I understand that.¡±


    Danan showed a pained expression at my words. The weakness of the new Merinard Royal Army is its small number of soldiers. Due to the nature of the battle to overturn the disadvantage in numbers with highly classified and powerful weapons, we cannot increase the number of soldiers without reason.


    It would be difficult to copy my gunpowder gun, but it is a different story for the magic gun created by the Research and Development Department based on the gunpowder gun I created with my ability. They are completely made with technology from this world, so if the technology leaks out, there is a risk that it will be copied by an enemy country.


    The same is true for crossbows. In fact, copies of crossbows have already begun to appear in areas south of Erichburg. In terms of power and accuracy, they are still a step behind the ones I have made, but I guess it is only a matter of time.


    The guys in the combat profession in this world can pull and set those hard strings with their hands¡­ No, I can do it, too, if I use my abilities. The crossbow is reasonably powerful and can be used without specialized training compared to the bow, so I hear that it has become reasonably popular, especially among adventurers.


    I wonder how easy it is for information about weapons to leak out and spread in the private sector. I think it¡¯s a bit of a stretch to say this, but the reaction of the upper management, with the exception of me, Isla, and Melty, was one of resignation. Sir Leonard and Danan told me that it would not be difficult to control information on a small elite unit the size of the gunners¡¯ squad, but it would be impossible to control information on a crossbow that almost the entire army has been equipped with.


    It was a severe punishment to misappropriate military equipment, not only in the Merinard Royal Army but also in the days of the Liberation Army, but soldiers also spent time with their families and friends when they were off duty and drank alcohol. If there were merchants or craftsmen among their family and friends, they would become interested in what they heard about crossbows at the drinking table. Once they begin to investigate, it is not difficult to analyze the operation principle and the crossbow¡¯s mechanism. If a bow maker and a blacksmith cooperate, they can quickly produce a copy. The merchants would be responsible for connecting them.


    The core technology of quickly drawing strings using this principle, which is based on golem technology, has not been copied, and it will be difficult to copy it in the future.


    ¡°So what are you going to do about it?¡±


    My thoughts wander, so I decide to ask Danan about concrete measures to deal with the situation.


    ¡°We will dispatch 50 elite soldiers, and then we will recruit local volunteers and give them military training.¡±


    ¡°Really¡­?¡±


    In other words, we will build the boxes, but most of the soldiers will be trained locally from scratch. I¡¯m here, so there¡¯s no need to worry about supply, but¡­ I can¡¯t imagine the unimaginable hardships that will be expected.


    ¡°What will you do with the troops you¡¯re going to train? Are you going to form a gunner corps or something like that?¡±


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s what I plan to do.¡±


    ¡°That means I¡¯ll be doing most of the recruiting.¡±


    By ¡°like a gunner corps,¡± I mean something like a mechanized company equipped with explosive firearms and technical air boards that I will create. Certainly, the gunners are a rare force that can annihilate large armies in small numbers, but it is a very bad situation for them to become the standard for the national defense force. The gunners are powerful, but there is the problem of supply. Without me by their side to supply them with ammunition and maintain their firearms, they will lose their ability to fight in a short period.


    ¡°It is difficult to create and maintain another unit of the same size as the gunners. There is the problem of supply. Can¡¯t we just deploy the gunners to the north and hope for the best?¡±


    ¡°The gunners need to be kept in the east for countermeasures against the Holy Kingdom.¡±


    ¡°No, no, you know that the enemy will attack from the north in the spring, so you should deploy them in the north. What do you think air boards are for? If we put them in the north, they can be deployed to the eastern front in two days. Protecting the border is important, but it would be folly to kill the mobility of the technical air boards in the process.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°If you want to defend a stronghold, a harpy bombardier is better suited to it than a gunner corps. It would be better to increase the stockpile of air bombs in the fortified eastern defense bases and deploy more Harpy bomb squads.¡±


    Harpy¡¯s air bombardment is more powerful the closer the bases that serve as supply bases are. Air bombing attacks are very effective against large armies and work very well against the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army.


    ¡°I, too, think that Kosuke has the edge when it comes to operating the gunners, but I¡¯m sorry, could you please give in this time?¡±


    ¡°Sylphy?¡±


    I involuntarily look at her when Sylphy says this.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to allow the Holy Kingdom to invade again, even if by any chance. The gunners are now the heroes who crushed the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army of ten thousand with a small number of men. Placing them in the eastern defenses will be a strong check against the Holy Kingdom.¡±


    ¡°Nnh¡­¡±


    I know that the gunners are regarded as heroes in the kingdom of Merinard.


    The gunners and the Harpy Bombardment Squadron, in small numbers, blitzed the military bases north of Erichburg, recaptured the royal capital of Merinesburg, which was defended by the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army, rescued the royal family from captivity, and defeated the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army that tried to invade Merinard once again with overwhelming force.


    Their strength and fame are said to be well known not only in the country but in other countries as well. The leopard beastwoman Jagira, who serves as the captain, once complained that she had become so famous that it was hard for her to live her daily life.


    ¡°¡­At least put the Harpy bombing squadron in the north. Just having air power would make a huge difference in the range of operations we could take.¡±


    ¡°I understand. I won¡¯t go with the whole squadron, but I¡¯ll send a platoon over.¡±


    ¡°Just one platoon?¡±


    ¡°There are several members of the squadron who have been sidelined due to medical reasons¡­ and there are only three platoons in effect right now.¡±


    ¡°Kuh¡­¡±


    Even though there was no room for resistance, as the cause of numerous vacancies, I can¡¯t say anything back to what Sylphy said.


    ¡°I heard that there are several harpy settlements in the north, so you can fill the vacancies there.¡±


    ¡°Wait a minute. I¡¯m afraid that filling the vacancies would cause many problems, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    Mainly in terms of my lower-body situation.


    I have heard a lot about how the community of harpies works from them. Basically, they tend to form harems around a single male member of another race.


    Even the harpies who live in a town with other races have a strong tendency to do so, and it is not unusual for a harem to swell once formed, with additional free harpies from outside the harem joining in.


    ¡°I believe Kosuke will be fine.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by that? Do you believe they won¡¯t touch me? Or do you mean that you believe I will be safe even if they touch me?¡±


    ¡°Hahaha.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not something to laugh at, is it?¡±


    Sylphy¡¯s dry laugh obviously refers to the latter.


    ¡°As for the harpy, I¡¯d say it¡¯s a separate category, or rather, I¡¯ve given up on it.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t just give up.¡±


    In fact, in Erichburg and Merinesburg, there are always more new faces before you know it¡­ and even I can¡¯t keep track of them at the earliest or until the harpies themselves don¡¯t care.


    ¡°That girl over there and that girl over there are joining for the first time today, and I¡¯m sure there will be many, many more next time.¡±


    When everything is over, and they are relaxing, they sometimes tell me such a shocking fact. They are getting increasingly sophisticated, and they secretly increase the number of participants along the way, so before long, there are girls whom I don¡¯t recognize! It happens often. There are so many.


    ¡°As for the harpies, they are sworn allegiance to Kosuke personally, not to me¡­ I would like to leave it up to Kosuke to replenish or increase the number of harpy bombers.¡±


    ¡°The harpies who have been with us since we were in the Black Forest will listen to me and Her Majesty¡¯s instructions, but other than that¡­¡±


    Danan also makes a bitter face. Oh, yes. I understand. I am in charge of the harpies, right? Yes, sir, yes, sir. I have to take responsibility for a lot of things. Hahaha¡­


    ¡°By the way, we¡¯ve digressed from the topic, but let¡¯s talk about the troops we¡¯ll be organizing over there¡­¡±


    I decided to divert the conversation away from the harpies. I¡¯m trying to keep my mental health in check.

 CH 258

    Chapter 258 ¨C Meeting Before Departure


    As a result of the discussion, it was decided to organize a division similar to a battle line infantry equipped with mass-produced magic rifles¨Dthe magic rifle corps.


    Five hundred mass-produced magic rifles have already been procured, and 30,000 bullets, 1,500 magic stones, 100 molds for casting bullets, and 100 magic tail plugs, the core parts, are being transported from the rear bases in the Great Omit Wilderness and Erichburg by air boards for transportation.


    It is my job this time to store those supplies in my inventory, head to the north to establish a military base, recruit volunteers there, and raise enough soldiers to repel the invasion of the north.


    Accompanying me were 50 elite soldiers from the Merinard Royal Army, aka the Liberation Army, five members of the Harpy Bombardment Platoon, and my escort, Grande.


    ¡°Hey, long time no see.¡±


    ¡°Long time no see.¡±


    ¡°It has been a while.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ So the trusted adventurers were Shumel and the others.¡±


    The three oni girls, Shumel, Bella, and Tozume, were the trusted adventurers that Danan had arranged for.


    Shumel is a red-skinned female oni who has been working with the Liberation Army since the days of the Black Forest. She is a sturdy and strong fighter who wields a large, heavy metal club like a twig. She left the Liberation Army in Erichburg and returned to her original carrier as an adventurer, but she has continued to cooperate with the Liberation Army and assist them in various missions since then.


    Bella and Tozume are friends that Shumel made after she returned to the adventuring business in Erichburg. Bella is a female adventurer of the red-skinned oni tribe, like Shumel, and Tozume is a female adventurer of the cyclops tribe, a one-eyed oni tribe with the same skin color as humans. Each of them is armed with a great axe and a mallet, and all of them are holding the mithril alloy weapons I had made for them.


    ¡°Are you dissatisfied with us?¡±


    ¡°I was worried about what kind of people it would be, but all my fears are gone at once. I can definitely trust Shumel and the others.¡±


    ¡°Ahaha. That means we must ensure we don¡¯t betray that trust, right?¡±


    ¡°Well, if people knew Kosuke-san properly, there is no way they would betray you, is there?¡±


    ¡°Even if we could do something about Kosuke, I¡¯m afraid of what would happen afterward.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Even if someone does something about me, it¡¯s inevitable that Sylphy, Isla, Grande, and the harpies will take fierce revenge afterward. In fact, even now, a stupid fox is holed up in the embassy and has never stepped out.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re going on a long-term escort this time?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. There are some shady developments in the north, so I have to set up a military base and train new recruits to counter them. So you¡¯ll be escorting us in the meantime.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a very long time?¡±


    ¡°At least until spring, when the enemy attacks, and we have to push them back.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a long time¡­¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t really matter, does it? We¡¯ll get food, lodging, and money. And it is less dangerous.¡±


    Bella and Tozume nodded in agreement with Shumel¡¯s words. After all, adventurers also want to eat and make money. They can earn money by escorting peddlers, hunting monsters, and making money from their materials, or, like Shumel and the others, by providing security guards. If they don¡¯t like it, they can reject the request.


    ¡°Well, if you are so bored that you want to abandon the request midway, please consult with us. If we can find a reliable adventurer to take your place, that¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll pay you at that point.¡±


    ¡°In that case, I will consult with you. Well, I¡¯m sure I won¡¯t be bored with you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. I want to drive an air board again.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to crash it, are you?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. If you crash, I¡¯ll make you wear something embarrassing and traumatic that you couldn¡¯t handle before.¡±


    ¡°Kuh¡­ I-it won¡¯t be a problem!¡±


    Bella was frightened for a moment, but she couldn¡¯t resist the allure of driving an air board. What is it about air boards that drives her so? I don¡¯t understand this. Let¡¯s hope the micro bikini I made for her or the short, tight-fitting, revealing magical girl outfit I made for her doesn¡¯t burst into flames.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s that all about?¡±


    Ahead of Shumel¡¯s gaze was the sight of fifty elite soldiers marching in a line of seventeen, sixteen, and seventeen attendants. All of them were lightly armed with metal helmets and metal chest armor and equipped with matching swords, bayonets, and a single mass-produced magic rifle. They are now in the midst of marching in unison, following the commander¡¯s orders.


    ¡°These are the magic riflemen we are going to train and nurture over there. We are in the process of retraining the elite soldiers of the Royal Army to become elite riflemen.¡±


    This place where Shumel and the others met me was the Merinard Royal Army training ground, about an hour and a half¡¯s walk east of Merinesburg. It is just a vast open plain, though it is a training ground.


    ¡°What good is that thing?¡±


    ¡°Can you see the targets up there?¡±


    I pointed to a large number of wooden planks that had been erected far away, about 200 meters away, as targets. There are more than a hundred of them, so you can easily recognize them if you see them.


    ¡°I can see them, but what about them?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s starting now. Watch.¡±


    At the commanding officer¡¯s order, the elite soldiers stood still at a distance of 200 meters from the target, maintaining a three-row flanking formation.


    ¡°Ready!¡±


    The seventeen soldiers in the front row simultaneously ready their mass-produced magic rifles.


    ¡°Fire!¡±


    With a thunderous sound, the seventeen magic rifles all opened fire at once, blowing a large hole in the wooden plank target 200 meters away.


    ¡°Ready, fire!¡±


    The first line of shooters moves back, and the sixteen in the second line fire, blowing the wooden targets further away.


    ¡°Ready, fire!¡±


    This time, the second line moves back, and seventeen members of the third line open fire. Meanwhile, the first line, which had fired the first shot, had finished reloading. Unlike the front-loaded musket guns used by the infantry in the battle lines on Earth, the magic rifle created in this world does not need to be loaded with gunpowder. The reloading process is faster than that of Earth¡¯s musket guns.


    ¡°Ready, fire!¡±


    The shooting continued, and before three rounds of shooting had been completed, all of the hundred targets had blown a huge hole, and all had fallen to the ground. Some of the targets were shattered to pieces by multiple bullets landing simultaneously.


    More than a hundred targets at a distance of two hundred meters were all destroyed in less than thirty seconds by the fire of fifty elite magic riflemen.


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°Outrageous, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°By the way, the actual effective range of the rifle is about twice as long as it is now.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding, right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not kidding.¡±


    The range of a bow in this world is generally about 100 meters at most. In the case of magic, even the chorus magic used by the mage troops, the tiger cubs of the Holy Kingdom, is said to have a maximum range of about 150 meters. In this world, the development of projectile weapons such as bows is rather slow, perhaps due to the influence of magic, and projectile weapons that can fly over a distance of 200 meters are rare. In this case, the effective range of a mass-produced magic rifle is about 500 meters. Compared to the prototype and the preceding mass-produced models, the mass-produced magic rifle has improved the magical efficiency of the explosion magic that sends the bullets flying, making it possible to fire up to 50 shots in a row without having to replenish magical power. The recoil is a little milder, the bayonet is equipped with a bayonet attachment device, and the shooting accuracy is also slightly improved compared to the prototype model magic rifle.


    In other words, the overall specifications have been improved compared to the prototype type and the preceding mass-produced type. Many people have the misconception that prototype and advanced mass-production types have higher performance than mass-production types when it comes to military weapons like this, but in reality, most mass-production types have better performance. This is because the mass-production type is the definitive version of the prototype or advanced mass-production type that has solved the problems identified in its operation and refined its functionality.


    Of course, it is possible that prototype weapons are stronger than the weapons of the previous generation. Yeah.


    ¡°We are planning to raise 300 to 500 magic riflemen equipped with this weapon.¡±


    ¡°Haha¡­ are you sure it is okay to tell us such a thing?¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re going to be my escort, you will definitely know about it. Well, just make sure you don¡¯t talk about it too much.


    Most people can¡¯t even imagine what exactly a small elite army armed with powerful projectile weapons with a range of 400 meters would be like. They might think that the sound of gunfire was explosive magic or some kind of shooting exercise and that there must be a tremendous number of mages in the army.


    ¡°Our departure would be in a week. I¡¯ll carry your baggage in the usual way, so it doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s a lot. As for lodging¡­ Well, you can either get lodging in a town, or I¡¯ll make it for you. Either way, you can rest assured that you won¡¯t be camping out in the cold.¡±


    ¡°I trust you, so don¡¯t worry.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. With Kosuke-san, we can have a comfortable time wherever we go.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m looking forward to the food, okay?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, I¡¯ll take care of it.¡±


    I have to think about how to design the military base. There is no problem with replenishing supplies since I am present, but a military base is not something that can be run with only military personnel¨Din this case, only soldiers. The military must be a stand-alone, complete organization. In other words, it needs people to cook meals, do laundry, clean, manage supplies and money, and many other things.


    As for the people to manage the supplies and money, I¡¯m sure that Melty has prepared them for us, but¡­ It¡¯s been prepared, hasn¡¯t it? Surely Melty will not ask me to hire those people over there, right?


    I¡¯m getting worried. I¡¯ll definitely check with her later. If Melty really says that I can just take 50 elite soldiers, Grande, Shumel and the others, and leave the rest to me, I¡¯m going to die. I would die of exhaustion.


    ¡°I wonder why your face has suddenly turned blue.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±¡±


    ¡°I wonder.¡±


    I shivered with chills as I listened to the fluent conversation of the three oni girls.

 CH 259

    Chapter 259 ¨C To the North


    A week later, I was on an air board driven by Bella to the northern city of Mesotherium.


    The air board we were using this time was designed for long-distance travel. It was designed to be less intimidating, with no armor or armament, and the only special magical tools on board were a golem communicator and a loudspeaker. The lack of armor and armaments gives it a comfortable internal structure, and the rear seats are rather spacious.


    ¡°It¡¯s a little cramped for us, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped; you¡¯re so big. Even though my body is not that big, it takes up a lot of space when you add my tail.¡±


    Shumel and Tozume are simply big, but Grande, who has wings and a tail, has a small body, but when she tries to spend her time comfortably, she inevitably takes up a lot of space. The modified air board for transportation, which was supposed to be reasonably spacious, was almost full with just the three of them plus me on board, not only in terms of space but also in terms of weight.


    ¡°We are not only big but also heavy.¡±


    ¡°I know, but it¡¯s hard for me to honestly affirm that.¡±


    It seems that even though they are aware of their weight, they have their own opinions about their bodies. It seems that even though they are aware of their weight, they have their own opinions about their bodies. I don¡¯t know the BMI of the oni tribe, but in their case, it is not that they are overweight or anything, but that their muscles and the skeleton that supports them are simply too heavy. In fact, I can even see the cracked abdominal muscles of Shumel and Tozume in front of me.


    ¡°As a man, do you have any opinions on this?¡±


    ¡°My dead grandma told me never to comment on a woman¡¯s weight.¡±


    I smirked and avoided Shumel¡¯s pretense of trying to get me to step on a landmine.


    It is kind of a scene in the car that I can¡¯t get my eyes off of. The girls who are my escorts should be wearing armor to protect my safety during this journey, but the leader of the elite soldiers dispatched this time insisted that ¡°the soldiers will take care of the escort on the way,¡± and following his words, the girls were not wearing armor. And the appearance of the girls without armor is very casual.


    They are dressed in short tank tops as if to indicate, ¡°As long as it covers your private parts, it¡¯s fine, right?¡± Tozume was not even wearing clothes. Aside from the shorts, the top half of her body is just a sarashi, which I don¡¯t think is very attractive. Bella was in the driver¡¯s seat, so I couldn¡¯t see her, but she was wearing what looked like a light T-shirt. How about you guys dress a little more feminine? Or at least wrap a sarashi around you, too, Shumel. The bulges and protrusions of her breasts that pushed up her tank top were a real distraction to the eyes.


    ¡°You must be used to seeing a woman¡¯s body, but you¡¯re new at this, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I am used to seeing women¡¯s bodies, but that¡¯s about it.¡±


    I don¡¯t have that kind of relationship with Shumel and the others. And just because I am used to seeing it doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s something I can tolerate. It¡¯s not like ¡®it¡¯ withers away just because I¡¯m used to seeing it.


    ¡°It¡¯s unusual for people to react that way, even with us.¡±


    ¡°Usually, people are more afraid of us than thinking we¡¯re sexy or something.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like we¡¯re going to take them and eat them, though.¡±


    That¡¯s a lie! I swallowed the words. Regarding this trip, I have a feeling that I am being targeted by the three of them. I¡¯m becoming more and more sensitive to such signs. I¡¯m convinced that if I¡¯m not careful, I¡¯ll be snapped up.


    ¡°I won¡¯t complain if you take him and eat him, though. I don¡¯t think six people, including me and the harpies, will be enough to satisfy him, you know?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true. How much of a sex fiend am I to you and the others, Grande?¡±


    ¡°It must be a miracle that you can live with that many women and still be alive and well.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just adapting to the environment, you know? If you think so, then stop it!¡±


    If you¡¯re going to go that far, please go a little easier on me. I can¡¯t remember the last time I tried to sleep and didn¡¯t sleep for about a week. Especially the last three days, I felt like I had one foot in the world beyond the limit¡­ because I was on the offensive since I was going to be away from Merinesburg for a while.


    ¡°Well, I would have stopped if I thought you were going to die. I don¡¯t know why it holds up before you get to that point. No wonder the saint said you had the life force of a cockroach.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s a cockroach?¡±


    Ellen, the next time I see her, I¡¯m going to punish her.


    ¡°So you can do what you want anytime you want. Oh, and be sure to talk to the harpies, too.¡±


    ¡°O-oh¡­¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯ll think about it.¡±


    Grande¡¯s frank statement was answered by Shumel and Tozume with a bit of hesitation. The two may be weak when pushed.


    ¡°Are you serious? I¡¯ll talk to them as soon as we arrive!¡±


    Bella is Bella, after all. She has a personality like that of a husky dog, you know? She¡¯s just like a middle-school boy.


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to stop, are you?¡±


    ¡°Grande, I also have the ability to learn.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s in your mind?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just saying, what will be, will be. I think the outer moat has already been filled.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a smart husband.¡±


    Grande grinned. The answer was easy when I thought about who had assigned Shumel and the others as my bodyguards this time.


    Ms. Zamir, who had been my escort up to now, will have to devote herself to governing the western part of the kingdom from now on. This meant that I would need a new escort. At present, Grande is the only one who can stay by my side, and the rest are the available harpies.


    Grande¡¯s fighting ability is high, but being an escort is not just about having a high fighting ability. Well, Grande has outstanding combat skills, and as a dragon, she has keen senses and advanced earth magic, so she is perfect as an escort, but¡­ she lacks the subtlety and common sense of a human.


    When it comes to someone who can compensate for these shortcomings, has the ability to serve as my escort, and is trustworthy, Shumel and the others are a perfect choice. They have a wealth of experience as adventurers, know me well, and have a good relationship with me. I would say that they are impeccable.


    ¡°So we¡¯ve got his consent. Now it¡¯s just a matter of finding the right time. You adventurers are good at that, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Well, um, I¡¯ll do my best.¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯ll see when the time is right¡­¡±


    ¡°Why are you so hesitant there? Just go for it, go for it.¡±


    ¡°Are you a pro at this?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m still a virgin. Not many men would have the guts to go all the way with a girl like me.¡±


    Bella laughed in reply to Grande¡¯s words. This fellow may be a big deal more than I thought.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that my grandma and mom kidnapped my granddad and my dad and pushed them down.¡±


    ¡°What are they? Barbarians?¡±


    ¡°The countryside oni tribe is generally like that! I didn¡¯t like that kind of thing, so I left the village. After all, blood is everything, right?¡±


    Oh no, the oni tribe is so scary. When I looked at Shumel with a surprised look, she freaked out and hid her chest and stomach with her arms while shaking her head sideways. What a cute reaction. Tozume is looking at me with her back arched to conceal her body. I wonder if you girls are so bad as soon as you start being conscious of each other.


    ¡°Do you want me to meditate?¡±


    ¡°No, there¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡±


    ¡°R-right.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a bit of a loser for your size, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Grande laughed.


    Grande, you say that? I couldn¡¯t help but thrust this into my mind, and with that, the air board for transportation continued on its way to the north.

 CH 260

    Chapter 260 ¨C Northern City, Mesotherium


    ¡°We¡¯ve arrived, huh¡­?¡±


    ¡°It takes about half a day. If I fly, it won¡¯t take more than half an hour. Even if I carried you, it would take me half an hour, too.¡±


    ¡°If we were on foot, it would take more than a week. Air boards are amazing, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be more amazed at how fast dragons fly than air boards?¡±


    Tozume shoves Bella, who is still wearing thin clothes and doing some kind of stretching, probably because she was stiff here and there after being in the driver¡¯s seat for so long.


    ¡°Putting that aside, what about our lodging for the day?¡±


    Shumel cut through the banter and raised a practical question.


    ¡°Well, if it were only a matter of building a dormitory, I could do it in no time at all¡­¡±


    I look at my surroundings as I say this. The northern city of Mesotherium is surrounded by vast meadows of grassland, or rather pastures. Cattle, horses, sheep, and goats grazed, roamed, and lounged in the meadows. Of course, not all of them were on the same fence, but each animal was enclosed in a different fence.


    ¡°If we were to set up in this pasture without permission, the ranchers would charge at us with pitchforks and everything they had, wouldn¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°Well, I guess that¡¯s true¡­ No, you¡¯re a big shot in the country, so why don¡¯t you just go out and talk to the bigwigs in the city?¡±


    She had a good point.


    ¡°Well then¡­ I¡¯ll be going for a while.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about, Kosuke? We¡¯re your escorts, you know? Bella, Tozume, get your ass together.¡±


    ¡°Yes. But first, we have to put on something that looks like it, don¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°I guess so.¡±


    Bella tilted her head, and Tozume turned her large eye toward me. Yes, I¡¯m going to take out their armor and weapons and make a room for them to change into.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    After that, I made room for the fifty elite gunners and their commanders to get equipped¨Dthe male-to-female ratio in the Liberation Army, or Royal Army of Merinard, is currently 3:7¨DOnce we were all prepared and ready, we formed up in ranks and entered Mesotherium.


    We¨Dthat is, me, Grande, and the three oni girls¨Dwere positioned in the middle of the line, in what seemed to be the safest place, surrounded on all sides by a physical barrier of elite magic gunners.


    ¡°If a mage of Isla¡¯s caliber were to throw high-powered magic at us, it would be the most dangerous place to be.¡±


    ¡°In that case, I would use the ground escape method.¡±


    Ground escape means building a wall of stone or digging through the ground to escape underground.


    ¡°I won¡¯t let anyone do that in the first place.¡±


    A large wolf man who was walking next to me carrying a magic rifle said so with a snort.


    His name is Worg. He is a wolf-type beastman working as Danan¡¯s right-hand man. Like Qubi, he is a full-body furry type of beastman, and we sometimes have dinner and drinks together.


    However, since the beginning of autumn, I have not been able to spend time with him because I have not had time to do many things. Because even if I tried to go out alone normally, I was caught and taken into the bedroom¡­


    ¡°Is there some progress regarding the building of the dormitories?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard so. I heard they have a golem communicator here, too, so they must be getting orders directly from Merinesburg.¡±


    ¡°If there is a golem communicator here, then there must be an inspector from Merinesburg, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Since we are the first Royal Army of Merinard to enter Mesutherium.¡±


    Since the golem communicator is a top military secret, the only place it is installed is basically at the military facilities of the Royal Army of Merinard. The only other people who carry them around are the inspectors of the Merinard Kingdom.


    The inspectors are officials dispatched directly from the Kingdom to cities like Mesutherium that have offered their reverence to the newly born Merinard Kingdom.


    As the simplistic name ¡°inspector¡± suggests, their job is to inspect and supervise whether the city in their charge is in compliance with law and order of the new Merinard Kingdom.


    When I first heard of their existence, I thought, ¡°What a scary secret police organization!¡± But Melty said that the local lords are opportunistic and can change their masters at a moment¡¯s notice. We never know what they might do in the countryside without such people.


    ¡°But we are very conspicuous.¡±


    ¡°Well, we do stand out, don¡¯t we?¡±


    A group of fifty soldiers carrying weapons unknown to them would be extremely conspicuous. While we were on our way to the lord¡¯s mansion, we were the center of attention from the residents of Mesutherium. The stares we received varied, with most of them simply looking curious or worried about what was going on. As far as I could see, there seemed to be almost no one who was showing any kind of hostility toward us.


    ¡°What kind of person is the lord here?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Do you know?¡±


    ¡°How would an adventurer like us know who the lord is?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯ve never met him.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never met him either, so I don¡¯t know. I think he came to Merinesburg a few weeks ago, right?¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    So he must be a genuine nobleman or a person of power. Hmm, I wonder if it will be alright? I haven¡¯t seen him face to face, but Sylphy and Melty weren¡¯t in a good mood during that whole greeting period.


    They were drinking more and complaining a lot. I thought to myself, how many people there are who say they will obey on the surface but clearly have something in mind.


    I don¡¯t know if the lords here are like that, but if he is, that would be a pain in the ass.


    ¡°I can see it now.¡±


    Tozume put her hand over her eye and looked into the distance. I can¡¯t see anything because of the wall of soldiers, but she, who is taller and has better eyesight than most of the soldiers, can already see the lord¡¯s mansion.


    ¡°Is he an oni or a snake¡­?¡±


    ¡°If it is onis, there are here, aren¡¯t there? Oh, there¡¯s a delicious-looking skewer stall! Can I go there?¡±


    ¡°Of course not!¡±


    ¡°Nee-san, that hurts!¡±


    I let out a sigh as I looked sideways at Bella, who was in tears after Shumel dropped her fist on her head. I have a feeling it¡¯s going to get messy. My hunch is often right.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    ¡°We have been waiting for you. Please come this way. We have prepared rooms for the soldiers as well.¡±


    We were greeted at the governor¡¯s mansion, or rather at the castle, by a large number of servants and their master, Heinrich Le Mesutherium, the governor of the northern city of Mesutherium.


    He was an elderly man with a friendly smile and a generally happy appearance. He had white mixed with gray hair and a fashionable mustache. As far as I could see, his race seemed to be human.


    ¡°No, we only need you to guide us to the site¡­¡±


    ¡°No, it would be against the pride of the Mesutherium family to leave our guests who have come a long way out of their way into the wilderness without providing them with a proper welcome. Please, by all means, take your time¡­¡±


    As the leader of fifty elite riflemen, Worg is responding to Heinrich, but that¡¯s no good. If things continue as they are, we¡¯re all going to be pushed aside, and we¡¯re all going to stay at the governor¡¯s mansion.


    I wonder if there is a problem with that. Well, it doesn¡¯t seem like there is, but somehow I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea. It¡¯s not like he¡¯s going to suddenly poison us or send assassins into our bedrooms, but it¡¯s not like he¡¯s not going to use some means to expose our military secrets. I don¡¯t have a choice.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but we¡¯re running out of time. I need you to take us to the site as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me, you are¡­?¡±


    Standing right next to the commander, Worg, a dull-looking human man with the appearance of an adventurer accompanied by three female warriors of the oni tribe¡­ there is certainly no way to get a quick look at what kind of guy this is.


    When he visited Merinesburg, I was either locked up in my room or in the Research and Development Office, so I didn¡¯t see him at all.


    ¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Kosuke, the visitor who is the consort of Sylphielle Danal Merinard, the queen of the new Merinard. A pleasure to make your acquaintance.¡±


    ¡°¡­..?¡±


    Upon hearing my self-introduction, Heinrich shudders and turns his gaze to Worg. Worg nodded and opened his mouth.


    ¡°It¡¯s true. I have been fighting alongside him since the Black Forest. By the way, Sylphiel-sama is deeply in love with Kosuke-dono. If anything happens to him, you better be very careful because you might lose your head, and I don¡¯t mean that figuratively.¡±


    ¡°Ha-hahaha¡­ that¡¯s¡­¡±


    Heinrich¡¯s complexion deteriorates rapidly. He must have thought that he would be able to take on the fifty or so soldiers in any way he wanted to with his skilled hands. With that in mind, he decided to throw a wrench into his original plan and give them a grand reception as a light jab, only to discover the shocking fact that the country¡¯s top spouse, the royal consort, was accompanying them.


    ¡°As for me, well, I thought that you must be tired from your long journey, and I was hoping that you could relieve some of your fatigue¡­¡±


    ¡°I appreciate your thoughtfulness, but we have our own arrangements to make. I wonder how Sylphy would feel if she knew that my return was delayed by a day or two because I accepted the offer today¡­¡±


    ¡°I will arrange for a guide to come with you right away. Would you give me just a few minutes of your time?¡±


    He said this with a very serious face, and I nodded silently.


    I really can¡¯t understand this person. I don¡¯t sense any malice in him¡­ but for the time being, he seems content to guide us to the garrison¡¯s site today. That¡¯s a relief for now.

 CH 261

    Chapter 261 ¨C Constructing A Base


    The initial setup of the base went without a hitch. There were 50 elite magic gunners, the commander, Worg, five civilian officers to manage the base, five members of a platoon of harpy bombers, myself, Grande, and three oni girls. The total number of our northern expeditionary force is 66 people.


    The base we are building this time needs to be large enough to house at least 300 volunteer soldiers in addition to our northern expeditionary force, as well as various personnel involved in the operation of the base, and in addition to that, we need facilities for training soldiers¨Da training field, a shooting range, and so on. So it is necessary to have a site of a reasonable size.


    Of course, not only a place to live but also a workshop to make bullets, etc., and various facilities to support the lives of several hundred people are necessary. Soldiers are human beings, so they have to eat and wash dishes. In addition, they need everything that exists in the city in order to live a humane life.


    ¡°This is not a base or a fort; it¡¯s more like a town.¡±


    Shumel muttered as she looked at the empty base with no inhabitants yet.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it advanced?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d say it¡¯s kind of more advanced¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re still the same as ever.¡±


    The day after I arrived at Mesutherium, I worked hard to expand the base¡¯s functions with only the oni girls and Grande in tow. Worg and the civilian staff joined the inspector to meet with Heinrich to discuss recruiting and hiring people to work at the base while the elite magic gunners formed a platoon to take out monsters and bandits in the area around the base. Five members of the harpy bomb squad visited harpy villages in the vicinity of the base, saying they were going to recruit. When I asked them why they were going to use air bombs, they said that it was the fastest way to show what the military does.


    Is that okay¡­? No, I guess it¡¯s fine if Worg gave them permission to do it.


    ¡°It will have water, sewer, and heat, and it can accommodate a family, with sturdy walls and strong Merinard soldiers to keep them safe, as well as regular air board flights to and from Mesutherium. It¡¯s a good property, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Well, yes. At least they don¡¯t have to worry about being attacked by monsters or bandits, right?¡±


    ¡°If there was a war, though, they would be targets of attack.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the same in every city, to a lesser or greater degree, right? Without this base, the Mesutherium would still be attacked.¡±


    This base is located less than 20 kilometers north of Mesutherium on the highway. It would take about half a day on foot. The distance between cities is quite close. No, in modern Japan, a 20-km trip would take you to another city or even another prefecture. It¡¯s hard to say.


    ¡°Anyway, the setup is now complete. After that, I can make detailed improvements as I listen to the users¡¯ opinions.¡±


    I¡¯ve already built a number of bases in this world, and I¡¯ve done a lot of town planning. Since I have accumulated a certain amount of know-how, I probably won¡¯t have to make any major modifications.


    Boom, boom, boom¡­!


    I hear a sound like thunder far off in the distance. That must be the sound of magic rifles being fired. It seems that a platoon of elite magic gunners are firing loudly. Although they are lightly armed, they are equipped with solid armor, bayonets, and ordinary swords, so they are capable of a certain level of melee combat. No monster or bandit would survive a bayonet charge from a powerful magic rifle.


    They are on air boards and can communicate with each other using golem communicators. If they wanted, they could continue firing their magic rifles like mobile turrets while riding on their air boards. Unless there is a dragon like Grande, they will not be defeated.


    ¡°It¡¯s so peaceful¡­ Okay, I¡¯m going to have a nice tea time.¡±


    ¡°That sounds good. I was just getting hungry.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like something sweet.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so easygoing¡­¡±


    Shumel gave me a sympathetic look. I¡¯ll have to rest while I can. You never know how many additional bomb squad candidates the harpies will bring in.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    ¡°Hey, hey, hey, what are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Bombs? Is this a bomb?¡±


    ¡°Sun sun¡­ ehehehe.¡±


    A week later, I was working, half buried by the harpies, developing a new weapon. All of them are newcomers¨Dor rather, they are all new harpies¨Dwho are sticking to me, hanging around me, or tripping on my back and sniffing my scent. Well, they are the smallest and youngest of the newcomers.


    ¡°I¡¯m making a new weapon¡­ it¡¯s not a bomb, and there¡¯s no gunpowder in it, so it¡¯s not dangerous, but don¡¯t touch it too much. And you, the girl on my back, get away from me.¡±


    They are the daughters and sisters of the harpies who have newly joined the Merinard Royal Army and will serve in the harpy bomb squad. They are too small to fly with bombs dangling from their bodies, so they cannot work as bomb squad members. Their job now is to grow up until their bodies are ready.


    So, for some reason, my workshop has taken on the aspect of a daycare center.


    Well, maybe it¡¯s because I am an uncle who is very close to their mother and sister¨DI have been told that I might become a father or an elder brother. As for me, I can¡¯t leave dangerous things around here, so I¡¯d like someone to do something about it.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you need an escort, do you?¡±


    ¡°If the place is surrounded by so many harpies, suspicious people won¡¯t be able to get close to it.¡±


    ¡°Well, this is also part of your job¡­¡±


    The three oni girls escorting me are also popular with the little harpies. The three oni girls are big enough to be treated like a springboard for flight training. They climb up their bodies and glide over their shoulders and heads.


    Sometimes some children lie down and say, ¡°hold me!¡± But¡­ Well, they don¡¯t seem to dislike children, and they take care of them very well. When I do dangerous experiments, they take care of the harpies¡¯ children. To be honest, they are very helpful.


    There are eight harpies¡¯ children in this place now. The number of new members of the harpy bombing squad is 27. In total, 35 Harpies have joined the Merinard Royal Army.


    However, it would take a few years for the harpies here to be able to work as bomb squad members.


    What¡¯s going on at night? So far, so calm, for now. I feel like it¡¯s just a matter of time, but for now, I am having an extremely peaceful night. I hope this peace continues.


    I¡¯m concerned about the fact that the oni girls seem to be summoned in the middle of the night by the harpies, and they seem to be blowing something into their heads night after night. So far, none of the three of them have changed, but¡­ I¡¯m worried.


    By the way, what are you making? Is it that ¡°gun¡± thing again?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m making a mortar right now.¡±


    ¡°A morutaru?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea what it is, even though you told me it¡¯s called that.¡±


    ¡°Oh, well, it¡¯s a weapon that attacks within about an hour¡¯s walk from¡­100m by sending air bombs that the harpies use.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t harpy¡¯s bombs be more useful for that kind of range?¡±


    ¡°For now. But who knows what will happen in a year, two years, three years?¡±


    ¡°Is that how it is?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the way it is. You don¡¯t make something like this when you need it; you make it with the future in mind.¡±


    Right now, there is nothing flying in the battlefield sky other than the harpies. But like I said, we don¡¯t know what will happen two or three years from now. There may be people who will take control of the skies in some way and compete with the harpies. I am developing mortars in preparation for that time.


    I will also need equipment to strengthen the harpies.


    Right now, the harpies just grab the bomb with their legs, fly over the enemy, and drop the bomb. It is very difficult to equip them with heavy bombs, armor, or weapons for air combat because they cannot fly with heavy objects.


    I need to think of some way to increase the payload of such harpies, make them armored, and give them the ability to defend themselves. There are several methods that come to mind, but whether they can be realized or not is another story. Harpies are flying by feel¡­ To be honest, there is not a single harpy who can theoretically explain what kind of art theory they are flying by.


    It is quite a difficult task to figure out a theory that even they don¡¯t understand and to come up with equipment that will enhance it. Well, Isla and I have a theory in the process of making a recoil propulsion device using wind magic used in air boards.


    To be honest, it seems difficult to strengthen the harpies by applying my knowledge of modern weapons, so I have no choice but to tell Isla and the others about the general direction of the project and ask them to develop it steadily. It¡¯s going to be equipment in the realm of science fiction rather than modern weapons. In other words, the enhanced equipment of the harpies is truly in the realm of magic. The actuality of the flying principle, as well as the existence of the flying principle, is a fantasy existence.


    ¡°You are pondering something, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I think he¡¯s thinking of something dangerous again.¡±


    ¡°No doubt.¡±


    ¡°You girls are terrible.¡±


    They¡¯re not wrong, though.


    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough for today. Let¡¯s go for a walk.¡±


    ¡°A walk!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go for a walk!¡±


    ¡°Yay!¡±


    I put away all the mortar parts I had spread around in my inventory and decided to take the harpies for a walk around the base, which was gradually becoming more and more crowded. This is because it¡¯s not good for them to be cooped up all the time.

 CH 262

    Chapter 262 ¨C Calm Daily Life (Reality)


    It has been a week today since I set up this base. The base, which was empty at first, is gradually becoming more and more active. The first visitors were the harpies¨Da few more flew in the day after we set up the base¨Dbut after that, people from Mesutherium and now from the surrounding towns are gradually coming to the base.


    ¡°Kosuke-sama, are you going for a walk?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s not good for the children if they always stay indoors.¡±


    Walking around the base, I am approached by people who work around the base. Most of them are young subhuman women, some of them with big bellies. They are smiling now, but when I visited them three days ago, they were in a state of physical and mental disarray.


    I know this sounds fishy, but why is it that the Adol mainstream discriminates against subhumans as born sinners but prefers to use young subhuman women as an outlet for their desires?


    Eh? You wouldn¡¯t say that, would you? Excuse me. As for me, I¡¯ll take responsibility for what I¡¯ve done with my hands, and I¡¯ll treat people with sincerity. I mean, if anything, I¡¯m the one¡­ Yeah, let¡¯s not think about this subject any further. It hurts my heart.


    Anyway, all I can do is to provide them with a job to give them peace of mind, a warm place to sleep, adequate food, and a full medical care system to the best of my ability. Although they are not here now because they are in training, subhuman men also gather here in response to recruitment. I can only hope that they will build a warm family with them.


    Well, as you may have noticed by now, the majority of the people who have gathered at this base are subhuman. Well, the reason is simple: the treatment of subhuman slaves in the Merinard Kingdom, which has escaped from under the control of the Holy Kingdom, is undergoing a major review. The people who were profiting from the use of subhuman slaves were exterminated and weeded out, and subhuman slaves were liberated from harsh slave labor.


    But in reality, this is not the case. The slavers and the reckless slave traders were cut off at the root, but it is not as if the freed subhuman slaves would be happy just because of that. Both humans and subhumans have to work in order to eat. The former slaves gained freedom by being free, but they lost their jobs instead.


    Employment measures for former subhuman slaves who have lost their jobs are the biggest concern in the kingdom of Merinard. Well, in other words, the establishment of this base also serves as a kind of employment measure. The job opportunities that this base will create are extremely limited, though. But, as they say, ¡°It¡¯s all a series of small steps.¡±


    ¡°Ah! Hey, Nii-chan! Let¡¯s play hounds! Hounds!¡±


    ¡°After we take a look around the base a little more. Gather everyone in the square.¡±


    ¡°Yay! It¡¯s a promise!¡±


    There are children in the base. They were, well, children of the young subhuman girls I mentioned earlier, or younger siblings, or younger siblings of the apprentice soldiers who were currently out training. They were a bit intimidated the first day or two after coming here, but I invited them to take a walk with me when I took the harpies out for a walk, and we quickly became friendly after that.


    By the way, playing hounds means a game of tag. Playing tag with subhuman children with high physical ability is quite challenging¡­ and makes you feel as if you are being chased by real hounds. They are too fast with their feet, those kids.


    Well, those children are not actually playing all day long. In this world, children are also a fine workforce. In the morning, they are busy collecting the laundry of soldiers and apprentices, helping to take care of the farmland in the corner of the base, and babysitting children younger than themselves.


    They are allowed to play only after working hard in the morning, eating a full meal, and taking a nap.


    After leaving the running around children, I went to the farm. Naturally, this field was built by me with my farm block. It grows fast and produces good-tasting crops quickly. The vegetables I¡¯m planting now were planted in the field by me, so it¡¯s almost time to harvest them. I guess I¡¯ll be harvesting tomorrow? The harvest from this farm will be consumed on the base, and personnel on the base will take turns taking care of it.


    For now, we started with tomatoes (tomel) and cabbage (gabeji), which are nutritious and can be used in many ways for cooking, but what about the next time onward? There are a lot of kids, so maybe we¡¯ll go with apples or other fruit trees that can be preserved for some reason. Maybe grapes that can be processed into raisins or wine would be good.


    Thinking about this, I checked the pump for watering to make sure it was working properly and then took a double jump up to the aerial canal to check for any foreign substances.


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t go anywhere that is out of our reach, okay?¡±


    ¡°That movement is as weird as ever¡­¡±


    ¡°Shh, he can hear you.¡±


    ¡°I can already hear you, you know!¡±


    I¡¯ll secretly reduce the amount of Bella¡¯s snacks today. No, I shouldn¡¯t do anything so immature. Food resentment is a scary thing. And so, as promised, I finished my inspection, played with the kids¨DGrande was in the mix, too, before I knew it¨Dfed them their snacks, and finished another peaceful day¨D¨D.


    ¡°Let¡¯s have a drink!¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t mind if I join you, do you?¡±


    ¡°Well, don¡¯t take it for granted.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡±


    At night, after dinner, should we take turns taking a bath and going to bed? When I thought that, I was invited by the oni girls to join them for a night of drinking. Well, even though I was invited, I was the one who served the booze and snacks.


    Incidentally, a liquor depot has already been set up at the base and is being operated by a group of civilian officials and former merchants. In addition to daily necessities, the liquor depot also stocks liquor and snacks.


    Well, sales have not been so good so far since most of the people on this base are not in possession of their own things. After consulting with the base commander, Worg, and the civilian staff, we are discussing the possibility of giving them their first paycheck as a weekly salary and giving them some cash as soon as possible.


    ¡°It¡¯s a bit of a letdown. I was expecting more frequent assassins to come to kill you since they went to the trouble of sending us as guards.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want my life to be threatened that often. In case of an emergency, it would be better if it never happens, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s very true. Well, for us, it¡¯s a good job because we don¡¯t have to risk our lives, we get good drinks and food, and we get paid on top of that. But don¡¯t let your guard down too much, okay?¡±


    ¡°Of course, of course. It would be a disaster if something happened to Aniki.¡±


    ¡°You mean me?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Or would you want it to be Danna-sama?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind either way, but¡­ That kind of thing?¡±


    When I asked this, Shumel and Bella looked at each other and nodded. Tozume? Tozume¡¯s all stiff and tense and frozen before the drinking party even starts. No, that¡¯s why I noticed it.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s an impossible order to create an atmosphere for us, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Saying that, Shumel reaches out her hands toward me, grabs me, and sits me down on her lap. She is dressed very loosely today, and I can feel it from the back of my head. It¡¯s huge.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I don¡¯t know anything about that kind of thing. If I liked a guy, I would just take him into the bushes and have sex with him.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s scary.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve never actually had sex with a guy. I¡¯m brand new.¡±


    ¡°Then you should wrap yourself up with an oblaat.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s an oblaat?¡±


    I know, there is no such thing as ¡°oblaat¡± in this world, right? There was no way it could get through her. [T/n: Wrap in oblaat (it¡¯s a starch cover for drugs and desserts). Idiom for room for improvement. He is saying the big girls can be sexy if they work on it rather than resorting to one sided Snu-snu. A lonely cry goes unnoticed on an unforgiving night. Thanks to DKLA for pointing it out.]


    ¡°Will Tozume be okay?¡±


    Her big eye is rolling around because she¡¯s so nervous. Isn¡¯t that a no-no?


    ¡°Oh¡­ this might not work. We should hold him down and do it while he is still healthy.¡±


    ¡°I guess so. I¡¯ll hold his right hand and right leg.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll take the left side¡­¡±


    ¡°Wait, wait, wait, wait. The conversation turned dangerous and criminal.¡±


    I stand in front of the frozen Tozume and push them to a halt. What¡¯s with that idea and conversation? If anyone only heard their conversation, they would think they were bandits or something¡­


    Suddenly, an arm reached out from behind me and wrapped around my torso.


    Then, the arm wrapped around my body pulled me in with terrifying force.


    ¡°Uooooh!¡±


    Another very soft feeling on the back of my head! Yay! I mean, this is not the time to say that. The arms are so tight around me that it makes me feel like I¡¯m suffocating. It¡¯s holding me so tight that I can¡¯t even struggle.


    ¡°Fuh¡­! Fuhh¡­!¡±


    ¡°Hyiee¡­!¡±


    A rough, hot snort is caught at the nape of my neck, and I involuntarily shiver. There is only one person who can cuddle me from behind under the current circumstances.


    ¡°Ah¡­ that¡¯s why I said I¡¯d hold you down.¡±


    ¡°Oh no¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey, wait a minute, stop, don¡¯t rip my clothes! Hey, calm down! We can talk about this¡­¡±


    When I turned around, my face was reflected in her big eye. I think I saw a heart mark in the depths of that big eye. Yeah, this is a bad one. I understand.


    ¡°Give it up.¡±


    ¡°It is impossible. If you don¡¯t give up, you¡¯ll be in danger, Aniki.¡±


    I looked to Shumel and Bella for help but received a heartless answer.


    Yes, I give up. Please be kind.

 CH 263

    Chapter 263 ¨C Losing Flags are Crushed


    Something soft and warm was sandwiching me from front and back.


    I pried open my heavy eyelids, feeling some pressure, and a red skin jumped in front of my eyes. And that¡¯s not all. I am now buried. No, I am trapped. I can feel a warm, soft, happy feeling pressed against my back as well.


    I try to get out of this happy sandwich, but the soft flesh that surrounds me from the front and back is not going to release me at all.


    I was trying to get out of it, and while I was struggling to get out, arms and legs with a sense of weight and strength hidden in their softness were entangling me from the front and back as if to admonish me, completely blocking my movement.


    ¡°Mmmm¡­¡±


    In my distress, a helping hand was offered. Or rather, someone reached under my right armpit and gently pulled me out of the red, soft, warm place as if handling a broken object.


    ¡°¡­Good morning.¡±


    ¡°Nn¡­ yeah, um, good morning.¡±


    The woman who rescued me was a very large woman with a big eye¨DTozume.


    ¡°¡­I-is it still not enough for you?¡±


    ¡°No, this is a physiological phenomenon¡­ yeah, a physiological phenomenon.¡±


    Last night, my alter ego was victorious against three oni girls who were bigger than me, but due to the morning physiological phenomenon as well as the happy time after waking up, it was asserting its existence full of energy, as if it did not care about my will.


    ¡°Would you please pretend you didn¡¯t see it and put me down?¡±


    ¡°Y-yes. Of course.¡±


    I managed to quiet Tozume, who began to roll her big eye again and asked her to put me down on the floor. Yeah, it¡¯s a relief to stand with your feet on the ground, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s uncomfortable to have someone put their hands under your armpits like a dog or a cat and stretch out your back like that. It is even more uncomfortable when you are not wearing anything.


    ¡°For the time being¡­ Yeah, let¡¯s clean things up, shall we?¡±


    ¡°Y-you¡¯re right.¡±


    Without Sylphy, Isla, or Ellen, it is impossible to clean things up quickly with magic or miracles. In other words, the only way to clean things up is the old-fashioned way¨Dwith water and a clean cloth.


    ¡°In the meantime, let¡¯s wake them up.¡±


    ¡°Y-you¡¯re right. Yes, you¡¯re right.¡±


    The two red oni, whose sleeping faces are surprisingly cute, must also join in the morning cleanup, or rather the cleanup of last night¡¯s mess. After all, half of the responsibility for the mess in this room must belong to the two sleeping red oni.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    ¡°Well, is this what people call the sun looking yellow?¡± [T/n: ¡°¤ªÈÕ˜”¤¬»ÆÉ«¤¯ÒŠ¤¨¤ë ¡± is a sorta sexual expression. Like sharing a morning coffee. You overdid your nightly activity and a typical red, rising sun (morning) is now yellow (afternoon). Context matters when using the expression.]


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t look yellow, does it? It still looks a little like something is stuck in it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I know what you mean. This is how it feels.¡±


    ¡°You guys are so brazen.¡±


    The two red oni were chatting about their impressions of last night while eating a lot of boiled sausage, hearty bread, sour sauerkraut, pickles, and so on. Perhaps embarrassed that she was the first to lose her self-control and the first to fall, Tozume is eating her breakfast inconspicuously with a flushed face.


    No, even if she curled her back to be inconspicuous and became smaller, it would be impossible to erase her presence since there were only four of us in the room.


    ¡°What are you doing shrinking like that? There was nothing to be embarrassed about, was there?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. That¡¯s right. After all, both Nee-san and I had been taught the hierarchical relationship by Nii-san. Well, I couldn¡¯t even get a hold of Nii-san, who had made women squeal with his two fingers on each hand.¡±


    ¡°So, why don¡¯t you show a little more shame?¡±


    ¡°Eh, that¡¯s not really my style, is it?¡±


    Bella pouted her lips. Well, if you ask me if it fits or not, it doesn¡¯t.


    ¡°That kind of thing will be taken care of by Tozume or other Nee-sans.¡±


    ¡°Well, it might be a woman¡¯s worthiness to act that way if that¡¯s what her husband wants¡­ I don¡¯t think we¡¯d fit in well. Tozume aside, you know¡­¡±


    ¡°Unlike us, Tozume is very sensitive. In fact, she likes pretty things.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    Tozume¡¯s body trembles as she turns her head to look at me. Hmm¡­. when you put it that way, it makes me want to decorate the place in all sorts of ways. Well, I¡¯m going to try to dress all of them in frilly and lacey dresses at some point.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    Well, I can¡¯t just be absorbed in sexual affairs every day. The reason I went all the way to the north was not to strengthen my bond with Shumel and the others, nor to endure the onslaught of the harpies, but to prepare the army and intercepting facilities to fight the invasion war from the north that would take place in the spring.


    Well, even if we say invasion from the north, most of the main forces are infantrymen armed with spears, shields, swords, bows, etc. There may be some cavalrymen and mages, but they are not expected to be so numerous. And in this world, the war is basically won by those who have the greater numbers¡­ In other words, they have a large force and invade on foot and with wagons, carrying a large amount of supplies.


    If they could share information in real-time using golem communication devices like we do, they could divide their forces into smaller units and invade from multiple directions, but their means of communication are very poor. The fastest way to send a message is through a messenger using a flying familiar used by a mage, followed by a messenger using a fast horse.


    There are other means of communicating information, such as using smoke signals, but the amount of information conveyed is overwhelmingly small and cannot withstand the dispersed operation of small units.


    What I am trying to say is that if a large force is to invade, the route of progress can be narrowed down to some extent. It is almost impossible to pass through steep mountains and deep forests with horse-drawn wagons full of supplies, and it is also very difficult to go along roads with no paths. The defender should be able to monitor such routes and quickly deploy the necessary forces where they are needed.


    In terms of speed, we have an overwhelming advantage in having air boards for transporting troops, and we also have a significant advantage in the speed and range of our means of communication. Furthermore, as far as surveillance is concerned, we can even use harpy to spy on them.


    Gahaha, we won.


    ¡°If you¡¯re not careful, you¡¯ll never get anything good.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. There¡¯s nothing good about being careless.¡±


    Worg nodded his head in agreement with my words. Since we are so far ahead of the enemy in military technology, defeat is unlikely in the normal sense of the word. It is unlikely, but it is not an absolute certainty. No matter how great the disparity in technology is, soldiers fighting on the front lines will die if they are speared, cut with swords, or exposed to a hail of arrows.


    The Holy Kingdom must have shared a certain amount of information with them before invading, so it is reasonable to assume that they would take some countermeasures against gunfire and air strikes. The Holy Kingdom, which is rumored to be very proud, may or may not provide the Duchy of Dihart and the Kingdom of Tigris with all the information that led to the annihilation of their army, but it is hard to believe that they would let a banzai assault without taking any countermeasures.


    ¡°What are they going to do¡­ line up their thick shields?¡±


    ¡°It might be able to stop the gunfire, but it won¡¯t be able to deal with the bombing of the harpies. Maybe some kind of anti-air attack?¡±


    Certainly, even if that could stop the gunfire, they would still be blown to pieces by the bombs falling from above if they stopped to take a step. If I were a battle commander, I would definitely do that.


    ¡°It is impossible to prepare a magic rifle. Then, will they prepare bows and arrows to extend the range?¡±


    ¡°Well, I think there is a possibility that they will prepare bows and arrows with wind magic to counter the harpies. It wouldn¡¯t be considered very many, and it would be difficult to prepare such a large number of them, so I¡¯m assuming it¡¯s a small number.¡±


    ¡°I see. In that case, it would be better to give the harpies some means of defense¡­ If you¡¯re talking about countermeasures against gunfire, there¡¯s a possibility they¡¯ll bring out magic tools that use earth magic to create a wall of defense. We make those too, after all.¡±


    As for the magic tools that can easily create trenches, the Research and Development Department has already begun developing them, and they are scheduled to be made during the winter using the mithril copper alloy I provided to improve their efficiency.


    ¡°There is a good chance of that. But they will not be available in large numbers, and the vanguard will not be able to move forward with them. Without projectile weapons that have a longer range than magic rifles, I don¡¯t think they will be able to get anywhere in the end.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see why not. If necessary, you can use the air board to flank them and open fire.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. You might want to practice shooting while on the air board. Maybe we should armor them up against arrows and turn them into armored vehicles?¡±


    ¡°Mobile armored vehicle version, huh¡­? Yeah, that was a good idea. We can either modify it or develop a new one¡­¡±


    When it comes to protection against ordinary arrows, thicker wooden planks and leather armor should be effective enough without going into the trouble of using steel plates. But it would be difficult if it was burned by fire arrows, so I think it would be better to use metal armor. If the weight becomes too heavy, mobility will decrease, and it will be difficult to maintain balance.


    ¡°I think it will be okay if we can keep them out of range of arrows, but it will be safer if they are armored. Please develop it.¡±


    ¡°I understand. The rest is where to place the monitoring base against the invasion route¡­¡±


    Discussions continued in the base¡¯s operation room. The preparations must be completed by the end of winter, so there isn¡¯t much time to spare. I wish I could live a little more peacefully¡­ Good grief.

 CH 264

    Chapter 264 ¨C Harpy-san¡¯s Heavy Bombardment Project


    I had already proposed the development of enhanced equipment for harpies, especially arrow repellents using wind magic barriers at the Research and Development Department, so I contacted Merinesburg to have 50 of them, including spares, deployed by spring.


    As for the other changes to heavy bombers and armor, it would be too much for me to develop them on my own, so I sent a document with my ideas to the Research and Development Department in Merinesburg and asked them to study them in the back.


    There are several approaches to the development of heavy bombers. One is the downsizing of air bombs, and the other is the development of bomb supports¨Dpylons¨Dto be mounted on the legs and torso. Currently, we are using a type of air bomb in which the bomb is held directly by Harpy-san¡¯s legs, and by wrapping a string connected to a fuse around the legs, the fuse is activated, and the bomb explodes at the same time as it is transmitted.


    Due to the nature of the direct grip with the legs, the maximum number of bombs that can be simultaneously equipped is two, one for each leg. However, if the bombs can be made smaller so that multiple bombs can be suspended on pylons and launched, the amount of firepower projected per sortie will be dramatically increased. If the bombs could be made smaller without compromising the attack power per bomb, and if each leg could carry three bombs, the firepower projection per person would be tripled.


    ¡°So I need your help to build the new bombs and the pylons to support them.¡±


    ¡°¡±Yes!¡±¡±¡±


    The gathered harpies cheerfully reply. It¡¯s good that they do, but there are a little too many of them. There are about ten of them. Well, well, is there anything better than a large sample?


    ¡°Um, first of all, I¡¯d like to see your legs. Do they all have the same shape?¡±


    ¡°Hmm? I don¡¯t know. I haven¡¯t paid much attention to it.¡±


    With that, the brown-feathered harpy Pessar turned her gaze to her own legs. Yes, they are much bigger than the ones I know, but they are just like bird¡¯s feet. They support their bodies with four toes. They have three toes in the front and one toe in the back, and they use these four toes to grasp objects.


    ¡°Can you move them dexterously?¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Like this?¡±


    Pessar shows me how to open and close the toes. I don¡¯t know how real birds do it, but at least they seem to be able to move each toe freely. It seems they can move their toes quite dexterously.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I see. Can you hold my arm for a moment?¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡±


    I squatted down at her feet and held out my arm. She dexterously stood on one leg, balancing on her wings, and grabbed my arm with the other leg.


    ¡°Can you put a little bit of pressure on it?¡±


    ¡°Yes. If it starts to hurt, just let me know, okay?¡±


    Pessar begins to put more pressure on her toe. Oh, she has a pretty strong grip, doesn¡¯t she? Well, otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t be able to fly with the air bomb, which weighs a certain amount, would she?


    ¡°Okay, now I¡¯m going to touch your toes and see if you can make them stronger, okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, okay.¡±


    I touch each of Pessar¡¯s toes one by one as she grabs my arm. Hmm, it is possible to strengthen each finger individually, I thought.


    ¡°Okay. By the way, if you had to put more pressure on just one finger, which one would be the easiest?¡±


    ¡°This finger, I guess.¡±


    It seemed to be the toe at the center of her body that was squeezing my arm. Or should I say the inner toe?


    ¡°Is it the same for everyone? No, wait, why are you surrounding me?¡±


    After completing the mysterious ritual of having my arms grabbed and nibbled by everyone, I discovered that the harpies¡¯ legs are surprisingly dexterous and strong in their grip. Well, I heard that they could stay up all night holding onto a tree branch or something, so I guess it is only natural.


    ¡°Well, if that¡¯s the case, the mechanism seems to be like pulling a trigger.¡±


    If the harpies could pull the trigger with their toes, then the firing device, or rather the projectile device, should be of the trigger type. The rest is the shape¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s simple to make.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t look cool.¡±


    ¡°Pessar¡¯s casual comment hurt my feelings¡­¡±


    I wrote on paper a grip with a trigger, surrounded by a metal frame in a square, with four small bombs attached to the frame. Looking at the grip and frame from above, it¡¯s shaped like a ¡®sun.¡¯ One bomb would be attached to each of these tops, bottom, left, and right sides and each pull of the trigger would cause the bombs to be dropped in a clockwise direction.


    ¡°Well, if I were to do it, I would probably use a garter belt-like brace to support both the waist and the legs. If a large number of bombs are loaded at the feet, and the weight is unbalanced, it may become underweight instead of top-heavy. Or maybe we should make the projectile device a trigger type and put it on the thigh?¡±


    ¡°On the thigh? What¡¯s it like?¡±


    Capri, a brown-feathered harpy like Pessar, said this and tilted her head. I wonder if Capri is from a good upbringing or from far away, she speaks in a Kansai dialect. It¡¯s a bit elegant or Kyoto-esque. I¡¯m just prejudiced. It¡¯s the same Kansai dialect, but it¡¯s different, isn¡¯t it?¡¡I don¡¯t know much about it, though.


    ¡°I think it would be good to put three or four bombs of this size on the outside of the thigh, like this.¡±


    I put a 500ml plastic water bottle on Capri¡¯s thigh.


    ¡°In this case, you put four of them here, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Which one is easier to carry?¡±


    ¡°Well, I think it¡¯s easier for me to fly with the one on my thigh.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Rather than hanging heavy things under my legs, it would be easier to fly if they were attached to my thighs.¡±


    The other harpies were also of the opinion that it was easier to fly if it was attached to the thigh.


    ¡°The metal frame or perhaps a rail is hung from the belt at the waist, and it is further secured to the thigh with a belt; three or four new bombs are attached to the rail like this, and they are dropped one by one by pulling the trigger with the leg. It would be even better if we could attach an arrow-repellent device using wind magic to this waist belt.¡±


    I don¡¯t know what the size or specifications of the wind magic tool will be, but it won¡¯t be that big as long as it is equipped on the harpy.


    ¡°Yeah, this one looks cooler.¡±


    ¡°Well, is the productivity that much different?¡±


    The structure is simpler to use three or four triggers to fire one shot at a time than to use three or four triggers to fire three or four ejection mechanisms. The amount of metal used is not so different, and above all, there is no need for bending or welding. In fact, this might be more productive.


    ¡°The direction of the pylon seems to be good. Now, all we need is a new bomb¡­¡±


    This is also very difficult. Basically, the power of a bomb depends on the amount of explosives. In other words, the bigger the bomb, the more powerful it is. Usually, the smaller the bomb is, the less powerful it becomes. It is quite difficult to reduce the size of a bomb without reducing its power.


    ¡°Even if the power of a single shot is a little lower, the total firepower will increase if the amount of bombs installed increases from six to eight times, right?¡±


    Right now, we are using the largest and most powerful bombs possible because we can only equip two bombs, and the current air bombs are a bit over-specified when considered for anti-personnel use.


    The large bombs we are using now are useful for anti-material use, but for anti-personnel use, eight bombs that kill three to four people instantly and injure 15 are better than two bombs that wipe out ten people without leaving any trace and injure 20.


    ¡°I wonder what the design of the new air bomb will look like.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s kind of different from what we¡¯ve seen so far, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°I just came up with the idea of diverting shells from other new weapons.¡±


    Yes. This one is an improved version of the infantry mortar shell I was making the other day. The propellant was removed from the mortar shell, and the operation of the warhead fuse was simplified so that the shell could be fired simply by pulling the pin on the warhead. Almost all parts of mortar shells can be used as they are.


    Isn¡¯t this idea brilliant?


    ¡°Well, the previous air bombs had been improved upon and had a weight of nearly 4 kg per bomb. These new bombs weigh about 1.3 kg each, so even with three bombs per leg, the weight is about the same as before. If you include the pylons, the total weight will go up a little, but since the entire lower body will be used to support the bombs, I think the burden will be less than before.¡±


    ¡°I see. It is smaller than before, but it is great that you can fly with that much weight.¡±


    ¡°I like the fact that I can carry three or four times as much as I used to! So, when can we start using it?¡±


    ¡°Well, no, it¡¯s still in the planning stages¡­¡±


    However, as for the air bombs for the harpy, I¡¯m basically going to do everything from development to manufacturing. Pessar and Capri, who can be called veteran members of the Harpy bomb squadron, know that I can make them right away if I want to.


    ¡°Okay, okay. I¡¯ll make it right away. I¡¯ll make it.¡±


    ¡°Yay! I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡±


    ¡°Pessar and I can¡¯t do it because we are small breeders, but I¡¯m sure all of the medium and large breeders can carry more.¡±


    ¡°I think it would be a good idea to make a separate one for medium-sized and large breeds. Everyone wants to go boom, boom, boom!¡±


    Yes, yes. The projectile launcher would need to be modified, but at best, it would be able to alternate between two hard points with a single trigger, so it wouldn¡¯t cost much. The rails just need to be extended. I¡¯ll do it.


    Thus, new anti-personnel air bombs and heavy bomb-loading frames (commonly known as ¡°fashionable clothes¡± in harpy) will be deployed in the northern area of Harpy Bomber Command, doubling or tripling the anti-personnel firepower of each harpy.


    Author Note:


    The Harpies: ¡°If we drop bombs side by side, we can take out the enemy without any loss, don¡¯t you think? Also, exploding them would be good, but burning them would be better, too, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±


    Kosuke: ¡°Carpet bombing¡­ incendiary bombs¡­! (white eyes).¡±

 CH 265

    Chapter 265 ¨C Identification


    Now, I have successfully strengthened the harpies, but the fundamental problem has not been solved.


    ¡°Mass production of weapons and ammunition is the problem.¡±


    Aside from the magic rifle, the gunpowder bullets used by the gunners and the air bombs used by the harpies cannot be replenished without me making them. This is a very problematic situation.


    ¡°Even so.¡±


    It is almost impossible to make bullets with the current technology available. First of all, there is a huge lack of chemical knowledge to mix gunpowder and detonators, and there is no industrial capacity to mass-produce shell casings.


    There may be a chance to make bombs, but the problem here, too, is the gunpowder and fuse. Well, we can try to use black powder, which is relatively easy to manufacture, for the gunpowder, but¡­ the fuse only needs to be able to ignite the detonator, and it may be surprisingly cheap to make it in a magic tool style. As for the manufacture of air bombs, I¡¯ll throw a development idea to the Research and Development Department.


    I remember the general ratio of black powder, so I should be able to make something reasonable through trial and error. As I recall, it was 10 to 20 percent charcoal, 10.5 to 20.5 percent sulfur (a little more than charcoal), and 60 to 70 percent saltpeter.


    Why do I remember all this? Didn¡¯t you remember this in junior high school? Eh? You don¡¯t? Really? Well¡­ no, that¡¯s okay. I was just deeply etched in my mind under the influence of that disease peculiar to junior high school students. Hahaha.


    Anyway, I¡¯ll use black powder for the gunpowder, and the bullet shell should be able to be made by molding. The fuse should be an ignition circuit using scrap magic stone, so it might be relatively manageable. If we use magic stones or magic crystals to trigger the explosive magic, would it be possible to increase the power? I think the cost would be too high, though.


    I guess the problem is procuring sulfur and saltpeter, but are there any places around here where we can get them? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve heard so much about volcanoes and hot springs¡­ I think saltpeter can be extracted from caves where bats live if there is guano¡­ Well, I guess that¡¯s the domain of alchemists, isn¡¯t it? Around that area.


    If there is a place where you can mine saltpeter without having to go to the trouble of extracting it from the bat¡¯s guano¨Dfeces, there is no need to be concerned about the bat¡¯s guano if you can produce saltpeter.


    I will also attach a sample of the saltpeter and sulfur that I have produced with my abilities. If I can make the same thing, there is no problem. I will also attach a sample of black gunpowder produced with my ability. Until now, when I tried to make gunpowder, I had to create a mysterious powder that was classified as ¡°gunpowder,¡± but now I can make pure black gunpowder using item creation.


    Well, the usability of ¡°gunpowder¡± is far superior¡­ It can be used for both gun charges and explosives. What¡¯s really going on with this gunpowder?


    I¡¯ll put all the suggestions regarding bombs and gunpowder on paper and send it to the Research and Development Department in Merinesburg. It would be better to let Isla and her team decide whether to use the black powder type or the magic stone or the magic crystal type, considering the cost. It is essential that the production be possible only with the resources of this country, so we should avoid a situation where we have to depend on imports from other countries.


    ¡°Grande.¡±


    ¡°Mn? What is it?¡±


    ¡°This is a highly confidential document. I¡¯m sorry, but could you go give it directly to Sylphy, Melty, or Isla?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s okay. You owe me one, okay?¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll do whatever you want me to do to the best of my ability.¡±


    ¡°Good. Do not forget your words, okay?¡±


    With a grin, Grande walked out of my development office with a box of documents and samples. As soon as Grande flew, the documents and samples would reach Merinesburg. In a sense, it is the safest means of transportation since there is no chance of information leakage.


    ¡°Hah¡­ Well, what¡¯s next?¡±


    Mortars are, after all, surface control weapons that consume large quantities of ammunition, so they place a heavy burden on logistics. This is the problem with modern weapons that require massive supplies. Since they are designed to demonstrate their power by consuming large quantities of ammunition produced on the premise of mechanized industry, it is too much of a problem to make gunpowder-type weapons that depend on me for ammunition production standard equipment.


    On the other hand, the magic rifle was made using only the technology of this world, and the only consumables are magic stones, magic crystals, and lead bullets, which are used as propellants, so it is relatively easy to replenish. As a weapon, it is clearly more useful. My gunpowder weapon is only a blunt weapon when I can no longer use my ability.


    ¡°Hah, stop it, stop it.¡±


    Lately, whenever I have time, all I can think about are weapons that kill people. In a way, this is a sickness. I think I need to reset my brain by doing some research and development of something terrible and stupid. Maybe I¡¯ll make a staff that shoots a beam of light that will make the oni girls¡¯ bodies smaller, or a soup that will make my body bigger than theirs, or an ointment that will extend the size of my ¡®thing,¡¯ or some other jokey thing like that.


    ¡°You look like you¡¯re thinking of something bad.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s so evil.¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll go for a walk¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah! No fair!¡±


    The oni girls are making a lot of noise, but the mysterious items I just thought of are not my domain but that of an alchemist or a mage. I don¡¯t think my abilities are suited for making such unreasonable items. Is it because I lack imagination? Is it possible to create interesting items by using a grant workbench? I haven¡¯t touched the workbench much.


    Yes, let¡¯s try to touch the grant workbench. I might be able to create something interesting.


    I took out the workbench and set it up in the lab.


    Basically, rather than creating an item, this is more like adding materials to an already existing item to give it some kind of effect. And since it creates items with rather broken performance, if it is used too often, the balance will collapse, and it will be a disaster. It could be a case of God making a mistake in adjusting this item.


    ¡°What is that?¡±


    ¡°A grant workbench. You can combine various items with magic stones, magic crystal stones, magic crystals, and other magic items to give some kind of magical effect.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by ¡°some¡±? Can¡¯t you just choose one?¡±


    ¡°According to the results of the verification, it is not possible to choose. The direction is determined to a certain extent by the nature of the original item. For example, a hammer cannot have an effect such as an increase in sharpness.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ so a blade will increase sharpness, a blunt weapon will increase destructive power, and so on?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right.¡±


    There are not many magic crystals on hand. The magic sparkling stone is in my inventory because I don¡¯t have a safe place to store it.


    ¡°So, what happens if Danna-san¡¯s gun is used?¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°Eh.¡±


    I had never thought of that idea before¡­ because I had an image that magical grants are for swords, spears, armor, shields, and so on, so I had not even tried it.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you try it?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yeah.¡±


    Stop, you three, don¡¯t look at me like that. That look affects me.


    ¡°No. There is a deeper reason for this. The Research and Development Department first used it to mass produce a variety of broken items and other items that would be bad for this world, so it was categorized as something that shouldn¡¯t be used, you know?¡±


    ¡°If you can¡¯t use what¡¯s available, you lose it.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what means you use, does it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s better to do it than to think about it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right.¡±


    Kuh, as expected of adventurers¡­ these people are certainly living their lives by throwing common sense. No, actually, I mass-produced a magic sparkling stone and received silent pressure from everyone to never use it again because it was bad for the heart¡­ Yeah, that¡¯s an excuse. Yes. We will use it.


    As a result of experiments, I know that using a stronger catalyst produces a more powerful effect, so there is no point in going into the trouble of using a weaker catalyst. I¡¯m going to use the magic sparkling stone from the beginning.


    ¡°I wonder what I should use as a base¡­¡±


    The guns I have on hand right now are¡­ well, a lot of them. After all, this is the assault rifle that is the most widely made in the world, safe and reliable. Mine is a modified version with a straight barrel and a slanted muzzle.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ve decided on you.¡±


    I set the assault rifle and the magic sparkling stone on the workbench and started to grant it. It would be interesting¨Dor not so interesting¨Dif it crashed with an error or something, wouldn¡¯t it? I¡¯m scared just thinking about errors and crashing the client.


    Please, please don¡¯t let an error occur due to mod interference or something like that.

 CH 266

    Chapter 266 ¨C Turning Around


    At the very moment when the granting process to the assault rifle was completed, the world came to a halt.


    It was not a figurative expression, but everything in the area that could be seen lost its color as if it were on a grayscale, and the three oni girls, who were looking at the granting worktable with interest, also lost their color and stopped as well.


    ¡°Oh? Finally! I¡¯m tired of waiting!¡±


    Damn it! Just as I was breaking out in a cold sweat with impatience, I heard a frivolous voice coming from somewhere. Hearing this mysterious voice, which sounded as if it was coming from space itself, I involuntarily held up my submachine gun, which I had registered in my shortcut key, and looked around.


    ¡°What is it? Who is it?¡±


    ¡°Who do you think it is? Can you guess it?¡±


    ¡°Who knows?¡±


    At any rate, I decided it was a bad situation and immediately surrounded Shumel and the others with stone blocks to protect them in a semi-enclosed area. I can build a strong stone shelter in an instant in case of an emergency, so this is no big deal.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ it¡¯s just like you to try to protect the women as fast as you can there. Should I have made them a little more aggressive? Or maybe I should have made your initial point at the saint¡¯s place instead of the forest. But you know, if I took that route, there was a high probability that you would have died defending the saint.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    I don¡¯t know what he is, but I could guess what kind of guy he is to me by what he just said and did.


    ¡°You¡¯re the guy who brought me into this world, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Close enough! I snatched you away, didn¡¯t I?¡±


    I can¡¯t see his face, but I can sense that he¡¯s smirking. I¡¯d hit him once if only he¡¯d show himself.


    ¡°You¡¯re the fun-loving guy who manages my achievements, huh? Or the one who gave me this power?¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re generally right, but you shouldn¡¯t be concerned about me, should you? It¡¯s more about you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t really care about you, but¡­ I mean, what about me?¡±


    ¡®You, why are you holding yourself back?¡±


    I choked on the words of the mysterious voice.


    ¡°Ohhh? What, ignoring me? What¡¯s up with you playing the good boy and restricting yourself?¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    I don¡¯t answer anything. That is because I have no idea what the purpose of this guy is.


    ¡°There is no point in being silent, you know? I know exactly what you¡¯re making with your powers. Golem core is a very useful thing, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Even if I keep my mouth shut, he can see right through me. I¡¯m in a bind with this guy. Can¡¯t I kill him with a magic sparkling stone bomb?


    ¡°If you want to do it, you can do it. You are really a hard guy to understand, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    And he can read people¡¯s minds. There is nothing I can do about this guy.


    ¡°I have many questions, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s right to answer a question with a question, so I¡¯ll answer first. I think that I can¡¯t solve everything by myself, and I think that the problems of this world should be solved by the people of this world. Meanwhile, I¡¯m going to give my support to whomever I want to give it.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Is that what you think? Are you the type of person who just smiles and watches NPCs compete with each other in a survival game? You¡¯re a psychopath with bad taste.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I want to hear from you.¡±


    ¡°I bet you are!¡±


    Gahahahahaha, the mysterious voice laughed vulgarly. I don¡¯t want to be told by someone who abducts people, throws them into another world all alone, gives them strange abilities, and then peeks at them, you know?


    ¡°What the hell are you making me do this for?¡±


    ¡°Well, you know, it¡¯s a hobby that combines entertainment and practical use. I call it a job.¡±


    ¡°So someone other than you brought me in and gave me these abilities to keep you amused. No, you are involved in the selection of personnel, huh? You¡¯re almost the mastermind behind the whole thing, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you noticed? Well, it¡¯s mostly me, but I¡¯m not the mastermind. I am just, you know. I¡¯m just a humble subcontractor.¡±


    Hihihihi, the mysterious voice laughed again, this time in a frivolous tone.


    ¡°But I miscalculated your love for women. I didn¡¯t expect you to take a step back to support the woman you fell in love with. If you¡¯d taken the initiative and used your abilities to the fullest, the Holy Kingdom would be gone by now.¡±


    I don¡¯t deny it. If I build a large number of workbenches without any restraint and repeat mining and logging at a rate that will level the mountain, I can handle the problem of supply. A single mountain can be converted into a mountain of materials in an hour if I use my mithril tools to their full potential.


    And the golem core, as he pointed out earlier, is a problem. I can now make golem cores at the workbench. Once I make that golem core, I can make ¡°any¡± golem I want. Usually, a golem core has to be configured with a formula that is tailored to the golem¡¯s purpose.


    But on my workbench, there is no need to do so. As long as the golem core and the necessary materials are there, I can make any golem I want. How convenient is that?¡¡Raw water in a wooden canteen can be turned into plastic bottled drinking water just by passing it through a fire, and the ability to create ¡°universal gunpowder¡± from human and livestock excrement and a few other materials, the golem core¡¯s formula is a trivial matter. And now I also have a super-powerful source of magic sparkling stone.


    In other words, if I wanted to, I could create an army of iron golems armed with heavy machine guns and firearms. I can also create golem-driven tanks and perhaps even develop flying golem fighter planes through the development of wind-magic propulsion systems.


    In fact, I have already developed several prototypes of heavily armed iron golems. If I were to deploy as many as ten of them, an invasion from the two northern countries could easily be crushed.


    ¡°What is your purpose? What do you want me to do?¡±


    ¡°Nothing specific at the moment. It¡¯s just too slow to see. Well, you¡¯re doing fine, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Does this mean that the purpose of the mastermind behind this voice, and by extension, the mastermind who ordered the ¡°job¡± to this voice, is to exterminate the teachings of the mainstream of the Holy Kingdom? Is that okay? Is it okay to go ahead with what this guy wants?


    ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t need to worry about that. My interests aside, the intention of the top management is only to be concerned about the current situation in which so-called subhumans are discriminated against, and their happiness is impaired. There is no malice or anything; it is really 100% goodwill or benevolence. The rest is, well, sanctions against those who create such misery.¡±


    ¡°You talk about benevolence, but at the same time, you tolerate war in the name of sanctioning it. That¡¯s contradictory.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not contradictory at all. If there is no pain, people don¡¯t pay attention to anything. A savior comes along, reaches out to the unfortunate, and puts the evil-doers to death. People need such heroism. Those who are saved are grateful and in awe of the rescuer and the one who sent them, and those who are punished learn a lesson and reflect on their actions. And so the world will run right.¡±


    The mysterious voice spoke as if singing. His words had a hint of mischievousness in them, making them extremely untrustworthy.


    ¡°That¡¯s terrible. Well, I don¡¯t care whether you believe it or not. What has already begun cannot be stopped, and if you do not resist the movement, your country will be destroyed, and your women will be unhappy. You will have to do what I want no matter what. Or will you betray your women now and go over there? That would be an interesting thing to see, but you won¡¯t, and you can¡¯t, can you?¡±


    ¡°Tch.¡±


    I reply with a click of my tongue. Certainly, betraying Sylphy and the others now is a no-no. What¡¯s the point of doing that now? If my only goal from the beginning was to get Sylphy and the others to do as I pleased, I would have done whatever I could when I left the Black Forest and began to build a base in the Great Omit Wilderness. But at the time, I didn¡¯t have a grasp of Melty¡¯s fighting ability, and I wasn¡¯t prepared for a lot of things, so I doubted if I could have achieved it.


    ¡°So, what do you want this time? Did you go to such great trouble just to have this talk?¡±


    As I said that, I decided that there seemed to be no danger, so I took my mithril pickaxe out of my inventory and began to destroy the stone wall that I had made appear to protect Shumel and the others. They would be surprised to see themselves suddenly in such a state, all three of them.


    ¡°No, I simply preloaded the guns with advanced enchantments so that it would trigger this situation, and we could talk like this. I¡¯m just really frustrated that you¡¯re not doing something more advanced.¡±


    ¡°Pardon me. I¡¯m sorry about that. It¡¯s just that I¡¯m so fragile that I can¡¯t help myself. So?¡±


    ¡°So far, it¡¯s all going according to plan, so I don¡¯t have any particular request for it. The only thing I have to say is that it¡¯s a pain in the ass to watch, so I just want you to hurry it up and get it over with.¡±


    ¡°I have my own way of doing things. And I will use my tricks when the time comes.¡±


    ¡°But you never use it in the end, do you?¡±


    Shut up. It¡¯s best if I don¡¯t have to use it. It¡¯s just stupid to be reluctant to use it and cause more damage. So far, the training of the magic riflemen is going well, and at this rate, we should be able to bounce back from the northern invasion.


    ¡°I hope so, huh?¡±


    ¡°What the hell, you bastard. If you have something to say, say it.¡±


    ¡°Nothing, really. Well, whatever happens, you¡¯ll handle it, won¡¯t you?¡±


    Kukuku, the voice chuckles. This guy is really annoying. I¡¯m ashamed to say this, but would you please explode and die right now?


    ¡°I think it¡¯s more likely that you¡¯ll be the one to die in the explosion. Thanks to all your hard work, switching from one person to the next, night after night.¡±


    ¡°You fucking perverted peeping Tom, perish immediately!¡±


    I threw all the murderous intent I could at the voice that laughed vulgarly. I really want to hit him with my hands until I¡¯m satisfied, but it¡¯s frustrating that he doesn¡¯t seem to be an ordinary opponent. I am only wielding the power he has given me. If push comes to shove, he could easily strip me of my abilities or even disable them.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s a power I¡¯ve given you. Use it well and enjoy it. It feels good to use your overwhelming technological prowess to lay waste to uncivilized barbarians, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve got very bad taste. That¡¯s not why I¡¯m licensing the technology to Sylphy and the others.¡±


    ¡°Hey, hey, don¡¯t lie to me. Did you ever have any feelings about that?¡±


    ¡°You shitty bastard.¡±


    I¡¯d be lying if I said I didn¡¯t have any feelings. Yeah, I¡¯d be lying. When I showed the Holy King¡¯s Army what I could do with the weapons and tactics I¡¯d created, I felt like I¡¯d fucked up, but at the same time, I felt good about it.


    ¡°So, yeah, admit it. And you should continue to enjoy it. It¡¯s your show; you have to enjoy it, right?¡±


    Kukuku, hahahaha, hahahaha! He laughed three times, and the sound of his voice faded away. At the same time, color returned to the world, and everything began to move.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Ara?¡±


    The oni girls tilted their heads with curious expressions as if they had sensed something. It¡¯s a good thing I broke the stone wall before they noticed.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    I thought about it a lot and decided to keep my head down. Even if I told the three of them what had just happened, they would have a hard time reacting.


    ¡°No, I had a strange feeling just now, but I¡¯m sure it¡¯s just my imagination.¡±


    ¡°You too, Nee-san? I had a strange feeling, too.¡±


    ¡°I hope it wasn¡¯t the workbench.¡±


    Tozume pointed out sharply, but I just cowered my shoulders and let it slide. Then I took the finished product off the magic-granting table.


    ¡°It just looks the same, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°How it looks. Oh¡­¡±


    I put it in my inventory, checked its performance, and gasped. No, I had a feeling it was going to be like this.


    ?Improved assault rifle +9 (Automatic Repair, Infinite Ammo, Enhanced Penetration III)


    This thing is dangerous.

 CH 267

    Chapter 267 ¨C Distressed Kosuke


    Since I have a large amount of magic sparkling stones, I have enhanced the guns I have on hand, focusing on those that are easy to use and have high ammunition costs. Specifically, the light machine guns and six-round grenade launchers deployed in the gunners¡¯ corps, the famous anti-tank grenade launchers, automatic grenade launchers, and heavy machine guns.


    ¡°Oh man¡­ oh man¡­¡±


    ¡°He suddenly turned blue and started worrying with hands on his head.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s emotionally unstable¡­¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s wait and see what happens.¡±


    I can hear the oni girls worrying about me and whispering to each other. No, but you, this is infinite ammunition, you know? It¡¯s an outburst that points the middle finger squarely at the logistics issue! And because of the auto-repair system, it doesn¡¯t malfunction even if you shoot it full-auto, and the heat problem has been solved. You, this kind of easy enhancement shortens the life of the game! You idiot! You damn fool!


    If I show this enhanced group of firearms to Isla, I¡¯m sure she¡¯s going to have a stroke and roll her eye¡­ No, I¡¯m sure she¡¯s going to take it to the Research and Development Department for a thorough disassembly and analysis.


    ¡°What should I do about it¡­?¡±


    If I deploy a large number of these, we will have an invincible army in one fell swoop. An army with powerful weapons that never break and never run out of ammunition will be born. Weapons break easily on the battlefield. Even metal swords and armor, which at first glance appear sturdy, can easily break, fold, or shatter if overworked. Therefore, weapons are naturally included in the large number of supplies that are prepared. And tools for their care.


    But what happens when there is no longer a need to supply weapons? The amount of supplies would become overwhelmingly small. Moreover, the one-way overrun by powerful weapons would make the duration of battles very short.


    Modern weapons, or rather, firearms with gunpowder, are quite precise instruments. Although they are not so fragile that they can be destroyed by a single drop on the ground, daily inspection and maintenance are essential, and the burden on logistics is extremely heavy when considering the parts for repair and a large amount of ammunition consumed. It is not comparable to swords, spears, or bows. It is strong enough to eliminate the need for such things. Too strong.


    ¡°That bastard¡­¡±


    The mysterious voice earlier seemed to have the intention of wanting me to use my power to the fullest and make the place a mess. If I could make something like this, I would certainly be able to greatly increase the number of firearms I produce and deploy. The materials and processing time required to make the main components of a gun are negligible. I can make magic sparkling stones as much as I want.


    The reason I can¡¯t deploy my guns in large numbers is because of supply and maintenance problems. If I can solve this problem with magic sparkling stones and a workbench, I can increase the number of guns deployed to any number of locations. Of course, if they are captured by the enemy, it would be a big problem, so it is necessary to be more careful with them than now.


    ¡°As I thought, there is something wrong with him.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? What should we do?¡±


    ¡°My mom says this is good for distressed men!¡±


    The idiot hugged me on my back and put something heavy and soft on my head. Damn you, marvelous!


    ¡°The three of us will surround you and press down on you.¡±


    ¡°That way, the three of us will be right in front of you.¡±


    ¡°Are you still shy? It¡¯s a little late for that, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. You¡¯re not even a child, but you¡¯re still a naive boy.¡±


    Shumel came up to me and picked me up in her arms, and pressed her breasts against my face from the front. Bella came up behind me. Now I¡¯m sandwiched between big boobs¡­ and this is my ideal world¨Dno, wait, I can¡¯t breathe normally. This is painful; I¡¯m in so much pain. I tap Shumel¡¯s arm to get her to release me.


    ¡°I thought I was going to die.¡±


    ¡°Such an exaggeration.¡±


    ¡°You should try being buried in Shumel¡¯s breasts, Bella; you¡¯d understand.¡±


    With that, I gently pushed Bella toward Shumel, who grinned and held her face to her chest with a smirk. Bella endured for a while but soon tapped her arm and surrendered.


    ¡°That¡¯s bad. It feels nice and soft, but I can see the afterlife.¡±


    ¡°Right?¡±


    ¡°What are you guys doing?¡±


    Tozume gives us a glare. That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying, Tozume. I like big tits, but it¡¯s really dangerous to have that volume pressed up against your face. I¡¯m going to ascend in many ways.


    ¡°¡­For now, it¡¯s not something I can do on my own. Let¡¯s talk about it later on the golem communicator.¡±


    ¡°So what happened?¡±


    ¡°You remember that weapon I used to use at the ruins, right?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you mean that awesome thing? Of course I do.¡±


    ¡°When I enhanced it, it became more powerful and could fire indefinitely without running out of ammunition or malfunctioning.¡±


    ¡°¡­Is that bad?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s really bad.¡±


    ¡°Are those all the weapons you just showed us?¡±


    ¡°All of them.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Yeah, it¡¯s bad.¡±


    Shumel and the others have seen the power of the firearms I use in our previous exploration of the Adol scriptures in the Great Omit Wilderness. At that time, I told them about the major disadvantages: ammunition consumption and malfunctions due to heating and wear of parts. The girls know how formidable a weapon it would be if that were eliminated.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll be telling anyone else¡­ but just to be clear, I¡¯ll tell you it¡¯s useless.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t. How many of them would understand even if I explained it to them in the first place?¡±


    ¡°Oh, what was it? That fox beastman that was left standing in the fall might be able to understand it, right?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes, there was one. Is he still alive? Huh?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s probably still alive. I think he would have been killed if it weren¡¯t for his position.¡±


    At that time, a rope would have hung around his neck, not his torso, and he¡¯d have been stretched out.


    ¡°I still think I should seal this workbench¡­ no, no.¡±


    Apparently, it was like I was playing with restraint, and that guy would be frustrated that I wasn¡¯t giving it my best shot. If I get him in a bad mood, I don¡¯t know what he¡¯s going to do. I think it¡¯s better to do various things so as not to make him act strangely.


    ¡°He even found out about the golem¡­¡±


    This is the biggest problem. To be honest, the Holy Kingdom and the northern countries are nothing but enemies to me. If I simply want to destroy them, all I have to do is put a magic sparkling stone bomb on a golem that moves with the same mechanism as an air board and assault the cities of the Holy Kingdom and blow them up one by one. If I can clear three or four cities, the Holy Kingdom will be on its knees, begging for our forgiveness. I don¡¯t think I¡¯d be willing to blow up tens or hundreds of thousands of innocent people for that, so I¡¯m not going to do it unless there¡¯s something to it.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ it¡¯s hard to imagine a peaceful world without strife.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve suddenly started to sound very strange.¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s because he almost died from your tits that he went crazy.¡±


    ¡°How is that possible?¡±


    ¡°Of course, if you started talking like that, people would be worried.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I think it¡¯s better to take a breath of fresh air and refresh yourself than to think about such a difficult thing.¡±


    Bella then picks me up and walks away. Hmm¡­ this overwhelming difference in size and physical strength. I am of average height for a man, and my physique is not so bad either, but Bella treats me like a child.


    ¡°Speaking of which, today is the day that a merchant from Mesotherium is coming to visit us. There might be something interesting in the canteen.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it would be nice to have something we haven¡¯t had before, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Next time, let me carry you.¡±


    So I walked around the base without taking a single step, being carried by the oni girls in their arms or on their shoulders. It was a nice change of pace. Yeah.

 CH 268

    Chapter 268 ¨C The Black Steel Giant


    ¡°The potatoes are good.¡±


    ¡°Gabbage is good, too.¡±


    ¡°But sausage is the best.¡±


    A few days after being carried around the base by the oni girls, I was sitting around a pot of pot-au-feu with Sylphy, Isla, and Melty, and we were enjoying it together. The oni girls eat a lot¨Dthey could easily eat this entire pot ¨C so I have a small pot on the table next to us and have them eat it over there.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to come on a business trip.¡±


    ¡°If the base has taken shape to some extent and the operations are on track, it¡¯s only natural that I would come to inspect it.¡±


    Sylphy, who chewed and swallowed a moderately cooked cabbage (gabbage), made a face, saying that it was a matter of course.


    ¡°Besides, I¡¯d be worried if I heard something like that from Kosuke.¡±


    ¡°Not only that, but you were also interested about the enchantment, weren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Of course there¡¯s that too. Eleonora wanted to come too, but her schedule didn¡¯t allow it, so she got stuck in a dilemma.¡±


    ¡°Ah, Ellen certainly seems to want to hear what you have to say.¡±


    As for me, all I can say is that it was tricky, but it was definitely a supernatural being, that one. It completely stopped time except for me, and it said and did things like giving me abilities. In addition, he said, ¡°If I take that route, there is an 80% chance that I will die protecting the saint.¡± It is a statement that could only be made with the ability to predict the future with a certain degree of accuracy. Perhaps he is an existence that can even transcend time and space.


    ¡°But in the end, you are saying that we should just keep on doing what we are doing, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, well, I guess so.¡±


    Personally, I thought he was suspicious, but the summary of what he was saying was that he wanted to crush the Holy Kingdom, which was getting carried away and ostracizing the subhuman race. He seemed to want me to push my abilities to the forefront and go for it.


    ¡°So there¡¯s no need to take it too seriously, huh?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking now that the frivolity and suspiciousness will not come across unless you actually talk to him.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s that, and this is that. If that person has no intention of being hostile, then leave it alone. Rather, his presence is sending us Kosuke and supporting us by giving us Kosuke¡¯s abilities. It is not a good idea to unnecessarily provoke him by antagonizing him.¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t you be cursed if you touch the god?¡±


    ¡°Something like that. I wouldn¡¯t want to go to the trouble of stepping on a sleeping dragon¡¯s tail.¡±


    Sylphy then turns her attention to Grande, who is sleeping, buried in a pile of cushions in the corner of the room. Grande, who had just arrived back with Sylphy and the others, was sleeping contentedly after a hearty meal of cheeseburgers and pancakes filled with cream and jam.


    ¡°In the meantime, I want you to show me that tomorrow. Everything.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, tomorrow.¡±


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    And the next day.


    ¡°This is outrageous.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that all we need any more?¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    We were now in the woods, about an hour west of the base by air board.


    More precisely, we had come to a place where the forest was in sight.


    This forest is a place where many monsters abound, and it is considered dangerous to enter, and even among the locals, only adventurers looking to make a fortune are known to set foot in the forest.


    ¡°¡±¡±VUOOOOOOO!¡±¡±¡±


    The place is now being overrun by three black steel giants with the force to blow away the entire forest. A total of four heavy machine guns with infinity rounds equipped on both arms reap trees with each monster, and automatic grenade launchers with infinity rounds equipped on both shoulders blow away the forest with their relentless fire.


    The monsters that barely managed to get close enough to the giant to fight with it were crushed, and even those that did manage to fight with it were ripped from its body and slammed to the ground by the steel giant¡¯s hands.


    ¡°There is nothing we can do about that¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see any way to win.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s going to take a whole bunch of dragons to get that thing off the ground, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°I doubt even me¡­ could win a one-on-one fight.¡±


    The oni girls and Grande are also donning and roaring in frustration at the black steel giant¡¯s rampage. Grande would have a chance with that dragon breath she showed me some time ago. But that black steel giant has black steel surface armor and a magic mithril-copper alloy inside, so it¡¯s pretty well protected against magic. Even Grande¡¯s breath might not wreck it with a single blow.


    ¡°But that golem moves nimbly for its appearance¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s made of good materials.¡±


    ¡°What are you using?¡±


    ¡°Magic mithril copper alloy.¡±


    Isla looks like a cat rolling her eye in the space background after a long time.


    ¡°I mean, isn¡¯t this forest too dangerous? There are monsters coming out of it, one after the other.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because if you do it with such flair, you¡¯ll attract them¡­ The sound and the smell of blood are attracting monsters from quite a wide area as a result.¡±


    ¡°I see. So blood attracts more blood.¡±


    The gushing of monsters became sweeter while I was impressed with such things. It¡¯s hard to tell them apart by the sound of gunfire.


    Soon after, the outpouring of monsters stopped, and three black steel giants remained behind, slightly dirty but without a scratch. With air boards, I moved to their feet and retrieved the three heavily armed golems and a large number of monster corpses.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m glad we have so much monster material. Shall we mince monsters every day from now on?¡±


    If we beat them with weapons that have been turned into infinite ammunition, it¡¯s practically like having zero original cost. No, it costs a lot of money to manufacture, though.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you can get any decent materials from such a messed up monster, though.¡±


    ¡°But you see, that¡¯s what I¡¯m capable of, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a complete foul¡­¡±


    ¡°I envy you¡­¡±


    The adventurers would love to have my ability to recover materials from monsters, no matter how badly they are killed. I heard that adventurers have to kill monsters ¡®cleanly¡¯ in order to get materials from them. Well, that would be the same for hunters and the like. I heard that when Sylphy was killing Gizma, she would aim for the joints or cut off the head from the body, cleanly killing it as if she were dismantling it.


    ¡°But I never thought you kept something like that secret¡­¡±


    ¡°The trump card is only meaningful when it is hidden. But the reason why it has become so good in combat is because of the unlimited ammunition of firearms.¡±


    ¡°I still think it¡¯s extraordinary, though. Just by going wild with that huge body, most of the army will be kicked to the curb.¡±


    ¡°The country would be on its knees just for one piece of material¡­ that mass of magical mithril-copper alloy.¡±


    Isla has a distant look in her eye. What would happen if I told her that I actually have a high-mobility type made of mithril silver alloy ready in my inventory? She¡¯d either have a stroke or she¡¯d be asked me to disassemble it and let her use the material¡­ It¡¯s going to be the latter. Yeah, let¡¯s keep it a secret.


    ¡°But maybe I shouldn¡¯t have seen this one¡­ Thinking there¡¯s a hidden gem like this is going to affect my judgment in all sorts of negative ways.¡±


    Sylphy smiles bitterly after seeing the black steel giant¡¯s rampage. It is true that swords, spears, bows, and arrows are useless against such a thing, and even magic is ineffective in front of the black steel and mithril-copper alloy. Moreover, it could unleash a never-ending stream of deadly bullets.


    With that kind of fighting power, even the armies of my original world would have a very difficult time with it. Infantry cannot get close enough, and light armored vehicles are likely to destroy them. There are many ways to destroy them, such as main battle tanks, anti-ground helicopter attacks, aerial bombardment, artillery fire from a distance, or¡­ well, there are more ways to destroy them. A guided missile, anti-aircraft defense, or close-in defense¡­ Well, is there anything that can¡¯t be done? Maybe we should start with missiles.


    Oops, I got lost in thought.


    ¡°If push comes to shove, I¡¯ll use it without hesitation, so you can count on me. I mean, if I don¡¯t use what I¡¯ve made, I never know when some strange thing will come along to mess with it.¡±


    ¡°Is that your usual voicing¡­? Well, I¡¯ll try not to rely on you too much. As Kosuke said earlier, the trump card is meant to be kept hidden. Just like that bomb.¡±


    ¡°Right. Well, I think it is possible to show either one as a demonstration card.¡±


    ¡°If you want to show it, it would be the golem. That bomb is a bit irritating in many ways.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s reasonable. I mean, the Research and Development Department will also be studying the golem soldiers.¡±


    ¡°Yes, do that. For those of us with a small population, golem soldiers could be an effective means of compensating for our weaknesses.¡±


    A golem army¡­ Sir Leonard and Ms. Zamir won¡¯t like it. They are followers of their own bodies and their own honed martial arts.


    ¡°The magic riflemen are being trained, and the harpy bombers are getting their equipment updated, so I think we can handle the spring battle for now. The problem is next fall?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I think so. It depends on the Holy Kingdom¡­¡±


    If our side unilaterally repels the invasion from the north in the spring battle, the Holy Kingdom should be hesitant to invade the Merinard Kingdom again. First of all, it is essential to frustrate the other side in the spring battle.

 CH 269

    Chapter 269 ¨C Spring Has Come, and There Is Movement


    The not-so-long winter is over.


    It is said that the climate here is such that it hardly snows at all, but the fact that the winter period is so short and the pleasant climate lasts so long seems artificial. I began to think that the voice might be spiritual in origin but considering such convenient climatic conditions, I think that the beings who created the environment and life on this planet must be those with advanced bioengineering and terraforming technology.


    ¡°Good morning. You don¡¯t look so well today, do you?¡±


    ¡°Good morning. You are looking beautiful today, my precious Saint-sama.¡±


    ¡°¡­Nothing special will come out of saying the obvious.¡±


    I like Ellen, who blushes as she says this and cuts a hearty big slice of cheese for breakfast.


    Today¡¯s breakfast consists of cheese, fresh bread, and milk. The secret to a healthy life in this world is not to think too much about the source of milk. Sometimes it is the milk of goats, cows, horses, and other domestic animals, but most of the time, it is the milk of some beastman woman who can produce breast milk even if she is not pregnant. According to what I¡¯ve heard, if the milk is not properly squeezed, it can cause pain in the breasts and stain on clothes, making it difficult.


    Eh? Why is Ellen at the north base? Well, Her Majesty the Queen has proven that it is easy to travel between Merinesburg and Mesotherium using an air board. About half of the week, someone comes from Merinesburg and spends time here.


    ¡°Why doesn¡¯t that man die of kidney failure?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s got a lot of vitality, doesn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°Well, he¡¯s still alive and well even after dealing with all of us together¡­¡±


    The oni girls are whispering to each other while eating their breakfast at the big table dedicated to them, but I can hear you, you know?


    ¡°It¡¯s almost spring, so I think it¡¯s not a good idea to come over here this time. You know, just in case.¡±


    We¡¯ve already cleaned the area around the base from enemy scouts, so it shouldn¡¯t happen too often, but we can¡¯t be 100% sure.


    ¡°There is no need to worry about that. Besides, we are also present, and in the first place, no cavalryman can reach the speed of the air boards.¡±


    ¡°When we are on board, we are also flying the banner of the Adol religion, so I don¡¯t think we will be attacked.¡±


    Bertha-san and Amalie-san, who are also Ellen¡¯s bodyguards, kicked off my worries.


    ¡°They are not going to attack anyone who is a member of the church?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think many people would attack those who are known to be affiliated with the church. In some cases, they will be punished by the gods.¡±


    ¡°Is that like the miracle that Ellen and the others use?¡±


    ¡°I suppose so, in a way. In the past, a bandit who attacked the carriage of a person related to the church during a pilgrimage died in agony immediately afterward, and a nobleman who played with a nun with his lustful hands died a strange death.¡±


    ¡°Hyieee¡­¡±


    That¡¯s scary! But maybe it¡¯s a negative summation of a miracle, like the one Ellen and the others use? Could it be that the miracle of ¡°Be clean, be healed, be light¡± is reversed and turned into a curse because of the resentment of being murdered or played with¡­? I¡¯ll ask around Isla next time.


    ¡°Kosuke will be fine.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s alright? I¡¯m pretty much one-sidedly killing the soldiers of the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army, you know.¡±


    ¡°God¡¯s punishment doesn¡¯t apply to war, you know.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a little too convenient?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a miracle of God, after all.¡±


    Since it¡¯s God¡¯s work, it¡¯s only natural to be opportunistic, huh? If you say so, I can¡¯t even hear a word. It makes my head hurt.


    ¡°Even if it is. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going to happen, so please be careful. I¡¯m worried about you.¡±


    ¡°If you put it that way, I¡¯m more worried about Kosuke, who is staying at the front base.¡±


    ¡°I also think it¡¯s not good to put yourself on the shelf and say things like that.¡±


    Ellen and Bertha-san are working together against me.


    ¡°I can¡¯t do that. I¡¯m in charge of playing my trump card when the time comes. I¡¯m supposed to listen and¨D¨D¡±


    Just as I was about to say, ¡°give my best,¡± something flew in through the window and landed on the window frame at a great speed. But no one was surprised or panicked. It is a common occurrence for harpies to land on the window frame.


    What happened? When I was about to open my mouth, the harpy who had landed on the window frame first opened her mouth.


    ¡°We received a message that there is movement at the frontline base of the Duchy of Dihart near the border! Worg-san told me to tell you to come to the command post as soon as possible!¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ no time for a leisurely breakfast. I did hear that, thanks.¡±


    After saying that, I put a candy ball mixed with honey used for mead from my inventory to the messenger, harpy-san. This is the girl who decided to join the army during the winter, but her body is not yet fit enough to fly with bomb gear on, so she is working as a messenger like this.


    I looked at the harpy, who was flying away, and then turned around to see Ellen staring at me.


    ¡°¡­Candy ball, do you want one?¡±


    ¡°¡­I can have them later. I¡¯m having breakfast right now.¡±


    So she wants me to put a candy ball directly into her mouth later. I understand.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    I threw a large slice of cheese into my mouth and immediately headed for the base command center, where the base commander, Worg, and several captains of various units were already gathered. I was sure that all the captains in the base would be rushing to the base.


    ¡°Good morning. You said there was movement at the enemy outpost?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Although there was movement, it did not mean an advancing army.¡±


    Worg turned his attention to the map spread out on the large table.


    ¡°The Duchy of Dihart¡¯s fortress in the north has a line of wagons that looks like Transportation Corps. It seems that they are bringing in supplies one after another to the warehouses they have been building over the winter.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so it¡¯s a depot of supplies?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know; I think it¡¯s too close to our fort to be a major depot¡­¡±


    ¡°I am sorry to be presumptuous, but I think your senses are a little off. The distance from the fort to here is three days by horse-drawn carriage and more than twice that on foot. The distance can be covered in a few hours with an air board, but it is far enough for ordinary senses.¡±


    A large, well-built rabbit beastman man said this. He looked like a giant rabbit standing upright, not a human with bunny ears. In other words, he looks like a certain rabbit from the land of tea. And his name is Peter. I remembered his name at once, didn¡¯t I?


    ¡°I guess you could say that. In a way, this is the downside of the advanced equipment Kosuke has created.¡±


    ¡°Nyahaha¡­ it¡¯s unusual that such a distant movement can be immediately sent to this place in the first place.¡±


    The one who laughs is a standing up straight black cat who, like Peter, has a fluffy body. She, like Peter, is the captain of a magic rifle corp, and her name is Noir. Unfortunately, she is not wearing boots. She, like Peter, is the captain of the magic rifle corp, and her name is Noir. Unfortunately, she is not wearing boots.


    The magic riflemen are organized in the following way: one squad consists of 10 men, a platoon consists of 50 men, a company consists of 200 men, and a battalion consists of two companies, with a total of 400 men.


    The total strength of the base consists of one battalion of magic riflemen, one platoon of 50 elite magic riflemen, and the Harpy Bombardment Squadron, which has increased by another 50 since then, for a total of 500 men. Peter and Noir are the company commanders of the magic rifle companies, and Worg is the battalion commander and base commander.


    ¡°If they¡¯ve started to accumulate supplies, does that mean they¡¯re going to attack us soon?¡±


    ¡°Probably so. We have stopped the outflow of food from the kingdom of Merinard, but it is spring, and the crops grown during the winter are about to be harvested.¡±


    ¡°I find it hard to believe that crops can grow so well during the winter.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? Kosuke¡¯s fields are much more unusual.¡±


    ¡°No doubt.¡±


    Peter smiled wryly at Noir¡¯s comment. I don¡¯t have any room to dispute the fact that my farm is unusual, though, right? Even though it was cold, summer vegetables were growing fast and gracing the base¡¯s dining table. It was like playing with vegetables that would never grow in winter.


    We would bring the harvested vegetables to the Mesotherium to earn coins or exchange them for other food at a favorable rate and then have a little party. It was a bit amusing to see the confusion when I presented out-of-season vegetables and fruits to the governor of the Mesotherium.


    ¡°I want each of you to be aware that things are starting to intensify. Be more careful in maintaining weapons and checking inventories of bullets, magic stones, and magic crystals. Also, be careful of accidents during training. When the battle is about to begin, please make sure that you are able to fight without being injured in the training.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    ¡°Roger that.¡±


    ¡°Understood. I will mass-produce bullets here as well, just in case.¡±


    ¡°Please do. Please make sure to report the number of bullets you¡¯re managing to the supply team, too, okay?¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Well, the supplies I have are considered separate from the base¡¯s stockpile, but you can rely on them in case of an emergency. If the number of supplies is not known, it¡¯s not worth talking about.


    ¡°The time to show the world the results of our training is approaching. Each of you should prepare yourselves carefully.¡±


    ¡°¡±¡±Understood.¡±¡±¡±


    Now, it will be time for the clash.

 CH 270

    Chapter 270 ¨C Calamity in the Kingdom of Tigris


    It was about two weeks after our scouts had detected the enemy¡¯s initial movements that the enemy was ready to launch a sortie. Soon after that, there was a movement not only in the Duchy of Dihart but also in the Kingdom of Tigris, and both sides seemed to be coordinating with each other by sending messengers back and forth on horseback.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t they on bad terms even though they are neighbors? Even though both sides are like vassal states of the Holy Kingdom.¡±


    ¡°The relationship between the two countries was not so good to begin with, but now the Duchy of Dihart has succumbed to the pressure of the Holy Kingdom and is practically a puppet of the Holy Kingdom. Having witnessed this and the devastation of the former Merinard Kingdom, the Kingdom of Tigris surrendered to the Holy Kingdom. As a result, the Holy Kingdom became the leader of the two countries, and now they are the spearhead of those who stand side by side on the battlefield.¡±


    ¡°The sorrow of a weak country, I suppose¡­ When I hear of such a situation, I almost hesitate to turn it into a beehive from now on.¡±


    ¡°That is not the way it works either. We have no other choice but to use force against invasion.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t we try some more diplomatic efforts or something like that¡­? Well, I guess it¡¯s impossible since we¡¯re dealing with such an opponent.¡±


    In the past two weeks, I¡¯ve been in touch with Sylphy many times via the golem communicator, but there has been no diplomatic contact from the Holy Kingdom, the Duchy of Dihart, or the Kingdom of Tigris. Well, it seems that there is not much culture in this world of declaring war or slapping down ultimatums before a war.


    ¡°The Holy Kingdom still doesn¡¯t recognize the new Merinard Kingdom as a country. Between the Holy Kingdom, its vassals, and allies, the Kingdom of Merinard is still a vassal state of the Holy Kingdom, and we are the bandits who have thrown it into chaos and taken it over.¡±


    ¡°I wish those drunkards would get a little more realistic.¡±


    By ¡°drunkards,¡± I mean those who are blinded by religion and their own ideals. Perhaps the stinking priests of the Holy Kingdom are drunk on alcohol and other things as well.


    ¡°Whatever the case, we must respond immediately when the enemy makes a move¡­ Are you ready?¡±


    ¡°Everything is in place. I am ready to go at any time, and surveillance is ongoing¨DHmm?¡±


    The golem communicator in the ops room is receiving a transmission, and Worg picks up the receiver and begins to talk.


    ¡°Okay, keep monitoring. If you see any strange activity, call me immediately.¡±


    With that, Worg puts down the receiver.


    ¡°There was movement. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°So, the minute we get a head count, we¡¯re going to move. You don¡¯t have a lot of time to spare, do you?¡±


    ¡°Both countries used to import a considerable amount of food from the Kingdom of Merinard when it was a vassal state. I think they want the Kingdom of Merinard to return to being a member of the Holy Kingdoms and supply them with food at a reasonable price.¡±


    ¡°We can sell them as much as we can at a fair price if they will beat the Holy Kingdom together with us.¡±


    We left the operation room while discussing such things.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    Duchy of Dihart¡¯s POV


    ¡°Damn, they¡¯re flying again.¡±


    Antonius Dels Giranzam, commander of the Duchy of Dihart, looked up at the sky in the warm spring sunlight and swore. Ahead of him, in the sky where no arrow could reach, was the shadow of a large bird¨Dwell, it was too large to be a bird¡¯s shadow, and above all, birds don¡¯t look like that. It was a flying subhuman, a harpy. They are a race of women who only have arms and legs like birds.


    According to reports, they have been flying near this border fort two or three times a day since last winter, and since about two weeks ago, when we started bringing in rations to the border fort, they have been flying incessantly and keeping an eye on us.


    According to the archer with good eyesight, they are carrying some kind of magical tool, but we don¡¯t know what it is. It is definitely not something pleasant for us. I guess the purpose of those damn birds is to scout.


    ¡°Antonius-sama, there is a message from the Kingdom of Tigris¡­ that we should march forward as well.¡±


    ¡°Tsk¡­ our information has been compromised, and we have few effective defenses against the anticipated attack. To ask us to march in such a situation would be like asking us to die.¡±


    It¡¯s not that there are no countermeasures at all, but¡­ I have to say that I¡¯m very skeptical about how effective they will be.


    ¡°Even if we stay here in the fort, the soldiers will have to eat every day. It is not as if we have an endless supply of food, huh¡­? It makes me want to cry.¡±


    Antonius let out a sigh and scratched his head. He is a general who leads 8,000 soldiers in the Duchy of Dihart. Even if he has to go there even if he knows it is a place of death if he is told to go.


    ¡°Announced to all the troops. We will begin our march on the Kingdom of Merinard. Our target is a military facility that was built during the winter.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    The messenger who received Antonius¡¯ order runs to the border fort to inform all the troops of the Duchy of Dihart that the march is about to begin.


    ¡°Oh, shit. At least make it effective against the damn birds.¡±


    According to what I¡¯ve heard, they drop explosives with tremendous power from the air, beyond the reach of our bows. How the hell are we supposed to counter them? Should we all wear thick black steel armor or walk around with thick steel walls? Antonius sighed again.


    ¡°What will be, will be¡­ At least we have to use countermeasures at the right time.¡±


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    After receiving a report from the front line that the forces of the Duchy of Dihart and the Kingdom of Tigris were on the move, a battalion of 400 magic riflemen set out from the border fort. The Harpy Bomber Squadron took off from the fort and waited in the air, watching for the enemy to cross the border. They were scheduled to launch an aerial bombardment when they saw the right moment.


    Incidentally, the elite riflemen who have been trained will remain at the base this time to defend it. It would be a big problem if the enemy took a detour and took the base. I have placed heavy machine guns with unlimited ammunition on the base¡¯s walls just in case, so they should be fine even if something should happen to them.


    ¡°Now, what¡¯s going to jump out at us?¡±


    ¡°Well, as anti-aircraft measures, arrows and spears with wind magic will probably be used. Maybe they have some explosion magic.¡±


    ¡°Is that kind of thing common?¡±


    ¡°Sometimes they are used to counter powerful flying monsters such as wyverns and griffons, but they are expensive to produce. A country¡¯s military may have a good number of them, but¡­ even if they are given wind magic to begin with, it does not dramatically increase their range. Basically, it¡¯s something you shoot at or throw at them as they swoop down to attack you.¡±


    ¡°So it wouldn¡¯t work against carpet bombing from high altitude.¡±


    ¡°Probably.¡±


    While talking with Worg, I watched the riflemen building a field position in the land of the Merinard Kingdom on this side of the border. The magic riflemen are trained for melee combat as well, but their main focus is still on suppressive fire with their magic rifles. It would be a disaster if they were caught off guard by a fast cavalryman or other attackers, so I gave them instructions to build a simple field position just in case.


    ¡°They will be surprised, won¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. They might be surprised by the sighting of the harpy, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s a possibility.¡±


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    Duchy of Dihart¡¯s POV


    ¡°Hey, hey, what the hell is that?¡±


    It was the fourth day since the Duchy of Dihart began its march. When Antonius arrived at the border, he saw a simple field position built on the Merinard side and opened his eyes wide. It was not something like a fortress, but it was clearly a position designed to intercept the enemy.


    ¡°But, Your Excellency, there are not many of the enemies.¡±


    ¡°There seem to be only about four hundred of them.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­¡±


    Antonius had a bad feeling about the defensive position he had never seen before.


    He had heard a rumor that the Holy Kingdom¡¯s 20,000-strong force against the Merinard Kingdom had been defeated by only a few dozen Merinard Kingdom troops. When he heard the story, he snickered, thinking it was a bit too much to be true.


    He had a bad feeling about this, he almost said, but managed to swallow the words.


    ¡°Tell them that the vanguard of the attack will be the Kingdom of Tigris. They have more archers than we do. The army of the Duchy of Dihart will deal with the harpies.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    I can¡¯t stop having bad feelings about this.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    ¡°Another sign. Kosuke likes signboards, doesn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s like a greeting. And a psychological indulgence.¡±


    ¡°There is no way that a single sign like that will stop an army that is on the move¡­ Look, they¡¯ve been kicked down.¡±


    Worg, who was looking through the binoculars next to me, let out a sigh. Well, I knew that, you know.


    ¡°It looks like the vanguard is the Kingdom of Tigris, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°It looks like it. The number is about 8,000¨DNotify everyone to open fire as soon as the enemy group is in full range.¡±


    ¡°First company, copy.¡±


    ¡°Second company, copy.¡±


    The vanguard, which is the Kingdom of Tigris, is advancing little by little, holding up large shields. These shields are very impressive, but can they protect against bullets from a 15mm caliber magic rifle? According to the data we have, the shield should be made of thick metal that is hard to lift.


    Against the Tigris Kingdom Army, which is approaching slowly, the battalion of riflemen is patiently watching the enemy¡¯s approach. The front line is already in range. If we start firing now, we will only be able to catch a portion of the enemy in range.


    At the moment when about half of the enemy group was in the range of the rifles, about a hundred rifles opened fire all at once.


    The soldiers of the Tigris Kingdom Army fell to the ground, followed by a thunderous sound like distant thunder. Immediately, more shooting, shooting, shooting. Deadly bullets were sent into the Tigris Kingdom Army one after another in four shifts of one hundred soldiers each, and the Tigris Kingdom Army was annihilated.


    ¡°This is terrible.¡±


    ¡°This is one-sided.¡±


    When the shooting began, the distance between the vanguard of the Tigris Kingdom Army and the defensive position was about 200 meters. The people of this world have slightly better physical capabilities than the people of my former world, but even so, with armor and a large shield, it would take less than a minute to reach the position even if they ran as fast as they could.


    It is only a little less than a minute, but it is still less than a minute. If the instructions had been given from the beginning to close in on the enemy at full speed, it is not impossible that they would not be able to intercept the enemy in time with a hundred men shooting at each other and that they would have been crushed by the numbers¡­


    ¡°Well, this is what happens.¡±


    ¡°Yes, exactly.¡±


    Of course, they are human. No, there might be some subhumans mixed in, but that is not the issue.


    The vanguard, who was carrying a ridiculously large shield, was suddenly killed by an unidentified attack. Not only that, but their allies are dying, with large holes in their armor-protected torsos and shredded limbs¨Dnot many people would not panic in such a situation.


    ¡°Waaaaah!¡±


    The morale of the enemy vanguard under fire instantly collapses, and they begin to try to flee. However, they cannot fall back because of the rear guard. As a result, they stop dead in their tracks, and more shots are fired at their defenseless backs.


    ¡°Oops, here comes the chase.¡±


    Flying out of position and securing their altitude, the harpies begin to throw a hail of their new anti-personnel air bombs at the enemy rearguard. Although the power of each shot is reduced, the total firepower of each of the harpies equipped with heavy bombardment frames is approximately two and a half to three times greater than the previous model.


    ¡°This is terrible.¡±


    ¡°This is far more than a total annihilation.¡±


    The Tigris Kingdom army of approximately 8,000 men suffered more than 80% of the damage in just a short time and retreated back to the Duchy of Dihart with crawling bodies.

 CH 271

    Chapter 271 ¨C Wrath


    Antonius¡¯ POV


    ¡°They never said about this!¡±


    ¡°Macrito-dono, calm down.¡±


    ¡°Antonius! How can I be calm? My army of 8,000 men, and more than 6,000 of my own men, have been savagely beaten to a pulp! We went to the trouble of preparing heavy shields and armor and placing them in the vanguard because we were told they would block the enemy¡¯s attacks, and the result of slowing down our movement speed is what we have now! If this is the case, it would have been more effective to charge at full speed with light armor, as I had said at the beginning!¡±


    Covered in blood and mud, Lord Macrito Jean Nicklaus, the commander of the Tigris Kingdom army, spat this out. His armor was covered with fine scratches, and his shoulders were so crumpled that they were almost useless. It seems that a stray bullet from the first enemy attack had snagged his shoulder armor and caused this.


    Macrito-dono was not at the front line, so he must have been at a reasonable distance behind. Even at that distance, the power of the bullet was this strong. A shield as heavy as a man can carry would not be able to defend against that. If the hit had been bad, Macrito-dono would not have been here by now.


    ¡°And those damn birds! They¡¯ve been throwing shit at us from unreachable heights in the past, but this time they¡¯ve gone to the extreme! What is that exploding weapon? It¡¯s like a mage¡¯s explosive magic! What are we supposed to do when such a thing is thrown up in the air like that! Even our arrows with wind magic on them, of which we had prepared a good number, were useless!¡±


    ¡°Calm down, Macrito-dono¡­ It¡¯s hurting your body!¡±


    Macrito-dono is already old enough to be considered elderly. I don¡¯t want him to get too agitated and die in a fit of rage. The morale of the kingdom of Tigris is probably in shambles, and I don¡¯t know how many of the knights are still alive. I don¡¯t want to have to take care of the soldiers of Tigris who have lost their leader.


    ¡°¡­We must say that the enemy¡¯s forces were a little stronger than we had expected.¡±


    After accepting all of Macrito-dono¡¯s reproaches, the man opened his mouth gravely. His name is Steiner Hiltz¨Dhe is a member of the Holy Kingdom¡¯s military. He is the man who led the recent invasion of the Kingdom of Merinard by the Duchy of Dihart and the Kingdom of Tigris.


    ¡°A little¡­? A little, you say? A mere 400 soldiers kicked out 20 times the number of soldiers! Rumor has it that the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army of 20,000 men was kicked out of Merinard by just a few dozen men! It¡¯s obvious that you haven¡¯t been able to accurately analyze their forces, which use unknown weapons and tactics! Or what? Are you saying that the Tigris Kingdom¡¯s soldiers are being used as a sacrificial pawns to analyze their forces?¡±


    Macrito-dono¡¯s face turned red, and his indignation was evident as if he was in flames at Steiner¡¯s comment. It is like an erupting volcano. I was afraid that he might actually die in a fit of rage.


    ¡°I have no intention of doing so. More importantly, if the forces of the Duchy of Dihart had coordinated and attacked at once, wouldn¡¯t you have been able to sweep away the enemy in one fell swoop? From what I have seen, it seems that those strange weapons of theirs cannot attack in succession. It looked as if they were taking turns attacking, with about a hundred attacking at once, followed by another hundred. Once they attacked once, they must have had to wait for a certain amount of time before they attacked again. As long as you can get close enough to them with a volume that exceeds their intercepting speed, you can use your superiority in numbers to crush them. Rather, isn¡¯t the responsibility for the loss of the Kingdom of Tigris on the Duchy of Dihart¡¯s uncooperative course of action?¡±


    This bastard. He¡¯s trying to shift the blame on us. Macrito-dono glared at me.


    ¡°What a stupid accusation. There is no way that you could have predicted such a huge loss of life with a twenty-fold difference in strength. To begin with, wasn¡¯t it Steiner-dono who said that the vanguard should be heavily armored and equipped with anti-aircraft equipment with wind magic? Macrito-dono has more experience on the battlefield than I am, and the Tigris Kingdom¡¯s army is more highly trained and more numerous. That¡¯s why I entrusted him with the vanguard position, and I think that both Macrito-dono and Steiner-dono felt the same way, which is why you agreed with me when I entrusted you with the vanguard position. I don¡¯t want to be blamed for this now. Besides, it is precisely because we were there as a rearguard that the wounded soldiers of the Kingdom of Tigris were evacuated from the battlefield and are now being treated.¡±


    I insisted that we were not at fault and stressed that Steiner, who had made a mistake in analyzing the forces in the first place, was entirely responsible, thus avoiding the brunt of Macrito-dono¡¯s wrath. Wipe your own ass with your own hands. Don¡¯t try to force your responsibility on us, you sly bastard.


    As I was doing so, a messenger from the Duchy of Dihart came running from the front line.


    ¡°I have something to report! A messenger has appeared from the enemy side to announce a ceasefire!¡±


    ¡°Ceasefire¡­? Under these circumstances?¡±


    The Tigris Kingdom¡¯s army has been almost completely wiped out, but our forces of the Duchy of Dihart are still in good shape. What in the world does a ceasefire mean in this situation?


    ¡°Yes, there was a loud call from a strange vehicle floating in mid-air. What shall we do?¡±


    ¡°What shall we do, huh? My forces are strong, but I don¡¯t think the Tigris Kingdom¡¯s army is capable of continuing the battle any longer.¡±


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s infuriating, but it¡¯s true. Not even the most physically fit can fight properly.¡±


    The Tigris army is not capable of continuing the battle any longer. It¡¯s true. It is impossible to keep up morale if you are being pummeled by incomprehensible attacks like that. Even if you ask the remaining soldiers to stand up on the battlefield now, how many of them will really obey you? ¡­Well, the same concerns apply to the army of the Duchy of Dihart as well.


    I said that earlier, the Tigris Kingdom army is more highly trained to stand up to Macrito-dono, but in fact, there is not much difference between the Tigris Kingdom army and the Duchy of Dihart army. However, the Tigris Kingdom Army outnumbered the Duchy of Dihart by about 1,000 men.


    The whole army witnessed the Tigris Kingdom army being kicked to pieces right in front of their eyes. The morale of the Duchy of Dihart¡¯s army was at its worst. If I give an order, the soldiers will stand on the battlefield even if they don¡¯t want to, but even the slightest threatening attack could destroy their morale and cause them to run away.


    ¡°Wait a minute. Do you accept the ceasefire? The armies of the Duchy of Dihart have not even exchanged spears yet?¡±


    ¡°If you say so, the Tigris Kingdom¡¯s army hasn¡¯t even exchanged spears either! They just beat us to a pulp! What is it? Are you telling us to jump out in front of the enemy without any countermeasures and die a miserable death?¡±


    Macrito-dono began to snarl at Steiner again. I understand his feelings, but now is not the time for this. If we don¡¯t accept the ceasefire, we don¡¯t know when those damn bird bitches are going to fly over us and throw those explosives at us.


    ¡°Macrito-dono, let¡¯s leave the question to Steiner-dono for later. Right now, we should be thinking about negotiating a ceasefire.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Steiner-dono, I will report this matter to His Majesty the King!¡±


    I think Macrito-dono is an excellent general, because no matter how angry he is, he listens to me when I tell him off like this. If I had been in his shoes, I would have strangled or slashed Steiner to death long ago.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    ¡°Danna, why don¡¯t we just go out there and smash them without calling a ceasefire?¡±


    ¡°It would be possible to do that, but I¡¯m afraid of attacks by bows and arrows imbued with wind magic. It is said that horizontal shooting is also effective; the range and power of the shot are very high. If we get close enough with air boards and get dozens of shots in, we could be shot down.¡±


    When the harpy bombers bombed the city, they were also intercepted by arrows that had been imbued with wind magic. Fortunately, they were flying at a high altitude out of range, so the power of the arrows was dampened, and the attack was prevented by the arrow-repellent barriers that the harpies were equipped with.


    ¡°If the air boards were destroyed and we were to collide head-on, the damage would have been unavoidable.¡±


    ¡°Moreover, if the air board and the magic rifle were captured, we would have been screwed. I don¡¯t think we should go all the way out of our position to attack them.¡±


    ¡°Then, why don¡¯t we let the harpies bomb them? There¡¯s no danger then, is there?¡±


    ¡°If the ceasefire talks break down, that¡¯s one way to go. Or my heavily armed Iron golem¨Dis that too much? Maybe I¡¯ll just start a rock golem army?¡±


    ¡°I think that would be more brutal.¡±


    The rock golem army is a rock golem army with no particular armaments. But don¡¯t underestimate them. Their physical strength is equal to or greater than that of the advanced adventurers Shumel, and since their entire bodies are made of rock, their entire body is a deadly weapon, and of course, they have extremely high defense and durability. A single swing of the arm is powerful enough to blow a human being away like a crushed tomato. I have about 50 such rock golems in my inventory, so if the need arises, I can dispatch them.


    The problem is identifying the target, but the game-like convenience of the system allows me to move according to the identification of friends and foes that I recognize when I take them out of my inventory. Viva, the game-like convenience. It¡¯s a miracle of God, isn¡¯t it?


    Well, I don¡¯t mind the convenience. It can only be beneficial. While we were talking, a golem message came in from Worg.


    ¡°Kosuke, the enemy has agreed to negotiate a ceasefire. It has been decided that negotiations will take place at a vantage point on the side of the battlefield.¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll go with you in case. In the meantime, I¡¯m the top official of the Merinard Kingdom here, and¡­ that¡¯s the way it¡¯s going to be, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that right?¡±


    ¡°I guess so.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure of it.¡±


    ¡°No doubt. Then, is it okay to go there with Kosuke¡¯s air board?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I think so. It¡¯s a little cramped, but it¡¯s not so bad for Worg to get on.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll wait here.¡±


    The communication is cut off. Now, let¡¯s go see the enemy¡¯s face, shall we?

 CH 272

    Chapter 272 ¨C Firm Attitude


    When we went to the meeting place, several horsemen with white flags came running in late for our arrival. Incidentally, a white flag was also fluttering on our air board. It seems that the concept of a white flag is almost the same as what I know, even though there is no concept of declaring war or starting a war after slapping an ultimatum on the enemy. It seems strange, but I can¡¯t complain.


    ¡°There were six of them. Maybe those two guys in the fine armor are the enemy commanders.¡±


    ¡°Probably. The old knight with the scars on his armor is probably the commander of the Tigris Royal Army.¡±


    The one with the clean armor is the commander of the Duchy of Dihart¡¯s army, right? This one looks quite young. He definitely looks younger than Sir Leonard. Is he about the same age as Danan? I guess he is one generation older than me.


    I took out chairs for me, Worg, and the other two commanders from my inventory and set them up since I didn¡¯t want to talk to them while standing up. They were surprised to see me take out a chair from an empty space.


    ¡°Do you think two chairs will be enough for you?¡±


    ¡°U-umu¡­¡±


    I decided to sit in the chair first since it looked good. Well, it is a simple chair with a cloth on top of its X-shaped frame. My image of the chair is that of an old man sitting on the quay in a harbor, pitch-fishing. Well, I think I saw a warlord sitting on such a chair when a battlefield was depicted in a period drama.


    ¡°Well, what should I start with in such a situation? Should we start by introducing ourselves?¡±


    ¡°Well, I think it¡¯s a good idea to start by introducing our positions first. I¡¯m Worg. I am the commander of the northern magic rifle battalion of the Royal Army of Merinard, and I am also the commander of the northern base.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Kosuke. Well, I¡¯m not a soldier in the Royal Army of Merinard, am I?¡±


    ¡°Well, yeah¡­ why don¡¯t you just call yourself the prince consort?¡±


    ¡°I see. Well, let me introduce myself again. My name is Kosuke. I am the consort of Sylphielle Danal Merinard, Queen of the Kingdom of Merinard, and I am what is called a prince consort. You can think of me as a military strategist or a general staff member in this situation. I¡¯ve heard that it¡¯s a higher position than that of Worg.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because you are the prince consort, after all. And what about you?¡±


    The commanders on the other side, who had been watching our exchange with blank expressions on their faces, opened their mouths with a small cough as if to regain their composure, their expressions tightening.


    ¡°I am Marquis Macrito Jean Nicklaus. I am the commander of the Royal Army of Tigris.¡±


    ¡°I am Antonius Dels Giranzam. A count. I lead the army of the Duchy of Dihart.¡±


    The older one is Macrito, and the younger one is Antonius.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get straight to the point. All we ask is an immediate withdrawal of the wounded and the bodies and the abandonment of the border forts between the two countries. Is one week too short a time? Let¡¯s wait two weeks. You have two weeks to withdraw your forces and abandon the forts. If you fail to comply, we will use force to destroy both forts without a trace in two weeks¡¯ time.¡±


    The two enemy generals¡¯ eyes widened at my demand. Yes, they would be surprised, wouldn¡¯t they? If I were in their shoes, I would be surprised, too. There was no way they would agree to such a request out of the blue. In the first place, they would not have the authority to accept such conditions and abandon the fort.


    ¡°How could we possibly accept such a condition?¡±


    ¡°There is no way we could accept such a condition. There is no way we can swallow it.¡±


    Macrito¡¯s face turns red, and he shouts angrily while Antonius smiles bitterly. This bitter smile is that, isn¡¯t it? Oh, you think I¡¯m some kind of idiot, don¡¯t you? Well, actually, it¡¯s something like that.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t mind if you don¡¯t swallow it. I don¡¯t care if it¡¯s full or empty; I¡¯m just going to destroy it.¡±


    At my words, both of them peeled their eyes open again, revealing their surprise. Macrito-dono¡¯s face is still red, but is he all right? I don¡¯t want him to die suddenly from surprise and anger.


    ¡°I said it was a request, but in effect, it was not an order. I¡¯m just informing you of my decision. We¡¯re going to destroy it in two weeks, so if you don¡¯t want to take casualties, you¡¯ll have to move out. In other words, this is our punitive response to the Duchy of Dihart and the Kingdom of Tigris, who suddenly attacked us without having specified the reason for starting the war.¡±


    ¡°Punitive response¡­? You are talking from a very high place, aren¡¯t you? How can you destroy a fort if you can¡¯t even get out of your own camp?¡±


    Antonius-dono stared at me with a threatening atmosphere. Oh, I¡¯m afraid.


    ¡°I don¡¯t feel the need to explain how. In any case, in two weeks, we will destroy the fort near the border with the kingdom of Merinard. If you don¡¯t want your soldiers to be killed, evacuate them. In the meantime, there will be no further attacks from us until two weeks from now. We will also allow you to retrieve the wounded and the bodies from the battlefield. However, if we recognize another act of aggression against the Kingdom of Merinard, we will immediately counterattack and destroy all the armies involved in the aggression and destroy the forts of both sides without waiting two weeks. I recommend that you watch each other closely so that you do not act strangely.¡±


    ¡°You are quite brazen, aren¡¯t you? We still have a total of 10,000 men. In contrast, you have only four hundred. No matter how many strange weapons you arm yourself with, you will not be able to overcome the numbers disadvantage.¡±


    ¡°Shall we give it a try? I don¡¯t think your morale will hold up. Of course, in that case, I will destroy the fort immediately after I kill all of you.¡±


    I said this with a smile to Macrito-dono, who was threatening me.


    ¡°You no longer have a choice. Either you do as we ask and keep the death toll to a minimum, or else we will engage you in another battle and literally annihilate you. You don¡¯t know what you¡¯re getting into, do you?¡±


    ¡°¡±¡­..¡±¡±


    The two enemy generals are both silenced by my words.


    In fact, the Duchy of Dihart¡¯s army is well within the bombing range of the harpies. If I send an instruction via the golem communicator, we can rain anti-personnel air bombs on the Duchy of Dihart¡¯s army at this very moment.


    ¡°I¡¯d really like to get along with our neighbors, though. Well, if you hit us, we¡¯ll hit you back, and if we do, we¡¯ll have no choice but to beat you so thoroughly that you¡¯ll never think of hitting us again. Whether or not we can shake hands afterward is up to you¨Dor rather, I¡¯m sure that the corrupt priests of the Holy Kingdom are probably pulling the strings behind the scenes in this war as well.¡±


    The two did not change their expressions when they heard my words. Well, even though they are the suzerain state, it would be hard to say that they moved their armies at the behest of another country.


    ¡°That¡¯s all I have to say. If you have something to say, I¡¯ll listen, but is there anything?¡±


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    Antonius¡¯ POV


    ¡°That¡¯s all I have to say. If you have something to say, I¡¯m all ears.¡±


    What the hell is this guy? The only thing I could think of him was that. I was surprised that he had pulled folding stools out of thin air, but to think that this man without dignity or power was the commander of the enemy, the prince consort of the Merinard Kingdom? Why would a prince consort go out of his way to appear on the battlefield? Is that the custom in the Kingdom of Merinard?


    In any case, he is so different in every sense of the word that I don¡¯t know how to evaluate him.


    First of all, his demands are nothing short of absurd. It is still understandable that he demands immediate withdrawal after retrieving the wounded and the dead. But what usually follows is a demand for the cession of territory or payment of reparations, right?¡¡Why is this followed by the abandonment of border forts?


    Border forts are important bases for national defense. We are in charge of our own army, which is actually mixed with our territorial army, and we have a certain amount of authority, but we are not given the authority to do whatever we want with a strategic national base. But he is not empowered to do anything with the strategic centers of the country at his disposal. Only two weeks is just barely enough time to exchange correspondence with the capital.


    ¡°I cannot agree to that. I don¡¯t have that kind of authority in the first place.¡±


    ¡°The same is true for me. It is difficult to communicate with the central government in two weeks.¡±


    It may or may not be possible, but I don¡¯t think the people in the capital would accept the abandonment of the forts on the border. In any case, I would be effectively surrendering without even exchanging spears, and I would be treated as incompetent and transferred to the lower positions, or worse, I could be accused of a crime and have my knighthood degraded.


    I would not want to die in battle by running into them.


    ¡°As I said before, if you don¡¯t agree to it, it doesn¡¯t matter. We¡¯ll just move on with our business.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you really willing to negotiate? Such unilateral conditions¨D¨D¡±


    ¡°I have no intention of negotiating!¡±


    The man who called himself Kosuke interrupted Macrito-dono, whose face turned bright red, and a blue streak appeared on his temples to say so.


    ¡°Why should we listen to those who attacked us unilaterally and be beaten to a pulp? What if it were the other way around? Would you listen to us? You wouldn¡¯t, would you? If you had made diplomatic efforts in advance, given your own justifiable reasons, and given them an ultimatum before invading, we would still listen to you, but why should we listen to those who secretly stock up foodstuffs and suddenly invade without any negotiation at all? I would like you to look back at your own actions before you talk about civility to others.¡±


    I can¡¯t say anything. It is true that our side had attacked and lost and had its tail between its legs because it foresaw the danger, so there was no need for them to listen to anything we had to say. But still, what can¡¯t be done can¡¯t be done.


    ¡°But¨D¨D¡±


    ¡°Stop making excuses. As I said before, this is neither a request nor a demand, just a notice. This is our intention: don¡¯t ever try to take advantage of us again. We will not compromise, and we will do it. If you resist, the fort will be your coffin. That¡¯s all I¡¯m saying.¡±


    I guess this is what they mean when they say there is no way out. Well, it is true that our side that attacked and lost can¡¯t say anything, can it?


    After this, I tried to extend the two-week deadline in every way I could, but Kosuke would not budge at all. Damn him.

 CH 273

    Chapter 273 ¨C Xday-1


    In the end, the commanders of both the Duchy of Dihart and the Royal Army of Tigris left the discussion for now, promising only to evacuate the wounded and the dead and to withdraw from the war.


    ¡°Was it all right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it was good. We are supposed to take a firm stand against this act of aggression. Also, taking prisoners of war would be troublesome.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    In fact, the reason why we did not take POWs this time is not only because it is troublesome to manage but also because it is difficult to manage POWs in units of 1,000 people with personnel at the northern base. Even if we had someone from Mesotherium, it would be difficult to manage such a large number of prisoners. If we could take knights and nobles as hostages, we might be able to expect a reasonable ransom, but, well, I think I¡¯ll pass this time.


    ¡°So, are you really going to destroy the fort as well?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m going to do it. Though I¡¯ll take care of that, so there¡¯s no chance for the magic rifle battalion.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to literally blow the place to smithereens. Well, I guess it¡¯s okay to watch from afar.¡±


    I had planned to take along an elite rifleman, half of the harpy bombers, and some of my escort Shumel and the others, but it might be better to take at least Worg and one of the company commanders with me.


    ¡°Yes, you may observe if you wish. But only as many as can fit on one air board so that we can escape immediately in case of emergency. Also, please leave the commander behind so that the base can continue to function.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, okay. In two weeks, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, in two weeks.¡±


    I¡¯ll have the harpies do a reconnaissance the day before, and if they are still there, I¡¯ll have them drop a warning message. If they withdraw with that, that would be good, but, well. The commander of the Duchy of Dihart seems to be getting away somehow, but I¡¯m not sure about the old man from the Kingdom of Tigris. I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m going to have to blow that one up.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    Thirteen days have passed since we repelled the invasion by the Duchy of Dihart and the Kingdom of Tigris. Tomorrow is the X-Day for the destruction of the border forts. The Duchy of Dihart¡¯s fort is scheduled to be destroyed at noon tomorrow, and the Tigris Kingdom¡¯s fort is scheduled to be destroyed at sunset tomorrow.


    The method of destruction will be by rock golems with built-in magic sparkling stone bombs. Three rock golems will be assigned to escort the magic sparkling stone bomb rock golem as it charges into the fort, smashes through the gate, and detonates itself once inside the fort.


    Magic sparkling stone bomb rock golem¨Dthat¡¯s a long name; let¡¯s call it a self-destruct golem. The self-destruct golem has several conditions that lead to its detonation. One is to reach the target point, and the other is to strand due to the destruction of the legs, etc. And the last one is when the golem core is destroyed.


    If the magic sparkling stone bomb itself is physically destroyed with pinpoint accuracy, it may be neutralized, but it is virtually impossible to destroy the rock golem¡¯s solid body and the magic sparkling stone bomb with a single blow, so there is almost no risk of it being deflected.


    Grande or Melty might be able to one-shot it, but if they fail, they¡¯ll be caught in a self-destruct, so, well, it¡¯s not going to happen. Maybe even I can¡¯t stop it. If I had a state-of-the-art mainline tank, maybe I could manage it? Or a powerful air bomb to destroy it in one hit? That¡¯s pretty tough.


    I think I could destroy it with anti-tank grenades, but sniping a magic sparkling stone bomb with an anti-tank grenade is close to impossible, and if I fail in time with an anti-tank grenade and it self-destructs, I won¡¯t be saved¡­ Yeah, impossible.


    By the way, if you destroy it with a magic attack, it will probably explode. I say probably because it¡¯s too dangerous to actually try. Isla says that, theoretically, it would. Grande¡¯s breath can destroy it from a long distance, so I¡¯ll ask her to try it next time. Experimentation is important.


    ¡°I¡¯m back.¡±


    While I was holed up in the workroom, thinking about various things and working on the craft, Pessar, who had been sent to fly to the forts of the Duchy of Dihart and the Kingdom of Tigris for reconnaissance and warning, appeared. Today, her fashionable outfit (heavy bombing frame) was supposed to have a warning letter set in a metal tube, but it was all gone. That must mean.


    ¡°They¡¯re still there?¡±


    ¡°Yes, they were. But the fort in Tigris was almost empty. There were a lot of soldiers in the fortress of the Duchy of Dihart, though.¡±


    ¡°Mm, I see. I thought that commander would do well, but I guess not. Or maybe he changed his mind¡­¡±


    I think about it as I pat Pessar¡¯s head, who came in through the window and approached me trotting. I wonder if the Tigris Kingdom actually suffered so much damage that they thought I was really going to do it, and the Duchy of Dihart, which didn¡¯t actually suffer any damage at all, thought I was bluffing to the higher-ups. I think the hearts of the soldiers who witnessed that battle were broken¡­ Good grief.


    ¡°Sad to say, but it¡¯s war.¡±


    ¡°Danna-san is so kind. I don¡¯t think you need to worry about it since they attacked us, and we already gave them a two-week break.¡±


    Pessar says radical things while being maturely petted by me. Pessar, a small species of a harpy, is as petite as a child, but she is a grown woman who has grown up properly with this. Moreover, she is an old soldier who has been fighting as a member of the liberation army since the beginning. She usually appears innocent, but her comments about the war are quite serious.


    ¡°Can¡¯t we be a little more civilized and friendly?¡±


    ¡°I think it would be difficult. The Holy Kingdom and its friends are difficult to deal with.¡±


    The petite Pessar climbs up onto my lap in my chair and settles into my lap. Hmm, her feathers are nice and fluffy. Also, she is very light. Grande is quite heavy despite her small size, but the harpies are all lighter than they look. I wonder if their bone structure and density are different.


    ¡°Are you depressed?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯m depressed, but my tension is down. If possible, it would be better if there were fewer deaths.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess so.¡±


    With a nod, Pessar strokes my cheek and head with her winged arms. Hmm, the image looks bad when the small-bodied Pessar comforts me like this. No, I¡¯m doing what I¡¯m supposed to do, so it¡¯s too late for that.


    ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m going to call the relevant authorities. Pessar, follow me.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Before leaving the craft room with Pessar, who I put down on my lap, I first need to wake up Bella, who is asleep on the sofa for the oni tribe in the corner of the craft room. I wonder if this fellow knows what the word ¡°escort¡± means?

 CH 274

    Chapter 274 ¨C Severe Light


    The next day, we, the Royal Army of Merinard, left the border base riding on air boards. We were heading north at high speed and were making a reverse invasion near the border fortress of the Duchy of Dihart.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see any particular enemy.¡±


    ¡°No, I see red smoke starting to rise diagonally behind it. It seems that they were keeping a watchful eye on us.¡±


    ¡°What are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s leave it there. The report from the harpies indicates that there are no ambush soldiers, so I think they are probably just trying to tell us that we are coming.¡±


    If an ambush is placed and we are ambushed while moving, it would be a problem, but we have dispatched the harpies ahead of us, so there will be no problem there. Well, if it is known that we will come to a fort with high defensive capability, it is rational to intercept us by staying in the fort, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s normal.


    Since we have a long-range means of attack that cannot be protected by shields and armor, it is definitely a wiser choice to hide in a structure that has a better defense than shields and armor. If we launch a surprise attack, that defensive strength will be thrown away without a second thought.


    And so, ignoring the smoke signal of the Duchy of Dihart, we continued on our way for a while. A man-made structure came into view ahead.


    ¡°Enemy divers detected!¡± [T/n: I don¡¯t know what this means.¡±


    ¡°Divers¡­?¡±


    ¡°Never mind. Now, stop altogether.¡±


    Using the golem communicator, I give instructions to all air boards to stop at this spot. I can just barely see the building, so¡­ hmm, is it about 5 km? The horizon is roughly five kilometers from the height of the human eye on Earth, as I recall, but this world planet is not necessarily the same in direct diameter as Earth.


    ¡°How long would it take to walk from here to that fortress?¡±


    ¡°Hmm? I think it would take me less than an hour. Maybe an hour for a normal person?¡±


    ¡°I see. Shumel and the others have a big stride, don¡¯t they? Well, this distance should be enough.¡±


    There is a possibility that golems and debris from the fort will fly in, so we need a bunker to protect ourselves from them. At any rate, I should contact the harpies flying overhead.


    ¡°Pessar, this is Kosuke. Report on the situation of the Duchy of Dihart¡¯s army. Over.¡±


    ¡°Yes, this is Pessar. The Duchy of Dihart¡¯s army at the fort seems to be getting ready to intercept. Over.¡±


    ¡°Roger that. If you see any sign of a sortie, call me immediately. Over.¡±


    ¡°Copy that. Over and out!¡±


    ¡°Kosuke, are we going to position ourselves here?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this a little far from there?¡±


    After finishing the communication with Pessar, Worg and Noir, the commander of the magic rifle company, appeared. I heard that there was a slight dispute over whether Peter or Noir was going to come with us to blow up the fort today, but in the end, Noir won the right to go with us. I don¡¯t know what kind of a fight they had, but I was struck by how depressed Peter looked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get too close, or you¡¯ll get caught in the explosion.¡±


    ¡°Is it really that great?¡±


    ¡°If I mass-produce it, I can destroy the Holy Kingdoms. I could mass produce it, though.¡±


    ¡°If there¡¯s such a thing, why don¡¯t we just throw it in and destroy the Holy Kingdom?¡±


    ¡°It would be a bad idea to introduce a weapon that can blow up a fortress or a city and kill soldiers and civilians alike¡­ and also cause serious magical pollution at the explosion site.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not good-nya¡­¡±


    Noir was stunned when she heard about the power and disadvantages of the magic sparkling stone bomb. Well, magic pollution is not something that will cause immediate and serious problems to the human body¡­ but it¡¯s not like it doesn¡¯t have any advantages. Some special plants grow better in magic-polluted areas, such as medicinal herbs that are used to make potions to restore magic, and mages recover their magic faster in such areas.


    However, there are too many disadvantages for people to live there, such as the abnormal operation of magical tools, magical intoxication if one stays there for a long time and the fact that ordinary plants do not grow there. We don¡¯t even know how long it takes to decay. I think it is probably caused by the magic sparkling stone that was turned into minute particles by the explosion.


    ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s start preparations. First, I will build a protective facility to protect ourselves from the debris from the explosion. Shumel and the others will escort me, and Worg will command the elite riflemen to prepare for the enemy attack.¡±


    ¡°Aiyo.¡±


    ¡°Roger that.¡±


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    Duchy of Dihart¡¯s POV


    ¡°What is that all about?¡±


    ¡°Is it magic or something? It looks like they¡¯re building some kind of defensive facility.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. I heard the coward Antonius say that they were going to blow up our fortress, but we will see.¡±


    The general of the Duchy of Dihart¡¯s army¨DResnius Olaf Winteria, his face contorted with displeasure as he peered through the far-sighted tube.


    After his meeting with Kosuke, Antonius went to the capital himself, reported the situation as it was, and insisted on the abandonment of the border fortress, which angered the Duke, and he was immediately demoted. He was replaced by a new general in the army of the Duchy of Dihart, who took command of the border fortress.


    ¡°What shall we do?¡±


    ¡°Be on the alert and keep an eye on them. Even the enemy¡¯s new weaponry will not be able to reach us from that distance.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ Hmm?¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Concerned by the strange reaction of his second-in-command, Resnius again peeked through his far-sighted tube and saw a figure in front of the enemy¡¯s defensive facilities. Clad in armor and holding a mace and a huge shield¡­ no, no. That is not a person.


    ¡°W-what the hell is that?¡±


    ¡°Is that a golem¡­?¡±


    ¡°A golem? That thing¡­?¡±


    A golem is, as I recall, a moving puppet created by an alchemist. But to make one that can be used in battle requires a huge budget and is not something that can be used in warfare¡­ It is said that, in rare cases, it is used as a guardian in ancient ruins.


    ¡°There have been no reports of such a thing.¡±


    ¡°That should be¨D¨D!?¡±


    ¡°Wha¨D?¡±


    In front of the enemy¡¯s defensive facility, the number of human figures¨Dor rather, golems¨Dincreases. Considering the size of the enemy¡¯s defensive facilities, the golem is probably more than three meters tall¡­ and the fort¡¯s walls and gates would not hold if it were swamped by such a thing.


    ¡°W-w-what should we do? If something like that¡­ attacks us, we¡¯ll lose everything!¡±


    ¡°Even if you ask me what to do.¡±


    The second-in-command, who was pressed by Resnius, becomes confused. The Duchy of Dihart¡¯s army is reasonably strong, but the enemies they are expecting are basically people and small to medium-sized monsters that threaten the roadways. They are not trained to fight large rock giants.


    ¡°Kuh¡­ Right, the battering rams! Prepare the battering ram as soon as possible! Set it up around the south gate so that we can attack the golem when it enters!¡±


    ¡°Y-yes!¡±


    Although Resnius was a somewhat small man, his thinking was flexible enough to be entrusted with the generalship of an army. Unfortunately, his pride got in the way of his decision to retreat immediately at this point. If he had escaped from the north gate with his entire army as soon as the golem soldiers released by Kosuke began their march and retreated at full speed, he might have escaped from the doom that awaited him later.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    ¡°This is Pessar. There is movement in the fort, over.¡±


    ¡°What is it? Over.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re probably assembling something like a battering ram. Over.¡±


    ¡°Roger that. Keep your eyes on them. Over.¡±


    ¡°Copy that. Over and out.¡±


    A battering ram. They¡¯re probably trying to use it as a weapon against the golem. It¡¯s not a bad idea, but the golem isn¡¯t slow enough to take a hit from something like that. Even if they did, they would probably end up getting reamed out with a mace along with the battering ram.


    ¡°If all we have to do is flatten the fortress, can¡¯t we do it with just those golem soldiers?¡±


    ¡°It might be possible, but this is just a demonstration. If anyone tries to screw with the kingdom of Merinard, they will be in big trouble.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Besides Bella, who nodded obediently, Worg and Noir looked difficult.


    ¡°The golem soldier countermeasures, huh?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Who knows. What¡¯s wrong with that?¡±


    ¡°The golem is just a rock, so I think we can destroy it by concentrating our magic rifle fire on the area where the core is located. We can also destroy the legs by concentrating fire on the knees. Also, I think we can destroy it by using the harpy bomb squadron to hit it with a large early-type air bomb, not an anti-personnel type.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, if we concentrate on those, we could take out the fort¡¯s gates, too. Certainly, I think we can manage that.¡±


    While I was talking with Worg, the three golems and the self-destruct golem, which were slowly advancing, stuck to the gate of the enemy fortress. Three golem soldiers are pounding on the gate with their ridiculously large maces. The sound can be heard all the way up here.


    ¡°This is Kosuke. Harpy bombing squad, disperse and return to the protection facility.¡±


    ¡°Copy that! Harpy bomber squadron is returning!¡±


    Before long, the self-destructing golem will rush into the fort and explode, so I¡¯ll call the harpies back. It would be a disaster if they were to crash due to the blast. Debris might fly.


    ¡°Welcome back!¡±


    ¡°We are back.¡±


    Pessar, Capri, and other harpies are coming back. Not only the harpies but everyone takes a roll call to make sure no one is left outside of the protection facility. Safety confirmed!


    ¡°Well, is it about time?¡±


    ¡°Right¡­ Oh, the gate has collapsed inward.¡±


    Tozume, who was staring at the fortress with her naked eye, muttered to herself. It is amazing that she can see from this distance with her naked eye. She usually uses a hammer, but she¡¯s surprisingly suited to sniping, isn¡¯t she? I¡¯d like to give her a large-caliber sniper rifle that matches her physique.


    ¡°All hands, brace for impact!¡±


    About ten seconds after I shouted that, there was a flash of light from the Duchy of Dihart¡¯s border fort, followed by an impact and a thunderous roar.


    The border fort of the Duchy of Dihart was literally wiped off the face of the planet, along with all of its personnel.

 CH 275

    Chapter 275 ¨C Power Survey


    ¡°I want you to take another roll call and check to see if anyone¡¯s hurt.¡±


    ¡°O-oh¡­ okay.¡±


    Worg seemed taken aback but quickly regained his composure and began taking roll calls.


    ¡°Well, this is even worse than I thought.¡±


    ¡°The fortress was blown to the ground.¡±


    ¡°If anyone gets hit by something like that, there¡¯s no way they¡¯ll survive¡­¡±


    The oni girls are looking through the windows of the protection facility or in the direction of the center of the explosion, where the dust from the explosion is still swirling around. They¡¯re not as shaken up as I thought they¡¯d be.


    ¡°We are adventurers, you know. We can¡¯t survive if we¡¯re always worried about strange and unexpected things.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m a little surprised, though.¡±


    ¡°I can see why you can¡¯t abuse it.¡±


    ¡°You adventurers are awesome.¡±


    I guess they have a different mentality from normal people. Maybe it¡¯s simply that these three are just too tough-minded.


    After taking a roll call for about ten minutes and checking for injuries, we all boarded the air board and headed for the center of the explosion¨Dthe place where the border fort of the Duchy of Dihart used to be.


    ¡°There is a possibility that the air board may malfunction due to residual magic power. If you feel any malfunction, stop the vehicle immediately and remove the magic crystals.¡±


    ¡°¡±¡±Copy that.¡±¡±¡±


    After sending instructions to each vehicle via the golem communicator, I tap the back of the driver¡¯s seat where Bella is sitting and tell her to move the air board forward.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think there are any soldiers of the Duchy of Dihart surviving that, but be on the lookout for them just in case.¡±


    ¡°Just in case. I think the only people who would survive that would be Grande-jouchan or Kosuke.¡±


    ¡°What kind of position am I in your mind, Shumel¡­?¡±


    I¡¯m not one of those amazing creatures that can shoot beams out of their mouths.


    ¡°As long as you don¡¯t get hit by surprise, you seem to be able to survive any kind of attack, right?¡±


    ¡°What do you really think? If I knew that thing would explode at point-blank range, would I be able to handle it?¡±


    ¡°I think you can manage if you build a protective wall of black steel and mithril blocks with a total height of 2 meters.¡±


    If it¡¯s just to save my life, I think I can handle it.


    ¡°So that¡¯s what you think, huh?¡±


    ¡°By the time you start throwing out walls of one meter thick black steel and mithril, you¡¯re already in the same category as Grande-san, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°In the sense that they are out of the ordinary, they are exactly the same.¡±


    By the way, I think Grande can manage if she dives into the ground as fast as she can. I think it would be a bit tough for Sylphy and Melty. I think Melty could retreat at full speed and escape from the instant death radius if she had ten seconds before the explosion. As for Sylphy¡­ I¡¯m not so sure about her; I haven¡¯t seen much serious combat action from Sylphy. She can use spirit magic, and if she dives into the ground with earth spirit magic at the moment of the explosion in addition to retreating at full speed, she might have a chance.


    Speaking of which, Grande is not accompanying us on today¡¯s operation to destroy the fort. I asked her to stay at the base just in case. She didn¡¯t seem to be interested in it either. She is probably somewhere on the base right now, basking in the sun or something.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°No, it seems like the speed increased even though I didn¡¯t increase the power¡­?¡±


    ¡°Turn it off. Notify all vehicles to stop the air board and remove the magic crystals. An unintended increase in output has been detected.¡±


    It seems that the levitation device and wind-magic propulsion system have some kind of safety circuit to prevent the excessive output of magic power from flowing into them, but I am not going to bother to test their endurance under these circumstances. We are already within a dozen minutes¡¯ walk of the center of the explosion, and we should be able to walk from here.


    ¡°Wow¡­ that¡¯s a great concentration of magic. I feel like I¡¯m going to get dizzy.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I¡¯m fine, though.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any problems either.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t feel anything at all because I don¡¯t have any magic. Well, it¡¯s a little hot, though.¡±


    When we came close to the center of the explosion, only Tozume looked depressed. Usually, she is buzzing around with her hammer, but the fact that she gets dizzy from this means that she has a constitution sensitive to magic power¨Din other words, she has a high level of magical ability. If she learns magic, she will be a better adventurer.


    ¡°But a trump card is really a very powerful thing¡­¡±


    ¡°Right? Well, I¡¯m not in the mood to get too excited since the current blow has wiped out about 10,000 people without a trace.¡±


    ¡°Is that so¡­? I, for one, am very encouraged.¡±


    Worg tilted his head curiously. It¡¯s war, it¡¯s the enemy, and we¡¯re going to kill them without mercy. It¡¯s a very simple idea, and I don¡¯t think it¡¯s wrong. Well, it¡¯s too late for anything. I myself think it¡¯s not right to be so sentimental about blowing up a fortress after killing tens of thousands of people in the Holy Kingdom with a weapon of my own making.


    However, it¡¯s not something that can be so easily dismissed, and I don¡¯t want to let this feeling paralyze me. I wonder how the weapons developers of my former world came to terms with this? I wonder if they were supporting their aspirations for their country or protecting their own soldiers.


    When I think about it, I guess I¡¯m arrogant¡­ I can say that I look down on this world. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I guess I look down on the people of this world as uncivilized savages and feel sorry for them that I have to unilaterally overrun them with advanced weapons. I hate myself for that.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You seem a little down.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got a lot on my mind, too.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s necessary to feel sorry for the enemy. If we had not done this, the people in the base and in the Mesotherium would have been killed by the enemy.¡±


    ¡°Leave the dead people alone. It¡¯s boring and useless to be dragged down by dead people.¡±


    ¡°Useless?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it useless? You can¡¯t help it even if you think about it, you know. Apologizing in your heart won¡¯t bring them back to life. They died because they were weak. That¡¯s why they died. We will step on their corpses and get over them. That¡¯s all there is to it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so dry¡­¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯re just too wet. But that is the way it is, isn¡¯t it? Twenty years ago, we were weak, and the Holy Kingdom took advantage of us. Now we are doing the opposite. That¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all, huh¡­¡±


    Their thinking is simple. The stronger, the better in the race for survival, that¡¯s all. It would certainly be easier to think of it as simple as that. I don¡¯t care if I go to hell, but if I do something like a one-sided massacre like this¡­ I¡¯ll have to get used to it so that my conscience doesn¡¯t get numb.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    After surveying the crater, which was still hot, and confirming that there were no survivors and that the structure had been obliterated without a trace, we left the border fortress of the Duchy of Dihart. There were a few remnants of underground structures near the center of the crater, but most of them had been vaporized by the high heat¡­ Even if someone had been hiding in the underground structures, it is unlikely that they would have survived.


    However, if a condemnation shelter or other shelter had been built deep underground, it was found that there was a possibility of failing to finish the job. In the future, it might be better to make a tandem warhead anti-castle self-destruct golem with one magic sparkling stone bomb in the upper and lower body, the lower body separating and exploding underground while the upper body remains on the surface and explodes.


    No, I don¡¯t think I need to go that far, but it would be fine to blow up the surface facilities and bury the victims alive¡­?


    But maybe the royal family could escape through underground escape routes¡­ In fact, the royal castle in Merinesburg has a network of underground passageways that lead to sewers and other escape routes, and it¡¯s possible that other countries¨Dsuch as the Holy Kingdoms¡¯ castles, for example¨Chave the same network of underground passageways. I still think we should just develop it. I will discuss this with Isla when I get back.


    ¡°Are we going to blow up the fortress in the Tigris Kingdom in the same way?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll blow it up the same way.¡±


    ¡°Urgent! Urgent! We¡¯ve confirmed an ambush on the route to the Tigris border fortress!¡¡They number about 5,000 and are waiting for us!¡±


    An urgent message came in from the harpy-san, who was scouting in advance of us.


    I see, they are going to ambush us under the pretense that they have vacated the fort as we demanded. The reason why the harpies didn¡¯t find the ambush soldiers in the morning is because the harpies didn¡¯t know where to go¡­ Well, they searched from the base to the border fort of the Tigris Kingdom, but they didn¡¯t search the route from the border fort of the Duchy of Dihart to the border fort of the Tigris Kingdom in the morning. I guess this is an instructional error.


    ¡°What are we going to do? No matter how many elite soldiers and harpy bomb squads we have, we can¡¯t take on a hundred times as many without preparation, can we?¡±


    The only ones here now are fifty elite riflemen, half of the harpy bomb squad, and one air board full of riflemen brought in by Worg, plus us.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    If I build a small defensive facility where they can see us and have the elite riflemen defend it, and then fly the harpy bomb squad from the defensive facility and bomb those hiding, they will probably rush into the defensive facility, letting their numbers carry the day.


    ¡°We can manage that.¡±


    Yes, if we can draw them into our camp, we can manage anything. We can cook up any ambush troops whose whereabouts are known.

 CH 276

    Chapter 276 ¨C The Battlefield Really is Hell


    Macrito¡¯s POV


    ¡°Let¡¯s see what that young man¡­ can show us.¡±


    Macrito Jean Nicklaus, a general in the Tigris army, muttered as he looked down at the road connecting the Duchy of Dihart and the Kingdom of Tigris.


    The approximately 5,000 soldiers he had gathered in the past two weeks were already in place and ready for the attack. The archers have arrows imbued with wind magic. Since they were defeated in the last battle, they could hardly shoot at all, so they had plenty of arrows for every soldier.


    ¡°Faster than a horse? Weapons with longer range and more power than bows? There are plenty of ways to do things if you have the numbers to do them.¡±


    Last time, they were unable to fight properly because of the interference of the Holy Kingdom, and they suffered heavy damage.


    The vehicle is certainly very fast, but it doesn¡¯t seem to have the same defensive capabilities as heavy cavalry. It seemed to be a complicated magical tool, and if it were physically destroyed by an arrow imbued with wind magic, it could be neutralized in no time.


    And that weapon that sends debris flying at invisible speeds is certainly powerful, but if the attack is concentrated in a place with no defensive facilities, the soldiers will fall without any way to defend themselves. From the looks of it, they didn¡¯t seem to be wearing any powerful protective gear.


    No matter how vicious the weapon is, the people fighting with it in their hands are just people. If they are hit by an arrow, they will be wounded, and if they are hit by a blade, they will be mortally wounded. They are vulnerable if they are in the range of our attacks. And not to mention the fact that they are so few in number. If we come in contact with them, we should be able to easily crush them.


    Finally, there were those damn bird women who dropped explosives on us, whom we had no idea how to deal with. But this is far from their base. The number of explosives they could carry would be limited. There would be casualties, but if they ran out of explosives, they would be nothing to fear.


    ¡°¡­They¡¯re here.¡±


    It took a lot of effort to move 5,000 men and keep them lying down in this place so that they wouldn¡¯t get caught in the enemy¡¯s surveillance net. We had to be careful to move at night when it would be harder for them to scout the area. I had my surviving men lead a few hundred men to this spot.


    It would have been a waste of time and effort if they did not pass this place, but I won the bet.


    ¡°Tsk, they found us, huh?¡±


    But when they appeared on the battlefield, they stopped marching just before they jumped into our trap. It seems that the ambush troops were spotted by the enemy scouts¨Dthose damn bird bitches. They really are a menace, aren¡¯t they? If we don¡¯t find a way to blind them, we won¡¯t be able to ambush them, and they¡¯ll be able to see our position.


    ¡°Don¡¯t give them time. Sound the gong of attack!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    At my command, my men begin to ring the gongs. In a normal ambush, I wouldn¡¯t sound the gongs, but this time, the enemy stopped before they jumped into the trap. The arrow imbued with wind magic¡­ it just barely reaches them?


    ¡°Nngh¡­! That¡¯s ridiculous!¡±


    Just for a moment, just for a moment. Even though I only took my eyes off them for a split second, I could see that they had built a strong wall of stone around them. What the hell kind of joke was that! Arrows imbued with wind magic would have little effect in that situation!


    ¡°Is that magic? No, but¡­¡±


    Creating a stone fort in an instant is something I¡¯ve only heard of in fairy tales and heroic tales.


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s not enough.¡±


    Indeed, the appearance of a solid stone fort in an instant is astonishing, but that alone will only buy you some time against 5,000 men. From the looks of it, there were no more than a hundred enemies. If we push them with our numbers, we can crush them. We don¡¯t have any siege weapons, but if the walls are that high, we should be able to climb them by using earth magic, building a steep ladder, or hanging a rope on them.


    ¡°It would buy them some time, but it¡¯s a dead end.¡±


    Macrito, the general of the Tigris army, was not happy anyway. What he didn¡¯t like, of course, was the young man, Kosuke, who called himself the prince consort of Merinard. He looked down on each and every one of them. He said that if he really wanted to, he believed that they were nothing and that he could kill them all right now. That it was his mercy to let them go now and give them two weeks to vacate the fortress.


    ¡°You will pay for that humiliation with your life.¡±


    The sin of taking this Macrito Jean Nicklaus, the commander-in-chief of the Tigris army lightly, is a serious one. I will surely have his head salted and sent to the witch of the Merinard Kingdom.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    As we positioned ourselves just out of reach of the enemy¡¯s attack, we began to hear the sound of gongs.


    ¡°Should we get on with the story here and say, ¡®is this a joke?¡¯ or something?


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about, but I think we¡¯re going to get crushed if we don¡¯t do something.¡±


    ¡°Should we just roll up our asses and run away?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    I opened the roof of the air board to show my face and set up a stone rampart around the air board of the Merinard Royal Army, which had stopped after securing a clear view. It doesn¡¯t take much time to set up a building that has already been registered in the template.


    Having secured safety for the time being, I picked up the receiver of the golem communicator installed on the air board.


    ¡°Harpy bombers stay high in the sky and watch out for arrows imbued with wind magic. All magic riflemen should be up on the defensive wall, ready to intercept. Follow the commander and fire as soon as you are in range. Worg, please take command.¡±


    ¡°Roger!¡±


    ¡°Copy that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going ahead.¡±


    ¡°Hey, wait up!¡±


    Leaving the flustered Shumel behind, I jumped straight out from the roof of the air board and using command jump, I was the first to reach the top of the ramparts. Oh, enemies came out of the woods and rocks on both sides. This is serious.


    ¡°We can¡¯t let them get us so easily.¡±


    I took out three golems from my inventory and set them up in front of the fort. It is not the armed rock golem that escorted the self-destructing golem before. It is a heavily armed golem armed with an infinity-loaded heavy machine gun and an automatic grenade launcher, with a mithril copper alloy body covered with black steel surface armor.


    ¡®¡±Commence attack!¡±


    ¡°¡±¡±Vooo!¡±¡±¡±


    The heavily armed golems let out a war cry (?) and began to move, firing off a total of four 12.7mm heavy machine guns mounted on both arms. The 40mm automatic grenade launchers mounted on their shoulders are also firing in rapid succession, taking advantage of the fact that they have unlimited firepower. My heavily armed golem is in a good mood today, too.


    ¡°¡­What the hell is this?¡±


    ¡°¡­Nya.¡±


    Worg and Noir, who came up to the ramparts a step later, were astonished to see the rampaging heavily armed golem. Shumel and the others have already seen it once, so they are not surprised, but all three of them have a kind of¡­ enlightened look on their faces.


    ¡°I¡¯m pitying the Tigris Royal Army¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can do about it, is there?¡±


    ¡°There are not many things that fit the word ¡°unreasonable¡± better than this¡­¡±


    The heavy machine gun has a caliber of 12.7 mm, and a man in iron or leather armor is as good as a piece of paper in front of it. A heavy machine gun fires at a rate of about 10 rounds per second. That is, about 600 rounds per minute. Each heavily armed golem is equipped with four such guns, and there are three heavily armed golems. In other words, three heavily armed golems can disperse approximately 7,200 bullets per minute.


    Moreover, the bullets released can easily penetrate the human body and still have more than enough power to kill. In some cases, a single bullet can kill or injure several people¡­


    ¡°¡­What the hell is this?¡±


    ¡°¡­This is crazy.¡±


    In just a minute or so, the Tigris Royal Army of about 5,000 men was annihilated. Perhaps, a few people escaped the harsh attacks of heavily armed golems and dashed to the forests and rocks where they had first hidden themselves.


    ¡°How do we clean up this battlefield?¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we just leave them alone? If we leave them alone, animals or monsters will clean them up.¡±


    ¡°They might become undead to some extent, but it¡¯s not Merinard¡¯s territory, so it¡¯s okay, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea¡­ Well, I guess we¡¯ll just have to see if we can scavenge the spoils, then.¡±


    What spoils¡­ are you going to go into that sea of flesh and guts and scavenge it up?


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s impossible, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Right now, it¡¯s nothing because of the distance, but I¡¯m confident that if I walked up to that thing and looked directly at it, I¡¯d spit something rainbow-colored out of my mouth in one go.


    ¡°How¡¯s that for you, Battalion Commander Worg?¡±


    I decided to leave the decision to Worg. I¡¯d like to leave things as they are and let them pass quickly, but it¡¯s important to get the consent of your friends. Hahaha.


    ¡°So you¡¯re going to dump me there. Let¡¯s move on; that thing is out of control.¡±


    ¡°Nya¡­¡±


    Not only Worg and Noir but also the elite magic riflemen who were listening to our conversation nearby nodded their heads with straight faces.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s just leave it like that! Let¡¯s dismantle the defensive facilities and proceed quickly!¡±


    I call back the heavily armed golem and store it in my inventory, then instruct the harpies to scout the surrounding area before removing the walls with my mithril pickaxe.


    ¡°Maybe there won¡¯t be any more surprises, but we¡¯ll still need to be on the lookout for them. Because the only way we¡¯ll lose is if we get taken by surprise without any preparation time.¡±


    ¡°Roger that!¡±


    Pessar saluted with her wings and soared into the sky with her subordinates.


    By the way, I purposely ignored the place where the gong sounded¡­ Will this make them even more determined to fight, or will it break their hearts? ¡­Well, I think 90% of them will be broken, but who knows.

 CH 277

    Chapter 277 ¨C I Can See Everything!


    After crushing the ambush force of the Tigris Kingdom army with three heavily armed golems, we left the battlefield as it was, removed the defensive facilities, and immediately resumed our movement.


    We then reached the border fort of the Kingdom of Tigris and obliterated it at sunset with a self-destruct golem equipped with a magic sparkling stone bomb, just as I had done to the border fort of the Duchy of Dihart.


    The fort was packed with a few Tigris Royal Army soldiers, but when they saw us appear, they retreated from the northern gate on horseback at full speed. Apparently, they had been instructed to do so in advance.


    ¡°It¡¯s over, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is.¡±


    ¡°Is everything going according to your plan now?¡±


    ¡°Plan?¡±


    Bella¡¯s mysterious remark made me tilt my head.


    ¡°If Danna had been serious from the beginning, there would have been no trouble at all. There was no need to build a base or bring the riflemen squad, was there?¡±


    ¡°Mmm¡­¡±


    ¡°Also, it was your intention to use the golem to crush today¡¯s ambush by the Tigris Royal Army, wasn¡¯t it? Giving them two weeks¡¯ notice, you clearly invited them by deliberately saying that after blowing up the Duchy of Dihart¡¯s fortress, you¡¯re going to blow up the Tigris Royal Army¡¯s fortress, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Mmh¡­¡±


    I was at a loss for an answer and looked at Shumel. She just grinned and looked at me. I was surprised that she wasn¡¯t surprised by Bella¡¯s comment.


    ¡°I have some idea how you feel about Bella, but it¡¯s perfectly normal.¡±


    ¡°Seriously?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    Bella is indignant at my reaction. I mean, you¡¯ve always played the part of the idiot, haven¡¯t you? Suddenly, you¡¯re like, ¡°I can see through everything!¡± I¡¯m at a loss for a response.


    ¡°What did you want in the end? What did the kingdom of Merinard want?¡±


    ¡°Ah, I don¡¯t know about that part.¡±


    That¡¯s right. I understand Danna¡¯s power, but I don¡¯t know anything about the military secrets of the Merinard kingdom.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I mean, the kingdom of Merinard was greedy in many ways this time.¡±


    The series of moves that I took the lead in this time was a complex intertwining of Merinard¡¯s and my own agendas; if not to say that they were complicated, they were intertwined to a certain extent.


    First of all, we had to repel the invasion from the two northern countries at all costs.


    If the two northern countries¨Dthe Duchy of Dihart and the Kingdom of Tigris¨Dwere allowed to invade and ravage the northern part of the Merinard Kingdom, or if Merinard¡¯s territory was cut off, the neighboring countries might underestimate the Merinard Kingdom as an easy target.


    Being underestimated as a nation was basically a hundred harms and not a single gain. If we were underestimated as a nation, we might encourage further invasions from neighboring countries, and we might also be slighted in diplomatic negotiations with countries that were not in a geographical position to invade us directly.


    The Kingdom of Merinard wants to avoid such a situation at all costs. That is why I went all the way to the north to repel the invasion.


    ¡°Why did you go to the trouble of building a base and training magic riflemen?¡±


    ¡°The military and the Research and Development Department had a lot to do with it. The establishment of a military base was necessary to keep an eye on the north and to test the newly developed magic rifle weapon in actual combat. Accepting more subhumans to run the base was a side benefit.¡±


    ¡°So you were planning from the beginning to take care of the situation if the magic rifle didn¡¯t work as expected.¡±


    ¡°I was sure it would be fine, but it was just an insurance policy. So, when the Tigris Royal Army attack was repelled, it was determined that the utility of the magic rifle was sufficient. After all, with only a simple defensive position, they were able to unilaterally crush an army of twenty times their size.¡±


    ¡°It was indeed one-sided. Though, I don¡¯t think it can be used for adventures.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not so good if you don¡¯t have enough of them. Also, it is not suitable for hunting because of its loud noise.¡±


    I see. Should I propose the development of a silencer? Since it is fine as long as it doesn¡¯t make a sound, we could consider using magical means.


    ¡°Then what about the subsequent destruction of the fortress and the attack with the golem?¡±


    ¡°Purely an act of demonstration. The magic rifle alone would be enough of a threat, but it wouldn¡¯t have enough impact, would it? The kingdom of Merinard has not only new weapons but also the means to annihilate a fort in an instant and a black iron golem that can easily kick out an army. We showed them that, if you won¡¯t carelessly touch us¡­ you won¡¯t get burned. The only reason I purposely overlooked the witnesses and survivors was to get that information out to the public.¡±


    ¡°I see. I think I understand somehow. So, this case was not really a pinch for the kingdom of Merinard, right?¡±


    ¡°Well, yes.¡±


    If we had to do something about the formality, we could have unilaterally overrun the area with air boards of riflemen equipped with light machine guns. Air boards are being produced in increasing numbers every day, so now a large number of crossbowmen could be transferred and deployed in a short time.


    Sir Leonard said that he wanted to deploy the riflemen to the east in order to establish a standoff in the east where the Holy Kingdom is located, but with the mobility of the air boards and the information transmission capability of the golem communicator, it is no problem to move by foot, carriage, and horseback and to outwit an army whose only means of conveying detailed information is by fast horseback.


    ¡°Something like a war between countries, huh? It¡¯s not as noble as I thought; it¡¯s more like a fight between back alley thugs.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Is that so?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. In other words, this time, the boss, the Holy Kingdom, told the underlings, the Duchy of Dihart and the Kingdom of Tigris, to come and fight the Kingdom of Merinard, and the Kingdom of Merinard beat them up so that the surrounding countries wouldn¡¯t take them lightly, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­Right.¡±


    Zakennaorrah! Suzzorah!* I¡¯m not sure how I¡¯d react if I were dropped into a concept like that, but it¡¯s basically correct. [T/n: Please let me know if anyone knows about this.]


    ¡°So, are you going back to Merinesburg soon?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s about time. The Duchy of Dihart and the Kingdom of Tigris will not have the ability to continue the battle any longer, and the Kingdom of Merinard has no intention of expanding its territory at the moment. The war is now over, and that means no more business for me, either. Now it¡¯s up to Sylphy and the others.¡±


    I think they¡¯ll just have to extract reparations or whatever from both countries and call it a day. If the other side is adamant about not accepting the terms, then it may be our¨Dor rather, my¨Dturn again.


    ¡°Well, I guess we¡¯ll have to take it easy for a while until we get the results.¡±


    ¡°That sounds good. We¡¯ll have a drink when we get home today.¡±


    ¡°But first, I¡¯ve got to get Grande, who¡¯s been looking after the house, in a good mood.¡±


    We returned to the northern base while talking like that.

 CH 278

    Chapter 278 ¨C I¡¯m Here?


    Three days later, I contacted Sylphy and the others in Merinesburg via the golem communicator to tell them that I had destroyed the border fort of the Duchy of Dihart and the Kingdom of Tigris.


    ¡°I¡¯m here¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re here¡­¡±


    As soon as she arrived, she said a mischievous line, but this person was the former queen of the Merinard Kingdom. She has a lovely smile on her face, but she is Sylphy¡¯s mother. In other words, she is my mother-in-law.


    But I don¡¯t know what she likes about me; she is rather aggressive in her approach. She has just lost her husband¡­ Or is it because she has just lost her husband? The male-female relationship or chastity in this world is too complicated and bizarre for me to understand.


    Well, it¡¯s possible that one of my abilities, the achievement, has raised her liking for me to an unthinkable level¡­ but I¡¯m not sure how to handle it. As expected of Sylphy¡¯s mother, she is just like a beautiful and lovely Onee-san. I mean, yes, she¡¯s like a legitimate elf. No, she has big boobs, so is it hard to say she¡¯s an authentic elf?


    ¡°Geez¡­ what are you looking at?¡±


    ¡°No, well, yeah, that¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Men love women¡¯s breasts, don¡¯t they?¡±


    With her right hand on her cheek and her left arm lifting her large breasts, Seraphita-san smiles cheerfully. Kuh, she understands her own charm¡­!


    The other day, Seraphita-san lost her mind when Poizo prescribed her ¡°a medicine that makes you more honest,¡± and she was very sweet to me for a few days; I guess she may have blown something out after that, but recently she has been approaching me straightforwardly, not hiding her fondness for me at all.


    I wonder about that in several ways.


    ¡°Because my mother is in a difficult position¡­ well, please take care of her.¡±


    And Sylphy told me to accept her in a roundabout way.


    ¡°If Mother is okay with it, then I¡¯m okay with it too, you know?¡±


    Driada-san pressed me with that.


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s hot! Hey, stop it!¡±


    Ifrita was in a bad mood and hit me with little fireballs that looked like sparks.


    ¡°Filthy.¡±


    Aquawill-san looked at me as if I were garbage.


    In other words, the reaction of the four sisters was two in favor, one against, and one unsure. No, apparently, Ifrita seems to be quite close to agreeing with me because she seems to be trying to stick by me quite a bit even though she looks unhappy¡­ Maybe I¡¯m being self-conscious, but I feel like she is burning up with jealousy.


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s the queen, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yeah, I guess so.¡±


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a surprise, but it¡¯s still startling for me to witness it.¡±


    The oni girls are whispering to each other when they see the exchange between Seraphita-san and me. Can¡¯t you girls stop talking in an audible voice?


    ¡°So, what brought you here¡­?¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m here to assist Kosuke-san, of course.¡±


    ¡°Assist?¡±


    ¡°Yes. To assist in diplomatic negotiations to settle this war.¡±


    ¡°Eh, I¡¯m going to do it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Her Majesty Queen Sylphiel said so.¡±


    Seraphita-san smiles as she says so.


    Eehh¡­? How can that be? I think that Sylphy, as the head of the country, should take the lead when it comes to diplomatic relations.


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask her later about what¡¯s going on.¡±


    ¡°Yes, please do so. The secret of a happy marriage is to talk well together, after all.¡±


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    ¡°Anyway, tell me how all this happened from the ground up.¡±


    ¡°U-umu¡­ that¡¯s it, though.¡±


    Sylphy¡¯s voice, coming from the other end of the golem communicator, was very slurred.


    The summary of the words spun in a slurred voice is that the current Merinard kingdom is absolutely short of personnel to go to other countries to conduct diplomacy, or rather, there¡¯s almost no such personnel.


    In this world, being a diplomat is a very dangerous position. In some cases, diplomats may be captured or executed, so they usually take a certain amount of force with them in case of such a situation, and they are also required to have a certain amount of self-defense capability.


    And basically, the values of this world are male-dominated. There are many women in the upper echelons of the Merinard Kingdom today, and the male-female ratio of soldiers tends to be skewed in favor of women, but usually, high-ranking positions are held by men, and most of those who serve in the military are also men. At least in other countries.


    The generals of the Holy Kingdom and their vassal states, the Duchy of Dihart and the Kingdom of Tigris, were all men, and nearly 80% of the members of the diplomatic mission from the Varyag Empire were men. The emissaries from the Dragonis mountain kingdom were also male. In a world with such values, it would be a bit unreasonable for a woman to serve as a diplomatic envoy.


    ¡°There are other nobles of the Merinard Kingdom, like Sir Leonard and Danan, aren¡¯t there?¡±


    ¡°Leonard and Danan cannot be moved from the east and south. Worg is not good enough. Kosuke is the only man who is of good status, who can defend himself, and who can move freely and be trusted.¡±


    Sylphy¡¯s voice comes over the golem communicator as if she is chewing on a bitter bug.


    ¡°I was thinking of sending Mother and Anee-sama as diplomatic envoys, but the Holy Kingdom still wants the elven woman who possesses mighty magical powers. If we send Mother or Anee-sama as a diplomatic envoy, they may be captured immediately.¡±


    ¡°If you put it that way, even I, a holy man of the Adol nostalgic faction and a prince consort and the one who holds the logistics of the Royal Army of Merinard, am at high risk of being captured or assassinated, you know? No, I don¡¯t mind going to other countries as a diplomatic envoy. But isn¡¯t that risky?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­¡±


    Sylphy stammered.


    ¡°Well, if it¡¯s me, unless I die instantly from a surprise attack, I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be able to survive and probably well suited for the job.¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    The silence of Sylphy means affirmation.


    ¡°E-even for me, I don¡¯t want Kosuke to go to a dangerous place.¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay, don¡¯t cry.¡±


    I can hear her sniffling over the golem communicator.


    ¡°But we need to train diplomats urgently. It¡¯s a bit odd to put it this way, but it¡¯s a pretty bad situation when the only qualified personnel you have are those who could be fatal if captured and killed.¡±


    ¡°Melty has already begun to select and train personnel. But right now, it¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. The personnel who need that kind of advanced training can not be taken from the field.¡±


    A diplomat is a position that requires a high level of knowledge and experience. In this world, a certain level of status is also required of the individual. I am an amateur diplomat, but I have a position as Sylphy¡¯s spouse, and I have the power to protect the delegation, including myself. Seraphita-san has the know-how and knowledge to negotiate with people from other countries, and she is a former queen, so she has status, but she is a woman and not strong enough to protect herself.


    But with the two of us together, we can fulfill our role as diplomatic envoys. The three oni girls, Grande, fifty elite riflemen, and a few harpies would be enough to escort us, and if we had a staff to take care of Seraphita-san¡¯s personal needs and a civil servant, it would probably be enough for a hastily created diplomatic mission.


    ¡°I understand the situation. But I thought that if we were going to negotiate, Melty would come.¡±


    ¡°At first, I was planning to send Melty, but then¡­ Mother came forward and said that Melty would have a lot of work to do in Merinesburg, that she would have time on her hands, that she would be able to fulfill the role, and that if she were to be assassinated, it would not have a major impact on the mission.¡±


    ¡°No, it would be a big deal if she was assassinated.¡±


    ¡°Of course, it would be a big deal, but it¡¯s true that it wouldn¡¯t shake the very foundation of the Merinard kingdom. Melty is certainly busy, and there is no doubt that it would be better for her to stay in Merinesburg. If Melty were to be assassinated or captured, the Merinard kingdom could collapse from within.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t see any vision of Melty being assassinated or captured.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t either.¡±


    I think Melty would tear them to shreds even if they put iron fetters on him. If it¡¯s Melty, even if she¡¯s bound with iron shackles, she¡¯s going to tear them off. Because she tore through a thick blast-proof door with her bare hands before¡­ I get shivers down my spine when I think back to that time.


    Anyway, I guess that means I¡¯ll stick around until the end on this one. Understood. So, what¡¯s the direction you¡¯re going with the policy? Reparations? We don¡¯t want any territory, right?


    ¡°Yeah, we don¡¯t need the territory. We should focus more on the inside than the outside now, and there are plenty of places in the country that need to be cultivated. But if we are going to talk about it, it would be better if we included Mother in the discussion, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. I¡¯ll go get her.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    I went to call Seraphita-san, and the three of us had a long talk about the diplomatic policy with the two northern countries.

 CH 279

    Chapter 279 ¨C This Happens Regularly


    It was the day after I had discussed diplomatic policy regarding the two northern countries with Seraphita-san and Sylphy, who was on the other side of the golem communicator, and with Melty, who had joined us later.


    ¡°We¡¯re here.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you came¡­¡±


    Sylphy arrived at the northern base with Melty, Isla, Ellen, and the others. So now Merinesburg is empty. There are some rather troublesome ambassadors of the Varyag Empire. I mean, this sudden visit is just like that. After all, Sylphy and Seraphita-san are mother and daughter.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s going on all of a sudden? I think we had a good discussion about our future plans.¡±


    When I said that, Sylphy suddenly started to have tears in her eyes. No, not just tears, but tears were welling up in her eyes.


    ¡°Wait, wait, wait, what happened all of a sudden?¡±


    ¡°Ueee!¡±


    Sylphy suddenly started to cry. What is this? What in the world should I do! Sylphy¡¯s cute¨Dor rather beautiful¨Dface has turned into a rather unfortunate mess with tears and snot.


    ¡°Guoooooo!¡±


    Sylphy jumped on me at a blinding speed and hugged me as hard as she could.


    ¡°Oh noooo! Don¡¯t leave meeee!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Wait a minute, you¡¯re holding me so tight! It¡¯s breaking, it¡¯s breaking!¡±


    ¡°Uwaa-aaa-aaa©`©`!!¡±


    ¡°Uwaa-aaa-aaa©`©`!!¡±


    It took about thirty minutes for Sylphy to stop crying.


    ¡°Then what the heck happened?¡±


    Melty quickly rescued me from Sylphy¡¯s bearhug, so my bones didn¡¯t get all busted up, and I looked around at Sylphy, who was still sniffing and sobbing as Seraphita-san patted her head, and at Melty, Isla, Ellen, and the others, who were all making awkward faces.


    ¡°Uh, well, it all started with a word I said¡­ and I didn¡¯t mean to cause any harm.


    It was Melty who started the conversation. According to Melty, after yesterday¡¯s discussion, she casually muttered, ¡°Today, we only talked about work.¡± And Sylphy was very concerned about that.


    It was also wrong that I was too attentive. I just listened to what Sylphy said and hardly expressed my dissatisfaction. I never said that I missed Sylphy or that I wanted to relax in Merinesburg. Sylphy thought that I might be satisfied with the current situation of spending time away from her. Such anxieties made Sylphy feel uneasy.


    I really, from the bottom of my heart, thought that I had to stay at the northern base for a while and play the role of a diplomat with Seraphita-san in view of the current situation. I thought that complaining would only annoy Sylphy and Melty. But Sylphy did not think so.


    There were the oni girls and Grande at the northern base, and the newly recruited harpies, and even Seraphita-san had come here. There is no shortage of beautiful, lovely women who adore me. Moreover, Sylphy herself has been offering me various jobs and dispatching me to various places in the country, and when I think about it, she has been relying on my strength and not rewarding me sufficiently.


    Anxiety and frustration swelled up in Sylphy¡¯s heart. Melty was concerned about Sylphy, who suddenly began to look serious, but she was busy working to realize what they had discussed, so she left Sylphy alone. And she did.


    Distressed, Sylphy decided to talk with Isla at that time. The way she talked with Isla was not good.


    ¡°Isla, no matter how close you are, you still need to be paid for your work, right?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, of course. It is not good to make someone work just because they are your family. If you continue to do so, they will eventually lose heart, and it may lead to a fatal breakdown. In most cases, those who have the ability to work for free will leave because they are fed up with it. If they go elsewhere, they will be rewarded handsomely.¡±


    Isla didn¡¯t think that Sylphy would be so worried about me and spoke in generalities.


    ¡°Leave out of affection¡­¡±


    Well, I think Isla has a point. I would be displeased if I was forced to work overtime just because I was a friend or a spouse and didn¡¯t receive even a word of praise, and if that continued, I might even grow tired of it. However, I don¡¯t feel that way at this point, and if I did, I would express my dissatisfaction to Sylphy. I don¡¯t want to keep this kind of thing bottled up inside. It is futile to demand telepathy like an esper without saying anything.


    And Ellen¡¯s words, which she did not mean to offend, put the final nail in the coffin of Sylphy.


    ¡°Sylphiel-san, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s time to bring Kosuke back to Merinesburg? If you don¡¯t spend too much time together for too long, you will be forgotten. There are many women there who like Kosuke.¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯ll be forgotten¡­¡±


    And so, when Melty found Sylphy on her knees in bed, anxious and unable to sleep, she asked her what was going on, ran the air board, and came here in a hurry. I see.


    ¡°Well, yeah¡­ Sylphy.¡±


    I patted my lap after calling her name, and she moved from Seraphita-san¡¯s place to my lap with great speed and became sweet. Isla and Seraphita-san are looking enviously at her. Please be patient, both of you. I mean, Seraphita-san is envious because Sylphy came to my lap, right? She¡¯s not envious of Sylphy being spoiled by me, is she?


    ¡°Um¡­ what do you think I should do about it? Do you want me to stop going to the two northern countries?¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so. It would be better if Seraphita-sama and I were to take turns, but if it¡¯s not Kosuke-san, it would not be so good in terms of status¡­ Sir Leonard might be able to take your place, but in terms of personality, he¡¯s not so good¡­¡±


    ¡°I think he¡¯s surprisingly strong, and I don¡¯t think he¡¯s unsuitable for the job.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but it was Kosuke-san who participated in the battle with the two northern countries this time, and Kosuke-san is still the best person for the job.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°I would be happy to accompany Kosuke to reinforce his authority. It would also be a way to show that the Kingdom of Merinard and the ¡°Adol religion¡± are working well together.¡±


    Ellen nonchalantly offered to accompany me. Ellen quietly offers to accompany us. Indeed, Ellen is also a saintess of the ¡°Adol religion,¡± and there may be a positive effect by making the assumption that we are from the same country that accepts the ¡°Adol religion¡± as well.


    ¡°Mmm¡­¡±


    Sylphy, who was listening to the exchange, grumbled and pressed her face against my stomach. Yes, yes, Queen-sama, you should restrain yourself, okay? I patted her head, and she calmed down. Is she a child? No, she is still a child according to the age of elves, right? Come to think of it, Sylphy is the youngest of the four sisters. In fact, Sylphy is even younger than the loli Aquawill-san.


    ¡°Once the work is done, we¡¯ll take another vacation together and go somewhere. It could be the Black Forest, the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom, or the Varyag Empire. If I ask Grande, we can fly anywhere, and even if it¡¯s too far to get to in a day, we can go down to a suitable place and make accommodations and be comfortable wherever we want to go. As a reward for my hard work, give me the time to spend with Sylphy. That will be my reward.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I love you, Kosuke.¡±


    Sylphy puts her arms around my waist and hugs me tightly. Hahaha, what a sweetheart.


    ¡°That¡¯s not fair.¡±


    ¡°Please give me a reward like that, too.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like that reward, too.¡±


    Isla, Melty, and Ellen were eating up to it. Seraphita-san is also looking at me, and her long ears are twitching furiously.


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to work out the schedule on your own. Sylphy first.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡±


    ¡°As for me, I¡¯ll be fine as always.¡±


    Ellen is too free. That¡¯s because she¡¯s practically like the head of a nostalgic group, and since she¡¯s not tied down to government work, it¡¯s relatively easy for her to make time for it.


    ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m not dissatisfied with the way things are. I miss spending time with Sylphy, but I¡¯m doing my best, thinking that if I can get through this, we can be together again.¡±


    Sylphy nodded her head as she buried her face in my stomach. Sylphy tends to have mental instability like this on a regular basis, but in terms of the mental age of elves, her strong and resolute normal mental state is abnormal, and this is probably her true age-appropriate mental state. Seraphita-san also had a serious expression on her face, as if she had come to the same conclusion as I had.


    ¡°By the way, is it all right for all of you to leave Merinesburg unoccupied?¡±


    ¡°It will be fine for about three days. We can communicate with each other via the golem communicator, and if the need arises, we can be back on the air board in less than half a day.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ Well, take your time.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I will discuss the contents of the diplomatic letter to be sent to the Duchy of Dihart and the Kingdom of Tigris with Seraphita-sama and proceed to write it.¡±


    Then Melty smiled, and it was a happy smile. Oh, yeah, just don¡¯t push them too hard and make it sound like you¡¯re going to fight the whole war. Please. I¡¯m begging you.

 CH 280

    Chapter 280 ¨C It¡¯s Like Gunboat Diplomacy


    Sylphy and the others stayed for three days, as they announced, and then returned to Merinesburg.


    ¡°Don¡¯t wanna, don¡¯t wanna, don¡¯t wanna. Kosuke and I will be together forever!¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, we have work to do, so let¡¯s go home.¡±


    ¡°See you later.¡±


    Finally, dragging Sylphy, who was lying on the floor and screaming, Melty and Isla returned to Merinesburg.


    ¡°What a joke that that is the queen of a country.¡±


    ¡°She may be a queen, but she is still a person, a woman. Well, she¡¯s also appropriate for her age.¡±


    ¡°Age-appropriate¡­?¡±


    Ellen tilted her head at Seraphita-san¡¯s comment.


    ¡°The life span of an elf is about five hundred years, and by the way, Sylphy is thirty-seven years old¡­ isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°I think that¡¯s right. In terms of human age, in terms of mental age, she would originally be around ten years old, right? Though, she is quite mature on the surface because of her environment.¡±


    Incidentally, if you apply the life expectancy as it is, it is the equivalent of three to four years old. Well, the speed of physical growth and mental maturity is different between humans and elves, so it is nonsense to directly convert the two.


    ¡°Stop looking at me like that. At first, I didn¡¯t know that¡­ or, for all intents and purposes, she¡¯d look like a respectable adult.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s for sure.¡±


    Ellen was convinced by my defense. In addition, she stopped looking at me as if I were a criminal. Thank goodness, my dignity was protected.


    ¡°Anyway, now that Sylphy and the others are back in Merinesburg, I will contact the two northern countries. In such a case, it is customary to dispatch an envoy, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I think it is common practice to send envoys to each other to decide where the meeting will be held and then to go to the meeting.¡±


    Seraphita-san responded to my question with a nod. Ellen nodded next to her, so I guess the etiquette is the same in both the Merinard Kingdom and the Holy Kingdom.


    ¡°The contents of the diplomatic letter were also extremely intimidating, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. It implied that if they did not fully surrender, apologize and make reparations, we would destroy cities and villages near the border in turn.¡±


    ¡°Then, I will decide whether or not to actually do it.¡±


    I¡¯m the number two in the Merinard Kingdom, and not only Sylphy but also Melty and Isla told me that I should have that kind of discretion. Seraphita-san agreed, and Ellen and the other members of the Adol nostalgia group did not say anything, but they looked at me as if it was natural.


    ¡°If you want to be extremely intimidating, then let¡¯s go through with it.¡±


    ¡°Go through it?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I was thinking of using golem diplomacy instead of gunboat diplomacy.¡±


    Seraphita-san and Ellen tilted their heads at the same time at my words.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    A strong light was seen in the direction of the border fort, and exactly one week after the soldiers stationed at the fort fled here with their limp bodies to the city of Brignolph, it appeared.


    ¡°W-what the hell is that¡­?¡±


    On that day, Ilanus, a sentry on guard at the southern gate of Brignolph, spotted a figure walking toward the city from far to the south. It was clad in heavy, shiny black armor all over and was leading a horse-drawn cart with no horses at its feet. No, no matter how he looked at it, the size was not right. He rubbed his eyes repeatedly and shook his head to see what was approaching.


    He thought it was a figure, but it was not a human being. There was no such thing as a huge human being. Even a large subhuman, such as a demon tribe, would not be that tall. Anyway, whatever the true identity of the thing was, it was highly unlikely that the people coming from the south would be friendly. As a member of the guard, Ilanus was informed of what he needed to know. Naturally, he knows about the invasion of the Kingdom of Merinard in the south that took place during the winter.


    He had not yet heard of the outcome of that war, but the garrisoned soldiers at the fort who had fled to Brignolph a week earlier were anything but ordinary. He had also heard a rumor that a high-ranking general by the name of something or another had also been defeated while he was off duty.


    If this was the case, there was a good chance that it was the fighting force of the Merinard Kingdom. Ilanus decided so and began to pound the gongs for the alarm with a wooden mallet.


    ¡°Alert! Alert! An unidentified group is approaching from the south! Soldiers in armor as big as the city walls and vehicles that look like horse-drawn carriages without horses!¡±


    The town of Brignolph was suddenly in an uproar as if it had been poked by a beehive.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    ¡°Is this what you call golem diplomacy?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s quite intimidating, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    We, the delegation of the Kingdom of Merinard, had entered the territory of the Kingdom of Tigris and were right under the nose of the city of Brignolph, the largest of the cities near the border. We were positioned in good proximity, and with my abilities, I quickly built a small fortress, and in addition to the three heavily armed golems I had leading the way, there were twelve more golem warriors¨Dclose combat golems armed with custom-made steel weapons and shields¨Dwere taken out of my inventory and placed in a defensive position.


    And the flag of the Merinard Kingdom is raised high and fluttering in the wind. This will give them a good idea of our affiliation.


    ¡°This far-sighted tube is good. I can see things very well in the distance.¡±


    Ellen looks at Brignolph through binoculars and says happily. The sound of ringing bells is heard intermittently and continuously from the direction of Brignolph. Since it is obvious that the people coming from the south are related to us from the kingdom of Merinard, it is only natural that there would be a big commotion. In the blink of an eye, the fort was built, and it was only natural for them to panic when twelve ridiculously large golems were added all at once. To put it bluntly, these 12 golem warriors alone could completely knock down the walls surrounding the city of Brignolph.


    ¡°This is Capri. Danna-han, there are many soldiers gathering at the south wall of Brignolph.¡±


    ¡°Maintain a safe altitude and continue to monitor the area. Contact me if there is any movement.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir¡­ Ah, Dannna-han, five cavalrymen with white flags have left the gate and are headed your way.¡±


    ¡°Copy that. Let me know if there¡¯s any other movement.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    The communication from Capri, the brown-feathered harpy accompanying this diplomatic mission, is disconnected. She is unusually good at night vision among harpies, so I asked her to follow us to be on the lookout for assassinations under cover of darkness. I might go all the way to the capital of the Tigris Kingdom, you know. Hence, Pessar stayed at home on the base.


    ¡°Are we needed here?¡±


    ¡°Golem can¡¯t enter the building, can it?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what I mean. Well, we¡¯re big, too, so we don¡¯t want to be in a building with a low ceiling.¡±


    The oni girls have also come along. The golem is good for warfare but not so good as an escort.


    ¡°Kosuke, I¡¯m hungry.¡±


    ¡°Grande-sama, here are some sandwiches.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­. I¡¯ll eat it.¡±


    Amalie-san started to take care of Grande, who started to grumble at the perfect time.


    Incidentally, Ellen¡¯s other attendant, Bertha-san, remains at the base, or rather at the Mesotherium, with the priests of the Adol nostalgic faction, ¡®taking care¡¯ of the local Adol mainstream. Apparently, the Adol religion people in the Mesotherium were on the outs. She smiled a scary smile and said that it had been a long time since she had served as an inquisitor.


    Ellen¡¯s truth-seeking eye can tell the truth of a statement, but she is not good at getting detailed information out of people. It is Bertha-san¡¯s job as the inquisitor to get a lot of information out of them after giving an out judgment. When I asked her out of curiosity what method she would use to get the information out, she said, ¡°Do you want to hear it?¡¡Would you like to try it?¡± I politely declined. It is a secret that I thought I might get scared of.


    ¡°Kosuke, the horseman with the white flag is almost here.¡±


    ¡°Let me see¡­? Oh, that man.¡±


    Among the messengers of the Tigris Kingdom with white flags, I spotted a familiar face. That¡¯s the general called Macrito, who was commanding the invasion force. He looks a bit thinner and paler than the last time I saw him, but I¡¯m pretty sure that¡¯s him.


    ¡°Do you know him?¡±


    ¡°Yes, the general who commanded the invasion force. If he¡¯s here, he might be able to help us.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ So the horror of Kosuke-sama has sunk deep into his bones.¡±


    Seraphita-san, when you say it like that, you make me sound like a scary person. I¡¯m a generally well-behaved, peace-loving survivalist, yes. I think I can hear a voice saying something like doubt.

 CH 281

    Chapter 281- High-pressure Response


    ¡°Hello, Macrito-dono. I¡¯m here because the messenger offering surrender and an apology never arrived.¡±


    I said from the balcony at the front of the fort, looking down at Macrito-dono sitting on his horse. Golem warriors surrounded them on both sides and behind, ready to flatten them in an instant if I gave the order. Naturally, Macrito-dono and his companions seemed to understand this, and their faces went beyond pale at this point.


    ¡°Kosuke-dono, I would like to know the intention of your actions.¡±


    ¡°I have just told you. We have come all the way here to demand total surrender, apology, and compensation for your despicable act of aggression. If not accepted, we intend to destroy, loot, and burn every city and village on the road to the royal capital.¡±


    It was a bluff. I don¡¯t intend to destroy the towns and villages that can¡¯t even put up a resistance, let alone the civilians. Well, I¡¯m willing to destroy the gates, walls, and military facilities as a pretext.


    ¡°I-if such a thing is allowed¡­!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a strange thing to say. The Tigris Royal Army conspired with the Duchy of Dihart to invade the Kingdom of Merinard. You were going to do the same thing if we didn¡¯t fight you off, weren¡¯t you? Of course, if you were going to do it, you had to be prepared for what you would get back, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    As I looked down at him, Macrito-dono fell silent. Well, yes, that¡¯s right. If the war was really launched with the intention of invasion, it is only natural that the people would be destroyed and looted.


    ¡°That said. We honestly don¡¯t have time to worry about you either. If we¡¯re going to do this, it¡¯s one of two ways deal.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by one of two things?¡±


    ¡°The first is to conclude a non-aggression pact and a trade treaty and to pay reparations. If you accept the terms we give you, that¡¯s fine. As long as the treaties are kept, we don¡¯t have to worry about each other, and trade will keep the economy going. And as long as you settle up, we can focus on other things, and you don¡¯t have to be afraid of us.¡±


    This is generally what is written in the diplomatic documents prepared in advance. Well, the contents of the non-aggression pact and the trade pact are mostly one-sided in favor of the Merinard Kingdom. The Kingdom of Tigris offered their underage royal children to the Kingdom of Merinard as hostages, and in the trade treaty, the content was unequal in that the Kingdom of Merinard wouldn¡¯t recognize the Tigris side¡¯s right of tariff autonomy. Furthermore, we are demanding a huge amount of money as reparations for the invasion. It would be impossible to accept the terms of the treaty as they are.


    Of course, we do not want to force them to accept these conditions either. Instead, we intend to extract concessions on other issues in exchange for loosening the conditions.


    Well, we will establish each other¡¯s embassies, allow our ambassadors and diplomats to have extraterritorial jurisdiction, appoint the sons and daughters of royalty and other influential people as ambassadors and diplomats from their side, and also accept ¡°foreign students¡± in the Kingdom of Merinard. However, these ambassadors, diplomats, and foreign students would not be granted extraterritorial rights or something like that.


    As for reparations, since the history of my world has proven that imposing a huge amount of money that cannot be paid is not worth it, I intend to settle on a moderate amount in the end and make them accept some favorable conditions in exchange. For example, I¡¯m going to make them build a temple of Adol nostalgia, or I¡¯m going to offer to gradually eliminate the mainstream. Or we could conclude a secret treaty to gradually eliminate the influence of the Holy Kingdom in the Kingdom of Tigris. If they are willing to do so, we can support them.


    Since the invasion this time was probably ordered by the Holy Kingdom, dissatisfaction with the Holy Kingdom must be growing among those who suffered a heavy defeat because of it. If they say they will turn to us after witnessing the military power of the Merinard Kingdom, we can give them a little candy. The Kingdom of Tigris is in the same situation as the Kingdom of Merinard was a short time ago.


    ¡°¡­What¡¯s the other thing?¡±


    ¡°As I said before, it¡¯s a bit complicated, but we¡¯ll go up to the capital, capture and kill as many of your royalty as we can, and then your capital will be obliterated. Just like that border fort. Of course, we will also make an example of all the towns and villages on the way to the capital. If you knew which way was up, would you be inclined to follow? What, it won¡¯t take a month. This time, I won¡¯t give you two weeks. You will see more and more cities and villages disappear every day.¡±


    This is a hard line, but I don¡¯t intend to take it too far. In the worst-case scenario, we may be forced to take this measure, but probably not. If the Kingdom of Tigris gathers its troops and attacks us at this point, there is a possibility that we will have to go in this direction. I¡¯m sure Macrito-dono is aware of our power and will definitely stop them, so I don¡¯t think it will be a problem.


    ¡°T-that¡¯s not possible! That¡¯s bullshit!¡±


    One of the men accompanying Macrito-dono, a middle-aged man with the appearance of an aristocrat, shouts, dripping with greasy sweat.


    ¡°You think it is impossible? Do you think I can¡¯t do it? I¡¯ve eliminated the border fortresses of the Duchy of Dihart and the Kingdom of Tigris in a single day, you know? Do you really think so? If you want, I can show you that I can make Brignolph disappear right now.¡±


    Saying this in a grim voice, I pulled out three new self-destructing golems equipped with magic sparkling stone bombs from my inventory. From their point of view, it must have looked as if three new golems had suddenly appeared. Well, they probably don¡¯t know that these are self-destructive golems.


    ¡°W-wait! No, please wait! W-we can¡¯t judge¡­ and if we don¡¯t even know what the treaty says before that, we can¡¯t reply!¡±


    Macrito-dono said in a bloodthirsty tone. Is that his outstretched hand a gesture of ¡°Calm down, we¡¯ll understand if we talk?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true, too. Capri.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes.¡±


    I hand the diplomatic document to Capri, and she takes it under her arm, flies off the ramparts, and lands softly on the ground. She then handed the diplomatic note to Macrito-dono and returned immediately.


    ¡°If that were true, I expect to hear back from you tomorrow¡­¡±


    ¡°Impossible! It would take four days to get to the royal capital from here, no matter how fast we can get there on horseback!¡±


    Macrito-dono screamed in desperation. Hmm, four days, huh?


    ¡°Then it¡¯s ten days; I¡¯ll wait only ten days. If there is no concrete response after ten days, we will use force. If I detect any movement to attack us before then, I will immediately attack Brignolph. Move with caution, okay? Don¡¯t upset my mood.¡±


    ¡°A-alright. No, I understand. I ask you to be calm as well.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s up to you. I¡¯m already irritated by the wait. Oh, if you can afford it, you can tell the Duchy of Dihart. I¡¯m going to pay a visit to the Duchy of Dihart next.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I mean very well¡­ I¡¯ll take the document back for the time being.¡±


    ¡°Do that.¡±


    I shook my chin, and the golem warriors who had been blocking their retreat moved to clear the way. Macrito-dono and his men turned their horses around and withdrew to Brignolph.


    After seeing them off, Capri shouted out when their figures were as small as peas.


    ¡°Eeehh¡­ I¡¯m getting the chills from Danna-han just now.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°The usual gentle Danna-han is good, but a dignified husband like earlier is good, too.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so impertinent even though you¡¯re Kosuke.¡±


    Ellen, who had been sitting quietly behind me, kicked me in the Achilles tendon area. Hey, stop it, it hurts, and it¡¯s dangerous.


    ¡°Fufu, I think Kosuke-sama will make a fine king, won¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°Give me a break. I¡¯m just a little guy who¡¯s trying to be cool.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? I thought you were rather dignified.¡±


    ¡°I think you had more dignity than those thugs.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t use those thugs as a comparison¡­¡±


    Seraphita-san and the demon girls are also lifting me up¡­ They are just trying to lift me up, aren¡¯t they?


    ¡°Hmph¡­ Compared to me, you still have a long way to go.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right.¡±


    Grande, who was out in the back, buried in a cushion, so far back that she couldn¡¯t be seen by Macrito-dono and the others, told me that.


    ¡°What is it? You have something to say?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s dignified; I think that¡¯s intimidating.¡±


    Grande, who had a rugged tail with a slime cover on it, began to rub the stone floor with her tail, and Bella was quick to respond. Good, say more. If possible, you should take the hate so that I don¡¯t get pecked by that tail. I want you to do your job as my bodyguard to the best of your ability.


    ¡°Whatever it is, let¡¯s take it easy for a while, shall we? What shall we do for the next ten days?¡±


    If only the Kingdom of Tigris had a golem communicator, we wouldn¡¯t have to wait so long. Well, it can¡¯t be helped. I¡¯m going to spend my time in a place out of sight so that I won¡¯t be ridiculed by those people.

 CH 282

    Chapter 282 ¨C The Existence of a Saint


    Now, it is not that it suddenly came out of the blue¡­ but rather, it is a ten-day gap that we have been expecting. We have to spend these ten days being careful not to be underestimated by the opponent.


    Incidentally, my companions this time were Ellen and Amalie-san (the Adol nostalgia group and the attendant), Seraphita-san (my assistant), the oni girls, Grande (my guard and escort?), and Capri and the other harpies (scout and bombing squads?). and twenty elite magic riflemen.


    Although the number was small, the force was sufficient because of the increase in the number of golems.


    In addition, the fort built near the town of Brignolph is of a reasonable size, so there is enough space for everyone to live comfortably. Water is also available from an unlimited water source, and I¡¯ve set up a small farm on the extra land. I planted seeds and seedlings directly on the farm blocks I set up, so we¡¯ll have several harvests before we leave this place.


    Well, that¡¯s fine. It¡¯s not important. Now is the time for me to do a lot of thinking.


    ¡°Whew¡­¡±


    Looking at the city of Brignolph from the top of the fort¡¯s defensive wall. I don¡¯t know the exact population, but it¡¯s a decent-sized town. Maybe a little smaller than Erichburg. The population of Erichburg was around 10,000, so probably around the same.


    ¡°At least as big as that one city¡­¡±


    The number of soldiers of the Duchy of Dihart and the Kingdom of Tigris that I killed and wounded in this war is more than the number of people in that city. When I think of it as just a number, it seems less real, but when I consider that the number is far greater than the number of people living in that city, something bitter rises in my heart.


    I am prepared to go to hell together with Sylphy. In other words, I am prepared to trample on other people¡¯s loved ones in order to protect myself and my loved ones. However, when I suddenly see a scene like this, I wonder if what I am doing is right. It makes me realize that I am the one who tramples on other people¡¯s happiness in order to make myself happy.


    ¡°How do heroes come to terms with such a situation?¡±


    Do they just let it go and say, ¡®It¡¯s war; it can¡¯t be helped?¡¯ Or do they forget all about it by indulging in alcohol and women? Or will they just forget about it all? What should I do?


    ¡°Kosuke.¡±


    ¡°Ellen, huh?¡±


    I turned around to see Ellen standing there. Her crimson eyes were staring into mine.


    ¡°What are you doing in the dusk? It doesn¡¯t suit you.¡±


    ¡°What kind of talk is that? I have my moments when I want to be in a dusky mood.¡±


    Ellen walked up next to me, and we stood side by side, looking at the streets of Brignolph.


    ¡°So, what is troubling you? I¡¯m a clergyman, so I can listen to you.¡±


    ¡°You act like high and mighty¡­ well, you are high and mighty. You are a saint, after all.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am a saint, a precious saint. I¡¯m great.¡±


    ¡°Which one is greater compared to me, a saint and a prince consort?¡±


    ¡°How can Kosuke be greater than me, no matter what his position?¡±


    The saint, with an earnest, serious face. She looked like she wanted to say, ¡®What are you talking about?¡¯


    ¡°I guess so. So, you¡¯re going to help me with my problem?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I, the kind-hearted one, will guide the lost lamb.¡±


    Ellen makes a smug face as she stretches her chest out. It¡¯s hard to tell because of her outfit, but there¡¯s a lot there. I guess Ellen noticed my gaze and kicked me in the shin. Okay, I¡¯m sorry, please don¡¯t do that. It hurts me.


    ¡°It¡¯s totally disrespectful. You have too many worldly desires to call yourself a saint.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Saint-sama. I will devote myself to you.¡±


    ¡°Do so. So, what has been troubling you?¡±


    Since Ellen will see through the lie anyway, I¡¯ll tell her everything that¡¯s bothering me. I have long ago prepared myself to go to hell with Sylphy, but I still feel remorse for what I am doing at a moment¡¯s notice.


    ¡°¡­I see; it¡¯s a legitimate concern. I am a little surprised that even you can think like that.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that awful?¡±


    ¡°Fufu, I¡¯m just kidding. But it is a very difficult problem. If I were an ordinary clergyman, I would console you by saying that you did what you had to do¡­¡±


    Then Ellen closed her eyes and prayed as if in thought. Ellen has a really beautiful face when I look at her like this. I was so distressed earlier, but just by seeing Ellen in front of me, all I can think of is how pretty and beautiful she is. It was obvious, wasn¡¯t it?


    ¡°You have great power. Whether it is God who gave it to you or not, as long as you are with that power, you will continue to have a great influence on many people. That is the fate of those who have been given power by God.¡±


    Ellen stared at me with her crimson eyes. She, of all people, has been given eyes that can see the truth and has lived up to this point in her life. The story has a real weight to it.


    ¡°I suppose you are lamenting the fact that you are now using your power to bring death and misfortune to so many people. That is proof that you still have the heart to care for others. That heart should never be lost.¡±


    ¡°But what is painful is painful no matter what.¡±


    At first, the entire fortress and the soldiers of the Holy Kingdom were blown up with explosives. Then most of the survivors lost their lives in the darkness, devoured by Gizma.


    Since then, I have made guns, bombs, air boards, and golems to kill ¡®enemies.¡¯ I have made them be killed. The soldiers who died must have been someone¡¯s lover, son, daughter, father, mother, husband, or wife. I have killed them, had them killed, and spread misfortune around.


    And that¡¯s not all. I have let Sylphy take back the kingdom of Merinard, and as a result, the subhumans in the kingdom of Merinard have been liberated. However, this must have led to the destruction of the lives of the people of the Holy Kingdom, who had been living by using the subhuman people for their own good.


    Now, there must be people who are unhappy here and there in the Merinard Kingdom. From my point of view, the people who have been using subhumans for their own good and leading a comfortable life are like unforgivable enemies, but from a different point of view, they were right. They were good. At least in the Kingdom of Merinard under the rule of the Holy Kingdom. I was responsible for destroying the lives of those ¡®good¡¯ people.


    And now the invasion of the north. They acted to invade the Kingdom of Merinard. But was this what they wanted? I do not think that this is entirely true. There must have been a little bit of pressure from the Holy Kingdom. I am sure that neither country could have refused a request from a suzerain state with overwhelming national power.


    I killed and wounded them without mercy. By the gunfire of the magic riflemen, by the bombing of the harpy bombing squads, by the overwhelming violence of the golems, and by the extreme light of the magic sparkling stone bombs.


    Of course, I was thinking in my own way. This time, I decided to frustrate my opponent¡¯s will to fight by showing overwhelming power from the very beginning to avoid a prolonged battle. For this reason, I dared to annihilate the enemy without mercy.


    After all, I believe that only stronger violence can deter violence. You may disagree with me, but at least I believe so. Because the history of the Earth proves it.


    It is not worth it to engage in a fight with them.


    I believe that letting them know that is the only and absolute way to stop the exchange of violence.


    There is no way to discuss things with someone who is going to attack you from the very beginning. First, show them your power by hitting them. Only after that can discussions be held. Of course, if someone tries to settle things with discussion from the beginning, it is best to settle things with discussion, but the world is not so easy. There are plenty of people who think it is quicker to beat someone to death and rob them than to discuss things with them.


    That is why I have dyed my hands red with blood. I¡¯m sure that the amount of blood that would have flowed in the end would have been less than if we had fought a long and drawn-out war. No doubt.


    ¡°Your sins should never be justified.¡±


    Ellen¡¯s words pierced deeply into my chest, which had been submerged in a sea of supremacy. With those words, my head instantly went cold.


    ¡°You must bear your sins. You should not reopen the door. Your hands are stained with blood. You have caused so much misery.¡±


    While saying this, Ellen put her own hand on mine and intertwined her fingers with mine. Warmth poured from Ellen¡¯s soft hand.


    ¡°But your hands, your power is not just about sprinkling death and misery. You know that. To atone for your sins, you must give life and happiness to others that far exceeds the death and misery you have spread. If you have killed 10,000 people and made 30,000 people unhappy, let 100,000 people live and make 300,000 people happy. I am sure you can do it.¡±


    ¡°You speak harshly, Saint-sama¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s natural. It¡¯s easy to just comfort someone at a time like this. You can comfort them by saying, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you have done everything for me; you don¡¯t have to worry about anything.¡¯ But that¡¯s just a trick. Those are sweet, poisonous words.¡±


    Her crimson eyes fixed on me.


    ¡°I do not intend to say such words to you. Sin is sin, and it should be rightly acknowledged and rightly atoned for. That is the right thing to do.¡±


    ¡°If I save someone ten times as many times as I killed them, ten times as many times as I made them unhappy, will that atone for my sin?¡±


    ¡°Only God knows. You can do it not ten times but twenty, thirty, or even a hundred times. Give it your all.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s hard.¡±


    ¡°Of course. I have devoted myself to you, so I expect you to do at least that much for me.¡±


    Ellen then untangled her fingers from my hand and pulled herself away from me.


    ¡°Sometimes it is necessary to reflect. But don¡¯t do it alone. You have many people you can talk to.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true, though¡­¡±


    I am sure that everyone else will comfort me, but I don¡¯t think they will ever scold me like Ellen did. Maybe if they comforted me, I could forget my troubles for a time.


    ¡°You really need me, don¡¯t you? It can¡¯t be helped. Whenever you are troubled, I will show you the way. Be sure to ask me for advice. Is that clear?¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    I nodded my head. Because I somehow felt that my heart became lighter after Ellen gave me a sermon. It is simple, clear, and easy to understand that for every person you make unhappy, you should make more people happy.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to be honest. Now it¡¯s time for dinner. Amalie is cooking for us today.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it. Amalie-san¡¯s cooking is simple but delicious.¡±


    ¡°As for me, I would prefer something a little more meaty or sweet.¡±


    I follow Ellen¡¯s back as she walks ahead of me, wondering what it would be like to be a clergyman.


    I feel like I¡¯m going to sleep well today.

 CH 283

    Chapter 283 ¨C Ten Days of Laziness


    Ten days is quite a long time. Since there is basically nothing to do but stay holed up in the fort, I am killing time by doing moderate exercise, taking care of my weapons, armor, and tools, having a barbecue contest for no particular reason, holding an air board driving class, and so on.


    Eh? Nightlife? That¡¯s, you see, Seraphita-san is here, too, so I have to stay low-key.


    ¡°I smell another woman¡­¡±


    Seraphita-san hugged me from behind as I stood in front of the golem workbench and said something frightening.


    ¡°Where do you learn to do that? That kind of thing.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a common expression in the royal court romance stories and such.¡±


    Can you stop hugging me and keep snuggling me while saying that? Or rather, what is it with the pressing and the cheek rubbing? Are you marking me or something? It¡¯s scary.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to ask you something, Kosuke-sama.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Speaking of that, Seraphita-san started to call me by ¡°sama¡± instead of ¡°san¡± before I knew it. I think we have talked about calling each other ¡°san¡± before.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you touch me?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve come straight to the point¡­¡±


    I stopped fiddling with the crafting menu and looked up to the sky. I have been in danger, but I have not crossed the line with Seraphita-san in any way. Or rather, I have not touched Sylphy¡¯s family. The reason why is because, well, the ethics of my former world, which is almost dead, strongly insist that ¡°that¡¯s just not right,¡± and I¡¯m protecting the last line.


    ¡°To be honest, there¡¯s no particularly profound reason for this¡­ What about that in terms of my homeland¡¯s ethics¡­? I¡¯m just wondering. I¡¯d say that¡¯s what¡¯s putting the brakes on it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve heard that from Sylphiel as well. I heard that monogamy was the norm in Kosuke-sama¡¯s homeland. I heard that it was considered an act of infidelity and was severely condemned if a man with a partner was involved with someone else of the opposite sex.¡±


    ¡°Yes, well, yes.¡±


    ¡°Is it too late for that?¡±


    ¡°Of course it is.¡±


    Seraphita-san really hit a sore spot. It would be a little more reasonable if I had only touched Sylphy, but after having touched Isla, the harpies, Melty, Grande, Ellen, and the oni girls, it would be unreasonable to say no to Seraphita-san. It is a fair argument that cannot be ignored.


    ¡°It¡¯s a bit of a mess, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s so frustrating.¡±


    ¡°I wish I didn¡¯t have to think about all the details.¡±


    A little further away, an outsider buried in the no-good oni sofa that I had specially made for her is making a lot of noise.


    ¡°Why won¡¯t she just push him down with a single thrust?¡±


    ¡°I think so. Isn¡¯t Danna-san weak against pushovers?¡±


    Instead of me pushing her down, Seraphita-san is pushing me down.


    ¡°How long do I have to watch this farce?¡±


    ¡°Eleonora-sama, this is the place to watch in silence.¡±


    Ellen and Amalie-san are watching Seraphita-san and me at the table while drinking tea. I mean, there are a lot of hurdles to overcome when you are not alone with them.


    ¡°I understand. I really wanted Kosuke-sama to take action, but in this situation, I had no choice. I will use my strength.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mean that I understand. Please don¡¯t get agitated and go on a rampage!¡±


    Seraphita-san hugged me from behind and tried to pull me into the bedroom, and I resisted by clinging to the golem workbench. I mean, if she hugged me so hard, my back would be so happy that it would make me lose strength.


    ¡°Since Seraphita-sama is trying to stand up in honor of her late husband, why don¡¯t you just take her generously?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. You could easily support not just one or two more people but dozens more.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll dry up and die with dozens of people!¡±


    ¡°If you can handle three of us at the same time and still be in good health, you can handle any number of people.¡±


    The oni girls are smirking and laughing as they call out to me, who is desperately trying to resist. You girls will remember this later. I¡¯ll treat you to a very spicy sausage disguised as a regular sausage!


    ¡°I have no choice¡­ light spirit.¡±


    ¡°Wait!¡±


    Something¡¯s glowing! It¡¯s glowing behind me! Oh, it¡¯s suddenly getting stronger!


    ¡°Whoa!¡±


    I was pulled off the golem workbench.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    I¡¯m not going to tell you anything. In terms of overall physical specs, I am inferior to the majority of women in this world. It just proves it. Instead of my peace of mind being disturbed a little, Seraphita-san got peace of mind.


    ¡°Fufufu¡­?¡±


    Since then, Seraphita-san¡¯s mood has been at an all-time high. Almost everyone is warmly watching her, but there is one person who isn¡¯t.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you getting too attached?¡±


    ¡°You told me the other day that I should make other people happy for the misery I cause them.¡±


    ¡°Mmm¡­ that¡¯s that, and this is this.¡±


    Ellen hugged me tightly in my arms with a pout on her lips. On the other side, Seraphita-san hugged me with a smile on her face. Well, I¡¯ve got flowers on both hands, but I don¡¯t feel comfortable.


    ¡°Why are you being so competitive with Seraphita-san again?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s wearing her character like a light.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who¡¯s wearing a character.¡±


    It is true that Seraphita-san is good at spirit magic related to the light system. Ellen, on the other hand, is a saint of the Adol religion and can perform miracles of God. Arguably, she is like a light. Certainly, in that sense, they may be characters.


    ¡°Other than that, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any similarity at all.¡±


    ¡°I think you just want to use that as an excuse to take advantage of Kosuke. You¡¯re just jealous of Seraphita, who is pampered by Kosuke, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°And Eleonora-han is so adorable, too.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re noisy!¡±


    Ellen is threatening Grande and Capri. Ellen is really a big shot to take this kind of attitude toward Grande, isn¡¯t she? Grande is not the kind of person who would get upset over something like this, though.


    Like this, I spent ten days with the lazy lovey-dovey.


    Then, in the early afternoon, exactly 10 days after making contact with the enemy. Finally, a diplomatic delegation from the Kingdom of Tigris appeared in front of us.

 CH 284

    Chapter 284 ¨C Contact


    I thought I had made up my mind at the time of Ellen and the other oni girls that I would never bother with these kinds of relationship matters again, that I would reopen my mind, but well, I do bother. But in the end, if I didn¡¯t want to, I could have resisted seriously. The fact that I didn¡¯t do so, even though I was still somewhat caught up in it in my mind, probably means that I didn¡¯t really dislike it that much. I decided to leave it that way as I looked at Seraphita-san¡¯s very happy face.


    ¡°Kosuke-sama, is there something I can help you with?¡±


    ¡°No. I thought Seraphita-san was really beautiful.¡±


    ¡°Geez, nothing will come out if you stir things up like that.¡±


    As she said that, Seraphita-san smiled happily as she put her hand on her slightly reddened cheek. Well, yeah. Men are simple, aren¡¯t they? They are easily bonded like this. No, am I just a special kind of guy? Yes, I¡¯m sure it is. Yup.


    While I was idly waiting for the craft to be completed while looking at the smiling Seraphita-san, a shadow landed on the window sill without a sound. It was Capri, the brown-feathered harpy.


    ¡°A group of people with white flags are on their way here, Danna-han.¡±


    ¡°Is it the delegation-like group that was reported in the morning? They must have come in after getting a good rest and preparing their stomachs.¡±


    ¡°We are the ones who are coming in, though, aren¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°If you put it that way, you¡¯re right.¡±


    Since we are the ones who have been venturing out into the territory of the Kingdom of Tigris, we are certainly the ones who are coming in. Well, let¡¯s welcome them. With a grand reception.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    When I moved the golems to greet them, the group that looked like a delegation stopped moving. Perhaps they were on alert. The number of people on the delegation, including the guards, was less than 30.


    ¡°It will be me, Seraphita-san, and Ellen who will sit at the negotiating table, okay?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. I think it would be better to have the same number of guards as the other party standing by in the back, in addition to the three former adventurers. Let Grande watch over us from the fort.¡±


    Seraphita-san nodded at Ellen¡¯s words, so we decided to go with that arrangement. The members participating in the negotiations split into four air boards and headed for the delegation.


    ¡°Macrito-dono is there.¡±


    ¡°He seems to be getting more and more worn out.¡±


    ¡°He must be suffering from mental stress.¡±


    Though, the cause of his fatigue is definitely me. Well, I don¡¯t intend to do anything about it at the moment, so I hope he will do his best not to die.


    ¡°How should I talk to them in such a situation?¡±


    ¡°I think it would be better to ask them after identifying yourself.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    I instruct Bella, who is driving the air board, to stop the air board at a distance of about 20 meters from the delegation. Then, as soon as it stopped, I opened the roof of the air board and called out to the delegation using the loudspeaker¡¯s magic tool.


    ¡°This is Kosuke, the prince consort of Queen Sylphiel Danal Merinard of the Kingdom of Merinard. Her Majesty the Queen has delegated me full authority over diplomacy with the Kingdom of Tigris. Are you the emissary of the Kingdom of Tigris with proper authority?¡±


    The group that seemed to be an emissary group buzzed for a moment when I called out to them, and only two horsemen came forward a short time later.


    They are Macrito-dono, who was leading the invasion force, and an elderly man whom I don¡¯t recognize. He is quite well-dressed. He was probably a high-ranking nobleman, a diplomat with some authority or something.


    ¡°Kosuke-dono, it¡¯s me, Macrito Jean Nicklaus. This is Marquis Nelson Guy Delacotta. His Majesty has entrusted us with full authority to negotiate with your country.¡±


    ¡°I-I am Nelson¡­¡±


    Macrito-dono still looked as pale as ever, but Nelson-dono¡¯s complexion was even paler. Hmm? Is this like you didn¡¯t believe in golems until you saw the real thing or something?


    ¡°I see. Then could you step back for a moment while I set up the venue?¡±


    ¡°A-ah¡­ the venue?¡±


    I watched as Macrito-dono returned to his horse and took Nelson-dono back to the delegation with a tilt of his head. After making sure they had stepped back far enough, I set up stone blocks on the ground and made up a temporary meeting place. A stone staircase was also set up for the guests to go up to the meeting hall, and a long table and a reasonable number of chairs, which could have been placed in a nobleman¡¯s dining room, were also taken out of my inventory and set up in the meeting hall.


    ¡°Is this about right?¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we also have a pitcher and some glasses?¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    As Seraphita-san said, I prepared a glass pitcher and glasses as well. Amalie-san was in charge of serving the guests. Although Amalie-san is our personnel, she is dressed in an Adol sister¡¯s uniform, so it is unlikely that she will be alerted to poisonings.


    When I finished all the preparations and waved my hand, the delegation from the Kingdom of Tigris approached slowly. They must be on alert. Incidentally, there will be four people at the negotiating table this time: me, Seraphita-san, Ellen, and a civil official who is responsible for taking the record of the meeting.


    ¡°W-what in the world is this¡­?¡±


    ¡°Marquis Dellacotta, you need to calm yourself.¡±


    Macrito-dono, accompanied by a bewildered Nelson-dono and other personnel, comes up to the hall. It seems that they left the horses they were riding with the guards who were not present at the event. The personnel on the other side are Macrito-dono, Nelson-dono, two civil servants, and five guards.


    ¡°Shumel.¡±


    ¡°Aiyo.¡±


    I gave a look to Shumel, and in addition to Shumel, Bella, and Tozume, I sent two elite riflemen to escort us.


    ¡°Then, now that we are all here, let¡¯s get started, shall we?¡±


    ¡°Umu¡­ How about we start by introducing ourselves to each other again?¡±


    ¡°That sounds good. Well then, let me introduce myself first. My name is Kosuke. I am a visitor, the prince consort of Sylphielle Danal Merinard, queen of the kingdom of Merinard. I have been entrusted by Her Majesty to protect the north and deal with the two northern kingdoms of Tigris and Dihart. And this is Her Highness the former Queen Seraphita Danal Merinard, and this is Eleonora-dono, the saint of truth of the Adol religion.


    ¡°My name is Seraphita. Marquis Delacotta, it¡¯s been a long time.¡±


    ¡°I-it¡¯s been a long time, Seraphita-sama. Your unfading beauty is like a jewel.¡±


    As he said this, Nelson-dono was sweating profusely.


    It seems that the diplomatic envoy Nelson-dono and Seraphita-san are acquainted with each other. I don¡¯t know what position Nelson-dono was in before Seraphita-san went to slumber 20 years ago, but I hope that the fact that they are acquaintances will have a positive effect. Or rather, he is sweating so much that I wonder if Seraphita-san is holding his weakness.


    ¡°I am Eleonora. The Lord God Adol has given me the power to see the truth. Please treat me well.¡±


    Ellen turned her crimson eyes toward the delegation. If any member of the Tigris Kingdom¡¯s delegation tells a lie, she is supposed to report it to me by knocking me on my knees. It¡¯s a cheat ability in a negotiation like this.


    ¡°Ma-Marquis Nelson Guy Delacotta. His Majesty has granted me full powers in diplomatic negotiations with your country.¡±


    ¡°Count Macrito Jean Nicklaus. I was in charge of the army at the time of the war. I will assist Marquis Delacotta.¡±


    We also introduced each other¡¯s civilian officials to each other. Then Amalie-san distributed drinks, and the respective civil officials began taking records of the proceedings. The negotiations were now set.


    Now, what kind of response will the Kingdom of Tigris give to our conditions? First, let¡¯s hear what they have to say.

 CH 285

    Chapter 285 ¨C Peace Negotiations


    ¡°First of all, let me reconfirm your demands. The first one is the conclusion of a non-aggression pact, that is, a treaty of peace and mutual non-aggression for the years to come. Is that correct?¡±


    After taking a sip of the cold water that Amalie-san had poured around the table, Nelson-dono regained some of his composure and began to speak.


    ¡°There is no doubt about the general idea, but only after you agree to other conditions. Of course.¡±


    ¡°We are aware of that. I wanted to confirm first whether or not there is a will to conclude a peace treaty and end the conflict in the end.¡±


    ¡°I see. Well, if you hadn¡¯t invaded us, we wouldn¡¯t be fighting like this, so I think it¡¯s only natural.¡±


    I pointed out that it was the Kingdom of Tigris that started this war. Nelson-dono did not even change color when I pointed this out. As expected of a man in charge of diplomatic negotiations, he seems to be a formidable opponent once he regains control of himself.


    ¡°I think it would be better to start with the payment of reparations. If you say you won¡¯t pay a penny, I¡¯ll have to order the golems to destroy Brignolph.¡±


    ¡°Wha¡­? Are you going to threaten me?¡±


    ¡°We are still at war with your country. If the negotiations break down, the truce will be lifted immediately, so what¡¯s the problem with us attacking Brignolph?¡±


    I shrugged my shoulders as Nelson-dono hurriedly shouted at me.


    ¡°Nelson-dono, we¡¯re¨Dor rather, I¡¯m sick and tired of it. I really don¡¯t want to spend even a second of my time on this stupid war. There are many problems to be solved in Merinard, and there is much land to be developed. If you and the Duchy of Dihart hadn¡¯t been meddling with us, I would have been able to concentrate on those matters under Her Majesty the Queen. So, Merinard Kingdom, or rather, my impression of your country, is terrible. To be honest, as a visitor, I think it would be quicker and less troublesome to destroy the Kingdom of Tigris by clearing all the towns and villages along the way and burning the royal capital to ashes instead of negotiating a peace deal like this. Even so, I am going through such troublesome peace negotiations because Her Majesty the Queen wants peace in this world. Please understand that.¡±


    ¡°¡­In other words, you want us to accept all the conditions as they are?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to accept it? The queen says that she can be flexible to a certain extent at her discretion regarding the conditions that she has set forth. I will make some concessions depending on the conditions. As for me, I would be most happy to return to Merinesburg. In the meantime, I think it would be better to start with reparations.¡±


    The total amount of reparations claimed by the Kingdom of Merinard from the Kingdom of Tigris is roughly equivalent to one year¡¯s worth of the Tigris Kingdom¡¯s national budget (an estimate of the royal family¡¯s income). It was an amount that could not be paid, but it was impossible to pay it immediately in one lump sum. And considering the allowances for those who died in the war and the fact that the kingdom lost a lot of labor during the war, the amount of money is completely out of the question. In the first place, the Tigris Kingdom lost so many people in the war that the domestic economy would probably hit rock bottom just to deal with them, according to Melty and the other civilian officials. A year¡¯s worth of compensation from the national budget would be a very difficult amount of money to pay.


    ¡°You said that concessions could be made under certain conditions, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it depends on me.¡±


    In fact, the kingdom of Merinard does not need reparations. Of course, if we could have it, we would want it. I¡¯m not sure how much money we can get. But to tell you the truth, with my crafting ability, I can make gems, mithril, alloys, and other magical metals as much as I want, and I can handle the products of the elves of the Black Forest, whose prices are soaring, so I have a lot of leeway in terms of budget. Furthermore, tax revenues from the towns and mines are expected in the future, and the new Merinard Kingdom is very rich for a newborn.


    ¡°Then, we will hand over the slaves from our country to you. Please reduce the amount by that amount.¡±


    I narrowed my eyes at Nelson-dono¡¯s words. He is not going to sell his own people into slavery in order to protect his country, is he?


    ¡°Please don¡¯t misunderstand me. We have no intention of selling our people to other countries. What we are handing over to you are the subhuman slaves and their descendants who came from the Kingdom of Merinard during the chaos of the war 20 years ago. It is restitution, so to speak.¡±


    ¡°¡­Oh.¡±


    I see. They want to return the people of the former Merinard Kingdom, so they want us to reduce the amount of reparations for this war. I have a feeling that it would be wrong to exchange people in such a position for money. However, even if we refused, it would not make the people who were being used as slaves in the Kingdom of Tigris happy. Even if we told them that they were originally our citizens and asked them to return our property without compensation, they would probably only harden their attitude. It would be better to take the fruit here.


    ¡°It¡¯s an interesting story. It seems that you have studied our philosophy of action very carefully. I can¡¯t help but feel sympathy for your country, which was forced to fight such a war in spite of that.¡±


    Neither Nelson-dono nor Macrito-dono responded to my words. Are there any sympathizers of the Holy Kingdom here?


    ¡°Well, fine. I will accept your offer, but if you are going to do it, I want you to do it thoroughly. You will protect every single one of them and send them back to the Merinard Kingdom. If there are any subhuman slaves left in your country afterward, we will have no choice but to accept that the conditions of this deal have been violated. Do you understand what I mean?¡±


    ¡°O-of course I do.¡±


    Nelson-dono nodded gravely in agreement. As a result of the discussion, it was decided that the amount of compensation would be half of the original amount, to be paid in installments over a period of ten years. The amount of compensation will be approximately 5% of the national budget per year, but their income should increase depending on future developments, so in effect, their payment itself will be much easier to pay.


    Eh? It seems too light, you say? That¡¯s a given. If the economy and political situation become too unstable as a result of imposing excessive compensation, and even bad ¡°refugees¡± start to flow in, it will be the Merinard Kingdom that will be inconvenienced.


    It would be better to let them live, not to kill them, but to weaken them so that they cannot turn on us. It is more convenient for the neighboring countries to have a certain degree of political and economic stability.


    ¡°Next, let¡¯s talk about the study abroad program associated with the non-aggression pact.¡±


    ¡°Study abroad program, huh?¡±


    Macrito-dono¡¯s brow wrinkles deeply. In effect, they are hostages. But this in itself is not all bad news for them.


    ¡°As you know, we are hostile to the Holy Kingdom. At least, we¡¯ll ensure that nothing will happen to them under our protection.¡±


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°We want you to know that we hate the Holy Kingdom for its anti-subhuman stance. But we don¡¯t hate humans. In fact, there are many humans living in the Merinard kingdom, and we do not intend to favor the subhuman and uphold the supremacy of the subhuman. We just want to make sure that the people of the world can live happily together, hand in hand, regardless of whether they are subhuman or human. In addition, we have no territorial ambitions. There is plenty of land in the country that can be developed. Her Majesty thinks that it is meaningless to go to war with other countries and fight among people when monsters and bandits are roaming around and threatening the people. However, Her Majesty has also decided to take a tough stance against aggression.¡±


    Both Nelson-dono and Macrito-dono were silent at my comment. However, they seemed to be thinking something over.


    ¡°Well, I digressed a little. The curriculum for foreign students is still being formulated, but we do not intend to make things worse. We are not like the lowlifes of the Holy Kingdom, so we have no intention of treating them like slaves. In the beginning, we may have to listen to the students¡¯ wishes to some extent, and then we may have to set up an individual curriculum for each of them¡­ Oh, and don¡¯t worry about housing, as we intend to prepare something suitable for them in Merinesburg.¡±


    Foreign students are, in effect, hostages, but that does not mean that we intend to let them spend their time in idleness without any education. Of course, we are planning to take a variety of steps to improve the content of their ideological education.


    Eh? It¡¯s brainwashing, you say? Hahaha, that¡¯s such a bad thing to say. I¡¯m just going to disparage the Holy Kingdom a little bit and tell them the fact that the teachings of the mainstream have been twisted by the treachery of the Omit Kingdom. I¡¯m also trying to weaken their dislike and aversion to subhumans by exposing them to a variety of subhumans.


    ¡°Next, regarding trade treaties¡­¡±


    ¡°You were talking about not granting us tariff autonomy, weren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°That is correct. But I want you to understand that it is not for the unilateral exploitation of your goods but rather for the protection of your commercial activities.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Nelson-dono gives a quizzical look. Yes, that is true. Since they cannot freely set tariffs, they would normally think that we would export a vast amount of goods at low tariffs and covet the goods from the Kingdom of Tigris.


    ¡°Of course, we are planning to make some profit as well. The production of food in the Merinard Kingdom is improving dramatically. If things continue as they are, the self-sufficiency rate of food will easily exceed 400% by the fall of this year. Maybe even higher.¡±


    ¡°Four hundred percent or more?¡±


    Nelson-dono is astonished. Yes, it is surprising, isn¡¯t it? But it¡¯s true. Rather, I¡¯m not sure if 400% is enough¡­ because a farm using farmland blocks will be ready for harvest in only two to four weeks, depending on the crop, without my involvement at all. I wonder what would happen if all the farmland in the country were replaced with farm blocks. I don¡¯t plan to do that, though.


    I mean, as a matter of fact, even at this point in time, food is being dumped, and prices are falling, which is hurting existing farmers. That¡¯s why there was an urgent need to develop canned food and instant food using dried noodles. To increase domestic demand.


    There are also many other high-quality, advanced magic tools being developed. If a large amount of such goods, including cheap food, were to flow into your country, it could cause great confusion and damage to your economy. That is not what we want. If we do not build a mutually beneficial relationship and coexist and prosper together, we will have a lot of trouble. Right now, the nobility bordering the country freely decide the tariffs in your country, don¡¯t they? We don¡¯t accept that, and we want to determine tariffs through coordination among nations.


    ¡°I see¡­ This will result in reducing the power of the local nobility and strengthening the power of the kingdom. At the very least, it sets a precedent.¡±


    Nelson-dono nodded in agreement to my words and pondered. The fact that he is dispatched to such an occasion suggests that he is probably a nobleman who is trusted by the royal family of the Tigris Kingdom.


    ¡°But¡­ isn¡¯t that convenient? We are in the position of having invaded your country unilaterally and then being beaten back, if we may say so ourselves?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true, but you paid a great price in blood, to begin with. Also, as I have said many times before, if you are crushed, it will be a problem for us. Even if we sanction you harshly based on emotion, knowing that, we will be the ones who will suffer the loss.¡±


    There is a saying, ¡°You gain by losing,¡± and that is exactly what is happening now. If the kingdom of Tigris crumbles and splits, or if there is a civil war between rival kingdoms, Mesotherium and the surrounding area near the border may become overrun with bandits. Or there might be a massive influx of refugees. That would be a situation that we would not be very happy about.


    The best scenario for the Kingdom of Merinard would be to secure an advantageous position, gradually improve relations with the Holy Kingdom, and have the Holy Kingdom eventually surrender to us. It would be even better if we could make a profit through trade.


    ¡°Shall we discuss the items to be taxed, their tax rates, and other details?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes, that¡¯s right. We need to discuss the details in order to decide whether or not to accept your conditions.¡±


    Nelson-dono seems to have been rather positive about the conditions we have proposed. I hope we can work out the details and come to an agreement.

 CH 286

    Chapter 286 ¨C Truce


    After discussing the details with the civilian officials, and after some conditions were agreed upon, we decided to leave the meeting place and have a discussion among ourselves. We went back to the fort while the other party set up a tent that had been hastily brought from Brignolph and held discussions there.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you being a bit weak-minded? We won, so we should be more¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you think it¡¯s in our best interest to push through with the harsh conditions?¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Bella nodded her head. Well, if it¡¯s a fight between back alley thugs, maybe that¡¯s alright. Just beat them up, take all their money and everything else they have, and throw them away. After that, it¡¯s like, ¡®the future will take care of itself.¡¯


    ¡°But that¡¯s not the case when it¡¯s between countries. If we impose severe sanctions and compensation, at worst, the other country will go into collapse. If that happens, the country will be overrun by bandits, and we don¡¯t want that to happen. Didn¡¯t you hear what I was saying earlier?¡±


    ¡°That is true. But it would be better to destroy them so there would be no aftermath, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±


    I shook my head at Bella, who tilted her head and said so.


    ¡°That is not necessarily the case. Unless the Merinard Kingdom annexes the territory of the Tigris Kingdom and rules it, otherwise the whole of the Tigris Kingdom will become a lawless zone. Violence will come to rule over everything.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a land where it¡¯s easy for someone like me to live!¡±


    Bella gave a clumsy wink. Shumel and Tozume are making ¡°I guess so¡± facial expressions beside her, but they are on that side, too, huh?


    ¡°That may be so, but it¡¯s a big nuisance to most people! Besides, if other countries refuse to take action against such a place, someone will eventually emerge to organize such a lawless area. It could be a bandit chieftain, or it could be a noble bloodline from the old kingdom. And so. If the kingdom of Tigris is brought together again like that, what do you think their impression of us will be?¡±


    ¡°It would be the worst! They will definitely want to kill us!¡±


    ¡°I know, right? And most people can¡¯t easily decide to abandon their own land and go elsewhere. In other words, people who continue to hold grudges against the Merinard Kingdom will continue to be our neighbors for a long time to come. We do not want that to happen.¡±


    ¡°I see. So you are trying to make loose conditions to prevent that from happening.¡±


    ¡°You know the word gentle persuasion, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Saint-sama is terrible!¡±


    Bella complained about Ellen¡¯s tongue, but I don¡¯t think she deserves to be told that, the way things are going now.


    ¡°Bella-san, we are here to settle the dispute. Fortunately, the damage on our side is terribly minor, so we want to make concessions where we can and get the Kingdom of Tigris to secede from the Holy Kingdom.¡±


    ¡°Can you do such a thing? The Kingdom of Tigris is a vassal state of the Holy Kingdom, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°I think it is possible. I think the influence of the Holy Kingdom within the Kingdom of Tigris has declined considerably. The Holy Kingdom failed to recapture the Kingdom of Merinard and then fired up the Kingdom of Tigris and the Duchy of Dihart to attack the Kingdom of Merinard, which they couldn¡¯t beat, and caused them great damage. I¡¯m sure those who encouraged the Holy Kingdom¡¯s decision and created this situation are also on the tip of the spear.¡±


    ¡°In the first place, unlike the Duchy of Dihart, the Kingdom of Tigris became a vassal state of the Holy Kingdom simply because they succumbed to the pressure of the Holy Kingdom. The neighboring Kingdom of Merinard was practically destroyed and became occupied, and the Duchy of Dihart was forced to welcome the blood of the Holy Kingdom into its royal family and was made a vassal state with the royal family being made an archduke. The Kingdom of Tigris, seeing such a situation of its neighbor, has come down to the Holy Kingdom itself and has managed to be relieved of its state.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s so difficult; I can¡¯t really understand it!¡±


    Bella answered Seraphita-san¡¯s explanation with a straight face.


    ¡°The Tigris Kingdom follows the Holy Kingdom as a vassal state, but deep down, they may want to escape the rule of the Holy Kingdom. That¡¯s what we¡¯re thinking. If push comes to shove, we are closer to the Kingdom of Tigris than to the Holy Kingdom. To the west is a small group of neutral states, and further west is the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom, which is on friendly terms with us. In other words, in short, if they follow us, they may have a better chance of getting a better deal than being taken for a fool by the Holy Kingdom. If the Kingdom of Tigris comes to us, we also have a bargaining chip: if the Holy Kingdom tries to mess with them militarily, we can send them reinforcements. I haven¡¯t decided yet, though.¡±


    ¡°I see. The Duchy of Dihart¡¯s head has been replaced by the Holy Kingdom, but the Kingdom of Tigris has not been replaced and is just following them.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ well, that¡¯s about it. Yep.¡±


    There may be a little more complication, but in short, that¡¯s the way it is. For our part, we do not want the Kingdom of Tigris and the Duchy of Dihart to threaten our hinterland. If the Kingdom of Tigris arrives on our side, the Duchy of Dihart, which has a strong rivalry in national power with the Kingdom of Tigris, will not be able to interfere with us easily.


    The Holy Kingdom and the Kingdom of Tigris are physically far from each other, so if something were to happen, we could provide support. In addition, if the Kingdom of Tigris becomes a trade window to the northern part of the continent, we and the Kingdom of Tigris will both be happy. It¡¯s a good thing, isn¡¯t it! If all goes as planned.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    An hour or so later, we and the delegation from the Kingdom of Tigris met again in the meeting hall I had built.


    ¡°I thank you for your time, Kosuke-dono.¡±


    ¡°And I hope the second half of our meeting will be worthwhile. So, what was your answer?¡±


    The final condition is that reparations will be 50% of the Tigris Kingdom¡¯s national budget for ten years, on the condition that the subhuman slaves are handed over to us. In exchange for eliminating the plus-alpha based on the number of heads, this exempted the penalty for the discovery of subhuman slaves that were still concealed after the handover of the subhuman slaves.


    However, if they were discovered, they would be handed over unconditionally, and those who kept the subhuman slaves secret would be severely punished. The condition was that the Kingdom of Merinard could dispatch an investigator if it so desired.


    As for the condition that the children of royalty and nobility be welcomed into the Kingdom of Merinard as exchange students, we proposed that they be allowed to return home once or twice a year if they so desired and that the Kingdom of Merinard would be responsible for their transportation back to the Kingdom of Tigris from the Kingdom of Merinard, and the Kingdom of Tigris would be responsible for all transportation to the Kingdom of Merinard from the Kingdom of Tigris.


    However, the content of education during study abroad would basically be decided by the Kingdom of Merinard, and the Kingdom of Tigris may express its wishes, but the decision-making authority would remain with the Kingdom of Merinard.


    In addition, the mutual non-aggression in the event of a peace agreement was settled on a date ten years after the payment of reparations was completed. Whether or not another relationship will be established after or before that time will depend on future exchanges between the two countries.


    As for the trade treaty that includes the non-recognition of tariff autonomy, the proposal is basically based on the strong position of the Kingdom of Merinard. The tariff rates are to be determined through discussions between the two countries, but in the event of a conflict of opinions, the Kingdom of Merinard¡¯s opinion will be respected. However, we have no intention of unilaterally extracting profits from the Kingdom of Tigris. We have made a certain concession to the Kingdom of Tigris by including a sentence that we will hold discussions to review the terms every five years.


    ¡°The Kingdom of Tigris is willing to accept the proposal in principle.¡±


    ¡°In principle?¡±


    ¡°Yes. There are no problems regarding reparations or the handover of subhuman slaves, but the study abroad and trade treaties affect not only the royal family but many nobles as well. Since domestic adjustments are also necessary, I can only reply that we basically intend to accept them.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°The Tigris Royal Army has suffered heavy losses in this war. If we force through the content of the peace concluded today without making adjustments, there is a possibility that the country may even be divided.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s understandable, I suppose.¡±


    Some nobles may think it is unthinkable to send their heirs to study in the Kingdom of Merinard. Some nobles would probably protest because they would no longer be able to impose tariffs on goods passing through their territory as they wished. It is no wonder that the Kingdom of Tigris could be divided if they took a hard-line policy against such people.


    ¡°If not, we can take appropriate measures¡­¡±


    Nelson-dono¡¯s complexion immediately turned pale at my words.


    ¡°To speak frankly, we¡¯re looking forward to working with the Kingdom of Tigris.¡±


    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±


    Nelson-dono, Macrito-dono, and others on the Tigris side looked at each other as if they had no idea what was being said. They may be thinking, ¡°What is this guy talking about after threatening us with military force so many times?¡± Furthermore, the Kingdom of Tigris is a vassal state of the Holy Kingdom.


    ¡°No matter how powerful the Kingdom of Merinard may be, you can¡¯t believe it without first tasting its power with your own eyes and body. Can the Kingdom of Tigris still doubt the power of the Kingdom of Merinard even at this stage?¡±


    ¡°No, no, that is¡­ impossible.¡±


    Nelson-dono said so, and Macrito-dono shook his head in agreement with a bitter expression on his face.


    ¡°I have no intention of playing nice with the enemy, but if we¡¯re going to be comrades, it¡¯s a different story. You know what I mean, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°T-that¡¯s¡­!¡±


    Nelson-dono¡¯s eyes widened, and his body trembled.


    ¡°If our comrades are in danger, we are ready to help them directly or indirectly. We are not like those people. We don¡¯t ask our comrades to take the front. At the very least, we are willing to fight side by side against a common crisis. Well, we expect you to keep an eye on things so that they don¡¯t threaten our hinterland, not to fight with them.¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    Nelson-dono was silent and dripping with sweat, and Macrito-dono was equally silent. Did I go too far?


    ¡°Well, for the time being, the result is that both sides have agreed on the main points. At this point, the Kingdom of Merinard considers that a truce has been reached.¡±


    ¡°A-ah! Of course, of course, that¡¯s right. The Kingdom of Tigris agrees to the truce.¡±


    ¡°Then let us hope that this truce will lead to a formal peace.¡±


    I held out my hand to Nelson-dono, and he shook mine.


    The details of the truce and peace treaty signed by both sides were very complicated.


    Roughly speaking, the truce period is three months from today, and the Kingdom of Tigris will aim to implement the peace treaty agreed upon today during the truce period. If the contents of the peace treaty are not fulfilled during the truce period, or if the truce is broken by military action on either side, the fighting will resume immediately.


    The truce and peace treaty between the Kingdom of Merinard and the Kingdom of Tigris were concluded, ending the state of war for the time being.


    ¡°Next will be the Duchy of Dihart¡­ This is getting tedious.¡±


    ¡°Kosuke-sama, let¡¯s do our best for Sylphy¡¯s sake.¡±


    Seraphita-san encouraged me by saying so, but I felt like my heart was about to break. I want to go home.

 CH 287

    Chapter 287 ¨C Delegation of the Duchy of Dihart


    ¡°Hello, long time no see. Kosuke-dono.¡±


    On the day after we had concluded our discussions with the Kingdom of Tigris, a delegation from the Duchy of Dihart paid a visit to our defense facility. It seems that the Kingdom of Tigris had properly sent an envoy to the Duchy of Dihart.


    ¡°Ah¡­ If I recall¡­ Antonius-dono, was it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you remember me.¡±


    He says this with a somewhat relieved tone in his voice. He was the general who led the forces of the Duchy of Dihart when we first confronted the armies of the Kingdom of Tigris and the Duchy of Dihart. I had thought that he had been left behind when we went to destroy the border fort, but it seems that he has been reassigned to this negotiation. I guess it¡¯s because he knows me.


    ¡°Did you come all the way here to talk to me? Have you talked to the Kingdom of Tigris about this?¡±


    ¡°Of course. By the way, my neck is starting to hurt, you know?¡±


    Hmm, we can¡¯t discuss this while I¡¯m at the top of the wall of the defense facility looking down on him.


    ¡°You know there¡¯s a meeting place, right? Wait for me over there.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    The delegation from the Duchy of Dihart rounded their necks and headed for the meeting place I had built yesterday.


    ¡°¡­Well, I guess it saved me a lot of trouble, as I had hoped. Somewhat.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. Did it save you the trouble of using a golem to frighten people and building a stronghold similar to this one?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that. Well, it depends on how the other side comes out, but we have to go in with a flash at first, don¡¯t we?¡±


    After all, the best way to make the other party listen to you is to use violence. Whether or not you actually use it, you need to show that you will not hesitate to use it if necessary. If they don¡¯t at least recognize you as their equal or even better, you won¡¯t even be able to have a discussion with them.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    We headed to the meeting place as we did yesterday. The group was the same as yesterday¨Dexcept that Grande was accompanying us this time. However, it seems that she has no intention of coming to the negotiating table. Apparently, she is bored at the defense facility, so she intends to watch what we are doing. She is dressed as usual.


    ¡°I want to ask you to start the meeting; what is that girl¡­?¡±


    Antonius-dono pointed at Grande, who was yawning while lying on a cushion, and asked that question. Yes, of course. You¡¯re curious about it, aren¡¯t you?


    ¡°She¡¯s a dragon. You don¡¯t have to believe me, but you definitely don¡¯t want to offend her. She¡¯s powerful enough to turn that defensive facility into a pile of rubble in an instant.¡±


    ¡°A dragon¡­? You mean that dragon? The one that flies and spits breath from its mouth?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is that dragon. They only assume a human-like appearance through the dragon¡¯s own ritual magic. She is not a part of the Merinard Kingdom but has a personal relationship with me. Well, she¡¯s very close to Her Majesty the Queen, too, so I guess you could say that she¡¯s an existence that is indefinitely close to the Merinard Kingdom.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­?¡±


    Antonius-dono looked at Grande, who was idly watching us for a while, but finally decided not to care. He probably thought there was no point in thinking about it. But he seemed to be the only one who thought so¨D¨D.


    ¡°What kind of an idea was it to bring such a young child to a serious meeting?¡±


    ¡°This is not a game¡­ Are you serious about having a serious meeting with us?¡±


    The rest of the personnel were dissatisfied. Yes, well, that¡¯s what happens, doesn¡¯t it?


    ¡°Well, well, well. If she is a dragon, and she is willing to watch over things with a certain degree of neutrality, even if she is leaning that way, then that¡¯s a good thing. Besides, there must be some credibility to the story that she is a dragon.¡±


    ¡°Credibility? What credibility do you see in her appearance?¡±


    A well-dressed middle-aged man, a member of the delegation, pointed at Grande, who was lying on a cushion looking bored and watching the proceedings with a blue vein on her forehead.


    ¡°You¡¯ve probably heard that the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom is rapidly approaching the Kingdom of Merinard. Can you think of any circumstance, other than dragon-related, that would cause that country to be on their side?¡±


    ¡°Nngh¡­¡±


    The people who had been complaining fell silent. Hou?


    ¡°In that case, I think it¡¯s dangerous to upset her. Now we¡¯re in front of the dragon and making a fuss about how she¡¯s not a dragon and that she¡¯s a fake, so¡­ it¡¯s going to be tough if she decides to prove it.¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    Finally, the complainers were silenced. I see; he¡¯s a good talker.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the trouble. Well, you can just think of them as little disturbing ornaments.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, please don¡¯t make any more disturbing ornaments.¡±


    Laughing at this, Antonius-dono¡¯s gaze glanced toward the golems standing tall right next to the meeting hall. There are heavily armed golems and golem warriors lined up in a row on this side of the room, so it must be very intimidating. The sense of intimidation must be very great.


    ¡°Now that the atmosphere has warmed up, let¡¯s get down to business, shall we? Oh, first of all, should we introduce ourselves to each other?¡±


    With a laugh, Antonius-dono was the first to take his seat. Instead of the place warming up, the mood seems to be almost like a wake, or rather, frozen, except for Antonius-dono. Well, it¡¯s not our concern. We take our seats as well.


    ¡°Well, then, let me introduce myself. My name is Antonius Dels Giranzam, and I am a general in the army of the Duchy of Dihart. I am also the head of the Giranzam family, although some say I lack dignity. I look forward to working with you.¡±


    First, Antonius-dono introduced himself, followed by the foreign minister and the home affairs minister of the Duchy of Dihart. After that, it is our turn to identify ourselves. Including myself, there are four people sitting at the negotiating table on our side. Seraphita-san, Ellen, and a winged civil servant who serves as a scribe.


    ¡°Is this Her Royal Highness the former queen? I am sorry, I didn¡¯t know that.¡±


    ¡°Her Majesty Sylphiel is now the head of the country. And Kosuke-sama, who is the prince consort, is of higher status than I am. Besides, I am just an elf woman with no title and authority now.¡±


    Seraphita-san says so, but the noble royal aura radiating from her whole body has not diminished in the slightest. How can I say? She has a kind of elegance or something? It is a part that Sylphy, who had been running around in the forest alone until recently, clearly lacks. Well, in the case of Sylphy, instead of that, she has a sense of dignity similar to that of a military man or a ruler. But I can¡¯t feel it at all.


    ¡°And the presence of the saint of the Adol religion, Kosuke-dono seems to like to surprise us all.¡±


    ¡°We need stimulation to lead a fulfilling life, don¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a funny joke. I¡¯d appreciate it if you could be a little more modest, hahaha.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, it¡¯s in my nature. I don¡¯t think I¡¯m going to be able to stop, hahaha. At any rate, we have put our demands in a document. Please read it first.¡±


    With that, I took the document containing the demands from my inventory, slid it across the table, and handed it to Antonius-dono. After receiving the document, Antonius-dono read through the contents of the document, and his brow furrowed.


    ¡°As I thought, this is the content, after all?¡±


    It seems that he had heard from the Kingdom of Tigris what kind of demands we had made. The demands to the Duchy of Dihart are basically the same as those of the Kingdom of Tigris. There are some differences in the amount of reparations, but basically, in addition to reparations, we demanded hostages in the name of foreign students, and the conclusion of a non-aggression treaty and a trade treaty are the same. However, since the Duchy of Dihart borders the Holy Kingdom and the royal family has the blood of the Holy Kingdom in its veins, there is a fear that if the duchy is enriched through trade, its wealth and goods will flow into the Holy Kingdom. The terms of the trade treaty were much worse than those of the Kingdom of Tigris. In addition, the overall conditions were stricter than those of the Kingdom of Tigris.


    In other words, the Kingdom of Merinard is giving preferential treatment to the Kingdom of Tigris and intends to differentiate its treatment from that of the Duchy of Dihart. It would be ideal if both could get along with each other, but in reality, things do not work out that way. By differentiating the treatment between the two, a rift between the Kingdom of Tigris and the Duchy of Dihart is created. The Holy Kingdom treats the Duchy of Dihart better than the Kingdom of Tigris, so that is also a point to be taken advantage of.


    ¡°¡­The conditions are a little harsh, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°Of course, there are differences. Do you need any explanation for that?¡±


    The reason for this is that the royal family has accepted the blood of the Holy Kingdom and is treated as a branch of the Holy Kingdom, so it would be difficult for Archduke Dihart to reverse the half-term of the Holy Kingdom. In other words, the Duchy of Dihart and the Holy Kingdom will be on the same path unless there is something more than that¨Dthat¡¯s what we think.


    ¡°Well, I have no idea, but¡­¡±


    Ellen sneakily poked me in the knee just as Antonius-dono was about to speak. This is a sign that we had discussed beforehand. In other words, the statement that he had no idea was a lie.


    Nelson-dono of the Tigris Kingdom was so disturbed by our pace from start to finish that he didn¡¯t have time to disguise his words, but Antonius-dono seems to have not yielded to our threats at all. It seems that we have to be careful about this.

 CH 288

    Chapter 288 ¨C Read Each Other


    ¡°I can¡¯t take these terms.¡±


    ¡°Do you think you are in a position to say you can¡¯t?¡±


    I am fed up with the strangely bullish attitude of Antonius-dono. What is this bullish attitude when he has just had his entire force gathered at the border fortress annihilated?


    ¡°I know what your trump card is. We have excellent mages in our country. It is a magic device¨Dor rather, a magic weapon¨Dthat uses magic sparkling stones, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°¡­Hou.¡±


    I was surprised. Did they realize that it was a bomb using magic sparkling stone that caused that destruction by examining the destruction marks on the fort?


    ¡°If that is the case, I don¡¯t understand why your country is taking such a strong stance?¡±


    ¡°A magic weapon using magic sparkling stones cannot be mass-produced so easily. Once the seed is cracked, there is nothing to fear. You lack the troops and manpower to occupy and maintain control of our cities. So you have no choice but to face us with a small elite force with advanced weapons. There is no need for us to accept such conditions when we know you are on edge. Don¡¯t you think so?¡±


    Haha, I see. They think it is impossible to mass-produce magic sparkling stone bombs now that they know what they are. We who consumed our trump card for the sake of threats are regarded no longer as a threat. So that¡¯s what they think.


    ¡°I see, I see. The magic sparkling stone is not something that can be obtained easily. So even if we show you that we can make the fort disappear, there is no way we can wipe out other towns and villages in the same way, and since you know we don¡¯t have many soldiers, you are not afraid of us. That¡¯s what you¡¯re trying to say, huh?¡±


    Perhaps sensing something disturbing in my attitude, Antonius-dono and his colleagues look at me as if they are staring at something creepy. Hahaha, I¡¯m going to knock their socks off.


    ¡°By the way, have you ever seen the real magic sparkling stone, Antonius-dono? And the rest of you?¡±


    I reached over to the tabletop and pulled out a magic sparkling stone from my inventory. I picked out a selection of them, some as small as the tip of a pinky finger and some as large as a ping pong ball.


    ¡°W-wha¡­!?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t give it to you, but you can pick it up and inspect it. Please take it in your hand and see what it is to your heart¡¯s content.¡±


    Saying this, I pushed the magic sparkling stone, which had become a small pile, forward. Antonius-dono extended his trembling hand to the small pile and looked at the magic sparkling stone in his hand. The magic sparkling stone itself takes in the magic of nature, amplifies it, and emits light. It is not polished or anything, and there is no formula engraved on it.


    ¡°R-ridiculous¡­ these, such an¡­ impossibility.¡±


    ¡°What you see in front of you is real, and you should honestly admit it. Let¡¯s be clear. It is true that we have few soldiers. But that does not mean that we cannot destroy your country. We have the option of wiping out tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, or even millions more lives in order to cut off the fear of retribution.¡±


    ¡°B-but then, why¡­?¡±


    ¡°Why not destroy the Duchy of Dihart as quickly as possible, you ask? Or maybe the Holy Kingdom?¡±


    Or both? Antonius-dono did not respond to my words and remained silent, dripping with greasy sweat. With a careful hand, he returned the magic sparkling stone to its place in the pile.


    ¡°We just want to get our home and our people back and live happily ever after. That¡¯s why we fought to regain the Merinard Kingdom, and we will not tolerate those who try to invade our homeland again. But we don¡¯t want to repay them for what they¡¯ve done to us. Does that answer your question?¡±


    ¡°¡­Oh, I understand perfectly well. I¡¯m sorry, but may we speak privately for a moment?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    After I said that, Antonius-dono left the meeting place with the delegation of the Duchy of Dihart in tow. Yesterday, the Tigris Kingdom built a tent camp, and it seems that a tent camp has already been prepared, too. Hence, they probably intend to discuss the situation there.


    ¡°Kosuke-sama, are you sure?¡±


    ¡°My abnormality will be exposed sooner or later. If I am going to be exposed anyway, it would be better to do it in a spectacular way. Once the Kingdom of Tigris and the Duchy of Dihart are taken care of, all we have to do is pay attention to the Holy Kingdom in the east.¡±


    To the south, there is only the Great Omit Wilderness, which is half under our control, and the Black Forest, where the elves and Grande¡¯s family live. To the west, there is a small group of nations that requires some attention, but further west, the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom is keeping an eye on the small group.


    While friendly, they are not as trustworthy as the elves of the Black Forest. But even so, as long as Grande and I are in the Kingdom of Merinard, they will not lose their friendly attitude toward the Kingdom of Merinard.


    If we can make a non-aggression pact with both of the two northern countries, it will be a great flower circle. Even if not, we can achieve our goal if we can get the Kingdom of Tigris on our side and use it as a check against the Duchy of Dihart. The worst that could happen would be to annihilate major cities so that neither country can wage war for the next ten years¡­ Well, I don¡¯t want to do that.


    ¡°I think it would have been better to let them settle down and fold up?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about that, but I think that Antonius-dono is probably a pretty careful and smart guy. When he sees such a large pile of magic sparkling stones, he can imagine how bad it is.¡±


    Magic sparkling stone is, of course, a strategic commodity with tremendous performance as a material for magic tools, but more than that, it is also an absurdly expensive precious stone. Even a piece as small as the tip of a pinky finger is worth a mansion. What if it were as big as a ping-pong ball and without a scratch? Its value would soar. He would probably think that owning enough of it to build a small pile is a threat not only in terms of its value as a magical tool but also in terms of financial power.


    Maybe he is reading too much into it and thinks that we have more magic sparkling stones? Or maybe he would think that there are other hidden resources. Or maybe he would think there really is one. Well, actually, there are. There are mithril in large quantities, and other magic iron, magic steel, black steel, and so on. And to top it off, there are magic crystals that can be literally taken out of the vein holes as much as we want. And a mountain of other gems.


    ¡°I wondered if it might work in our favor.¡±


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    Antonius¡¯ POV


    ¡°The original idea of pushing it through is not going to work. If we push it too far, we could really end up with several cities being cleared like the fort.¡±


    ¡°Wha¡­!? That¡¯s impossible! There is no way we can accept such a proposal!¡±


    When Lord Ansam, the internal affairs officer, heard my words, his face turned bright red, and veins appeared on his bald head. Oh, oh, you¡¯re howling at me so easily without even knowing my concern.


    ¡°You saw that little pile of magic sparkling stones, right? They can use any number of disposable magic tools to clear a fortress. It takes only half the size of the tip of a pinky finger to clear a fortress with a magic sparkling stone, you know? The magic sparkling stone there alone was enough to clear an entire city in the duchy, and there was still more than enough left over. There¡¯s no telling how much they have stockpiled in total.¡±


    ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean¨D¨D!¡±


    ¡°Well, listen. How much do you think all those magic sparkling stones are worth?¡±


    ¡°Huh? You can¡¯t put a price on that! It¡¯s equivalent to buying any number of the Duchy of Dihart¡­ I see!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying.¡±


    In other words, it¡¯s not that they¡¯re in need of money. To be precise, they don¡¯t want money. Since there is no cession of territory in the conditions, it is safe to assume that they have no territorial ambitions either. If that is the case, what they are really looking for is a mutual non-aggression treaty or a trade treaty.


    ¡°They probably intend to have a full-fledged war with the Holy Kingdom. So they want to cut off the fear of retrospect.¡±


    ¡°That means that their conditions for us are stricter than those of the Kingdom of Tigris¡­¡±


    I nodded to the words of Lord Liddell, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and then took over the rest of the conversation.


    ¡°They are probably trying to get the Tigris Kingdom to give them preferential treatment so that they can keep our country in check.¡±


    To take it a step further, it is believed that the Duchy of Dihart will follow the Holy Kingdom to the end. The current royal family has the blood of the Holy Kingdom in it. It is only natural that they would think so.


    ¡°¡­You don¡¯t seem to know much about the inner workings here.¡±


    ¡°It is an emerging nation for some reason. It¡¯s a new country, and I don¡¯t think they can handle that much in less than a year since it was established.¡±


    I heard that Seraphita-san, the very pretty elf lady, has been asleep for 20 years. Her knowledge must be old, and above all, they must be so focused on domestic control that they don¡¯t have the energy to turn it over to the outside world. And yet, only their military and financial power is extremely strong. What a distorted nation.


    ¡°It would be better to keep things quiet while extracting as many concessions as possible¡­¡±


    ¡°Are there any cards we can play?¡±


    ¡°As with the Kingdom of Tigris, there is no way but to offer subhuman slaves¡­¡±


    ¡°The damage to domestic agricultural and mining production would be immeasurable. As I recall, the Kingdom of Tigris paid them for ten years, didn¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°I believe so.¡±


    ¡°Worst case scenario, if we can get the same ten-year payment, even if the amount remains the same¡­ how about if the slaves are handed over in stages instead of all at once like in the Kingdom of Tigris?¡±


    ¡°Is that acceptable?¡±


    We were able to come to a common understanding that it would be better to change our initial policy of rejecting their demands to a policy of aiming for a compromise in the most amicable way possible, and we shared our wisdom in order to protect the national interests of the Duchy of Dihart to the maximum extent possible.

 CH 289

    Chapter 289 ¨C The Enemy of the Enemy


    The discussion among the Duchy of Dihart, like that of the Kingdom of Tigris, seemed to have taken about an hour, and the delegation members returned to the meeting place. We were not just sitting around drinking tea while the delegation returned to the meeting place. We discussed what kind of negotiation cards they were going to use, what we had found out from their words and actions, and so on.


    ¡°So, have you decided how you¡¯re going to meet our demands?¡±


    ¡°Well, yes, we have. I understand that you have a lot of circumstances. How about it?¡¡How about we have a frank talk?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but raise my eyebrows at the expression of Antonius-dono. These were the words I had said to Nelson-dono. Apparently, the Duchy of Dihart and the Kingdom of Tigris were sharing information more closely than I had thought.


    ¡°Frankly, you mean. Does that mean we can be direct with each other and not lie to each other?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°You know we have the saint of truth here, right?¡±


    In other words, you¡¯re saying this because you know that if you tell a lie, you¡¯ll be exposed instantly, right? That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying.


    ¡°Yes, of course.¡±


    ¡°Fumu, interesting. Let¡¯s hear it, shall we?¡±


    After urging him to speak, Antonius-dono looked at the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Home Affairs Officer, who nodded at each other.


    ¡°The aim of the kingdom of Merinard is to break the lingering fear of the future, isn¡¯t it?¡¡At worst, you want to take in the Kingdom of Tigris at least to keep us in check and focus on countermeasures against the Holy Kingdom to the east. That¡¯s what this is all about, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Even children can understand this if they think about it a little. So what¡¯s the deal?¡±


    ¡°I propose a ten-year non-aggression pact and the gradual handover of the subhuman slaves. In exchange, we would like the payment of reparations to be made in 10-year installments.


    ¡°Gradual handover? And what about a trade treaty?¡±


    ¡°Well, don¡¯t be hasty. Let¡¯s take care of one thing at a time. First, regarding the phased handover, there is a strong possibility that our agricultural and mining production will suffer a major blow if we hand over all of the reparations at once. In some cases, it could even break up the country. That would not be your intention either, would it?¡±


    I look at Ellen, but she shakes her head. In other words, it may be that Antonius-dono is right, and there really is a possibility that the Duchy of Dihart may be broken up.


    ¡°Continue.¡±


    ¡°As a matter of fact, we have to come to terms with the Adol religion. If we decide right now to hand over all the subhuman slaves to you and try to carry it out, there is a possibility that interference from the Holy Kingdom will intensify. We would like to avoid that. The Holy Kingdom¡¯s influence within the Duchy of Dihart has been considerably weakened by the recent defeat. We will not be hasty here, but we will hand over the subhuman slaves in stages and slowly and gradually reduce the power of the Holy Kingdom¡¯s sympathizers like strangling them with floss silk.¡±


    ¡°¡­This is turning out to be an interesting story. Please continue.¡±


    ¡°To tell you the truth, the Archduke, or rather the Dihart royal family, are anti-Holy Kingdom.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous. The archduke family has the blood of the Holy Kingdom in it, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s complicated. I am sure Saint-sama would know if what I am saying is a lie or not, wouldn¡¯t she?¡±


    All eyes, not only mine and Antonius-dono¡¯s, were focused on Ellen.


    ¡°I can see that you think so, at least.¡±


    ¡°I see. Is it true what he says?¡±


    ¡°It is true.¡±


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s true.¡±


    The Foreign Minister and the Home Affairs Officer nodded in agreement with my question. Ellen nodded.


    ¡°If the general in charge of diplomatic negotiations, the minister of foreign affairs, and the home affairs official all say so, then the information must be highly reliable.¡±


    I crossed my arms and pondered. This is an unexpected development. Since we had thought in advance that the Duchy of Dihart would not break its stance in support of the Holy Kingdom, it was really hard to know how to deal with the situation.


    ¡°I won¡¯t ask why the Archdukes, or rather the Dihart royal family, are anti-Holy Kingdom and how they are maintaining their position. Those things don¡¯t really matter to us.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±


    ¡°What is important is the fact that the anti-Holy Kingdom faction is gaining strength, and the Holy Kingdom faction is losing strength in the Duchy of Dihart. It is said that the enemy of the enemy is your friend. In reality, it is not that simple, but if both sides are not friendly to the Holy Kingdom, we may have a chance to work together in parts.¡±


    There can be no such thing as true friendship between countries. But if there is a common enemy, it is possible to join hands.


    ¡°I understand the gradual handover of slaves. What about the trade treaty?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the thing. I want to use it to reduce the power of the Holy Kingdom¡¯s faction.¡±


    ¡°I see. You want to make it look as if we are using our power to impose unfavorable conditions on you.¡±


    And the Holy Kingdom faction¡¯s loss will be our gain.


    ¡°We have agreed to the ten-year installment, and the trade treaty is also good. However, we can still accept a phased approach to the delivery of subhuman slaves, but we will not allow them to be transported or sold outside of the Kingdom of Merinard. I will demand an early improvement in their treatment. And as for studying abroad¡­¡±


    ¡°We are willing to accept your conditions in full. I have no objection.¡±


    ¡°How straightforward is that?¡±


    ¡°We have our own reasons.¡±


    After saying so, Antonius-dono shrugged his shoulders. Hmm? Is it because they want to keep the children of royalty and nobility away from the Holy Kingdom faction?


    After this, we finished discussing other detailed conditions, reached a general agreement, and ended the meeting. With this, most of the mess related to the northern invasion was finally settled.


    No, it was a long time. Really long time. Now I can finally go back to Merinesburg.

 CH 290

    Chapter 290 ¨C Return Home


    Having reached a general agreement in diplomatic negotiations, I didn¡¯t immediately return to Merinesburg¨DI couldn¡¯t. There was still work to be done.


    I had to set up a customs and liaison post near the border between the Duchy of Dihart and the Kingdom of Tigris, and in Metocerium, the city closest to the border, I had to build a diplomatic outpost and a guest house to receive delegations from both countries and students of noble birth.


    Considering the danger and urgency of the situation, I quickly built the border posts and liaison stations, but the guesthouse had to be built using local carpenters and craftsmen. Building everything quickly and efficiently by me would be a complete disaster as it would take jobs away from the local people. If anything, I¡¯m the one who has to create jobs.


    ¡°We will pay for it, so make it grand. If there is not enough land in the city, I will extend the wall.¡±


    ¡°Leave it to me. We will build a magnificent guesthouse that will showcase the majesty and dignity of the Kingdom of Merinard.¡±


    Heinrich Le Metocerium, the governor of Metocerium, who received my request, nodded with a confident expression on his face.


    ¡°I leave it to you. Be extravagant but not too vulgar. Use this as a temporary fund.¡±


    I took a bag full of polished gems from my inventory, laid a cloth on the table, and opened the contents onto the cloth.


    ¡°T-this is¡­!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a shame I don¡¯t have any cash on hand, so I¡¯m going to need you to convert this into cash and invest it as funds. And this is my personal thanks to Heinrich-dono for taking care of all this for me.¡±


    Saying this, I pull out a large ruby, emerald, and sapphire from my inventory and hand them to Heinrich-dono.


    ¡°O-oooh¡­! Y-you are giving such things to me¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Heinrich-dono has worked very hard for me on the northern base. The kingdom of Merinard is fortunate to have a loyal, honest, and diligent governor like you to rule the north. Please continue to serve the Kingdom of Merinard in the future.¡±


    Saying this, I smile at Heinrich-dono. In fact, I¡¯m indebted to Heinrich-dono in many ways. He has helped us with horse-drawn wagon services to and from the northern bases, recruiting soldiers and workers, and so on. This kind of benefit sharing is necessary. I believe that people should be properly rewarded for their hard work.


    ¡°Thank you for your kind words¡­ I, Heinrich of the House of Metocerium, pledge my allegiance to Kosuke-sama and the Kingdom of Merinard.¡±


    Heinrich-dono puts his hand on his chest and bows his head. He is exaggerating only because of three jewels or so.


    ¡°If there is any shortage of money for the construction, please contact me in Merinesburg. I will also arrange for some Black Forest elf artifacts to be used as furnishings for the guest house.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    That¡¯s it for the guesthouse and the diplomat¡¯s station. From now on, we can have the auditor stay at the diplomat¡¯s station as well. No, it might be possible to have the diplomat and the auditor serve concurrently. I¡¯ll leave that to Sylphy and Melty.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    ¡°Can I ask you to fund the Adol religion as well?¡±


    When I returned to the northern base after talking to Heinrich-dono and told Seraphita-san and Ellen what had happened, Ellen said to me with a straight face.


    ¡°I personally don¡¯t mind, but are they really that severe?¡±


    ¡°Shamefully, pretty much. The influence of the Adol religion has become very low within the Merinard Kingdom following the elimination of the Holy Kingdom¡¯s power. Furthermore, most of the people who had been donating large sums of money to Adol religion within the Merinard Kingdom were people who used the subhuman population as slaves.¡±


    ¡°So, in addition to the eradication of a major source of funding by our hands, the rest of the people are avoiding Adol religion, so their income has decreased drastically?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly how it is. Right now, the church is being run using the wealth accumulated by the previous corrupt priests, but it¡¯s going to be a bit tough if things continue as they are now.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    At Ellen¡¯s request, I crossed my arms and pondered. I glanced at Seraphita-san.


    ¡°I know it¡¯s easy for Kosuke-sama to provide financial support, but even if that gets them out of a difficult situation for a while, won¡¯t it be the same if they don¡¯t do something?¡±


    Seraphita-san, who caught my gaze, said that she understood my intention. Yes, that¡¯s exactly what I was thinking. It would be easy for me to fund Adol religion here, but I don¡¯t think it would be right for me to keep giving money all the time.


    ¡°Seraphita-san is right. I think that if they don¡¯t manage to raise revenue without relying on me, they will be in a bind later on. But it¡¯s not strange for the state to fund an organization that prays for miracles for the people and heals the injured and sick, and there¡¯s nothing wrong with me personally donating to such an organization, is there?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. It is the duty of influential people to support such activities.¡±


    ¡°I will make a donation, and I will also contact Sylphy and ask for financial support from the Kingdom of Merinard. In return, I will ask Adol religion to do their best to become independent to a certain extent.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I understand.¡±


    Ellen nodded with a mysterious face. Hmm, but that¡¯s the thing. Once a country¡¯s appearance is established, the power of money becomes necessary for smooth operations. Until now, we have often exchanged weapons, food, various resources, etc., directly with each other, but now that we are mainly operating in areas where a somewhat developed monetary economy has been introduced, it would be better to prepare not only raw and polished gemstones and other highly cashable items such as magic metals, but also cash.


    ¡°Money, huh¡­? I wonder if I can procure the money somehow.¡±


    ¡°Um, Kosuke-sama? If possible, please consult with Sylphiel and Melty.¡±


    ¡°If you do poorly, the market will take a huge hit, so it¡¯s better to be cautious.¡±


    ¡°Why is it that you have so little faith in me¡­?¡±


    I tilted my head. I don¡¯t recall doing such a grand gesture in front of the two of them.


    ¡°The jewelry you just handed over to the governor earlier was such an item that it¡¯s hard to put a price on it.¡±


    ¡°If it was that big, I wonder how much it would be worth¡­¡±


    When Ellen saw my reaction, she gave me a cold stare, and Seraphita-san gave me a troubled smile.


    The size of the gems I gave to Heinrich-dono as a personal reward was about the same size as a ping pong ball or a little larger. I had chosen the larger ones at random, but come to think of it, I hadn¡¯t given much thought to how much they were worth.


    ¡°They¡¯re not that big of a deal for me to have.¡±


    Saying this, I took out a ruby, sapphire, and emerald the size of a clenched fist from my inventory and showed them. They stared at the gems for a moment as if they were devouring them and then let out a sigh as they closed their eyes or covered their eyes with their hands.


    ¡°That¡¯s kind of the point.¡±


    ¡°I was so surprised I thought I was going to stop breathing.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, I was just trying to prank you a little bit¡­ Well, for me, it¡¯s just like a stone, not to say a rock, but a little bit rare stone, because I can get a ragged piece of it.¡±


    In fact, I can get any number of rocks and boulders in rocky areas if I hit them with my pickaxe with the vigor of clearing the land. However, in this world, resources don¡¯t re-pop up on their own, so if I do it excessively, the world itself will flatten out.


    ¡°Speaking of which, Kosuke gave us some gems before, didn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°I have cashed in some of them, but I¡¯m keeping my favorites.¡±


    ¡°As an adventurer, I don¡¯t have a chance to wear the jewelry even if it¡¯s made into accessories.¡±


    I see. I¡¯m going to give the three of them some practical accessories next time.


    ¡°I have a pendant that Kosuke gave me¡­¡±


    When I was thinking about this and that, Ellen was trying to calm her mind by squeezing her chest. Seraphita-san didn¡¯t make any particular comment, and her expression didn¡¯t change, but I could sense that she was somewhat sad.


    ¡°Ellen is a clergywoman, so you probably can¡¯t wear jewelry with fancy ornaments on it, but I¡¯ll make you some accessories next time. Maybe with mithril.¡±


    ¡°¡­Is that okay?¡±


    ¡°Of course. As for Seraphita-san, since she will likely be standing in diplomatic missions like this one in the future, so I will make you a dress or an ornament that is appropriate for you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Kosuke-sama.¡±


    Ellen and Seraphita-san smiled when they heard my reply. Ellen was once nearly assassinated with a poisoned dagger, and Seraphita-san might be in similar danger if she stands on a diplomatic mission in the future. It would be better to make accessories for both of them that can cover those situations as soon as possible.


    I should ask Isla about gemstones and their effects next time. Even on Earth, it was believed that various gemstones and ores, called power stones, had such effects, and in this world of magic, it is likely that research in this area is also advanced.


    Time passed as we did various chores, took over various tasks, and dealt with the diplomatic envoys from the Kingdom of Tigris and the Duchy of Dihart who came to visit us immediately, and it was around early summer that we finally returned to Merinesburg.

 CH 291

    Chapter 291 ¨C Saint¡¯s Smug Double Peace


    Hey, it¡¯s Kosuke. The hero Kosuke, who crushed the invasion of the two northern countries and has been making progress in the negotiations and various issues in the northern border region since then. Eh? Don¡¯t get carried away, you say? Yes, I¡¯m sorry.


    ¡°As a matter of course, Kosuke was now exposed as the most powerful force in the Kingdom of Merinard.¡±


    ¡°Well, it was obvious from the start. The fact that Kosuke is hiding a dangerous weapon¡­¡±


    ¡°When he was kidnapped by that damn fox the other day, he threw out the entire contents of his inventory, but even then, there were weapons that we didn¡¯t know about.¡±


    I was sitting on the sofa with Sylphy on my right, Melty on my left, and Isla on my lap, a perfect encirclement, and I couldn¡¯t escape.


    It was the night after I finally returned from the northern border region. The three of us took a bath together after dinner, and during the after-bath drinks, I was completely surrounded. Well, I had no intention of escaping, of course.


    ¡°Kosuke has been like that ever since he met me. He had some secret tools in his inventory that I didn¡¯t know about.¡±


    ¡°Another old story¡­ I was still in a precarious position back then, so what was I supposed to do? After that, I taught you every time I made a hatchet or a crossbow or something.¡±


    ¡°But you kept the guns and other weapons of your former world a secret, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Modern and advanced weapons such as guns are too powerful and dangerous. You¡¯ve read the reports, haven¡¯t you, Sylphy? Even the not-so-advanced tip-loading magic rifle is able to crush a force of twenty times its size. Moreover, unlike the wars in this world up to now, it will be a disastrous war that will result in a large number of deaths, not just injuries. Be careful not to leak the manufacturing method of the magic rifle, okay?¡±


    The magic rifle is a weapon that was created using only the technology of this world. If the manufacturing method is leaked, it will sweep the world in the blink of an eye.


    ¡°Speaking of which, Isla, as a mage, don¡¯t you feel anything about the proliferation of such a powerful projectile weapon that can be used by anyone?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t have thoughts about it. But now, it is still for military use, so it is okay. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s safe to spread them to civilians, adventurers, or even bandits.¡±


    ¡°That is reasonable. It might be better to establish severe penalties for the possession of magic guns by non-military personnel.¡±


    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s get the law in place as soon as possible.¡±


    Not sexy enough for conversation, you say? It¡¯s going to get sexier after this anyway, no matter what, so it¡¯s okay to be serious about it for now.


    ¡°So, what else are you hiding?¡±


    Isla looked up at me with her big eye from my lap.


    ¡°Well, there are a few differently armed golem variants and a prototype magic sparkling stone warhead cruise missile that uses a wind-magic propulsion system and a golem core.¡±


    ¡°A magic sparkling stone warhead cruise missile?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a weapon that can fly a magic sparkling stone bomb from Merinesburg to Erichburg if you know the approximate distance and direction.¡±


    The disadvantage of this weapon is that it is not very accurate since it detects the target of attack based on the approximate flight distance and the automatic detection of the city¡¯s location based on the amount of magical reactions. The command to the golem, which controls the decision-making process, has to be vague, such as, ¡°Fly to the city that exists ~km away and detonate the magic sparkling stone bomb. There is no such thing as GPS, after all.


    ¡°But I haven¡¯t even test-fired it yet. There is no way to test it because it is just a thing.¡±


    ¡°Maybe you can pull out the magic sparkling stone warhead¡­ or maybe not.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a big, heavy piece of metal. It could hit a child walking on the street or something.¡±


    ¡°We certainly can¡¯t test fire one of those.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s dangerous. We should notify people in advance and test-fire it at a military post.¡±


    ¡°That would work. It might cause damage to the facility, though.¡±


    The conversation proceeded without me. It was interesting to see how they seemed to think that if it was a military facility, it would be okay if there was some damage. The target from Merinesburg will probably be the facilities under the control of Sir Leonard, which are located in the eastern border area with the Holy Kingdom. I apologize in my mind while I still can.


    ¡°What else?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking of a reinforced exoskeleton based on golem technology.¡±


    ¡°Reinforced exoskeleton?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s like a golem you can wear. It¡¯s armor with thick protection and the power of a golem.¡±


    ¡°Then I think it would be better to use the golem itself.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a romantic device.¡±


    Surely, then, it would be better to just use a golem equipped with a weapon, but this is a man¡¯s romance! Wearing golem armor and running into a crowd of monsters is awesome! That¡¯s so cool! I just want to be cool!


    ¡°I think it would be revolutionary to be able to deploy soldiers with the armor and power of a golem.¡±


    ¡°At the moment, Kosuke-san¡¯s orders are the only ones that can move the golem, right?¡±


    In response to Isla, who tilted her head, Sylphy and Melty showed a certain agreement with my romance. Well, the two of them have a level of physical ability that does not require golem armor, though.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s hear the rest of the story on the bed, shall we?¡±


    ¡°Nnnn, hold me.¡±


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go!¡±


    I carry Isla in my arms as ordered, and Sylphy and Melty push me on my back and take me to bed.


    It¡¯s too blatant, you say? That¡¯s right. Because¨D¨D.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    ¡°I made it.¡±


    As soon as we returned to Merinesburg, Ellen made a smug double peace face to Sylphy and the others. The reason for this is¨DI don¡¯t have to tell you, do I?


    ¡°To think that you beat me to it¡­!¡±


    ¡°Kuh, I hate the racial difference¡­¡±


    ¡°Gnunu¡­!¡±


    Yes. Ellen is pregnant.


    Well, you know, that¡¯s what happens when you spend almost six months over there and do all the things to do. Incidentally, I found out that Amalie-san was also pregnant after Ellen. After all, it is easier to have children between humans, it seems.


    ¡°Am I the only one left behind¡­?¡±


    Bertha-san¡¯s gaze was fixed on me. It can¡¯t be helped; Bertha-san wasn¡¯t with us. Also, the pressure from the harpies are terrific. Their eyes are blazing. To be honest, I¡¯m scared.


    ¡°Well, I thought we had a chance, didn¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s unfortunate, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°R-right.¡±


    Tozume is, as always, weak on this kind of topic. I love that aspect of her.


    ¡°It¡¯s unfortunate.¡±


    Seraphita-san and Sylphy are giving me very subtle looks, so that¡¯s why I¡¯m going to stay here. Aquawill-san is looking at me like I¡¯m a pig on a pig farm, Iphrita is looking like a space cat, and Driada-san is smiling tremendously. In my opinion, Driada-san is the scariest. Those are the eyes of a predator.


    Grande, you ask? Grande seems to be in no hurry at all. She seems to think that children should come naturally, and it doesn¡¯t matter who comes first and who doesn¡¯t. She is watching Sylphy and the others fussing in the corner over there with a grin on her face.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think there¡¯s an order to this?¡±


    ¡°If I had to wait for the long-lived race, a short-lived one like me would become a senile old woman.¡±


    ¡°I-it won¡¯t take that long!¡±


    While Ellen, who never lost her composure, Sylphy, who had her queen¡¯s mask removed, stomped on the ground. It¡¯s cute, but please don¡¯t do that because the stone floor is getting cracks from being stomped on. You know, I¡¯m the one who¡¯s going to repair it.


    ¡°This is a serious situation, Kosuke-san.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, the order has been disrupted.¡±


    Melty and Isla are coming up to me with serious looks on their faces. That¡¯s true, but it¡¯s a gift, you know.


    ¡°Mmh! Kosuke has to stay with me for a while!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s outrageous.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t agree with that, no matter how much Sylphy says so.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not fair!¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s not fair!¡±


    In response to Sylphy¡¯s monopolistic statement, objections arose. Oh no, this castle will be destroyed if it continues like this. This castle will be destroyed physically.


    ¡°Stop! Stop!¡±


    I shouted loudly as I advanced on Sylphy and the others, who were on the verge of an immediate confrontation. The only way to stop the fighting is for me to take a stand.


    ¡°Babies are a gift. It¡¯s not a matter of who comes first that determines the order.¡±


    ¡°This result is God¡¯s will.¡±


    ¡°Stop it! I¡¯m trying to settle the situation, and you¡¯re trying to provoke them with a smug look on your face!¡±


    Ellen, you¡¯re having a little fun, aren¡¯t you? You¡¯re getting too excited just because your morning sickness has subsided slightly, and you¡¯re feeling a little more energetic.


    ¡°In other words, Kosuke-san is going to take responsibility, isn¡¯t that right?¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    What do you mean by responsibility? Oh no, that¡¯s scary.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take responsibility. I will work hard to feed everyone!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not responsibility in that direction.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the responsibility that is causing conflict. You know what I mean, right?¡±


    ¡°Hahaha¡­ Oh, I just remembered something¨D¨D¡±


    I was about to run away when Sylphy grabbed me by both shoulders. Sylphy is holding my right shoulder, and Melty is holding my left shoulder with a smile. I can¡¯t do it anymore¡­ it¡¯s over¡­ there¡¯s no way I can escape.


    As a result, I¡¯m going to stay in Merinesburg for a while and take care of everyone. Well, I wanted to relax with Sylphy and the others in Merinesburg for a while, so there was no problem. The problem is. I¡¯ll shut my eyes to the fact that the nights would be a little intense.


    However, the peace was broken surprisingly quickly. A messenger came from the Holy Kingdom.

 CH 292

    Chapter 292 ¨C Preparing For the Visit of Diplomatic Envoys


    ¡°A messenger from the Holy Kingdom, huh?¡±


    I sat on my usual couch and leaned my weight on the backrest while looking up at the ceiling and thinking.


    Just a few minutes ago, Sir Leonard, who is in charge of protecting the east, sent word that a group claiming to be envoys from the Holy Kingdom had appeared near the border with the Holy Kingdom. It is said that those claiming to be envoys appeared in an imposing manner, flying the flag of the Holy Kingdom and a white flag.


    ¡°They said they were visiting for the return of prisoners of war and to negotiate a truce and peace.¡±


    Sir Leonard¡¯s voice over the golem communicator was grim. Sir Leonard wanted to guard the eastern border in order to be the first to wield the sword in the coming decisive battle against the Holy Kingdom. He was probably dissatisfied that his first task was to guide the envoys to negotiate peace.


    ¡°It won¡¯t be that easy to make peace. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    I was impressed by Sylphy¡¯s reply to Sir Leonard. Sylphy, too, has an irreconcilable grudge against the Holy Kingdom. Sylphy would not be able to easily accept peace with the Holy Kingdom, which has robbed her of her family, oppressed her people, and taken the lives of many of her people and her father over a period of 20 years.


    ¡°Humans are troublesome. Why don¡¯t you just stop killing each other?¡±


    Grande said as she sat on the couch, using my lap as a pillow. I want her to stop doing that because it¡¯s inevitable that her horns are going to hit me no matter what. It hurts so much.


    ¡°You say so, Grande. But I don¡¯t think it¡¯s that easy for someone who¡¯s had their family and people are taken away from them.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Is that how it is? If a dragon is killed by a human or a monster, it is the fault of the victim that they are weak.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s more like the law of the jungle, or survival of the fittest, or hyper-individualism¡­¡±


    Dragons are born strong. It would be difficult to hold the same values as humans, who are weak individuals and inevitably have to protect themselves by huddling together and building a community.


    ¡°What is dead is dead. I don¡¯t understand why people would risk their lives for something that is dead. It is understandable if you want to kill someone because you have been treated badly or because you don¡¯t like them.¡±


    ¡°¡­Well, I think that¡¯s how it is in the end if you take all the pretense away.¡±


    They took our country, killed our friends, sold us out, and took the lives of our families! I¡¯ll never forgive you! I¡¯ll kill you! That¡¯s what they really want to do, I guess. To put it bluntly, I think they are saying that they kill because they are pissed off. However, unlike a fistfight in a bar, a war between countries costs a lot of money, and the number of lives lost is far greater than in a fight in a bar. Such a war of extermination is not something that happens very often. Normally.


    ¡°We have to be careful¡­¡±


    The current Merinard Royal Army has the capability to make the Holy Kingdom feel like a piece of armor. Mass production of magic rifles is steadily progressing, and air bombs for harpies using magic crystals also seem to be in development. Air boards are also being mass-produced, as are magic rifles, and the preserved foods I invented last year, such as canned food and dried noodles, are also being mass-produced at a rapid pace.


    In addition, at the rear base in the Omit Wilderness, where the vein hole is located, magic crystals, magic iron, and magic steel are being mass-produced, and weapons using them are being steadily made. We are also making progress in taking control of the cities in the country and expect to receive tax revenues from them.


    Of course, there are many problems, large and small, in the country, but the country has enough power to compete with the Holy Kingdom on equal terms. After all, there is a technology gap of at least two generations. If I were to join in, the Holy Kingdom would not be able to compete, no matter how big a power it may be.


    ¡°About what?¡±


    ¡°I mean so that Sylphy and Sir Leonard don¡¯t kill for nothing out of hatred for the Holy Kingdom. I don¡¯t intend to say anything about killing now, but just be careful not to overdo it. Since I brought in weapons from my world because I was in favor of Sylphy and the others, I have some responsibility to some extent.¡±


    ¡°Is that how it is? It is up to Sylphy and the others to decide how to handle the power they have been given, and whatever they do with that power is not Kosuke¡¯s responsibility, but Sylphy and the others.¡±


    ¡°I wonder if that¡¯s so¡­ Hmm.¡±


    It is true that a murder committed with a kitchen knife does not incriminate the blacksmith who made the knife, even if it was a sword or an axe, but it seems to me that this is not the case if the weapon or technology was clearly provided for use in warfare. And it¡¯s not a business; it¡¯s a personal relationship. I am now on the side of the conflict between the Kingdom of Merinard and the Holy Kingdom, not a third party to it.


    ¡°You¡¯ll always be Kosuke, won¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I am not a saint with unshakable determination and a will of steel. I¡¯m just an ordinary human being with a lot of indecision and hesitation.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think a man who kills thousands and tens of thousands of his fellow human beings with impunity to make an example of them in order to achieve certain goals is an ordinary man, though.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes, that¡¯s right. You are absolutely right.¡±


    I have killed tens of thousands of people with my own hands as a necessary sacrifice to show my or the Merinard Kingdom¡¯s military might¨Da milestone in order to thwart an invasion from the north and realize peace between the two northern countries. Is it too late for me to be worrying about how to prevent as many deaths as possible?


    Even so, yes. I still think it¡¯s best to minimize unnecessary sacrifices. If I have to kill anyway, I should do it efficiently and effectively. I am going to hell anyway. Then, let¡¯s just be open and honest about it and thoroughly select and account for the lives we take.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look so scared. Kosuke despises himself, but I must say that you are not the ordinary man you think you are. That¡¯s all I¡¯m trying to say.¡±


    ¡°Is that so¡­? Well, I¡¯ll try not to get too worked up about it.¡±


    ¡°Umu, you shall.¡±


    The Holy Kingdom¡¯s envoys are traveling by horse and cart from the border areas. Even if they hurry, it will take them a good number of days to reach Merinesburg.


    ¡°I wonder what kind of discussions will take place.¡±


    ¡°Will there even be any talks at all?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the thing¡­ I think the fact that they sent envoys means that it¡¯s alright.¡±


    The fact that they sent envoys is proof that they at least recognized the Merinard Kingdom as a nation. It is impossible for a great country like the Holy Kingdom to send envoys to bandits who only ruled their own country by force. However, it would be a different story if the bandit established diplomatic relations with several nations and was recognized as a legitimate nation by them.


    The Kingdom of Merinard now not only has economic and political exchanges with the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom and a group of minor states in the west but also has diplomatic relations, albeit limited, with the Kingdom of Tigris and the Duchy of Dihart in the north, and the Varyag Empire, the arch enemy of the Holy Kingdom, has an ambassador in Merinesburg. The Holy Kingdom must have been forced to recognize us as a nation after all.


    ¡°Should Kosuke be excluded in this case?¡±


    ¡°It seems that you want to keep me out of the eyes of the Holy Kingdom.¡±


    I was the one to bear the brunt of the negotiations with the two northern countries. This time, the Holy Kingdom suddenly dispatched a diplomatic mission because they found out about my existence, didn¡¯t they? Sylphy and the others are becoming increasingly wary of the situation.


    Therefore, it was unanimously decided that I would not appear in the diplomatic negotiations this time, including not only Sylphy and Melty but also Seraphita-san and Driada-san, as well as Ellen, Archbishop Deckard, High Priestess Caterina, and other Adol nostalgic faction members. With that, most of the personnel got busy for the meeting, so I suddenly had a lot of free time.


    ¡°Do you want to go for a walk?¡±


    ¡°If you want to go, I¡¯ll go with you. I¡¯ve been told never to let Kosuke go out alone.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go together.¡±


    It¡¯s about time Qubi¡¯s fur grew back to its original soft and fluffy state. It might be a good idea to go teasing him. Perhaps it would not be a bad idea to ask Kirilovich, the ambassador of the Varyag Empire, for his opinion on this matter.

 CH 293

    Chapter 293 ¨C Two Free People and A Person Who Is Swayed


    ¡°I¡¯m here to play. Now treat me well.¡±


    ¡°Bring me some tea and pastries. Something sweet and tasty.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you people a little too free?¡±


    As soon as we met, Grande and I made demands that were not even polite in the slightest, to which Kirilovich, the imperial ambassador, responded with a straight face.


    This is the embassy of the Varyag Empire, located near the Royal Castle in Merinesburg. Since we were completely left out of the talks between the Kingdom of Merinard and the Holy Kingdom, the two of us, Grande and I, decided to pay a visit to the embassy of the Varyag Empire, not as a courtesy visit but for fun.


    Well, Kirilovich is a good guy, so he made sure to provide us with tea and pastries for such an unreasonable request. In fact, he is probably more of a tough guy than a good guy.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s right for just the two of you to go to the embassy of another country and unscrupulously partake of the drinks and food offered to you without a second thought.¡±


    ¡°The empire would have no reason to kill me. If you were to kidnap me and put me to work for you, that would be one thing, but¡­¡±


    ¡°In the first place, there¡¯s no way you could kill Kosuke with me next to him.¡±


    ¡°I also seem to be resistant to poison. I survived being stabbed in the liver with a dagger coated with basilisk poison, after all.¡±


    ¡°Poison has no effect on me, too.¡±


    ¡°Sigh¡­ I think it¡¯s a bad idea to disclose that kind of information to the public.¡±


    While saying that, Kirilovich brought a cup of tea to his mouth with a pained look on his face. I still don¡¯t know what that bitter expression means, but in any case, the best he could do to harm us¨Dor me¨Dwould be to stab me in the back, no matter how well he did it.


    Even if he had kidnapped me with a precious magic tool that could travel long distances at a moment¡¯s notice, like the one Qubi used to kidnap me, it would be almost impossible to catch me without killing me with all my equipment and supplies. I can put everything in my inventory whether I am blindfolded, roped, or handcuffed, and once I am unbound, it is easy for me to break through walls and floors to escape, whether I am locked in a cell or a stone chamber. I have no magic power, so the slave¡¯s collar and even the abnormal status magic won¡¯t work on me.


    I think it would be impossible to completely restrain me alive unless you physically blind me and then harden me from the neck down with concrete or something.


    ¡°So, what is the matter with you today? You didn¡¯t come here simply to beg for tea and sweets, did you?¡±


    ¡°Kirilovich will be very angry if I say I just came to ask for tea and sweets, so I¡¯ll tell you otherwise.¡±


    ¡°Kosuke, these pastries are quite good.¡±


    ¡°Let me see¡­ Ooh, the walnuts are very tasty.¡±


    The tea cakes prepared for us are sticky dough with crushed walnuts kneaded into the dough. I¡¯ve had something like this before. It looks like a walnut rice cake.


    ¡°I¡¯d appreciate it if you wouldn¡¯t flirt so openly in front of me.¡±


    ¡°That was rude. Well, as you probably know, Kirilovich, a delegation from the Holy Kingdom, has come to visit us. They want to negotiate the return of prisoners of war and peace. For various reasons, it was not my place to be involved in these negotiations, but suddenly the Holy Kingdom changed its mind and asked for a meeting. I was wondering if you could give me your opinion on what exactly is going on here, Mr. Ambassador of the Varyag Empire.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I see.¡±


    Kirilovich was ruminating over my story in his mind, covering his thin chin and mouth with his left hand in a gesture of contemplation. He is the kind of person who is sent all the way from the Varyag Empire in the far east to the Kingdom of Merinard. He is a friendly and easy person to get along with, but he is a man with abilities that are appropriate for an ambassador of a great nation¨Deven though he is an elf.


    ¡°Although the information has not yet come to us, it may be that the fighting with the empire is intensifying. And they may have decided that it is not worth it to continue to cross swords with the Kingdom of Merinard.¡±


    ¡°Not worth it, huh?¡±


    ¡°It would not be worth it. A mere few hundred men can destroy a conventional force of tens of thousands of men without a scratch on them. No matter how large a country may be, knights and soldiers do not come in endless supply, and their operation costs a great deal of money. It would not be economical for them to be melted down unilaterally without inflicting any damage. Besides¨D¡±


    ¡°Besides?¡±


    ¡°If they found out you still have some more hidden treasures, it would be too risky to deal with you properly. I think that¡¯s why they decided to take a loss.¡±


    ¡°Before they suffer any more damage, huh? However, Sylphy and the others are devoted to their grudge. I don¡¯t think they will make peace so easily.¡±


    The resentment of the subhumans, who lost their homeland and were oppressed for 20 years, against the Holy Kingdom is deep. There is also the problem of the assets plundered by the Holy Kingdom and the people taken away as slaves. In particular, the problem of the elves who were taken away to create capable human resources¨Din other words, mages¨Dis sure to be a difficult one to solve. It is easy to imagine how they are being treated since they were taken away to ¡°increase the production¡± of humans with magical powers.


    ¡°Well, it must be difficult. For now, I think they will offer to return the same number of people who can be returned as the number of knights who have been taken captive. After that, they will pay a reasonable amount of compensation and make concessions to the Merinard Kingdom by offering preferential taxes on trade for the next few years, perhaps five or ten years, while establishing economic ties with them to at least avoid a two-front strategy with the Empire.¡±


    ¡°I think there¡¯s a possibility that our side might choose to fight the war thoroughly.¡±


    ¡°With all due respect, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s possible. It is true that the Merinard Royal Army is very strong and may be able to kick the Holy Kingdom¡¯s Army to the curb. However, even if you could kick out the Holy Kingdom¡¯s army and cut off the Holy Kingdom¡¯s territory, it would be difficult for the Merinard Kingdom to maintain its territory.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ that¡¯s true.¡±


    The current Merinard kingdom does not have enough human resources to take care of such a territory, and even if the territory of the Holy Kingdom were to be carved out and made into a new territory for the Merinard kingdom, the inhabitants of that territory are devout Adol believers who have exclusive ideas about subhumans. It is hard to believe that they would honestly submit to the rule of a former vassal state, especially one ruled by subhumans.


    ¡°I am sure that Her Majesty Queen Sylphiel is not the kind of person who would invade the Holy Kingdom only to kill enemy soldiers and their subjects or to plunder the Holy Kingdom.¡±


    ¡°No doubt about that.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    Grande, who had been listening in silence, nodded her head in agreement with me. No matter how much she hates the people of the Holy Kingdom, Sylphy would never go off to war just to kill, plunder, and torment them.


    ¡°If so, that is. As long as the Kingdom of Merinard has no territorial ambitions, there will be peace between the Kingdom of Merinard and the Holy Kingdom in whatever form it takes once the Holy Kingdom makes a peace offer.¡±


    Kirilovich affirmed and sipped the warmed tea.


    ¡°However, it is unlikely that the Kingdom of Merinard will ever fully compromise with the Holy Kingdom and go hand in hand with them. The Holy Kingdom will always face our Empire with a potential enemy, the Kingdom of Merinard.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good deal for the Varyag Empire, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is. The rapid march of the Royal Army of Merinard and its ability to break through would be a tremendous threat to the Holy Kingdom. As a result of focusing too much on the empire, the Merinard Kingdom, which suddenly marched in, couldn¡¯t be taken lightly anymore. From now on, they will have to deploy a considerable number of forces on the side of the Kingdom of Merinard.¡±


    In order to continue to deploy such forces, the Holy Kingdom will have no choice but to continue to drain its maintenance costs, which will mean that it will have less power to devote to the war against the Empire. The Holy King of the Holy Kingdom must be in tears.

 CH 294

    Chapter 294 ¨C Talk About Tiresome Politics


    ¡°Now that we¡¯ve heard enough nice-sounding stories. Next, I would like you to tell me a story that might hurt my ears or even give me a headache.¡±


    Kirilovich¡¯s expression turned serious for a moment at my comment. You underestimate me a little bit. Just as we do our best to pursue our own national interests and ideals, of course, the Holy Kingdom will do its best to pursue the same. If the Holy Kingdom does not take any action, the situation will be like we are talking about now, but the other party is bound to take some action to break the situation.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I see.¡±


    Kirilovich leaned back against the back of the sofa he was sitting on, looked up at the ceiling, and pondered for a moment.


    ¡°I would like to say that the first thing to do is to investigate, but the Holy Kingdom is probably already aware of the cause of the rapid progress of the Merinard Kingdom. In other words, Kosuke-dono, your existence.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s true.¡±


    I was completely out in front in the war and negotiations with the two northern countries, and in the first place, the prisoners of war imprisoned in the prisoner of war camp in Merinesburg must have known of my existence. If the exchange of prisoners were to take place, they would report my existence to the Holy Kingdom, and in the first place, there is a high possibility that secret agents of the Holy Kingdom are mixed up in Merinesburg. The Kingdom of Merinard does not have a system to capture and interrogate people just because they are human. It is possible, though, that a counterintelligence unit using the abilities of subhumans is operating in secret without my knowledge.


    ¡°If that is the case, then removing the cause of the problem would be an effective means of reducing the power of the Merinard Kingdom, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°The direct means would be kidnapping or assassination, and the indirect means would be¡­ to lead the people to reject me?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s about it. If possible, they would like to own that power, but if they find it impossible, they will try to eliminate it. As for intelligence operations¡­ How should I say it? I think they are good at manipulating information domestically but not so good at manipulating information abroad. They are better at direct assassination and kidnapping. They are a very tricky bunch. They will kill in the name of God, without regard for their own lives, and without question.¡±


    ¡°Fanatics are scary. Well, that¡¯s about it on a tactical level. When it comes to the strategic unit¡­ the east and west are blocked by the empire and ours, so are they going to advance to the north or northwest? Because the south is an ocean.¡±


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t know whether or not they will try to expand their territory any further¡­ They might even move closer to the Merinard Kingdom.¡±


    ¡°Oh? No, I don¡¯t think so. The land that was being fought over with the empire was a fertile plain, wasn¡¯t it? Is the Holy Kingdom short of food?¡±


    ¡°To put it simply, yes. By the way, how much do you know about the lifestyle of the people of the Holy Kingdom?¡±


    ¡°Hmm? No, I don¡¯t know much.¡±


    I know that they are composed entirely of devout believers, but that¡¯s about it. I don¡¯t know much about how they work and how they spend their days.


    ¡°Basically, the people of the Holy Kingdom don¡¯t do manual labor.¡±


    ¡°They don¡¯t do manual labor?¡±


    ¡°Yes. All physical labor, such as plowing the fields and carrying heavy loads, is done by slaves. And these slaves are basically subhumans. Some of the citizens of the Holy Kingdom who have committed crimes are also sent to do manual labor, but they are basically subhumans.¡±


    ¡°Haha, I can see what you mean. The Adol mainline doctrine claims that subhumans are born with sin and that it is their duty and purification to serve humans or something like that.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you know a lot about it.¡±


    ¡°I have done some research on the Adol religion. But can a nation be built based on that¡­?¡¡No, I see. The Holy Kingdom is a slave state that relies on subhuman slaves for the majority of its labor force. Is the policy of expansion being adopted in order to secure subhumans as the labor force? But as a state system, it seems pretty dicey to me.¡±


    A society that depends on the labor force of slaves tends to be unstable. Once a slave rebellion broke out in the country, domestic food production and economic activities would suffer a major blow.


    ¡°But that doesn¡¯t seem to be the case. The Holy Kingdom has a long history, after all. It is only in the last two or three hundred years or so that the government has become so thoroughly anti-subhuman, or at least so contemptuous of subhumans, or so strict in its treatment of subhumans as it is now.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Oh, come to think of it, there are slave collars and such, and injuries and plagues can be cured by miracles.¡±


    ¡°Yes. It seems that slaves hardly ever die from injuries or illnesses. Well, there are still many slaves who die due to the harsh living conditions.¡±


    ¡°I see. I understand the life of the people of the Holy Kingdom, but what does this have to do with the future of the Holy Kingdom?¡±


    ¡°In other words, what is the purpose of the Holy Kingdom? Why did they invade the Kingdom of Merinard? Why are they fighting the empire? Why are they pursuing a policy of expansion?¡±


    Kirilovich is very serious today. It¡¯s as if he is a teacher or something. Hmm, the Holy Kingdom¡¯s philosophy of action.


    ¡°The reason for invading the Kingdom of Merinard and making it a vassal state is to secure subhuman slaves and labor force and to secure elves to increase the production of mages. The expansion policy is also to secure subhuman slaves. The reason for fighting the empire is to obtain fertile plains, which are essential for increasing food production, and at the same time, it is a matter of ideology.¡±


    ¡°Ideology. You know a very lofty word again, don¡¯t you? You have to be a philosopher or a political scientist to use such a word.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s not a word I use very often. The subject matter is too big. But if that is the case, it will be quite difficult for the Merinard Kingdom to get back the subhuman slaves, won¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°I suppose so. Subhuman slaves are indispensable to them. It can be described as the same infrastructure as roads and waterways. As a subject of the empire, I find this story disgusting.¡±


    Kirilovich said as if to throw up. The Varyag Empire is a multi-ethnic nation. It seems that the Holy Kingdom and the Varyag Empire cannot understand each other at a fundamental level. It is the same for the Kingdom of Merinard.


    ¡°If that is the case, won¡¯t they expand to the north in order to obtain slaves? No, the slaves themselves are in the country, so if they want to increase their labor force, is there a way to encourage the slaves to have children¡­?¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s a long shot, but it¡¯s quite possible that they could take that kind of move. This would temporarily reduce the domestic labor force, which would lead to a severe food shortage. But you have a solution for that, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I see. Hmm, I see. So you are talking about the possibility of approaching the Merinard Kingdom?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what I mean.¡±


    In other words, Kirilovich is saying that the Holy Kingdom will be interested in the food produced in large quantities by my ability. Hmm, I see. So in order to do that, they would make peace, and then, with some loss in mind, they would rub up against the Kingdom of Merinard, and then they would broach the subject of wanting to buy a large amount of food. It would be a tremendous business for the Kingdom of Merinard. It would be a different order of magnitude from selling to the Duchy of Dihart, the Kingdom of Tigris, or a group of small nations in the west.


    ¡°I wonder if Sylphy and the others will agree to it.¡±


    ¡°The Kingdom of Merinard will probably try to get the return of the subhuman slaves the Holy Kingdoms took from them. The Holy Kingdoms will probably be able to hold on to the supply of food, a strategic commodity, which is not bad for the Merinard Kingdom. During those ten or twenty years, they would be in a better position to deal with the Holy Kingdom.¡±


    ¡°So we are talking about political bargaining.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. During that ten or twenty years, the empire may destroy the Holy Kingdom.¡±


    ¡°It would be nice if you did, but then again, the Kingdom of Merinard, which supplies food to the enemy, is a nuisance for the Empire, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, quite. That would be a problem. If that happens, we will have a lot to talk about on that matter.¡±


    Kirilovich shrugged his shoulders as he said this.


    So it could be a complicated situation where the enemy of my enemy is not so easy to say that he is my friend. Oh, it¡¯s a messy story, good grief.

 CH 295

    Chapter 295 ¨C The Daily Life Behind the Uneasy Negotiations


    ¡°I see. I see. As expected of an ambassador of the empire.¡±


    I told Sylphy what I had talked about with Kirilovich during the day while we were having dinner, and Sylphy said this with a not-so-amused look on her face. Next to her, Melty had a similar look on her face.


    ¡°It makes me wonder if he was spying on the meeting by some means.¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so since we were talking just as the meeting was taking place.¡±


    If, in fact, he was actually spying while talking to me and then telling me about it and looking smug, it would be too much fun. I would tell him to use that effort in a different direction.


    ¡°Aside from the details, the general drift of the story is exactly as Kosuke described it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an exchange of prisoners of war for elven slaves, a peace proposal, and a trade proposal, starting with food, with preferential tariffs for the next five years. If we agree to the food supply, they will consider returning the subhuman slaves to us.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid Kirilovich was right. That¡¯s how well-informed and well-analyzed he is, I guess.¡±


    ¡°You have to be vigilant when it comes to the major powers.¡±


    Sylphy is grumbling as she sips the mead I¡¯ve made in the brewing barrel. It seems that the reason she is in such a bad mood is because she was played for a fool by the diplomatic envoy of the Holy Kingdom during the daytime meeting. In other words, things have gone according to the other party¡¯s wishes. And she is not happy that Kirilovich, who was not there and does not have the full knowledge of the situation in the Kingdom of Merinard, had foreseen this turn of events.


    ¡°Well, I guess we don¡¯t have any other choice at the moment.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s certainly true, though.¡±


    Sylphy said uninterestedly and leaned her back on the wicker couch with the cup in her hand.


    The Merinard kingdom also does not want to continue to deal with the Holy Kingdom for a very long time. The current Merinard Kingdom does not have enough human resources to devote to domestic affairs while maintaining a wartime regime. The entire territory of the former Merinard Kingdom has been brought under its control, and the local rulers have shown reverence for the new Merinard Kingdom and its new queen, Sylphy, but are all of the territories under its effective control? To be honest, there are still some doubtful parts.


    After all, it had been a vassal state of the Holy Kingdom for 20 years. There are many devout Adol believers who have moved from the Holy Kingdom, and disputes between freed former subhuman slaves and Adol believers are frequent here and there in the country. If the freed former subhuman slaves are treated too favorably, the Adol believers may erupt, and vice versa.


    In addition, although it is good that subhuman slaves have been liberated, there are a certain number of them who do not have a place to work. If the current situation is prolonged, some of them may turn themselves into brigands. This would directly lead to a worsening of public security, which in turn would reflect badly on the reign of Sylphy and on the existence of subhumans themselves.


    At the same time, the Adol believers, deprived of the labor power of subhuman slaves, are finding their businesses and livelihoods untenable and are experiencing a rapid decline in their fortunes. Even if they are Adol believers, they are still the people of the Merinard Kingdom. The country must also provide relief for them.


    We also have to take measures against monsters, which until now have been handled by the stationed forces of the Holy Kingdom. In particular, it is an urgent task to deal with the monsters that bring damage to the merchants who are in charge of crops and trade. The Royal Merinard Army is equipped with powerful weapons, but they are few in number. Even with the overwhelming mobility of air boards, it is not a problem that can be managed with just that.


    Well, I can think of as many problems as I can think of with my not-so-great mind. I am sure that Sylphy and Melty, who gather all kinds of information from all over the country, have many more problems to solve in their heads.


    ¡°The princess drove the bad guys out of the country, brought peace to the country, and became the queen. The reality is that it doesn¡¯t end with ¡®happily ever after.¡¯ Really.¡±


    ¡°Reality is not a fairy tale for children.¡±


    ¡°There are no hopes and dreams.¡±


    ¡°Now that I¡¯m in charge of the country, I¡¯m reminded of how great my father is.¡±


    ¡°Good, good. I will help you in any way I can, so let¡¯s work hard.¡±


    I stroked Sylphy¡¯s head as she let out a sigh of relief.


    ¡°¡­Then, can you help me immediately?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes.¡±


    I pat Sylphy¡¯s head as she presses her head against me, asking me to pet her more. I would do anything to pamper Sylphy, who was in a bad mood. Before I knew it, Isla was snuggled up to me on my other side while Melty was looking at us enviously on the opposite side of Sylphy.


    Yes, in order. Please, in order. Because I only have two hands.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s how it was last night.¡±


    ¡°Come to think of it, despite her appearance, Sylphiel is extremely young for an elf, isn¡¯t she?¡±


    ¡°The figure of her being spoiled by Kosuke-sama¡­ I can¡¯t imagine much of that. It makes me smile a little when I imagine it!¡±


    Amalie-san, who was spending her time basking in the warm early summer sun, smiles as she says so. Ellen, who was with her, also blinked her crimson eyes with interest.


    The two of them were wearing loose-fitting one-piece dresses instead of the usual monastic attire. It is not very noticeable because of their loose-fitting clothes, but their bellies under those clothes are bulging solidly. How do I know this, you ask? Because she showed me. Don¡¯t make me say it; it¡¯s embarrassing.


    ¡°Do you want to touch it?¡±


    ¡°May I?¡±


    ¡°Of course. It¡¯s your baby.¡±


    Ellen guides my hand to her stomach. I am deeply moved by the thought of my and Ellen¡¯s child inside. I am going to be a father. I still can¡¯t really feel it, to be honest.


    Ellen¡¯s pregnancy was discovered at the beginning of this year when the weather was still cold.


    Ellen and Amalie-san fell ill together while we were working on the aftermath of the war and employment measures for the freed subhuman slaves over there.


    The mage¡¯s recovery magic didn¡¯t work, nor did my Life Potion, Cure Disease Potion, or Cure Poison Potion. What in the world is going on? While I was panicking, Ellen and Amalie-san looked happy for some reason, even though they were not feeling well.


    Yes, they knew the cause of their poor health. That¡¯s right, they are priests who can perform the miracle of recovery.


    In this world, clergy who can perform miracles of recovery often have medical knowledge.


    Miracles of recovery are effective even when exercised roughly, but if they have knowledge of illness and injury, they can heal the subject more effectively. Therefore, clergy who can exercise the miracle of recovery are also familiar with medical knowledge to a greater or lesser degree.


    ¡°Do you want to touch my belly too?¡±


    ¡°Well, if you¡¯ll excuse me¡­ Oh!¡±


    When I tried to reach out to touch Amalie-san¡¯s stomach, she pulled my hand away and held my head in her arms. I see; you want me to put my ear to it?


    ¡°Can you hear anything?¡±


    Amalie-san asked, patting my head as I put my ear to her stomach.


    ¡°Um, nothing yet. Was it about four months pregnant now?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that should be about right. The morning sickness has subsided.¡±


    ¡°It was quite painful¡­¡±


    Ellen sighed. The morning sickness was quite severe for Ellen, while Amalie-san¡¯s was mild. Just the smell of food made her feel sick.


    ¡°Kosuke helped me a lot.¡±


    ¡°It was worth all the trial and error.¡±


    I did a lot of work to help Ellen, who was suffering from severe morning sickness. I talked to women who had given birth and asked them what they ate when they had severe morning sickness, and I used my crafting abilities to make various foods based on the information I gathered. In the end, the food that suited Ellen¡¯s palate was citrus jelly and French fries.


    ¡°Now I can finally eat a variety of foods.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad it didn¡¯t last too long.¡±


    I¡¯m a guy who¡¯s rather good at trivia, but to tell you the truth, I don¡¯t know much about pregnancy and birth¡­ No, I¡¯m not familiar with pregnancy and birth in a survival situation. Even games don¡¯t deal with pregnancy and childbirth in that much detail. In most cases, it¡¯s just a simple matter of ¡®getting pregnant¡¯ or ¡®having a baby.¡¯


    There are occasional subquests to help pregnant NPCs, but those are usually about getting a doctor or something like that, and there is almost no in-depth discussion about diet or what foods to watch out for.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what I can do, but if there¡¯s anything I can do, just let me know. I¡¯ll do everything I can.¡±


    ¡°Yes. But I¡¯ll be fine. Amalie and Bertha are present, and High Priestess Caterina comes frequently to check on us. The people at the castle are also very kind. But well¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm, what is it?¡±


    ¡°Come and check on me at least once a day like this. Even if it¡¯s just when you¡¯re in Merinesburg.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    When Ellen heard my reply, she smiled. I feel that Ellen¡¯s expression has become much softer recently. I guess women change when they become mothers. I have to be aware that I¡¯m going to be a father too.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s probably not a good idea to be too busy with us. I hope you get along well with Sylphiel and the others.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s, hmm, well.¡±


    Sylphy is concerned that Ellen beat her to it. Well, I think it can¡¯t be helped because of the difference in the races. Basically, it is said that long-lived species are less likely to have children.


    Eh? The harpies, you ask? I think that the ease of having children is not so different from Ellen¡¯s because they are not a long-lived species. But I haven¡¯t heard a single report of pregnancy.


    Actually, it¡¯s not like I haven¡¯t heard about it, and there are already several children being born, are there? As expected, it¡¯s that, isn¡¯t it? No, I¡¯m starting to get worried. These women¡¯s views on marriage, or rather family, are obviously different from mine. Forming a harem is the basis, and it¡¯s absolutely different from the way I feel in the first place. I think I should check it out.


    ¡°You look pale all of a sudden. Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°Is there something worrying you? If it¡¯s alright with you, you can talk about it with us, though¡­?¡±


    ¡°No, why mmm¨D¨D¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re lying.¡±


    ¡°Nngh! The saint of truth!¡±


    Ellen exposed the lie as fast as she could. Yes, her eyes were specially made to detect lies!


    ¡°Okay, okay, I¡¯ll tell you. Harpies are short-lived species like Ellen and other humans, so it shouldn¡¯t be surprising if they get pregnant as well, but I haven¡¯t heard about any of them being pregnant until now.¡±


    And since they seem to have a very different view of family and such, I came to the conclusion that they may have already had a child with me, just without me knowing about it.


    ¡°I see¡­ we don¡¯t know much about harpy ecology or culture either.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be best to ask them directly?¡±


    ¡°That is right. I¡¯ll go and ask them¡­¡±


    ¡°Take care.¡±


    I started walking in search of the harpies while being seen off by Ellen and Amalie-san. In any case, it¡¯s outside. If I go outside, my escort, the harpy, should be there. I¡¯m a little afraid to ask, but I¡¯m going to ask her.

 CH 296

    Chapter 296 ¨C Harpie Shock


    When I left the living room where Ellen and Amalie-san were spending their time and moved to the castle courtyard, I immediately found my escort, harpy-san. When I waved my hand in the courtyard, harpy-san, who was my escort, noticed it and came fluttering down to the courtyard with her winged arms outstretched.


    ¡°Danna-san, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Pessar.¡±


    Descending in front of me was Pessar, a brown harpy of a small bird species. She is a sweet-natured harpy with a cute personality and has been a member of the harpy bombing squad ever since we left the Black Forest.


    ¡°I want to ask you something.¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah?¡±


    Pessar is a bit taken aback, perhaps because I unintentionally made my voice sound serious. But now is not the time to worry about that.


    ¡°Harpies are a short-lived species, so you should be able to have children just as easily as humans, right?¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah. Well, we are a little harder to have children than humans, but we are much easier to have children than elves or the single-eyed race.¡±


    ¡°Right. So, I¡¯ve been on good terms with the Pessar and the others since very early on, and I don¡¯t think anyone was on birth control or anything, but why haven¡¯t I heard a single report of a child being born?¡±


    ¡°Eh, should we have told you?¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°All the girls who have been with us since we left the Black Forest Elven Village have already had a baby. And I¡¯ve already given birth once.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t hear anything! You didn¡¯t tell me!¡±


    ¡°Ueee? S-sorry!¡±


    I unintentionally grabbed Pessar¡¯s thin shoulders and shouted. However, I immediately cooled down as Pessar looked up at me with teary eyes. Calm down, me. Calm down. Be cool.


    ¡°For now, go and gather up all the harpies who are available and can come to the meeting. I want to hear what everyone has to say. If there are any of you who are pregnant right now, tell them to take it easy. The child is the first priority.¡±


    ¡°Y-yes¡­ B-but I¡¯m your escort¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be right here. I won¡¯t be moving.¡±


    ¡°O-okay.¡±


    Pessar flew out of the courtyard, called out to the others on the roof of the royal castle overlooking the courtyard, and scattered all over Merinesburg. I set up a large table in the courtyard for the time being, prepared an appropriate number of chairs, and took a seat.


    ¡°Why¡­?¡±


    Why is that¡­? No, it would be better to ask after the harpies have gathered, but all I can think of is the feeling of why. If only I had known, I could have done a lot of things. Oh, I wonder if the children are safe? Are they sick or injured? I don¡¯t think I have shown them that I am worthy of being called a father, though their wages are not cheap, or rather, they should be well paid among the soldiers. I wonder if life is difficult for them. I am worried. I am very worried.


    No, it¡¯s a little late for that now that I think about it. I have known for a long time that harpies are a short-lived species. If I had thought about it, I would have noticed it. I was probably naive in thinking that they would tell me when they got pregnant.


    While I was sitting on the table with my elbows on my knees and my head in my hands, the harpies, who seemed to have received a call from Pessar, came down to the castle courtyard one after the other.


    ¡°Um, Danna-san¡­?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah. For now, just take a seat anywhere you like. Let me know if you need more chairs.¡±


    ¡°Y-yes.¡±


    After saying that to Pirna, who came down first, I took out a cup with two handles for the harpies from my inventory and poured cold tea into it. It¡¯s getting pretty hot. It¡¯s time to enjoy cold tea.


    While I was preparing the tea, other harpies gathered around. Fronte, a blue-feathered harpy; Fitch, an orange-feathered harpy; Rey, a jet-black-feathered harpy; Capri, Flamme, and Pessar, all brown-feathered harpies; Ygrette, a white-feathered harpy, Eyja, a reddish-brown harpy, and other harpies, a total of 15 people gathered at last.


    ¡°Uh¡­ wait a minute, wait a minute. The ones you called here are the harpies who gave birth to my child, right¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, some of them can¡¯t come because they¡¯re pregnant or have kids to take care of, so not all of them.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so¡­ there are still others.¡±


    I¡¯m spreading my seed around too much, aren¡¯t I? No, the harpies have been mobbing even in a situation where it could be called violence in numbers, and to be honest, it¡¯s often hard to tell who¡¯s who. Oh, my head hurts.


    ¡°Um, you all had my kids, right¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯ve only done that with Danna-san.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the same for everyone, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, okay. So, why didn¡¯t you tell me that you had a baby?¡±


    ¡°Eh? Should I have told you¡­?¡±


    ¡°In fact, I don¡¯t know why you didn¡¯t tell me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a woman¡¯s job to raise children.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s not for men to raise children.¡±


    ¡°Okay, perhaps there is some major cultural discrepancy. I would like to know your view of life, marriage, and family once again.¡±


    After listening to their story, I found that the harpies have an eccentric and unique view of family, ethics, or reproduction¡­ whatever you want to call it¡­ Anyway, I found that they have a culture beyond my imagination.


    First of all, there is no such thing as a male among the Harpies. They only have females. Therefore, they need males of various races to reproduce. I wonder how they have not perished with such an ecology, but since that is how they have survived to this day, I suppose it is an acceptable survival strategy for one life form. At least in this world.


    They basically work in groups and basically form a harem by accepting a single male of a variety of species into the group. The male that is accepted is taken care of by the harpies and devotes himself to reproductive activities. Yes, it sounds like an erotic game, doesn¡¯t it?¡¡I can¡¯t help but think that, but there is no point in being stingy about it. They have such an ecology or culture, and they have done well with it, so it would be arrogant to be stingy with it.


    So, here we go. Basically, male members who are welcomed into the group do not have the time to participate in child-rearing. Why? The size of the flock formed by the harpies is said to be a little less than ten at the smallest and up to fifty at the largest.


    Among them, there is only one man. Let me say it again, there is only one man. That¡¯s what I mean. The strength to participate in child-rearing is usually squeezed out of them, and there is not a shred of strength left to participate in child-rearing. Therefore, there is no room for men to intervene in the parenting of these harpies. In fact, it is normal that they do not even communicate.


    I have to deal with all of them and have other wives, and yet my vitality is still strong, which is not normal.


    ¡°In that sense, too, Danna-sama is out of the ordinary, isn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°T-that¡¯s right. Normally, you¡¯d be bedridden¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop saying scary things.¡±


    As I thought, you girls are sucking on my life force or something together, aren¡¯t you?


    ¡°Anyway, I understand what¡¯s going on. From now on, if you have a child, you should tell me. I want to at least be responsible as a man.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I understand. I¡¯m sorry, Danna-san. We should have made it clear to you.¡±


    ¡°By the way, me, Ygrette, Rey, and Capri are all pregnant right now.¡±


    ¡°Hey! You¡¯re flying when you¡¯re pregnant! Or rather, you¡¯re working!¡±


    ¡°Yes, because even though we¡¯re pregnant, we can still move around just fine.¡±


    ¡°Harpy can fly when being pregnant, and we don¡¯t have morning sickness or anything like that.¡±


    ¡°If we can¡¯t fly when we¡¯re pregnant, we¡¯ll die.¡±


    You guys are really amazing creatures! Actually, aren¡¯t you more mysterious than the elves and the one-eyed race?


    ¡°And anyway, you¡¯ve got to put your children¡¯s safety first¡­ And if there¡¯s anything else I can do, just let me know. Are you in need of a place to live or money to live on? Are the children hurt or sick?¡±


    ¡°No, they¡¯re not hurt or sick. They¡¯ve relied on Danna-san a few times.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    I don¡¯t remember.


    ¡°You gave us magic medicine a couple of times because we said the kids were injured or sick, right?¡±


    ¡°That being said, I¡¯ve given you Life Potion and Cure Disease Potion several times¡­ Wait, did you mean those were our kids ¡­! You said they were your friend¡¯s kids!¡±


    ¡°Friends!¡±


    ¡°Friends!¡±


    Fronte and Pessar say this and point at each other with their winged arms. Oh, yeah. Yes, that¡¯s right. They¡¯re not mistaken. They are friends, aren¡¯t they? I¡¯ve heard they¡¯re not sisters. Well, they are sisters in a way. Oh, my head hurts.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have a problem with the salary, but we do need to find a place to live.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s true. It¡¯s hard to live in a one-story house.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go to Sylphy and Melty and build you a house in Merinesburg. I¡¯ll build as many as I can. What would you like?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­¡±


    The next day I started to build a housing complex for the harpies based on their opinions.


    It is a high-rise building with 20 floors above the ground, which is unprecedented in this world. The balcony is wide enough for harpies to fly directly in and out. I was worried that a child might fly from the high-rise and die in an accident, but I was told that there would be no problem, as harpy children learn to fly as soon as they can stand up. I was still worried, but they pushed me away, saying it would be alright.


    ¡°If harpies can¡¯t fly, they will die. Flying is instinct.¡±


    It was impressive that Rey, a jet-black winged harpy, said so.


    Author Note:


    The high-rise building built at this time was later called the Harpy Tower and became a tourist attraction.


    Incidentally, the danger level for single men approaching the Harpy Tower is 150%.


    50% chance of being caught and taken in at the approach stage.


    50% chance of escaping after being taken in.


    And 50% chance of escaping from Harpy Tower without being caught again.

 CH 297

    Chapter 297 ¨C The Mystery of the Harpy


    ¡°Papa.¡±


    ¡°Daddy.¡±


    ¡°Pyoo.¡±


    ¡°Oh, wait a minute, those little claws are a little tough on my head.¡±


    About a week after the shocking revelation. I was playing with the harpies¡¯ children on the first floor of the housing complex after finishing the construction of the housing complex for the harpies. The harpies¡¯ children, or rather, the harpies and my children.


    ¡°It hurts, they¡¯re not even a year old yet, but they can talk!¡±


    ¡°Compared to other races, harpies mature early.¡±


    The white-feathered harpy of the large bird species, Ygrette, who is taking care of the children together with me, said so and flapped down the young harpy that tried to perch on her head with her wing arm. Isn¡¯t she treating them too carelessly? The young harpy that was swatted away is laughing happily, so is that a good thing?


    ¡°If you can¡¯t fly, you die, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Pregnant women can move as well as at normal times, and morning sickness is very mild. The gestation period is also short.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s pretty amazing, isn¡¯t it? The harpies are.¡±


    The ecology seems to be so different from other common races. Maybe the creator is different from other subhuman species. I think they are more like monsters than subhumans.


    ¡°Daddy, I¡¯m hungry!¡±


    ¡°Hungry!¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes.¡±


    The young harpies gathered around me and begged for food. It seems that they eat frequently during this season. Although the amount of food they eat at one time is not that much. They eat about seven meals a day.


    ¡°Nom, nom!¡±


    ¡°Yummy.¡±


    ¡°Eat with me.¡±


    The children are not yet old enough to eat with eating utensils¨DChicken wings? Wings?¡¡So, they prefer to eat with their hands as much as possible. This time, I prepared a waffle sandwich with fruit and cream sandwiched between the thickly baked dough. It seemed to be very much to their liking, and the children were gaping at it with shining eyes. Oh, their mouths were covered with cream.


    ¡°It¡¯s delicious.¡±


    Ygrette was eating the same thing as the children. Yes, she looked very hungry, so I gave her the same thing. I¡¯m glad it seems to be well received.


    ¡°However, when I look at them like this, there are so many of them¡­¡±


    ¡°There are seventeen in total.¡±


    It¡¯s like a little nursery school. The reality is more chaotic, though, because they move around and jump about more actively than human children.


    ¡°I now understand why this room was made to be so spacious.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s very spacious, and the ceiling is very high; this room is very nice.¡±


    The ceiling of this nursery room is twice as high as that of a normal room, and it is very spacious because it is made by cutting through several rooms. The young harpy children are running and flying around in all directions in the room, which is quite vast.


    It is said that harpy children originally learned how to use their bodies by running and flying freely in the field like this. Until now, the house has been too small to allow them to run and fly as much as they like, so every once in a while, a few of them would take the harpy children outside the walls of Merinesburg to exercise them, but the children have such vitality. The children were so energetic that the caretaker harpy, was exhausted.


    However, now that they have this playground, or rather a childcare room, they can take care of the children with only a few people as long as they keep the entrance and exit doors tightly closed. This alone has been a tremendous help.


    ¡°¡­But it¡¯s hard to remember names when there are so many of them.¡±


    I was astonished to hear that I suddenly had seventeen daughters, but the biggest problem is that it is hard to remember the names of so many children. I mean, so far, I have not been able to match the names of the children with their faces at all.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you need to worry too much about it. Once the feathers grow out, it will be easier to tell them apart.¡±


    ¡°Ygrette¡¯s child is easy to recognize, though.¡±


    ¡°My child is a big bird, you know.¡±


    Harpy is divided into two types of breeds: small and large. There are only two big bird species, Ygrette and Eyja, and only two big bird species children, the child of Ygrette and me, Snowy, and the child of Eyja and me, Risha. Snowy and Risha are by far the largest of the children and are easy to distinguish from each other because of their different faces and personalities. Children of small bird species have similar builds and active personalities, so it is difficult to tell them apart at a glance. I am sure I will be able to tell them apart if I communicate with them a little more.


    ¡°But still, Danna-sama, we appreciate you coming to take care of our children, but you mustn¡¯t neglect the other wives, mustn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t intend to do that¡­¡±


    ¡°As for taking care of the children, we can take care of them on our own.¡±


    ¡°Um, when you put it that way¡­¡±


    As for me, I have children without knowing it, and also, they were born without me knowing it, and I feel guilty that I gave them a hard time in child-rearing. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m trying to atone for my sins, but I¡¯d like to be of service to these women.


    ¡°Originally, men were not involved in raising our children, so just showing up once or twice a week would have been enough. Besides¡­¡±


    ¡°Besides?¡±


    What is it? I looked at Ygrette, and her gaze was directed in the direction of the doorway. There were several harpy children gathered there, and I could see someone¡¯s face peeking through a gap in the slightly opened door.


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s these Onee-sans?¡±


    ¡°Will you play with us?¡±


    The two people peeking through the door were Sylphy and Melty. That scares me, you two.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    After playing with the harpy children for a while with Sylphy and Melty, we returned to the royal castle in a carriage.


    When they looked into the nursery, there was a subtle aura of jealousy in the air, but as they interacted with the harpy children, the flames of jealousy seemed to subside, and by the time we returned home, they were in a good mood.


    ¡°I demand that you treat us well, too.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, yes.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mean to belittle you!¡±


    In the carriage, I was spoiled by Sylphy and Melty, and when I returned to the castle, I was spoiled by Isla and Grande. Grande is grinning, so I guess she is simply amused and taking advantage of Isla¡¯s behavior.


    ¡°Danna, we¡¯re next!¡±


    ¡°After all, you have to be equal in this kind of thing, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ It¡¯s not like I really care about it.¡±


    ¡°If you keep talking like that, you¡¯ll be left behind.¡±


    At a distance, Bertha-san, who for some reason is mixed in there with the oni girls, is looking at me and saying something. I mean, I am afraid that there is a subtle black aura coming from Bertha-san, who is slapping Tozume¡¯s ass.

 CH 298

    Chapter 298 ¨C It¡¯s Not in My Nature to Sit Still


    I won¡¯t go into much detail about my nightlife. At any rate, it is not serene. Or is it calm in a way? Because in the end, I¡¯m the one who dies, hahaha.


    At any rate, I really don¡¯t want my upper limit of strength and stamina to be reduced to 20% or so the next morning. When I lose that much, I have to eat a meal and rest for two hours or so before I can even move.


    ¡°¡­Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well¡­ I just need to rest, and I¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    As I sat slumped on the sofa in the living room after eating breakfast, Iphrita called out to me in concern. She was surprisingly kind.


    ¡°You must be going through a lot.¡±


    ¡°Well, this is one of the ways of taking responsibility, isn¡¯t it? Since we have entered into this kind of relationship, I can give and receive equal love and affection as long as my body and time allow.¡±


    So I have been exhausted since this morning. Excluding the harpies, there is a combat-type elf, a one-eyed race, a beastman demon type, a dragon, three humans, three onis, and two elves.


    Yes, two elves. Before I knew it, Driada-san was in the mix. No one said anything, or there was even a sense of cooperation, so I guess the outer moat had already been covered. So she slipped into the hole that Ellen and Amalie-san had left.


    Eh? The three slimes? Those were a no-go. Those three are practically bottomless.


    ¡°Responsibility¡­ You¡¯re trying to be sincere in your own way, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Of course. They are forceful, but I don¡¯t feel bad about them liking me either. They are all beautiful, and they show their love to me straight away. I¡¯ll do my best to respond to them to the best of my ability.¡±


    These are words that come from the bottom of my heart. On Earth, I was just an ordinary guy. I never thought that I would be approached by beautiful women and girls such as Sylphy, but it was an unexpected pleasure¡­ although I had to bear some hardships.


    ¡°Even so, there are still a lot of things that confuse me. It¡¯s so different from where I used to live.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    Iphrita sat down next to me while saying that in a disinterested manner. She moved from where she was sitting.


    ¡°Iphrita?¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡±


    I kept my mouth shut as I was defeated by the scarlet eyes staring at me. What¡¯s the point of going to the trouble of sitting next to me again in this situation? No, could it be?


    ¡°By the way, you¡¯re taking it easy, but are you free?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I don¡¯t have anything to do at the moment, or rather, I don¡¯t have any work I¡¯ve been assigned to do.¡±


    Negotiations with the Holy Kingdom seem to be going poorly. That would be natural. There are too many things that make both sides hate each other. At any rate, since the truce itself has been established by starting peace negotiations, it is said that both sides are now fighting hard to push through their differing claims.


    However, there is also the fact that the more time the Holy Kingdom is given, the more disadvantageous it becomes to the Merinard Kingdom. After all, there is too much difference in basic national strength. No matter how hard they try, the number of soldiers they can mobilize is greater. The more time they give to the Holy Kingdom, the more they can throw into the front line at an accelerated pace.


    The Kingdom of Merinard is also in the process of increasing the number of soldiers by recruiting former subhuman slaves who have been freed and who wish to join the army, but there is an upper limit to the number of soldiers that the Kingdom of Merinard can operate. Well, I think they can do quite a bit with me, but if they organize an army of disproportionate size, they may strangle the Merinard Kingdom later on. An army is a money-grubber no matter what.


    ¡°But I honestly don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea to just sit around and take it easy because there¡¯s no work assigned to me.¡±


    ¡°Is that the way it is?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the way it is.¡±


    I am a bit aware that I am a workaholic. I feel uncomfortable being the only one taking it easy while everyone around me is busy.


    ¡°So I¡¯m thinking of doing something.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by something?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the difficult part. It would be bad for me to move around too much and get the Holy Kingdom to find out about it. I was told that if I was going to do something, I should at least get away from Merinesburg.¡±


    ¡°So why don¡¯t you just do that?¡±


    ¡°But if I leave Merinesburg, I¡¯ll have to leave Ellen and Amalie-san, who are pregnant, and I¡¯ll have to leave the little harpies, too. I don¡¯t want to do that.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right¡­¡±


    Iphrita¡¯s gaze turned cold and serious. No, I can¡¯t leave a pregnant woman behind, and I can¡¯t leave the care of the children completely to the mothers, can I? Although that seems to be the right thing to do according to the culture of the harpies.


    ¡°So I¡¯m going to do something to help Sylphy and the others while I¡¯m holed up in the castle.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, ¡®something¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t we just go through this?¡±


    I don¡¯t have a concrete plan.


    ¡°First, let¡¯s see what I have in my hand.¡±


    ¡°Right. You can¡¯t do anything if you don¡¯t know what cards you¡¯re going to play.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of me, I¡¯m a craftsman. I can produce most items in large quantities. How about mass-producing something that is in high demand, selling it, and putting it in the treasury?¡±


    ¡°No. If you distribute quality products at low cost and in large quantities with your ability, the craftsmen and producers who make those products will eventually perish.¡±


    ¡°I know, right? I knew it.¡±


    I had this problem figured out a long time ago. If I get serious and mass produce a product for general distribution, the domestic industry will die. Because I can prepare everything from raw materials to finished products at almost no cost, and the quality of the products is quite high. According to the blacksmiths and craftsmen in the Research and Development Department, although my products are not as good as those made by master craftsmen, they are at a level where they could be called high-performance products or excellent products if put on store shelves.


    It is obvious that if such quality products are distributed in large quantities, they will drive out the products of existing craftsmen and workshops from the market.


    ¡°Mining capacity, then.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the same thing? All the mines in the country will go under, and the value of rare metals and gems will plummet.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    I was told that the gemstones, mithril, gold, silver, and other gems and precious metals that I gave to Sylphy and Melty to fund the liberation army are being sold off little by little so as not to cause a collapse in value.


    ¡°That¡¯s a lot of money.¡±


    ¡°Money¡­ huh? Do you want to start a business?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s impossible to make money without preparation¡­ I don¡¯t have any entrepreneurial experience, and I don¡¯t have a business acumen either.¡±


    ¡°But you do have something that can be used for business, don¡¯t you?¡±


    That would mean products I¡¯ve made, gems and ores I¡¯ve dug out of the ground with my abilities.


    ¡°You said yourself earlier that it would be bad to flush them out.¡±


    ¡°I said it¡¯s not good to pour so much that it displaces other products on the market. Just do it in moderation. You don¡¯t have to do everything in business, do you?¡±


    ¡°I see. You want me to be an investor. But how?¡±


    I don¡¯t mind investing, but I don¡¯t have any contacts.


    ¡°There is a convenient organization. You can start by talking to them.¡±


    Iphrita got up from her seat and motioned with her index finger as if she wanted me to follow her. Hmm?

 CH 299

    Chapter 299 ¨C Merchants Association


    After my physical condition had improved, I was led into a box carriage by Iphrita and brought to a building where people who looked like merchants were busy going in and out of the building. I looked at the sign above the entrance to the building.


    ¡°Merchants association, huh? Something like a so-called merchants¡¯ guild.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a mutual aid organization for merchants, but¡­ it¡¯s kind of a wicked place, you know?¡±


    ¡°A wicked place?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll know it when you get in. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    As soon as she got off the box carriage, Iphrita strode swiftly to the merchants association building. She looked quite used to it.


    ¡°Why do you seem so familiar here, Iphrita?¡±


    ¡°Because I gather information on exotic goods, magic books, and such like. Even before I went to sleep, I was visiting this place quite a bit, you know.¡±


    ¡°You must have been a very nimble princess.¡±


    ¡°Dri-aneesama was going to take over the country in the future with her husband. I was free to do what I wanted. Mostly on the magic research side.¡±


    ¡°I thought that the second son or daughter would be educated in case of emergencies.¡±


    ¡°Ara, you know very well, don¡¯t you? But it was not so in our case. If my mother had given birth to a boy, he would have been the heir of the country. Mother and father were very close, after all.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes¡­¡±


    What can I say? It¡¯s hard to comment. So that Seraphita-san is now attached to me¡­ Umm, I have mixed feelings. Well, it¡¯s too late now.


    When I entered the building through the large open door, I was met with a lot of stares. Well, that¡¯s right. Iphrita stands out from the crowd. She is a beautiful woman, but her bright red hair is especially noticeable.


    ¡°¡­Hmm, there used to be someone who would jump in when I came in like this.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s been twenty years¡­ So, which counter should I go to¡­?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter which one you go to. Just talk to them first.¡±


    Saying that, Iphrita walked briskly to the counter directly in front of her. Yes¡­ that¡¯s good. I¡¯m not very good at these bureaucratic places.


    ¡°How can I help¨D¨D¡±


    ¡°I need someone with a high level of authority. Someone who can talk about platinum coins going around.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    The young male staff member sitting at the reception desk¡¯s face twitches at the sudden awkward customer move.


    ¡°Perhaps some of the older people will remember me. Tell them Iphrita is here.¡±


    ¡°U-um, do you have any appointments¡­?¡±


    ¡°Huh? There are no such things. Tell your boss. At least someone who has worked here for more than 20 years will understand. Come on, hurry up, hurry up.¡±


    ¡°I-I understand.¡±


    The man at the reception desk, pushed aside by Iphrita, disappeared into the back of the association office at a brisk pace, his hands clapping as he hurriedly walked away. I stood next to Iphrita as I saw him off.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a troublesome customer move¡­ You shouldn¡¯t do that. You¡¯re making the receptionist uncomfortable.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine like this. Okay? I¡¯m royalty, you¡¯re a prince consort, and we¡¯re not merchants. You don¡¯t seem to understand that, so it¡¯s fine. And while you¡¯re at it, practice acting like one.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to tell you what to do in your personal life. But if you are going to do something in an official capacity, act accordingly. It¡¯s in everyone¡¯s best interest in the end.¡±


    ¡°Is that the way it¡¯s supposed to be?¡±


    ¡°That is how it is. I know you have your own values that you have developed over the years, but at least in this world, that¡¯s the way it is. So get used to it.¡±


    ¡°Nn¡­ I will do my best.¡±


    If that¡¯s what Iphrita says, I guess so. I¡¯m not too keen on it, to be honest, but Iphrita would never lie to me. I¡¯m certainly not familiar with that area, so maybe I should ask someone else to tell me next time. Seraphita-san¡­ Or maybe Ellen or Amalie-san would be the better choice. No, the situation may be different between the Holy Kingdom and the Merinard Kingdom, so I think it would be the more established Isla or Melty.


    While I was thinking about such things, the staff member with a middle-aged man came back from the back of the office.


    ¡°Thank you very much for your patience. Please come into the back room¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm, thanks. Let¡¯s go, Kosuke.¡±


    ¡°O-oh¡­¡±


    A middle-aged staff member led us to the back of the merchants association, where we were shown into what appeared to be a magnificent reception room. As soon as we entered the room, Iphrita looked around the room and smiled slightly.


    ¡°The furnishings have changed a lot. Well, twenty years have passed, I suppose¡­¡±


    As she muttered this, Iphrita lightly played a white horse¨Dor perhaps a unicorn, since it had a horn¨Dfigurine, which made a cool sound. Just then, someone enters the reception room. It is an elderly man with gray hair.


    ¡°Oh¡­ Iphrita-sama, it¡¯s been a long time. You look as lovely as you did twenty years ago.¡±


    ¡°Floyd? You¡¯ve aged a lot.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, as you know, I am a normal human being. I will be like this after twenty years.¡±


    Saying that, Mr. Floyd scratched his head, where his gray hair stood out. From their conversation, it seems that they are old acquaintances. They had probably known each other since before the Kingdom of Merinard became part of the Holy Kingdom.


    ¡°Tea will be served soon, so please have a seat. Recently, we have been receiving a good amount of products from the Black Forest, and a caravan of flying dragons from the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom has also started to visit us. The good old days of the Merinard Kingdom are gradually being revived. We merchants are very grateful for this.¡±


    ¡°There are more business opportunities for merchants, aren¡¯t there? You must be making a lot of money from the profits, right?¡±


    ¡°No, no. Our motto as merchants is to do everything with a steady hand. We put trust and customer satisfaction first¡­ By the way, aren¡¯t you, Your Excellency Kosuke?¡±


    ¡°O-oh, yes, that¡¯s right¡­ Your Excellency?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard so much about you and the miracles you¡¯ve wrought, and more recently, your success in pacifying the north and conquering the invading armies from the two northern countries.¡±


    ¡°O-oh¡­¡±


    I¡¯m getting an itchy feeling. How do I react to this? I don¡¯t know.


    ¡°Yes, yes, you can stop buttering him up like that. I came here today for a consultation. Well, not me, but Kosuke.¡±


    ¡°His Excellency? What is it about?¡±


    ¡°Oh, let¡¯s see¡­ how should I put it?¡±


    It took me a lot of effort to explain my abilities without making it clear what they were. In the end, I want to use my personal assets that are still lying dormant in my inventory¨Dnot only cash but also a large amount of gemstones and rare metals, including mithril¨Dto help Sylphy and the others indirectly. For me.


    ¡°Do you have any specific directions¡­?¡±


    ¡°I believe that the main problem in the country today is to secure employment for the people of the subhumans. If they don¡¯t have work, they don¡¯t have a place to live. If they can¡¯t afford to eat, they will have no choice but to die in the streets or become thieves. In the end, I think it¡¯s all about money, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°That makes a lot of sense. Unless you live by hunting and gathering in the wild using only your own body, claws, and fangs, you will need money no matter what. You need money to procure a bow and arrow to hunt your prey or to buy a knife to dismantle your prey.¡±


    Mr. Floyd nodded.


    ¡°But it is practically impossible for the state to provide everything, from a place to live to everything else. In fact, there is already a shortage. That¡¯s why I¡¯m wondering if there isn¡¯t a way to increase the number of people who can receive these services from a different direction.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s where we come in?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I think it is best to leave everything to the professionals. If an amateur starts a business on the spur of the moment and ends up blowing himself up in a spectacular way, I can¡¯t even imagine it.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha¡­ sometimes there are some noble people who collapse their ransom in such a way.¡±


    Mr. Floyd laughs dryly. There are people like that, after all.


    ¡°So, how much money exactly are you planning to invest?¡±


    ¡°Well, I have three platinum coins, 207 large gold coins, 403 gold coins, a lot of mithril ingots, and a variety of rough gemstones.¡±


    On a table in the large reception room, I piled up the bare platinum coins, large gold coins, bags full of gold coins, mithril ingots, and gemstones. At first, Mr. Floyd looked surprised, but when the mithril ingots appeared, he froze.


    ¡°Ara ara, Koeske likes to show off, doesn¡¯t he? Is this all you got?¡±


    ¡°Cash. There¡¯s still plenty of mithril ingots and gemstones available.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right, Floyd. Take these and do what Kosuke wants to do. How about investing in a merchant association that is proactive in hiring subhumans?¡±


    ¡°A-as you wish¡­¡±


    Mr. Floyd managed to squeeze out a voice that sounded as if it had lost its soul when Iphrita, who was smiling at him, said that.

 CH 300

    Chapter 300 ¨C Big-Sisterly Disposition?


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I really don¡¯t know if that was the right thing to do.¡±


    I said this in the carriage on the way back from the merchants association, closing my eyes and turning my head to the ceiling. I could see myself wrinkling my brow.


    ¡°What, do you have a problem with me?¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t have a counter-argument, but in the end, we give them the money and let them work out the details, right?¡±


    ¡°You see¡­ we are royalty and those who are related to royalty. Our role is to give discretion and budget to those who can do the job. If we, who have the power, interfere, even if it is a poor plan, the subordinates will have to obey, right? As a result, the work will be delayed, and the results will be poor.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good argument¡­ but my mentality is basically that of a subordinate.¡±


    ¡°Then be more elegant. You¡¯re going to be a part of the family.¡±


    ¡°Elegant, huh¡­?¡±


    I turn my attention to Iphrita, who is sitting next to me and looking at me with strong-willed eyes. Iphrita is a bit of a disappointing girl who wears red jerseys in private just because it¡¯s easy, but when she wears dresses and ornaments like this and looks sharp, she certainly looks elegant or even noble.


    ¡°What? Do you have something to complain about?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m just admiring the noble aura you exude, Iphrita-sama.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s with the way you¡¯re talking? It¡¯s disgusting.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me disgusting so casually. You¡¯ll make me cry.¡±


    If a beautiful girl like Iphrita says that to me, my glass heart will get cracked, so I really want you to stop.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do it, okay? If I make you cry, I¡¯m afraid of a lot of things that will happen afterward.¡±


    ¡°¡­Sure.¡±


    I can think of at least three people who would grow horns on their heads if I cry, or rather if I mention that Iphrita made me cry. One of them is someone who has had horns like a devil from the beginning. The other two are her sister, who doesn¡¯t look like a sister and her mother. The others are the harpies, who are probably still guarding this carriage.


    The way they treat me is becoming more like an object of worship than a husband¡­ I may have to do something about it soon.


    ¡°No, let¡¯s put aside the talk about being afraid of me crying, shall we?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, you want to do something to help because you¡¯ve been left out of the situation lately, right?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ Not that it¡¯s wrong, but¡­¡±


    It¡¯s true that I¡¯ve been left out of the discussions with the Holy Kingdom lately, and I¡¯m bored because I have nothing to do. How should I put it? Be a little gentler!


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to work so hard. Just drink from the morning with elegance, and switch from one person to another, whether it¡¯s Sylphy, Mother, Dri-aneesama, or anyone else, and just enjoy drinking. You won¡¯t have any trouble finding a partner, will you?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t your words a bit harsh?¡±


    ¡°Not at all.¡±


    Iphrita turned her face away from me as she said that. No matter how you look at it, it¡¯s not like it¡¯s different.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s not talk about that right now. You want to work yourself to the bone, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to work, but you still want to work? I don¡¯t get it.¡±


    ¡°Because I don¡¯t have it in me! I just don¡¯t feel comfortable doing nothing at all!¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, why don¡¯t you just develop weapons or golems or whatever you want? I heard that. I heard you had a golem hidden away that could overrun a country¡¯s army.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m stuck in that area.¡±


    I can¡¯t seem to find the end of the golem workbench. I¡¯m sure I could make even more useful tools if I upgraded, but most of the level of goods I can think of can be made at the golem workbench. It¡¯s the materials and ideas that are the problem.


    ¡°How are you stuck?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t find the right materials to make what I¡¯m trying to make, or if I have an idea, it¡¯s hard to get them. I also have a few things that I can¡¯t make because I don¡¯t have the knowledge to do so.¡±


    ¡°You should inquire with the Adventurers¡¯ Guild about searching for materials. They have samples of monster materials and special materials found in remote areas, and they will procure them for you if you ask them to. If you become a client, they will bring you newly discovered materials when they find them.¡±


    ¡°Really? Should I ask the coachman to head to the Adventurers¡¯ Guild for a while?¡±


    ¡°No problem. It can¡¯t be helped, so I¡¯ll go along with you like this. And if you don¡¯t know enough, you should study.¡±


    ¡°No, there is no way to study here.¡±


    The knowledge I lack is the knowledge of science, electronics, and military weapons from my former world. There are many things that I am vaguely aware of but don¡¯t really know much about. For example, knowledge of railguns and laser weapons is at the top of the list.


    I only know that a railgun uses a magnetic bullet body placed between two railguns and that the Lorentz force is somehow generated by a tremendous amount of electricity to fire the bullet at ultra-high speed. When it comes to the principle of laser weapons, I only know enough to burn or explode an object with a high-power laser.


    To begin with, even my knowledge of lasers is vague. I think I heard something about coherence, but I don¡¯t know what coherence is in the first place. I am at that point now.


    I have deepened my knowledge of the canned goods, guns, and bullets that appeared in survival-type games by researching them on the Internet and, in some cases, buying and reading specialized books, but my knowledge of things that fall into the realm of science fiction is not that deep.


    Even now, I¡¯m cheating a lot with the golem core when it comes to controlling air boards and golems.


    ¡°Ah, you know, the chemical or whatever it¡¯s called. But that can be substituted with magic or magic tools over here, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°Then why don¡¯t you study magic and magic tools? I¡¯ll teach you, okay?¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    I think what Iphrita said makes sense. If I can¡¯t do anything with my current knowledge and can¡¯t make any further progress, then I should reach out for new knowledge.


    ¡°The problem is that I have no magic at all.¡±


    Yes, I have no magic. I have no magic power at all. I can¡¯t feel magic. I have absolutely zero background in the magical power necessary to manipulate magic and activate magic tools. I am unable to use any magic tools other than those that have a built-in energy source, such as magic crystal stones.


    On the other hand, there is the advantage that magic and magic tools that interfere with magical power and bring disadvantages to the target do not work.


    ¡°You can deepen your knowledge as much as you want even if you don¡¯t have magic power. I¡¯ll take care of the part of you that can¡¯t handle magic.¡±


    ¡°Is that how it is¡­? Can I ask you to do that for me?¡±


    ¡°Leave it to me. I¡¯m sure that teaching someone from scratch will be an opportunity for me to deepen my knowledge as well.¡±


    Iphrita proudly boasted. At first, I had the impression that she was a bit tough to deal with, but now that I¡¯ve gotten to know her, I can see that she¡¯s a very caring person; she might indeed have a big sisterly heart.


    ¡°Once you¡¯ve decided that, the Adventurers Guild should be the first place you go.¡±


    Speaking in a good mood, Iphrita opened a small window at the front of the carriage and began to inform the coachman of the change of destination.


    The idea of using magical knowledge instead of scientific knowledge to innovate technology¡­ had been around for a while, but I had basically left it to Isla and the others. Now I¡¯m going to get some magical knowledge myself and apply it in a variety of ways.


    ¡°Best regards, Sensei.¡±


    ¡°Sensei¡­ Yeah, I¡¯m Sensei. You can call me that from now on.¡±


    Sensei, your nostrils are getting bigger. Iphrita looked like a high school girl in human terms, and from my point of view, she looked younger than me, but in reality, she was older than me. Even Isla and Aquawill-san are older than me.


    ¡°What¡¯s with your eyes?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m just looking at you thinking you¡¯re older than me.¡±


    ¡°What? It¡¯s obvious, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Iphrita looked up at me, tilting her head with a curious look on her face as if to say, ¡°What is this guy talking about?¡± No, from my point of view, she looks completely younger than me. Mr. Floyd of the merchants¡¯ association naturally treated Iphrita as an older and superior person, but it is quite difficult for me, coming from a world where long-lived species did not exist. I can¡¯t help but make a lot of judgments based on appearances.


    ¡°So, what kind of material are you looking for exactly?¡±


    ¡°Oh, let¡¯s see¡­¡±


    Then I continued talking with Iphrita about the materials that the Adventurers¡¯ Guild handles.

 CH 301

    Chapter 301 ¨C Merinard Kingdom Adventurers¡¯ Guild Headquarters in Merinesburg


    ¡°¡­The atmosphere isn¡¯t good.¡±


    ¡°I agree.¡±


    When we stepped into the Adventurers¡¯ Guild, Iphrita and I couldn¡¯t help but frown when we saw what was going on inside.


    There were many people in the guild, but not many of them looked like adventurers. Many of them are just subhumans in their plain clothes, and all of them have gloomy expressions on their faces. The situation is somewhat clear, but let¡¯s see¡­


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to the counter for now.¡±


    ¡°Ye. I think we¡¯ll just go to the request counter.¡±


    I headed for the counter packed with staff members along with Iphrita. The stares that were thrown at us were not only curious but some were clearly filled with negative emotions.


    Well, when I see a scene like this, it makes me feel like I have to do something. I know I can¡¯t save everything, but I want to do what I can by myself as much as I can. In the meantime, I can do what I can to improve the business climate of the Adventurers¡¯ Guild.


    ¡°Welcome to the Adventurers¡¯ Guild. Are you here to make a request?¡±


    ¡°Something like that. We are in need of materials for experiments in alchemy and magic, and we would like you to show us samples of the materials you have. Depending on the price and availability, we may be able to purchase in bulk, place a large order, or even make a standing order.¡±


    ¡°That sounds wonderful. Please come this way.¡±


    The staff member leads us to a reception room in the back of the guild. During this time, the eyes filled with negative emotions were on us, but Iphrita didn¡¯t seem to be bothered by it. It¡¯s not as if she didn¡¯t notice, so she probably noticed and still acted as if nothing was wrong. As for me, I¡¯m feeling a little uncomfortable.


    ¡°Please wait here. I¡¯ll bring a person in charge to you right away.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    I watched the staff member leave the reception room quickly and sit down on the sofa with Iphrita. The interior of the Adventurers¡¯ Guild¡¯s reception room is two or three levels below that of the Merchants¡¯ Guild. The furnishings, the sofa we are sitting on, and maybe even the tea that is about to be served.


    ¡°This place is still the same as ever.¡±


    ¡°Was it like this twenty years ago?¡±


    ¡°The reception room is lousy. It used to look better and livelier.¡±


    ¡°It looks like the business cycle is bad¡­ Can¡¯t we do something about it?¡±


    ¡°If it were that easy to solve, Sylphy and Melty would have done something about it.¡±


    That¡¯s probably true. Hmm, anything I can think of in my head has probably already been proposed and implemented by now. No, I think it¡¯s a good idea to propose the idea anyway. Fortunately, it seems to be a promising source of employment for the subhumans, and it may be possible to work with the merchants¡¯ association to leverage the situation.


    However, it would not be a good idea to proceed too much over Sylphy and the others¡¯ heads. It would be better to just keep an open mind for today and then consult with Sylphy and Melty to come up with a plan and move things forward.


    ¡°You¡¯re pondering again.¡±


    ¡°Whether I can do it or not, I should always think about what I could do, what I might be able to do.¡±


    ¡°Really, you¡¯re surprisingly serious, aren¡¯t you? ¡­I wonder if Sylphy and the others are good at this sort of thing?¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t know about that.¡±


    While we were talking about such things, there was a knock at the reception room door, and people came in one after another. The first person to enter was an elderly man with a slender, thin physique, and several young male staff members were carrying large wooden boxes.


    ¡°Thank you for waiting. Ares-kun, after you put down the luggage, please tell Cindy-kun to prepare some tea.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    A well-built male staff member called ¡°Ares-kun¡± bowed to us, then left the room and rushed out. The thin, elderly man who saw him off then bowed to us with a wry smile on his face.


    ¡°My apologies for showing you such an uncomfortable situation. I am Baran, deputy head of the Merineseburg headquarters of the Merinard Adventurers¡¯ Guild.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Iphrita Danal Merinard. This is Kosuke.¡±


    ¡°Hello. I¡¯m Kosuke.¡±


    ¡°Well, well¡­ you must be the husband and sister of the current Queen. We apologize for the inconvenience of hosting you in such a humble setting.¡±


    Deputy head of headquarters, Baran, bowed his head in a very low and humble manner. The two young guild officials who remained in the room knelt on the floor and bowed. Oh, I don¡¯t like to be so formal.


    ¡°That¡¯s not necessary. Even though I am the sister of Her Majesty the Queen, I am currently rankless as well. This one is a real princess, so I¡¯m not exactly the kind of person you¡¯d want to pay attention to¡­¡±


    ¡°Please spare me that. Regardless of my position, I am really a petty citizen with a commoner¡¯s mindset.¡±


    ¡°To tell you the truth, you¡¯re in a position where you can just call up the Merchant¡¯s Guild or the Adventurer¡¯s Guild instead of going to them directly. Well, since the person himself is like this, please don¡¯t be too formal with him. Just treat him like a slightly superior guest.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha¡­ That¡¯s a very difficult order to give.¡±


    Deputy head Baran smiled wryly, and sweat broke out on his forehead. The two young male staff members who remained behind were frozen in their kneeling position. If I don¡¯t like something, I don¡¯t suddenly say, ¡°Death penalty!¡± So please don¡¯t be so afraid of me.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s get on with the business first. What kind of materials, or rather a prey, can the Adventurers¡¯ Guild expect to have a somewhat stable supply of, yet are of little use and not worth much money?¡±


    ¡°In that case, goblins and kobolds. They are weak, numerous, and cannot be left unattended because they are harmful if left unattended, and the only thing that can be obtained from them is a very small magic stone.¡±


    ¡°In other words, they are not very appetizing prey, are they?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Goblin skins are too thin and fragile to be processed into leather goods, and the meat tastes bad and will make you sick if you eat it improperly. Kobolds can produce fur, but the quality of the fur is not very good, so not many craftsmen dare to use it. The meat is as bad as that of goblins. Although it is safer than goblin meat. Bones and entrails are useless as materials for alchemy.¡±


    ¡°They are vermin to the point of being absurd¡­ If I were to buy the corpses of goblins and kobolds, what would be the market price?¡±


    ¡°There are not many cases of buying goblin or kobold corpses, so there is no market price¡­ but a whole corpse like that is quite heavy.¡±


    The problem is transportation, isn¡¯t it? The most common reason for this is that the adventurers bring back the parts of their kills that are worth money, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. That is why they only bring back magic stones, materials, and catalysts such as fangs, claws, and entrails. When it comes to edible ones, the meat is worth its weight in gold, so in many ways, it is an ¡®appetizing prey.''¡±


    ¡°I see. But it can¡¯t be the same price per weight as edible meat, can it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that would be bad. There is a risk that the supply of meat from adventurers will be greatly reduced.¡±


    If hunting goblins and kobolds in large numbers and returning them with the same amount of profit as hunting edible monsters, no one would be willing to hunt edible monsters. The price of meat in Merinesburg should not skyrocket because of this.


    ¡°We want to price it in such a way that adventurers will be willing to take goblin corpses home with them. May I submit a request for one hundred goblins and one hundred kobold corpses each?¡±


    ¡°Of course. But is it really worth it? If that many corpses are useless, it will be very difficult to dispose of them.¡±


    ¡°No problem. There are plenty of ways to do it.¡±


    With my ability, they can probably be used for something. If even I can¡¯t use my ability for anything, it can be stored dead in my inventory, or worse, I can have Lime and the others take care of it.


    Or, I don¡¯t know when we¡¯ll need it, but we could use it in a siege. We could throw the slaughtered corpses of goblins and kobolds into the fortresses and castles of the Holy Kingdom. No, it may not be necessary to use such a roundabout move, though. Just by having golem soldiers charge in line, most of the forts and castles would be cleared.


    ¡°As for goblins and kobolds, send a bill to me at the royal castle as soon as the price is calculated. As for how to deliver the bodies, I think it¡¯s probably best if I come and pick them up myself. It would be difficult to bring the body to the castle.¡±


    ¡°I suppose that¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true.¡±


    Deputy head Baran and Iphrita nodded their heads. It would be bad publicity to bring a cart full of dead goblins and kobolds into the royal castle. If it was an edible monster or something, it would be a different story.


    ¡°Oh, by the way, if I want to make a request, don¡¯t I have to pay in advance?¡±


    ¡°Normally, yes, but I can be as flexible as I want when it comes to Kosuke-sama. I don¡¯t mean to be rude, but I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll be ripped off.¡±


    ¡°In fact, royalty and high-ranking nobles rarely pay on the spot. They usually ask the castle or the mansion to pay the bill later.¡±


    ¡°I see. But I¡¯ll give you the collateral first. Otherwise, it won¡¯t be clear.¡±


    I have plenty of gem source stones and lumps of metal in my inventory that can be turned into gold anyway, so I¡¯ll just give him some at random.


    ¡°¡­I feel like I¡¯m witnessing a fairy tale magician.¡±


    When I showed him a pile of gemstones on a handkerchief on the table, he started rubbing his temples as if he was enduring a headache.


    ¡°For now, I¡¯ll just call it a deposit.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s obviously too much.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do the purchasing for that amount. Come on, let¡¯s see some samples of the material. And while you¡¯re at it, if you have any extra material on hand, show me that too.¡±


    After all, the only thing I can do immediately is to make the Adventurers¡¯ Guild¡¯s economy a little better by making a big show of generosity. The effect would be limited and short-lived, but as they say, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. The more money that goes to the guild, the more money the guild will be able to give to support adventurers.

 CH 302

    Chapter 302 ¨C At Dinner


    ¡°I see¡­ So while we were busy dealing with the treacherous bastards of the Holy Kingdom, Kosuke-san was enjoying a private date with Iphrita-sama, is that right?¡±


    ¡°No. That¡¯s not it, but yeah.¡±


    That night when I visited the merchants¡¯ guild and the adventurers¡¯ guild with Iphrita, I was sitting down for dinner. I was entangled with Melty to the hilt at the after-dinner drinks table. Literally and physically, too. I¡¯m not a stuffed animal or anything, so don¡¯t just casually snuggle my neck. My face and head are happy, being buried in Melty¡¯s breasts and all, but the force is so strong that I feel more threatened than happy.


    ¡°Melty, you have to be gentler with me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m being gentle.¡±


    ¡°Gueee!¡±


    You¡¯re lying! You just squeezed my neck!


    Sylphy is being Sylphy, her face flushed with alcohol, and she¡¯s resting her upper body on my lap. It seems that today¡¯s discussion with the Holy Kingdom was very stressful for both of them.


    ¡°This is serious business. You have to listen to me.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I¡¯m listening.¡±


    ¡°Isla is unfair in that way.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, always showing her good side.¡±


    ¡°You two are just messing around. So, have you had a chance to look at the merchant¡¯s guild and the adventurer¡¯s guild, and what do you think?¡±


    I shoo away Sylphy and Isla, who is complaining, and Isla takes a position to listen to me. I knew I could count on Isla.


    ¡°Well, in other words. It¡¯s good to be freed from slavery, but it¡¯s hard for people who can¡¯t find decent jobs. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s going to happen anytime soon, but if we don¡¯t do something about it now, it¡¯s going to have an impact later on.¡±


    ¡°We know that. We are working through the Adventurers¡¯ Guild to maintain the roads and security, and we are also working with the merchants¡¯ guild to increase domestic and international trade.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess that¡¯s true, but it didn¡¯t seem like it was really producing many results. So I¡¯ve been doing a lot of on-the-ground research.¡±


    Sylphy and Melty were still hugging me and occupying my lap, but they seemed to be in a position to listen.


    ¡°To sum it up, there are a lot of people who have a job but aren¡¯t even prepared to do it.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Those who can barely make a living in the Adventurers¡¯ Guild are so busy living that they cannot even prepare the minimum equipment to maintain the roads, guard the roads, or escort the merchants who trade with them. It would be like having no clothes to go shopping when you get out of the house to go shopping. Or rather, they don¡¯t have the money to buy clothes.¡±


    ¡°You mean they can¡¯t afford weapons or armor?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a problem before that. It is difficult to prepare even a water bag for a short expedition, a bag of provisions, and a bag to carry supplies in.¡±


    In fact, most of the people who spent the daytime at the Adventurers¡¯ Guild were like that. They barely eat every day. If they are not good, they cannot find work, and they will be homeless. In fact, there were many of them who couldn¡¯t even eat.


    ¡°Then they could only get jobs in the city that were quick and easy.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Many of them couldn¡¯t afford the equipment, so they could only do light work in the city, such as carrying loads.¡±


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s more serious than I thought. But we can¡¯t just give charity to those people.¡±


    ¡°I agree. If we were to give them a small amount of money that would allow them to get some equipment if they registered with the Adventurers¡¯ Guild, people who don¡¯t intend to be adventurers might rush to the Adventurers¡¯ Guild and try to snatch that small amount of money.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not quite the same as giving preferential treatment, is it? So I have a suggestion. Why don¡¯t we give some money to the Adventurers¡¯ Guild and set up a support system?¡±


    ¡°A support system. Loaning money to those people? I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll come back.¡±


    Yeah, Isla is right; I totally agree with her. Even if we were to give a small amount of money to people who are trapped without food or shelter, saying, ¡°Go get your equipment ready with this,¡± there is a very high possibility that they would spend it on something else.


    ¡°We don¡¯t give them the money directly; we provide them with the equipment. We give them a set of equipment with the Adventurers¡¯ Guild logo engraved on it, and then we take some of the money out of the reward they receive for completing the job.¡±


    ¡°If they don¡¯t eat or drink, won¡¯t some of them sell the equipment they receive and turn it into money?¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s okay as long as the equipment is stamped with the Adventurers¡¯ Guild¡¯s logo indicating that it was provided by the guild. We will also distribute food tickets at the same time.¡±


    ¡°Food tickets?¡±


    ¡°Food tickets are issued by the Adventurers¡¯ Guild and are given to diners and inns that have signed up as food ticket dealers, allowing them to eat without paying. The restaurant or inn that receives the food ticket can then take the food ticket to the Adventurers¡¯ Guild or the government office and receive money for it. The advantage for the restaurant would be the possibility of gaining future customers and the name value of being a trusted restaurant recognized by the Adventurers¡¯ Guild or the government.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ That¡¯s interesting, but it¡¯s a lot of work. There are criteria that must be established, and there is also the question of whether the national government or the Adventurers¡¯ Guild will be responsible for this. It seems like a matter of interest.¡±


    It would certainly be a bit of a concession. Food ticket stores will be flooded with adventurers who are desperate for food, and the more such adventurers come, the more money the Adventurers¡¯ Guild or government office will receive. Being certified as a dealer itself will be a kind of concession, and the organization that does the certification¨Din this case, the Adventurers¡¯ Guild or the relevant department of the government office¨Dwill receive a concession.


    If a new department is created in the government office, the number of posts will increase, and this will be another concession.


    ¡°Just throw in all the details.¡±


    ¡°Are you angry?¡±


    ¡°No, no, I think it¡¯s a good idea to throw it all to the Adventurers¡¯ Guild. In a sense, it would expand the authority of the Adventurers¡¯ Guild, and there would be more positions available within the guild. The government would provide some subsidy, and we could work out the details and make it better. I think it could be a bitch to approve the proposal and pay for it once it¡¯s been boiled down to a certain level.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    Melty pondered my proposal. Perhaps Melty¡¯s position is that it would be fine if the tax revenue from the Adventurers¡¯ Guild increased more than the subsidy paid, with the state having the final authority.


    The question is how to allocate the manpower.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be the liaison to the Adventurers¡¯ Guild. I¡¯m the one who suggested it, and more importantly, I¡¯m not involved in any meetings related to the Holy Kingdom, so I have time to spare.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I have any ill intentions to keep Kosuke away from the people of the Holy Kingdom, you know?¡±


    ¡°I know, but it¡¯s not in my nature for me to just sit around and do nothing while Sylphy and the others are working. I want you to understand that I want to do something for the kingdom of Merinard.¡±


    ¡°Nnn¡­ if you say so.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s good that Kosuke-san is making a move, but the financial resources are¡­¡±


    Melty¡¯s question is answered with a gem source stone between the fingers of my left hand and a mithril ingot in my right hand.


    ¡°Well, if they are scattered around too much, it will cause a collapse in value, so I¡¯d like you to moderate the amount.¡±


    ¡°Then there is a way of making and supplying the actual goods supplied by the Adventurers¡¯ Guild.¡±


    ¡°That would damage the industry in Merinesburg and the surrounding area, so please don¡¯t do that. I understand, the financial resources will come from¨D¨D¡±


    ¡°Oh, and I¡¯ve deposited a good number with the Merchant¡¯s Guild for investment.¡±


    I will have to go to the merchants¡¯ association and talk to them about that as well. Well, there is a lot of work to be done.


    ¡°Kosuke-san? I¡¯m really troubled when you do things like that without my permission.¡±


    ¡°Please forgive me.¡±


    Melty pinches both of my cheeks with a powerful full-blown smile. I apologize; please forgive me! When Melty pinches and pulls on my cheeks, it seriously shreds my cheek flesh, no joke!


    ¡°Hah¡­ it¡¯s already done, so I won¡¯t say any more, but I¡¯m really asking you for it, okay?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because I didn¡¯t have any money at my disposal¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a problem. Melty?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll be able to come up with enough to be worthy of a royal handout, but I¡¯ll take some out of the treasury¡­ or rather, almost all of it was earned by Kosuke-san in the first place.¡±


    ¡°After all, we owe everything to Kosuke¡­ It¡¯s not our place to tell you not to do this or that, not to spend money without permission, or not to use your abilities without permission.¡±


    Sylphy¡¯s tension started to drop suddenly for some reason, so I ruffled her head on my lap. Hmm, I never get tired of this silky touch, no matter how many times I touch it. I should do it in moderation because if I ruffle my hair too much, it will get messed up.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about that. We¡¯re both in this together, and that¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it strange that Isla is the one to answer that?¡±


    ¡°First come, first served. More importantly, Kosuke¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    When I looked at Isla, her eye was very fixed. What¡¯s the matter?


    ¡°If you want to study magic, you have me here.¡±


    ¡°Well, Isla seems busy¨D¨D¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here.¡±


    ¡°No¨D¨D¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here.¡±


    Isla¡¯s big eye becomes cloudy. To be honest, I¡¯m quite scared.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯d like to have Isla-Sensei teach me too.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±


    I was defeated, and when I asked her for help, Isla nodded her head in satisfaction. I¡¯m going to be learning about magic from both of them. I guess I won¡¯t be bored for a while. Hahaha.

 CH 303

    Chapter 303 ¨C Iphrita-sensei¡¯s Magic Lesson: The Basics


    The next day, after receiving approval from Sylphy and Melty for the Adventurers¡¯ Guild¡¯s support during our discussion last night, I decided to approve the letter to the Adventurers¡¯ Guild and the Merchants¡¯ Association and have the harpy deliver it to them.


    The contents of the letter included financial support from the Kingdom of Merinard and the outline of a support plan for novice adventurers. The Adventurers¡¯ Guild has been instructed to work out the details of the plan based on what I discussed with Sylphy and Melty yesterday.


    We have also written a proposal for the handling of food tickets.


    I have also written to the Merchant¡¯s Guild, requesting them to cooperate with the Adventurers¡¯ Guild to the best of their ability, using the funds I have entrusted to them. I also wrote that they should report back to me when their plans were finalized and that they should contact me at the royal castle if they had any problems or needed a decision. I also told the castle guards to contact me immediately about letters from the Adventurers¡¯ Guild and the Merchants¡¯ Guild, as well as any requests for an audience, so there should be no problem for now.


    The sooner, the better, and from the looks of the people I saw at the Adventurers¡¯ Guild, they didn¡¯t seem to have much time to spare, so I wrote to them that I would respond as quickly as possible. I know this may seem reckless from someone¡¯s point of view, but I think it will help a lot of people, so I wish them the best of luck.


    And when I was done, I visited Iphrita¡¯s private room for a magic lesson.


    ¡°¡­Why is Isla here?¡±


    Seeing Isla following me into the room, Iphrita¡¯s expression clouded over.


    ¡°Is it bad for you that I¡¯m here?¡±


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s nothing.¡±


    Iphrita¡¯s cheeks appeared to be slightly puffed up as she turned away, saying, ¡°Nothing.¡± It¡¯s not as if it¡¯s nothing, though.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about the curriculum.¡±


    ¡°Why did Isla decide on her own¡­?¡±


    ¡°There are pros and cons. Iphrita-sama is better at attribute magic, ritual magic using catalysts, and spirit magic. I am better at formula theory, alchemy, and applicable magic. It is more efficient to share the work.¡±


    ¡°Mm¡­ but I¡¯ll be the one to teach him today!¡±


    ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s good. From the basics of the basics.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to working with you, Sensei.¡±


    ¡°Leave it to me.¡±


    Iphrita crossed her arms and smiled proudly. For some reason, Isla was looking at Iphrita with a kind eye.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    ¡°I see¡­ the compatibility of attribute magic is relatively rare. So to speak, it¡¯s a type of congeniality.¡±


    The compatibility of attribute magic in this world seems to be a type in which water and fire and wind and earth have a great influence on each other. In other words, the attacking attribute of fire causes great damage to the defensive attribute of water, and the attacking attribute of water causes great damage to the defensive attribute of fire. Wind is also strong against earth, and earth is strong against wind. There is no advantage or disadvantage between attributes that do not correlate with each other.


    Incidentally, fire magic includes not only fire magic but also beam magic and lava magic, and water magic includes ice magic and cold magic. Wind magic includes thunderbolt magic and poison gas magic, and earth magic includes rock magic and metal magic.


    ¡°¡­Aren¡¯t you unusually quick to swallow it? You¡¯re an amateur, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t use magic, but I do have a fair amount of experience with it?¡±


    Mainly in games and such. Attribute compatibility is like basic knowledge for games with magic. Well, if it becomes too complicated, there are too many attributes to understand. For example, in the case of a certain pocket game, it¡¯s so complicated that I don¡¯t understand it at all anymore. Sometimes, there are games in which too many attributes make it difficult to deal with each one, and the best solution is to level up and beat them with physical weapons.


    ¡°There was no magic in Kosuke¡¯s world. But there were plenty of entertaining works that dealt with magic.¡±


    ¡°If there was no magic, why would there be entertaining works that dealt with magic?¡±


    ¡°I guess that¡¯s where people¡¯s imagination comes in.¡±


    ¡°Or maybe magic existed in Kosuke¡¯s world, but it is just forgotten. There is no smoke without fire, after all.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s an interesting interpretation.¡±


    Maybe it¡¯s a story about how people gave up the mystery in exchange for the power of science. I don¡¯t dislike the idea that, as a result of analyzing not only the visible but also the invisible and thoroughly dismantling the existence of mystery, things such as magic and curses can no longer exist.


    ¡°Anyway, I think we understand the compatibility of attributes. Let¡¯s go a little further.¡±


    ¡°Next, let¡¯s move on to the rudimentary theory of the magic arts. You can¡¯t take it lightly just because it¡¯s rudimentary.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    And so began the lesson on magic formulas.


    ¡°This is a difficult subject, or rather, it is a memorized subject.¡±


    Basically, general magic in this world is expressed by combining several basic techniques that look like patterns or symbols. By preparing a formula and pouring non-attributed, colorless magic into it, the magic that was once nothing takes on the form of attribute magic and affects the world as magic.


    Perhaps, this is similar to programming language. But I¡¯m not very good at programming. I¡¯ve done a few things like calling up a console and typing code in a game, but that¡¯s something you don¡¯t get to do unless you¡¯re an IT engineer or something.


    ¡°Especially in your case. If you can use magic, you can learn it physically by using the same magic over and over again.¡±


    ¡°Not being able to use magic is a disadvantage.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡±


    The fact that I cannot use magic means that even if I try out a formula, I will not be able to execute that formula myself. In other words, it is the same as programming by writing code directly on paper with a pencil or pen, but you cannot actually execute that code and debug it.


    A seasoned professional might be able to do complex programming with pen on paper and debug it sensibly, but right now, I am a novice. I¡¯m a novice, and I¡¯m trying to get ¡°hello World!¡± to appear on the screen, but I¡¯m no better than a chick or even a fertilized egg that hasn¡¯t even hatched yet.


    ¡°It is better to learn what kind of magic there is rather than the theory of magic. There are many kinds of fire magic, aren¡¯t there? Not just magic that makes fire arrows fly, or magic that makes fireballs fly.¡±


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s good to remember in such a strange way¡­¡±


    ¡°Common sense doesn¡¯t apply to Kosuke. Even if you think about it as a mage, it is possible that Kosuke could come up with something great. He has a proven track record.¡±


    ¡°Ah, that recoil control technique. I see; it was Kosuke who was the catalyst for discovering that one, too. If that¡¯s the case, well¡­ yeah, let¡¯s try something out of the ordinary.¡±


    It seems that my curriculum for learning magic is undergoing a major overhaul. Sorry for the trouble, Senseis.

 CH 304

    Chapter 304 ¨C Spread the Wings of Your Imagination on Magic


    ¡°Hmm. Hmm, hmm, hmm¡­¡±


    With the help of Isla and Iphrita, I had a sort of list of the various types of magic. In addition to the four major attributes of fire, water, wind, and earth, the book also lists and describes the effects of each of these derived magic types: light and heat, ice and snow, cold air, lightning, poisonous smoke, rock and stone, and metal magic, as well as magic bullet magic that uses non-attributed magic power, telekinetic magic that handles levitation and fall control, and many other magic types that do not belong to the four attribute magic types.


    It is, so to speak, my own personal grimoire.


    ¡°This is light and heat magic, right?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s a magic bullet. It generates heat as a result, but it is not converted into light and heat magic power and released.¡±


    ¡°But¨D¨D¡±


    Iphrita and Isla are having a heated discussion about the classification and systematization of magic, but I am not joining them. I am just looking at the list of magic and continuing to spread my wings of imagination about what it can be used for and what it can do.


    For example, the magic called ¡°flame heat¡± or ¡°light heat¡± is very interesting. They convert magic energy, which exists in the atmosphere but is invisible and inexhaustible, into heat energy with high efficiency. Oh no, there is much room for debate as to whether it is highly efficient or not, but it is very interesting that powerful thermal energy can be extracted without the use of fuels such as firewood, coal, gas, or liquefied fuels.


    If the magic power in the atmosphere is truly inexhaustible and will never be depleted, it would be possible to realize the dream of a perpetual engine. If the magic power in the atmosphere is not sufficient for output, there are also vein holes where magic power can spring inexhaustibly from the ground. If we can secure a vein hole and use the inexhaustible magic power that gushes out with high efficiency, we will be able to make progress in many ways.


    Although the rear base also utilizes the magic power gushing out of the vein hole, the scale of utilization is limited to the extent that a small portion of the vast amount of geothermal heat and geysers gushing out is used for bathing and cooking, to use an analogy. If a magic engine equivalent to an advanced geothermal power plant could be developed and made available, it would surely be a major force for the development of the Merinard Kingdom.


    ¡°However, it would be unrealistic to focus solely on the military aspect.¡±


    We should also consider the convenience of labor and daily life. For example, it would be good to have the technology to reduce the cost of operating magic tools. Mana drain, which belongs to telekinesis magic that takes magic power from the target and makes it its own, could be used as a mana trap, a solar panel-like collector of magic power if done well.


    It seems to be quite advanced magic, but I have a feeling that it might incorporate a control technique that eats up magic power, like the recoil control technique incorporated into wind magic. I asked the two about mana drain, and it seems that the obstacle that greatly increases the difficulty of the magic is to break through the magic resistance of others, take their magic power, and adjust the wavelength of the magic power to use it as one¡¯s own.


    If you just want to collect magic power drifting in the air, you don¡¯t need a technique to break through other people¡¯s magical resistance, and if you just want to collect magic power drifting in the air, you don¡¯t need to adjust the wavelength either.


    No, is it necessary to homogenize the quality of magic power? It seems that most magic tools work fine no matter what kind of magic stone or magic crystal stone made from it is plugged in, so is there any need to be that concerned about it?


    But, well, it would be better to do it if you can. The problem with the unstable quality of the magic iron and steel we are making at the rear base is probably that the quality of the magic power leaking out of the vein holes is not homogeneous.


    But there is no need to incorporate a homogenization circuit in each and every collector at the stage of collecting magic power, is there? Collect magic power on a large scale with a large number of magic collectors and concentrate it in one place. It would be more efficient to install a large-scale adjusting device to homogenize the quality of the magic power at the collection point and distribute it to the places where it should be used. It would also be better to have a capacitor to store the homogenized magic power. In any case, I think it would be better to start by making something small-scale and experimenting with it.


    ¡°That¡¯s a face that¡¯s thinking of something interesting.¡±


    ¡°Are you alright? It looks like you¡¯re smiling a little.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s going to be something interesting.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it will be. It will be interesting.¡±


    First of all, it might be a good idea to aim for an all-magic system, not an all-electric system, in the royal castle. Of course, there is no way to produce something that is reliably safe and secure from the start, so the troubles that do occur would be a good case study.


    For now, we should develop mana traps that collect magic from the atmosphere, mana transformers that homogenize magic, and mana batteries that can store a lot of magic. It would also be good to have various magic tools to support them. Lighting, air conditioning, cooking equipment, workbenches, and defensive weapons and traps are also possible. If there is plenty of magic power available, we can project magic itself instead of firing metal bullets.


    ¡°Fufufufufu¡­ This is going to make my arms ring.¡±


    There are already magic tools for lights, but you have to refill them with magic power every single time; that¡¯s what I¡¯m talking about. If the magic power is automatically supplied, the maids who maintain the castle will have less work to do. Life would be more comfortable if we could use magic tools like air conditioners for heating and cooling, and cooking would be easier if we had magic stoves with infinitely adjustable heat. It would also be a good idea to be able to use a machine tool or an automatically spinning whetstone to maintain metal tools and weapons.


    My golem workbench is too dangerous to be used by the general public. It is good that it is equipped with a magic engine using magic sparkling stone, but Isla and others say that a magic engine using magic sparkling stone is a dangerous thing that can blow up the whole surrounding area if it is handled improperly.


    On the other hand, various machine tools using mana traps have no fear of explosion. Probably not. In fact, they are safe. Or rather, depending on the output of the mana trap, it may be possible to accumulate a large scale of magic power without securing a vein hole. However, there is a possibility that the thinning of the magic in the atmosphere will have some effect on the human body or have some major impact on the surrounding natural environment. It is necessary to keep a careful eye on the process and its effects. In fact, we don¡¯t even know if the magic in the atmosphere is really inexhaustible.


    ¡°By the way, what about spirit magic and miracles?¡±


    ¡°There is no specific type of spirit magic. Of course, the things you can do are limited depending on the attributes of the spirit you are borrowing power from, but in the end, it is magic where the magician transmits an image to the spirit, and the spirit uses that image to cause the phenomenon.¡±


    ¡°There are various types of magic, ranging from the kind that sends attribute magic power flying like an arrow to extremely powerful magic on the level of natural disasters. It all depends on the image of the magician, the rank of the spirit he or she is using, and the amount of magic power the magician gives to the spirit. Since most spirit magicians are sensualists, it is difficult to systematize spirit magic.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ What about miracles?¡±


    ¡°Miracles have been systematized to a certain extent, but they are also very close to spirit magic, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°Hmm. As far as I am concerned, that is the same quality as spirit magic. The only difference is the quality of the spirit that is used. It is closer to the root.¡±


    ¡°Root?¡±


    Hearing the unfamiliar or rather unfamiliar word, I involuntarily tilt my head back.


    ¡°The root of magic, the root of magic power, well, something like that. It¡¯s bigger than a spirit, which is a mass of magic power. In other words, it is the source and ruler of magical power, the mother of spirits, or¨D¨D¡±


    ¡°Or you could call it a god. There is no one anywhere who has seen it. But we feel its presence on a regular basis. Especially, we, mages, feel its presence strongly when we are in contact with the technique.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yeah! I don¡¯t understand!¡±


    ¡°Of course, you don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Kosuke can¡¯t use magic and can¡¯t feel magic. It can¡¯t be helped.¡±


    For some reason, the two of them look at me very kindly. Don¡¯t look at me like you¡¯re looking at that stupid child. It almost damages my heart.


    ¡°In any case, it¡¯s impossible to make miracles into magic tools. It¡¯s the same as spirit magic.¡±


    ¡°I see. If so, ordinary magic is still the best. It¡¯s versatile, it can be used at any time and any place, and it can be modified in any way according to your own creativity.¡±


    ¡°As expected of Kosuke. You know what you¡¯re talking about.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind spirit magic either.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to try my hand at spirit magic one of these days. I¡¯ll start by making mana traps. Both of you lend me a hand.¡±


    ¡°Mana traps?¡±


    The two mages tilted their heads. I haven¡¯t explained anything out loud yet, come to think of it. I¡¯ll start by telling them what I have in mind.

 CH 305

    Chapter 305 ¨C Of Course, There Are Pioneers


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Yeah.¡±


    When I told them about my concept, the two mages looked at each other and nodded, and began to create an atmosphere of¡­ ¡®What to tell me and how to tell it.¡¯


    ¡°From the way you two reacted, that¡¯s it, right? You¡¯ve already done all the research or something like that?¡¡And the results aren¡¯t very good.¡±


    ¡°Yes, well, it¡¯s true. Everyone can come up with it. The idea of taking the magic element that is inexhaustible in the atmosphere and using it as magic power is a good one.¡±


    ¡°Mana? Odo?¡±


    ¡°The magic power that exists in the atmosphere and whose quality and wavelength are not fixed is called mana, and the magic power that exists in the mage¡¯s body and can be used freely is called odo. Usually, both are referred to as magic power.¡±


    When I tilted my head and asked them, they both explained mana and odo in great detail.


    ¡°I see, so it¡¯s been studied after all. Well, we know that magic power is inexhaustible in the atmosphere, so it¡¯s only natural that we would want to take advantage of it.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. It has been studied for a long time. For example, the staff used by mages is also a kind of mana trap, as Kosuke calls it. The staff has the effect of collecting a small amount of magic in the atmosphere to help the holder recover their magic, though it is more noticeable as a focal point for converging the mage¡¯s magic and releasing it to the outside and as an amplifier that amplifies the magic when releasing it.


    ¡°However, the effect is not very good. To use an analogy, it¡¯s like waving a cloth around in a fog to moisten it and squeeze out a small amount of water. As Kosuke has thought, there has long been research on magic tools that efficiently collect magic power in the atmosphere using drain-type magic, but in order to collect magic power, you have to exercise drain-type magic, and no matter how efficient you make it, the amount of magic power consumed will be more.¡±


    ¡°I see. Let¡¯s hear the details.¡±


    I asked them briefly about the mana trap-related research that has been conducted so far. It seems that neither one of them has ever been enthusiastic about mana trap-related research, but they told me everything they knew about the research materials they had read and the stories they had heard from mages who had done mana trap-related research in the past.


    First of all, mana traps studied in this world can be broadly divided into two types.


    One is to turn drain-type magic into a magic tool to collect the magic power that exists in the atmosphere. The problems with this type are the difficulty of using drain-type magic and the increase in the amount of magic power consumed when it is turned into a magic tool.


    In fact, drain-type magic is used by mages to incapacitate mages or by outlandish mages to usurp magic from helpless civilians or sacrifices and is not very efficient for the difficulty of using it. Of course, this is not the case if the mage¡¯s ability as a mage is not so great.


    ¡°When you turn it into a magic tool, you can only use magic at a certain strength, so there¡¯s a lot of waste.¡±


    ¡°If you operate it in a magic pool or a vein hole, it will be more efficient to a certain extent.¡±


    ¡°In the first place, there is no need to operate such a thing in such a place.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Wait a minute. That magic power in magic pools and vein holes is also so-called mana, so it can¡¯t be used so easily, can it?¡±


    The way Iphrita says it, it sounds as if the magic power in the magic pools and vein holes can be freely utilized. That would destroy the assumption that magic power in the atmosphere is something that cannot be used freely.


    ¡°The density of magic is different. Normal mana in the atmosphere is inexhaustible, but it is very thin. Like a drop of sweet honey in a glass of water is unrecognizable. But the magic in a magic pool or a vein hole is different. They are places where the honey itself is bubbling or gushing out. The quality may not be consistent, but there is enough density to make it readily available as an odo.¡±


    ¡°I see, so it¡¯s a matter of density¡­ Hmm.¡±


    This is another indication of the direction in which I should go. I was thinking of a method of collecting magic power in the atmosphere and returning it directly to the device or the magician, but if that doesn¡¯t work, I can think of a method of condensing the magic power in the atmosphere to create a so-called magic spot.


    If that doesn¡¯t work, then we could try to create a kind of mana trap by condensing the magic power in the atmosphere.


    ¡°So, tell me about the efficiency of staff that have already had some success in collecting magic power. What kind of staffs are more efficient in collecting magic power, and what kind of materials are used to make them perform better?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not experts either, so we could be wrong, you know?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll just use it as a guideline for the initial response. After that, I will accumulate my own data through repeated prototyping and experimentation.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, okay.¡±


    The two of them talked about the performance of magic staffs and found that, basically, the longer and bigger the staff is, the more efficient it is in collecting magic power. It is interesting to note that a staff made of a silver alloy containing mithril, even though it is less pure, or a staff made entirely of spirit tree, which is a good conductor of magic, is more efficient in collecting magic power than a staff with a head made of high-purity mithril.


    ¡°So a long staff made of pure mithril is probably the most efficient way to collect magic power?¡±


    ¡°If such a thing can be made, then yes, it would be. If you can make such a thing, though.¡±


    ¡°I can make it.¡±


    ¡°Kosuke can make one.¡±


    ¡°Of course, you can! But that¡¯s too expensive to make it widespread, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    The goal is a world where everyone can use magic and magic tool at a low cost. Using expensive mithril in abundance would go against that goal.


    ¡°Pure mithril is overkill, but we should consider using mithril alloys. Even a small amount of mithril would greatly increase the efficiency of magic power conduction, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, mithril-copper alloys are excellent. Mithril silver alloy is even better.¡±


    ¡°A little bit might be good, but you should always consider cost-effectiveness. If you intend to benefit not only the rich like us but all the people below us.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡±


    The sword of pure mithril is a thing of such value that it could become a national treasure by itself, so using such pure mithril in abundance would certainly be a distraction from the main goal of improving life by spreading the use of magic tools and magic power widely.


    Not that I¡¯m going to weigh myself against it while it¡¯s being developed! If I dig it myself, it¡¯s practically zero cost.


    ¡°I won¡¯t be restraining myself from doing it.¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯m beginning to understand what this guy is thinking these days, too.¡±


    That¡¯s absurd. To read my poker face¡­ no, it wasn¡¯t a poker face at all. I wasn¡¯t trying to hide my expression at all.


    ¡°Well, well, well. I¡¯ve got an idea of where we¡¯re going, but I¡¯m not sure. Let¡¯s hear a little more.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    By further inquiring about the staff¡¯s efficiency in collecting magic power, I learned a few more things. First, the staff is ineffective if it is not equipped.


    No, I¡¯m not kidding, right? In other words, the staff is ineffective unless it is in contact with the body, either held in the hand or carried on the body. There are two things that can be inferred from this information. The magic collected by the magic collector will not be conducted unless it is connected to some kind of ¡°magic conductor.¡±


    And one more thing. The human body has the property of attracting magic power. This is something known from the fact that magic power that has been depleted through the use of magic will naturally recover over time, but this property of attracting magic power is likely to be a roadblock in the future.


    If a material with high magic conductivity attracts magic power by itself, then magic tools made of such materials will malfunction a lot just by being left alone.


    The first task will be to artificially create this ¡°property of attracting magic power.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ve decided on a plan. Let¡¯s try to make it right away.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to seeing what Kosuke will create.¡±


    ¡°What are you going to make?¡±


    ¡°I think that the performance of a very primitive mana trap depends on the conductivity and surface area of the magic.¡±


    ¡°¡±Surface area?¡±¡±


    Isla and Iphrita both tilted their heads. Yeah, I¡¯m going to make a lot of things right now, so wait for me. It¡¯s probably faster to show it than to explain it.


    So, I set up the golem workbench from my inventory in Iphrita¡¯s private room, which was being used as a temporary lecture room.

 CH 306

    Chapter 306 ¨C Basic Research is Dull and Boring


    ¡°Hey, Prototype 1 is complete.¡±


    Saying that, I put the first mana trap prototype that I created on the golem workbench in front of the two of them.


    ¡°What is¡­ this?¡±


    A metal ball¡­? A net¡­?¡±


    What I took out was a mithril silver alloy wire, or rather a spherical object made of wire. The outermost frame is made of thicker wire, while the interior is made of much thinner wire. It looks like this, but everything is made by one-piece molding, and it would probably be very difficult to create something like this even in my former world. Craft ability really shows in this product.


    ¡°I made it into an elaborate shape in order to gain surface area with fewer components. Think of it as a staff with high magic-gathering capabilities, and hold it in your hand.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    Isla held out her small hand, and I put the first mana trap prototype in her hand. Then Isla¡¯s big eye narrowed with interest as she looked deep into the mesh of the first prototype.


    ¡°It¡¯s so solid. Only Kosuke could make something like this.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not good enough.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true, of course. In fact, I¡¯ve already made a second prototype.¡±


    This time, I took out the second prototype, which had a square frame filled with thin mithril silver alloy plates that had been folded and twisted, and handed it to Iphrita. Depending on how you look at it, it might look like a car radiator.


    ¡°This one seems to be more complicated to manufacture.¡±


    Iphrita holds the second prototype of the radiator type in her hand and looks at it with a frown. Yes, I think that one is definitely easier to make. In fact, if it is not a one-piece machine or if the conductors are in direct contact with each other, I think the radiator type would be more suitable for mass production.


    ¡°So, what do you think? Does it gather magic power?¡±


    ¡°Wait a minute.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell right away. I need to concentrate.¡±


    The two of them, holding Prototype 1 and Prototype 2 in their hands, respectively, shut their eyes and began to do something like meditating.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ It seems to be certainly efficient?¡±


    ¡°Excellent for its size.¡±


    The two changed the prototype, meditated again, changed it again, meditated again, and so on, checking the operation of the prototype.


    ¡°The prototype is excellent for its easily portable size?¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s quite amazing that it¡¯s this big and performs as well as a staff that emphasizes efficiency in collecting magic power.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, indeed. It¡¯s a little useful item.¡±


    ¡°I see. Well, let¡¯s keep going.¡±


    This time, I made something about the size of a handful and put it on the desk. The reason why I don¡¯t hand it to them directly is that it is made of all metal, so it has a certain weight to it. Of course, it is not so heavy that you can¡¯t carry it.


    ¡°Well, could it be?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, the bigger it is, the more efficient it will be, and we¡¯ll figure out how big it can be. With human power.¡±


    ¡°¡­This is going to break my bones.¡±


    As a result of the verification, we have found that the maximum size of a very basic mana trap that can improve its performance is a cube about 1.5 meters on a side, and it turns out the radiator type is more efficient the larger it is.


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m tired.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are we done?¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, thanks for your help.¡±


    Since Isla and Iphrita, who had been forced to meditate for the purpose of collecting magic power many times, were exhausted, I offered them baked apples and tea. Baked apples are sweet, tasty, and easy to make, with only apples as ingredients, so I keep a large stock of baked apples in stock. I can also make apple pies and fruitcakes from baked apples, so they are actually an intermediate ingredient for sweets.


    ¡°Now that we have a rough idea of the size, let¡¯s see if the density of the internal fins and the thinness of the fins affect the efficiency.¡±


    The two shuddered at my words and stopped eating their baked apples. They turned their heads toward me so awkwardly that I could almost hear ¡®gigigi¡¯ from them¡­ Yeah, there¡¯s no light in their eyes, both of them.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t go into too much detail. We¡¯ve already found the optimum size, after all.


    Well, this experiment is also based on the assumption that the two have a constant or even identical ability to collect magic power, so it can only be used as a guideline. I¡¯m not a scientist accustomed to experimentation, and to be honest, I don¡¯t really know what an efficient experimental method is. I feel like I¡¯m pretty clueless.


    And I¡¯m not even sure if this size is really optimal for what¡¯s to come. I don¡¯t even know if the magic-gathering ability that Isla and Iphrita have is the same as the magic-gathering ability of the magic collector that we are planning to develop. Well, amateurs will have to repeat the experiment in their own way.


    And to begin with, this radiator type is not necessarily the best solution. There is a possibility that the reading that the surface area may be related to the collector may be off the mark, and there is also a possibility that a different form that has not been tested so far may be more efficient. A parabolic antenna, or that¡­ I don¡¯t know the name of it, but it looks like a TV antenna shaped like a fish bone that is placed on the roof might be more efficient in absorbing magic power.


    ¡°I guess basic research is important.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, there¡¯s no doubt about that.¡±


    ¡°Right. The development of magic and techniques has gradually progressed through the accumulation of simple research¡­ I hope something new will be created by applying Kosuke¡¯s knowledge and technology from the other world.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s do our best in our own way. Therefore, after you finish eating, please continue to work with me.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yeah.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    I must do some kind of service to the two people who are fed up with the tedious and tiring work but are willing to go along with it. I¡¯ll ask for their requests later and make them whatever they want for dinner.

 CH 307

    Chapter 307 ¨C Difficult Mana Trap Development


    The results of the experiment showed that there was no problem, even if the fin was very thin. The mithril silver alloy could be one or two millimeters thick or even so thin that it could be torn by hand like aluminum foil, and there would still be no difference in the efficiency of magic collection.


    ¡°It is good to know, but it is not so good for practical use.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. The physical durability is too low to be of any practical use.¡±


    ¡°Right. Well, even so, it¡¯s not a problem when used as a component of mana traps like this.¡±


    If the drop is the same, no matter how thin the material is, the thinner it is, the cheaper the cost of the material can be. The problem is the technology required for processing. It would be impossible to make it so thin and flimsy by hitting it with a hammer. Ah, no, but the gold leaf is finally put between tanned leather or something and beaten with a mallet, right¡­? I think I saw something like that on TV once.


    ¡°Well then, let¡¯s call the next one a developmental type, so let¡¯s make an automatic collection device using the technique.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I¡¯ll give it a try.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s going to be that easy, though¡­¡±


    In contrast to Isla, who is very motivated, Iphrita is a bit negative from the beginning. You can¡¯t start anything until you try.


    However, as Iphrita said, this was a very difficult task.


    We picked up some of the typical drain-type magic formulas and also picked up other magic that removes the target¡¯s magic resistance and gives it abnormal conditions. I tried removing and modifying the formulas for removing the target¡¯s magic resistance from the common items in the formulas and for specifying the target, but I couldn¡¯t get it to work.


    ¡°It¡¯s not as simple as it seems.¡±


    ¡°Unlike the wind magic at that time, it is a far more complicated technique.¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t be that easy.¡±


    The three of us were at a loss. In the end, we would like to apply the drainage technique somehow, but it might be better to consider a different approach.


    While it¡¯s important to stick to the original plan, it¡¯s also not good to get too hung up on the initial concept that stops you in your tracks. Since we have just started, it won¡¯t hurt too much to change the direction of our research.


    ¡°Let¡¯s consider another approach.¡±


    ¡°Another approach?¡±


    ¡°Stop focusing on drainage magic. The goal is to extract magic from the atmosphere and turn it into usable energy, so if we can achieve that goal, I don¡¯t think we need to be concerned about drain magic.¡±


    ¡°I see. That¡¯s certainly true.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ but what do you want to do?¡±


    Isla tilted her head. Sure, it¡¯s good to stop obsessing over draining magic, but without the next guiding principle, it would be a setback to the plan.


    ¡°Can you think of any magic that restores or temporarily gathers magic power?¡±


    ¡°There is no magic that restores magic power, you know.¡±


    ¡°I have no idea either.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no, huh? Speaking of which, how do you refill the magic crystal stone with magic power?¡±


    ¡°You hold it directly in your hand and put magic into it.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Release magic power.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ That means you can also suck the magic out of the magic crystal stone, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°So, humans¡­ or rather mages, have some sort of organ in their bodies that can absorb and emit magic power.¡±


    The same as the lungs that breathe in and out of the air, they probably have what I would call a magic organ that inhales and exhales magic power. For some reason, the two of them caught my gaze, and took a step back.


    ¡°No dissection, ever.¡±


    ¡°No human experimentation. It¡¯s forbidden. It¡¯s forbidden.¡±


    ¡°What do you people think I am¡­ or rather Isla? Didn¡¯t you try to dissect me when we first met?¡±


    ¡°That was a mage joke.¡±


    After saying that, Isla turned her gaze away from me with a twitch.


    ¡°Haha, a mage joke, huh? Well then, may I also suggest a mage institution with a living mage at its core as a joke?¡±


    ¡°Sorry.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    Since she apologized sincerely, I forgave her. In the back of my mind, the image of Isla running and frantically spinning the hamster spinning thing was passing through my mind, but I decided not to do it. I can only see a future where she falls down, and the whole wheel spins.


    ¡°There are two things to do: manipulate magic power and magic tools related to magic power. I¡¯d like you to look into any technology that could be used to store and replenish magic power, such as magic stones or tools to fill magic crystals with magic power or any other magic tools that store and replenish magic power. I¡¯ll use my knowledge of my former world and crafting abilities to try and perfect the mana trap.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, okay.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    ¡°So I¡¯m developing something called a mana trap.¡±


    ¡°I see. You mean to tell me you¡¯re not just dawdling with the harpies or simply flirting with other women.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s very aggressive.¡±


    ¡°Eleonora-sama is very lonely.¡±


    Amalie-san stops mending and giggles.


    After taking a break from magic lessons with Isla and Iphrita and mana trap development, I made my way to Ellen and Amalie-san¡¯s room, which is prepared at the back of the castle. So that¡¯s how we were talking about doing this today.


    ¡°Recently, Kosuke only shows your face a little in the morning and in the evening, but you don¡¯t give me much attention.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve really been a little busy lately. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Mm¡­ I¡¯m not trying to annoy you¡­¡±


    When I apologized, Ellen¡¯s momentum suddenly disappeared. I wonder if she is somewhat mentally unstable. She has a baby in her belly, right? Is that natural?


    ¡°Eleonora-sama just wants Kosuke-san to take care of her. She has no bad intentions, so please forgive her.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to forgive. I¡¯m sorry, Ellen. I should be more considerate.¡±


    ¡°Mm¡­ you don¡¯t have to apologize.¡±


    Then Ellen squeezed my hand and put it on her own cheek. I don¡¯t know what it is, but I wonder if this calms her down.


    ¡°Well, Kosuke hasn¡¯t touched me much since I¡­ became pregnant, has he?¡±


    Then Ellen looked up at me with her crimson eyes as she laid her cheek on my hand.


    ¡°Y-yes¡­ No, I¡¯m just worried about the baby if I touch you too much, isn¡¯t that right?¡±


    ¡°Neither my body nor the baby is so fragile that a little skinship will do anything to it.¡±


    Before I knew it, Amalie-san had moved in next to me so that she was in close proximity. With Ellen on my left and Amalie-san on my right, I was completely surrounded.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to have some skinship like a married couple.¡±


    ¡°Since this tea table is too much, how about we move to the soft sofa over there?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    After this, we had a lot of skinship. Specifically, I lay on Ellen¡¯s lap and cuddled on Amalie-san¡¯s chest.


    ¡°I¡¯m here too, you know?¡±


    While we were doing this, Bertha, who was waiting in the room as a caretaker for the two of them, got mad. With Bertha-san joining us, I was spoiled and pampered to the core.

 CH 308

    Chapter 308 ¨C Provocation


    ¡°From what I hear, you had a lot of fun with the saint and the others after that, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°We were working on a project Kosuke had assigned us.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m willing to admit that we were having fun. But I¡¯ve heard some things that might be useful in the development of the mana traps.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    The next day, when I visited Iphrita¡¯s private office again to proceed with the development of mana traps again, the two of them gave me a cold stare. Certainly, I¡¯ve had enough skinship, but there is nothing obscene about it. In fact, it¡¯s healthy. But yeah. I¡¯ll just say one thing: boobs are the best. I¡¯ll refrain from commenting on Isla and Iphrita¡¯s chest in their honor, though


    ¡°You know about the Adolian cathedral, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I know. There¡¯s one in every town.¡±


    ¡°Before I knew it, there was a big one right here in Merinesburg.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s that cathedral. It is said that miracles of healing are more effective in the cathedral, and the clergy¡¯s magic power is restored faster.¡±


    Isla¡¯s eye widened at my words, and Iphrita¡¯s long, pointed ears twitched.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s limited to clergy, but it¡¯s interesting to know that it speeds up the recovery of magic power, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Indeed. I¡¯ve never been near an Adolian cathedral, after all.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the home of the subhuman oppressors, isn¡¯t it? But if we can analyze the cathedral¡¯s effect of restoring magic, it might give us a clue to the magic gathering system.¡±


    Isla and Iphrita nodded their heads in interest. A magic power gathering system, huh? Apparently, Iphrita decided to call the mana trap that. It is certainly a straightforward and easy-to-understand name, isn¡¯t it?


    ¡°But what are you going to do? Do you want to visit?¡±


    ¡°Kosuke may be fine, but I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll get into trouble if we go.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I told Ellen and the others yesterday and had them talk to the high priest Caterina about it. If we go there now, the morning service will already be over, and there should be some free time.¡±


    ¡°Kosuke, I¡¯m ready.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good. Shall we head out then?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s do it.¡±


    We headed to the drop-off point where the carriages were prepared. It was the first time the three of us had ever gone out together¡­ I thought, but when we got into the carriage for the pick-up, a problem arose.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you should do that.¡±


    ¡°Me and Kosuke are like husband and wife. There shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡±


    I was about to start pampering Isla to the fullest by sitting down next to her and put her head on my lap when Iphrita made a comment. I was naturally stroking and rubbing Isla¡¯s silky hair and plump cheeks as she lay on my lap, so I had no questions about the situation until Iphrita¡¯s comment. Habituation is a scary thing!


    ¡°This cat mode is only allowed to me because we are as close as husband and wife. Iphrita-sama doesn¡¯t have that kind of relationship with him, so it¡¯s not allowed.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I want to do the same thing to you or anything. It¡¯s a matter of modesty.¡±


    ¡°It is natural for us, who are like husband and wife, to bond with each other in this way. It¡¯s not like we¡¯re in a carriage in public. It¡¯s appropriate.¡±


    ¡°You know I am here, too, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°???¡±


    Iphrita¡¯s anger gradually increased as Isla looked at her with a ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that?¡± Why are you suddenly provoking Iphrita here, Isla-san? Only Iphrita¡¯s mouth is smiling, and it¡¯s incredibly scary. Her eyes are not smiling completely, but only her mouth is smiling, and it¡¯s really scary. It shows that a smile is essentially an aggressive expression. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s true or not, but it¡¯s scary anyway.


    ¡°Are you jealous?¡±


    ¡°Wha¡­? I didn¡¯t say anything like that!¡±


    Gaoo! Iphrita roared. But Isla didn¡¯t seem particularly frightened and grabbed my hand, which had stopped patting her head with both of hers, brought it to her cheek, and started rubbing her cheek against it.


    ¡°Um, Isla-san?¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°Uh, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    Isla¡¯s sudden and violent behavior (?) raises a genuine question. I really think it¡¯s too abrupt.


    ¡°I simply want to be spoiled. Also, I¡¯m provoking the simmering Iphrita-sama.¡±


    ¡°Nnnn¡­!¡±


    Iphrita, who was clearly declared to be provoked, gets angry. No, isn¡¯t that exactly what Isla wants her to do?


    ¡°Kuh¡­!¡±


    Perhaps noticing this, Iphrita dropped her hips, which had almost floated off the seat, back onto the seat, and turned away with a grim expression on her face. However, her sharp pointed bamboo ears, characteristic of elves, were bright red.


    Ehh¡­ no, I thought it was thinly disguised, but that¡¯s what you mean? I wonder, is there some kind of weird pheromone coming out of my body? No, it¡¯s not the first time it¡¯s happened, though.


    ¡°Um¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut up! Don¡¯t talk!¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t do anything but shut up when she pointed her finger at me with a bright red face and told me so. As she watched this situation from my lap, only Isla¡¯s mouth was loose and smiling. I thought, ¡°I¡¯ll give her a little punishment,¡± and when I tried to lightly pinch her cheek, she snapped my finger into her mouth. Stop it! Stop it! Don¡¯t suck my fingers so hard!


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    ¡°C-come on! We¡¯re at the cathedral! Let¡¯s take a good look around!¡±


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s check it out.¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    Isla was in her usual mood, but Iphrita was in a very bad mood.


    ¡°Is something wrong?¡±


    ¡°No, nothing at all.¡±


    High Priestess Caterina, who greeted me, gave me a quizzical look, and I involuntarily straightened my back to answer. High Priestess Caterina is a bit of a strict lady, and I¡¯m not really good with her. She doesn¡¯t seem to like the fact that I have a relationship with Ellen while also having relationships with Sylphy and other women, and I feel that she is subtly hard on me, or rather, she seems to be harsh in her dealings.


    I don¡¯t think that¡¯s actually the case, but it might just be because I feel guilty about it.


    ¡°How are you and Eleonora-sama getting along?¡±


    ¡°Well, we spent a relaxing day together yesterday. She seems to be in good physical condition, and the child in her belly is doing well.¡±


    ¡°Well, that is very good. I wonder if it would be a good idea to take another woman to the holy cathedral for a visit the next day.¡±


    ¡°A-ahahaha¡­ This is an academic survey to promote important research that will support the future development of the country. They are both very talented mages.¡±


    ¡°I know that.¡±


    With a crisp remark, High Priestess Caterina turns on her heel.


    ¡°Come in; I¡¯ll show you around.¡±


    ¡°Thank you very much. Come on, you two, let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yeah.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t worried about Isla, but I was relieved that Iphrita nodded her head. I was seriously worried about what I would do if she got angry here. If the two of them started a lover¡¯s quarrel in front of High Priestess Caterina, I would surely be lectured by her.


    I prayed that everything would end without incident as I stepped into the Adolian cathedral.

 CH 309

    Chapter 309 ¨C Cathedral Survey


    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s majestic.¡±


    Entering the cathedral, Isla and Iphrita looked up at the extremely high ceilings, exquisite carvings, and stained glass windows, and both expressed their positive impressions.


    ¡°Indeed. But do you have any specific thoughts about it?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, well, maybe I do. But that¡¯s not the same thing. Beautiful things are beautiful.¡±


    ¡°Right. When I think of how much blood, sweat, and tears our people shed to build this cathedral, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t have feelings, but I respect the craftsmanship that made this building a reality.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    I can¡¯t help but think about it, but the beauty of this cathedral is a different story. Well, I¡¯m talking about the two of them, and I¡¯m sure there are some people who don¡¯t like the existence of this cathedral itself. In fact, there are no subhumans in the cathedral. They probably don¡¯t even come close to the cathedral.


    On the contrary, people who seem to be human adherents are sparsely seen. They seem to be watching us. Why are subhumans here? They may be wondering that.


    ¡°So, what do you think? Can you find out anything?¡±


    ¡°There is less mana inside the cathedral than outside.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. This is strange since we were told that it would speed up the recovery of magic.¡±


    The two of them are holding out something like a ball of light the size of a clenched fist in their hands and holding it up all over the place. I remember Isla did something similar before when she was exploring underground ruins. It must be the so-called magic of sensing magic power.


    ¡°Thin, huh? I don¡¯t understand anything at all.¡±


    ¡°Because Kosuke doesn¡¯t have any magic power.¡±


    ¡°And even if I say it¡¯s thin, you can hardly tell unless you use magic to sense it. It¡¯s like the air is clearer or something.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    The air feels clearer when the mana is thinner. So, if the mana is excessively dense, the air feels sluggish? I haven¡¯t heard that kind of thing mentioned in rear bases with vein holes, though.


    ¡°There are magic reactions on some of the walls and pillars.¡±


    ¡°The metal used for decoration. Could it be mithril?¡±


    Isla and Iphrita are paying attention to the decorations, and I take a peek from behind them. I could not see clearly, but it seemed to be some kind of alloyed metal containing mithril. Is it an alloy of mithril and gold?


    ¡°It¡¯s plated, but is it a mithril-gold alloy?¡±


    ¡°Maybe, but this is some kind of magic circuit.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, maybe so. Maybe the effect is a diffusion of mana. You could call it purification.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not collecting magic; it¡¯s diffusing it. What does that mean?¡±


    The three of us tilted our heads together. High Priestess Caterina was staring at us with a blank expression. She seemed to be a very kind person, even though she seemed to be difficult to deal with.


    ¡°High Priestess Caterina. Inside this cathedral, the effects of miracles and the healing power of injuries and illnesses are amplified, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it does. I heard that you also benefited from it.¡±


    ¡°Apparently so. I was stabbed in the liver with a dagger coated with basilisk venom, but I survived.¡±


    ¡°Eh? Wait a minute. I¡¯ve never heard of this before?¡±


    ¡°I see. That¡¯s what happened.¡±


    ¡°No, why are you still alive? Basilisk poison is so poisonous that even dragons can be overturned in some cases. What¡¯s your life force like?¡±


    ¡°Maybe a little more robust than most people.¡±


    Just a little, though. If it weren¡¯t for that little bit, I would probably have died of kidney failure before the basilisk poison dagger, so I can¡¯t help but be a little grateful to that delightful criminal for giving me this little bit of sturdiness.


    ¡°I think I just realized that Kosuke is the most unusual thing I¡¯ve ever seen.¡±


    ¡°Most people would have died instantly. His life force is as strong as a dragon¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you use his blood as an ingredient for magic potions? It could be as potent as dragon¡¯s blood.¡±


    ¡°I would appreciate it if you would refrain from talking so loudly in the sacred cathedral about such potentially humane matters.¡±


    Good, High Priestess Caterina, say more about it. Isla and others sometimes use me as a laboratory animal. I don¡¯t want you to conduct clinical trials of dubious drugs without my consent just because I¡¯m robust.


    After that, High Priestess Caterina led us around the cathedral, and finally, we were taken to a place called the Meditation Room. This is a place used by miracle workers of a certain level of ability to practice miracles and perform high-level miracles, and it is not a place that outsiders are normally allowed to enter, apparently.


    ¡°The mana is so thick.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s not ordinary mana. It is very light.¡±


    The magic detection ball floating in their hands was reacting intensely. The mana in the meditation room and the surrounding rooms at the back of the cathedral seemed to be very thick, and the closer they got to the meditation room, the stronger the detection magic was reacting. It seems that the reaction was at its peak here.


    ¡°A strong magic reaction is coming from the glowing cross.¡±


    ¡°This is made of mithril. It¡¯s as if the magic of the entire cathedral is concentrated here.¡±


    As I listened to the two, I also considered the mechanism of this cathedral in my own way.


    The cathedral is probably a kind of magic power concentration facility. However, its structure is by no means simple. In the main hall of the cathedral, which is the largest space, a magic circuit that diffuses and purifies the magic of the space is in operation, so the density of mana is rather lower than in ordinary space. And only the important compartments¨Dthat is, this meditation room and the surrounding rooms¨Dhave a density of mana that is unthinkable under normal circumstances. The room where I was once nursed by Ellen and others seems to be in the immediate vicinity of this meditation room.


    ¡°It is not a magic tool.¡±


    ¡°Right, I don¡¯t see anything that corresponds to a magic circuit. It¡¯s just a plain mithril glowing cross.¡±


    Isla and Iphrita, who were examining the glowing cross¨Dthe Holy Symbol of the Adol religion¨Dwhich is said to radiate dense mana, began to roar in agreement.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to spark something¡­¡±


    A large space that is intentionally diffusing mana and thinning it out is what caught my attention. Basically, energy and things like that try to maintain equilibrium. Just like hot water will eventually lose its heat and reach room temperature if left untouched. Just as the ice melts and becomes water. If mana is artificially diluted, it will flow in from the surroundings to maintain equilibrium.


    In other words, by artificially diffusing and diluting the mana in the atmosphere¨Din this case, in the cathedral ¨C isn¡¯t mana being drawn in from the cathedral¡¯s surroundings? It may be that they capture it by using mithril alloys with high magic conductivity and form a circuit by utilizing the high and low magic conductivity of pure mithril and mithril alloys to collect mana between these meditations.


    In other words, the glowing cross that radiates magic power between these meditations may be the end of the circuit composed of the entire cathedral, or rather, the output destination of the mana collected.


    ¡°I just came up with a hypothesis.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, let¡¯s hear it.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s hear it.¡±


    The two people who had been racking their brains were now groaning when they heard the hypothesis I had just come up with.


    ¡°I can¡¯t say it¡¯s impossible. I¡¯ve never heard of such a large-scale magic circuit.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to talk to the craftsmen who built the Adolian cathedrals.¡±


    Iphrita looked at High Priestess Caterina, but High Priestess Caterina shook her head with a stern expression on her face.


    ¡°Aside from small churches, the only craftsmen who could build such a large cathedral are in the home country. Considering the current relationship between this country and the Holy Kingdom, it would be difficult to invite them.¡±


    ¡°Mmm.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you at least get the blueprints for the cathedral?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know much about it myself, but I think it would be difficult. I will do my best to get it, but please don¡¯t get your hopes up.¡±


    ¡°Please do something about it.¡±


    I bowed my head and expressed my gratitude since she said she would do her best to help. It is important to show gratitude in words and attitude at times like this.


    ¡°I wonder if Kosuke can take apart the cathedral and examine it?¡±


    ¡°There is a possibility that it can be done, but if the cathedral is adversely affected by it, it would be unthinkable. If the entire cathedral is operating as a single magic circuit, it is better not to do anything bad. And above all, it would be a bit of a problem to disassemble and examine even a part of the cathedral, which is the stronghold of the Adol religion.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s a big problem.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    Iphrita obediently nodded in agreement with my and Isla¡¯s opinion. Or rather, I¡¯m scared of high priestess Caterina, so please don¡¯t say anything. You see, the corners of her eyes are lifted. We have no intention of doing anything so outrageous, so please calm your anger.


    ¡°Anyway, I think we have a guideline. We¡¯ve learned how to use deviations in mana concentration, and we¡¯ve got a sample of a magic circuit that diffuses mana. Aren¡¯t those two great things?¡±


    ¡°I agree. We should be satisfied with that. All that remains is to repeat the experiment.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. I will transcribe the sample of the magic circuit.¡±


    This will help us make some progress in the development of the mana trap. We then proceeded to investigate the reaction of the mithril alloy running in the walls and pillars of the cathedral and the magic circuits that have the effect of spreading magic power, and left the cathedral after thanking High Priestess Caterina for taking the time to guide us through the process.

 CH 310

    Chapter 310 ¨C Family Gathering Where Work is Inevitably Talked About


    After returning from the cathedral, it was just enough time for lunch, so the three of us headed for the castle¡¯s dining room.


    ¡°You¡¯re home, huh?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m home.¡±


    ¡°Umu, welcome home.¡±


    ¡°Welcome home.¡±


    In the dining room, not only Sylphy but also Grande, Melty, and the oni girls were all there. The harpies don¡¯t use this dining room very often. They feel more at home in the dining room used by the soldiers and servants of the castle.


    ¡°Welcome home, Kosuke-sama.¡±


    ¡°Welcome back, Kosuke-kun.¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    Seraphita-san, Driada-san, and Aquawill-san are also there. Only Aquawill just glanced at me and didn¡¯t speak to me. I don¡¯t really have a friendly relationship with Aquawill-san, although she is not an enemy of mine.


    Well, I can¡¯t help but understand her feelings. I guess she must see me as some kind of a man who has been poisoning her family one after another. No, I hope she doesn¡¯t think that bad of me. I think she must think of me as a jerk who tears her family apart. Not that I¡¯m trying to be one.


    ¡°What did you accomplish?¡±


    ¡°We have found a direction. All that remains is to repeat the process of trial and error.¡±


    ¡°I see. Good luck with that.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to ask me for more details?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know anything about the technical details.¡±


    Saying so, Sylphy shrugged her shoulders. Well, Sylphy is rather good at moving her body, and she doesn¡¯t seem to have a clue about magic other than battle spirit magic, let alone other types of magic.


    ¡°The talk about how to utilize magic is important, but what about the Adventurers¡¯ Guild and the Merchants¡¯ Guild?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all left up to you. I don¡¯t see how meddling would do any good. But that¡¯s just an attempt to support adventurers, so it¡¯s not a very radical solution. I think the country has to do the drastic reform.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true, but we haven¡¯t gotten around to it¡­ Negotiations with the Holy Kingdom have been difficult as well.¡±


    ¡°Even so, I think the first priority is to settle the domestic issues. In the worst-case scenario, it¡¯s okay to break up a fight with the Holy Kingdom. If you want to talk about it, fine, then call it a war and kick them to the curb.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s such a mess¡­¡±


    While we are talking, the maids working at the castle are serving lunch to me and Isla, and the others. Incidentally, Grande and the oni girls are very quiet when talking about these topics. They are aware of what they are good at and what they are not so good at.


    ¡°I thought they were deliberately prolonging the negotiations so that we would be stuck in the middle of it. If they can hold the head of the Merinard kingdom in place at this point, they can weaken the Merinard Kingdom without having to take the trouble to make a move. If the odds are against them in a head-to-head fight, I think they will use this kind of countermeasure.¡±


    ¡°We have thought of that possibility, too¡­¡±


    Sylphy is silent, with a bitter expression on her face. Most likely, she¡¯s unwilling to actively use me as a force or a deterrent or something like that.


    ¡°I think we should use what we can. Sylphy is the queen, after all. To put personal feelings into it is¡­ well, as for me, of course, I¡¯m happy to be cared for, but that¡¯s that, and this is that. As much as I¡¯m happy to be cared for, I¡¯m equally happy to be depended on. As far as what I can do, you can count on me.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes, I understand. I understand that, Kosuke.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    I¡¯m happy to hear Sylphy¡¯s cheerful response. I¡¯m a father too. I can¡¯t stay in the back forever to protect my spouse and children. Of course, I¡¯m not about to go in for the long haul and get crushed.


    ¡°Suddenly, they started flirting.¡±


    ¡°Muh¡­ I¡¯m working hard with Sylphy, too.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s alright. Kosuke knows that I¡¯m the most dependable one.¡±


    ¡°And we¡¯re here, too.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been left behind lately.¡±


    Because of the place they¡¯re going to¡­ Putting aside the Merchant¡¯s Guild and the Adventurer¡¯s Guild, the cathedral is the size of a human being.¡±


    It¡¯s because I haven¡¯t taken them along as escorts when I go out to do things these days. Iphrita said that we were fine on our own in the previous case of the merchants¡¯ guild, and today¡¯s cathedral was a building designed only for humans, so it was difficult for the tall girls to escort us there. Well, Ellen¡¯s advice was to refrain from bringing the intimidating girls with us.


    ¡°¡­Mmm.¡±


    ¡°Ara? Are you jealous, Iphrita-chan?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like that.¡±


    ¡°Fufufu.¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    Seraphita-san and Driada-san are teasing Iphrita over there. Or rather, Aquawill-san¡¯s gaze that I saw is painful. I feel a frozen gaze poking into my cheek just by being looked at. It seems that she is an excellent water spirit magic user, and seriously, I¡¯m a little scared that her gaze seems to have physical power.


    ¡°Kosuke-san, do you have any strange ideas for me right away?¡±


    Melty comes at me with a sudden movement. If you¡¯re going to do something, you¡¯re going to do it right away, right? Well, it doesn¡¯t matter.


    ¡°I think you should recruit some people to help you settle the area. If there are no houses, land, or jobs, it would be a quick and easy way to get all of these things at the same time. And we can process the food as much as we produce it.¡±


    That¡¯s why we developed various kinds of preserved foods and canning technology.


    ¡°Are you talking about building a lot of pioneer villages? It is very difficult to cultivate a wilderness from scratch. Even fields have to be made from the soil, and it is hard work to clear forests and other areas for cultivation in the first place¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s Kosuke.¡±


    ¡°No, I can¡¯t do¡­ that?¡±


    When Isla prodded, Melty froze with her head tilted back.


    ¡°The air board will solve the travel time. The water source can be made with infinite water sources, so there is no need to be tied to a water source when setting up a pioneer village. As long as I have the materials, I can prepare a house in an instant. If it is just a normal field, I can just plow it with my mithril tool.¡±


    ¡°Kosuke can build many villages in a month as long as you can get people to come and live in them.¡±


    ¡°Maybe we could recruit people on the basis of a three-year tax incentive for the first year¡¯s aid.¡±


    Driada-san followed up on what Isla and I had said and gave us some in-depth advice.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s pretty much impossible to ask inexperienced people to plow the fields for the first time.¡±


    ¡°It would be better to recruit leaders from the farming villages or to select experienced farmers from among the pioneers as leaders.¡±


    ¡°Well, there are probably not a few people who have experience among those who were forced to work as slaves.¡±


    The oni girls also have their own opinions. I think it¡¯s a good trend that once opinions start coming out, they come out more and more. Although there are a lot of layman¡¯s opinions, there may be some that are right on the money. I guess it will be Melty and her subordinates who will actually do the actual work, but I guess they can be used as a reference.


    ¡°So, I¡¯m willing to help you in any way I can, whether it¡¯s war or pioneering, so don¡¯t hesitate to ask.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I understand. I¡¯ll rely on you.¡±


    ¡°Since Kosuke-san initiated this, please don¡¯t run away from it.¡±


    ¡°Please be gentle with me.¡±


    I returned Melty¡¯s words with a straight face. I¡¯m asking you not to overwork me. I¡¯m really asking you!

 CH 311

    Chapter 311 ¨C Back Room Meeting


    There is a word, ¡®productivity.¡¯


    Just hearing this word makes my brow wrinkle, and a bitter feeling wells up in my chest, but to put up with that and give a simple explanation of the word itself, it is about how much value can be created with less labor and materials.


    In today¡¯s harsh world, it is not a word that conjures up a good image, as it is used as an indicator for cutting off heads¨Da figurative expression, of course¨Dbut, to put it simply, it is a word that originally indicates such a relationship between resources and returns.


    ¡°I still think it¡¯s best to have him fly around to prepare the pioneer land.


    ¡°That would be reasonable.¡±


    Sylphy makes a suggestion about my treatment, and Isla agrees with it. Melty also nodded at the side. Well, these three know my abilities better than anyone else. It¡¯s not surprising.


    ¡°I suppose it¡¯s reasonable, but as for me, I don¡¯t want to agree.¡±


    It is Ellen, whose belly is getting bigger, who expresses her disagreement with the opinions of the three of them. Amalie-san and Bertha-san were quiet without any reaction, but I guess they basically had the same opinion as Ellen. They seem to think that it is not good to abuse my ability¨Dwhat they call the miracle of a saint¨Dso lightly.


    ¡°But it¡¯s a job only Danna-san can do¡­¡±


    Pirna, a representative of the harpies, is reluctantly in favor of the project. However, the children are gradually growing up, and they are also attached to me. I think she really wants me to stay close to them if possible.


    ¡°I have no problem with that, though, because I¡¯ll accompany him.¡±


    ¡°We will, too.¡±


    ¡°Well, I have no complaints either way.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do my duty anyway.¡±


    Grande and the oni girls are almost certain to accompany me as my bodyguards, so it doesn¡¯t matter which option they choose. If I go away, they will spend more time with me as a result, so there is no reason to oppose it. However, they are also neutral because it would be a cornerstone to affirm it positively.


    ¡°I also¡­¡±


    ¡°I have a lot of work for Mother to do here. You too, Dri-aneesama.¡±


    ¡°Boo.¡±


    It seemed that Seraphita-san and Driada-san were going to announce that they would go along with me, but they were quickly stopped by Sylphy. That¡¯s why Driada-san booing her.


    ¡°If we put Kosuke into the pioneering work, the pioneering work that fifty people have to do for several years will be finished in less than half a day. Kosuke¡¯s productivity is extremely violent.¡±


    ¡°Violence.¡±


    It¡¯s a terrible thing to be called.


    Well, it¡¯s true. If I wield my mithril tool, any wilderness or deep forest will be transformed into a farming village of reasonable size in half a day. And with an unlimited water supply, there would be no need to worry about water for domestic or agricultural use.


    ¡°The project to support adventurers through the Adventurers¡¯ Guild and the Merchants¡¯ Guild would proceed even without Kosuke¡¯s presence. Even if someone else takes over, it is a project that can be carried out. The magic power gathering system, if realized, would greatly develop the country, but it would require time for both basic research and actual operation. Even if Kosuke were to be involved in the development of such a system, it would take time. Furthermore, I heard that there are some technologies that need to be researched by Isla, Iphrita-aneesama, or the Research and Development Department. Then again, it would be best to have Kosuke open up more villages for the sake of domestic stability.¡±


    No one could deny Sylphy¡¯s words. Thus, at a meeting attended by Sylphy, the queen of the Merinard Kingdom, and other women, mostly women who had relations with me, it was decided where and how to operate this powerful pawn called me.


    Incidentally, there is a separate meeting to decide the national policy of the Merinard Kingdom. The women, as well as civil and military officials from each department, are invited to participate in the meeting, and Sylphy, the queen, makes the decision.


    This meeting is only to decide how to operate the strategic unit that is me and is ostensibly a meeting to decide on things in the queen¡¯s ¡°inner room.¡±


    Well, I have been rather open about my abilities, and this meeting itself will probably become a kind of foundation to support the power of Sylphy, the queen, in the future. I don¡¯t know if I should say it myself, but I¡¯m like a wildcard now in both military and domestic affairs, demonstrating abilities far beyond the norm in this world.


    ¡°Muu¡­¡±


    Ellen, who was having some maternity blues, was not happy, but it would be fine if I managed to follow up on that. All of the long-lived species will tolerate me giving some weight to Ellen and the harpies, who are the short-lived species.


    Of course, I have to follow up with the long-lived species to some extent. I¡¯ll swallow that to a certain extent because I¡¯ve been careless in messing around¨Dalthough I do feel like I¡¯m only getting eaten halfway by force. I¡¯m happy, too, after all.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    ¡°But a pioneering project is a big undertaking in its own right.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m not going to tell you that tomorrow you¡¯re going to fly out there and start clearing out the wilderness and forests.¡±


    An hour after the conclusion of my ¡°operation,¡± I was taking a bath in the daytime with Sylphy. We decided to make today, the day of the meeting, a ¡°day off,¡± so my time was divided into several hours, and we decided to do family service.


    Incidentally, this ¡°day off¡± is to be held over several days in rotation, and today is allocated to Sylphy, Ellen and the others, and the harpies. So the others are still going about their normal business. Especially, Melty is going to be busy with the large-scale development project that suddenly came up, and her turn will come the day after tomorrow, which is the last day of the project, and she will be in charge of the project for a longer period of time.


    ¡°There will be a selection of places to work, too.¡±


    ¡°If they have not already been selected, they need to be selected urgently, and if they have been selected but the information is out of date, they need to be re-examined. We also need to gather settlers.¡±


    When establishing a new village, it is necessary to consider access to existing villages and towns in the vicinity, as well as the creatures that inhabit the area, especially dangerous monsters. No matter how good the other conditions are, there is no point in developing a new village in a remote area where it is difficult to get to and from other villages.


    ¡°How luxurious it is to take a leisurely bath in the light of day.¡±


    ¡°And drink in moderation.¡±


    The temperature of the water in the large bathtub for royalty was lukewarm as if it had been intended from the beginning to take a long bath. Moreover, the temperature is maintained by the use of spirit magic.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll ask Kosuke to substitute for the alcohol.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, massage or whatever you want.¡±


    I made love to Sylphy in the bathtub from the light of day as Sylphy wished. These days, both Sylphy and I have been so busy that we haven¡¯t had much time for this kind of thing, so we should make a ¡°day off¡± like today and spend time like this on a regular basis.

 CH 312

    Chapter 312 ¨C Not Everything Goes Well


    When the family service was over, the delegation from the Holy Kingdom also returned to their country.


    ¡°In the end, things ended badly.¡±


    ¡°The return of the people taken away by the Holy Kingdom is an absolute condition for us. If they are dead or irreparably injured, we will ask them to pay compensation accordingly. This is non-negotiable.¡±


    Beside Sylphy, who said so with a discouraged look, Melty and Seraphita-san were making difficult faces.


    ¡°There was absolutely no sign of concession on their part either, so it can¡¯t be helped.¡±


    ¡°They have pride as a great power, you know.¡±


    ¡°After being beaten to a pulp like that, I don¡¯t see how they can have any pride now.¡±


    Everyone in the room, including Sylphy, nodded in agreement with my words. Well, I guess you could say that face is important when you are a nation. Moreover, the other party is the Holy Kingdom.


    ¡°And what about the treatment of the prisoners of war?¡±


    ¡°They are willing to pay a ransom for them. They will send an envoy with the ransom money at a later date.¡±


    ¡°I see. But no truce, huh?¡±


    Will that delay the development of the new land, you ask? No, the magic rifle is getting ready to be mass-produced, and I have overheard that the people who have gained actual battle experience in the northern war have begun to train magic rifle squads as an instructional unit. Unless something happens, I will not be attached to the Eastern front against the Holy Kingdom, I think.


    The North has settled down, and the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom is keeping an eye on the western countries. The south is almost our territory, and the Kingdom of Merinard is ready to focus on the front against the Holy Kingdom in the east.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think they will make a move anytime soon. They will not want to fight us again without any countermeasures.¡±


    ¡°So you want to take advantage of that?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s one way to go¡­¡±


    Sylphy crossed her arms, looked up at the ceiling, and pondered for a moment.


    ¡°I¡¯ll wait and see how it goes for three months. It will take time to deploy and train the entire Merinard Royal Army with magic rifles, and right now, we have an urgent need to take measures against the liberated subhuman slaves in the country. Besides, the other side may change their attitude after seeing the results this time.


    ¡°I see. Then, I have to somehow settle the matter of the pioneer village before then.¡±


    ¡°I have already sent a messenger to the various regions to quickly select a pioneer village. As soon as the information is available, I will ask Kosuke-san to go on this business trip.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m ready to go. I would like to go to the nearby area at some point to do some collecting. It would be better to prepare a lot of materials.¡±


    ¡°Right, let¡¯s adjust the schedule.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that sounds good.¡±


    While I was talking about collecting, Seraphita-san approached me from the side.


    ¡°Speaking of collecting, I would like you to take Aqua with you. Is that okay?¡±


    Seraphita-san tilted her head. I¡¯m glad to see that you¡¯ve become so open these days, Seraphita-san.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind that, but why?¡±


    Aquawill-san clearly harbors a grudge against me, so I don¡¯t think we need to go out of our way to work together. Ah, no, maybe that¡¯s why she wants us to work together and get along with each other.


    ¡°I want her to see Kosuke-san as he is.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind, but¡­¡±


    I glanced at Sylphy, and she nodded with a wry smile.


    ¡°It must be depressing to be cooped up in a castle, so it¡¯s good to get out once in a while. And with Kosuke, there would be no danger.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t there another danger?¡±


    ¡°If it comes to that, I¡¯ll think about it when it happens.¡±


    Sylphy shrugs at Melty¡¯s quip, saying so. No, I don¡¯t want you to talk about people as if they¡¯re unprincipled¡­ Well, I can¡¯t deny that strongly, considering the current situation. I admit I¡¯m easy to get carried away. The only one who has been proactive is Ellen¡­ or is it enough? It¡¯s enough. Yeah. Well, in terms of chastity in this world, or rather, in terms of marriage, I¡¯m probably the heretic.


    ¡°Kosuke is making his usual face again.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to get used to.¡±


    ¡°The values that have been imprinted on us since we were born don¡¯t change that easily.¡±


    Isla, who has remained silent until now, joins the conversation between Sylphy and Melty. Unless it is a topic related to magic, she doesn¡¯t open her mouth at all in this kind of situation. I wonder if she¡¯s making a clear distinction between what she¡¯s in charge of and where she¡¯s not.


    ¡°If that happens, we¡¯ll all be a family.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been feeling a little overweight in my responsibilities lately, so I hope you will give me a break.¡±


    This is undeniably my true intention. Even if it doesn¡¯t go that far, it¡¯s enough to at least get Aquawill-san to open up to me and treat me normally. I¡¯m almost completely her enemy right now.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    So, the meeting was over, and I was walking alone in the hallway of the castle, thinking that I would proceed with my research on mana traps for today.


    ¡°Nyurun!¡±


    Ahead of me, Lime sprang up in the literal sense. Did she come out from the gap between the stones? You guys spring up from places where it looks like there are hardly any gaps, don¡¯t you?


    While I was thinking about this, I heard a loud ¡°splash¡± from behind me. I turned around to see what it was, and there it was, spreading out in a bubbling green mucus that was gradually taking on a human shape. It was Poizo.


    Before I had time to think about it, a door to my immediate left opened.


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡°¡­Hi.¡±


    The one who came out of the door and gazed at me was a woman with a shiny, red, jelly-like body¨Din other words, Beth. When both Lime and Poizo show up, it is to be expected that Beth will show up as well.


    But what is this atmosphere of the three of them? Aside from Lime¡­ who is always smiling even now, Beth and Poizo give off a subtly disconcerting or sulky vibe.


    ¡°Kosuke?¡±


    ¡°Hmm? What is it?¡±


    ¡°We are?¡±


    Lime says with a smile, tilting her head. We are? Yeah? What do you mean?


    ¡°You¡¯ve been taking it slow with the rest of us, and you¡¯re ignoring us?¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°This is the guy who totally doesn¡¯t count us, isn¡¯t it¡­?¡±


    Beth¡¯s question caught me by surprise. Poizo pointed out that reaction to me.


    No, I mean. Eh? Well, it¡¯s true that you guys did get that feeling, but it was mostly predation!


    ¡°What about us?¡±


    Lime, who had been right in front of me before I knew it, looked up at me with a grin. I noticed that Beth and Poizo were also close by. I could already touch them without having to reach out my hand.


    ¡°Um¡­¡±


    I turned my head to look for someone to help me, and just as I did, Melty came around the corner. Here she comes! Melty¡¯s here! We¡¯re going to win this!


    ¡°Mel¨D¡±


    ¡°Oh, please take your time.¡±


    Melty smiled as she said this and walked right past us. This is the one we¡¯ve already talked about, right?


    I¡¯m screwed¡­ it¡¯s over¡­! There¡¯s no way I can escape this situation¡­!


    ¡°Of course, I haven¡¯t forgotten about Lime and the others. I am always grateful to you.¡±


    I said, and the three of them put their hands tightly on my cheeks and neck. What the hell is going on?


    ¡°No lie.¡±


    ¡°Not guilty.¡±


    ¡°I see-nanodesu.¡±


    This can¡¯t be a true or false judgment¡­? Eh, scary. Can you judge if it¡¯s true or false just by touching one? Scary.


    ¡°It¡¯s not scary, you know?¡±


    ¡°Your heart is in turmoil.¡±


    ¡°People sweat when they¡¯re scared or impatient, right-nodesu?¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay, I get it. It¡¯s my fault. I surrender totally. So let¡¯s stop saying such scary things. Yes, stop.¡±


    Perhaps my surrender with both hands raised lowered their spirits, and all three of them stopped putting their hands on my cheeks and neck.


    It is true that compared to the others, I was a bit neglectful in my response to them. I thought that although all three of them adored me, they thought of me more as a playmate or an object of predation.


    Despite my thoughts, the distance between us has grown even closer¡­ and we are already in close proximity. They are pressing on me from three directions. Yes. I won¡¯t say what it is.


    ¡°Then, it¡¯s our turn.¡±


    ¡°Prepare yourself, okay?¡±


    ¡°See how serious we are-nanodesu.¡±


    ¡°Gently, please do it gently. Not to be undone or anything like that. Hey, are you listening to me? What¡¯s your answer?¡±


    Beth dragged me into the room from which she had just emerged. Inside the room was a staircase that seemed to lead to the basement. Oh, this is a bad idea. This is definitely a bad idea.


    ¡°Hey, wait, wait, wait, promise me, time up! Stop! Noooo! Somebody help me!¡±


    My cries were in vain as the door to the room slammed shut behind me with tentacles made of blue slime.

 CH 313

    Chapter 313 ¨C Sweet Slimes and Tough Anee-sama


    As it turned out, the hospitality (?) of Lime and the others were very amicable.


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    My whole body was wrapped in the moderately warm Lime¡¯s body, and every corner of my body was rubbed and relaxed. The massage is like being massaged in a hot spring bath by the hot spring water itself.


    ¡°Does it feel good?¡±


    ¡°Very good¡­¡±


    When I was first stripped naked, I thought I was done for. The first time I was wrapped up in Poizo and my skin started to tingle, I was terrified that I was going to be preyed upon. After all, Poizo could dissolve all the dirt and grime on the surface of my body. Wasn¡¯t it dangerous if she made a mistake? I asked her.


    ¡°I practiced a lot to get it just right, you know-nodesu?¡±


    That¡¯s what she said. I was too scared to ask her what she practiced with and how she practiced, and what would happen if she made a mistake, so I didn¡¯t ask her for details. I¡¯ve seen these three girls digest and absorb a chunk of Gizma¡¯s flesh in the blink of an eye many times, after all.


    After that, Beth took over and gave me a full-body oil massage, and here I am.


    What¡¯s my state of mind right now, you ask? Lime has taken everything from my neck down, yes. And my head is completely enclosed by Lime¡¯s cleavage. It¡¯s very comfortable¡­ Well, since Lime, which is an irregularly shaped slime, basically has no concept of breasts or buttocks, this is a fake breast that¡¯s holding my head.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ huh? What do you mean by okay?¡±


    ¡°Doing impossible things?¡±


    Lime looked into my face worriedly.


    ¡°Kosuke is not from this world, so you don¡¯t have to work so hard, you know?¡±


    ¡°Ah, that kind of¡­ well, I¡¯m not really pushing myself, and I have fun every day. I¡¯ve got a baby with the harpies, and Ellen and Amalie-san will probably deliver in the fall. I need to settle things for the sake of my children.¡±


    I want the children who will be born to live in a peaceful, safe, and convenient world. Working hard for that purpose is not at all hard; in fact, it feels rewarding. I don¡¯t want to work too hard for the grandiose goal of world peace, but I will do what I can for my children to be born in the future.


    ¡°Uh¡­¡±


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Lime¡¯s hand starts kneading my cheek. It seems that something is not to her liking.


    ¡°If you¡¯re sick of everything, you can run away here with us. We will protect you from everything in this world. It would be nice to live a carefree life with just us and Kosuke again like we did back then.¡±


    ¡°Nngh.¡±


    Even Beth is pushing up my nose with her fingertips as she says this. Why is she making my nose look like a pig?


    ¡°I¡¯m not as sweet as the two of them. Since you have done so many things, Kosuke should be the one to take responsibility for it and take care of it all. But when you are tired, you can come here and take a rest. I can shelter you for a little while-nodesu.¡±


    Poizo slapped my forehead with a hand made of green slime as she said that.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what to say, but I think Poizo is sweet, too.¡±


    ¡°While saying that you¡¯re not sweet, what you¡¯re saying is almost the same as us, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s different. It is not the same. You both have to listen to what I have to say-nodesu.¡±


    Lime and Beth are giggling, and Poizo is adamant about denying them. I don¡¯t mind if you deny it, but I¡¯d like you to stop slapping my forehead because it hurts so much.


    After that, Poizo explained how she was not as sweet as Lime and Beth and how different what she and Lime and Beth were saying was, but they were not taken seriously by the two of them.


    Incidentally, from my point of view, what Lime and Beth, as well as Poizo, are saying is sweet enough for me. It is nice to know that there are people who are willing to give up everything and come here if the need arises.


    I spent the day relaxing and being taken care of by the three slime girls.


    The next day, when I was woken up by Lime and the others, I realized that I had no memory of what had happened after dinner, but I decided not to think about it too much. It was a common occurrence after spending time with Lime and the others. It happens so often!


    I mustn¡¯t think about it because if I think too deeply to remember, I will get a headache. Okay? Yes, yes, yes! Good.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    While instinctively refusing to recall last night¡¯s events, I am still at work today.


    However, I don¡¯t have a fixed job or a job that is assigned to me at the moment. I am a free man. I am by no means unemployed. It¡¯s called freelancing. Well, it¡¯s almost certain that I will be working like a cart-horse to prepare pioneer villages all over the kingdom of Merinard, so it¡¯s not a bad idea to enjoy my freedom while I still have it.


    ¡°So I think I¡¯ll go on a free collecting spree.¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    Why did you come to tell me that? As if to say that, Aquawill-san¡¯s cold gaze pierced me. The color of her aquamarine eyes is also a factor, but her gaze is so cold that it sends a shiver down my spine.


    ¡°Seraphita-san asked me to take Aquawill-san along with me when I go out collecting, you know?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡±


    ¡°She also said that you might feel depressed if you remain cooped up in the castle.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s none of your business.¡±


    ¡°I was wondering if you¡¯d like a change of scenery¡­¡±


    ¡°No, thank you.¡±


    With a cold stare at me, Aquawill-san dismisses all my advances with a single blow. There is no turf to step on at all.


    ¡°Even for me personally, I don¡¯t think it would be nice if Sylphy¡¯s older sister didn¡¯t like me at all.¡±


    ¡°¡­I think you should just leave it alone.¡±


    The reason there was a pause is probably because she swallowed her aggressive words against me.


    ¡°I hate you. Not only Sylphy but also my mother, Dri-aneesama, and recently If-aneesama. I hate you for your indiscretion. Mother and the others too. Disregarding our father who protected us at the cost of his life, they quickly fell for a man like you and¡­¡±


    Aquawill-san said this as if to throw up and turned her gaze away from me.


    ¡°¡­I have said too much. It¡¯s not that I¡¯m not grateful to you. Without you, we would still be frozen in this castle, or the Holy Kingdom would have lifted my father¡¯s magic and made us their comforters. Sylphy would have been killed in battle, and many more of our people would still be suffering. I know that thanks to you, I am able to live with my mother, sister, and Sylphy again without¡­ starving, freezing, or being frightened by the people of the Holy Kingdom. Still, I¡­¡±


    Aquawill-san turned her head down and fell silent. I have very mixed feelings about what Aquawill-san really said. From her point of view, I am probably nothing more than someone who has torn apart the family ties between her father, Ixwill-shi, the former king, and her family.


    She probably would have accepted it if it had been just me and Sylphy, but Driada-san, Iphrita, and even Seraphita-san are showing her affection for me.


    I think it was not my intention, but because of my ability, or perhaps because of a strange boost in likability related to my achievements; this is what happened. I am not so self-confident as to believe that I was liked by Driada-san and Seraphita-san because of my charm. No, when I say it like that, all of them are like that.


    ¡°Okay, I understand.¡±


    ¡°¡­Do you understand? So that¡¯s what I¡¯m saying, so please leave me alone. I will live quietly and discreetly so as not to disturb you.¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s different from this. I understand why Aquawill-san hates me. But that¡¯s no reason not to go with me today.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    She gives me a look that says, ¡°What the hell is this guy talking about?¡± but I¡¯m not intimidated. If you know from the start that the likability is negative, that¡¯s the way to go about it.


    I mean, if this is just how it is, I¡¯m not sure if she¡¯s being honest or not, but she¡¯s speaking rather brokenly.


    ¡°There will be times in the future when I will have to work and live with people I don¡¯t like. I can¡¯t avoid it all, so I¡¯m going to practice patience. Fortunately, I have a close relationship with Sylphy, so I don¡¯t have any ill will toward Aquawill-san.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not the point, is it?¡±


    Even if you don¡¯t like someone, isn¡¯t it a necessary behavior for royalty to take advantage of them and work for your own benefit? You should at least feel like you can take advantage of me. Also, Seraphita-san asked me to take you with me, so give it up.¡±


    ¡°¡­..!¡±


    Perhaps annoyed by the mention of Seraphita-san¡¯s name, Aquawill-san glared at me sharply. Oh, she looks just like Sylphy when she makes that expression.


    Well, that¡¯s the point. The method is to proceed with the story, even if a bit forcefully, and force her to go along with it. If it¡¯s negative and won¡¯t go down any further, what does it matter what I do?


    ¡°Now, now, get ready to leave. Well, even if you don¡¯t have any particular preparations, everything will be provided for you without any inconvenience.¡±


    My inventory has everything a person needs, from clothes to underwear to anything else. I can prepare anything on the spot if the need arises. I am confident that I can prepare a room suitable for royalty in the middle of the wilderness.


    ¡°It¡¯s a very aggressive and barbaric approach, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°After all, I was brought up by my upbringing. I¡¯m a genuine commoner, so I can¡¯t possibly behave in an elegant manner.¡±


    After saying that and shrugging my shoulders, Aquawill-san let out a sigh as if she had given up. For now, I¡¯m glad to see that the first barrier has been breached.

 CH 314

    Chapter 314 ¨C Warming Up An Old Friendship


    This free collection trip is scheduled for three days and two nights.


    Today, the first day is a travel day. We will spend the whole day tomorrow collecting and returning the day after tomorrow. The members were supposed to be me, the three oni girls and three harpies as guards, and Grande and Aquawill-san.


    ¡°A royal daughter going out without a caretaker is out of the question. It is also outrageous for a girl to go out overnight with a gentleman.¡±


    ¡°You say so, Seraphita-sama.¡±


    ¡°I see. I¡¯ll take you to the collecting grounds.¡±


    ¡°Mother!


    After a farce-like exchange of words, Aquawill-san protested vehemently, and two maids were assigned to accompany her as caretakers and escorts.


    And now, we are preparing to leave for the castle parking lot, which is mainly used for loading and unloading the carriages.


    ¡°Ahaha, it¡¯s been a long time.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time. It¡¯s good to see you looking so well.¡±


    One of the two caretakers and guards was a large woman who I recognized. The brown-furred, rounded ears could be seen twitching busily on her head.


    ¡°But a maid¡­ A maid?¡±


    ¡°I-I am a maid, in case you were wondering.¡±


    As I tilted my head, Gerda twisted around with a troubled expression on her face. It is true that the apron dress is of a plain color, but she wears a breastplate on her chest and metal-reinforced arms. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s inside her skirt, but judging from the sound she makes when she walks, she seems to be equipped with at least a leg brace reinforced with metal.


    The most prominent features are the custom-made steel tower shield on her back and the long steel mace beside her. I made that one before and gave it to her. I can see scratches and dents in places, so there must be no mistake.


    If I had to describe her existence in one word, I would say that she is a maid, but a fantasy battle maid. And she is a power-type battle maid.


    ¡°You¡¯re different from the maids I know.¡±


    ¡°I belong to the Royal Guard now, you know.¡±


    ¡°I see?¡±


    Is this some kind of specialized position among the Royal Guard to guard female royalty? Rather, you mean you¡¯re now a Royal Guard¡­?


    ¡°Does that mean you¡¯re getting a promotion?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes. I used to be an ordinary heavy infantryman, so being selected as a member of the Royal Guard is a promotion, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Congratulations. But I haven¡¯t seen you at the castle until now, have I?¡±


    ¡°I was only appointed three days ago. It was my first assignment after moving into my quarters at the castle.¡±


    ¡°Haha, I see.¡±


    As I was warming up my old friendship with Gerda, the other guard walked up behind Gerda and slapped her on the buttocks. A good sound was heard.


    ¡°Ahin!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t stand there talking forever. Get to work, get to work.¡±


    The woman looking up at Gerda¡¯s face with glare is a woman I¡¯ve seen in the castle a few times. I don¡¯t know her name, though. She stands out a lot.


    ¡°Kosuke-sama, please don¡¯t spoil our newcomer too much.¡±


    ¡°I understand. By the way, may I ask your name?¡±


    ¡°Speaking of which, I have never told you my name, have I? My name is Leviera. As a member of the Royal Guard, I am mainly responsible for the protection and personal care of the female royal family. Please take care of me from now on.¡±


    Leviera-san bowed politely as she said this. She was a stereotypical devil-looking woman with bluish-gray skin, bat-like black wings, a thin tail with a pointed tip like an arrowhead sprouting from her waist, and a twisted sheep-like horn on her head like Melty. Her eyes were black in the whites, with bright red pupils.


    Because of her distinctive looks, her presence was firmly etched in my mind even though I had no particular connection with her. In any case, I should return the greeting. According to one theory, it is written so in the Kojiki (Records of Ancient Matters). I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s true or not.


    ¡°Best regards. I am¨D¨D¡±


    ¡°I know Kosuke-sama very well.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Leviera-san nodded.


    She is one of the many people who work at the castle, although her distinctive looks make her stand out from the rest. However, I am the spouse of the head of the country, and I do not hide the fact that I am a visitor. It is safe to say that there is no one who works at the castle who does not know my face, name, and position.


    Naturally, she knows me very well.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to have caused you so much trouble.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s part of the mission. Also, there is no need for you to be so formal with me. Kosuke-sama is the prince consort of Her Majesty Sylphiel, and we are the Royal Guard to protect the royal family.¡±


    ¡°Since I¡¯m just a complete commoner, I¡¯m not very good at acting like royalty or anything like that. ¡­¡­ Well, I would appreciate it if you could let me off the hook for that. Yes.¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯d better get used to it. I don¡¯t mean to be rude, but depending on how you behave, it¡¯s possible that Her Majesty Sylphiel may be looked down upon.¡±


    ¡°I will do my best.¡±


    Hearing my reply, Leviera-san¡­ Leviera bowed deeply to me and walked with Gerda in tow toward where the air board that would be our footing was parked. She said something to Gerda, and Leviera¡¯s tail occasionally swatted Gerda¡¯s buttocks. That tail seemed to be able to move quite freely.


    ¡°Are they rivals?¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so. They are Royal Guards, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°Well, what do you think? Gerda seems to have been in love with Kosuke ever since she was in the Liberation Army, and she transferred all the way to the Royal Guard, right?¡±


    ¡°So, she has been chasing after him? It is pure love, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Wait a minute, I think I have just received a shocking piece of information.¡±


    Gerda has been in love with me since she was in the Liberation Army? Oh, no, I think I heard something about that when a bunch of guys got together and had a chat, but I wasn¡¯t sure if it was true or not, so I just passed it up completely.


    ¡°You¡¯re a sinful man, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I guess that means Aquawill-sama is next in his sights, right? Is he a royalty-con?¡±


    ¡°Maybe Leviera too. Well? As the prince consort of the Merinard kingdom, it may be possible to embody the harmony of races without dividing them, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not my intention. Not at all.¡±


    The oni girls look at my declaration with suspicion.


    There is no such thing. I simply didn¡¯t want to continue to be in an awkward situation with Sylphy¡¯s sister, and since Seraphita-san told me to do so, I did my best to get her to accompany me on this collecting trip with the intention of making it a little less awkward. There is no royalty-con or any such evil intention. I mean, is Iphrita already judged to have fallen in your mind?


    I feel like it¡¯s too much to say¡­ there¡¯s nothing between Iphrita and me at the moment, but there¡¯s nothing definitive. No can do.


    ¡°By the way, where¡¯s Grande?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve just changed the subject forcibly, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡±


    ¡°Ouch!¡±


    I slap Bella¡¯s ass, who is grinning at me. Bella¡¯s ass, with its well-developed muscles hidden deep inside, is a good place to slap. I¡¯ll slap her ass the next time she does something wrong.


    ¡°If it¡¯s Grande-chan, she¡¯s already asleep on the air board.¡±


    ¡°I guess everything¡¯s packed, so let¡¯s get going.¡±


    It seemed that Aquawill-san had finished moving out all the stuff she had prepared. A large number of wooden boxes, each about the size of a large bag, were piled up. What in the world is inside?


    I headed for the air board with my head tilted. The question is whether they can all fit on the air board¡­ If it¡¯s too cramped, we can just bring out two air boards. Bella can drive one, and I can drive the other.

 CH 315

    Chapter 315 ¨C Establishment of Collecting Base


    After storing all the wooden boxes that had been prepared in large quantities in my inventory, I decided to board the air board.


    This time, the crew consisted of the usual members: me (an adult male), Grande (child-sized but with a huge tail), the oni girl Shumel, Bella, and Tozume (all over 2 meters tall), plus Aquawill-san (child-sized), Gerda (almost as tall as the oni girl), and Leviera (an adult female). My own air board was made large in case of battle, but it was impossible for this number of people to ride on it.


    Incidentally, the three harpies were supposed to accompany us while flying in the sky and keeping a watchful eye, so they were not counted as crew members.


    ¡°If we packed together tightly, we might be able to board¡­¡±


    ¡°In that case, considering the space requirement, the princess would have to sit on Kosuke¡¯s lap.¡±


    ¡°Rejected.¡±


    Aquawill-san quickly rejected the idea, so we ended up splitting up into two vehicles. Shumel, Tozume, and Grande would ride on the air board I was driving, and Aquawill-san, Gerda, and Leviera would ride on the air board Bella was driving.


    As for me, I wanted Aquawill-san to ride on my air board, but from a security standpoint, it was necessary for Shumel and the others to ride on the air board I was riding on, and Gerda and Leviera had to ride on the air board Aquawill-san was riding on. I wanted to talk to her a little to shorten the distance between us, but I had no choice in the matter.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s your goal this time?¡±


    ¡°Anything I can get my hands on. Any amount of stone, clay, and wood that can be used for building materials. It would be nice to have some humus, too¨Dor should I say a farm block, or would that lead to overproduction?¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be nice to be able to harvest a lot?¡±


    ¡°I mean, the farmland I¡¯ve built¨D¨D¡±


    I began to explain to Shumel, who tilted her head.


    There are several grades of fields I make. The best ones are the ones that I cultivate from humus or other farm blocks, which can be harvested in a few weeks without any work from me, just by other people sowing seeds and taking care of them as usual. Of course, the required growing period varies depending on the type of crop, but at least one crop can be harvested every month. If we grow crops that are resistant to low temperatures in the winter, we can harvest at least 12 times a year.


    The next pattern is that I cultivated the original well-fertilized land. This is a pattern in which I cultivate land that was originally farmland or land that was cleared from forests and has a lot of humus, which can be harvested in one to two months without any work by me. If we consider wheat as a standard, it takes only one-fifth of the time to harvest, which is a tremendous reduction in the growing period.


    The next is a pattern of cultivating ordinary soil that is not particularly fertile, which can be harvested in three to four months. The wilderness where little or no grass grows is, of course, the Omit Wilderness.


    Normally, wheat is sown in the fall and harvested in late summer or early fall of the following year, but with my farmland, I can harvest twice a year if I do well, even in a land where little grass grows. Considering this, my ability to boost agricultural production is amazing, isn¡¯t it?


    ¡°Now you know why the Liberation Army¡¯s food situation and financial situation were unusually good¡­¡±


    ¡°Wheat can be harvested in a few weeks¡­ If you just spend a day looking at the fields, you¡¯ll see the crops growing.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s possible to make all of the fields special¡­ well, I guess I should probably collect some humus as well.¡±


    Well, food is not the only thing that agriculture produces. There¡¯s also hemp, flax, cotton, tea, sugarcane, and other commodity crops. We could make beer from wheat and hops and wine from grapes. We could also grow oilseed rape and olives and extract oil from them. Sylphy and Melty would take care of that, so there was no need for me to interfere.


    ¡°I think it would be good to go for stone and clay and harvest wood if there is any. However, it is difficult to cut timber because if you cut it down indiscriminately, you might cause a disaster.¡±


    This is not a game world, and of course, the day you do something like uprooting a forest, the ecosystem of the land may collapse, and a monster disaster may occur if, and if there are people who were simply gathering or hunting in the forest, their lives may be directly affected. Furthermore, there is a possibility that nearby water sources will dry up or that flooding and landslides will occur. Both Sylphy and Melty have told me that I should not be careless with the forests, so I must be careful to cut down the trees in moderation.


    ¡°I want to gather as much as I can this time, so I¡¯d like to do it in a secluded place as much as possible.¡±


    ¡°Well, it would be good to go through the plains in the southwestern direction to the foot of the Sorel Mountains. There are a lot of monsters in that area, so people don¡¯t tend to gather there.¡±


    ¡°I wonder if it¡¯s safe? Wyverns sometimes fly over that area, don¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve thought of a countermeasure against monsters, so don¡¯t worry.¡±


    After saying that, I started to drive the air board following Shumel¡¯s guidance. First of all, drive slowly and safely in Merinesburg. Once we get out of Merinnesburg, we¡¯ll go a certain amount faster.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    ¡°Let¡¯s make our camp here.¡±


    ¡°¡­Here?¡±


    Aquawill-san, who came down from the air board, looked around and then gave me a disturbed look. It¡¯s no wonder. This is the foothills of the remote Sorel Mountains. In front of us is a desolate, rocky mountain surface, and to our right is a deep forest. To the left is a wilderness with huge rocks lying around.


    Wyverns may fly in from the Sorel Mountains, and there is a danger of monsters coming from the forest on the right and the wilderness on the left. Moreover, the visibility is poor due to the forests and huge rocks, and there is a concern about whether or not we will be able to respond quickly if monsters attack us. It was not a suitable place for a campsite.


    ¡°Wait a minute.¡±


    Saying that, I summoned and equipped my mithril pickaxe from my shortcut and first went around destroying the rocks that were lying around the area. Even if the rock is bigger than a man, it¡¯s as good as tofu before my mithril pickaxe.


    ¡°¡­Eh.¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡¯ve heard some rumors about it, but seeing it in person is amazing.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen it in person, but I think it used to be a little more restrained.¡±


    Aquawill-san and the others were surprised to see me clearing the rocks around the area in no time.


    ¡°It¡¯s always the same, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°I guess so.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re used to it now, aren¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°We usually escort him when he goes out to collect, after all.¡±


    In contrast, Grande and the oni girls are calm. Grande has been using earth magic to flatten the land I¡¯ve cleared without me having to say a word. It¡¯s like we¡¯re on the same page.


    ¡°Thank you, Grande.¡±


    ¡°Mufufu, it¡¯s a mutual aid between two people, whether they are dragons or humans.¡±


    She comes close to me and presses her head against me, which is very cute. When I patted her head, Grande happily tapped the ground with her tail. The ground, which had been leveled earlier, was now uneven, but that was nothing to be concerned about.


    ¡°It looks like you have cleared a fairly large area. Should we pitch the tents now?¡±


    ¡°No way, I¡¯ll build a simple base now.¡±


    ¡°A simple base?¡±


    It is a simple base, basically on stilts. It would be fine to build on the ground, but this would require the construction of a wall or some such structure, which would be troublesome. It would be the quickest and safest to build a base on the floor at a height where monsters could not easily climb up even if they attacked. Fortunately, my ability keeps the blocks in the air, so they won¡¯t collapse even if the pillars are broken.


    ¡°I¡¯ll just use the rock I just collected as the material.¡±


    Using the blueprint function, the foundation structure of the stilt base is created on the land that has been cleared and leveled¨Da stone floor on top of pillars about 10 meters high. It is an orthodox stilt platform with pillars at the four corners and in the center.


    ¡°Wha!¡±


    Aquawill-san¡¯s eyes roll back in surprise at the huge stone structure that suddenly appears.


    ¡°There are ladders on the four corner pillars, so use them to get in and out. There is a hatch at the top, so make sure you close it when you get up there.¡±


    By the way, the hatches are made of thick steel and are very sturdy. If it was Melty or someone like her, she would be able to smash through the hatch with bare hands. Probably, to stop Melty¡¯s invasion, it would take a building and hatches made of all mithril. Even if only the hatch is made of mithril, if the walls are made of stone, they will break through the walls.


    ¡°? What¡¯s the matter? You suddenly became silent.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m thinking that even if it¡¯s impregnable against monsters, if it¡¯s against Melty, this base is going to be destroyed like a piece of paper.¡±


    ¡°¡­She¡¯s a demon species, after all.¡±


    Yeah, it¡¯s useless to think about the defensive base in anticipation of Melty, so let¡¯s stop thinking about it. More than that, it¡¯s about building a base.


    I quickly and easily built the quarters, dining room, baths, etc., on the platform. These structures have already been optimized and registered in my blueprints, including interiors, so installation is a matter of seconds.


    ¡°The construction is complete. If you have any requests, please let me know.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to have a bath, but why only one?¡±


    ¡°Since I¡¯m the only man, it¡¯s useless to go to the trouble of making two baths. If we enter at different times, we won¡¯t run into each other, so please discuss and decide on that.¡±


    If the ratio of men to women is 50-50, it¡¯s fine to make two. And I don¡¯t know what the oni girls will do, but Grande and the harpies will definitely want to go in with me. If we split up the group into two groups, those who go in with me before dinner and those who go after dinner, there would be no chance of an unfortunate accident.


    ¡°All that¡¯s left is to set up the defense equipment, and we¡¯ll be all set.¡±


    ¡°Defense equipment?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ve never used it before, but now that I¡¯ve used the golem soldiers, I can¡¯t afford to be stingy with it.¡±


    It was so easy to make because it was easy to combine the golem core, which gives the vessel advanced self-judgment capabilities, with the guns I make. Now it¡¯s perfect for both ground and air attacks, hahaha.

 CH 316

    Chapter 316 ¨C Golem Turrets and Shocking Remark


    ¡°Is this ¡®Turret¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It is a defense weapon controlled by the golem core.¡±


    I answered Aquawill-san¡¯s question with pride.


    Two turrets are installed at each of the four corners of the platform. Four at the center of the backside of the platform and two on each of the four corner pillars, for a total of 20 turrets. The number of turrets may be a little excessive, but since this is a place where we have one foot in the realm of monsters, it is better to have this level of preparedness.


    ¡°It¡¯s made from a powerful firearm called a heavy machine gun combined with a golem core and golem arm, and it¡¯s capable of changing targets depending on the setting. Right now, I set it to target monsters, but if I change the target settings, it can be used for anti-personnel purposes as well.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it dangerous? What are the chances of it being misfired?¡±


    ¡°The golem core uses the difference in magic wavelengths to distinguish between human and non-human creatures, so as long as you don¡¯t intentionally jump into the line of fire, you should be fine. There is a safety feature built in so that it will not fire if there is a creature other than the target in the line of fire. Incidentally, dragons like Grande also seem to have a different magical wavelength than humans, but they also seem to be different from monsters, so it is possible to distinguish between them.¡±


    In this area, I consulted with Isla and others in the Research and Development Department to construct the golem core control technique, and with the help of Grande, I developed it, so there is no mistake.


    ¡°I see¡­ but even so, it is a very menacing or heavy-looking weapon. How much power does it have?¡±


    ¡°The caliber is 12.7 mm, the muzzle velocity is less than three times the speed of sound, the effective range is about 2,000 meters, and the maximum range is about 6,700 meters¨Dthat doesn¡¯t sound very convincing, does it? Well, these are enough to penetrate a few knights in armor and kill them instantly. It would definitely penetrate a wyvern or so. According to Grande, even a dragon would be in danger of being hit by dozens of shots.¡±


    ¡°What in the world do you plan to fight with so many of those things?¡±


    ¡°¡­We¡¯ll be fine even if the dragons¡¯ attack!¡±


    ¡°They won¡¯t attack you because you have me here.¡±


    I tried to smile and give a thumbs-up in bitterness, but Grande calmly interrupted me. This kind of defensive equipment is just right, just a little bit too much. It¡¯s like a survivor¡¯s nature to make their base a solid fortress when they have enough materials, so please forgive me.


    ¡°Are you sure it is safe?¡±


    ¡°¡­If we get shot, we definitely won¡¯t survive.¡±


    ¡°W-we¡¯ll just have to trust Danna-san there¡­¡±


    Fronte, a blue-feathered harpy; Rey, a black-feathered harpy; and Flamme, a brown-feathered harpy, looked at the 12.7mm golem turret and were anxious.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. If you go out for reconnaissance and get chased by wyverns, just run here, and they¡¯ll shoot it down on their own.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s when I¡¯m most scared¡­¡±


    ¡°Wyverns from behind and this gunfire from below¡­ I¡¯m going to shit my pants.¡±


    ¡°W-we¡¯ll just have to pray¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­You seem awfully afraid. Are you sure you¡¯re okay?¡±


    ¡°Ahaha, we are probably the most aware of the tremendous weapons that Kosuke-san produces. I can easily imagine what would happen if it were to happen to me, so that scares me.¡±


    ¡°These are much thicker and longer than the riflemen¡¯s guns.¡±


    ¡°I-it would probably break us into little pieces if it hit us, right, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°To pieces¡­¡±


    Aquawill-san¡¯s face turned pale as she thought of the harpies breaking up into pieces in mid-air. Yeah, it could certainly happen, though.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright! I¡¯ve taken every precaution to avoid misfiring our allies! But stay as far away from the target as possible!¡±


    ¡°You still think it¡¯s dangerous, don¡¯t you?¡±


    I¡¯m sure it¡¯s fine, but you know, just in case! Just in case!


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    While I was quieting down the frightened harpies and giving a sincere answer to Aquawill-san¡¯s questioning, who was asking me if it was really safe, the sun was beginning to set. Well, I didn¡¯t plan to explore today because it was a travel day, so it was a good thing.


    ¡°We¡¯ve already finished making the beds, etc.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to trouble you with that¡­¡±


    ¡°No, no, this is our job too.¡±


    Leviera said so and smiled amiably. Hmm, for some reason, I feel like her smile is similar to Melty¡¯s. Her features are completely different, though.


    ¡°Then, let¡¯s cook dinner, shall we?¡±


    Saying that, Gerda turned her gaze to the wooden boxes piled up in the corner of the dining room. I see, those wooden boxes contain a lot of food.


    ¡°I¡¯ve ensured you can cook in this base, but it would be best if I serve you the meals I¡¯ve made and left for us, okay? Both of you are probably tired from riding an air board you¡¯re not used to today.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡­¡±


    Gerda looked troubled by my suggestion. Hmm? What is it?


    ¡°The three of us will not be having any of the food you are serving.¡±


    Before I knew it, Aquawill-san was peeking out from the entrance of the dining room. Why are you hiding like that?


    ¡°Because if I eat the food you serve, the probability of me being enticed by you will be high.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you stop talking about the food I serve like it is some kind of dubious object?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true that the food Danna serves is delicious, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Hamburgers are the best food. Pancakes and pudding are also wonderful.¡±


    ¡°The flavor is rich and tasty, that¡¯s for sure. I personally recommend the sausage and smoked meats.¡±


    Can you stop saying things that affirm the food when people are suspicious of the food? Look, Aquawill-san¡¯s suspicion is getting stronger.


    ¡°It¡¯s true that the food is delicious, but that¡¯s not the only reason we entered into this relationship.¡±


    ¡°We are attracted to Kosuke-san¡¯s personality and his capability.¡±


    ¡°Danna-san is kind and generous. He makes everyone happy.¡±


    ¡°H-he¡¯s very dependable¡­¡±


    As expected of Tozume. Right, right, that¡¯s the kind of backup I wanted. The harpies are good, too. I mean, if there is something in the food I serve that makes people like me, it would be strange if most of the members of the Liberation Army were not in love with me. Especially in the early days of the Liberation Army, the meals and block cookies that I produced were almost enough to fill everyone¡¯s stomachs¡­


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡°A look of suspicion, which wasn¡¯t meant to be concealed, hit me!¡±


    My glass heart is on the verge of shattering under the unrelenting stare. No, I¡¯m just kidding about that.


    ¡°Well, it would surely be great if you had the power to make people fall in love with you by feeding them food¡­ At least, we didn¡¯t choose Kosuke for that reason.¡±


    ¡°It is true for me as well. The food that Kosuke serves is certainly delicious, but I¡¯m not such a glutton for food that I would choose him as my mating partner on that basis alone. Don¡¯t underestimate me.¡±


    Shumel only smiles bitterly, but Grande¡¯s lips are pouting, and she is in a bit of a bad mood. Oh, okay, okay, don¡¯t get mad, don¡¯t get mad. You¡¯re destructively cute, but you need to calm down.


    ¡°Well, if that makes you feel better and more at ease, why don¡¯t you just do it? Forcing you to eat the food Danna serves would also be a little strange.¡±


    ¡°Then, how about I try the food Kosuke-sama serves and see if it will make me feel affectionate toward Kosuke-sama?¡±


    Leviera¡¯s proposal attracted the attention of everyone.


    ¡°As you can see, I am a winged demon, and my skin color and eye color are far from what normal human men like. Kosuke-sama would not be interested in a woman like¨D¨D¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not true. If Danna is okay with Tozume and me, then he¡¯ll be fine with you, too.¡±


    ¡°And we¡¯ll be fine, too.¡±


    ¡°Kosuke is also getting along well with the slimes who live in the castle¡¯s basement, too, you know.¡±


    Bella, Fronte, and Grande almost simultaneously deny Leviera¡¯s statement. No, well, that¡¯s true. But, girls, if you say that here and now, won¡¯t that just make me look bad?


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    I felt Leviera¡¯s eyes on me, so I looked at her and saw that she was staring at me. I¡¯m kind of embarrassed to be looked at so intently at this point.


    ¡°I see¡­ I think I understand what you mean when you say you were attracted by his personality and capabilities.¡±


    ¡°Leviera?¡±


    ¡°Aquawill-sama, he is a natural womanizer. I don¡¯t think he¡¯s mixing something in his meals or anything.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s absurd!¡±


    What kind of is that? I¡¯m a natural womanizer? My deviation from love should be at the lowest level. If I had the talent to be called a natural womanizer, I would have had a much better life in my former world!


    ¡°U-um¡­ if we don¡¯t start preparing dinner soon, the sun will be going down¡­¡±


    Gerda, who had been watching the situation, was saying such things while looking confused, but I was not concerned about that. I demand a detailed explanation for the womanizing remark Leviera just mentioned!

 CH 317

    Chapter 317 ¨C Dinner That is Difficult to Eat


    ¡°In other words, Kosuke-sama¡¯s gestures are able to slip through the cracks of a woman¡¯s heart.¡±


    Leviera, who escaped my pursuit and said we would talk about it at the dinner table, started talking like that as soon as we started eating dinner. I don¡¯t understand.


    ¡°Even if you say so¡­¡±


    As for me, I can only be puzzled. I can¡¯t understand what she means when she says that my gestures are going into the cracks of a woman¡¯s heart.


    But there are many people nodding in agreement with Leviera¡¯s words. What does that mean?


    ¡°Well, I mean, you can¡¯t judge Kosuke by his appearance¡­¡±


    ¡°He is clearly different from ordinary men, isn¡¯t he? It¡¯s more like a preference.¡±


    ¡°Normal human men are afraid of oni women like us.¡±


    ¡°Kosuke-san is kind to us harpies, too.¡±


    ¡°Danna-sama doesn¡¯t look at us harpies in a bad way.¡±


    ¡°W-we are treated like shit birds, after all¡­¡±


    The oni girls and the harpies talk about me, but that¡¯s just¡­


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that just a lack of integrity?¡±


    Aquawill-san said that and looked at me with an icy glare. Well, yeah. I thought the same thing. I don¡¯t know how the men of this world feel about subhuman women of all shapes and sizes. I don¡¯t have the common sense or universal values of this world. From my point of view, women of the oni tribe, like Shumel and others, and women of the harpy tribe, like Fronte and others, look like fantasy-looking beauties and pretty girls.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the case. Kosuke was kind to me in my dragon form before I assumed my current form.¡±


    Here, a covering shot came from an unexpected source.


    It is true that I have treated Grande normally since she was in her dragon form. I think I¡¯m probably almost the same as I am now.


    ¡°Kosuke treated me as an equal, fair, and kind to me in my dragon form. When he saw that I was being treated roughly by my brothers, he got angry and fought with them by himself, forcing them to bow to him. He was a human being, and he fought against two dragons. There was no way Kosuke could have any ulterior motives toward me, who was still in dragon form. Even Kosuke said so himself.¡±


    It is true that it was impossible to have sexual relations with Grande, who was still in dragon form. Grande Mama recommended it to me, but I refused, saying I couldn¡¯t do it.


    ¡°That¡¯s true, isn¡¯t it¡­? Or rather, it¡¯s amazing, Kosuke. After listening to that story, I¡¯m really looking at you in a new light.¡±


    ¡°When you say Grande-san¡¯s brother, you mean two adult grand dragons that were bigger than Grande-san when she was in her dragon form, right? Selling a fight over that is just too much, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Well, Kosuke might be able to handle two dragons¡­ but it¡¯s still amazing to fight two dragons and make them bow down to you.¡±


    The respectful glances from Grande and the oni girls are dazzling. It¡¯s not that big of a deal, it¡¯s just that Grande is being kicked in the foot by her brother dragons, and that makes me lose my cool.


    ¡°I think it is this kind of openness and kindness that makes Kosuke-sama so appealing.¡±


    Leviera stares at me like that. I¡¯m embarrassed to be looked at so seriously.


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s intriguing, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Hyiiee¡­¡±


    I sense something dangerous from Leviera, who mutters with a dangerous atmosphere. T-this is a wave of predatory mode¡­! No, I don¡¯t think we are there yet. But it looks like it could happen if I make a mistake. I must be careful.


    ¡°But still, you brought the dragon to bow¡­ I¡¯ve heard that you almost single-handedly controlled the upheaval in the north, but it doesn¡¯t seem very likely to me, though¡­¡±


    Aquawill-san looked at me coldly with a spoon in her mouth to drink the soup. Princess-sama, you are misbehaving. It¡¯s not very polite.


    ¡°Y-you don¡¯t believe what I have to say?¡±


    Grande sounds offended by Aquawill-san¡¯s words. Hey, hey. Calm down.


    ¡°I can tell from the way he built this base that his power is extraordinary, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Then you¡¯d better watch how Kosuke works from tomorrow on.¡±


    Shumel shrugged her shoulders and brought the sausage I¡¯d prepared for dinner to her mouth and chewed it up with a nice sound. She chewed it, swallowed it, and then opened her mouth again.


    ¡°If you do that, you¡¯ll understand just how unusual Kosuke is. In fact, Kosuke doesn¡¯t really need a bodyguard like us, considering his true ability, you know.¡±


    ¡°I think that¡¯s an exaggeration. With a golem, that would be true, but otherwise, I¡¯m not that strong myself, you know?¡±


    ¡°Really? I think it would be difficult for us to beat Kosuke even without using the big guy, you know?¡±


    Shumel grinned as she said that. And Aquawill-san¡¯s skeptical gaze grows stronger. I would appreciate it if you would refrain from raising the hurdle so blindly. You¡¯re making me even more suspicious.


    ¡°W-we¡¯ll find out tomorrow, so I¡¯d like you to take a good rest today and prepare for tomorrow.¡±


    Gerda hurriedly raised her voice to blow away the strangely tense atmosphere in the dining room. Perhaps seeing Gerda¡¯s frantic appearance, Aquawill-san silently returned to her meal, and Grande also seemed to concentrate on proceeding with her meal, although she remained in a sour mood.


    Aquawill-san and Grande¡¯s chemistry is even worse than I thought¡­! I hope they manage to get along by the time we return.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    There were no particularly lucky events, and on the first day, I took a bath after dinner and went to bed. It was nice to be able to take a bath alone for the first time in a while.


    The night was not particularly uneventful either; Grande, who had been sulking, just snuggled up with me as if she wanted to be pampered. It was very peaceful.


    Well, the bedrooms, or rather the dormitories, are separated, but if we did it, our voices would leak out. If such a thing were to happen in the current state, I am sure that Aquawill-san¡¯s gaze would be at absolute zero the next morning, so I might have to be very careful.


    The problem is that thing.


    Bang! Ratatatata!


    Yeah, the golem turrets are really noisy, aren¡¯t they?


    It¡¯s good that it automatically intercepts, but the huge sound of a large caliber firearm is enough to disturb a good night¡¯s sleep. Grande was sleeping through the night, but I kept waking up in the middle of the night. Shumel and the others woke up the first time, but the rest of the time, they seemed to be asleep. As expected of adventurers, I guess.


    ¡°Kosuke-san¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­(Trembling).¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯m so scared¡­¡±


    On the contrary, it seemed that I was not compatible with the harpies, and all three of them crawled into the bed where Grande and I were sleeping.


    I kept repeating sleep and waking up while thinking that Aquawill-san probably complains to me tomorrow.

 CH 318

    Chapter 318 ¨C Uncontrolled Feelings


    ¡°You look like you haven¡¯t had enough sleep. Filthy.¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. It¡¯s not because of lack of sleep in a sexual way.¡±


    The following day, as soon as we met, Aquawill-san dissed me. It¡¯s not like that. It wasn¡¯t that I was switching from one room to another until late; it was simply the sound of the golem turrets firing that made me sleep-deprived. This is something that needs to be revised. Hmm, maybe a suppressor or a better barrel. The power is a bit overkill anyway, so it might be possible to reduce the range and power a bit and still have it quiet.


    ¡°I mean, it must have been pretty loud, but you don¡¯t seem to be sleep-deprived over there, do you?¡±


    ¡°Because there was plenty of water. I used spirit magic to create a layer of water to cover my quarters.¡±


    ¡°Aquawill-san, you are a clever fellow¡­¡±


    The water is also available in this collecting base because, of course, an infinite water source has been installed, so there is plenty of water available, as Aquawill-san said. I think using that water to make soundproof layers is a very clever way to deal with the situation. It may seem a bit sketchy or heavy-handed, but I have no right to say such a thing since I had trouble sleeping without thinking of enclosing it with another wall.


    ¡°So, are you just going about your laziness?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m certainly sleep-deprived, but not to that extent.¡±


    I just need to get ready and have a meal. If I wash my face and eat a meal, my head will be clear.


    As a matter of fact, the harpies are short-sleepers in terms of their race, so it doesn¡¯t seem to be too hard on them. Grande and the oni girls were asleep last night, paying no attention to the lively sound of gunfire, so I was the only one who felt sleep deprived.


    ¡°Then I will be supervising your work today. I have nothing else to do.¡±


    ¡°Then you¡¯ll have to see the best of me.¡±


    I tried to put on a show of enthusiasm, but Aquawill-san looked really cold. ¡°What is the point of showing your good side to me?¡± Aquawill-san looked as if she was saying that. I guess it will take some time for us to get along.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s have breakfast. Do you want a light breakfast or a heavy breakfast? If you want a heavier breakfast, I¡¯ll serve sausage and bacon.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want salty meat in the morning.¡±


    ¡°If so, I¡¯ll serve it light.¡±


    At any rate, she never ignores me, and she usually responds to a casual conversation like this, so perhaps we¡¯re making progress. Let¡¯s keep moving forward with patience.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    After breakfast, it was time to start collecting. First of all, I started to collect materials from all the rocks that were lying around the collecting base.


    ¡°Hiiaaaahhhh!¡±


    I run around on the slope with my mithril pickaxe in my hand. The work progresses at a very brisk pace, as rocks disappear with a single swing unless they are very large.


    ¡°It¡¯s the same as always, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Right?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t get used to it no matter how many times I see it.¡±


    The oni girls were slowly following me. I am running around and smashing rocks, but the moment I swing the pickaxe, I inevitably stop and smash the scattered rocks one by one, so my speed is not so different from their walking speed. The oni girls are big and have long legs, after all.


    ¡°After clearing the area to some extent, I¡¯ll start digging.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, whatever you want. Don¡¯t dig up a huge worm or a strange monster¡¯s nest from the bottom of the ground.¡±


    ¡°Oh, no, that¡¯s scary. Is there such a thing?¡±


    I¡¯ve never heard of them.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    Aquawill¡¯s POV


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s a strange sight. I feel as if I am being haunted by some kind of illusion.¡±


    ¡°I feel the same way.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what Kosuke-san does, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Gerda is smiling as she looks at Kosuke, the man wielding the pickaxe in the distance.


    That shiny pickaxe is made of mithril and is said to be enchanted with a magic sparkling stone the size of a fist, which is a crazy thing. In other words, that single pickaxe is worth so much that it could tip a nation. The man is said to have several other such objects.


    ¡°He is truly a strange man.¡±


    I let out a sigh as I looked at the ¡°Binocular¡± tool he handed me. This is another strange tool. According to him, it is called an ¡°optical device,¡± which is made by combining crystals with a specially processed ¡°lens¡± or something like that, but I have no idea how it works. Nevertheless, it is a mysterious and enjoyable tool that makes distant objects appear larger when you look through it. If I had this tool, I would be able to see the castle town clearly from the balcony of the castle. To be honest, I want it. But I don¡¯t want to accept charity from that man.


    ¡°This is an interesting tool.¡±


    Leviera also seems to like this tool, and since a few minutes ago, she has been pointing it not only at Kosuke but also at many other places to enjoy the scenery. With this tool, I can see a small bird perched on a tree branch in the distance. It is very enjoyable to see some birds that I don¡¯t see in Merinesburg.


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask Kosuke-san later if he can give it to me.¡±


    Gerda said smilingly, but it would be ungrateful to ask someone to give you such a rare tool.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s okay; I¡¯ll ask him directly.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    Will I be able to see Omicrule, Ranicrule*, and others better if I use this? I tried to look at Omicle, which looked big in the sky, but it didn¡¯t seem to be much different. Hmm, that¡¯s unfortunate. [T/n: I think I will change it to these from now on.]


    ¡°Even when I look at Omicrule, it doesn¡¯t look much different.¡±


    Leviera, who noticed me looking at the Omicrule, also looked at Omicrule in the same way, but her impression was not so different from mine.


    ¡°Yes, it is true. It seems that I can see a little better than I can see directly with my eyes, but it doesn¡¯t seem to make much difference.¡±


    ¡°Kosuke-san might be able to make a suitable binocular to see Omicrule.¡±


    Gerda¡¯s carefree words made me astonished. Certainly, it might be possible for him to create such a thing if he could create this kind of thing so easily.


    Omicrule and Ranicrule floating beyond the top of the sky. They are always in the sky but never within our reach, and we cannot see them. We may be able to see those Omicrule and Ranicrule closer, bigger, and perhaps see what no one has been able to see before.


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s very nice, indeed.¡±


    But there is no way I can make such a brazen offer.


    I know that myself. It was too irrational for me to turn my ill feelings against him. In logic, yes. He is not to blame. He simply met Sylphy, responded to Sylphy¡¯s wish, and helped her, and as a result, we were saved.


    From my perspective as a saved person, he is a benefactor who saved my life, saved my sister, saved the people of the Merinard Kingdom, and defeated the vindictive enemy, the Holy Kingdom.


    However, I cannot bring myself to like him. My father protected us at the cost of his own life. I cannot like him because he has suddenly settled in the place where my father should have been.


    I don¡¯t like Sylphy, my mother, and my sisters, who accept him so easily.


    I don¡¯t like him because he is the cause of why I have such feelings.


    This is not about logic but about feelings. I know this in logic. I know that he is not at fault. But I am sad because I feel that my father¡¯s existence is being disrespected. I can¡¯t help it.


    ¡°Then, to Kosuke-san¨D¨D¡±


    ¡°No, there is no need. It is too brazen and presumptuous a request. Besides, I cannot pay the price.¡±


    Feeling my elated mood cool down at once, I turned my gaze to him¨D¨DKosuke, without giving it so much thought.

 CH 319

    Chapter 319 ¨C Move Your Body in Anguish


    While digging at the base of the nameless mountain that is part of the Sorel Mountain Range, I glance at the collecting base, fearing that I might dig up a huge worm or a strange monster¡¯s nest. Aquawill-san and the others seemed to be watching over us from the balcony I had set up at the collection base.


    ¡°That princess is quite stubborn, isn¡¯t she? Did you do something to her to make her resent you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t recall¡­ any such thing.¡±


    When I first met her, I caught a glimpse of her clothes almost falling apart, and I heard that she gets along well with her mother, Seraphita-san, and her sisters, Driada-san and Iphrita.


    ¡°Well, isn¡¯t it that what she doesn¡¯t like the most is the fact that I¡¯m completely in her father¡¯s position?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see.¡±


    Aquawill-san and Sylphy¡¯s father, as well as Seraphita-san¡¯s husband, Ixwill-san¨Dthe former king of the Merinard Kingdom¨Dfroze everything in time in exchange for his own life and soul in order to protect the lives and dignity of his family members other than Sylphy, including Aquawill-san.


    Meanwhile, I wandered out to the border between the Black Forest and the Great Omit Wilderness, met Sylphy, supported the Liberation Army using my crafting abilities, and finally succeeded in driving the Holy Kingdom¡¯s people out of the Merinard Kingdom. Through Sylphy¡¯s help, the frozen time of Aquawill-san and the others began to move again, and after some twists and turns, I became close with Seraphita-san, Driada-san took a liking to me, and I ended up hanging out with Iphrita.


    Seraphita-san has her own, Driada-san has hers, and Iphrita has all sorts of reasons and thoughts that led them to develop a bond with me, but it¡¯s like a natural progression¨Dor perhaps it¡¯s just my ability that may have had an influence on it. I don¡¯t think it is because of anything Ixwill-san has in mind.


    I didn¡¯t act with the intention of entering into the gap where Ixwill-san had disappeared, either. Of course, I was trying to get along with Sylphy¡¯s family, and since Seraphita seemed to be in a very troubled and mentally dangerous state, I might have overstepped in various ways.


    I had no intention of trying to replace or belittle Ixwill-san.


    ¡°She must really love her father, that princess.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure she did.¡±


    I nodded to Tozume¡¯s words as I dug around the base of the mountain with my mithril shovel.


    Maybe, but no one is to blame. No, umm, maybe¡­ Seraphita-san¡¯s response was a little bad, but she was so mentally weak that she could have killed herself if things had gone badly enough with her.


    She was about to be crushed by the loss of her husband and the responsibility of losing so many people she had to protect and make them suffer, and in a sense, I was the only one who could support her as a complete outsider.


    ¡°Well, you just have to persevere, I guess.¡±


    ¡°And then there will be more people in Danna¡¯s harem.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not trying to be nice to her with that intention, okay?¡±


    Bella responds to my words with a grin and a happy smile. It¡¯s not that I¡¯m planning to capture all four elven princess sisters or anything like that.


    Or rather, putting Sylphy aside, the fact that Driada adores me and, on the contrary, has somehow joined the other members in having such a relationship with me is actually a bigger problem, or rather, I don¡¯t understand the meaning of it. I should sit down and have a long talk with her as well. It¡¯s really too late for that, though.


    ¡°It¡¯s tough being a popular guy, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s funny, isn¡¯t it? I was never that popular, to begin with¡­ but I wonder if this ability is doing something wrong.¡±


    The other person is the kind of being that even stops time and interferes with it. I have no way of manipulating the minds of the opposite sex around me via my abilities. When I think about it, the current situation is frightening. If this ability were to suddenly disappear, what would happen to me and my relationships with those who adore me?


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You suddenly turned pale.¡±


    ¡°I just had a bad imagination. It¡¯s something I can¡¯t even think about.¡±


    It¡¯s too late for anything. If I lose my powers and everyone¡¯s trust at the same time, I¡¯ll just do what I can. I¡¯ll just keep on struggling until there¡¯s nothing more I can do.


    As I was saying this, I looked toward the collecting base and saw Aquawill-san and the others pointing their binoculars at the sky. I wondered what they were looking at, but it seemed that they were looking at an earth-like planet¨DOmicrule, I think it was called¨Dthat looked large in the sky.


    ¡°What kind of creatures live on that planet?¡±


    ¡°By ¡°that planet,¡± do you mean Omicrule?¡±


    ¡°I heard that God lives there, right?¡±


    ¡°Eh? I thought people said it was the afterlife.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t they say something about a land of monsters?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all in pieces, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    The three answers came out in three different ways, and I couldn¡¯t help but rush into the conversation. Well, although I can see it, it is only clouds, sea, and land, and in the first place, it is too far away to know what is there. Hmm, too far away to see well.


    ¡°Maybe astronomical observation would be a good idea.¡±


    ¡°Astronomical observation?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Well, maybe after dinner at night.¡±


    There is no entertainment at the collecting base, so we just eat dinner, take a bath, and go to bed when it gets dark. Aside from me and Aquawill-san, who are under protection, the other people who protect us can¡¯t drink and get drunk, so we can¡¯t drink at night. It might be interesting to build a telescope with high magnification and do astronomical observations together. Fortunately, there are no houses around here, so we will be able to see the stars, Omicrule, and Ranicrule, the moon of this world, very well.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯d better get on with my work.¡±


    Once I have collected enough ore, soil, and clay, I must also procure some wood. Since I don¡¯t know how much I will use and there seems to be no limit to the capacity of my inventory at the moment, I will collect enough materials to the extent that it will not cause serious environmental damage.


    Now is the time to be physically active rather than thinking.

 CH 320

    Chapter 320 ¨C Bath Time After Work


    The collecting itself went without a hitch. The three harpies were watching in the sky, three oni girls were my escorts, Grande was watching from the collecting base, and we were protected by the golem turrets set up at the collecting base.


    ¡°Maybe our escort wasn¡¯t needed at all, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°It would have been over before we could have done anything about it.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s just say that we were the last line of defense.¡±


    In the end, the oni girls who never wielded their weapons are complaining, but since we were safe in the end, let¡¯s be happy about that.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just wrap it up with another good day¡¯s work.¡±


    ¡°Aiyo¡±


    Today¡¯s results included a large amount of stone, clay, soil, wood, humus, and materials for the monsters that had appeared. With my ability, even the meat of monsters that are not suitable for eating can be used like normal meat, so the stock of edible meat has also increased. Don¡¯t worry. There is no problem if I use my ability to make steaks or hamburger patties out of the disgusting goblin meat.


    ¡°Did you get a lot of gems this time too?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I got a good amount of metals and gems. Do you want me to dump the gemstones on the table again?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like that!¡±


    Bella¡¯s nose breathes hard, and her eyes sparkle. She is not interested in decorating herself with gemstones, but she loves to look at the sparkling, shiny, colorful piles of rough gemstones.


    ¡°You really¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯m trying to rip you off. I just want to look at the pile of gemstones.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind if you take three or four, not just one or two.¡±


    For me, the main purpose of mining and collecting is to acquire materials such as stones, metals, timber, soil, clay, and gemstones, which are not so versatile as materials and are a by-product or an afterthought with high cash conversion efficiency. They are not something to throw away, but they are not something you want to be too eager to secure. They are also used to make magic sparkling stones and such, but we don¡¯t need that many of them.


    ¡°Thank you for your hard work. I have prepared the bathroom for you.¡±


    When I returned to the collecting base, I was greeted by Leviera. As expected of a maid, she was very thorough. No, she was only dressed as a maid, but in reality, she was a member of the Royal Guard.


    ¡°Thank you. Well then, let¡¯s get in there.¡±


    I was covered in dirt from running around at the foot of the mountain, digging up stones, rocks, and the ground with a pickaxe and shovel. I was sweating a lot, so I decided to take a bath first if they had prepared it for me.


    ¡°But first¡­¡±


    I set up a golem workbench in a suitable place and made a reservation for crafting an astronomical telescope with glass, metal, mechanical parts, and other materials. The telescope would be completed while I was taking a bath.


    ¡°What are you going to make?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll have some fun after dinner. You might see something interesting.¡±


    ¡°???¡±


    Bella is tilting her head, but there¡¯s no need to spoil it now.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go get a bath then.¡±


    ¡°Yes, take your time. I¡¯ll proceed with dinner preparations.¡±


    ¡°Eh? I¡¯ll be the one preparing dinner.¡±


    ¡°Since you did so yesterday, we will prepare dinner for you today. We have prepared the ingredients already.¡±


    ¡°I see. Then, let¡¯s have a feast.¡±


    By the way, were you talking about the food in Aquawill-san¡¯s luggage, which she brought a lot of? It seemed that she was wary of the food I was going to serve but was that a good thing in the end? Leviera and Gerda¡¯s cooking skills are unknown, but since they were originally planning to cook Aquawill-san¡¯s meal, they must be more than good enough.


    ¡°Then I guess it¡¯s time for a bath.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to be able to take a bath on an expedition, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Normally, you can¡¯t take a dip in the water while you have all your gear on, even if there¡¯s a water hole. It¡¯s dangerous.¡±


    ¡°You never know what might be lurking in the water¡­¡±


    Shumel and the others followed me as they talked about the usual adventurer¡¯s tales. It seems that they are planning to take a bath with me as a matter of course. Well, that¡¯s okay.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you even bathe?¡±


    ¡°There might be poisonous monsters or fish in the water, leeches, parasites, and so on.¡±


    ¡°It would be good if the water was safe. It¡¯s not always so convenient to find such a watering hole.¡±


    ¡°It would be alright if there is a magician or someone who can use water magic with you. When you think about drinking water, you can¡¯t use water unnecessarily.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I see.¡±


    If there is a magical tool that can secure safe water on the go, I think it will sell like hotcakes to adventurers and peddlers. I can smell money in the air. I¡¯ll ask the Research and Development Department to develop a portable water-supplying magical tool.


    If air boards become widespread, travel time will be greatly reduced, which may not affect distribution so much, but at present, logistics in this world are supported by carts pulled by horses or other animals. Since animals need more water and food than humans do, the carts are loaded with a considerable amount of water and food. Water, in particular, is very heavy and bulky, so if it can be supplemented with small magical tools, the merchants will be able to carry more cargo.


    Of course, the cost of operation and introduction will be reasonable, but I hope we can keep the price around¡­ which will allow us to expect more profit in total. Well, even if it costs so much that it cannot be used in the private sector, it could be used for military purposes. If water can be provided by it, the burden on logistics will be greatly reduced.


    ¡°¡­Hmm?¡±


    I was soaking in the bathtub before I realized what I was thinking. Moreover, someone¨Dno, it¡¯s definitely one of the oni girls¨Dis holding me from behind. The feeling of something soft pressing down on the back of my head, or rather the side of my head, is wonderful.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯ve noticed, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I wondered what was going on when you suddenly became silent and started thinking about something.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re pretty strange yourself, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    It seems that the oni girls took me into the bath while I was thinking up a plan for a magical tool that would produce water. Funny, I didn¡¯t think I was that absorbed in thinking.


    ¡°It¡¯s rude to call me strange. I was just lost in thought.¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s definitely strange that you were so absorbed in your thoughts that you didn¡¯t notice when we took off your clothes and took you to the bath.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t notice. I just didn¡¯t care. With you girls, I don¡¯t need to be on my guard.¡±


    If a stranger did the same thing to me, I would resist without being absorbed in my thoughts. Maybe.


    ¡°That means you¡¯re open to us, right?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re adventurers who are essentially no different from those thugs, you know.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no point in being evil now.¡±


    I¡¯ve known Shumel for what seems like a long time. At first glance, she seems rough and crude, but she takes pretty good care of me and has a serious attitude toward her work.


    ¡°Won¡¯t you shut up? That¡¯s usually what people say to me.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t want to do that!¡±


    Shumel grabs my torso, which was being held by Bella from behind, with both hands and hugs me directly in front of her with such force that it¡¯s painful. The feel of the attack on my face is wonderful, but I can¡¯t breathe and feel like I¡¯m about to ascend in the true sense, so I tap my arms.


    ¡°Bwah! I¡¯m supposed to be of average build for a man, but when it comes to you girls, I¡¯m treated like a doll.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what happens when it comes to oni and humans, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Tozume gives me a heated look while showing her voraciousness. Yes, her eye is big, so there is tremendous power or pressure in her eye. Don¡¯t hand me over to Tozume, Shumel. Apparently, my physique is to her liking, and Tozume is a little prone to losing control.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get out of the bath quickly before Tozume loses control. It is almost the danger zone.¡±


    ¡°Mufuh¡­ it¡¯s not dangerous at all.¡±


    ¡°Do something about that rough breathing. I¡¯ll leave this place to you and go up as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes¡­ Good grief, well, it can¡¯t be helped; if we let things go, the princess will be sulking.¡±


    ¡°No, I think it¡¯s fine if I just carry you in my arms.¡±


    For some reason, Shumel carried me out of the bath in a princess¡¯s carry. And for some reason, they wiped my head and body and dressed me well. You girls must think I¡¯m just a kid or something.

 CH 321

    Chapter 321 ¨C Stiff Time


    ¡°¡­Filthy.¡±


    When I got out of the bath with Shumel and the others and entered the dining room, I was greeted with a piercing, icy stare. I had expected it, but it was a little uncomfortable to be told that in person.


    ¡°That¡¯s not right.¡±


    However, Bella quickly objected to Aquawill-san¡¯s words. The unexpected turn of events made me look up at Bella¡¯s face.


    ¡°I¡¯ve washed and cleaned him properly in the bathroom. There¡¯s no way he¡¯s filthy!¡±


    She had a huge smug look on her face. Ah, yes. That¡¯s right. It¡¯s true that I have been washed thoroughly, so it¡¯s not right to say that I¡¯m filthy. But no, that¡¯s not it.


    ¡°Well, even if you take it in the princess¡¯s sense, it¡¯s still a strange story. We¡¯re both recognized by Her Majesty the Queen, and it¡¯s our duty as partners to take care of our husbands¡¯ tired bodies after a long day¡¯s work, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about this for a while, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s right for the princess to be so hostile toward Kosuke. Kosuke is innocent. Kosuke just accepted it, and it¡¯s Seraphita-sama and your sister who are the ones who are getting the heat, aren¡¯t it? Kosuke has the depth of heart to accept many, but he is not cunning enough to voluntarily touch a woman in order to strengthen his position and power.¡±


    ¡°Is that supposed to be a compliment¡­?¡±


    It is true that I am not the type of person who would make a move on a woman on my own¡­ But since I ended up with so many women despite my passivity, I think it¡¯s hard to escape the accusation of being a dirty bastard. No, when I think about it, the percentage of women who were taken advantage of me was indeed higher rather than because I voluntarily made a move on them.


    ¡°But I don¡¯t blame him so much. It¡¯s his way of being sweet.¡±


    Even Grande, who was half buried in a pile of cushions and watching us, joins in the conversation.


    ¡°I¡¯m not being sweet¨D¨D¡±


    ¡°Is that so? When I was young, I used to play with my father, smacking him with my tail and biting him. I can only see the same way with Kosuke.¡±


    Grande said, and Aquawill-san fell silent. Silence reigns over the place, and a delicate atmosphere prevails. This is not good. Let¡¯s not do this.


    ¡°Okay, stop! Let¡¯s not talk about this! Let¡¯s eat dinner!¡±


    ¡°T-that¡¯s right. I¡¯ve put all my skill into making this delicious meal!¡±


    I raised my voice to lift the heavy air, and Gerda followed suit. Good, keep it up.


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t have much of an appetite, so if you¡¯ll excuse me.¡±


    But Aquawill-san had left the dining room. Leviera followed her. What did she mean when she gave Gerda a look as she left?


    ¡°Um¡­ Uh, let¡¯s have dinner. Yes.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sure.¡±


    She probably meant to say to take care of this place. If Leviera and Gerda¨Dthe hosts, so to speak¨Dhad to leave, the meal could not begin.


    ¡°Oh¡­ well, let me help you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I lost my temper and said that¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, I think. If she doesn¡¯t like it, she can get out of the castle and go wherever she wants. She lives an elegant princess life with Danna providing everything for her, from food and clothing to shelter and everything else, and yet she continues to look down on him.¡±


    ¡°I think that¡¯s too harsh a statement¡­¡±


    ¡°Danna is too naive. Well, that¡¯s a good thing, though.¡±


    ¡°Is that so¡­?¡±


    It¡¯s nice of you to give me a compliment, but it¡¯s a total headache. I¡¯m trying to somehow reconcile with Aquawill-san, Sylphy¡¯s family, though.


    I wasn¡¯t sure about the taste of the dinner I took while wondering what to do.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    ¡°Now, how is this preparation?¡±


    There was no good plan that came to mind even though I was pondering over it, and I just came to the conclusion that I had no choice but to take a hit-and-run approach. Well, there are some people in the world who are incompatible with each other no matter what, and for Aquawill-san, that might be me. But for me, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the case with Aquawill-san. I have no choice but to do my best to make her understand at least that point.


    So, I prepared for the astronomical observation and waited for Aquawill-san¡¯s arrival. I asked her via Gerda to come to this place after taking a bath because I wanted to show her something. The fact that Gerda and Leviera did not come to tell me of their refusal probably means that they will come.


    I have never done any astronomical observation before, so the preparations themselves are just fine. I prepared a table, two chairs, a notebook for recording, writing materials, and an astronomical telescope.


    All that was left to do was to burn some insect repellent incense, like mosquito coils, and the preparations would be complete. After that, all that remained was to take out hot drinks and snacks from my inventory as needed.


    After waiting for a while, I heard footsteps approaching.


    ¡°Thank you for coming.¡±


    ¡°No problem.¡±


    I can see Aquawill-san¡¯s expression clearly because I have night vision due to the effect of my underground human achievement.


    ¡°Well, I called you here because I made this, and I was wondering if you would like to do some astronomical observation.¡±


    When I said so, Aquawill-san glanced at the astronomical telescope.


    ¡°I see. I apologize for Gerda. I told her that she shouldn¡¯t ask Kosuke-sama to do such a thing because it would be too impolite.¡±


    ¡°Gerda? No, she didn¡¯t say anything.¡±


    What is she talking about? From the way she was talking, Aquawill-san seemed to think that I had built the telescope at Gerda¡¯s request.


    ¡°Gerda must have asked Kosuke-sama to do it, didn¡¯t she? Oh, did you find out from Gerda that I was interested in a tool that would allow me to see the Omicrule better?¡±


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t hear anything from Gerda, and I didn¡¯t ask anything out of her. I swear to you. I just happened to notice Aquawill-san and the others looking at the sky with binoculars while I was working during the day, and that¡¯s when I decided to make the telescope. When I heard about Omicrule from Shumel and the others, I also became curious about what can be seen in Omicrule.¡±


    ¡°¡­I see.¡±


    I don¡¯t know if she was truly convinced from the bottom of her heart, but at any rate, she has lost the intention of inquiring any further about the reason for building the telescope here. It¡¯s really just a coincidence. Well, if it bothers you, you can ask Gerda later or something.


    ¡°Yeah. This is an astronomical telescope, which has a much higher magnification than the binoculars I gave you during the day¨Din other words, a telescope that allows you to clearly see things at a distance. So, the purpose of this is to observe Omicrule with this telescope.¡±


    ¡°I understand the purpose. But why is it that it is just the two of us?¡±


    The color of caution is strong in Aquawill-san¡¯s eyes as she stares at me. Well, it is natural to be wary of a man who has entangled her family members one after another when invited to meet alone with a person like that in the dark.


    ¡°I simply wanted to talk to you in private in a place where we don¡¯t have to worry about being overheard. It would make it easier for me to express my true feelings.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Well, let¡¯s leave it to the flow whether we have such a real talk or not, and let¡¯s use the astronomical telescope first. Truth be told, I¡¯m excited to see what I can see in Omicrule.¡±


    Maybe there are people living in Omicrule. I don¡¯t know if this telescope will capture any signs of human habitation or other interesting things. Just the fact that we might be able to see something is exciting.


    So, with Aquawill-san looking at me from a distance like a wary kitten, I pointed the telescope toward Omicrule, which was far away in the sky.

 CH 322

    Chapter 322 ¨C Astronomical Observation


    The telescope I built with my crafting abilities was a lightweight one with a diameter of 50 mm. Omicrule is an astronomical object that appears much larger than the moon in my former world, so it will probably be possible to observe it with this telescope in a good way. The telescope comes with a set of mounts, and the operation itself does not seem to be too difficult.


    I mean, this is¨D¨D.


    ¡°You seem to be very familiar with it. Have you ever handled such a tool before?¡±


    ¡°No, this is my first time. It seems that my ability includes the ¡®proper¡¯ use of the tools I make. Even tools that I have never handled myself, I am able to handle them without any problems.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s so.¡±


    While having such a conversation, I adjusted the telescope as my body moved and pointed the tip of the telescope at Omicrule. The rest is just a matter of looking through the telescope and fine-tuning it, and the preparations are complete.


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s see what we can see.¡±


    I looked at Omicrule through the telescope with great enthusiasm, but I could not find anything that looked like an obvious man-made object. Well, it would not be so easy to find, and it is doubtful that we have enough magnification to find such things in the first place. However, the clouds in Omicrule and the colors of the land and sea are clearly distinguishable, and the difference in colors makes it clear whether the area is a desert or a mountainous region. Above all, it is interesting to see a clear green area¨Dperhaps a forest or something.


    ¡°I see; that¡¯s interesting. Here you go, Aquawill-san.¡±


    ¡°¡­Then, if you¡¯ll excuse me.¡±


    I moved away from the telescope and pointed to it with my hand, and Aquawill-san began to look through it as I did. She must have been watching me operate the telescope. With a steady hand, she was changing the direction of the telescope in detail and observing the Omicrule at the end of the sky.


    As I watched her profile, I thought about what I had just seen through the telescope.


    I knew before looking through the telescope that Omicrule has land and sea. This alone would have raised expectations for the existence of life, but as a result of the observation through the telescope, I could see what appeared to be a forest on the land. The existence of forests means the existence of plants. If plants exist, it would not be surprising if insects and animals exist, and there is a good possibility that intelligent life forms exist.


    Perhaps what appeared to be a forest or something else may be entirely different, though. Someday, when the internal and external situation surrounding the Merinard Kingdom settles down, it might be a good idea to launch an Omicrule exploration project. Well, it would be a long time before I could get my hands on that.


    ¡°What do you have in mind?¡±


    ¡°Lots of things. I thought that there might be some kind of creature because I could see the sea and the land, and on the land, I could see some kind of forest¡­ and there might be an intelligent life form that has culture and wisdom, like the people on this planet, that is to say.¡±


    ¡°I see. There have been many legends about Omicrule since ancient times. It is said to be the home of the gods, the afterlife, and a land of evil where vicious monsters abound.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I remember Shumel and the others saying something like that. That¡¯s why I¡¯m interested in it.¡±


    I don¡¯t want to talk about how I want to reach out to explore Omicrule someday. It¡¯s really in the conception stage, or at least in the realm of fantasy.


    ¡°¡­Perhaps you may be able to reach out to Omicrule someday.¡±


    Aquawill-san¡¯s words were very abrupt, but I was just thinking about it, so I was somewhat taken aback. Aquawill-san stared at me as if she could sense my feelings.


    ¡°Sylphiel and the others may have done a lot of work, but it was you, in effect, who broke the grip of the Holy Kingdom from the Merinard Kingdom. Of course, there is a limit to what you can do alone, but even so, without you, the situation would not be what it is today.¡±


    ¡°I think you are right. Without me, it would have been difficult for the Liberation Army to cross the Great Omit Wilderness.¡±


    Most of them probably would not have even survived the great assault of Gizma. Even if they had escaped to the depths of the Black Forest, they still would not have survived. Even if they had sacrificed a lot to survive Gizma¡¯s attack, their greatly reduced numbers would have had a tremendous negative impact on their subsequent activities.


    ¡°If you wanted to, wouldn¡¯t it be possible for you to wipe out all the surrounding countries?¡±


    ¡°Hmm? I doubt it. I don¡¯t think it would be easy to conquer and rule. It might be possible to just destroy them.¡±


    I think it is possible if we use magic sparkling stone bombs and golems with zero dead weight. The result would be a magical pollution zone where not only people cannot live, but also no plants can grow.


    ¡°If only to destroy it¡­ Either way, it¡¯s a tremendous power.¡±


    Aquawill-san let out a sigh and looked at the Omicrule floating above while sitting on the other chair.


    ¡°With such power, I¡¯m sure I¡¯m insignificant to you. No matter how defiant I am to you, you probably think I¡¯m nothing more than a kitten or something fussing at your feet, right?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t recall being that presumptuous¡­ about seeing you as insignificant. As for me, I¡¯ve been honest and sincere with you all along.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but laugh at Aquawill-san¡¯s words. What can I say? This princess has a sneaky nature despite her appearance.


    ¡°Honest and sincere, huh¡­? I guess so if that¡¯s what you think.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a tricky thing to say.¡±


    It sounds as if she swallowed the words, ¡°For you, maybe.¡± Well, I had a feeling that she didn¡¯t like me, so I tried not to approach her too casually. Oh no, maybe that was the wrong thing to do.


    ¡°Well, from now on, I would like to try to communicate more closely or smoothly with you. Yes.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The conversation did not continue, but the stinginess toward me seemed to lessen slightly. I don¡¯t know if the day will ever come when Aquawill-san opens up to me, but for now, I¡¯ll be satisfied with this. This kind of thing is not something that can be dealt with in one fell swoop.

 CH 323

    Chapter 323 ¨C A Journey of a Thousand Miles Begins with a Single Step


    Although we did not engage in lively conversation, Aquawill-san and I continued to quietly observe the Omicrule. Although we did not have a specific plan, while I was looking through the telescope, Aquawill-san wrote down what I saw and thought in a notebook I had prepared, and while Aquawill-san was looking through the telescope, I wrote down the same in the notebook.


    Neither Aquawill-san nor I knew anything about astronomy or astronomical observation techniques, so what we were doing was amateurish and random. However, it seemed to me that it was a quiet but somehow comfortable time.


    ¡°I can¡¯t find any traces.¡±


    ¡°Right. If there were to be found, it would have to be near the coast, near a large river, or near a lake.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because in my world, civilizations have originated in such places. People need a large source of water to live. For drinking water, agricultural water, and other domestic uses. In addition, if you are near the coast, you can secure food by fishing. Also, a big river brings fertile soil every time it floods or something like that.¡±


    ¡°I see. That makes sense.¡±


    Aquawill-san nodded and began to move the telescope around. I think Iphrita is the same way, but Aquawill-san may be the type of person who is intellectually curious. Sylphy seems to like to move her body more than that, though. As for Driada-san, I¡¯m not sure about her¡­ I¡¯ll talk to Driada next time, too, slowly.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a big river?¡±


    ¡°Which one?¡±


    I sat up from my chair and went to the side of the astronomical telescope. Aquawill-san urged me to look through the telescope, so I looked through it without hesitation. Although it was difficult to discern, I thought I could see what looked like a gently curving line on the land.


    ¡°Certainly, that could be a river. If it is visible at this scale, it might be a very big river.¡±


    ¡°Yes, exactly. How big could it possibly be?¡±


    ¡°Well, if I knew the distance to Omicrule, I would be able to calculate it, but unfortunately, I don¡¯t have much knowledge in that area.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not as reliable as I thought, are you?¡±


    ¡°There are things I don¡¯t know either¡­¡±


    For survival, I had some knowledge of stargazing and knowing the direction of the sky, but not serious astronomical observation or astronomy knowledge. To be honest, it didn¡¯t interest me much¡­ I remember I looked up guns and food preservation-related knowledge in great detail because I was interested in it.


    ¡°Maybe I should build a telescope more suitable for observing Omicrule.¡±


    ¡°A suitable telescope?¡±


    ¡°Yes. A bigger, clearer telescope. In my world, there was a telescope facility that had a much larger size than this one.¡±


    ¡°Facility¡­?¡±


    Aquawill-san tilted her head and gave me a confused look. She probably can¡¯t imagine it.


    ¡°Yes, yes. There is an observatory with a huge astronomical telescope in a facility about the size of this collection center. The latest astronomical telescopes don¡¯t use lenses like these, but instead, send out something like invisible magic waves and observe the reflections from them.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ That¡¯s an interesting story.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure there are scholars in this world who study Omicrule and astronomical navigation, and it might be possible to invite such people to talk to them or, in some cases, to sponsor them. I can¡¯t move right now because I have a lot of matters to deal with, but if Aquawill-san is interested, why don¡¯t you try to make a move yourself?¡±


    ¡°Me?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I think it would be good for Aquawill-san to listen to such people and learn from them yourself. I will support you with these observation devices and financial support.¡±


    ¡°¡­Do you think you can win me over with money and other things?¡±


    I shook my hands and head in denial as Aquawill-san gave me the cold shoulder.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have time to study astronomy or Omicrule myself, but I am interested in knowing what is or is not in Omicrule. If you are interested in such things and can devote your time in that direction, I will support it in terms of goods and money. In return, I would like you to share the results with me. In other words, I want to build a cooperative relationship with you.¡±


    ¡°In other words, you want to use me to satisfy your own intellectual curiosity.¡±


    ¡°I think that¡¯s an overly malicious interpretation¡­ Well, I guess that¡¯s not wrong either.¡±


    I know I can¡¯t improve our relationship in one fell swoop, but even so, I think Aquawill-san is being too stubborn. It would be nice if she could be a little nicer to me.


    ¡°There is nothing harmful in this story for me, and that¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°Splendid. Then, let¡¯s start by presenting the princess with this telescope.¡±


    ¡°¡­I won¡¯t be lured by material things.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because I have almost no intention of doing so.¡±


    ¡°Almost¡­? So it¡¯s not entirely clear?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I have zero ulterior motive for wanting to help improve relations. But it is also a powerful weapon to request cooperation from astronomers and Omicrule researchers, and I think it is necessary. You might use it for the purpose of giving to such people, so I¡¯ll make two more sets and give them to you when we return to Merinesburg. By all means, put them to good use.¡±


    Aquawill-san stares at me with icy cold eyes as if she is on maximum alert at my words about not having any ulterior motives. Yeah, I¡¯m getting used to that stare. Maybe I¡¯m starting to feel a little better.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s fine. You use me, and I use you. We¡¯ll agree that it¡¯s a mutually beneficial relationship.¡±


    ¡°Yay.¡±


    For the time being, I was honestly happy that it was a step forward. But she¡¯s like a very cautious cat, really.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough for today. The people watching over us will probably be bored.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know¨D¨DHmm?¡±


    Watching over us, huh? No, well, it¡¯s only natural that they don¡¯t leave Aquawill-san and me completely alone. Especially since she is an unmarried lady. Perhaps one of the harpies, one of the oni girls, or maybe Leviera is watching over us. I have no idea.


    ¡°Then I guess we¡¯ll be leaving.¡±


    ¡°Yes, thank you very much for today. I know it was only yesterday and today, but I think I was able to understand a little bit about what kind of person you are.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that. Although I am not sure if I have been able to understand Aquawill-san better, I will try not to neglect my efforts to try to understand you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. I suppose we should do that, both of us.¡±


    I could not detect any hostility toward me in Aquawill-san¡¯s face as she looked up at Omicrule. I would be happy if I could improve my relationship with her, even if only somewhat, through this collecting expedition.


    Now that I¡¯ve accumulated enough resources, it¡¯s time to get busy. Before I start running around, I need to check on the progress of the merchants¡¯ guild and the adventurers¡¯ guild, and I also need to see if Iphrita and Isla have made any progress with the mana traps. I also want to check on Ellen and the others and get in touch with the harpies. There¡¯s a lot to do.

 CH 324

    Chapter 324 ¨C Return Report and Family Services


    ¡°So, did you get along with Aqua-aneesama?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t say we¡¯ve completely reconciled, but I think we¡¯ve made progress, at least a step or two.¡±


    The day after finishing the astronomical observation with Aquawill-san. After withdrawing from the collecting base, we returned smoothly to Merinesburg around noon that day and disbanded at the royal castle in Merinesburg. I went straight to the office where Sylphy was working and reported on my activities at the collecting base.


    ¡°A step or two, huh¡­?¡±


    Melty, who had been wrestling with a stack of papers together with Sylphy, gave me a glare.


    ¡°There was no development of any kind that Melty had in mind. It was as if we had gone from being unapproachable to being able to communicate. I felt like I was dealing with a cat that was extremely cautious.¡±


    ¡°One Aqua-aneesama gets stubborn¡­¡±


    Sylphy smiles bitterly. I looked at her with a cold stare.


    ¡°I don¡¯t blame Sylphy and the others, in case you¡¯re wondering, but wouldn¡¯t it be better to have good communication with the family at least once? Frankly speaking, Aquawill-san seemed to be quite antagonistic toward the family, who seemed to be dominated by me early on and disrespected Ixwill-san.¡±


    ¡°Aqua-aneesama was especially fond of Father¡­ so I think I will take the opportunity to discuss this with Mother and my sisters.¡±


    ¡°That would be good. It would be too sad now that you¡¯ve finally gotten to spend time together as a family again, only to have things fall apart because of me.¡±


    In fact, it¡¯s strange that I¡¯m so popular since I don¡¯t even have the looks of a handsome man. The view of marriage or love in this world is very unique. Compared to Earth. I still can¡¯t get used to it.


    ¡°Kosuke-san is a sinful man, isn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°Eh¡­ are you saying I¡¯m a bad guy?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that you¡¯re a bad guy. It¡¯s just that you are a sinful man.¡±


    Melty said that and giggled. What does that mean?


    ¡°By the way, have you gathered enough materials?¡±


    ¡°That part is all taken care of. As long as I can get the materials I need when I go to the site to clear the land, I should have no problem for a while. If necessary, I can procure them locally.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. The conversation is progressing steadily. We will have them mobilized within a week at the earliest.¡±


    ¡°Roger that. Oh, and I got some more rough gemstones as a byproduct¡­¡±


    ¡°Kosuke is free to use it¨Dah, no, it would be a problem if it was scattered around too much, but anyway, Kosuke can use it. It is not healthy for a country to rely too much on Kosuke when it is already so dependent on him.¡±


    Sylphy shook her head with a wry smile. Melty seemed to want to say something but seemed to not dare to disagree with Sylphy¡¯s words. Well, the budget should be as good as you can get it, right? Sylphy is saying this, but I¡¯ll talk to Melty about it secretly later.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    After talking with Sylphy and the others, I checked on Ellen and Amalie-san, then visited the harpies¡¯ mansion that I had newly built and played with the children¨Dor rather, I was overrun and returned to the Research and Development Department in a state of rags and tatters. This is what happens when you choose family service before work!


    ¡°Kosuke, you look tattered. Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you take it easy and get some rest?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. No problem.¡±


    As soon as I arrived, Isla and Iphrita were worried about me¨DIphrita looked rather stunned¨Dbut I¡¯m a strong lad, so I tried to be strong. Well, I just got excessive skinship from the kids. Nothing to be ashamed of.


    ¡°How¡¯s the analysis going at the cathedral?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s reasonably well. But we still haven¡¯t got the whole picture yet.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a huge magical device of some sort. It is a type of device that functions only when the entire system is in place. It is doubtful that the people who are making it understand the extent to which they are doing so.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s unfortunate that analyzing only a part of the device is meaningless by itself. It will take a long time to analyze it, modify it, and miniaturize it.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    Where in the world did the craftsmen of the Holy Kingdom learn the art of building such a huge facility with such complex functions? The Holy Kingdom is a very strange place.


    ¡°Oh yes, I was thinking of visiting the merchants¡¯ guild and the adventurers¡¯ guild tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Right. Then I will accompany you.¡±


    ¡°Mm¡­ I¡¯ll go too.¡±


    As if in response to Iphrita¡¯s natural declaration that she would accompany me, Isla also offered to go with me. I¡¯ve been with Iphrita since the last time, so it was helpful, but Isla is¡­ well, it¡¯s okay.


    ¡°What are you going to do if you follow us? Well, it¡¯s okay.¡±


    It seems that Iphrita had almost the same impression as I did, but Isla didn¡¯t care about that and gave me the eye. Ayla has a big eye, so the pressure is strong.


    ¡°It is necessary to have an escort. Kosuke has a track record of being tricked and taken away.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m very sorry about that matter, yes.¡±


    I can¡¯t say anything about being kidnapped by Qubi, to be honest. It was a very unintentional move. I had no choice but to surrender to the topic.


    ¡°Ah, come to think of it, I heard something like that happened. Certainly, you need an escort. You don¡¯t look very strong, after all.¡±


    ¡°Right. I¡¯m just a powerless common folk, you know.¡±


    ¡°Doubt.¡±


    Isla gave me an instant doubt, but I don¡¯t think my own fighting ability is probably much of a factor. I think it would be easy for me to quickly approach and neutralize them before they could react. To be honest, I don¡¯t think I can beat Melty, Ms. Zamir, Sir Leonard, Shumel, and others, and probably Sylphy, too, at least not at close range. If the distance is open, I might be able to manage it.


    ¡°But Isla is the escort¡­? No, I¡¯m not complaining, okay?¡±


    I hurriedly explained in my defense as Isla gave me a jittery look.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t know anything about them, they probably don¡¯t look as strong as they appear. Even so, the one-eyed People have small bodies and look powerless. But one-eyed mages are not inferior to elven archers, spirit warriors, and warriors of the oni or beastmen races¨Din fact, in some cases, they are even more feared.¡±


    ¡°I see. Well, Isla¡¯s magic is amazing.¡±


    I¡¯ve only seen Isla fight a few times, but she was instantly unleashing powerful lightning strikes to reap the Gizma and the undead. Instantly unleashing instantaneous death-grade lightning strike magic, or so it might indeed be amazing if you think about it.


    ¡°A genius mage is always prepared. The thugs, adventurers, and assassins who try to get in Kosuke¡¯s way are no better than goblins in my eyes.¡±


    ¡°Being targeted by an assassin is¡­ I don¡¯t remember anything like that.¡±


    Since I am already active on a large scale, the Holy Kingdom is probably aware of the information about me. If there is anyone in the Holy Kingdom with a sane judgment, it is not surprising that they would consider kidnapping me or assassinating me.


    ¡°That sounds dangerous. You really should be more careful about your surroundings.¡±


    ¡°I think that¡¯s true not only for me but for Iphrita and Isla as well.¡±


    ¡°I basically never leave the castle. As long as I¡¯m here, I¡¯m safe with Lime and the others.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Safe.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll take care of you?¡±


    Isla nodded to Iphrita¡¯s words, and a light blue, glistening object sprang up from somewhere and bounced around. Today¡¯s Lime seems to be in the form of a light blue kuzumanjuu* about the size of a handful. [T/n: ball of bean paste covered with a kudzu starch glaze.]


    ¡°How is it really? Are there any assassins or spy-like things?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, no one these days, you know?¡±


    ¡°There was a lot in the first six months, though.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a goodbye from darkness to darkness, you know-nodesu?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s scary.¡±


    Not only Lime but also Beth and Poizo came out and began to reveal the dark side of the castle. It seems that all the suspicious people who trespassed into the castle were captured and killed by the slime girls who sprang up from somewhere.


    ¡°The Holy Kingdom is actually amazing for defeating a castle guarded by Lime and the others like this, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°¡­Nothing great about it.¡±


    ¡°They were just cowardly and vile. There is nothing to praise.¡±


    ¡°I understand it somehow. Let¡¯s not talk about it.¡±


    I saw the fire of hatred light up in Iphrita¡¯s eyes, and Isla¡¯s eye stagnate in darkness, and I understood. Lime and the others are not allowed to leave the castle by contract. Perhaps the Holy Kingdom has committed atrocities beyond the reach of Lime and the others. I think someone once said something about using people as shields.


    ¡°Well, tomorrow, we will move in that direction. Also, I¡¯ve got a lot of materials from the latest digging, so I¡¯ll make them available to the Research and Development Department.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s great.¡±


    ¡°¡­Whew. It is really a luxury to be able to do research with such an abundance of magical metals and gems.¡±


    ¡°Kosuke, did you bring any souvenirs?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes, yes. Souvenirs. Yes, I do.¡±


    The mithril and gemstones, as well as monster materials, monster cores, and monster corpses themselves that were acquired on the collecting trip, were taken out of the inventory and given to Isla and the others.


    They usually act like they don¡¯t particularly care, but I guess they have deep-seated ill feelings toward the Holy Kingdom. An irreconcilable enemy, huh? In a world where many species have a longer lifespan than humans, it seems that a period of about 20 years is not enough time for the resentment to fade away. In that sense, I am an outsider in both good and bad ways, as I do not share the same grudge against the Holy Kingdom with Iphrita and Isla.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do¡­¡±


    ¡°Kosuke?


    ¡°Yeah? Ah, I¡¯m talking to myself.


    ¡°¡­..?¡±


    Isla tilted her head at my answer. There¡¯s nothing I can do about this one by consulting with them. Well, I guess we¡¯ll just have to be patient with this problem. I don¡¯t want to say to the wise that revenge is pointless. The question is, where do we find the solution?

 CH 325

    Chapter 325 ¨C Revisiting the Merchant¡¯s Guild


    The next day.


    Me, Iphrita, and Isla headed for the merchant¡¯s guild. We traveled in the luxurious box-shaped carriage that we often use these days to get around in Merinesburg.


    ¡°It was nostalgic.¡±


    ¡°Nostalgic? Ah, it¡¯s been 20 years since you¡¯ve been in one of these.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm. The carriages we rode in during the march weren¡¯t this soft and comfortable.¡±


    ¡°Ah, riding in that carriage¡­ my butt was sore.¡±


    When I was active as a member of the Liberation Army, there was a fair amount of horse-drawn carriage travel. The road was almost uneven, and the suspension was not very good, so in the early days, I got my butt hurt a lot. In comparison, these horse-drawn carriages have less vibration, and the seats are soft and comfortable. The quality has improved tremendously.


    While we were talking like this, the luxury box-shaped carriage with us on board arrived at the merchants¡¯ guild. Since we had been informed of our visit to the merchants¡¯ guild yesterday, we were smoothly ushered into the reception room in the inner part of the building.


    ¡°Thank you for waiting.¡±


    We took our seats and were served tea and snacks, and a little later, Floyd-shi appeared. He was accompanied by another male staff member who looked older than me. He had a thick paper document in his hand.


    ¡°We both have someone here whom we¡¯ve never met before. Her name is Isla. She is the chief mage of the Merinard Kingdom. In addition to being the chief of the mages, she is also the head of the Research and Development Department of the Kingdom of Merinard.¡±


    ¡°Well, well¡­ I am always indebted to you.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Floyd-shi bowed with a smile, and Isla also nodded her head.


    ¡°Ara? I thought you two had never met?¡±


    ¡°No, this is indeed the first time we have met in this way.¡±


    ¡°I have used the merchants¡¯ guild many times to procure materials and documents for use in the Research and Development Department.¡±


    ¡°I see. So that¡¯s it.¡±


    I also provide various resources to the Research and Development Department, but it doesn¡¯t mean that the amount I supply is enough to cover everything, does it?


    ¡°Well then, this is¡­¡±


    Saying that, Floyd-shi turned his attention to the male employee sitting next to him, who nodded and opened his mouth.


    ¡°I¡¯m Wells from the Merchants Association. Floyd has entrusted me with the management of the assets entrusted to the merchant guild by His Excellency Kosuke and the strengthening of cooperation with the adventurers¡¯ guild. I look forward to working with you.¡±


    Saying that, he bowed his head. Wells-shi is a human male in his prime. He is about the same height as me but has a thicker body. He is well-trained, or rather, he has a toned body. If he were wearing armor instead of the elegant clothes he wears now, he might be described as a soldier or an adventurer.


    ¡°Wells is a trained peddler. He has a wide network of contacts, and when he was working as a peddler, he often asked the adventurers¡¯ guild for escort services. We decided to entrust him with this project because of his wealth of experience in the field.¡±


    ¡°I see. I can see why you chose him.¡±


    ¡°Right. I¡¯m an amateur when it comes to business, so I can rest assured that a professional in that field is taking on this role. How is the plan actually progressing?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I will explain it to you. First of all, please take a look at these materials.¡±


    Saying that, Wells-shi handed me a paper document. Hmm, paper. It doesn¡¯t seem to be of very good quality, but it¡¯s probably plant paper. It does not seem to be parchment paper. But the writing itself seems to be handwritten. Did he prepare this for today? Maybe they contacted him yesterday and told him to have this ready for today, or maybe they made him do something very unreasonable.


    ¡°His Excellency Kosuke¡¯s wish was to secure work opportunities for the subhumans who are unemployed and to prevent the deterioration of public security while at the same time stimulating the economy, but as an organization, the merchant association cannot blatantly give preferential treatment to subhumans alone. Therefore, we decided to use the assets provided by His Excellency Kosuke to start a new loan program with more relaxed interest rates and conditions than the previous one.¡±


    ¡°I see. Well, it is a convincing story. And if you explicitly favor subhumans, there is a possibility that humans will develop bad feelings toward them. In some cases, that might discredit the merchant association as a whole.¡±


    ¡°Yes, in that sense, we felt that the aid package had to be fair, regardless of whether it was for humans or subhumans.¡±


    Wells-shi nodded and said so, slurring his words and explaining the actual number of loans, the details of the business of the merchants who received the loans, and the projected future change in the assets under management. As an outsider, I must confess that there were some things I didn¡¯t understand, but I could tell that the plan was progressing smoothly. At least as far as what was explained to me was concerned.


    ¡°Next, the cooperation with the adventurers¡¯ guild is progressing well. The number of peddlers who have started their own businesses through loans has increased, and requests for merchant escorts are on the rise, which seems to have restored vitality to the adventurers¡¯ guild. In addition, the equipment loan proposed by His Excellency Kosuke has begun on a trial basis, and so far, it seems to be operating smoothly.¡±


    ¡°I see. I was going to ask about that over there when I went to the adventurer¡¯s guild, but it¡¯s good to hear that the merchants¡¯ guild also thinks it¡¯s running smoothly.¡±


    Third-party evaluations are very important. However, if I actually go to the adventurers¡¯ guild and ask them about it, there may be some problems.


    ¡°Is there any need to add to the assets under management?¡±


    ¡°We have enough money to invest at the present time, but the larger the capital, the more daring we can be in our investments.¡±


    ¡°I see. The more money you have in your pocket, the more bold you can be with your investments. If you release too much, the price will collapse.¡±


    ¡°The supply of mithril is not keeping up with the demand, so the price will not fall too far. The same goes for gemstones. The price may fall a little, but I don¡¯t think it will fall so far as to be called a collapse. However, if you don¡¯t like the idea of prices going down, how about other magic metals?¡±


    ¡°I can get black steel, magic iron, and magic steel.¡±


    ¡°Black steel is a difficult metal to use, but magic iron and magic steel are as much in demand as jewelry as a commodity. Especially now that weapons are selling well throughout the country.¡±


    ¡°Weapons are selling well, huh? Is it a good thing or a bad thing?¡±


    If weapons are selling well, it means that there are many situations in which weapons are needed¨Dor that many people think they should have weapons. In other words, there are many people who are concerned about security.


    ¡°A large amount of magic iron and steel is a strategic commodity. It would be better not to flood the market with them at Kosuke¡¯s discretion.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s also true. As for the magic iron and steel, please wait for Her Majesty the Queen and the Prime Minister to make a decision before proceeding. I will leave some of them here as samples so that you can see what kind of quality they are.¡±


    Saying that, I took out the ingots of magic iron and magic steel from my inventory and put them on the table. Ten of each should be enough. With these, you can make five or six swords and twice as many daggers and spears. This amount of steel would not be a strategic supply.


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡°I understand your feelings. Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me¡­¡±


    Floyd-shi reaches out his hand to the magic iron and steel ingot and begins to observe it, smiling at Wells-shi, who is stiffening at the sight of the ingot of magic iron and steel that suddenly appears from nowhere with a thud. He even taps the ingot with a small metal hammer-like object that he retrieved from somewhere and listens carefully to the sound. I wonder if he can tell the quality of the ingot from that.


    ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s of excellent quality. There is hardly any irregularity, if at all, and this clear tone¡­ is something you can¡¯t hear with an impure ingot.¡±


    Floyd-shi inspects all the ingots and nods deeply.


    ¡°There is no difference in the quality of each ingot. In all my long years as a merchant, I¡¯ve never seen ingots like this.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just because I¡¯m special.¡±


    ¡°I suppose you are. That is why I urge you to be very careful with your surroundings. I am sure that the information about Your Excellency Kosuke has been passed on to the Holy Kingdom.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your advice. I will keep that in mind.¡±


    I nodded at Floyd-shi¡¯s words. However, both Sylphy and Melty are taking the utmost care for my safety, and even today, Isla is accompanying me as my escort. Although I have not visually confirmed it, the harpies are probably watching over me, and Shumel and the others are probably standing nearby to protect me. I am not going to let my guard down myself, so I am sure that everything is in order.

 CH 326

    Chapter 326 ¨C Raid


    ¡°Actually, what do you think? Do you think they would publicly assassinate me at a time when they are about to make peace with us?¡±


    I asked Isla and Iphrita in the carriage on the way to the adventurers¡¯ guild.


    From my point of view, it would be a bad idea to try to assassinate me, who has a close relationship with the higher-ups in the Merinard Kingdom, at a time when diplomatic negotiations were in progress, even though they had temporarily broken down.


    ¡°That¡¯s a bit naive, isn¡¯t it? Even the Holy Kingdom is not monolithic, so we should be vigilant.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. If there are forces that want to make peace, there must also be forces that are absolutely unwilling to make peace and want to fight to the bitter end. For those forces, Kosuke is a target they want to get rid of at all costs.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    The hawks, which could be called belligerents, are losing power now that we have beaten them to a pulp, so the doves, who are peacemakers, are in control, but the hawks may move to assassinate me, thinking they can pull off a reversal.


    ¡°You¡¯re missing the point, aren¡¯t you? You¡¯re really a peace-lover.¡±


    ¡°To me, assassination and plotting are basically a story in a game or a tale. Especially when it comes to being targeted myself.¡±


    People who are on the lookout for assassinations on a daily basis are just plain weird. It can¡¯t be helped.


    As I was thinking this, the carriage came to a sudden stop, and the outside suddenly became noisy.


    ¡°Eh? Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s because of the rumors?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ll go outside and see what¡¯s happening. Kosuke and the princess will stay here.¡±


    Saying that, Isla jumped out of the carriage¨Dsomething flew at high speed and pierced Isla.


    ¡°I can see through it.¡±


    With a clank, something hard falls to the cobblestones and rolls away. The one that looked as if it had pierced Isla was actually caught without being pierced.


    ¡°Kosuke must not come out.¡±


    Saying that, Isla tightened the door of the box-shaped carriage behind her. At that moment, I saw something that had fallen on the cobblestones. It was a short, thick arrow used for a crossbow.


    ¡°Damn it!¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t. You might end up dragging her down, so the escort target should stay quiet.¡±


    Iphrita stopped me by pulling the hem of my dress as I was about to take out my handgun from the shortcut and jump out of the carriage.


    ¡°Kuh¡­ but that doesn¡¯t mean I should put Isla in danger¨D¨D¡±


    Just as I was about to argue with her, I heard a series of violent rumbling noises coming from outside the carriage. It was probably the sound of thunderbolt magic fired by Isla.


    ¡°It¡¯s over.¡±


    With a thud, Isla opened the door and returned to the carriage. Eh, that was quick, wasn¡¯t it? Isn¡¯t it too easy?


    ¡°The assassins fell all over the place. I think some of them are still alive, so I¡¯ll leave the rest to the people on the outside.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by the people outside¡­?¡±


    When I opened the window of the box-shaped carriage and looked out, I saw Shumel and the others tying up the assassins, who still had a thin white smoke coming out of their bodies, and I also saw some of the harpies. I could also see some guards.


    ¡°Those guys might commit suicide, so make sure you put stuffing in their mouths, too. You contact the castle and tell them to prepare a cure and antidote, too.¡±


    ¡°I-I understand. I will contact them immediately.¡±


    A brown-feathered harpy named Flamme flies away after hearing Shumel¡¯s instructions. Maybe she noticed my gaze, but after seeing it off, Shumel waved her hand in the air as if to say don¡¯t worry about it. It seemed she was escorting me from the shadows, after all.


    ¡°We headed for the adventurers¡¯ guild as planned. There are a lot of subhumans there now, so human strangers will stand out, and if anything goes wrong, the bloodthirsty adventurers will intervene. Not a good place for an assassination.¡±


    ¡°Y-yes!¡±


    I don¡¯t know if it was a mouse, a squirrel, or a hamster, but the beastman of that type, who was acting as the coachman, replied to Isla in a frightened voice and began to move the carriage forward.


    ¡°Isla, are you hurt? Is everything alright?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Nothing has reached me. I¡¯ve prevented it with my new barrier magic.¡±


    Saying that, Isla took out an arrow from under her robe¨Da short arrow for a crossbow.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what it is, but there¡¯s something coated on the arrow¡¯s tip. Probably poison. I want Kosuke to keep it in your inventory.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    I received the crossbow¡¯s short arrow from Isla and put it in my inventory. When I looked at the data displayed in the inventory, it showed ¡°Crossbow arrow (Basilisk poison applied).¡±


    ¡°It seems to be coated with basilisk poison.¡±


    ¡°I see. That saved us the trouble.¡±


    ¡°But a crossbow, huh¡­? I never thought a Holy Kingdom assassin would be using a crossbow.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. But some adventurers are already using them. It is not surprising.¡±


    The crossbow itself is the official equipment of the Merinard Royal Army, so a good number of them have already been deployed.


    The Royal Army¡¯s units also engage in monster cleanups in various parts of the country, so there is a good chance that crossbows will be seen by the general public. It has already been confirmed that copies of crossbows are being sold to adventurers, so it is not surprising that assassins have obtained crossbows.


    ¡°Well, that too.¡±


    ¡°From the way it felt when I received it, it wasn¡¯t as powerful as the ones supplied to the military. Probably not made by Kosuke or used by the military. It was made by a craftsman in some town who was just imitating what they saw.¡±


    ¡°I see. I¡¯d like to examine it in detail later¡­ but I never thought I¡¯d really be attacked by an assassin.¡±


    ¡°It was a wonder that it had never happened before. We should be more careful from now on.¡±


    ¡°I agree. Especially since your life is not yours alone anymore.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind. No one else was hurt, right?¡±


    ¡°They had to stop the wagon by breaking up the luggage and lumber. A few people were hurt, but the guards gave them first aid right away, and Shumel arranged for them to be treated. There were no fatalities other than the assassins.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    At any rate, it¡¯s fortunate that there were no deaths other than the assassins, but I suppose we should give generous support to those who were injured as collateral damage. I will personally make arrangements to remember that when I get back to the castle.


    ¡°I should probably refrain from going out into the city.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re worried about that, you won¡¯t be able to do anything.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, you worry too much.¡±


    Iphrita and Isla both deny my words. It¡¯s true that it¡¯s annoying to be cooped up in fear of the assassin¡¯s shadow because it makes you feel like you¡¯re losing, but if it involves the general public, it¡¯s not a good idea. No, wait?


    ¡°If assassin attacks are a problem, then why don¡¯t we just create a route that will never be attacked by assassins?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Iphrita tilted her head, but Isla nodded her head in understanding. This is a reaction to the difference in experience between the two of them.


    ¡°What about transportation? Do you walk?¡±


    ¡°We could lay down some rails and build a special vehicle. We could use the golem as a power source.¡±


    ¡°What about a magic source?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve got that, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s dangerous. We shouldn¡¯t do that. As the chief mage, I can¡¯t allow such a dangerous thing in the underground of Merinesburg.¡±


    We can use magic crystals, but since we have dream power that produces almost unlimited magic power, why not use it? But surely it¡¯s not safe if there¡¯s an accident. It would be too bad if Merinesburg were to disappear from the map.


    ¡°???¡±


    Iphrita is listening to the conversation between Isla and me while tilting her head. Alright, I¡¯ll explain the plan to you before we get to the adventurers¡¯ guild. This is a revolutionary plan. In some cases, we might even be able to expand the range of activities for Lime and the others.

 CH 327

    Chapter 327 ¨C Revisiting the Adventurers¡¯ Guild


    ¡°Eh? Do you want to make a hole in the floor somewhere on the first floor of the guild to create a direct path to the castle? I¡¯d appreciate it if you wouldn¡¯t do that¡­ Um, if you need me to come over, just call me, and I¡¯ll come over.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    The deputy head of the adventurers¡¯ guild Merinesburg headquarters, Baran, looked weak as he turned down my proposal, while Iphrita nodded her head with a look that said it was only natural.


    If it was too dangerous to go to the merchants¡¯ guild or adventurers¡¯ guild, it would be safer and less time-consuming to summon people from the merchants¡¯ guild or adventurers¡¯ guild to the castle than to go to the trouble of preparing an underground passageway or track vehicles. It was a natural decision.


    ¡°We got off to a bad start.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s shocking.¡±


    Isla and I were discussing how exactly to extend the underground passage in the direction of the castle and what kind of vehicle we would build, only to have both of us drop our shoulders. No, that¡¯s what we thought calmly.


    But I¡¯d really like to try extending the range of activities of Lime and the others by extending the castle¡¯s underground passageway, you know? I¡¯ll try the experiment next time.


    ¡°¡­As I have heard, His Excellency seems to be quite a pleasant man.¡±


    The big old man who had been watching our exchange with great interest opened his mouth heavily.


    Sitting next to Baran, his name is Cresta. He is the head of the adventurers¡¯ guild headquarters in Merinesburg and Baran¡¯s superior¨Das his title suggests, he is the head of the adventurers¡¯ guild.


    He is a sturdy man who shows no signs of decline due to age. He is probably as big as Danan and has a great deal of body mass. He is not fat but rather gives the impression of being covered in a solid armor of muscles. He is an old man with white hair and a beard but looks very powerful.


    The reason why only Baran showed up the other day was because he passed by us on his way to the merchant¡¯s guild. We had notified them in advance of our visit, so that is why he was waiting for us with Baran.


    ¡°How about we get down to business?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah, sure. Let¡¯s see, here¡¯s the thing. I¡¯m here to ask you about the progress of the Adventurer Support Program, as I¡¯ve notified you.¡±


    Cresta and Baran nodded when they heard my words, and Baran opened his mouth.


    ¡°Yes. Through Kosuke-dono¡¯s efforts, we were able to secure a budget from the Merinard Kingdom as well as the merchant guild, and the adventurer guild¡¯s equipment system has begun to take shape. We are also very grateful to Kosuke-dono for purchasing a large amount of materials that we had little use for.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, goblin¡¯s and kobold¡¯s corpses and stuff like that. For me, goblin corpses are a useful source of hides and meat.¡±


    Goblin skins and kobold pelts are so thin and of such poor quality that they are almost unusable, and the meat is so stinky and tasteless that few people eat it. However, with my abilities, goblin skins and kobold pelts of poor quality can be used just like ordinary skins and pelts, and once the meat is processed, it is no different from any other meat.


    In other words, if it is made into a steak, it will look like beef, and if it is made into a hamburger or a sausage, it will look like delicious minced meat. The original ingredients are trivial in the face of such a messy process.


    ¡°Thanks to this, our stock of food has increased significantly. And materials derived from animals and monsters. Tendons and intestines.¡±


    Since synthetic fibers and carbon materials have not yet been developed, tendons and intestines derived from animals and monsters are surprisingly valuable. Because it is impossible to make them. The same goes for leather.


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t think goblin or kobold meat is going to taste good, though.¡±


    ¡°Gizma¡¯s meat becomes like any other meat when it¡¯s processed by Kosuke. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if the goblin meat would be the same way.¡±


    Gizma¡¯s meat is like the meat of a very large shrimp, but when I use it to make steak, it becomes the meat of a cow. It can¡¯t be helped.


    ¡°And then there¡¯s the growing number of requests from the merchant guild?¡±


    ¡°Yes, in a way, thanks to Kosuke-dono. The adventurers¡¯ guild has been receiving an increasing number of escort requests thanks to the increase in new peddlers, and the adventurers¡¯ guild has been lending them the equipment of an acceptable level so that they can accept these requests. In addition, we are now able to fulfill requests from the farming villages around Merinesburg to take down monsters and guard the roads, and things are starting to go better overall.¡±


    ¡°It is true that the atmosphere in the adventurers¡¯ guild has improved considerably.¡±


    The last time I visited the adventurers¡¯ guild, there were many people sitting around with dark expressions on their faces, not doing any work, but when I visited today, I did not see any adventurers in that way. There didn¡¯t seem to be many people around, but that was probably because they were out on commission.


    ¡°The meal coupons are beginning to work well. More and more diners and inns are accepting meal coupons, and as a result, the dining establishments are also engaging in friendly competition.¡±


    ¡°I see. It is good that things are running smoothly. So, are there any inconveniences or trouble? I¡¯d like to know so that I can deal with it in some way.¡±


    ¡°There really isn¡¯t at this point. Maybe something will come up as time goes on, but for now, we haven¡¯t received any reports of such incidents yet.¡±


    ¡°Is that so¡­? I wonder if, from the perspective of the adventurers¡¯ guild, the series of activities that began with my proposal is helping to improve public safety, even if only slightly.¡±


    Baran and Cresta nodded at the same time at my question.


    ¡°At least the people who were stationed at our place have found work and are able to eat. Although they may not be making enough money yet, their quality of life has improved dramatically compared to before Kosuke-dono¡¯s help. Since these people have not turned into bandits, the amount of money they have made has definitely helped to improve public safety.¡±


    ¡°I agree with the headquarters chief. If those who have just begun working now become more powerful as adventurers, they will eventually contribute more directly to the maintenance of public safety. Moreover, if the prosperity of adventurers improves, the merchants who deal with adventurers will be enriched, and this will, in turn, create more jobs. I am sure that what Kosuke-dono has done will be greatly appreciated in the future.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s alright then. I can only give you money, but if you need anything in the future, you can count on me. If you have any suggestions on how to make things better, I would appreciate it if you would write to me at the castle with your suggestions.¡±


    The two leaders of the adventurers¡¯ guild nodded their heads in agreement with my offer. I¡¯d like to stabilize the country through a series of such proposals. I¡¯m going to continue to work on the areas that are inaccessible to Sylphy and the others. I¡¯d rather do something to help more people than do nothing.


    I don¡¯t think it¡¯s right that my own reputation will be enhanced because all I¡¯m doing is paying money and taking advantage of it. But sometimes, it¡¯s best for amateurs to be reasonable and just provide the resources and let the people on the front lines do the work. I don¡¯t think the policy itself is wrong.


    ¡°Well, then, I¡¯ll take my leave now. I don¡¯t want to interrupt your work.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s a good idea. I want to see what happened to those people.¡±


    The assassins who were beaten back by Isla and dealt with by Shumel and the harpies should have been brought to the castle by now and are being interrogated. In the castle, there is Ellen, who has an eye to see the truth, and also Bertha-san, who is an inquisitor of the Adol religion. And, as a backup, there are also Lime and the others. No matter how much resistance the assassins put up, the information will surely be extracted. They probably won¡¯t even be able to commit suicide.


    We greeted Cresta and Baran, left the adventurers¡¯ guild, and headed for the royal castle. We had a lot of work to do, but the appearance of an assassin who targeted me was likely to cause renewed tension in relations with the Holy Kingdom.


    It¡¯s a difficult thing to do when I want to take my time to settle our internal affairs. Good grief.

 CH 328

    Chapter 328 ¨C Countermeasures Against Espionage


    ¡°I received reports that you were safe, but it¡¯s a relief to see you here.¡±


    ¡°Mghh¡±


    As soon as I returned to the castle, I received an order from Sylphy to report to the office, and as soon as I arrived, Sylphy hugged me tightly. Her face was happy, but it was a little strong, Master.


    ¡°I was really worried too.¡±


    ¡°Oghh!¡±


    After the intense pain, my face was again enveloped in happiness. Melty-san. I, you know, am not a stuffed animal or anything like that, so please treat me a little more gently. I don¡¯t think I should be forcibly picked back from Sylphy¡¯s hand, and I think it would be very bad if you don¡¯t take a little more care of my neck as well.


    ¡°Melty, you¡¯re not behaving yourself, are you?¡±


    ¡°Ufufu, I couldn¡¯t control my surging emotions.¡±


    Yes, you two, stop it. If you two get out of line here, the piles of papers will be scattered, and you will be in big trouble. And you two will be the ones who end up crying.


    ¡°Ouch, ouch¡­ So, how¡¯s the assassin who attacked me being treated?¡±


    ¡°We left them in the hands of Lime and the others. With them, there¡¯s no point in committing suicide or keeping quiet.¡±


    ¡°The report says they put a fast-acting poison in their back teeth. Poizo immediately neutralized it.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ that sounds a little inhumane.¡±


    I don¡¯t know the full extent of Lime and the others¡¯ abilities either, but it seems like basically anything goes when it comes to these girls. Poizo, in particular, is resistant to poisons and drugs, so it seems she can synthesize something like a powerful self-confession serum¡­ Above all, their abilities are very suited to torture. They can inflict pain, healing, and pleasure at will.


    ¡°The fate of a captured assassin is a given. That¡¯s why they have suicide poisons in their back teeth. I told Lime and the others not to show any mercy. And not to kill them.¡±


    ¡°Indeed¡­¡±


    The reason they don¡¯t take a life is to make them into evidence, right? No, although they say don¡¯t kill, they don¡¯t say don¡¯t destroy¡­ Sylphy is kind to her people, but she has a very harsh nature towards her enemies. The future looks bleak for the captured assassins.


    ¡°Now that we wait for Lime and the others to squeeze the information out of the assassin, what are we going to do about the Holy Kingdom?¡±


    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t say at this point because it depends on what kind of information we can extract. We had nothing to prove their identities, and it would be difficult to use their testimonies as evidence once Lime and the others had narrowed down the information. That¡¯s the end of the story if they say they have no knowledge of such things.¡±


    ¡°In fact, they might even say that we made it all up. However, by all accounts, they do not seem to be hired assassins, so perhaps we can acquire information on the Holy Kingdom¡¯s spy and assassin bases. If we can find that out, we may be able to seize physical evidence.¡±


    ¡°The raiding parties are already standing by. Until the base is destroyed, Kosuke must not leave the castle.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    It seems that Sylphy and Melty are completely determined to do it. I don¡¯t think the two of them are going to go directly into battle¡­ No, it¡¯s possible for the two of them to do so.


    ¡°You don¡¯t think you two are going to go there directly, do you?¡±


    ¡°No way, I wouldn¡¯t go. I¡¯d like to go wild once in a while.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the only one going.¡±


    ¡°Are you going, Melty¡­? Just in case, take the Cure Poison Potion with you. The crossbow arrows used in the assassination were coated with basilisk poison.¡±


    Saying this, I took a wooden box out of my inventory and placed it on the office desk. This wooden box contained two dozen¨Dtwenty-four bottles of Cure Poison Potion. This amount should be enough to supply the raiding party with a certain amount of supplies.


    ¡°The basilisk poison is dangerous, isn¡¯t it¡­? Okay, I¡¯ll take this one.¡±


    ¡°You can also use it on the enemy who tried to commit suicide. Kosuke, give me another box.¡±


    ¡°Roger that. I¡¯ll also put out a life potion.¡±


    In addition to the Cure Poison Potion for detoxification, I also put out two additional wooden boxes containing Life Potion to heal wounds. That makes two boxes of each, forty-eight bottles of Cure Poison Potion and forty-eight bottles of Life Potion.


    ¡°That should be enough supply for the entire raiding party.¡±


    Melty smiles happily when she sees the tower made of wooden boxes about the size of an armful. She¡¯s showing such a cute smile, but don¡¯t be fooled; this is a person who can break through thick steel doors with her bare hands. No, there¡¯s probably a cute side to her, too.


    As I was doing so, a light blue figure appeared from the corner of the office.


    ¡°I found the place.¡±


    ¡°I see, Melty.¡±


    ¡°Yes, well, I¡¯ll be leaving now.¡±


    ¡°Lime is coming, too.¡±


    Melty and Lime leave the office with two wooden boxes each¡­ they¡¯re both awesome!¡¡Lime is more slime-like. She doesn¡¯t have a silvery metallic luster*, but that speed is an NG. [T/n: It refers to metal slime from dragon quest.]


    ¡°Well then, I guess I¡¯ll go help Sylphy out.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? That¡¯s good to hear, but don¡¯t you have to go and show your face to Ellen and the others? They seem to be very worried about you.¡±


    ¡°That may be so, but right now, I¡¯d rather be with Sylphy. I¡¯ve been spending a lot of time with Ellen and the harpies lately.¡±


    ¡°¡­I would not be stingy if you say so. Let¡¯s hope Kosuke can fill the hole left by Melty to the fullest.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a bit of a burden to be expected to work that hard.¡±


    I stood right next to Sylphy, who was still sitting at her office desk, laughing, and began assisting her with her duties. I wonder how useful I was since I am not usually involved in Sylphy¡¯s work, but I think it was a successful attempt since Sylphy looked satisfied with my work from start to finish.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    The raid on the Holy Kingdom base by the raiding party led by Melty was completed by sunset.


    Several prisoners of war were newly secured, and various pieces of evidence were apparently seized. Some of the materials were apparently burned before the raid, but even so, several pieces of evidence supporting the Holy Kingdom¡¯s involvement were apparently raised.


    ¡°Fufufu¡­ we¡¯ll have to do more thorough investigations in the future, but this is an opportunity to clear out all the bugs in the country at once.¡±


    It seems that there was also information on bases in other cities, towns, and villages, and Melty had a wonderful smile on her face. It¡¯s super scary.


    The kingdom of Merinard is strong in this situation. This is because a communication network using golem communicators has been built between each city and large town, and air boards exist that can quickly move to towns and villages outside of the communication network.


    The speed of air boards is faster than that of horse-drawn carriages and can even maintain a speed equivalent to or faster than a full gallop of a cavalry horse. These two pieces of equipment are especially effective in this kind of speedy situation.


    ¡°Let¡¯s contact the local guards and have them raid the strongholds of these spies.¡±


    ¡°That would be good.¡±


    So, through the golem communicator, orders were given to Sir Leonard, who was in command of the eastern side of the Merinard Kingdom, and Ms. Zamir, who was in command of the western side. Danan, who was in command of the area south of Erichburg, and Worg, who was in command of the northern side after the battle in the north was over, to raid the bases of the spies, respectively. The secret bases of the Holy Kingdom that existed within the Kingdom of Merinard were to be destroyed one by one.


    In particular, there seemed to be many spy bases in the east due to its proximity to the Holy Kingdom. Sir Leonard was overjoyed to be able to go on a rampage against the Holy Kingdom after a long time.


    ¡°So, under these circumstances, I am going to carry out the development of the pioneer villages.¡±


    ¡°Even if Kosuke-san is not here, we can destroy the stronghold of the spy, but only Kosuke-san can develop the pioneer village. Also, it is easier to deal with assassinations than in the city.¡±


    ¡°That may be true, but you know¡­¡±


    It is true that it would be difficult to attack me in the uninhabited wilderness or uncultivated forests. During the work, the harpies will always be on the lookout for me in the sky, and I will be guarded not only by the oni girls but also by Grande. And at night, the golem turrets will provide perfect security. Those who would go out of their way to sneak up on me at night are not good people anyway, so I will set them to be shot without mercy as soon as I detect them.


    ¡°If anything happens, I will immediately contact you via the golem communicator.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    As the storm of the spy sweep was raging in the country, I was to leave Merinesburg again for the development of the pioneer village.

 CH 329

    Chapter 329 ¨C What Was Happening


    POV: Brother Powell, a member of the Holy Kingdom¡¯s Intelligence Department ¡°Gospel.¡±


    ¡°Hurry up and burn all the documents to ashes. You pack your things, and I will prepare the travel expenses.¡±


    ¡°Understood!¡±


    The brothers failed to eliminate their target and were captured by the subhumans. They are devout men. They would have chosen to take their own life before the subhumans defiled them in body and soul. However, there is no telling what kind of horrendous tactics those filthy subhumans will use. Now that they have been captured, we must assume the worst.


    ¡°Brother Powell. Why are you in such a hurry now? I don¡¯t think our faithful brothers will give in so easily to the subhumans, no matter how much they are tortured.¡±


    Brother Allan, who was packing up his belongings to leave this base, asked with an unconvinced expression on his face. Indeed. We have unwavering faith in the Lord God Adol. Our faith is stronger than steel. We are willing to give up our lives to achieve the will of the Lord God.


    But that castle is not good. That castle, once filled with the light of the Lord God, has been turned into a fearless evil castle by the hands of subhumans. The brothers and sisters who set foot in that castle never came out of it again. And without exception, the hiding places of the brothers and sisters who set foot in the evil castle were attacked by subhumans. The reason why this headquarters was safe until now was because the brothers and sisters who tried to infiltrate the castle did not know the location of this headquarters.


    However, some of the brothers captured by them today know the location of this headquarters. If that is the case, this headquarters is in jeopardy. Perhaps they have a way of forcing information out of the brothers and sisters.


    ¡°No matter how religious the brothers and sisters are, there is a strong possibility that the enemy is using wicked means to sully their hearts. We cannot let our guard¨D¨D¡±


    As if interrupting my words, I heard a violent banging on the entrance door. It seemed that an uninvited guest had arrived at this moment. I nodded to my brothers and decided to make an immediate escape. I had not yet managed to burn all the materials, but if this happened, I would have to take them with me. Fortunately, we have enough travel expenses. We will have to use it to buy all the tools we need for our escape. If we can get to the other branches, we will be able to get support.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get going before they come in.¡±


    ¡°Y-yes.¡±


    ¡°O God¡­¡±


    The building is a solid stone structure, and the doors are thick wood and reinforced with steel plates between them. Two metal bolts are also used to bolt the doors, so even the most violent and powerful subhumans will not be able to break through so easily. While we still have time¨D¨D


    Boom!


    The building shook with a sound like an explosion. Then, the sound of someone stepping in from the outside could be heard.


    ¡°Nonsense, how can they break through that door with a single blow¡­?¡±


    It¡¯s all over now, huh? But we won¡¯t be beaten for nothing. We will take out as many of the defiled subhumans as we can.


    We immediately picked up our crossbows, which are a kind of mechanical bow. We apply basilisk poison to the arrow and aim it at the entrance of the room. This weapon, which can fire powerful arrows even in such a small room, seems to be a weapon created by the subhumans. They would be happy to have their souls reborn with a weapon of their own making.


    ¡°Take this!¡±¡±


    I fire an arrow at the subhuman woman who has stepped into the room where we are. Twang! Three arrows pierced the subhuman woman with a pleasant sound¨Dbut did not hit her. The woman who stepped into the room, in fact, knocked the three arrows away with her bare hands.


    ¡°You monster¡­¡±


    While muttering, I made a sign, concentrated my spirit, and wished for a miracle. The light that defeats and destroys the demon.


    ¡°For a young woman like me, the word ¡°monster¡± is quite rude.¡±


    The woman stepped forward with an eerie smile on her face. In response, two of my men, daggers in hand, launched an attack on the horned subhuman woman. However, in an instant, they were blown to the left and right without any resistance and collided with a stone wall, rendering them motionless.


    ¡°O, light!¡±


    ¡°Ara.¡±


    The miracle of the ¡°glow,¡± which is created by using the time earned by the two men, is activated, and a spear of holy light is thrust into the woman¡¯s chest as if sucked in.


    ¡°Ei!¡±


    The woman, however, again brushed it away with her bare hands.


    ¡°R-ridiculous¡­ to sweep away the miracle of glow with your bare hands¡­¡±


    ¡°The miracle of the glow, huh¡­ I don¡¯t think it¡¯s such a big deal.¡±


    The subhuman woman said so as she walked forward and closed the gap between us. Since it comes to this.


    ¡°I will not fall into the hands of filthy subhumans!¡±


    I pulled out the dagger at my waist and tried to thrust it into her chest. But the wrist of my arm holding the dagger was grabbed. Nonsense, I was still at least five steps away from her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know? You can¡¯t run away from the demon species.¡±


    ¡°A-aghh!¡±


    My wrist was tightened with such force that I feared it would crush my grip, and I unintentionally took off my dagger. While I was doing so, other subhumans broke into the room. Is this the end of it?


    ¡°It would be troublesome if you resist, so I¡¯ll have you sleep.¡±


    The subhuman woman¡¯s voice was followed by a sudden impact, and my consciousness vanished.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    Side: Tozume


    ¡°Hey¡­ I don¡¯t get it. What is she?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know much about it myself, but I¡¯ve heard that demon species are like that.¡±


    ¡°We didn¡¯t have much to do at all.¡±


    It is difficult for us to enter a building that is designed with only humans in mind. After all, we are 50 percent taller than the average person. The building where the spies of the Holy Kingdom were hiding this time seemed to have been built in the last 20 years, and it was a very difficult building for us to enter.


    ¡°We couldn¡¯t enter the building in the first place, so it was no use.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a shame that we just came here to look at it, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Shumel-neesan and Bella looked so bored that they let out a sigh and shrugged their shoulders. I had no reason to have good feelings toward the people of the Holy Kingdom, and I would have liked to have a rampage with them anyway. Well, I had no choice this time.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I alone took all the good parts.¡±


    Melty-sama called out to us as we continued to wait here, just in case.


    ¡°No, it can¡¯t be helped. If we are going to do anything about it, we will have to break it.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that too bold?¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to be told by someone who can kick through that door with a single blow.¡±


    Eh, I¡¯m just a frail ordinary person, you know?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡±


    If it¡¯s Bella, well, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s possible either. In what world would an ordinary person be able to kick through a thick wooden door with steel plates? I wonder if the story of how she beat Grande-sama, who was in dragon form, into submission is also true. Scary.


    ¡°By the way, what about those guys we carried out? They won¡¯t talk so easily, will they?¡±


    ¡°We will leave them to Lime-san and the others. We¡¯ll also be there for the interrogation, to observe it.¡±


    ¡°Is that okay?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s fine. If you are going to be Kosuke-san¡¯s escort, it is better to know these things.¡±


    Melty-sama smiles at me. I don¡¯t know, I have a very bad feeling about this. Bella is innocently happy, saying she did it, but I have a tremendously bad feeling¡­ Oh, Shumel-neesan is feeling the same way; she¡¯s putting a frown on her face.


    ¡°Slime is scary¡­ Slime is scary¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to end up like that¡­¡±


    To sum it up, it was terrible. It was really terrible. The blood has drained from Bella¡¯s red skin, and it has turned a color that I have never seen before. I am sure that my complexion is also quite terrible.


    I guess steel faith is like a thin sheet of paper to them. It took less than a quarter of an hour for them to cry out like children and beg for forgiveness after having cursed us and so abusively at first.


    The torment that had been done to them by then was¡­ No, I don¡¯t want to remember. I never want to go through the same thing myself. That is all.


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to scrutinize the materials and go around to destroy the various bases as soon as possible. This will keep me busy.¡±


    I think that torture¨Deven after seeing the interrogation, Melty-sama, who is so nonchalant without moving an eyebrow, is not normal after all. I swore firmly in my heart that I would never make her my enemy.

 CH 330

    Chapter 330 ¨C To the Western Part of the Kingdom of Merinard


    ¡°So that¡¯s what happened.¡±


    ¡°Melty-neesan was so scary.¡±


    In the air board driven by Bella, I heard about the raid on the spy¡¯s secret base that took place after the assassination attempt and the subsequent interrogation while I was moving to the planned construction site of the pioneer village.


    ¡°Melty, seriously scary.¡±


    ¡°Haha¡­ that girl is just like that¡­¡±


    It is rare to see Shumel, who is always so calm and composed, smile bitterly. The picture was so bad that even Shumel had to react in this way. Incidentally, Grande is also accompanying us, but as usual, she is sleeping buried in the cushions in the back seat. Dragons sleep well.


    ¡°Danna-san didn¡¯t seem too scared of them, huh?¡±


    ¡°I understand the scary side of Melty and Lime and the others, but I also understand the more loving side. When that scary side turns on me, it¡¯s probably the result of something I did, and I have no choice but to accept it, or rather, there¡¯s no way to resist it, so there¡¯s no point in being scared.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? You can resist, can¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s probably a way to do it, but I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll be able to do it until then.¡±


    If it comes to that Melty and Lime and the others, either one of them will defeat the other unilaterally because they both know what each other is capable of. In any case, if I were to try to deal with these girls, I would have to do something about it with a surface control system that is impossible to evade or counterattack, so the damage to the surrounding area would be too great.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s love, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Love, I wonder?¡±


    Tozume is tilting her head. Let¡¯s just call it love. A situation where I could make Melty, Lime, and the others that angry and be subjected to that without question would not occur unless I conspired to kill the Merinard royal family, including Sylphy, in my case, though. I can assure you that I would never be in a situation where I would have to do such a thing, so there is no reason for me to be afraid of them.


    Even if the situation were to arise that I would die if I didn¡¯t kill Sylphy and the others, I would choose to die in defiance of that something that put me in a situation where I had to do so. If I have to kill Sylphy, or the world will be destroyed, I will destroy the world and go to hell together with Sylphy. My love is super heavyweight.


    ¡°We¡¯re almost there.¡±


    ¡°Yay!¡±


    The development of the new village is to be done mainly in the rural areas, not in the vicinity of Merinesburg. The area around Merinesburg is the vicinity of the royal capital, and there are a good number of satellite cities, and several villages have already been developed in the vicinity of these satellite cities. Some of the farmland abandoned by the Holy Kingdom¡¯s retreat from the region has been put on the back burner, as the redevelopment of the land will provide a certain amount of employment.


    Also, south of Erichburg, during the period when we were based in Erichburg, I ran around to establish large-scale food production sites¨Din other words, large-scale farmland¨Dand employment measures are already underway, so it has been postponed.


    And, as for the area east of Merinesburg, the border with the Holy Kingdom is close, so there is some concern that I can only take a small number of guards with me at this stage, and there is not that much manpower to secure employment because there are many recruiting slots in the Royal Army of Merinard. In fact, because of its proximity to the Holy Kingdom, there were many devout Adol believers, and many residents moved to the Holy Kingdom or rather took refuge there. Hence, there is a shortage of labor there. Therefore, the east side was also put on the back burner.


    Therefore, I will be working in the western and northern parts of the Merinard Kingdom this time.


    Since I had been living in the north from the end of last year to the spring of this year, I thought about starting with the north, but I decided to start with the west, which I have had little to do with until now. I hadn¡¯t seen Ms. Zamir for a while, so I wanted to see what she had to offer.


    ¡°Wow, it¡¯s a pretty impressive city, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, indeed. Is it about the same size as Erichburg?¡±


    The name of the city that came into view in the distance was Meuseberg. The city is the center of the western part of the Merinard Kingdom and is a key point of trade with the small states union and the Dragonis mountain kingdom.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    The area around the gates of Meuseberg was not very lively for a place that is considered to be the center of trade. Perhaps it was because we were out of the busiest time of the day, but it didn¡¯t seem to have a good atmosphere.


    ¡°The atmosphere is kind of bad, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°And we¡¯re getting a lot of stares.¡±


    ¡°Maybe they¡¯re staring at us because air boards are so rare.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the only reason.¡±


    While we were talking like that, it was our turn for the introductory screening.


    ¡°That¡¯s an unfamiliar vehicle, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    The human guards looked at us suspiciously. Since we were certainly a strange group of people riding in a suspicious-looking vehicle, it was inevitable that we would be treated in this way.


    ¡°Hello, Guardsman-san. I¡¯m Kosuke. I¡¯m the leader of this group.¡±


    ¡°I see. What is your purpose for entering the city?¡±


    ¡°To meet with General Zamir, who is the Western Protector by order of the Queen. Here is the letter of appointment and the identity card.¡±


    With these words, I took out from my inventory a letter of appointment, documents proving my identity, and a dagger. All of them have the coat of arms of the Merinard royal family. The reaction of the guard who suddenly took these items out of my inventory was.


    ¡°He-Her Majesty the Queen¡¯s! Certainly, this is the royal family¡¯s coat of arms¡­ and, Hi-His Highness Prince Consort¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am the prince¡¯s consort. Therefore, I am not a suspicious person. By the way, I am a good friend of General Zamir.¡±


    ¡°I-I beg your pardon!¡±


    The guard, who at first looked at us suspiciously, bowed down on his knees. Yes, the guards did nothing wrong. It was our fault for flying from Merinesburg to Meuseberg in less than half a day with only a few escorts without warning. I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m really sorry.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s our fault for coming here without notice, so don¡¯t worry about it. We¡¯ll go to Ms. Zamir on our own as long as you tell us the location.¡±


    ¡°Ah, no, we will send a guide and an escort. Please wait.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need an escort, just a guide, and I¡¯d appreciate it if you¡¯d lead the way.¡±


    ¡°Y-yes!¡±


    At the direction of the guard, who was so flustered that I felt sorry for him, four guards on horseback moved to the front and back of the air board we were riding on. They were going to lead the way.


    ¡°Thank you. Keep up the serious and honest work.¡±


    ¡°Understood! Even at the cost of our lives!¡±


    I wave my hand down to the guard, who replies in a loud voice with firm caution and begin to move along the main street of Meuseberg, following the horseman¡¯s lead. Today, we left Merinesburg first thing in the morning and arrived in Meuseberg before noon, speeding along the side of the street at high speed. It was just about lunchtime, and there seemed to be a lot of people coming and going in Meuseberg.


    ¡°It¡¯s quite lively inside compared to outside.¡±


    ¡°Maybe it was just the time of day that it was so quiet outside the gates.¡±


    ¡°Maybe. Bella, don¡¯t hit anything.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    Bella¡¯s air board driving skills have improved dramatically since her first ride. She would not do anything like bump into people or buildings now. Moreover, with three guards on horseback in front of us and one behind us, the residents would avoid us even if we did nothing, so the risk of coming into contact with anything is even lower.


    ¡°We will be arriving at the headquarters of the Western Command of the Kingdom of Merinard shortly!¡±


    ¡°Copy that. Bella, with that being said, be careful.¡±


    ¡°Roger that.¡±


    It¡¯s not easy to keep an air board completely still. Please be careful because it would be a pity to dig up the ass of an innocent horse. In fact, it would be the middle of the hind legs, not the ass, but it would be more dangerous because of the risk of broken bones.


    Despite my concerns, Bella made a perfect stop, and we arrived at the headquarters of the Western Command of the Kingdom of Merinard. One of the mounted guards leading us jumped off his horse and ran toward the building in front of the headquarters. It was an all-out dash.


    ¡°Grande, we¡¯ve arrived!¡±


    ¡°Nnh¡­?¡±


    With a sideways glance, I found Grande buried in the cushion, and I smoothed her cheeks and woke her up. Grande is a dragon, so she is lazy. Basically, unless I need her to protect me, all she does is eat or sleep. It can¡¯t be helped; she¡¯s a dragon. Basically, dragons are neet-natured.


    The tail makes her a little heavier than she looks, but still not so much that I can¡¯t carry her, so I carry Grande, who is still sleepy, down the air board. Grande is used to it, and she puts her hands around my neck, rests her chin on my right shoulder, and wraps her tail around my torso.


    As I do so, I get off the air board just as Ms. Zamir emerges from the command building. It seems that she is not carrying the meteor of the mithril cross spear on her shoulder today.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while. I¡¯ve come to take care of a few things.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s been a long time. I have been waiting for you.¡±


    Ms. Zamir bared her jagged teeth at that. Yes, I¡¯m glad to see that Ms. Zamir¡¯s slightly scary smile seems to be the same as ever.

 CH 331

    Chapter 331 ¨C House of Travis


    Guided by Ms. Zamir, we entered the headquarters of the Western Army of the Kingdom of Merinard. It seems that this facility is a barracks built in the days of the old Merinard Kingdom, and it is spacious enough for Shumel and the others to operate without any problems.


    ¡°This is a bit of an early job talk, but how¡¯s the viceroy here?¡±


    ¡°Yes, well. For better or worse, he is the type that pursues the interests of both Meuseberg and the Travis family.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Pursuing the interests of Meuseberg and Travis¡¯s family, huh?


    Although I have not yet met him face to face, the man who governs this Meuseberg as the viceroy is a man named Simon, who is the head of the Travis family. Apparently, his peerage in the Holy Kingdom was that of a viscount.


    Even under the new Merinard Kingdom, the nobles who show reverence are allowed to claim the same nobility as they did under the Holy Kingdom. If they were suddenly stripped of their noble title or had their fiefdoms confiscated, it was inevitable that they would rebel and plunge into a civil war.


    Naturally, there was a possibility that we would be ridiculed if we did nothing else, so we sent Sir Leonard and Ms. Zamir to crush those who did not respect us thoroughly. This was to show everyone that if they betrayed us, this would happen to them as well.


    ¡°The medicine seems to be working.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. At least for now, they have not shown any clear rebellion against us.¡±


    By the way, I mean physically crush them thoroughly. The whole family is to be killed in order to end the evil. It may seem cruel, but this is the way of the world, so Sylphy did it thoroughly. Even if we show mercy half-heartedly, no one will be happy.


    I basically stayed out of it, but I heard that they gave them up to three opportunities to change their minds. But those who still didn¡¯t show their reverence were punished. The Sylphy side had no intention of negotiating either, so it was a bloodbath in its own way.


    ¡°But it¡¯s still too early to tell, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t say that, can we? We can¡¯t keep looking away.¡±


    I have not been involved in domestic politics until now, or rather, I have been able to stay out of it because of Sylphy and the others¡¯ consideration. In other words, I was being taken care of.


    In the management of a nation, there is always a dark side. The small is cut off in order to save the large, and the weak are picked off in order to eliminate the root of the problem. It is impossible to run a huge organization like a country without doing so. Beautiful things alone will not do, especially in this world.


    ¡°I think I¡¯m prepared for this. Well, it will take some time to get used to it.¡±


    ¡°Your Excellency Kosuke is very kind.¡±


    ¡°I wonder if that¡¯s so¡­ Well, this is still a friendly area, so I¡¯ll get used to it little by little.¡±


    As far as I had heard beforehand, the Travis family, which governs this Meuseberg, had early on shown their reverence for the newborn Merinard kingdom. Whether the head of the family, Simon, was a good reader of the times or whether there were other factors at play, I do not know, but in the western part of the Merinard Kingdom, the Travis family surrendered to the new Merinard Kingdom earlier than any other family. Thanks to this, neighboring lords also fell one after another in the new Merinard Kingdom, and as a result, the amount of blood rain that fell in the western part of the new Merinard Kingdom was minimal.


    Incidentally, it was in the eastern and northern parts of the newborn Merinard Kingdom that the blood rain fell in torrents. Since Ms. Zamir finished pacifying the west sooner than expected, she was to start pacifying the north soon thereafter.


    Sir Leonard, you ask? I heard that the eastern part was full of gung-ho Holy Kingdom sympathizers, so I heard he went on a rampage against it with great glee. That old man¡¯s grudge against the Holy Kingdom is serious. It can¡¯t be helped. I think it¡¯s a good thing that we made three recommendations to them to surrender.


    ¡°After this, are we going to the viceroy?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. May I come with you?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    Ms. Zamir is very quick to respond.


    This time, together with Ms. Zamir, we boarded the air board driven by Bella again and headed from the headquarters of the Western Army of the Kingdom of Merinard to the residence of the Travis family. While Ms. Zamir and I were talking, the Western Command sent out a warning, and we were promptly welcomed into the mansion.


    The soldiers guarding the gate of the mansion were obviously wary of the unfamiliar air board, but they immediately let down their guard when they saw Ms. Zamir¡¯s face. It seems that Ms. Zamir¡¯s face is well known to them.


    ¡°There may be some mishap due to your sudden visit. If that happens, I will be reprimanded, so I ask for your forgiveness for the people in my house.¡±


    ¡°Forgiveness is a typical response from the prince consort, you know?¡±


    Viscount Simon Travis, the Viceroy of Meuseberg, was a well-dressed middle-aged man. He was dressed in well-tailored clothes that were not too flashy yet still exuded a sense of luxury, and his physique was suitably toned and quite regal.


    ¡°I appreciate you putting it that way.¡±


    Simon bowed reverently to me. He is about 30 years old, or maybe 40. He has a western type of face, so it¡¯s hard to gauge his age in any way. Well, I guess it would be better to describe him as a mature man in the prime of his working life.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t had much opportunity to learn the civility of this world, or rather, how to behave as royalty. I may behave in an inappropriate manner at times, but please let it slide. So I¡¯m going to be direct with you.


    ¡°If Your Excellency insists, then by all means.¡±


    Simon looked me straight in the eye. I don¡¯t feel too bad about it. Is he hiding his true feelings well, or is he simply not having any second thoughts?


    For now, let¡¯s talk it over.

 CH 332

    Chapter 332 ¨C Situation Assessment and Inspection


    ¡°Today, the city of Meuseberg is attracting unemployed subhumans from neighboring towns and villages.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because I have allocated the budget to encourage the neighboring towns and villages to do so. As a result, Her Majesty arranged for Meuseberg to be the first to receive the honor of Your Highness¡¯ benevolence.¡±


    ¡°I see. Viscount Travis is a shrewd man.¡±


    ¡°Thanks to the elven goods and rare preserved foods sent by the royal capital, Meuseberg has been well supplied. We are simply giving that back to the people.¡±


    Saying this, Viscount Travis¨CSimon smiled elegantly. Hmm? That¡¯s quite an auspicious statement, but I¡¯m really not sure how much of it he really meant. In any case, is there any part of it that is inconvenient for me at this point?


    ¡°That¡¯s a noble aspiration that I should learn from. Now, can you tell me more about the location of the pioneer village?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I will explain.¡±


    Viscount Travis spreads out what looks like a map on the reception desk. A map of the area centered on this city.


    ¡°Regarding the establishment of the pioneer village, I was told that the quality of the soil and the availability of water sources are irrelevant, but only the convenience of the location should be considered, so I decided to do so¡­ Are you sure about this?¡±


    ¡°No problem, no problem. It¡¯s a rather even distribution. Is there anything else I should be aware of besides the availability of a water source and the quality of the soil?¡±


    ¡°Those are the two most important things to look out for. These selected sites are dry wastelands with poor vegetation. There are hardly any animals or even monsters in these areas.¡±


    ¡°Is the environment similar to that of the Great Omit Wilderness? Maybe there was a large-scale magic battle long ago¡­ Well, I have experience in cultivating farmland even in the Omit Wilderness, so there is nothing to worry about.¡±


    But there aren¡¯t many sprinkler magic tools for spraying water. I think I should make a water tower with a built-in infinite water source and use an aerial canal to supply water to the farmland. I could mass-produce sprinkler fixtures with a golem workbench, but that would be expensive to maintain. It would be better to devise a way to distribute water to the fields in as simple a manner as possible. Since there is the possibility of expanding the fields with their own hands later on, it would be better to make the waterways expandable as well.


    ¡°Your Excellency¡­?¡±


    ¡°I think he¡¯s contemplating how to build the pioneer village. It would be better not to interfere with his contemplation.¡±


    How can I decide on the size of the village if I don¡¯t know how many people are going to move into it?


    ¡°Do you know the number of settlers and their family structure? If we are going to settle people for generations to come, we need to have a certain amount of farmland and land for building houses.¡±


    ¡°Yes, we have all that here.¡±


    It seems that Viscount Travis had made a list of those who wanted to settle in the area and grouped them by the village. He is very competent. I don¡¯t know if this is his work or the work of his staff, but there is no doubt that the Viscount Travis family is capable at this point.


    ¡°What about the transportation of the crops?¡±


    ¡°Construction has already begun. We are in the process of laying out the roads to the areas to be developed in each of the pioneer villages. The pioneers are doing the work.¡±


    ¡°I see. So you are letting them build their own roads for their own use?¡±


    ¡°Yes. In the meantime, the Travis family is guaranteeing their livelihood.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good. I will go to the pioneer village and see how the road construction is going. May I have a copy of this map and list?¡±


    ¡°Please take them with you. We have a copy here.¡±


    ¡°You are very skilled. Let¡¯s get to work right away.¡±


    I received the map and the list of pioneers from Viscount Travis and stood up. Viscount Travis looked up at me with a slightly surprised look on his face.


    ¡°Y-you haven¡¯t been in Meuseberg for long, have you? You might want to rest for at least one night.¡±


    ¡°I know I sound like an impoverished man, but I¡¯m not very comfortable with the idea of relaxing while I have work on my hands. I would like to receive your hospitality after all the settlements have been set up.¡±


    ¡°Is that so¡­? I understand. At that time, our chef will prepare a very special dinner for you.¡±


    With these words, Viscount Travis stood up and bowed gracefully.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    After leaving Viscount Travis¡¯ mansion, I was on the air board again, heading to the Merinard Kingdom¡¯s Western Military Headquarters with Ms. Zamir.


    ¡°Are you going there after this?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the plan. After checking on the road construction on the way, I will enter the area and establish the pioneering base. If possible, I would like to pick up a consultant from among the pioneers who are making the roads. I also want to get the opinions of the people who actually live there.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    While we were talking like this, we arrived at the headquarters.


    ¡°Then we will head to the site as soon as possible. If there is anything you need, please make a list. If I can prepare for it, I¡¯ll do it while I¡¯m here.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Of course. That¡¯s what I¡¯ll do.¡±


    ¡°Yes, take care.¡±


    After parting ways with Ms. Zamir, we headed southwest toward the village we planned to build in the southwestern direction of Meuseberg. This is the place where road construction is progressing the best.


    ¡°How are things going this time? Will there be any trouble this time?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I don¡¯t know. It is possible that Viscount Travis has something on his mind, but he seems to be pushing things too far. I think we can rest assured for the time being.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s fortunate for us, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°It would be better if we didn¡¯t have our turn at all.¡±


    ¡°Though it would be a bore.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re so bored, then I can keep you company. I¡¯ve been a little bored lately.¡±


    ¡°Hyiee¡­¡±


    It seems that some tragedy is happening without my knowledge, but don¡¯t worry if you get hurt; I¡¯ll give you a life potion. If you can fight a dragon to the extent that you don¡¯t die, you won¡¯t have time to be bored, and you can train to your heart¡¯s content.


    After about 30 minutes of running on the air board while listening to Bella¡¯s desperate resistance to involving Shumel and Tozume in the ¡°exercise¡± with Grande somehow, and ahead of us, we could see a crowd of people. It seemed to be the front line of the construction site of the road to the pioneer village.


    They seemed to have noticed our air board approaching at a great speed from afar, and when we arrived, armed soldiers were on alert.


    ¡°Hello, hello, we are construction workers from the pioneer village, coming from the royal capital. Here is the letter of appointment from Her Majesty the Queen, here is my ID card, and this is the map and list of pioneers that Viscount Travis gave me for the job.¡±


    ¡°O-oh¡­?¡±


    The soldiers who had been on alert lowered their spears as if they had been deprived of their venom when I leaned forward from the air board and presented the documents one after the other. The appointment letter and ID card are not shown in the contents, but the royal coat of arms alone is outstanding enough!


    ¡°We are on our way to a new settlement for work, but first, I wanted to talk to some of the people who actually live in the villages. I¡¯ve brought some relief supplies with me, so I was wondering if you could take a break. I¡¯ll take responsibility if anything happens.¡±


    ¡°No, even if you say so. What in the world authority do you¨D¨D¡±


    ¡°Well, well, well¡­¡±


    After getting off the air board, I asked the human male soldier who seemed to be in charge of organizing the soldiers guarding this work site to take another look at the letter of appointment in Sylphy¡¯s handwriting and my ID card. At first, the captain looked doubtful, but as he looked through them, his face began to sweat greasy sweat.


    ¡°Um, this is¡­¡±


    ¡°As you can see, it¡¯s the real thing. As I said before, if today¡¯s delay becomes a problem, I¡¯ll take responsibility.¡±


    ¡°Yes, as you wish.¡±


    If I work for 30 minutes, I should be able to make up for a day¡¯s worth of delays. Well, it can be managed. First of all, we need to see how the gathered subhumans are doing.


    Thinking of this, I began to walk toward the people who were looking at us warily.

 CH 333

    Chapter 333 ¨C The Hooded One-eyed Race


    I advanced to the front of the group of people who were staring at me warily and observed them first. There didn¡¯t seem to be many old people, but there were quite a few children. I wondered if they were trying to emigrate as a family unit or if they were all taking care of children who had lost their parents. The children were not so bad, but the adults looked a little thin.


    ¡°Hello, I¡¯m the one who is going to build the farmland and houses on the land where the new pioneer village is going to be established. Please feel free to call me Kosuke.¡±


    I say my name, but there is no response. Unlike Sylphy, my name is not that widely known. They seem to be spreading stories that the prince consort has mysterious powers, is recognized as a saint of the Adol religion, performed various miracles, and won the Battle of the North, but my personal name is intentionally left out. It seems that only the word prince consort is emphasized. This is deliberate manipulation of information by Melty.


    ¡°It¡¯s not me who actually lives here; it¡¯s you guys, isn¡¯t it? I want to talk to you about a lot of things. I¡¯ve spoken to the soldiers, and they¡¯ve agreed to stop working for today.¡±


    After saying this, they looked at each other and then focused their attention on a certain person. He is a very small person among the subhumans. He was built like a child and wore a hood over his face, making it difficult to see his expression.


    ¡°Could you possibly be from the One-eyed race?¡±


    The small man¡¯s body trembled at my words. Apparently, he was frightened.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any feelings toward the One-eyed race. She¡¯s not with me right now, but I¡¯m actually getting along well with a One-eyed girl. It seems like everyone here is depending on you, so why don¡¯t you tell me your story?¡±


    He¨Dor she¨Dnodded with the hood drawn back over the face. With that, I took out a table set from my inventory, set it down on the side of the road, and sat down. The hooded One-eyed race also took a seat, albeit a little bewildered.


    ¡°Is there anyone else you¡¯d like me to talk to with you?¡±


    ¡°Then¡­ Deneros and Raya should join us.¡±


    The hooded One-eyed race called out to the two figures. Deneros was a large, bovine beastman, and Raya was a woman with rabbit ears. She looked like a human with rabbit ears, but was she a rabbit-beastman?


    ¡°Oh, you called me.¡±


    ¡°Hello.¡±


    I prepared a big chair for Deneros, not an ordinary chair. This chair was prepared for Danan, who is a large man, but Deneros¡¯ physique is very similar to Danan¡¯s. I guess bovine-beastman are big, after all.


    ¡°First of all, houses. We need to discuss how many houses are needed. In the future, the children will grow up and will need houses, and more people may move in. And there will eventually be children in the village who will have children and start new families. So I think it¡¯s better to build with some leeway.¡±


    ¡°I understand that, but I don¡¯t think building a house is that easy.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. I think it would be better to have a large plot of land in the village for later use. Then, I want to consider the number and size of the houses that will be needed if you decide to move in right now.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Raya listens intently to me, her long ears shaking. Somehow this combination reminds me of Isla, Danan, and Melty. It¡¯s kind of interesting.


    ¡°In that case¨D¨D¡±


    So we get down to the practical stuff. How many houses will be prepared that are large enough for the families here? How many will be needed for communal facilities, such as meeting halls, warehouses, lodging facilities for guests, facilities to manage the wagons and horses used to bring in the crops, and facilities for livestock?


    ¡°I heard that the area where the pioneer village is to be built has no water source, and the land is very poor, but is it really alright?¡±


    ¡°There is no need to worry about that. Regarding water, the water tower which will be installed in the center of the village will be able to supply all of the water needs. You don¡¯t need to worry about water shortages in the future.¡±


    ¡°You sound very confident. But if we are going to use it for agriculture as well, a little bit of water won¡¯t be enough.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry; it is an infinite source of water.¡±


    ¡°Infinite Water Source¡­?¡±


    The hooded One-eyed race tilted his/her head as if to say, ¡°What is this guy talking about?¡± It would be too much trouble to explain.


    ¡°For now, you don¡¯t have to worry about water and farmland. I know it will be difficult, but trust me on that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s enough just to have a place to live. There are forests a short distance away, so we can hunt.¡±


    ¡°Not many people are good at hunting, though, so I¡¯m worried about that.¡±


    Well, if you¡¯re that kind of person, you¡¯re probably an adventurer. I guess most of the people here are basically adventurers, soldiers, and others who are not suited for jobs that involve heavy workloads.


    ¡°Are you getting enough food by the way? Are there people suffering from illness or injury? I¡¯d like to take care of that while I¡¯m here.¡±


    ¡°Since we came to Meuseberg, everyone has been fed. But there are a few who are suffering from illness.¡±


    ¡°In that case, let me take a look at them. It may be possible to heal old wounds that normally do not heal, so if there are such people, please gather them.¡±


    Hearing my words, Deneros turned his attention to the One-eyed race in the hood. The hooded One-eyed race nodded silently.


    ¡°But we have nothing to give back.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. If you feel indebted to me for this, then help someone else with it. If you keep doing that, the world will eventually be a better place.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just wishful thinking.¡±


    ¡°If you just go by reality, your stomach may grow fat, but your heart will remain poor. I think you should pursue your dreams and ideals, whether they are beautiful or not.¡±


    When I said so, the hooded One-eyed race stared at me through his/her hood. I could not see his/her expression or facial features because of the hood, but I could see his/her big eye staring at my face.


    ¡°If someone like you is near the top of the country, this country will be a better place. I will do my best in my own way.¡±


    ¡°You do that.¡±


    While we were talking like that, Deneros brought in some people who were not in good health.


    Well, let¡¯s go work one more time before leaving this place.

 CH 334

    Chapter 334 ¨C Treatment of Former Subhuman Slaves


    Before leaving this place, I started the treatment.


    People who have no problems in their daily lives but have chronic pain somewhere in their bodies. People who can manage to move but suffer from a slight fever and cough. A child who has a fever in an unfamiliar environment. Most of them had minor illnesses that were not life-threatening, and there were few people who had difficulty walking or working.


    ¡°It¡¯s good that there are so many people with minor illnesses¡­¡±


    ¡°Those who couldn¡¯t work because of injuries or illnesses were thrown out and died. To them, subhumans were nothing more than disposable labor.¡±


    ¡°Hah¡­ it doesn¡¯t help when they preach about the love of God.¡±


    I don¡¯t like to talk about religious matters because they are sensitive, but it seems that even in the religions of the Earth, there was a saying that infidels are non-human. And, for that matter, how could they talk about love and goodness with their mouth?


    ¡°For them, it¡¯s a good deed. Even they have a heart of pity for us. But they use us up with their goodness and leave us to die in the field. Subhumans are atoned for their sins by dying after a severe ordeal, and in the next life, they will be reborn as decent human beings. And they will be welcomed by God as a better person by inflicting tribulations on such pitiful subhumans, and by allowing them to complete their trials, even though it hurts their hearts.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s absurd.¡±


    ¡°Actually, though, no one is that devout. But it is important to know that God says so and that the clergy says so. God says so, and a great clergyman says so, so it¡¯s okay. Everyone else is doing it, so it¡¯s okay.¡±


    The hooded One-eyed race stared at me as I healed the villagers.


    ¡°By the way¡­ what is it that you are doing?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m putting a splint on them and bandaging them up.¡±


    ¡°¡­..?¡±


    ¡°Oh! The pain in my knee is gone!¡±


    ¡°¡­..???¡±


    The hooded One-eyed race is reacting like Isla did a little while ago.


    ¡°Well, I haven¡¯t heard your name yet.¡±


    ¡°¡­Oh, yeah. They call me Mono.¡±


    ¡°One-eyed? Is that your real name?¡±


    ¡°No. But it¡¯s okay.¡±


    He¨Dmaybe it¡¯s he¨Dmust have something on his mind or something he¡¯s holding on to. He seems to have the same intellectual curiosity as Isla, but compared to Isla, he seems to be much more mature or shadowy.


    ¡°I see. Well, I¡¯m sure things will only get better from here on out, so take it easy.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I hope so.¡±


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    Soon after the treatment was over, we were to have a meal that had been prepared in the meantime. The prepared dishes were vegetable soup and porridge. Both of them seemed to have soup stock made from dried meat, but they were not very tasty. But the quantity of the soup was enough to fill me up.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s what you get when you go this far from the city.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I think that will change when canned food becomes more widely available.¡±


    ¡°But the production is still very small.¡±


    The canned food and instant noodle businesses that I proposed and launched are expanding steadily, but the production volume is not yet large enough to spread to this area. We haven¡¯t yet built a mass production plant using golems, but it¡¯s still in the range of the manual industry.


    Even if we tried to mass-produce cans by using machines, the metal materials used to make cans have not yet been mass-produced by large-scale industries in this world, and there are still many things that need to be improved. In order to mass-produce iron, we need to secure a large amount of ore. Without putting effort into that area first, mass production of canned food is just a pipe dream.


    ¡°There¡¯s so much to do¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why that word came up in this conversation.¡±


    ¡°Danna is much smarter than us, after all. You can see things we can¡¯t, right?¡±


    ¡°Kosuke, I¡¯ve had enough of this. I don¡¯t feel like eating it anymore.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes.¡±


    Even if we were having a somewhat serious conversation, it was the end of it when Grande was being spoiled like this. Our Dragon-sama is very picky about the level of satisfaction with her food.


    ¡°What do you want? A hamburger?¡±


    ¡°Yes, pancakes, too.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes. What about Shumel and the others?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have one of those, too.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like one too.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind. But I want to eat the pancake.¡±


    As I began to serve hamburgers and pancakes to Grande and the oni girls, the pioneers began to gather around, wondering what that unfamiliar smell of food was. Fortunately, I had plenty of ingredients and stock for the hamburgers and pancakes, so I decided to serve them not only to the pioneers but also to the soldiers who were protecting them. I have limited ingredients for whipped cream, so they¡¯ll have to settle with jams and the like.


    ¡°Delicious!¡±


    ¡°This is delicious!¡±


    The pioneers¡¯ preferences were split into two groups: hamburgers and pancakes. It seems that even among the beastmen, those with carnivorous animal elements prefer meat, while those with herbivorous animal elements prefer pancakes. Of course, there are some people who are not included in this category, so it is not absolutely certain.


    I mean, you guys have eaten, right? I don¡¯t care if you get a stomach ache from eating so much.


    ¡°By the way, I¡¯d like to hear your opinions at the pioneer village site, so if possible, I¡¯d like to have someone come with me and hear your opinions directly at the site as well¡­¡±


    When I said that, there was tension among the pioneers. Yeah, I screwed this up. I should have talked to them before feeding them hamburgers and such.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s calm down and talk about it.¡±


    The discussion was very contentious, but in the end, we decided to take Mono with us. Mono, who is small in stature but very intelligent, is apparently relied on by everyone for some reason or another.


    In fact, not only that, he is a master of magic and can use recovery and offensive magic. He was sent out because I had fixed all their illnesses and injuries, and the soldiers were protecting them against monsters and bandits.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Kuh¡­ I wish I could go with you.¡±


    ¡°I wanted to go, too.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a game, you know. Anyway, you¡¯re going to take care of things while I¡¯m gone, okay?¡±


    We headed toward the pioneer village with Deneros, Raya, and other pioneers who were still complaining about the situation.


    Well, let¡¯s get the job done quickly.

 CH 335

    Chapter 335 ¨C Pioneer Village Construction and Mono¡¯s Story


    Developing a new pioneer village.


    It sounds simple in words, but there are many things to consider when actually doing it. For example, if the village develops steadily in the future, it is necessary to consider how to expand the size of the village, how to arrange buildings and farmland, and then how to lay out houses, fields, and waterways.


    In general, once a building is constructed, it cannot be moved, and the same is true for farmland and waterways. In addition, when it comes to farmland, there are soil issues such as fertile soil and drainage. And when it comes to clearing forests, cutting down a single tree and pulling out the stump is a big job.


    Well, even if you put that aside, it is a huge undertaking to clear an undeveloped field, wilderness, or forest and build a village. It is not something that can be done by one person.


    ¡°It should be like that. But I feel like I¡¯m losing my mind.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve got to face reality here.¡±


    Right now, I was listening to Mono¡¯s instructions as I ran around the planned pioneer village construction site, pioneering at blazing speed. Mono was giving me instructions from the observation platform I had set up using a golem communicator.


    Right now, only Mono, myself, one of my guards, Grande, and a harpy, are at the site where the village is to be built. The rest of the harpies and the oni girls are looking around to see if there are any monsters or dangerous terrain in the vicinity. I have given them a set of golem communicators as well, so they should be able to work together perfectly. The harpies are very good both as air power and as reconnaissance personnel. Well, this time, they are not equipped with explosives, so basically, they can only do reconnaissance.


    Incidentally, I have already revealed to Mono about the houses and water towers I will build. The houses are designed so that even large beastmen and oni tribe members can live in them. It may be unavoidable to be amazed when you see them being built in the designated places for the first time.


    Incidentally, the land is currently being leveled to determine the location of the main facilities. Surprisingly, the land in this kind of wilderness is not always flat, so clearing the land is a must.


    ¡°That shovel? What the heck is with that shovel?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a pure mithril blade with the finest materials.¡±


    ¡°What made you decide to make such a thing out of mithril and give it additional functions¡­?¡±


    It¡¯s mainly my hobby. Well, it¡¯s a good thing that it¡¯s also a practical benefit. It is actually very convenient to be able to dig and level a large area at once.


    ¡°By the way, changing the subject, is there a community¡­ of one-eyed folks somewhere, or is it more like a gathering?¡±


    ¡°There used to be, but I don¡¯t hear about it anymore. We, one-eyed people, were hated by the people of the Holy Kingdom, so I think many of us hid ourselves away as inconspicuously as possible. Fortunately, many of us are long-lived and skilled in magic, pharmacy, alchemy, and the like. So I think there are more people than you might think who survived by blending in with other subhuman groups and offering their knowledge and abilities in exchange for protection.¡±


    ¡°Subhuman groups? I thought they were suppressed and dispersed.¡±


    ¡°Not really. Even under the rule of the Holy Kingdom, the Kingdom of Merinard was originally a country where humans and subhumans lived together as the same people. On the surface, there were many Merinardians who pretended to follow the teachings of the Holy Kingdom, that is, the Adol religion, but behind their backs, they hid subhumans. Therefore, there are a certain number of subhumans who escaped from difficulties by gathering together in such places.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ I remember Bella saying something about her village.¡±


    I remember that she used to talk about how things were in her village. Maybe Bella was from such a place. Maybe I should ask her about it next time.


    ¡°Bella is the girl of the red oni tribe, isn¡¯t she? The Oni tribe is a race of people with high fighting power, so they tend to live in villages deep in the mountains where the environment is harsh. Well, there are many troubles because there are many rough people, but it seems that they have accepted many subhumans into their villages and protected them for the past 20 years.¡±


    ¡°Heh, so there are a lot of people who are violent but also very humane?¡±


    I don¡¯t have the image of our oni girls being rowdy. Well, maybe it¡¯s because Bella is the odd one out among the oni tribe that she has gone out of her village to become an adventurer.


    ¡°I guess that¡¯s about it. In the western part of the Merinard Kingdom, the rule of the Holy Kingdom was quite loose due to the conflicts with the Union of Small Nations and the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom. However, in the east, the central region, and the north, the Holy Kingdom¡¯s power was strong, and it was difficult. Also, there is a resistance group gathered in the south, and for the past five years, the Holy Kingdom has been concentrating its efforts on controlling that area. The rebellion failed a little over three years ago, and things have been pretty tough since then.¡±


    ¡°I know that. The remnants of that rebellion reached the Black Forest, and then they turned around and got into the situation they are in now.¡±


    The people in the south who were in a bad situation were probably those who helped Sir Leonard and the others to start the rebellion. That¡¯s why they were treated so badly. Now that I think about it, I think that many of the subhuman slaves freed north of Erichburg were treated better than those freed in the south.


    While listening to Mono¡¯s stories about the occupation and rule of the Holy Kingdoms, I proceeded to develop the pioneer village.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    Once the land was cleared, the rest of the work was quick. Using the blueprint function, I quickly set up registered houses, water towers, and barriers, and then all I had to do was shake my mithril hoe at the places that were to be farmed. As expected, If I set up a farmland block, the growth rate would be too crazy. If I plow, any wasteland becomes fertile land by normal standards, so this is just fine.


    But the ability to decompose pebbles, shrubs, weeds, and everything else and turn them into land suitable for farming is a frightening ability when you think about it calmly like this. I wonder what is happening to the microorganisms and nutrients in the soil. Am I actually doing something amazing with this hoe? Well, it¡¯s a miraculous power of magic or God, so it¡¯s no use thinking about it from a scientific point of view.


    At any rate, there are many villages to be developed, and this village of Mono and the others is only one of them. Mono was the first one-eyed race I had met other than Isla, and I would have liked to talk to him about a few more things, but my schedule was already pushed. I was still reluctant to leave, but I said goodbye to Mono and the others and headed for the next pioneer village.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been busy, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. Ellen and Amalie-san are about to give birth, and I want to get the job done and get back home as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°I know you¡¯re worried, but don¡¯t push yourself too hard. If you collapse, everyone will be in trouble.¡±


    ¡°If you say so, Tozume should take it a little easier at night¨Dit hurts!¡±


    Tozume¡¯s fist flies to the back of Bella¡¯s head as she is about to say something stupid. Don¡¯t hit Bella hard in the back of the head while she¡¯s driving. If you do it badly, we could get into an accident and be in danger.


    We then return to Viscount Travis and report that the construction of the first pioneer village has been completed. Since this is my second visit, I get a pass to enter the town and the Viscount¡¯s mansion.


    ¡°Huh¡­? Uh, the construction of the first pioneer village has been completed¡­?¡±


    ¡°You said yesterday that you were going to build the first village, right?¡± He has a look on his face that says that. Yeah, it¡¯s natural to have doubts, but it¡¯s really over; that¡¯s it.


    ¡°Well, at any rate, the first one is finished, and we¡¯re asking you to report back and proceed with the inspection of that one. In the meantime, we¡¯ll go around to the planned pioneer village construction sites in the territory and build more and more villages in the same way.¡±


    ¡°We will proceed with that, but it was only yesterday¡­ no, I understand. First of all, we will dispatch personnel as soon as possible. If you give us three days¡­ no, two days.¡±


    ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll come back here around noon in two days. I don¡¯t want to waste a single second right now, so I¡¯ll be on my way to the next site right away.¡±


    ¡°Understood. Then, please come here for lunch two days from now. I will let our head chef show you his skills.¡±


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll see you then.¡±


    It¡¯s hard to act as a prince consort with a nobleman. But it is not good to be too frank with them. I¡¯m not very good at talking big, after all.


    So we built a number of villages in the territory ruled by Viscount Travis. Viscount Travis was the first person Sylphy, and the others decided to send me, and he was a very capable and cooperative lord. Everything went smoothly, and it was really easy to work with him.


    Now, let¡¯s see where I will be sent next.

 CH 336

    Chapter 336 ¨C Out of Reach


    After my work at Viscount Travis¡¯ territory, I had to move around a few territories.


    I am the prince consort, in other words, the husband of the queen. From a common sense standpoint, I am number two in this country, the new Merinard Kingdom. I am not fully aware of this, but at least that is the way it is and should be treated by the nobles, who value such status and prestige.


    On top of that, I commanded the northern campaign and prevented the invasion by the two northern countries. There is also an anecdote that before that, the Liberation Army, led by Sylphy, exerted tremendous power in restoring the Kingdom of Merinard.


    Moreover, it is said that I can extract large quantities of food out of nowhere, that the farmland I had created bears large quantities of bounty regardless of the season, that I can heal old wounds in the blink of an eye, that I can create forts in an instant, that I have a dragon following me, that I summon a giant iron army that stands before me, that I was recognized as a saint by the conservative Adol religion, and that I am a hero in the stories of the world. The list of episodes is endless, and they are all a bit too far-fetched compared to the heroes in the stories.


    All of this is true, by the way.


    But my personal information is very vague. As the queen¡¯s husband, I am known as a man, and it is also known that I have married many women besides the queen. However, little is known about my appearance or my personality. What I like, what I dislike, and even whether I am mild-mannered or brutal are unknown.


    If the rumors about me are to be believed, I am a man of two sides: I am generous to the needy and the weak, but I am merciless and harsh toward my opponents.


    I went to Merinesburg several times, and some of the nobles came to the castle, but they could not meet me.


    I tried to avoid relations with the nobles as much as possible, and Sylphy and Melty also made arrangements for me to do so. I thought it was too much trouble to get involved with the nobles, and Sylphy and Melty didn¡¯t want the nobles to know about my existence.


    Considering my personality, they might have thought that if I got to know them too well, I might be inclined to befriend the nobles casually. In fact, I think that¡¯s probably true. I heard that the noble who requested a meeting with me had an oddly aged child accompanying him in order to be friendly with me.


    Well, what I¡¯m trying to say is this. For the nobles who welcome me, my visit is a very heady and stressful event.


    Of course it is. If they make a mistake, the iron giants who have overrun the two northern countries may come to their lands and lay waste to them. Rumor has it that I am a man who has no mercy for his adversaries.


    I have a very brutal record of killing several thousand soldiers of the Holy Kingdom without taking prisoners, of reducing the combined armies of the two northern kingdoms to meat in a hail of bullets, of clearing a fortress with a single blow, and so on.


    Combined with rumors that I am kind to the weak, many of the nobles in the country recognized me as ¡°a man who is usually quiet and gentle, but when he loses his temper, he is like a mad dog who can¡¯t be controlled.¡±


    In fact, the nobles who met me seemed to be very afraid of me. I suppose it was because of my position as a prince consort, but even so, they treated me as if I were a tumor.


    ¡°It¡¯s better than being underestimated.¡±


    ¡°It is good to be respected, isn¡¯t it? I¡¯m very happy about it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s good to be free of trouble, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Although I¡¯m a little concerned about the hospitality of the nobility.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s much better than the food Kosuke serves.¡±


    While talking like this, the air board driven by Bella was running through the wilderness.


    In the end, I am still working hard, refusing the hospitality of the local nobility.


    ¡°How many pioneer villages has this been?¡±


    ¡°Twenty-seven, I think. The work in the west is over now.¡±


    It¡¯s been three weeks since I left Viscount Travis, which was my first assignment, and it¡¯s already been about a month since I left Merinesburg. I wish I could meet up with Sylphy and the other girls soon.


    As I was thinking in a daze, Grande suddenly turned her head forward with a stern expression on her face.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°I smell blood. I¡¯m coming out.¡±


    Saying this, Grande opened the roof door of the air board and flew out. At the same time, the harpies who were scouting in the sky above us contacted us via the golem communicator.


    ¡°We found a target up ahead, but it doesn¡¯t look right!¡±


    ¡°As you can see, Grande rushed to the site. I want you to scout a large area around the site.¡±


    ¡°Understood!¡±


    While we are conversing, Bella increases the speed of the air board. Needless to say, she¡¯s very helpful in figuring out my intentions.


    ¡°The smell of blood is not mild.¡±


    ¡°What are the possibilities?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s probably an attack by monsters or bandits. I thought I heard that they were sending an escort.¡±


    ¡°Something attacked that couldn¡¯t be stopped by the guards, I guess. But this area is far away from the monster¡¯s territory, right?¡±


    ¡°Then it must have been some kind of bandit.¡±


    Many tents had been erected, probably because they were attacked in the middle of the night, but all of them were stained with blood, cruelly torn apart, or burnt down. The wreckage was also left strewn here and there, and it seemed to have been devoured by the beasts.


    ¡°This is terrible.¡±


    ¡°No one is alive. From the looks of it, the assailants are probably humans.¡±


    Grande pointed to some of the corpses, which showed what appeared to be sword cuts. The beast has devoured them, but this corpse is probably a female beastman. She does not appear to be armed or wearing any kind of armor. Plain clothes. It looks as if she was cut from the back when she was trying to escape, and her shoulder blades and spine appear to have been sliced off. At least it wasn¡¯t done by the fangs of an animal.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    At any rate, we collected the bodies lying around the campsite where the attack took place into my inventory. The list of the personnel of the pioneer group sent to this place should be in possession of the nobles who rule this territory, so I will check it later and pay my condolences to them.


    Fortunately, even if the bodies have been so devoured that it is impossible to identify them, I will be able to recognize them by name if I put them in my inventory.


    ¡°It seems that the food and other things of interest have been looted. This is definitely the work of bandits.¡±


    ¡°Well, maybe some of them have been kidnapped. It seems that they are being attacked quite unilaterally.¡±


    ¡°It looks like they are planning a night raid very well. They are highly skilled. From the condition of the body, it seems that the night before last, or even before that, they were attacked.¡±


    The oni girls also inspected the scene and provided some information. The three of them, who are experienced adventurers, are very reassuring at times like this.


    ¡°Can you track down the bandits?¡±


    ¡°Probably. They probably use horses or wagons to carry their prey, so I think we can track them.¡±


    Tozume nodded in agreement after looking around. Shumel nodded as well, and if they both nodded, then it must be so. Bella? Bella is still investigating something a little ways away, so she doesn¡¯t seem to hear our current conversation. Yes.


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll hunt the bandits after we clean up this place.¡±


    Hunting down and killing the bandits now won¡¯t bring back the people who died here, but it will save us from further casualties. Above all, I don¡¯t like the fact that they are interfering with my work. I hate that they killed the people I was supposed to be helping. That¡¯s reason enough to kill the bandits.

 CH 337

    Chapter 337 ¨C Tracking


    ¡°You have a scary look on your face, you know?¡±


    Inside the air board driven by Bella. Shumel, who is sitting on the air board opposite me, smiles at me.


    ¡°I guess you¡¯re right.¡±


    I can only say these few words to her. I don¡¯t think I can be calm at all right now. I¡¯ve killed enough enemy soldiers on the battlefield, and each time I¡¯ve seen horrific scenes. But what I saw today was something else.


    There was a person who was cut from the back while trying to escape.


    There was a person who was slashed from the front with both arms outstretched as if trying to protect someone else.


    There was a mother who was holding her child to her chest to protect him and was stabbed through the back with the child in her arms.


    I have killed many people in my life, but basically, only those who turned hostile toward me. I had only turned the tables on those who were trying to kill me, and even then, I had tried to give them a message of surrender.


    But what happened there was something else. I don¡¯t like the way they unilaterally slaughtered those who were not capable of fighting.


    Even if the goal was the supplies the pioneer group had, where was the need to kill them so thoroughly? If only the defensive forces were destroyed in the surprise attack, all that was left were the pioneers who had no strength to fight. There was no need to kill them.


    But they did. They did it thoroughly. I don¡¯t like it.


    ¡°Now you¡¯re making a difficult face.¡±


    Grande, who had been sitting on my knees, looked up at me and said that.


    ¡°I guess so.¡±


    What I¡¯m trying to do is take selfish revenge. It¡¯s not like my family was directly killed. It¡¯s just righteous indignation. I am a selfish being now, convinced that I am righteous and about to wield the blade of judgment.


    The bandits who attacked the pioneer group may have their own reasons for doing so. They may be doing what they have to do to avenge the loss of their positions, their friends, and family members or just to survive because of what we, the Liberation Army and the new Merinard Kingdom, have done.


    However, our actions, even those of Sylphy and the others, originally stemmed from the invasion of the Holy Kingdom 20 years ago. We acted to avenge the invasion, to do back what was done to us. If what happened in response to that was the current incident, then a negative chain of events is taking place in which vengeance leads to vengeance.


    Is it really a good thing for me to take revenge selfishly here? Such a thought crossed my mind¨D¨D.


    ¡°Revenge is refreshing, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡±


    ¡°It feels good to wield the blade of death against a bandit and say, ¡®I am the righteous one.''¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°Then it¡¯s good.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s so good about it¡­?¡±


    Tozume gives me a cold eye as she says this, but I ignore her.


    ¡°Either way, if left alone, there is a good chance that other pioneer groups and villages will be attacked again. Luckily for us, we have the ability to do something about it, so it¡¯s better we do it. I¡¯ve stopped thinking about the details.¡±


    ¡°I agree. It¡¯s good to have that kind of mindset when dealing with bandits. It¡¯s easy to think of them as little more than intelligent monsters.¡±


    ¡°A famous magician once said that bandits have no human rights.¡±


    ¡°A disturbing magician¡­ Well, I generally agree with him.¡±


    In terms of dangerousness, I think it was at the level of lightly obliterating a mountain, and if it was bad, it would be better than Grande. Or maybe it¡¯s not so much that it¡¯s bad, but it¡¯s definitely better. I think this world is peaceful just because there are not many people like that. Instead, there are people like me running rampant.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s the plan?¡±


    ¡°First, the harpies will scout from the sky, and my golem soldiers and Grande will draw the enemy from the front. If there are hostages or prisoners, Shumel and the others will approach from another direction on air boards while we create a diversion, swoop in, rescue them, and then quickly leave. I¡¯ll have the harpies loaded with explosives, and if they come after us, we¡¯ll use airstrikes to throw them to their deaths.¡±


    ¡°What if there are too many prisoners to get on the air board?¡±


    ¡°Let them fight and defend themselves somehow. In any case, once Grande and the golem soldiers move, it will be difficult for them to devote their strength to that side, and a group of the size that Tozume investigated will be wiped out in less than a short time.¡±


    As a result of Tozume¡¯s investigation of the spot where the pioneer group was attacked, she estimated that the number of attackers was probably around 30 or so. Even if there was a main group separate from the attackers, the total number of attackers would probably be around 50. At most, it was estimated that the number of attackers would not reach 100. With that kind of number, a single heavily armed golem would be enough to take care of all of them.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s good for a hastily arranged operation, isn¡¯t it? We have the legs to escape and the support to retreat.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s prepare a large air board in case there are too many prisoners.¡±


    In my inventory, there is a prototype of a large air board for transporting soldiers. Even though it is a prototype, there are no functional problems, and test operations have already been completed. There is no problem with reliability.


    ¡°Danna-sama, we have found what appears to be the bandit¡¯s position.¡±


    While I was discussing the details of the operation with Shumel, I received a call from the harpies, who were ahead of us.


    ¡°Good work. Approach and scout the area without being noticed.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    Whatever the case may be, once we¡¯ve come this far, all we have to do is just do it.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    We decided to attack the bandits¡¯ encampment since there was no way we could recommend surrender to them.


    ¡°So, before we begin our mission, let¡¯s do a final check.¡±


    We hid ourselves in a blind spot from the encampment and stated as much. Even if we are going to attack roughly, it is important to coordinate with each other. Especially if we are going to split up into two groups.


    ¡°Aiyo.¡±


    According to the harpies¡¯ scouting, the bandits¡¯ encampment seems to be set up on top of a small hill near the forest. There were signs that trees had been cut down and cleared in the nearby forest, and the encampment was protected by log fences and backed-up bushes.


    ¡°Gates had been built on the west and east sides.¡±


    I drew a gate on the map of the camp on the soil with a piece of stick. The gate is slightly distorted, but it seems that the camp is generally surrounded by a circular fence made of logs. The western gate leads into the forest and seems to be used to bring in materials procured in the forest. As far as I could see, the west gate was tightly closed and not used much.


    ¡°It¡¯s for bringing in materials. Can we break through?¡±


    ¡°It would be easier and faster to break through the wall.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s only a log. This axe will give it a good blow.¡±


    Bella then held up the mithril alloy axe I had made and given to her.


    ¡°We could break through the gate, but if we want to take the shortest route, this is the best way to go.¡±


    The encampment also contained what appeared to be a prisoner-of-war shelter. It was a not very large hut-like building. It seems to be frequented by bandits without armor. It is easy to imagine what is going on inside. Damn it.


    ¡°Tozume and I will clear them off, and Bella will knock down the walls. We¡¯re going to step inside, check the inside of the hut, retrieve the people inside, and get the hell out of there. It¡¯s an easy job, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Shumel¡¯s weapon is a large gold crusher, and Tozume¡¯s is a mithril-alloy war hammer. A single swing of the Warhammer will probably break a small defense facility that is designed for a goblin or so.


    ¡°In the meantime, Kosuke and I are going to crush the enemy from the front. Well, that should be a piece of cake.¡±


    ¡°Please leave the retreat support to us.¡±


    I nodded to Grande and Ygrette¡¯s words. Well, it¡¯s a crude plan that even the word ¡°strategy¡± seems to be a bit of a stretch, but it¡¯s probably a good one for someone who isn¡¯t a professional in this kind of strategy planning.


    I have already loaded the harpies with explosives. All we have to do now is to start the operation as soon as we¡¯re in position and on Ygrette¡¯s signal.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Let¡¯s show it to those who are doing as they please.


    Even if we have the underlying cause for their murderous behavior, we can¡¯t let those who kill people who can¡¯t fight go on unchecked.

 CH 338

    Chapter 338 ¨C Diversion. No Matter What Anyone Says, it¡¯s a Diversion


    ¡°We¡¯re in position.¡±


    ¡°Copy that. We¡¯re going to make a spectacular show of it. They may run, or they may come at you, but get ready to charge.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir. Don¡¯t get hurt.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    I¡¯m currently equipped with tanned wyvern leather and mithril armor attached to it. Even an iron arrow fired from an ordinary bow would not pass through it at all. Or rather, even the steel arrows of a goatsfoot crossbow will not pass through it. When I tried it, even a 7.92mm bullet from a bolt-action rifle would be stopped if it was a single shot. It was broken by the sweep of a light machine gun, though. Well, even if it didn¡¯t break, it would still take damage from the tremendous impact.


    ¡°So, how do we attack?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s approach them head-on. Put on this hood. Oh, and Grande doesn¡¯t have to wear the hood.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    I give Grande a plain robe and ask her to wear it. I put it on, too. Grande doesn¡¯t have a hood on her head, so her shiny blonde hair really stands out. Conversely, I can hide my glittering mithril armor by wearing a robe.


    As we approached, Grande muttered.


    I¡±t seems they have found us. There¡¯s a guard making noise at the gate.¡±


    ¡°Well, we didn¡¯t hide when we approached. That¡¯s to be expected.¡±


    ¡°So what are we going to do? Are we going in?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s pretend to run away.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going to run?¡±


    ¡°Just a pretense. A pretense.¡±


    As the two of us ran away, taking a look at the bandits¡¯ camp, the gate opened immediately, and five cavalrymen came out. They were light cavalrymen with curved swords in their hands. They were apparently ready to attack us. The distance from the gate is less than¡­ 200m. Well, that¡¯s about right.¡±


    ¡°Are they coming?¡±


    ¡°If so, I¡¯ll deal with them.¡±


    I took out an assault rifle from my inventory and readied it. Cavalrymen charging straight at you are a good target. If I use a bolt-action rifle, they may approach me before I can kill them all, but I have an assault rifle with 30 rounds and a rate of fire of 600 per minute. Well, I shoot with a semi-auto.


    Bang! Bang! Bang! The cavalrymen are blown backward from their horses with a spray of blood at about the same time. The horses are startled by the sudden roar, standing on their feet and stopping. Once the line of fire was secured, more and more shots were fired. The five cavalrymen fell without any way to defend themselves.


    ¡°You¡¯re extremely strong in the open. Perhaps you don¡¯t need my help, do you?¡±


    ¡°I wonder.¡±


    After the cavalry¡¯s departure, the gates to the encampment remained closed. The watchmen are also stunned, not knowing what is going on? Well, I¡¯m not going to take it easy on them. After reloading my assault rifle, I pull out my bolt-action rifle. It is a sniper rifle with a 4x scope. I immediately get up on my knees and aim at the gatekeeper stationed at the top of the gate.


    ¡°¨D¨D!¡±


    A boom! A louder shot rings out, and the shoulder of the gatekeeper on the roof is blown off. The gatekeeper, whose shoulder had been shot, falls down from the top of the gate. As I watched, I raised the bolt, pulled it, and ejected the shell. The bolt is returned, the next round is loaded, and the bolt is lowered.


    ¡°One more.¡±


    Another shot. The other gatekeeper was hit in the lower neck and sternum area and, like the first, was blown into the encampment.


    ¡°Nice work. What¡¯s our next move?¡±


    ¡°This one.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡­¡±


    Grande looked displeased. What I took out was an anti-tank grenade launcher. It is the thing that soldiers shout out the name of the shooter when they find him.* Grande was beaten up by Melty when they first met, and it¡¯s the one that I pointed at her. It must have left a bad memory for her. [T/n: I couldn¡¯t understand this one.]


    Well, now is not the time to worry about that. With my right hand on the front grip where the trigger is attached, I carry it on my shoulder, and with my left hand on the back¨Dexactly in the middle of the grenade launcher¨DI hold the grip and aim at the wooden gate with the standard iron sights.


    ¡°I¡¯ll shoot it. Don¡¯t stand right behind me.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    I make sure Grande has moved to my left and then fire it. With a loud bang! The anti-tank grenade was fired, accelerated to near subsonic speed by the combustion of solid rocket fuel, and landed right in the middle of the wooden gate without missing its target.


    The anti-tank grenade that landed on the wooden gate showed its full power and made a huge hole in the gate. If a thermobaric warhead that destroys the target with explosive pressure had been developed, the wooden gate would have been blown cleanly away, but it has not yet been developed. Anti-tank grenades have penetrating power, but they do not have the destructive power to blow up a gate cleanly.


    ¡°It¡¯s got a hole in it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll shoot at it until I can destroy it.¡±


    I load the next round and fire. Reload and fire. Reload the next round and fire. In no time at all, the wooden gate was being torn apart.


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll stop now.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Let them think we are out of ammunition or magic. They don¡¯t want this place to be broken, so I think they¡¯ll try to hit us.¡±


    If this place is broken, it won¡¯t be long before the leader or Merinard¡¯s army¨Din this case, Ms. Zamir¡¯s army¨Dwill be sent in. If that happens, they¡¯ll have no choice but to withdraw from this stronghold and flee, so if there are only two witnesses, they¡¯ll want to get rid of them, even if it¡¯s a bit overwhelming.


    If I, a mage, were to run out of magic, the only other person left would be Grande, who was about the size of a child. If they attacked with their numbers, they would think that it would not be difficult to control the situation.


    ¡°Look, they¡¯re coming out.¡±


    ¡°Oh, oh, they come out from everywhere!¡±


    Those who could ride were on horseback, and those who could not, were on foot. As Grande said, people with swords, shields, and spears in their hands came out in droves. There must have been about 30 people in total.


    ¡°What¡¯s next?¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s time to get Golem-kun to work for us.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? You¡¯re not going to catch them?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care. The one who comes at me will be killed for the crime of turning their blade against the prince consort. It¡¯s that simple.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s easy to understand.¡±


    While Grande nodded in satisfaction for some reason, I took the Golem Warrior¨Da golem armed with a golem-sized steel weapon¨Dout of my inventory and set it up.


    ¡°The target, the ones coming toward me. Overrun them.¡±


    ¡°Zing!¡±


    Golem Warrior-kun gives a short reply (?) He then heads toward the group of bandits, making footsteps with a pounding sound. He looks slow, but his stride is different. It¡¯s actually faster than a horse.


    ¡°It¡¯s one-sided, isn¡¯t it? Oh, there¡¯s one coming this way while avoiding the golem.¡±


    ¡°I guess so.¡±


    But I already have my assault rifle in my hand again. A few cavalrymen were trying to get through, but I shot them at random. If they are alive after the battle is over¡­ well, I might let them live if I feel like it. I¡¯ll probably kill them.


    ¡°They¡¯re scattered and running.¡±


    ¡°You take the one on the right. I¡¯ll take the left side.¡±


    As I said that, I switched from an assault rifle to a bolt-action rifle.


    You¡¯re asking me if I¡¯m against shooting someone in the back? Nope. A bandit is a bandit, no matter how self-righteous I may later be called. There is nothing good about letting them live. If you are going to do something, do it thoroughly.

 CH 339

    Chapter 338 ¨C Diversion. No Matter What Anyone Says, it¡¯s a Diversion


    ¡°We¡¯re in position.¡±


    ¡°Copy that. We¡¯re going to make a spectacular show of it. They may run, or they may come at you, but get ready to charge.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir. Don¡¯t get hurt.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    I¡¯m currently equipped with tanned wyvern leather and mithril armor attached to it. Even an iron arrow fired from an ordinary bow would not pass through it at all. Or rather, even the steel arrows of a goatsfoot crossbow will not pass through it. When I tried it, even a 7.92mm bullet from a bolt-action rifle would be stopped if it was a single shot. It was broken by the sweep of a light machine gun, though. Well, even if it didn¡¯t break, it would still take damage from the tremendous impact.


    ¡°So, how do we attack?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s approach them head-on. Put on this hood. Oh, and Grande doesn¡¯t have to wear the hood.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    I give Grande a plain robe and ask her to wear it. I put it on, too. Grande doesn¡¯t have a hood on her head, so her shiny blonde hair really stands out. Conversely, I can hide my glittering mithril armor by wearing a robe.


    As we approached, Grande muttered.


    I¡±t seems they have found us. There¡¯s a guard making noise at the gate.¡±


    ¡°Well, we didn¡¯t hide when we approached. That¡¯s to be expected.¡±


    ¡°So what are we going to do? Are we going in?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s pretend to run away.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going to run?¡±


    ¡°Just a pretense. A pretense.¡±


    As the two of us ran away, taking a look at the bandits¡¯ camp, the gate opened immediately, and five cavalrymen came out. They were light cavalrymen with curved swords in their hands. They were apparently ready to attack us. The distance from the gate is less than¡­ 200m. Well, that¡¯s about right.¡±


    ¡°Are they coming?¡±


    ¡°If so, I¡¯ll deal with them.¡±


    I took out an assault rifle from my inventory and readied it. Cavalrymen charging straight at you are a good target. If I use a bolt-action rifle, they may approach me before I can kill them all, but I have an assault rifle with 30 rounds and a rate of fire of 600 per minute. Well, I shoot with a semi-auto.


    Bang! Bang! Bang! The cavalrymen are blown backward from their horses with a spray of blood at about the same time. The horses are startled by the sudden roar, standing on their feet and stopping. Once the line of fire was secured, more and more shots were fired. The five cavalrymen fell without any way to defend themselves.


    ¡°You¡¯re extremely strong in the open. Perhaps you don¡¯t need my help, do you?¡±


    ¡°I wonder.¡±


    After the cavalry¡¯s departure, the gates to the encampment remained closed. The watchmen are also stunned, not knowing what is going on? Well, I¡¯m not going to take it easy on them. After reloading my assault rifle, I pull out my bolt-action rifle. It is a sniper rifle with a 4x scope. I immediately get up on my knees and aim at the gatekeeper stationed at the top of the gate.


    ¡°¨D¨D!¡±


    A boom! A louder shot rings out, and the shoulder of the gatekeeper on the roof is blown off. The gatekeeper, whose shoulder had been shot, falls down from the top of the gate. As I watched, I raised the bolt, pulled it, and ejected the shell. The bolt is returned, the next round is loaded, and the bolt is lowered.


    ¡°One more.¡±


    Another shot. The other gatekeeper was hit in the lower neck and sternum area and, like the first, was blown into the encampment.


    ¡°Nice work. What¡¯s our next move?¡±


    ¡°This one.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡­¡±


    Grande looked displeased. What I took out was an anti-tank grenade launcher. It is the thing that soldiers shout out the name of the shooter when they find him.* Grande was beaten up by Melty when they first met, and it¡¯s the one that I pointed at her. It must have left a bad memory for her. [T/n: I couldn¡¯t understand this one.]


    Well, now is not the time to worry about that. With my right hand on the front grip where the trigger is attached, I carry it on my shoulder, and with my left hand on the back¨Dexactly in the middle of the grenade launcher¨DI hold the grip and aim at the wooden gate with the standard iron sights.


    ¡°I¡¯ll shoot it. Don¡¯t stand right behind me.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    I make sure Grande has moved to my left and then fire it. With a loud bang! The anti-tank grenade was fired, accelerated to near subsonic speed by the combustion of solid rocket fuel, and landed right in the middle of the wooden gate without missing its target.


    The anti-tank grenade that landed on the wooden gate showed its full power and made a huge hole in the gate. If a thermobaric warhead that destroys the target with explosive pressure had been developed, the wooden gate would have been blown cleanly away, but it has not yet been developed. Anti-tank grenades have penetrating power, but they do not have the destructive power to blow up a gate cleanly.


    ¡°It¡¯s got a hole in it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll shoot at it until I can destroy it.¡±


    I load the next round and fire. Reload and fire. Reload the next round and fire. In no time at all, the wooden gate was being torn apart.


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll stop now.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Let them think we are out of ammunition or magic. They don¡¯t want this place to be broken, so I think they¡¯ll try to hit us.¡±


    If this place is broken, it won¡¯t be long before the leader or Merinard¡¯s army¨Din this case, Ms. Zamir¡¯s army¨Dwill be sent in. If that happens, they¡¯ll have no choice but to withdraw from this stronghold and flee, so if there are only two witnesses, they¡¯ll want to get rid of them, even if it¡¯s a bit overwhelming.


    If I, a mage, were to run out of magic, the only other person left would be Grande, who was about the size of a child. If they attacked with their numbers, they would think that it would not be difficult to control the situation.


    ¡°Look, they¡¯re coming out.¡±


    ¡°Oh, oh, they come out from everywhere!¡±


    Those who could ride were on horseback, and those who could not, were on foot. As Grande said, people with swords, shields, and spears in their hands came out in droves. There must have been about 30 people in total.


    ¡°What¡¯s next?¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s time to get Golem-kun to work for us.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? You¡¯re not going to catch them?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care. The one who comes at me will be killed for the crime of turning their blade against the prince consort. It¡¯s that simple.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s easy to understand.¡±


    While Grande nodded in satisfaction for some reason, I took the Golem Warrior¨Da golem armed with a golem-sized steel weapon¨Dout of my inventory and set it up.


    ¡°The target, the ones coming toward me. Overrun them.¡±


    ¡°Zing!¡±


    Golem Warrior-kun gives a short reply (?) He then heads toward the group of bandits, making footsteps with a pounding sound. He looks slow, but his stride is different. It¡¯s actually faster than a horse.


    ¡°It¡¯s one-sided, isn¡¯t it? Oh, there¡¯s one coming this way while avoiding the golem.¡±


    ¡°I guess so.¡±


    But I already have my assault rifle in my hand again. A few cavalrymen were trying to get through, but I shot them at random. If they are alive after the battle is over¡­ well, I might let them live if I feel like it. I¡¯ll probably kill them.


    ¡°They¡¯re scattered and running.¡±


    ¡°You take the one on the right. I¡¯ll take the left side.¡±


    As I said that, I switched from an assault rifle to a bolt-action rifle.


    You¡¯re asking me if I¡¯m against shooting someone in the back? Nope. A bandit is a bandit, no matter how self-righteous I may later be called. There is nothing good about letting them live. If you are going to do something, do it thoroughly.

 CH 340

    Chapter 340 ¨C Treatment and the Future


    While Grande and I were relaxing, Bella came to call us after her bath, and we both enjoyed a relaxing bath together.


    ¡°It was a nice bath, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°It really was.¡±


    It was a long bath, probably because of the many things that had happened today. After all, a bath is good. I feel as if my worries and mental fatigue melt away in hot water. Grande is also a long-bath kind of girl, so when the two of us take a bath together, it¡¯s always like this.


    ¡°Next is a meal. Master, I¡¯m hungry.¡±


    ¡°Me too.¡±


    My appetite has been revived. That means I¡¯m feeling a little better, I guess. I have destroyed the bandits with a firm will this time, but that doesn¡¯t mean that I am no longer mentally fatigued from the battle. Whether the opponent is a bandit or not, killing people is still an act that causes a great deal of stress, at least for me.


    But that didn¡¯t mean I had much choice but not to kill them. Even if I brought them back alive, they would probably just be hung out on the city wall or in the middle of town. Even if we went through the trouble of capturing them and bringing them back, if they were going to die anyway, let¡¯s do it the quickest way possible. But there was also the simple fact that I wanted to kill the bastards when I saw the terrible scars from the raid. I was being short-sighted, wasn¡¯t I?


    After Grande and I finished eating, I decided to talk to Shumel and the others and meet with the victims we had rescued. We need to talk about the future, and if there is something wrong with their bodies, I want to heal them as much as I can.


    ¡°I called them.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. Please have a seat.¡±


    The victims who heard my words took their seats. They are all young women of various races. I thought the woman I met earlier was a wolf-type or a dog-type, but it seems that she was a fox-type beastman.


    ¡°Let me first introduce myself. My name is Kosuke. You may not believe it if I¡¯m suddenly told this, but I¡¯m the partner of Her Majesty Queen Sylphiel of the Merinard Kingdom¨Din other words, I¡¯m the prince consort.


    The women who heard my self-introduction were all puzzled. Well, that¡¯s to be expected. When they thought they were rescued from the bandits, it made little sense that it was His Highness Prince Consort who was in command of the rescue. Even if I were in the opposite position, I would think, ¡°What is this person talking about?¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s not important. What position I am in and whether it is true or not are trivial matters. Anyway, I¡¯m Kosuke. I¡¯m the boss of all the women here, including Shumel and the others, except for you. Okay?¡±


    Each of the women nodded in confusion. I¡¯m glad they nodded for now!


    ¡°I want you to take a good rest today and tomorrow. First of all, I want you to regain enough strength to endure the travel, and mentally, I think you need at least one whole day to calm down. So, I think there are people who are worried about their future life. If that is not resolved first, there will be nothing to calm down about.¡±


    ¡°I guess so.¡±


    ¡°Yes. First of all, I will take you into my custody for the time being. You don¡¯t have to worry about your life while I¡¯m taking you into custody. However, if you have a place to return to and you want to go home immediately, I promise to send you there as soon as possible. Otherwise, you will have to come with us to Merinesburg. If you like, I will arrange a place for you to live there.¡±


    All work here was finished for the day anyway. I¡¯d like to go back to Merinesburg and relax a little and see how Ellen, Amalie-san, and the harpies are doing. After that, I¡¯ll probably have to go on another business trip.


    ¡°Um, why would you go that far?¡±


    The fox-eared woman asked with a frightened look on her face. Why, why, you ask?


    ¡°There is no particular reason. I just don¡¯t feel comfortable leaving you here.¡±


    ¡°Just for that reason¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yes, just for that reason. For that reason, this guy is going to kill dozens of bandits, save you, and even take care of you afterward, okay?¡±


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    ¡°Well, he¡¯s a bit too much of a softy, isn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a good man, which you don¡¯t see too often these days.¡±


    ¡°No, I can¡¯t be a good guy after killing dozens of people, can I¡­?¡±


    ¡°No. You killed all the bandits. It¡¯s normal. It¡¯s common sense.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes.¡±


    I was a little worried about it, but then I just said, ¡°Oh, yes.¡± It seems that in this world, a bandit¡¯s life is lighter than a speck of dust.


    ¡°Anyway, there is nothing to worry about. For Kosuke, it¡¯s nothing if the number of people he has to feed increases from 300 to 3,000 or from 3,000 to 30,000. There is no problem if there are eight more people to take care of.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to take care of three hundred people, am I?¡±


    The number of my wives has been gradually increasing, despite my intentions, but not three hundred.


    ¡°What are you talking about? When we left the Black Forest, our number was something like that, right? After that, the number of people in the Liberation Army kept growing, but you fed them all, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°If you put it that way, that¡¯s true.¡±


    That¡¯s certainly true in that direction. In addition, the current budget of the Merinard kingdom is so large that it¡¯s unthinkable. I¡¯m the one who supplies the vast amount of gems, ores, metals, magic sparkling stones, food, and other things that make up the budget.


    ¡°Uh, what was it again¡­? Well, anyway, I don¡¯t have any ulterior motives or anything like that. I¡¯m not going to sell you off somewhere or hurt you or anything like that after this, so I want you to rest assured.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s so rich that he doesn¡¯t need to do that. He is probably the richest man in the world.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a bit much?¡±


    ¡°I mean, you could just swing your pickaxe on a rock, and there¡¯d be gold, silver, and jewels everywhere.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­¡±


    The women who were rescued looked at us strangely when they saw our exchange. Well, I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on. It¡¯s no use getting too excited about personal stuff.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s enough of this talk. Anyway, I want you to be at ease. First of all, I want you to calm down and let me treat you if you have any injuries. Or rather, let¡¯s treat you.¡±


    Some of the faces of the eight women had scars on them from being beaten, and all of them probably had injuries of some magnitude or another.


    So, I took out life potions and cure disease potions from my inventory and my usual set of splints and decided to treat them.


    ¡°¡­Our legs.¡±


    ¡°Is this something those dead people have done?¡±


    As it turned out, all of the girls had had the tendons in either their left or right legs severed. I thought there was something unnatural about the way they all walked, but that¡¯s how it was. I see. How could they go to such lengths?


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I can fix it.¡±


    If it¡¯s not a loss, I can fix it with my set of splints. I put the splints on the women¡¯s legs and bandaged them, and lo and behold, the severed tendons will be restored, and they will be able to walk normally. And while I¡¯m at it, I¡¯ll give them a life potion and a cure-disease potion, respectively, to treat both their injuries and their illnesses. I¡¯m especially afraid of diseases.


    ¡°The rest, ah¡­ well, it¡¯s a delicate subject.¡±


    ¡°Well, we¡¯ll take care of that.¡±


    ¡°Please do so. I¡¯m ready to take care of whatever comes out of it.¡±


    It is too late to talk about how the girls were treated, but there are some practical things that come with that. I was simply grateful for Shumel¡¯s offer since it was a bit sensitive for me, a man, to hear about those things. I don¡¯t think there are any convenient medicines for that in this world.


    ¡°Well, now that the treatment is over, you can get some sleep today. Tomorrow, I want you to take it easy for the rest of the day. I¡¯ll have some clothes and stuff ready for you.¡±


    From the looks of it, all of them are human-like in appearance ¨C in other words, the only animal elements are their ears and tails. If there is a tail hole, there seems to be no problem, so I will make some clothes tonight. I should also make hair brushes for all of them and other such details.


    ¡°U-um¡­!¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Thank you very much.¡±


    The fox-eared woman bowed her head to me. The other women began to bow to me as well, thanking me in various ways.


    ¡°Yes. Anyway, first of all, rest your body and mind.¡±


    Thus, the women¡¯s treatment was over. The rest is, well, yes. After I returned to Merinesburg, I would have to go around and ask for help, and I would be able to find work for about eight of them. And even if I can¡¯t manage it, I can have them work for me as my personal maids at the castle.


    Yeah, no problem. Alright.

 CH 341

    Chapter 341 ¨C Breakfast and Clothing Selection


    ¡°No, it was hard work, you know? After having not only their lives saved but also their injuries and wounds that would affect them in the future healed¡­ it was hard to stop them from going to your room with a completely determined look on their faces, you know?¡±


    The next morning, when I was washing my face at the watering hole, Shumel said something like that to me.


    ¡°Well done. Good job.¡±


    ¡°Well, not without the permission of Her Majesty, the Prime Minister, and the Court Mage, right?¡±


    ¡°If there had been permission, would you have let them through?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I would have.¡±


    ¡°Would that be the case¡­?¡±


    I don¡¯t know how many of the eight of them tried to take such action, but I really wish they would take care of their own minds and bodies instead of doing that kind of thing.


    ¡°But you know what? It¡¯s your fault, too, you know?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You just give and don¡¯t ask for anything in return. It is a benevolent act, but how is it for the recipient? If you are the kind of person to say, ¡°I don¡¯t care about that, it was given to you on my own,¡± but if not, they will try to return the favor somehow, won¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, that¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°Right. The only thing they have to offer is their own bodies. Luckily, you¡¯re a guy, right?¡±


    ¡°Mm¡­¡±


    I hadn¡¯t really thought about that.


    ¡°But it was yesterday¡­ What do you think I should do?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right; since they are trying to return the favor, why don¡¯t you make them a proposal that will help them return the favor? You know, maybe offer them a job working for you.¡±


    ¡°Working for me, huh?¡±


    It¡¯s a very difficult thing to do. I¡¯ve never had to have direct subordinates because of the nature of my business. The harpies are a bit special.


    ¡°Hmm, I see. Subordinates, I see.¡±


    When I think about it, I have to go to the castle town for the Merchant¡¯s Guild and the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. But after the assassination attempt the other day, it will be more and more difficult for me to go out. In that case, wouldn¡¯t it be helpful to have someone who could act as my assistant and tell the Merchant¡¯s Guild and Adventurer¡¯s Guild what I need to do? But at the very least, they should be able to read, write, and do simple calculations. And then there¡¯s the issue of status and so on?


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t feel like a quick fix, but I think I¡¯ve got a guideline.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    Shumel¡¯s mouth smiled as she said this.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    ¡°Yes, good morning.¡±


    ¡°¡±¡±Good morning.¡±¡±¡±


    After getting ready, we all gathered for breakfast. This is because we had agreed yesterday that we would all have breakfast together today.


    ¡°First, we will have breakfast. After you eat, I want you to examine the clothes I have prepared for you. I have cloth and sewing tools, so if there is something you would like to arrange or make, you are welcome to do so. If there is anything else you want, I will prepare it for you, so don¡¯t hesitate to tell me. I can prepare most things.¡±


    Hearing my words, the girls looked at each other. Even though I said I could prepare most of the things, I didn¡¯t look like I had a lot of luggage.


    ¡°Danna is the one who made this place for us to stay. He¡¯s like a mage who can get anything out of anything.¡±


    ¡°Not everything. Only what is available.¡±


    ¡°Almost everything.¡±


    The women are looking at me like they don¡¯t understand what¡¯s going on, but I¡¯ll explain later¡­ Is that okay?


    ¡°Let¡¯s have breakfast for now. Itadakimasu.¡±


    And so breakfast was served. Today¡¯s menu consisted of barley porridge, a hearty sausage, and shredded cabbage with pickles. If the barley porridge had been made with steamed potatoes, it would have been a very German-flavored meal. I may be biased.


    ¡°There¡¯s plenty enough here, so don¡¯t be afraid to eat it.¡±


    ¡°Y-yes¡­¡±


    The thick, magnificent sausages seemed to be a rather expensive dish in their eyes, and they were reluctant to touch it, but once I served it on their plates, they started to eat it. Yes, there¡¯s plenty to go around, so eat as much as you like.


    ¡°Sorry to interrupt your meal, but we need to have a little talk about the future.¡±


    When I said this, tension ran through the girls. Yes, you don¡¯t need to worry so much.


    ¡°I think I¡¯ve told you that I¡¯m going to arrange a place for you to live in Merinesburg, but if you want, there is an option for you to work for me as my subordinate. I¡¯ll have to consult with Her Majesty the Queen, but at the moment, I don¡¯t have any direct subordinates. I¡¯m on a business trip right now to provide explanations about the pioneer village, but when I return to Merinesburg, I¡¯ll have many opportunities to communicate with the Merchant¡¯s Guild, the Adventurer¡¯s Guild, and other organizations in the castle. However, with all that¡¯s been going on lately, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to visit the castle town as casually as I¡¯d like. It would be great to have someone to connect me with those organizations.¡±


    All eight women stopped eating and focused their eyes on me. Hmm, it¡¯s kind of hard to do when they¡¯re looking at me that much.


    ¡°If Her Majesty gives me permission, I may be able to have you serve as my subordinates to fulfill such a role. Well, to put it nicely, you are my secretaries. Practically, you¡¯re like errand boys, but if it¡¯s okay with you, please consider it. Also, didn¡¯t the harpies say you had a hard time taking care of the kids?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Someone has to watch over them.¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s too difficult to be my secretary, I think it would be good to have you act as a sort of nanny over there, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I think it would be good. It would be a big help just to take care of them during the day.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s what I¡¯m saying. I¡¯m sure you¡¯d be very anxious if you didn¡¯t know exactly what kind of work you¡¯ll be doing, even if I say I¡¯ll provide you with a place to live. That¡¯s what I¡¯m thinking about for the time being. Of course, I can introduce you to many other jobs as well. After all, I¡¯m the prince¡¯s consort.¡±


    After saying that, I shrugged my shoulders. Long live royalty, long live feudalism. Having power in this world means that you can do almost anything you want, not just a little. Fortunately, I have not only power but also money and things, so I can handle most things.


    ¡°This concludes our discussion of the future. After dinner, it¡¯s time to choose clothes. And, by the way, you can take a bath anytime you want, so I think it¡¯s a good idea to take another long soak in the tub and rest your body after choosing your clothes.¡±


    After saying this, I took a bite of the thick sausage. Yes, it¡¯s delicious.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    ¡°¡±¡±Wow¡­!¡±¡±¡±


    ¡°The selection may be a little limited, but you can look at it all you want.¡±


    On a large table in the dining room, where the food has been cleared away, there are piles of clothes, fabric, and sewing supplies. Some of them are underwear, but I¡¯d rather not mention them because I¡¯m walking around with all this stuff in my inventory just in case I have to do something like this. I am not a pervert who takes pleasure in carrying around women¡¯s underwear.


    ¡°They are basically for humans, so they don¡¯t have tail holes or anything like that. You have to use your sewing tools to adjust them to your liking.¡±


    Aside from jackets, skirts, pants, and shorts need to be adjusted for the beastmen to wear them. I¡¯m sure the girls are familiar with that area and can be trusted to handle it.


    ¡°Yes! Thank you very much.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all right.¡±


    I wave to Byaku, the fox-eared girl who has been talking to me since the beginning. After breakfast, the girls introduced themselves to me. I hadn¡¯t even heard their names until now.


    First of all, the number of women we helped this time was eight. All of them are beastmen, and the only animal elements are their ears and tails, which makes them look very human. In addition, they are all young. Well, the bandits must have chosen such women and kidnapped them. That must be the reason why many of them are human-like in appearance.


    First, there is Byaku, a fox-eared beastman. She is a beautiful woman with reddish-brown hair, the color of a fox. Her pinned-up fox ears and fluffy tail are a perfect match for her.


    In addition, there are a pair of dog-type beastman sisters. They all have dark brown hair, and their droopy dog ears are hidden in their hair. If they did not have tails, one might mistake them for humans. They look very much alike, and when I asked them about it, they told me that they are twins. According to their story, it is quite common for dogs and wolves-type beastmen to be born as twins or triplets. Their names are Luna and Lana. They are quiet and have always walked together since we rescued them.


    The fourth is Mito, a mouse-type beastman. She is a petite woman with pure white hair and ears and is always hiding behind someone, perhaps because she is timider than others. So far, I have only been able to converse with her enough to ask her name, but she seems to have no intention of avoiding me thoroughly as she stares at me while hiding behind others. Once she is convinced that it is safe, I am sure we will be able to communicate.


    The fifth person is Shen, a horse-type beastman. She is a tall woman with chestnut hair. She seemed to have put up quite a fight and was the most severely beaten out of the eight. Her face had been beaten, and she was the only one whose tendons had been cut on both legs. She has now healed from her physical wounds, and both of her legs are healed. She seems like a gentle person when you talk to her, but she may be surprisingly stubborn and precise.


    The sixth person is Meme, a rabbit-type beastman. She is a grayish-haired woman with ears that stand up like a rabbit¡¯s. Most of the rabbit-type beastmen I know are slender and petite, but she is quite large. I don¡¯t think it is rude to say this about a woman. She seemed to be quite strong, and when they escaped, she picked up Shen, who had been severely injured, by herself and carried her to the air board without the help of Shumel and the others. Seeing that she was able to act quickly in escaping while being tortured by the bandits, she may have actually been looking for an opportunity to escape. Perhaps she has quite a strong personality.


    The seventh one is Fey, who has small, round, brown animal ears. I could not tell what kind of animal she was by looking at her tail, but according to her, she was a weasel-type beastman. She was from the same hometown as Shen and was extremely grateful to me for healing Shen¡¯s injuries. It seems that Shen was severely injured as a result of protecting her, and she was very worried about it. It seems that she is now sticking by Shen and taking care of her in various ways.


    The last one is Olivia, a goat-type beastman with two warped horns on her head. She has two horns now, but one of them was broken before she was treated yesterday. She was in an extremely lethargic state until I healed her, but when I healed her horns with a regenerative medicine made from Grande blood, she thanked me with tears in her eyes. I heard that for a beastman with horns, losing them is a great humiliation. I am glad I was able to fix it. By the way, she was the most grateful to me out of the eight of them, and she was the first one to suggest going to my room last night. I¡¯m going to give Shumel, who stopped me, a gold coin later.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make some things in the other room, so call me if you need anything. I¡¯ll leave this to you.¡±


    ¡°Aiyo.¡±


    ¡°Roger that.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Leaving this place in the hands of the oni girls, who answered in turn, I went back to my room to make some accessories for the ladies. Tomorrow, I have to go to the town of Comoran, where Viscount Beryl is staying. Ms. Zamir should have contacted him, but I¡¯m not sure what will happen. I don¡¯t want to bother with explanations and such.

 CH 342

    Chapter 342 ¨C Return Trip


    I made combs, brushes, and other accessories for the women we rescued to trim their hair and tails, gave the oni girls a bonus of a gold coin, handed them the ingredients to cook their lunch, and made donuts for Grande, who begged for a snack when she was hungry.


    ¡°So, how¡¯s it going?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t see into their minds, no matter how good my eyesight is. But their bodies seem to be in good shape now, and they are able to withstand the travel.¡±


    ¡°They are splendid.¡±


    I¡¯m having a serious conversation with Tozume, but our current location is the bathtub. We are soaking in the bathtub. By the way, Tozume¡¯s voice is coming from above my head. I¡¯m wondering if it¡¯s customary for oni, like Shumel and Bella and Tozume, to enter the bathtub while holding me in their arms.


    ¡°Well, although things got a little stingy at the end, the job itself is done, right? The saint and the others¡¯ babies are about to be born, so I guess you¡¯ll be taking a break for a while, huh?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. First of all, we will check the situation of the village we built this time, and after identifying the problems and other issues, we may have to adjust the plan again. Then I will be free for a while.¡±


    ¡°I think you work too much. I think it¡¯s okay to live a more relaxed life.¡±


    ¡°It certainly feels like you¡¯re in a hurry to get on with your life. You have many partners, so you should have a lot of children before winter.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll welcome you with open arms, you know?¡±


    The three oni all grinned at each other.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t do that; I¡¯ll die. Oh well. I¡¯ve got a lot of things to do in Merinesburg.¡±


    ¡°I told you to take it easy, but now you¡¯re talking about work.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell Her Majesty to force you to take a break, okay?¡±


    ¡°Should we make sure you¡¯re not up on your legs every day?¡±


    ¡°Stop that; it¡¯s not funny.¡±


    I only have one body. Please be more considerate.


    ¡°Anyway, we¡¯re still on schedule for tomorrow, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. We can¡¯t just sit around here forever.¡±


    I¡¯m worried about Ellen and Amalie-san, who are pregnant. I want to go home as soon as possible. However, when I come back to Comoran tomorrow, I will have to respond to Viscount Beryl¡¯s hospitality for a few days, I suppose. It would be a hassle, but if I were to quickly return to Merinesburg without receiving any hospitality from Viscount Beryl, I would be ruining his reputation. If I leave without receiving Viscount Beryl¡¯s hospitality, Viscount Beryl will be slammed behind his back by other nobles who will say, ¡°He¡¯s a lousy guy who can¡¯t even show respect to His Highness the Prince Consort.¡±


    If Viscount Beryl¡¯s response was actually bad and I walked away without receiving any hospitality, well, I guess he deserved it, but if I walked away for my own reasons and there was no flaw in Viscount Beryl, it would simply be a disgrace to the innocent Viscount Beryl, and of course, I would be resented by Viscount Beryl.


    Nobles are such troublesome people, aren¡¯t they?


    ¡°Tomorrow, I have to go to Viscount Beryl¡¯s place. Ah, what a pain in the ass.¡±


    I don¡¯t get along with nobility-related things, do I? Well, I¡¯ll just have to give up and get used to it because of my position. Even if I fail a little, I¡¯ll manage it with the power of His Highness the Prince Consort. And finally, violence, violence, violence.


    I must be getting used to this world as I can come up with ideas like this.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    My stay in Comoran was uneventful. Well, not exactly uneventful, but at any rate, there were no major disturbances.


    Viscount Beryl had already received the news of the pioneer group¡¯s destruction via Ms. Zamir, and the handover of the body and the memorial service proceeded smoothly. Viscount Beryl had prepared the funeral ahead of time.


    After the funeral, Viscount Beryl himself approached the women victims. These women were originally residents of Viscount Beryl¡¯s territory. It would have been impossible to predict the existence of more than fifty bandits who were made up of defeated soldiers, but as a result, the guards that Viscount Beryl had prepared were unable to protect them, their friends were killed, and they themselves suffered a terrible fate.


    For this, Viscount Beryl apologized and gave them a bag full of silver coins. I know that money can¡¯t solve their problems, but there are many problems that can be solved with money in their future lives. This is the best redemption he could do for them.


    Certainly, it is not a problem that can be solved with money, but I understand what he is saying. As for the girls, I have unilaterally informed him that I will protect them, so this is certainly the best redemption he can do for them now.


    Of course, before apologizing to the girls, Viscount Beryl apologized profusely to me as well. I, as the prince consort, went to the pioneer settlements, but the bandits took advantage of it, and I had to take care of the bandits. It is a great failure for a lord who protects the development and peace of this land.


    However, I made the decision to take action against the bandits on the spot and did it on my own. It would have been a natural response to promptly inform Viscount Beryl when I saw the destruction of the pioneer group and let him handle it himself, and it would have been more of an overstepping of authority, a breaking of bylaws, or an extrajudicial measure for me to annihilate the bandits on my own without Viscount Beryl¡¯s help.


    I told him that I had done what I did without considering Viscount Beryl¡¯s reputation and that there was no need to apologize for it.


    After such a formal event, we were on our way home.


    We were not returning on our usual air boards but on a modified large air board that had been modified in a rush job to improve the comfort of the ride, or rather, the comfort of the passengers.


    With this, all the passengers can ride on one air board, which reduces the burden on the harpies, who are on airborne alert, compared to traveling with two air boards. And the top, or rather, the roof*? The roof is wide, so it can be used as a landing place for the harpies. This means that the harpies can take off, land, and rest at their leisure.


    ¡°This is good, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°It is also possible to develop a large air board that can take off, land, and load harpies¡¯ bombs.¡±


    It would be like a ground carrier, so to speak.


    The bomb-loaded harpies will inevitably have a shorter range and a limited weight payload. Air bombs for the harpies are heavy and bulky, making them difficult to use on the front lines, let alone in defensive combat. But what if there is a mobile base that can carry a large number of air bombs? The harpies would be able to be fierce on the front lines as well.


    ¡°This is good, isn¡¯t it? The seat position is high, and the viewpoint is wide, which is refreshing.¡±


    Bella, who is in charge of driving, is driving the air board in a good mood, seemingly oblivious to the serious conversation between Ygrette and me. Since the air board was considerably larger this time, the driver¡¯s seat was raised in order to secure visibility. Bella was in a good mood from start to finish.


    ¡°Zzz¡­¡±


    Grande is sleeping, buried in the cushions. Meme, the rabbit-type beastman, and Faye, the weasel-type beastman, are playing with Grande¡¯s beautiful blonde hair by braiding it into three braids, but she shows no sign of waking up at all. Once Grande falls asleep, she doesn¡¯t wake up very often.


    Luna and Lana, the twins of the dog-type beastman, are smiling at the scene together, and Shen, the horse-type beastman, is talking with Shumel about something. Mito, the mouse-type beastman, is attached to Shen. She is always attached to Shen or Byaku, right?


    By the way, Byaku, a fox-type beastman, and Olivia, a goat-type beastman, are working on sewing something while listening to the conversation between Ygrette and me right next to us¨Dor rather, right next to me. It seems that she is fixing the clothes I gave her and the other girls into beastman specs. Tozume is helping them. She¡¯s pretty good with her hands and does a little bit of sewing and crafting.


    ¡°Drive safely. If you are in a hurry and cause an accident, we will be delayed.¡±


    ¡°Got it!¡±


    Anyway, that¡¯s the end of my business trip for now. I¡¯m going to spend a while relaxing in Merinesburg.

 CH 343

    Chapter 343 ¨C Saint-in-Waiting


    Summer has passed, and the breezes are getting cooler. It is almost autumn.


    Was it this time last year when we were talking about the suspicious movements of the two northern countries? The days go by so fast that my memory is a little fuzzy. Well, before the end of last year, we had finished fighting with the two northern countries, and for a while, we had been working on our bases and defense system in the north. So, I was over there for the winter¡­ and during that time, well, I got close with Ellen, who was visiting the north at the time, and we easily had a baby as a result.


    It seems that it is easier to have children between humans than between different species, such as elves, beastmen, and one-eyed races.


    Well, what I am trying to say is that it is time for a child to be born. That¡¯s why I wanted to return home as soon as I finished work. I couldn¡¯t be present at the birth anyway¨Dapparently, men are forbidden during childbirth¨Dso I couldn¡¯t do anything just because I was nearby.


    ¡°Please hold me tighter.¡±


    Ellen said and tightened her arms around me.


    ¡°Yes, yes, just a little. You have a baby in your belly, too.¡±


    I answered her sweetly and hugged her, patting her on the back.


    Yeah, this is what happens when I get back home before I even have time to calm down.


    Ellen was apparently very sad and anxious that I had left her side on a business trip. Well, it was Ellen¡¯s first time, so it was understandable that she was anxious. Amalie-san, who became pregnant at about the same time as Ellen, was not so worried, but Ellen¡¯s mental instability is probably an exaggeration. She has become very lonely and spoiled.


    This is fine, though, because she is very cute in this way.


    ¡°Uh¡­¡±


    I sense that Byaku, the fox-type beastman who came down from the modified large air board, is in trouble behind me. Yeah, I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t expect to get a hug from Ellen, who was waiting for me as soon as I arrived at the castle and got off the air board. I am really sorry.


    ¡°Who are those people?¡±


    Ellen¡¯s red eyes flicker to the beastmen girls as she hugs me.


    ¡°I¡¯ve taken them under my protection for a number of reasons. I haven¡¯t told Sylphy about them yet, but I¡¯m going to have them work for me.¡±


    ¡°I see. Are you ready to support and help this man as your master?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Because Kosuke-sama saved my body and my life.¡±


    ¡°Do the others feel the same way?¡±


    ¡°¡±¡±Yes.¡±¡±¡±


    ¡°Is that all there is to it¡­?¡±


    The words of the beastman girls, who are too free of hesitation, are bewildering to me. No, I think it¡¯s true that without our help, their future would not be so long. Doesn¡¯t it seem a bit heavy for them to say, ¡°I will serve you at the risk of my own life¡±?


    ¡°That¡¯s as far as it goes. At least, for me.¡±


    Saying that, Olivia, the goat-type beastman, stared me squarely in the eye. The other girls were staring at me the same way. All of them had serious eyes. Very serious.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay if it¡¯s a little looser¡­¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that good? It¡¯s a shame to have more women around you, but at least they won¡¯t betray you. This is a good thing that you have more people that you can safely have around you.¡±


    Ellen tightened her arms around me again as she said this. I can feel her strong will that says you belong to me now.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m sorry, Bertha-san. Could you please assign the girls a suitable guest room? I intend to make them my subordinates eventually, but until then, I would like them to be treated as guests under my protection.¡±


    ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll ask for you later, too.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    I left the beastmen girls in the hands of Bertha-san, who had come to the parking lot with Ellen as her escort and headed with Ellen to the office where Sylphy was expected to be. Ellen was still attached to my left arm during that time and showed no sign of moving away. Ellen seemed to have become a full-fledged clinging bug.


    ¡°Ellen didn¡¯t seem to have a problem, but what about Amalie-san?¡±


    ¡°It was a big deal. A big deal. My heart is broken because of the heartless person who left me, a pregnant woman, to go on with his work.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. But using my power to help those in need is a good thing, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°I know. But I was lonely. I was anxious.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. You¡¯ve done a great job of being patient.¡±


    The maid and bureaucrats I passed looked like they were about to spit out sugar as I walked to the office with Ellen. Yeah, sorry. I¡¯ll take your scolding to do it in my room. But I have to go to Sylphy.


    Using the face pass, I entered the royal quarters guarded by the royal guards and headed straight for the office. The royal guards (many of them were women) looked at me as if they were looking at something very amusing. Yes, we are in good marital relations.


    I gestured to the royal guards who were guarding the Oval Office that I would go inside, and they knocked on the door of the Oval Office and informed me of their requirements before we entered the door in front of the Oval Office. Thanks to the guard, we were able to enter the Oval Office with almost no wait.


    ¡°I¡¯m back.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re ba¨DHey.¡±


    ¡°What is it? It¡¯s fine, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s been a long time since we¡¯ve seen each other as husband and wife.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m his wife, too. I¡¯m the legal wife.¡±


    ¡°You should get along with each other.¡±


    I plead from the bottom of my heart because Sylphy raised her eyebrows when she saw Ellen, who was attached to my left arm. I don¡¯t want to see my wives snarling at each other.


    ¡°Mm¡­ you¡¯re right. I, as the rightful wife, should be the one to have an open mind here.¡±


    ¡°Mm¡­ I overdid it too. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Then I will take care of it.¡±


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not quite what I meant.¡±


    Before anyone knew it, Melty had crept up behind me, hugged me from behind, and buried her face in the area around the nape of my neck. It tickles, tickles, don¡¯t sniff it, don¡¯t lick it. What are you doing?


    Finally, Sylphy couldn¡¯t stand it any longer and left her desk and came to my right arm. Then she starts rubbing her cheek against the base of my right arm, or rather, around my collarbone. Is she marking me or something?


    ¡°All right, all right, let¡¯s calm down. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s right for you to be standing there.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll take the sofa over there.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go.¡±


    The three of them pulled me to a big, soft sofa in the corner of the office. Yeah, if the three of them end up getting along and sharing me, I¡¯ll be happy. Come on, let¡¯s go for it! I¡¯ll spoil you three with all my might!


    So, with two of them on either side of me and one on my lap, I flirted with the three of them. We rotated the kneeling position three times, with the rule that we had to change every ten minutes.


    In addition, I ended up leaving the beastmen girls unattended for a little less than two hours, but I was able to talk to Sylphy and Melty while we were flirting, and they allowed me to appoint them as my subordinates, so I guess it¡¯s safe to say that everything was fine.

 CH 344

    Chapter 344 ¨C Please, Sensei


    ¡°Sorry to keep you waiting.¡±


    ¡°¡­No, don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    After greeting Sylphy and the others, I immediately went to the larger guest room assigned to Byaku and the others¨Da suite-like room for receiving delegations and the like.


    The subtle pause and the slightly hard voice are because they smell the scent of Sylphy and the others. Beastmen have good noses, don¡¯t they?


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I can¡¯t ignore Sylphy¨DHer Majesty, emotionally or from a position of authority.¡±


    When I said that and laughed bitterly, Byaku¡¯s eyes widened, and she was so dismayed that I felt sorry for her, and she shook her head, her pointed fox ears flattened.


    ¡°¡­! N-no! It¡¯s fine to put us second or third! There is nothing to apologize for! We are sorry too!¡±


    Byaku bowed her head, and the others nodded their heads and also bowed their heads together with her.


    ¡°We hope you¡¯ll use us in whatever way you like, and when you have nothing else to do and are in the mood for something else, you can just think of those people who were there.¡±


    ¡°No, but since they allowed me to treat you as my direct subordinate, I won¡¯t leave you to that extent.¡±


    Olivia, the goat-type beastman who says terrific things with a straight face, makes me smile bitterly again. Maybe she really means it. Her loyalty is so high that I¡¯m slightly taken aback.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s the thing. Anyway, you girls are in a state where you don¡¯t know how to be attendants at all. That¡¯s why I brought you teachers.¡±


    As I opened the door, a woman dressed in a maid¡¯s uniform entered through the door. She had bluish-gray skin, bat-like black wings, and a devilish arrowhead tail. The white brim that sits between the magnificent twisted horns on her head is dazzling.


    ¡°This is Leviera-san, a member of the royal guard that protects the royal family.¡±


    ¡°My name is Leviera. Please make your acquaintance.¡±


    Leviera-san bowed to the beastmen girls with a graceful bow. The girls bowed back in a hurry.


    ¡°And this is your senior, Gerda-san.¡±


    ¡°H-hello¡­¡±


    Gerda, a large maid with some kind of breastplate, enters quietly through the open door. As her round brown ears indicate, she is also a beastman. It is hard to tell just by looking at her ears, but according to her, she is a bear-type beastman.


    ¡°They will take care of your education. Yes, clap your hands.¡±


    The girls clapped their hands when I said that. After staring at them, Leviera-san turned her crimson eyes toward me. They are a little different from Ellen¡¯s eyes, but they are somewhat brighter, and they glow in a bewitching way.


    ¡°Kosuke-sama, we have our regular business to attend to, don¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°Please let them accompany you on your normal duties to train them. Please.¡±


    ¡°If Your Highness Prince Consort Kosuke-sama asks me to do so, of course, I will obey, but if I do so, there is a strong possibility that it will interfere with my duties as a member of the royal guard. If I do so, I will cause trouble for the royal family.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take responsibility for that. Also, I will give you a special bonus.¡±


    ¡°If none other than Kosuke-sama says so, I have nothing to say against it. I will do my best to fulfill my duties.¡±


    ¡°I-I will do my best, too.¡±


    Leviera-san said so decisively, and Gerda also smiled wryly and undertook to take care of the beastmen girls I had rescued. Is this a relief for now?


    ¡°They will act as my direct subordinates in dealing with the Merchants¡¯ Guild and the Adventurers¡¯ Guild in Merinesburg. They will also take care of my personal needs and serve the guests I invite. As for escorts, Shumel and the others will be in charge, so they need only be able to protect themselves with martial arts and the like. Please arrange a suitable room and procure personal belongings for them. Leave the bill to me.¡±


    ¡°Understood. I will make them into attendants who will not embarrass you in any way.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m counting on you. Everyone, first of all, please learn a lot from Leviera-san and Gerda and get used to the work little by little.¡±


    ¡°¡±¡±Yes.¡±¡±¡±


    The beastmen girls nodded with mysterious faces. Let¡¯s just leave them alone for the time being, shall we?


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    ¡°Welcome back, Kosuke.¡±


    ¡°Welcome back. You look healthy.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m back.¡±


    After leaving the beastmen girls to Leviera-san, I headed to the Research and Development Department to meet Isla. I found Iphrita there, too, but that was okay.


    ¡°Did you pick something up?¡±


    ¡°Something like that, like a puppy or a kitten¡­ Well, I was a little stingy at the end.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Tell me about it. I¡¯ll make you some tea.¡±


    The three of us, Isla, Iphrita and I, are seated at the tea table in Isla¡¯s lab in the Research and Development Department, sipping tea and talking about the beastmen girls I¡¯ve brought along.


    ¡°That¡¯s horrible. How could they do such a thing to another human race?¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m like them in the sense that I¡¯m killing them unilaterally.¡±


    ¡°Not at all. It is one thing to use force to subdue an opponent who is willing to fight in a war and quite another to kill a helpless civilian who is not willing to fight by slashing them from behind. Besides, it is an act of scum to capture and trample on the dignity of others.¡±


    ¡°I agree. Well, if that¡¯s how it happened, I guess it can¡¯t be helped if you bring them back. There are more women than men in this castle now, so they must feel a little safer. And you¡¯re here, too.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, Kosuke has done a good thing. I guarantee it.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    Isla always affirms me in this way. She may be small, but she is full of motherly love and compassion, and she is also a combatant who can turn back assassins. Isn¡¯t Isla amazing? Is she a goddess?


    ¡°More importantly, I¡¯ve succeeded in imitating to some extent the magic power gathering and enhancement functions of the Adolian cathedrals.¡±


    ¡°Oh, really? What¡¯s it like?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a perfect replica, but it¡¯s a magic metal line that runs through all the places where people come and go and converges in the center of the building. Then, in the center of the building, there is a mass of magic metal with a high magical power capacity¨Din the case of the Adolian cathedral, it is the symbol of a glowing cross made of mithril. The magic metal wire is used to concentrate the magic power.¡±


    ¡°In the path of the magic metal wire, there are circuits that are connected in places to amplify the effects of miracles or to enhance the effect of recovery, and they are interacting with each other. Furthermore, by supplying and circulating the overflowing magic power to these circuits, the efficiency of collecting magic power is further amplified.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t really understand¡­ In other words, the cathedral itself is an advanced magic power accumulation and miracle amplification device, and we¡¯ve been able to understand and imitate its mechanism to some extent.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. But it will inevitably be on a much larger scale. Frankly, the cost won¡¯t be that much different from finding and developing a vein defect, but the magic efficiency is going to feel a lot less.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, that doesn¡¯t sound quite right then.¡±


    The purpose of the mana trap is to obtain a large amount of magic power at a low cost and improve the quality of life. If the cost is too high, it will be meaningless.


    ¡°I¡¯m stuck on the magic integration function, but it¡¯s worthwhile to study the unknown magic circuits themselves. A circuit that improves the effect of recovery may revolutionize the treatment with recovery magic.¡±


    ¡°If the effect of recovery can be improved even with weak recovery magic, it will lead to the ability to heal more injured people at a lower magic cost. It could reduce the number of people dying from illness and injury.¡±


    ¡°That would be very meaningful.¡±


    If we can give a boost to recovery magic, that would certainly be very useful. The recovery magic in this world is real recovery magic that can quickly stop the blood even in a state of heavy bleeding and heal even deep cuts without leaving any scars. If it were enhanced, it would certainly greatly reduce the number of deaths.


    ¡°I wish there was some way to make it work¡­ hmm.¡±


    I wonder if it would be possible to collect magic power by stringing a magic metal wire to a windmill or something? Is it too difficult? Anyway, we¡¯ll have to try various mana traps. Let¡¯s ask them a little more about imitating a magic power collection mechanism.

 CH 345

    Chapter 345 ¨C Courtesy Visit


    After asking Isla and Iphrita about mana trap-related matters, I went to see Amalie-san this time.


    I had to give priority to Sylphy and the beastmen girls I had brought with me first, so I headed there feeling sorry that I had to postpone my visit until later.


    ¡°It¡¯s enough for you to come here like this for me and others.¡±


    Sitting across the table from me, Amalie-san¡¯s cheerful smile was dazzling. What is this aura of light?


    ¡°Amalie, you should think a little more about yourself¨D¨D¡±


    ¡°No, Eleonora-sama. I and others are treated that well. I was able to give birth to Kosuke-sama¡¯s son through the mercy of Her Majesty the Queen, Her Excellency the Prime Minister, and Kosuke-sama. Normally, it would not be allowed for me to give birth to Kosuke-sama¡¯s son without Her Majesty the Queen¡¯s permission.¡±


    Amalie-san interrupted Ellen¡¯s words and shook her head.


    By the way, Ellen is sitting on the right side of the long soft sofa. What a cute little creature.


    ¡°After all, it¡¯s about heirs and such¡­¡±


    ¡°No, there is no problem on that point. Even if Kosuke-sama had a child with another woman, that child would not have the right to inherit the throne of the Merinard Kingdom. It is simply a matter of hierarchy as Kosuke-sama¡¯s wife.¡±


    ¡°Wife hierarchy.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I am merely Eleonora-sama¡¯s addition. If it were normal, I would be in a position where even calling myself Kosuke-sama¡¯s wife would be presumptuous. The fact that I have been given Kosuke-sama¡¯s favor ahead of Her Majesty the Queen and Her Excellency the Prime Minister would be a serious disturbance to everyone¡¯s hierarchy.¡±


    ¡°¡­What would happen if that were not allowed?¡±


    ¡°The more expedient method would be to keep the pregnancy out of Kosuke-sama¡¯s sight as soon as it is discovered.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to imagine¡­ a method that isn¡¯t peaceful.¡±


    It¡¯s scary only because I can imagine as many ways as I want. There are not only poisons and simple violence in this world, but there is also magic, and there are beings like Lime and the others, so there are many ways to do it.


    ¡°Scary¡­ That¡¯s scary. Eh, did you come back to the castle in such a state of anxiety, Amalie-san?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡±


    Amalie-san gives me a troubled smile. In other words, that¡¯s probably what it means. Underneath her usual cheerful smile, she was carrying that kind of anxiety. I hate my knot hole eyes.


    ¡°Please, tell me about that. I¡¯ll take care of it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a problem, so¡­¡±


    ¡®¡±Gnunu¡­ Ellen?¡±


    ¡°I knew about that, of course. But what are you going to do when I tell you about it? These things are to be resolved between women. If you stick your nose into it, it will only make things worse.¡±


    Ellen, who had been clinging to me for a long time, said this to me. That may be the way it¡¯s supposed to be, but hey. Just a little more.


    ¡°Amalie sounded serious, but I didn¡¯t think it was that serious.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the point?¡±


    ¡°That those two would kill your child, even if it was in another woman¡¯s womb? It is impossible. Even if it were the nobles of the Holy Kingdom, who value blood and face above all else, I don¡¯t think those two would do such a thing.¡±


    ¡°¡­I see.¡±


    That being said, you may be right. I can¡¯t and don¡¯t want to think of Sylphy or Melty killing my kids for their faces.


    ¡°Of course, it would not be fun to be ahead of the pack, but this is a race trait.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re being blunt.¡±


    Long-lived species such as elves and one-eyed races have difficulty having children as a race.


    Originally, the fertility of beastmen like Melty was almost the same as that of humans, but Melty is a demon species. Isla had told me before that, based on past examples, the lifespan of Melty, a demon species, is thought to be equal to or longer than that of the long-lived race and that the difficulty of having children is probably the same as that of the long-lived race. In fact, there is no sign of fertility at all in Melty.


    What about humans? The human fertility situation is not so different from that of the people in my former world. As long as they do what they have to do, they can have more and more children. As a matter of fact, I heard that harpies can have children at a pace not so different from that of humans.


    ¡°I think you should love us more instead of talking about such a complicated thing. We are the lovely woman who conceived your child, aren¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°You say that while talking about being conceived or something like that? I mean, you¡¯re already clingy. You love me more than ever.¡±


    ¡°You have not only a right arm but also a left arm. Come on, Amalie, come over here.¡±


    ¡°U-uh¡­ that¡¯s, uh, excuse me.¡±


    Ellen urged Amalie-san to move slowly from the facing side of the table and sit down on my left side, and lean in close to me. I was sandwiched between Amalie-san and Ellen from both sides and felt their warmth. What is this, heaven?


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡°Uh-oh.¡±


    When I was thinking about this, Bertha-san, who had been standing behind Ellen, silently sat down in front of me, or rather between my legs, and leaned her back against me. Then she took both my hands and guided them over her own stomach to hold herself firmly against me.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it is good for you to treat me indifferently.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t treat you¨Dnuooohh!


    Berhta-san presses her back against me, pressing down on me as if to interrupt my words. The quiet and cool Bertha-san is so jealous like this. The gap is amazing.


    ¡°Not only on both hands but also on the front? You womanizer.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t argue with that.¡±


    I think it¡¯s generally the case that I didn¡¯t make a move on them, but they attacked me, but that doesn¡¯t change the fact that I did it.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    ¡°So you came here after enjoying your harem for as long as you could? We are not your after-dinner dessert, are we?¡±


    After having dinner with Ellen and the others, I checked and found that Seraphita-san and the others were relaxing in the living room, so I visited them, but as soon as I entered, Aquawill-san spat poison at me. Hyiee.


    ¡°Aqua-chan is still very strict with Kosuke-kun, isn¡¯t she?¡±


    ¡°Fufu, she was so fidgety just now when she heard that Kosuke-san was coming.¡±


    ¡°Mother!¡±


    Aquawill-san¡¯s face, which had been giving me a cold look and giving me a hard time, turned red all at once. You said she was fidgety? I see.


    ¡°What¡¯s with that face? Please stop looking at me.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    I was afraid that lightning would strike (in a magic sense) if I kept looking at Aquawill-san¡¯s reddened face, so I turned my gaze toward Seraphita-san and Driada-san.


    ¡°Thank you for your hard work this time, too. I haven¡¯t met them yet, but I hear you brought back some women?¡±


    ¡°Ah, well, yes. Let me tell you how it happened¨D¨D¡±


    Thus, I explain how I took in Byaku and the others. I omitted the sensitive parts, but they seemed to understand the situation.


    ¡°So, Kosuke-kun is the one who tried to handle the situation by himself instead of leaving them with Viscount Beryl, isn¡¯t that right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s not something praiseworthy, but¡­¡±


    ¡°No?¡±


    ¡°No. Kosuke-san¡¯s determination not to overlook the tragedy in front of you is admirable, but it is not good for those who are related to the royal family to treat the common people so easily and in a special way. The tragedy that befell these women may have been terrible, but there are plenty of people who have suffered worse. There are many people in worse situations than theirs, or who think they are in worse situations than theirs, because of the careless way you saved them. They might be dissatisfied. The royal family saved them, so why not us? It¡¯s not fair, or something like that.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±


    I wanted to argue, but no words immediately came to mind to refute it. The fact that I saved those girls was just a coincidence and a whim. Normally, it would have made sense to leave them in Viscount Beryl¡¯s care, but I brought them back because I was selfish and out of compassion for them.


    ¡°You can thank Melty later.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Melty didn¡¯t say anything, but I guessed from Seraphita-san¡¯s words that she was probably covering up for my selfishness.


    ¡°In the kingdom, the king and the royal family are the absolute power. Hence, they must treat their people with equality. If not, the number of people who are dissatisfied will increase, and above all, those who take advantage of Kosuke-san¡¯s kindness may appear. It is harmful to be taken advantage of by such people, and in some cases, it may bring down the authority of the royal family and the kingdom.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    I nodded in agreement with Seraphita-san¡¯s advice. I am very thankful to her for this admonition.


    When you reach the age of adulthood, the people around you will never give you advice like this, even if you do something wrong. After all, you are an adult, so there is no need to go out of the way to scold and tell you what to do. If necessary, you should learn by yourself, and if you lose something by doing so, it is your own responsibility as an adult.


    ¡°¡­You are very straightforward.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because I don¡¯t know anything about royalty. I am grateful for this gentle admonishment, but there is no way I would rebel against it. There aren¡¯t many people who would scold and admonish me as an adult like this.¡±


    ¡°Are you an adult? You haven¡¯t lived for 30 years, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I am an adult by human standards, you know.¡±


    Please don¡¯t compare me with an elf. Aquawill-san looks like a little girl, but she is older than me. A long-lived race is really something else.

 CH 346

    Chapter 346 ¨C Chatting With Lime and the Others


    It is the next morning. No, to be precise, it is already noon.


    Eh? What did I do last night, you ask? Well, don¡¯t ask me that. I was away from the castle for a while, so there was no way I was free at night. You can guess from the fact that I was stuck on the bed until this time.


    Anyway, Sylphy was very sweet and cute last night. However, I wonder if she has too much energy due to too much desk work these days¡­ Yeah, it was hard work.


    I took a midday bath, not a morning bath, prepared myself, and had a late lunch. Well, I¡¯m having a late lunch, but since I don¡¯t have time with other people, I have a hamburger from my inventory in my room.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t eat lunch?¡±


    ¡°I have a special place in my stomach for hamburgers.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    While I was eating, Grande appeared from somewhere, so I served her a hamburger, too. Well, it was much better than eating alone. Maybe she just got caught up in her appetite, but I¡¯m grateful to her.


    ¡°Well, now that I¡¯ve eaten¡­ so I need to get a head start, right? What a pain in the ass.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just ignore the manners of the people? You are my companion, you know. In other words, you are like a dragon. Dragons are free to do as they please, oblivious to the rules of the people.¡±


    ¡°That may be true, but as long as I live among the people, I have to follow the rules of the people to a certain extent. Otherwise, I¡¯ll be scolded. For example, by Melty.¡±


    ¡°We should follow the rules of the people. Yes.¡±


    The moment Melty¡¯s name was mentioned, she responded passionately. In the case of Melty, ¡°Meh!¡± could turn into ¡°Destruction!¡± Because Melty can break through a thick iron door with her bare hands and tear it open. If you get hit by such a thing, you will probably die, common sense dictates.


    ¡°So, what are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°Well, I was thinking of going to the embassy of the Varyag Empire. I¡¯ll give them a heads up.¡±


    I clap my hands.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Grande tilted her head at my sudden action, but while she was doing so, Lime appeared from the corner of the room.


    ¡°Did you call for me?¡±


    ¡°I called, I called.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Lime approached me with a smiling face. Slimes are generally thought of as slow, but Lime and the others are not like that at all. They are usually fast. Probably faster than I can run.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got something for Lime and the others.¡±


    ¡°Wow!¡±


    I take out from my inventory the various things I bought for souvenirs and give them to Lime. I took out some food and fruits from the stalls, which I had wrapped, and a book. Lime and the others are not able to wear jewelry, and they have no use for cosmetics, so most of the gifts for them are food and books.


    Beth is the only one who prefers oils, so I buy her a variety of local oils, whether vegetable oils or animal fats and give them to her. Poizo would be happy to have some kind of poison, but poison is not something that is sold very often¡­ When I hunt a monster that has poison, I just give her its corpse or a bag of poison. If I give something like that here, a horrifying scene will unfold of Lime taking the corpse of a monster into her body and moving to the basement, so I¡¯m not going to do it.


    ¡°Hmm, are you going to the underground?¡±


    ¡°Right. I want to go out, so can you tell the embassy of the Varyag empire to give me a heads up?¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Lime and the others are hiding in the castle, so if I ask them to pass on a message like this, they will pass it on to the right person. They are very reliable slimes.


    Incidentally, the person in charge of guarding the castle differs depending on the day. Today it was Lime who was in charge, but it could be Beth or Poizo, depending on the day.


    ¡°Grande, you¡¯re not going?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll pass. The underground of this castle is their territory. I should keep out of their territory.¡±


    ¡°I see. I¡¯ll go then. If anyone asks, tell them I¡¯m in the underground.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    We parted ways with Grande and headed for the underground. Naturally, I am carried by Lime, who has grown bigger, but it is a common sight in this castle, so no one is already surprised. Since when is it like this, you ask? When I am carried like this, people just look at me as if to say, ¡°Again, huh?¡±


    ¡°H-huh? Is that okay?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. It happens all the time.¡±


    On the way, we were spotted by some beast women in maid uniforms, but Leviera-san brushed it off as a usual thing. Yes, it¡¯s always the same.


    And so we descended from several¨Dfor some reason there are really several¨Dentrances to the basement to the underground passage and arrived at Lime and the others¡¯ sleeping quarters, which were illuminated by magic light.


    ¡°Welcome back. You were busy yesterday.¡±


    ¡°And you have the nerve to treat Poizo and the others with such indifference-nanodesu.¡±


    I don¡¯t treat you that way. I just woke up, had some food, and here I am.¡±


    ¡°You were actually planning to go out to the embassy-nanodesu.¡±


    ¡°I thought about going, but I wanted to see Poizo and the others first, which is why I called Lime.¡±


    If I don¡¯t feel like it, I can just tell the royal guard who is waiting outside my room about it.


    And while I was exchanging with Poizo like that, Beth clapped her hands. She¡¯s so dexterous, isn¡¯t she?


    ¡°Yes, yes, that¡¯s enough. As it turns out, Kosuke did come to visit us, so I¡¯m not going to sulk.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡±


    Nodding happily, Lime literally envelops my body with her whole body. I honestly think this perfect amount of neither cold nor hot nor uncomfortable is awesome.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s open the souvenirs while talking about what happened on your business trip.¡±


    ¡°Wow, souvenirs!¡±


    Taking out from my inventory the books I bought on my business trip ¨C story books, magic books, etc., local specialties, food from food stalls, monsters we hunted, etc., telling what kind of store in what city I bought this from. Basically, the girls are only allowed to work in the underground of the castle and on the castle grounds, so they listen with great interest when I tell them about the outside world. Instead, I ask them about what has been going on at the castle over the past month. In this way, I can ask them about the past month in my absence, and they can ask me about the outside world.


    While we were talking, it seemed that the advance notice to the embassy was over, so I decided to leave Lime and the others and go to the embassy of the Varyag Empire.


    The purpose of the visit was to show them that I had returned and to check on the status of the war between the Empire and the Holy Kingdom. Well, after that, I¡¯d like to see the fox bastard¡¯s face and have a cup of tea.


    No, there are plenty of people at the castle if I just want to have a cup of tea, but it¡¯s basically all women¡­ Not to be casual, but that¡¯s the only place where I can talk to other men now. Sir Leonard and Danan are no longer in Merinesburg, and Worg and other people I used to talk to are either in the north or working in management positions in various places around the country.


    So I decided to go to the embassy with my escort, Shumel, Bella, Tozume, and the harpies.

 CH 347

    Chapter 347 ¨C Meeting With the Empire¡¯s Diplomat


    ¡°I know it happens every time, but what about casually visiting the embassy of another country in your capacity as prince consort?¡±


    ¡°You know what they say, ¡®policy of cultivating distant countries while working to conquer those nearby,¡¯ right?¡±


    ¡°Kosuke-dono sometimes shows us a glimpse of his strange intelligence, doesn¡¯t he?¡±


    Kirilovich, a diplomat of the Varyag Empire, and I were talking with each other.


    ¡°Hey, long time no see¡­? How are you?¡±


    ¡°Ehehe¡­ Hello, Shumel-san.¡±


    The figure of Qubi, who was trembling as Shumel looked down at him from above at close range, was there. The fur on his entire body, which had been mercilessly clipped, had long since regrown, and it looked strangely well-groomed as if he had taken good care of it since he had lost it once.


    ¡°Your fur has become very shiny, hasn¡¯t it¡­? Have you been eating good food with the money you got from selling Kosuke? Wouldn¡¯t that make a nice fur coat, eh?¡±


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t think so. I lived a modest, decent life.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Decent, huh?¡±


    ¡°Help me.¡±


    Qubi looked at me and asked for my help, but I ignored him. I was set up by him almost two years ago, and if I had made one mistake, I would be dead. This grudge won¡¯t go away anytime soon.


    ¡°So, how are things going this fall, Kirilovich-shi?¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s been strangely quiet this past year. They are defending themselves like tortoises, and there is no sign of a big battle. The Guileznik Plain¨Dthe disputed area between the Empire and the Holy Kingdom¨Dhas not changed much in terms of the forces allocated there, but there are signs that they are moving their forces to the north and south. I assume you know more about this than I do.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, I am not familiar with the situation on the eastern side of the kingdom. But according to what I¡¯ve heard, there are fewer skirmishes, and the military-like activity seems to be on a downward trend. What are the troops moving from the north and south doing?¡±


    ¡°What are they doing, you ask?¡±


    We smiled at each other as we looked at each other.


    In other words, there is no sign that the Holy Kingdom¡¯s troops moved from the north and south are being sent to the east, the front line with the empire, or to the west, the front line with the kingdom of Merinard.


    ¡°¡­Is there a civil war?¡±


    ¡°Well. Either it¡¯s a civil war or a rebellion of the enslaved subhumans. Either way, there is no doubt that something is going on within the Holy Kingdom.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you on to something?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s take those words right back at you.¡±


    We smiled at each other again. I have no information about this, but if Kirilovich says so, he may think that the Kingdom of Merinard has a hand in what is happening in the Holy Kingdom. Or is he misleading me to make me think so, or is he trying to get some information out of me?


    ¡°Well, it may not be long before we get some answers.¡±


    ¡°Maybe so. So, as for our future communication with the Empire, I think we can make progress if we can use the sea route.¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s too soon to tell. The sea route will not be available until the Holy Kingdom is dealt with, right?¡±


    The Kingdom of Merinard also has a port. In the eastern part of the Kingdom of Merinard, where Sir Leonard is in charge of protection, there is a town with a fairly large port in the southeast, which used to trade with the Holy Kingdom and the Empire. The Holy Kingdom has now seized the sea route to the empire, so trade with the empire should no longer be possible.


    ¡°But you use ships to transport food to the Holy Kingdom, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Heh, is that so?¡±


    ¡°Your voice. Your voice.¡±


    I tried to pass it off as ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of that before,¡± but I guess I couldn¡¯t go through with it. Nice work, Kirilovich.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to hide it, do you?¡±


    ¡°Well, I think it¡¯s a good idea for me to make the conversion of subhuman slaves as a condition of the exchange. And we are going to pay for it, too. Well, it seems that they are willing to return as much as possible.¡±


    In addition to foodstuffs, there are also luxury goods such as elvish nectar, handicrafts, and jewelry that are traded with the Holy Kingdom in an attempt to extract funds from them. However, mithril products and ores that can be used for weapons are not allowed to be exported, and jewelry must be polished as ornaments so that they cannot be used as materials for magic tools.


    Even if they are already polished, it is not impossible to convert them into magic tools, but in that case, the polished jewelry will have to be further crushed and polished, so the cost-effectiveness will be very poor.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s how we¡¯re planning to slowly and gradually strangle the Holy Kingdom and torture them slowly.¡±


    ¡°I hope it goes well.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, well, it¡¯s better than nothing.¡±


    The Holy Kingdom must have known our intentions, so they will probably take steps accordingly. But the same is true for us. We can change our tactics, change our products, and gradually drive them back. We have a weakness in that although our people were taken away from us years ago¨Dthe subhuman slaves¨Dthey have many weaknesses, such as too many war dead and prisoners of war, a difficult situation where they are forced to conduct a two-front operation and a chronic shortage of food. I think we have the upper hand for now.


    Besides, if something is happening in the Holy Kingdom, we may be able to take advantage of it. Whether it is a civil war or a rebellion by subhuman slaves. There is also a way to spur confusion within the Holy Kingdom by fomenting conflict from our side and helping the forces that are convenient for us.


    ¡°Oh, yes, yes. I¡¯ve been on various business trips. I bought some local specialties from each region, so please share them with everyone.¡±


    ¡°Thank you very much. We are planning to receive a bottle of distilled spirits from the empire, so we will offer it to you as soon as it arrives.¡±


    ¡°I look forward to it.¡±


    While I was talking to Kirilovich, Qubi was being badgered by Shumel in the back, but I thoroughly ignored him. It was quite a horrifying situation to watch from the side since the harpies were also peeking through the window, smiling at him. I think Kirilovich, who was talking to me without changing color in that situation, is not a simple man after all.


    However, are there any signs of civil unrest within the Holy Kingdom? I don¡¯t know what¡¯s actually going on in the Holy Kingdom, but I don¡¯t think this is going to turn into a finale with a large-scale war. Intervention in a way that contributes to internal disintegration is likely to be the main focus in the future.


    However, if they are cornered, there is a possibility that they will turn the tables and try to do something crazy. I shall be more careful in the future.

 CH 348

    Chapter 348 ¨C Parent & Child With No Outsiders Present (Plural)


    ¡°So I¡¯m going to spend some time in the second safest place in the world.¡±


    I said to myself as I relaxed in the private residence I had built for the harpies.


    After I finished my small talk with Kirilovich, I decided to go back to the Harpy Tower to check on the harpies. I asked Shumel and the others to return to the castle.


    ¡°Papa©`!¡±


    ¡°Father!¡±


    ¡°Oh, good, good¡­ Wait, go easy on me a bit.¡±


    I begged for mercy while catching the harpies who were charging at me with more power than I had anticipated. Kids are always so cute and full of energy. But if they go all out, their powerless father might get blown away, so please go easy on me.


    ¡°The second best? Not the best?¡±


    Pirna, the leader of the group and a blue-feathered harpy, puffed up her cheeks slightly, but I shook my head.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to compare it with the inside of Merinard Castle, protected by Lime and others and the royal guards.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s frustrating, but there¡¯s no doubt about it!¡±


    The brown-feathered harpy Pessar laughed at my reply and pulled off the harpy clinging to my lap. And now she¡¯s going to sit on my lap. That¡¯s quite immature of you¨Doh, and you¡¯re going to carry her in your arms.


    ¡°Are you staying here today?¡±


    ¡°No, Ellen¡¯s schedule is coming up. I don¡¯t know when the baby will be born, and I plan to stay at the castle for a while. I¡¯m going to show my face like this, though.¡±


    ¡°I see. I heard that it is very difficult for a human to give birth.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the case with harpies?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re used to it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re used to it¡­?¡±


    ¡°We always lay this many eggs.¡±


    Saying that, Pessar, who was sitting on my lap, indicated with her wing that it was about the size of a baby¡¯s head. Oh yeah, that¡¯s right. I don¡¯t know how many times a month these girls give birth. I¡¯ve even eaten something like that before. In this world, it¡¯s normal to eat the unfertilized eggs laid by harpies and lizardmen and to drink milk squeezed from cow-type beast women. I still can¡¯t get used to it, though.


    ¡°I see. I understand the reason, but I¡¯m at a loss for a response.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, it¡¯s just Danna-san and us, so it¡¯s no big deal now.¡±


    ¡°A woman without delicacy will be rejected.¡±


    ¡°Even close friends have manners. You should have the least amount of shame as a woman.¡±


    Capri, a brown-feathered harpy, and Ygrette, a white-feathered harpy, are giving Pessar a stern gaze as she giggles. Yeah, you guys are right but don¡¯t fight.


    ¡°U-um¡­ how do you think things are going to move from now on?¡±


    Flame, a brown-feathered harpy, asked while petting a sleeping child a short distance away.


    ¡°What do you mean by the move? Do you mean me or the country?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ it¡¯s both.¡±


    ¡°Both, huh? First of all, I¡¯m taking a break for a while. I¡¯m going to stay in Merinesburg and do some miscellaneous work while I watch over Ellen¡¯s delivery. I¡¯m halfway through my work with the Adventurers Guild and the Merchants Guild, and I want to find out what the production system for canned goods and instant noodles is like, and there are a lot of other things I want to do.¡±


    ¡°Kosuke-san is as busy as ever.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my nature, after all. And so, about the country¡¯s move¡­¡±


    I thought about it for a while.


    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t say for sure. I¡¯m not actively involved in the running of the Merinard Kingdom itself. If Sylphy asked me to, I would go and fight, like I did during the last northern campaign, but in a way, I¡¯m no better than a lowly soldier.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you can be a low-ranking soldier¡­¡±


    ¡°Danna-han, That¡¯s as expected¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s possible.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a feeling, a feeling. The utmost feeling.¡±


    Since I received a lot of criticism, I have to defend myself. I don¡¯t really think of myself as a lowly soldier.


    ¡°So, what do I think of Merinard¡¯s future moves¡­?¡±


    ¡°Future move¡­?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea.¡±


    When I said that, everyone was dumbfounded. Yeah, that¡¯s a good reaction. That¡¯s the kind of reaction I was expecting.


    ¡°Wait, Danna-san?¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, well, that was a joke. In my position, I can¡¯t talk about that kind of thing lightly.¡±


    ¡°I see?¡±


    Pessar, who was sitting on my lap, tilted her head while saying that in a tone as if she didn¡¯t understand.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think anything I say here will leak out, but there is always a chance. It would be a big problem if I, in my position as the prince consort, said something carelessly and it got out to the public. Well, even so, that doesn¡¯t clear things up, does it?¡±


    Everyone nodded in agreement. I know, the harpies are nodding too, but you girls don¡¯t get it, do you? But they¡¯re cute, so it¡¯s okay.


    ¡°At any rate, I doubt there will be any major battles with the Holy Kingdom in the future. At least for a while.¡±


    ¡°¡±¡±I see.¡±¡±¡±


    It seems that they are convinced of this. I don¡¯t know how Sylphy will decide to deal with the Holy Kingdoms in the future, but there will probably be no move to organize an invasion force to attack here. Even if they do, it will be mainly by infiltrating a small unit into the territory of the Holy Kingdom and carrying out maneuvering activities.


    ¡°Will we be dismissed?¡±


    ¡°No way. Even if the war with the Holy Kingdom is over, there will be plenty of opportunities for everyone to be active.¡±


    Communication in this world is still in its infancy. Unless you are powerful or wealthy, you have few means to deliver news to distant places. The best one can do is to entrust a letter to a peddler or perhaps pay a large sum of money to an adventurer to deliver a letter. Whether or not the letter reaches its destination depends on luck. The Empire and the Holy Kingdom seem to have a proper postal organization¨Din the case of the Holy Kingdom, it is operated only within the Adol religion¨Dbut the Kingdom of Merinard has none.


    I think that if we combine high-speed city-to-city travel by air boards and the city delivery capability through three-dimensional maneuvering by the harpies, we can create an extremely excellent postal organization.


    ¡°That¡¯s a relief, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. And if everyone were to be sidelined and there were no military jobs, I¡¯d still provide for you.¡±


    If I get a little serious, I can have a huge farm in less than a week. If I were to be thrown out of the Merinard Kingdom with the harpies, I could easily feed everyone by making some farmland somewhere and being self-sufficient while I made something or dug for ore.


    ¡°¡±¡±¡­..¡±¡±¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    I was thinking about this when I noticed that all the harpies were silent before I knew it. No, wait, why are you taking the kids to their nap room? Why are you so hastily putting down the futon?


    ¡°You say you¡¯re going to take care of all of us like it¡¯s nothing; that¡¯s cool.¡±


    ¡°As expected of our Danna-san, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so manly¡­¡±


    Ack. They all have dangerous eyes. This is the one that¡¯s a heart symbol, like in manga or something.


    ¡°When you¡¯ve put the kids to bed, we¡¯ll take our turns.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay to go until nighttime, right? Good.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by good? Wait. Let¡¯s calm down and talk about it.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll talk about it under the futon.¡±


    ¡°Whoa!¡±


    I think it¡¯s unfair that even children are so powerful, but adults are coming at me in groups. There is no way I can win!

 CH 349

    Chapter 349 ¨C Old Friendship


    It has been about a week since I returned to Merinesburg.


    Ellen and Amalie-san¡¯s delivery date is getting closer and closer, and according to what I hear, the pioneer village I built is off to a good start. Well, it¡¯s no surprise since I built a solid field and a wall to protect it.


    One day, while I was listening to such reports, taking care of Ellen and Amalie-san, spending time with Sylphy and the others, observing the education of the beastmen girls, and approving letters to the Merchant Guild and the Adventurers Guild asking them to report on the progress of the management of the funds I had provided, I was visited by a face I had not seen in a long time.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time.¡±


    ¡°Really. I¡¯m glad to see you are well.¡±


    It was Sir Leonard who came to see me. He looked like a lion as usual, and I couldn¡¯t tell whether he was old or not, but he didn¡¯t seem to be injured, so I guessed he was fine.


    ¡°You look like you are not well. That¡¯s the way it¡¯s always been.¡±


    ¡°Just leave me alone.¡±


    It¡¯s just before noon. My body is still in a lazy state. People say that I have been taking beautiful women, including Sylphy, but the reality is the opposite. It has been replaced several times. It¡¯s a situation that is very satisfying for a man, but it¡¯s also very hard on my body. Moreover, they are all very aggressive, inspired by Ellen and Amalie-san¡¯s growing bellies.


    ¡°So, have you come here to chill out after a long time? I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea to drink at this hour, so I¡¯ll at least offer you some tea.¡±


    ¡°I would be fine with a drink, but I think tea is the safest bet. After all, Kosuke is very weak.¡±


    ¡°As I said, leave me alone.¡±


    Forcing my sore muscles to move, I got off the bed, sat down at the table, and brought out a tea set.


    ¡°So? What¡¯s up with you today? You didn¡¯t come all the way back from your business trip just to say hello to me, did you?¡±


    ¡°Umu. There is no point in trying to make things up to Kosuke, is there? Actually, I came here to ask you for a favor.¡±


    ¡°A favor, huh? Well, let¡¯s just hear what you have to say.¡±


    ¡°I need weapons. As many as possible.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound good.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re aware of this, Kosuke, so I¡¯ll explain¡­ there are signs of civil unrest in the Holy Kingdom.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that.¡±


    When I said that, Sir Leonard nodded his head in satisfaction.


    ¡°As expected of you, you have a quick ear. That¡¯s why I¡¯m thinking of infiltrating a small elite force into the Holy Kingdom in secret to stir up civil unrest.¡±


    ¡°And weapons? Are you going to supply them to the subhuman slaves in the Holy Kingdom to incite them to rebellion?¡±


    ¡°That is one way to do it, but it could cause great harm to the former citizens of Merinard. Therefore, I intend to support the forces that are trying to start a civil war.¡±


    ¡°I see. But if they carry it around, the weapons I make could be used by the enemy.¡±


    The quality of weapons I make are of medium to high quality, according to the craftsmen of this world. I don¡¯t want to see an enemy army with such high-quality weapons.


    ¡°It is only natural. So, first of all, we will try to understand the situation, right? The provision of weapons will not be immediate but will be in the final stage. We are trying to get things done while we still have time.¡±


    In other words, he was laying the groundwork in advance. This is the kind of thing you would expect from a former noble, isn¡¯t it? He is not just an old man who is a glutton for food and a combat fanatic.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind as long as Sylphy and Melty give their permission. You won¡¯t give them crossbows or firearms, will you?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. High-quality swords, shields, and spears would be good. We also need a lot of arrows.¡±


    ¡°Okay, then, I¡¯ll make the preparations. Is 10,000 of each sufficient?¡±


    ¡°I would like about 100,000 arrows prepared.¡±


    ¡°Roger that.¡±


    If it is not an immediate matter, there will be no problem if I make them steadily. Even if they are no longer used, there is plenty of demand for swords, shields, spears, and arrows in this world. It will not go to waste.


    ¡°So, my side is the same as ever, but what about your side? There were a few people who loved you, weren¡¯t there?¡±


    ¡°My love is for my late wife, you know.¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s not the way it works in this world, is it? You have to fulfill your responsibilities as a man, don¡¯t you?¡±


    If it wasn¡¯t for that, I wouldn¡¯t be in this situation either. No, I wouldn¡¯t be. Probably. Surely. Maybe.


    No, that might not be the case! I think it¡¯s going to be the same in the end!


    ¡°¡­I shall remain silent.¡±


    ¡°I see; you are in a situation where you have to keep silent.¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    Sir Leonard gently turned his head away from me. Sir Leonard is a man of power and position, but due to the organization of the Royal Army of Merinard, there are many opportunities to have women by his side. This is because the Liberation Army, the predecessor of the current Royal Army of Merinard, itself had many women by unavoidable circumstances.


    So, when a woman is by your side, and she is pushing you, it is very difficult to escape. In any case, they would involve the surrounding people to fill the outer moat and lay siege to the area. It is extremely difficult to win a siege battle or break through the encirclement.


    ¡°Give up and come to this side. Once you get used to it, you will be in heaven.¡±


    ¡°There is a saying, ¡°there¡¯s no other appealing place like home. You might admire the place where you settled down,¡± but that is simply because you just get used to living in the harsh and inhospitable circumstances. You just became numb with your situation. I mean, for a ¡®dense¡¯ beastman like me, procreating outside of the regular mating season is quite exhausting¡­¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s not that you can¡¯t do it, then just go for it with gusto.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ve been trying to force me into heat lately, so I have to be on my guard¡­¡±


    Ah, I see. So-called ¡®dense¡¯ beastman has a hard time making babies if they are not in heat, but there is some way to force them into heat. They seem to have good noses, so maybe it¡¯s something pheromone-based. Well, it would be difficult if they were not in the cycle, so I guess there must be something like that.


    ¡°Do you want me to give you some energizers? There¡¯s some good stuff in there, mister.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m going to die if I overdo it, so I¡¯m going to refrain. I am not young anymore, you know.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s actually safe. In fact, I haven¡¯t died yet.¡±


    ¡°I heard that Kosuke¡¯s life force is as strong as that of a cockroach, and that¡¯s why you haven¡¯t died yet.¡±


    ¡°Who told you that? I feel like I can¡¯t deny anything, but this is okay. I¡¯ll even put a life potion on it if you want.¡±


    ¡°In the first place, I don¡¯t want to live a life that requires me to rely on drugs.¡±


    After that, Sir Leonard tried to refuse to accept the medicine from me, but in the end, I succeeded in forcing it on him, which he did not like.


    No, if I don¡¯t force him to take it, he might die suddenly if he falls. Basically, women in this world have a lot of vitality. They are tough.


    After I gave Sir Leonard a set of medicines, I told him about the Battle of the North, or conversely, I asked him about what had happened in the eastern part of the Merinard Kingdom, and we warmed up our old friendship for a while.


    In the end, we ended up drinking alcohol in the daytime, but let¡¯s just say that there are days when you want to get out of control.

 CH 350

    Chapter 350 ¨C Rest


    Three days have passed since my conversation with Sir Leonard.


    It seems that the pioneer village I created is doing well, and rumors of it have finally begun to spread among the lords and nobles of the region. No, the spread of the information has already been completed, and the meaning of the information and whether it is really true or not must have been verified. Recently, the number of nobles and lords requesting to see me seems to have increased.


    ¡°U-um. Is it okay to refuse all of them?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s Sylphy who decides where I will go and what I will do.¡±


    I rubbed Byaku¡¯s tail with both hands as I said that. The tail of Byaku, a fox-type beastman, is fluffy and soft. It¡¯s really soothing to touch it.


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    Olivia, a goat-type beastman, is staring at the scene, but I ignore it. Olivia¡¯s tail also has fluffy hair, but it is too short and too sensitive. I can¡¯t stroke her tail in this way. Because the picture looks like I am touching her butt. Byaku¡¯s fox tail is long and not so sensitive, so I can sometimes stroke it like this.


    ¡°So, how is your practice going?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I think it¡¯s going well. I still make a lot of mistakes and get scolded a lot.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡±


    The maid uniforms that Byaku and Olivia are wearing are maid uniforms that I designed. They are recognizable as maids because of the white aprons they wear, but the clothes underneath the aprons are completely different.


    So this time, I dug up my memory, made up a new maid outfit, and distributed it to the beastman girls as a custom-made outfit. Maid uniforms have a strong subcultural connotation, but they are originally work clothes. A mini-skirt with visible breasts is completely out of place as work attire. Therefore, I designed a skirt that is long and well-made.


    It was so well received that I was asked to make quite a few of them for the maids in the castle and some of the royal guards.


    Well, I made only four kinds, extra-large, large, medium, and small sizes, and it is not easy to make them fit perfectly because each person¡¯s physique is different. However, I can make any amount of the same fabric that I used for the maid uniforms. And since there are samples and materials available, it is not so difficult to imitate them.


    If I made reservations at the craft table, the maid uniforms themselves and the fabrics would all be ready while I slept, and in the blink of an eye, the maids in the castle changed their outfits to the maid uniforms I knew.


    And I don¡¯t know if it was because they saw the maid uniforms I had spread, but even Melty¡¯s clothes had changed to maid uniforms. Prime Minister-dono, it is true that just seeing a girl in a maid¡¯s outfit soothes my heart, but I think there are a lot of problems with you wearing a maid¡¯s outfit.


    ¡°Hmm, I don¡¯t feel at ease.¡±


    ¡°Because it¡¯s Her Majesty¡¯s order.¡±


    ¡°I know that¡¯s true, but¡­¡±


    Today, I¡¯m in a relaxed mode in my private room with the beastmen maids by my side. The reason is since I returned from my business trip, I¡¯ve been doing a lot of things I needed to do in Merinesburg that I hadn¡¯t had time to do for a while. I think I was busy every day. I had a lot of things to do because I was reaching out to so many different directions. I also wanted to check on Ellen and the harpies, and since I had returned, I wanted to flirt with Sylphy, Isla, and Melty. I also need to keep Seraphita-san company¨Din more ways than one¨Dand I need to check in with Sylphy¡¯s sisters, Driada-san, Iphrita, and Aquawill-san.


    As a result, I was on a tight schedule from the time I woke up until I went to bed.


    I had no problem with that, but by the standards of people in this world, it seemed I was working too hard. When Sylphy saw that I had been in such a state for more than two weeks, she finally made the decision to force me to take a break. As a result, I am now left to sit idle with the animal-eared maids, or rather, the beastmen maids, in my room, doing nothing.


    ¡°Like this, I have trouble with people telling me to just relax and do nothing. If work is no good, I¡¯m really just taking my time, my leisure time.¡±


    ¡°Then why don¡¯t you talk to them instead of refusing to see them¡­?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to; it¡¯s too much trouble. In any case, it¡¯s just a bunch of blatant flattery, and a ¡°How about my daughter?¡± It¡¯s a story like that. Otherwise, it¡¯s an application for a loan or a request to meet secretly somewhere.¡±


    ¡°Application for a loan is one thing, but secretly meeting somewhere is¡­?¡±


    ¡°The intentions are varied, aren¡¯t they? Maybe they¡¯re a spy from the Holy Kingdom, and they¡¯re trying to lure me out to assassinate me, and there will be a young lady or something waiting for me when I go there, and they will be like, ¡°You took my daughter, didn¡¯t you? Then you have to take responsibility, won¡¯t you? With your power, you may even be able to take the throne! I will do my best to help you! If you succeed, you will take care of me!¡± Or something like that.¡±


    ¡°The last one is a clear act of treason¡­¡±


    Byaku, whose tail is being stroked by me, says so with a serious look on her face. Yeah, there¡¯s no need to look so serious.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a possible event that I can think of, not something that I¡¯ve really been approached about. It¡¯s just that it would be troublesome if that happened, right? That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t want to meet with them in the first place. Besides, it¡¯s also an expression of my intention to be under Sylphy and belongs to Sylphy. In short, I¡¯m taking precautions not to get into trouble by overreacting. My position is even more delicate, and everything I do is flashy.¡±


    In addition, because I took a saint as my wife, I am recognized as a saint by the Adol Nostalgic faction, and I have a dragon as my companion, the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom treats me with high regard. In the Northern Campaign, I used a gigantic and powerful golem to smash and counterattack the two northern countries almost single-handedly, effectively forcing their total surrender.


    In addition, I have recently been using my power to build dozens of new villages in a short period of time. The new villages are protected by high-quality fields and solid walls, have no water problems, and, so far, are off to a perfect start.


    ¡°It¡¯s amazing to hear it like that again.¡±


    ¡°As expected of Kosuke-sama.¡±


    ¡°Should I say thank you here? Well, that¡¯s why I¡¯m so flashy. But I don¡¯t have much contact with the nobility, and because of Melty¡¯s influence, it¡¯s not widely known what kind of person I am or what kind of ideas I have. Neither Byaku nor Olivia would have known who I was until we actually met and I introduced myself, and even then, you couldn¡¯t be sure that I really was who I said I was.¡±


    They both nodded at my words.


    ¡°So, maybe they are dissatisfied with Sylphy, maybe they really want me to become king, and if they can help me, they can get a sweet deal for themselves¨DThat¡¯s what Melty said.¡±


    I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s true or not, but there¡¯s no reason for Melty to lie to me, and Sylphy was nodding beside me when she heard it at the same place. I¡¯ve heard the same story from Seraphita-san and Driada-san, and it seems that I¡¯m being targeted in that way after all.


    In fact, there are some nobles who say that I am the true ruler of this country, not Sylphy. I really don¡¯t want to get involved with those people. I don¡¯t want to be carried off as a king by mistake. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t get along with Sylphy; in fact, I¡¯m in love with her, so why do they want to carry me up?


    ¡°That¡¯s why I don¡¯t meet with nobles. If I do, it will only be with those whom Sylphy and Melty approve of. So I¡¯m not just refusing to meet them because it¡¯s a hassle, okay?¡±


    ¡°I understa¨D¨D?¡±


    Byaku¡¯s fox ears suddenly perked up, and she turned her gaze toward the door of my private room.


    ¡°It¡¯s bad!¡±


    ¡°Hyahh!?¡±


    Olivia, perhaps startled by the sudden sound of Lime¡¯s voice coming from behind her, lets out a cute scream. I¡¯m not surprised because I¡¯m used to it now.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is there an incident?¡±


    ¡°There is?¡±


    ¡°I see?¡±


    ¡°They say Ellen is going to have a baby.¡±


    ¡°I see. Yeah? She¡¯s going to have a baby?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Hearing Lime¡¯s reply, I hurriedly got up and was about to run¨D¨D.


    ¡°¡­There¡¯s no point in me rushing off there? Is it?¡±


    I suddenly became calm and turned around and asked the three of them.


    ¡°Uh¡­ Right. Men are strictly forbidden to enter the birthing area.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that the first birth takes a long time, so I think it would be best if you went in there after things have calmed down.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s Poizo, too. There is a potion too. There¡¯s also a recovery method. Everything will be fine.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    I don¡¯t know why it¡¯s okay to have Poizo around, let alone potions and recovery magic, but as long as Lime says it¡¯s okay, it must be okay. Lime never lies, you know.


    ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s hurry and get going. They will need clean cloths, hot water, and food and drink for the long ride.¡±


    With my full power, I can build an instantaneous oven or something to boil a lot of water right next to the room where the baby will be born. It would be very useful. Okay, there are things I can do. Let¡¯s go.

 CH 351

    Chapter 351 ¨C Restless Time


    ¡°Temporary furnace, done! Chimney, done! Firewood stockpile, done! Food and drinks, ready! Clean cloths, ready! Life potions, ready! Everything¡¯s in order, right¡­.? Is it really okay¡­?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell if you¡¯re getting worked up or not.¡±


    ¡°Kosuke is nervous, too.¡±


    Bella and Isla were saying something while licking one of the sweets I had prepared, a honey candy ball¨Da candy ball made from the nectar of the flowers used to make mead¨Dand rolling it around in their mouths. No, Bella wasn¡¯t rolling it around. She was crunching. Candy balls aren¡¯t meant to be eaten like that.


    Hot water was cooking in the furnace I had set up, and the women helping Ellen give birth were busily at work. Since men are not allowed in the birthing area, all I can do is pray for Ellen and the baby¡¯s safety.


    ¡°I feel incredibly uncomfortable.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m sure there¡¯s no problem with a priest who can use such a miracle of recovery. I can help with recovery magic if the need arises, and Lime and the others are here too.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. Why is it okay if Lime and the others are here?¡±


    Lime also said something like Poizo is there, so it will be okay, but I can¡¯t make the connection between the presence of Lime and the others and that being okay.


    ¡°Lime and the others can get into all kinds of gaps.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, they can.¡±


    ¡°In other words, they can easily get into the human body if they want to. Of course, they can get into the belly of a woman who¡¯s about to have a baby.¡±


    ¡°¡­I see.¡±


    Come to think of it, when I talked to Amalie-san a while ago, the existence of Lime and the others came to mind as a less gentle method. Oh well, of course, they can help with childbirth. And Poizo knows not only poison but also medicine. I see.


    ¡°So it¡¯s a last resort?¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Eleonora is a believer of Adol, so that would probably be the case.¡±


    ¡°Because she¡¯s an Adol believer?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s not really a doctrine, but there is a tendency among the Adol believers to give birth with the help of their own strength and the miracles of God.¡±


    ¡°Heh¡­¡±


    ¡°But if push comes to shove, Lime and the others are supposed to help with the birth. Ellen and the child¡¯s life are the top priority. That¡¯s why Lime and the others are standing by in that room.¡±


    ¡°I see. Then I can rest assured.¡±


    If a large number of priests and Lime and the others were with them, there was no such thing as an emergency.


    Then, we waited for 30 minutes and then an hour.


    ¡°Is it not over yet¡­?¡±


    ¡°Not yet. It usually takes more than half a day for the first delivery.¡±


    ¡°Half a day¡­?¡±


    I knew it was going to be a long time, but half a day? Ellen¡¯s private room, which has become the delivery room, is constantly filled with anguished voices that seem to belong to Ellen. I wonder if Ellen¡¯s body will be alright¡­ in this condition for half a day.


    ¡°¡­It seems you are used to it, Isla?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never given birth. But before the Liberation Army started to move in, a number of children were born in that settlement in the Black Forest. Most of them are the mementos of the men who were sacrificed when we fled to the Black Forest. I helped them many times.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Isla is an excellent mage and alchemist. Healing with magic and alchemy must have been very dependable.


    ¡°They really put their lives on the line, didn¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. But I still want to have children.¡±


    Isla looked up at me with her big eye.


    ¡°I¡¯m ready for that. Everyone is.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve just realized how much it weighs on me. I have to take it very seriously.¡±


    ¡°Just take it in moderation. If Kosuke takes on everyone¡¯s determination all by himself, you will be crushed. We are doing so with our own will. There is no need for Kosuke to take it all on himself. We can support each other together.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. That is why the child Eleonora will give birth to, and the child Amalie will give birth to are as good as all of our children. There is nothing to worry about. This is the consensus of all of us, not just me.¡±


    ¡°¡­I see.¡±


    Good grief. I can¡¯t get my head around Isla. She anticipates my concerns like this.


    ¡°It¡¯s all good here. When the baby is about to be born, I¡¯ll send one of Lime and the others out again so Kosuke is free to go.¡±


    ¡°You say that, but leaving Ellen in that condition and being free is quite impossible for me, mentally speaking.¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯d better get used to it because this will happen again and again in the future.¡±


    ¡°Again and again.¡±


    ¡°Again and again.¡±


    ¡°Again and again, huh?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, again and again.¡±


    ¡°Again and again, right?¡±


    Not only Isla but also Shumel and the others who were standing by my side as my guards nodded their heads in agreement. Well, however many times I have to do it. Well, if each one of them has two or three of my children, that¡¯s a lot of times. I don¡¯t think it would be just two or three, though.


    ¡°Since it¡¯s my first time to witness it, I¡¯ll just stay here.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, okay. Then you should do something to distract yourself. If there¡¯s any baby equipment from Kosuke¡¯s world, you can try to remember it and make some.¡±


    ¡°I see. That¡¯s a good idea.¡±


    If I concentrate on something, it will distract me from this agitation. Baby equipment, huh? Hmm, disposable diapers, maybe they don¡¯t fit in this world? How about going for the toy side of things? Oh, maybe a little chair for babies to use when feeding them baby food would be good. Maybe a baby carrier¡­ or something from over here.


    Yeah, I¡¯m so agitated that I can¡¯t really think of much. But this sounds like a good idea. I¡¯ll try to cool my impatient head down a bit and make some things while listening to Isla, Shumel, and the others.

 CH 352

    Chapter 352 ¨C Baby¡¯s First Cry


    A light tenten tenten tenten sound can be heard. The source of the sound is a baby toy that Shumel dexterously plays with her large hands¨Da so-called ¡®den-den daiko.¡¯


    ¡°Heh? Kosuke knows some interesting things, doesn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°This looks like a good way to soothe a baby.¡±


    ¡°The material is a little bit out of the ordinary, though¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s high quality.¡±


    Tozume and Isla both look at the den-den daiko that Shumel is playing with their big eyes. The wood used for the drums is black forest wood, the leather is a wyvern wing membrane, and the balls used to beat the drums are polished jade.


    ¡°Since it is possible to make the drums without being so particular about the materials, it might be a good idea to have them made in a workshop somewhere if they seem to be well received. The jade part could be made of wood.¡±


    ¡°Please make a sample for it later.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Melty, who joined me after finishing her work and holding the baby clothes I made, said this with a smile, so I nodded my head in agreement. Beside her, Sylphy, who had also finished her work, was holding a rattling hand toy¨Da so-called ¡®rattle¡® in her hand and was making a rattling sound.


    ¡°Kosuke, there are two kinds of these; what¡¯s the difference?¡±


    ¡°The big one is used by adults to soothe babies. The little round one is a toy for babies to hold in their hands.¡±


    ¡°I see. That¡¯s why they are round and have no corners.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s still a while before the baby will use it, though.¡±


    A newborn baby will not swing a rattle by themselves out of the blue. By the way, Grande and the harpies are looking at the ¡°something spinning on the baby¡¯s bed¡± that I made, and they¡¯re just sitting there looking at it. I wonder if it has something that attracts dragons and harpies. It¡¯s a golem-type thing that keeps spinning endlessly until the magic power of the magic crystal runs out. The next task would be to install a music box function.


    No, I can make a music box function, you know? But the song¡­ that thing that is spinning on top of the baby¡­ what is it called again? Baby merry? I don¡¯t know what kind of music would be appropriate for that thing, and I have a hopeless sense of sound, you know? That¡¯s why I¡¯m not very good at music. Therefore, I decided to make a prototype of the music box and leave it to Melty. I hope Melty will make a good music box with the help of musicians and metal carvers.


    ¡°¡­Hah.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t sigh so much. Ellen and Amalie are doing their best.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right.¡±


    Ellen is not the only one who is working hard to deliver a baby right now. Amalie-san also went into labor at the same time I started making the baby items, and she was about to deliver her baby in a room nearby. The castle was in turmoil because of the simultaneous birth of two babies. The beastmen maids are also busy helping out.


    ¡°I was surprised at how difficult it is for humans to give birth.¡±


    ¡°Because we just feel like we¡¯re being popped out.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to say.¡±


    For some reason, the harpies are having an easygoing conversation while looking up at Baby Merry. Yes, you people seem to be. Maybe you¡¯re the only ones who feel that way.


    Finally, I heard a cry that I thought belonged to a baby. The baby¡¯s cry is often described as ¡°ogyaa ogyaa,¡± and it really sounded like that.


    ¡°Eleonora-sama has given birth safely.¡±


    Leviera, dressed in a maid¡¯s uniform, came out from the room where Ellen was holed up. It¡¯s interesting that she, a stereotypical demonic beauty, was helping Ellen, a saint, give birth.


    ¡°Is she all right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, she¡¯s fine. With the miracle of recovery, healing magic, and the presence of Lime-san and the others, there was not the slightest danger.¡±


    ¡°Even so, I¡¯m worried about something. Can I see her?¡±


    ¡°Just a few more minutes, sir.¡±


    After just reporting, Leviera retreated back to the room. After a while, the helpers, including Leviera¨Dincluding the priests of the Adol religion¨Dleft the room, and I was invited inside. Inside was Ellen, who was lying on her bed, the baby in her arms, and High Priestess Katerina by her side.


    ¡°Ellen.¡±


    ¡°I did it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you did it. You did a great job.¡±


    I came close to Ellen and looked into her face as she held the baby in her arms. The newborn baby is really small and adorable. No, I don¡¯t know. When I look at it calmly, I don¡¯t think it looks cute at all, but I can¡¯t help feeling it¡¯s adorable.


    ¡°I wonder if the baby is already sleeping. The baby was crying so much when it was born.¡±


    ¡°It must be a calm child. Like me.¡±


    ¡°Maybe so.¡±


    Whatever the case, if both mother and child are healthy, there is nothing to say. I was relieved.


    ¡°Amalie is doing well now, isn¡¯t she?¡±


    ¡°Yes, she is. I¡¯m sure Amalie-san is fine.¡±


    ¡°Right? There are so many priests, magicians, Lime-san and the others, and there are also alchemists.¡±


    As she said that, Ellen¡¯s crimson eyes turned to the baby she was holding in her arms.¡¡ Their appearance is as beautiful as a painting.


    ¡°It¡¯s our baby.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. We have to decide the baby¡¯s name.¡±


    ¡°Since it¡¯s a girl, let¡¯s give her a pretty name.¡±


    The baby¡¯s hair is a grayish brown. Maybe it will be blonde. She was sleeping peacefully with her eyes closed, so I couldn¡¯t see the color of her eyes.


    ¡°I guess so. How about Elise or Elizabeth, which is similar to Ellen or Eleonora? I was thinking about a name with a similar ring to my name if it¡¯s a boy or to Ellen¡¯s name if it¡¯s a girl.¡±


    ¡°Elise, Elizabeth, that sounds good. Would the nickname be Ellie?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I think Elise and Elizabeth should all be nicknamed Ellie. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°Well, Elise, Elizabeth¡­ yes, let¡¯s go with Elise.¡±


    ¡°I see. Right, let¡¯s do¨D¨D¡±


    I was about to say, ¡°Let¡¯s do that,¡± when my eyes met those of High Priestess Katerina. She is silent, but ¡®won¡¯t you ask me my opinion?¡¯ I felt a silent pressure that says that from her.


    ¡°Well, what do you think, High Priestess Katerina?¡±


    ¡°Yes, indeed. I think both names are elegant and pretty. I agree with the name Elise.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡±


    Do you agree? Then what was the pressure just now¡­ Did she just want me to simply ask her?


    ¡°I¡¯m going to go check on Amalie. You two take your time to talk to each other.¡±


    Perhaps satisfied with being involved in the naming, High Priestess Katerina strode out of the room. Everyone entered quietly at the other end of the room.


    ¡°Oh¡­ she¡¯s so cute.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s so cute, isn¡¯t it? How nice.¡±


    ¡°Eleonora, good work.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s so tiny.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not so different from our baby, isn¡¯t it? She doesn¡¯t have wings, though.¡±


    Sylphy and the others surround Ellen¡¯s bed where she is holding Elise, looking into Elise¡¯s face, relaxing their cheeks, and sighing enviously. The larger Shumel and the others are looking down at Ellen from behind them.


    ¡°Hah, she¡¯s really tiny, isn¡¯t she?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. I think our baby will be a little bit bigger.¡±


    ¡°Maybe twice as big as Ellen¡¯s.¡±


    The three oni tribe members also looked at Elise¡¯s face and were interested in her. Are the babies of the oni tribe twice as big? Well, they are big, too, so it¡¯s not surprising that they look like that.


    After watching Elise¡¯s face for a while, Sylphy and the others left, and Ellen and I spent some time quietly watching Elise¡¯s face as she slept. Although we did not have a conversation, we shared a feeling of happiness. It was a time when I could be sure of that.

 CH 353

    Chapter 353 ¨C Beasts and Goddess


    I spent some time with Ellen and Elise and after a while back at the place where everyone was waiting, Amalie-san¨Dno, Amalie also gave birth safely.


    ¡°Kosuke-sama¡­¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Amalie.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The color of the baby¡¯s hair held in her chest was black. Originally, Amalie was a woman with chestnut hair that was almost black, the so-called brunette hair, but the baby she was carrying had black hair just like mine, no matter how you looked at it.


    ¡°It¡¯s a baby boy.¡±


    Amalie smiled as she held the sleeping black-haired baby to her chest. What is this divine, sacred, inalienable atmosphere that the woman holding the baby gives off? Is this motherhood?


    ¡°I see, it¡¯s a boy. Then he must be Elise¡¯s little brother.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯ve decided on a name.¡±


    ¡°I suggested it, and Ellen agreed. So, what should we name him?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like you to decide, Kosuke-sama.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ I guess so, hmm. I can¡¯t think of many Western names that sound like Kosuke, aside from a Japanese-sounding name.¡±


    Aside from Constantine, Conrad, or Collin, I don¡¯t hear many names that start with Ko or Kou. *[T/n: He phrased it using K or ¥³, but well, I think it¡¯s just better with C instead.] If it is a Japanese-like name, I can think of many names like ¡°Koutarou¡± or ¡°Kouki.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s a Japanese-like name?¡±


    ¡°I mean names that are used in my country. It¡¯s quite different.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ Then, this child should be given a name like the one used in Kosuke-sama¡¯s hometown.¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea to give him a name that is unfamiliar over here. It¡¯s going to be with him for the rest of his life, so let¡¯s just take the first letter of my name and make it something that¡¯s familiar here.¡±


    ¡°I see. I understand if Kosuke-sama says so.¡±


    After the two of us had discussed various options, we decided on Conrad as the child¡¯s name.


    ¡°Conrad is a good name, I think.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, right. Would you nickname him Connie?¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s cute.¡±


    We both watched Conrad sleeping peacefully. As we were doing so, Sylphy and the others came into the room again.


    ¡°Thanks for the hard work. You did a great job.¡±


    ¡°Thank you very much, Your Majesty.¡±


    Amalie bowed with Conrad in her arms.


    ¡°You, who gave birth to Korske¡¯s child, are now one of my relatives. From now on, you may call me Sylphy.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sylphie-sama.¡±


    ¡°Amalie, you should never call your family members with ¡®sama¡¯ like that.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll call you Sylphy-aneesama.¡±


    ¡°Good grief¡­ I got it. You can call me that, then.¡±


    Sylphy looked into Conrad¡¯s face with a bitter smile on her face. Sylphy¡¯s cheeks relaxed when she saw the sleeping Conrad up close.


    ¡°Yeah, boys are cute too. I can¡¯t wait to hold my own child in my arms. What do you think, Kosuke?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a gift, you know. I mean, why are you saying that at this point in time?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? It¡¯s because of this timing, isn¡¯t it? If the baby is born within the next year or so, we can have Amalie serve as the nursing mother. It would be convenient if it happened to strike soon, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±


    Saying that, Sylphy puts her hand on the lower part of her stomach. I looked around and saw that Isla and Melty were also looking at me. So did the other girls.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best to make it positive, so please go easy on me, please.¡±


    ¡°After all, wouldn¡¯t it be better to have Kosuke stay at the castle instead of letting him go outside? We¡¯ll rotate him morning, noon, and night.¡±


    ¡°Are you trying to kill me?¡±


    I¡¯ll dry up if I have to be rotated from morning to night. Sylphy, Melty, Grande, Shumel, and the rest of the oni girls are all bottomless. Isla is not bottomless, but she uses suspicious medicines and magic, and the harpies come in packs. In a sense, only Ellen, Amalie, and Bertha-san are very normal.


    Eh? Seraphita-san, you ask? She¡¯s¡­ yeah, she¡¯s tough. And Driada-san, too. I wonder what those two are. Not powerful, but tough as hell. They are bottomless swamps, so they are rather dangerous.


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m saying, Kosuke. Lately, Kosuke has been out and about and hasn¡¯t spent much time with me, Melty, and Isla in Merinesburg, has he? This is not going to allow us to do what we need to do, is it?¡±


    ¡°That may be true, but it was Sylphy and Melty who gave me the job, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but when I see the baby like this¡­¡±


    Sylphy¡¯s gaze glanced at Conrad. Melty and Grande have been glued to Conrad for a long time. Sleeping peacefully without worrying about being gawked at by a demon species and a dragon, Conrad is going to be a big shot in the future.


    ¡°Kosuke-san, I want it. I want a baby.¡±


    ¡°Kosuke, I want a baby, too.¡±


    ¡°Did you hear what I just said? We were talking about how these babies are a gift, so let¡¯s take our time and do our best, okay?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is important to take your time. So, let¡¯s do our best.¡±


    With that, Isla grabbed the hem of my plain clothes and started to pull it. The eyes of Sylphy, Melty, and Grande are blazing. Ack. This is not good.


    ¡°Wait, I¡¯m not in the mood right now. I¡¯m in Papa mode right now. I¡¯m in fatherhood mode. I¡¯m not in sexual mode.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry; there are plenty of ways to motivate yourself.¡±


    Isla smiled as she said that. Okay, okay, let¡¯s calm down. Let¡¯s calm down and talk¨DWa-wait. If Melty and Shumel start using their arm strength, there will be no room for resistance! Stop it! Stop pulling me!


    ¡°Aaaaaaahhh, w-wait! Amalie! Help me!¡±


    ¡°Uh, I wish you good luck. I¡¯m sure Kosuke-sama will be fine.¡±


    Amalie said, smiling with a troubled expression as she held Conrad to her chest. Yeah, you¡¯ve sent me off to protect our child. I¡¯ll interpret it that way!


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    For the next three days, I was locked in my room. The reason? You can guess. After all, there is no shortage of partners. And since many of them are extraordinarily tough, this is a natural progression. Recovery magic is great, isn¡¯t it? Really. No matter how worn out, sore, or battered you are, you can recover in one fell swoop.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡±


    ¡°I can understand your desire to have children, but why don¡¯t you think about Kosuke as well?¡±


    My confinement was ended by the thunderous voice of the goddesses.


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡°This is exactly what I mean about being drained to the bone.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps I was mistaken.¡±


    Now I was being protected by two goddesses. The Red Goddess and the Blue Goddess protect me.


    ¡°What mistake?¡±


    ¡°I thought he was a good-for-nothing womanizer.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just one side of the issue, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I suppose it is. But there¡¯s more than that; there¡¯s also a lack of discipline around him.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just the seeds that he sowed, though¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, well, that¡¯s what he gets for spreading it around.¡±


    ¡°If-aneesama, you¡¯re being vulgar.¡±


    Iphrita shrugged her shoulders as Aquawill-san looked at her with a stern look.


    Well, yeah. It¡¯s the result of Sylphy and the others¡¯ desire to have a baby running rampant after the actual birth of the child.


    ¡°You too. If you really can¡¯t handle it, just refuse it. Everything should be done in moderation.¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s impossible or not, it¡¯s not impossible, and after all, I like everyone, too¡­¡±


    ¡°There are limits to what you can do.¡±


    ¡°To be honest, I don¡¯t mind situations where I¡¯m forced to do something half-heartedly.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like it when people reveal their sexual tendencies to me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m beginning to wonder if it wasn¡¯t necessary to help him.¡±


    Both Iphrita and Aquawill-san look at me with cold gazes. Don¡¯t say that. If you don¡¯t help me out, I feel like I would have been squeezed the same way for another four days or so. A week¡¯s endurance is like death. I¡¯m still missing something level-headed.


    ¡°Sigh, well, that¡¯s okay. Anyway, come to my room tonight. We need to talk.¡±


    ¡°¡­Aqua?¡±


    Iphrita begins to create a fiery atmosphere at Aquawill-san¡¯s sudden invitation at night.


    No, even if you¡¯re staring at me. I don¡¯t know.


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s not just the two of us. Leviera will be with us. If you want, you can come too, If-aneesama. There¡¯s something I¡¯d like you to see.¡±


    ¡°Something you want me to see?¡±


    She tilted her head. Did she get something interesting? If so, why doesn¡¯t she show it to her now?


    Maybe it is possible to see it during the day, but it is more convenient at night. If I tell you this much, you might be able to guess what I¡¯m talking about.


    ¡°At night, that means it¡¯s astronomical. Did you find anything?¡±


    I made an astronomical telescope for Aquawill-san before. She was interested in Omicrule, a celestial object that floats in the sky.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have called you otherwise. If there is any progress, it will make sense to report some results to the patron.¡±


    After saying that, Aquawill-san turned away with a tsun. I see. I was hoping that it would be something that would help us get along, but I guess it¡¯s a big step forward just to be able to help out in this way. Before, she just looked at me coldly from afar.


    ¡°Wait, isn¡¯t that a little unfair? I¡¯ve been helping you a lot more than you¡¯ve been helping me, and you¡¯ve never mentioned patronage or anything like that.¡±


    ¡°Well, no, but do you need one? You have a budget through the Research and Development Department.¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s through the R&D department, it¡¯s a hassle to report how the money is used. You have to go through all the procedures. You should give me your support too.¡±


    ¡°Well, what should I do?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve got a lot of nerve coming at the benefactor who rescued you from those wild beasts. I hope you¡¯ll be able to find someone who can help you next time.¡±


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s talk about it. Let¡¯s talk, and we¡¯ll figure it out.¡±


    ¡°Good boy.¡±


    She smiled at me, but what was she going to use that gas-burner-like fire in her fingertips for? She¡¯s a horrible woman, this fellow. And why does Aquawill-san look uninterested? There¡¯s nothing to be angry about, is there?


    ¡°But how about a princess who begs for money in exchange for rescue?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s one thing; this is another. If you fund my personal research, I will share the results with you.¡±


    ¡°Sharing the results, huh? What is it you¡¯re working on?¡±


    ¡°Oh, that subject¨D¨D¡±


    Aquawill-san tried to stop me, but it was too late.


    ¡°I am so glad you asked! The field I¡¯m researching, you know!¡±


    Iphrita¡¯s eyes lit up, and she started a fast-talking, terminology-filled magic talk. Yeah, I don¡¯t get it.


    ¡°Once this happens, she won¡¯t stop for a while.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    After that, I spent some time with Aquawill-san drinking tea until Iphrita¡¯s magic talk calmed down.


    Ah, tea is delicious. I don¡¯t understand the talk. Please stop using a lot of professional terminology.

 CH 354

    Chapter 354 ¨C Discoverer¡¯s Privilege


    That night Elise and Conrad were born. I took advantage of that gap in time when they were asleep and went to Aquawill-san¡¯s room. Ellen and Amalie were still wide-eyed and unable to sleep, and they were both looking at the baby without getting tired of it. I was standing next to them just a few minutes ago, looking at Elise and Conrad in the same way.


    ¡°We¡¯re here in large numbers again, aren¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°Everyone said they were interested when I told them about it.¡±


    The three who came along were Isla, Flamme, a brown-feathered harpy, and Tozume. And although Flamme and Tozume followed along, saying they were interested, they seemed to be put off by the opulence and elegance of the private quarters of a real princess, which they would be entering for the first time. Unlike Sylphy¡¯s and my room, Aquawill-san¡¯s room has furnishings befitting royalty.


    Eh? The cost of the furnishings, you ask? Well, Sylphy is¡­ indirectly paying for it.


    Well, this kind of thing is a kind of beauty of form and style. If you try to push through with only a simple and rigid quality, it won¡¯t make the economy go down. The royal family of the Merinard kingdom is a tight-knit bunch, and it doesn¡¯t go over well with the merchants, who say that even the royal family¡¯s rooms have only modest and poor furnishings. Things are not going well.


    ¡°W-what should I do? ¡­I¡¯m totally out of place¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any need to be so flustered about it.¡±


    Tozume smiles bitterly as she says this to Flamme, who is clinging to her legs with a shiver, but you can tell that she, too, is careful not to accidentally break any expensive-looking vases or furniture. The carpet in this room is very fluffy, to begin with.


    Leviera and Gerda, who were waiting in the room, began to prepare seats and tea for Isla, Flamme, and Tozume, whom I brought in addition to the group.


    ¡°So, what did you accomplish?¡±


    ¡°Impatient, aren¡¯t you? Well, it¡¯s just like you to be so impatient.¡±


    After saying so, Aquawill-san urged us to take our seats and spread out on the table a piece of paper with something written on it. At first glance, it looked like a map.


    ¡°¡­Which map is it?¡±


    ¡°Yeah? This is¡­¡±


    ¡°T-this is not a map of this area, is it? Rather, it does not seem to be a map of the Merinard area.¡±


    Isla and the others tilted their heads. Isla would know the map by memory, and Tozume, a former adventurer, and Flamme, who often serves as a scout among the harpies because of her night vision, know the area far better than most people and can even read a map. The map was not a map of the area around the kingdom of Merinard, which the three of them could determine at a glance. But I had an idea what it might be.


    ¡°Did you draw the map of Omicrule?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I made it by observing Omicrule with the astronomical telescope that¡­ you provided. Of course, I did not do it alone.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°You said it yourself. You said that I should invite researchers who observe Omicrule and other astronomical objects to come and talk about it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see.¡±


    It seems that Aquawill-san was working energetically to solve the mystery of Omicrule by inviting experts as per my advice.


    ¡°This map of Omicrule is the result of their efforts. The telescope and budget you provided were of great help.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a great achievement. If you have any requests for additions or improvements, I¡¯m open to them.¡±


    ¡°That would be great, but first check the results. After that, you can decide if you want to invest the budget or not, isn¡¯t that the right way?¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you are okay with that? If you spend the budget like hot water with such a sense of appropriateness, you will eventually run out of steam, won¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    If I dig around the area, I can make all the money I want, so I don¡¯t have a sense of money¡­ If I clear a rocky mountain or a hill in a remote area, I can find as many rare metals and gems as I want. Yes.


    ¡°Anyway, let me explain.¡±


    Aquawill-san then pointed to the map and began to explain the topography that she had confirmed with the astronomical telescope.


    ¡°First of all, I saw a river flowing here, here, and here. And this area seems to be a mountain range. Also, this area where the river flows out to the sea seems to be a plain.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. It is a magnificent delta.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. And here comes the main point.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    There are several points on the map. It could be a delta in the plain she had just pointed out, or it could be along a river, or it could be near a lake.


    ¡°We found what might be man-made objects at these points.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    Isla and I nodded our heads in agreement while Tozume and Flamme shouted in surprise.


    ¡°I thought it might be possible, but it really was there.¡±


    ¡°Interesting.¡±


    ¡°Eh, why are you both accepting it as normal?¡±


    ¡°I-is it the land of the gods? Is it the land of the dead? Or is it a land of monsters?¡±


    Tozume is bewildered by the two of us, who are unfazed, while Flamme is completely confused. I wonder what Aquawill-san and the expert or authority on astronomical observations who discovered what seemed to be traces of some kind of civilization thought about it? Me? I thought, you know, if there is water, land, and forests, there might be intelligent life.


    I mean, this world itself seems unnatural or artificial. To me, Adol, the god of the Adol religion, can only be seen as an intelligent creature with advanced bio-engineering technology. Another terrestrial planet that exists at such a close distance from us is also interesting. I have a feeling that two adjacent planets were terraformed at the same time. Then, he migrated humans and subhumans to both this one and that one and called himself a god. Such a scenario flickers in my mind.


    ¡°Is it God, the dead, or monsters that are on Omicrule across the sky? It is, well, inconclusive at the moment. But it¡¯s interesting to know that there seem to be traces of some kind of civilization. Maybe one day, Aquawill-san and her colleagues will be in the spotlight, and their research will be widely covered.¡±


    ¡°Someday?¡±


    ¡°Someday, I suppose. At least not in the next ten years or so, but maybe hundreds of years in the future.¡±


    ¡°Hundreds of years?¡±


    ¡°Our children¡¯s or grandchildren¡¯s generation.¡±


    ¡°Nngh! We¡¯re a long-lived species!¡±


    Come to think of it, these people usually have a lifespan of a few hundred years or so.


    ¡°I-I think it will be difficult for me, Danna-sama, and Gerda-san to see the day.¡±


    ¡°Oh, maybe I¡¯ll get to see the day when it comes into the spotlight. That would be great, but how in the world will it happen?¡±


    Tozume tilted her head. I guess she can¡¯t really picture it. A place that is visible but never within reach. What good would a map of such a place do? It¡¯s natural to think so.


    ¡°Our air boards have made the Merinard Kingdom narrower, haven¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°Narrower¡­? Oh, well, yeah. I guess you could say that the fact that we¡¯ve become so fast on our feet that we can get from the Great Omit Wilderness to Merinesburg in a day has certainly made Merinard a smaller place.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Eventually, I¡¯d like to build a vehicle that can fly. Right now, I¡¯m relying on Grande, but I¡¯d like to make a vehicle that people can get on and fly, like an air board.¡±


    ¡°I-if that¡¯s the case, we¡¯ll be out of a job, won¡¯t we?¡±


    Flamme smiled bitterly as she said this. She is a timid girl, and she may not really want to work as a bomb squadron member or scout.


    ¡°As an extension of that, someday, a vehicle will be built that will allow us to ride as far as Omicrule. When that happens, this map may be used as important information for our activities there. Maybe, if we don¡¯t go that far, it will happen at an earlier stage, when Omicrule is being observed around the world.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°Heh¡­ that¡¯s great.¡±


    It seems that Tozume and Flamme also understood my explanation. Good, good.


    ¡°You should give it a name.¡±


    ¡°A name?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, yes. Right now, only Aquawill-sama understands this map, that is, the topography of Omicrule. It is appropriate that the discoverer give it a name.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s nice. That kind of thing is first come, first served. If you quickly give it a name and write that you named it, it may go down in history.¡±


    ¡°Eehh¡­ that kind of randomness.¡±


    While saying that, I didn¡¯t miss the way Aquawill-san¡¯s elf ears perked up when I said that her name might go down in history later on. She¡¯s quite excited despite her words. No doubt. It would be rude for me to point this out, so I won¡¯t do it.


    ¡°A-anyway, you can actually observe Omicrule while looking at this map.¡±


    Perhaps aware of her reaction, Aquawill-san got up from her seat quickly with a red face and turned her steps toward the balcony where the astronomical telescope was set up. We followed her to the balcony.

 CH 355

    Chapter 355 ¨C Ambush


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    ¡°Did you see that?¡±


    ¡°I honestly can¡¯t tell the difference.¡±


    I tried to look through the telescope and observe the location indicated by the map, but my eyes couldn¡¯t distinguish it from the rest of the empty space.


    ¡°Look more closely. Unlike the other places, the forest has been cut inland in that area, and the color is whitish.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­? When you say it like that, it also looks that way¡­?¡±


    It is true that the darker areas seem to recede slightly from the water¡¯s edge to the inland areas, but are these the traces of civilization? I can¡¯t help but tilt my head when I say that.


    ¡°It is certainly very difficult to discern. That¡¯s why we want an astronomical telescope with a higher magnification.¡±


    ¡°I see. I understand perfectly.¡±


    Well, it seems to me that the distance between Omicrule is closer than between the Earth and the Moon, and if there is an astronomical telescope with a higher magnification, we might be able to see it in more detail.


    ¡°Let me take a look.¡±


    ¡°Me next.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll be after that¡­¡±


    Isla and the others took turns looking through the telescope, and I returned to the table, looking at them with a sideways glance. Then, Leviera acted tactfully and quickly poured a fresh cup of tea for me. The tea was not too hot, not too warm, and was a really good harmony.


    As I sipped the tea, I thought about a telescope with a higher magnification. After all, shouldn¡¯t it be better to build a facility like an observatory? Perhaps I could build a large, stationary telescope in a location not far from Merinesburg, either on top of a mountain or a hill of some height.


    It will probably be more than a few days of overnight work. They will also need a place to live. There may be attacks by monsters or bandits. It is better to build a sturdy building. In some cases, it may be a good idea to deploy golems as guards.


    Then there is the design and engineering of a large astronomical telescope. I can imagine to some extent, but I need to solidify the image. However, the item creation will not be triggered unless the image is solidified beyond a certain level. At the very least, I need to be able to picture the finished product in my brain. I can make up for the internal structure of an item even if it¡¯s not quite right, but if the external appearance is hazy, it¡¯s no good. I¡¯m not sure if my abilities are really that easy or hard to handle.


    ¡°¡­So you can make a serious face, too, can¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I can, you know? I mean, that¡¯s a bit rude, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s called a figure of speech.¡±


    Leviera said so with a calm and clear face. Gerda smiling next to her is really a stark contrast.


    ¡°Speaking of which, what do you think about them? Those girls.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not enough to say that they are perfected. They are all working diligently. It¡¯s just¡­¡±


    ¡°Just?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re not very good with human men, it seems. They make a lot of mistakes.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ well, I guess we¡¯ll just have to take a long-term view of it.¡±


    After all, that¡¯s how they ended up here. It¡¯s no wonder they have a hard time with men ¨C especially human men. Let¡¯s not push them too hard¡­ No, no matter how they live their lives from now on, what they have learned here will not be in vain. For now, I¡¯ll leave them to do their best. I would like them to work for me if they want to, but I don¡¯t know what they will think or do in the future.


    And even if I ask them to work for me, how much will I take care of them? There is also talk about that. I could take care of them until the end of their lives, but I¡¯m sure they would consider their life plans according to their environment¡­ No, I should be more concerned about their mental and physical health first.


    They may be carrying children in their bellies. If so, I should be responsible for them now that I have taken them in. If I¡¯m going to do this, I can¡¯t do it halfway.


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°No, nothing.¡±


    I was thinking a lot about the future of Byaku and the girls, and Leviera was staring at me like that.


    ¡°I was not thinking of firing them or anything like that. I was just thinking that if I were going to do something, I would have to be thorough.¡±


    ¡°Thorough?¡±


    ¡°I brought them here on my own selfishness. If they want to, I¡¯ll take care of them, but if they don¡¯t, I¡¯ll still take care of them. No matter how far I have to go.¡±


    ¡°I see. How far will you go? Then, what would you do if they asked for Kosuke-sama¡¯s affection?¡±


    ¡°This is getting a little serious all of a sudden, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    I laugh bitterly as I drink my tea. Well, Olivia is like that. I don¡¯t know about the other girls, though.


    ¡°If that makes them feel safe. I¡¯ll tell Sylphy about it.¡±


    From my standpoint, it¡¯s not a good idea to do things just for my own selfish reasons. In some cases, it might make their position worse, so it is better to talk to Sylphy in advance.


    Even if I do whatever I want, Sylphy and the others can¡¯t say anything and won¡¯t say anything. But that doesn¡¯t mean I should do whatever I want.


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know why this is bothering me. If I am a man, I have to enjoy it! I¡¯ve got a lot to choose from! Isn¡¯t this a scene to be rejoicing in?¡±


    ¡°I wonder if that¡¯s the way it should be.¡±


    I let out a sigh, and Leviera brewed me another cup of tea. Ah, the tea is delicious. The tea that Leviera brews is really delicious.


    ¡°Kosuke is trying to hook up with a new girl.¡±


    ¡°Haha, well, I¡¯m okay with it, so I¡¯m sure the girl is okay with it too.¡±


    ¡°W-when it comes to fluffy wings, I can¡¯t be outdone.¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. Aquawill-san, please stop that eye. I¡¯m just asking about things because I¡¯m leaving Leviera in charge of mentoring the girls I brought with me. Isn¡¯t that right? Gerda-san.¡±


    ¡°Yes. We were just talking about whether it is good or not for Kosuke-san to touch those girls.¡±


    ¡°H-hey!?¡±


    It was a sudden betrayal. Why? Why is that?


    ¡°I can¡¯t say anything about that. It¡¯s Kosuke who decides what to do with those girls.¡±


    ¡°No, wait. Please wait. First of all, I¡¯m not talking about touching them. I was asked what I would do if they wanted to do that, and I just said that I would talk to Sylphy about it so that they could do what they wanted.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that like saying you¡¯re going to touch them?¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s what they want, you know?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that naturally the case? The only thing those girls can offer is their lives, their minds, and their bodies.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s heavy¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all there is to it. If I were in their shoes, I would do the same thing.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    As we were talking, Aquawill-san was looking at me with a curious look on her face. When I looked at her, she opened her mouth with a very serious expression on her face.


    ¡°Did you take them in with good intentions without thinking about such things at all?¡±


    ¡°Eehh? Yeah. I don¡¯t know.¡±


    The reason I wanted to help them was because I saw the scene of the horrific attack and felt a sense of righteous indignation. Well, that¡¯s a very rough way of putting it. Naturally, I felt like, ¡°What the hell have they done to the innocent pioneers?¡± I couldn¡¯t forgive them. But I also had a feeling that they had interfered with my work and that I would never forgive them for slaughtering the people of the Merinard Kingdom under Sylphy¡¯s rule.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s called righteous indignation, which includes all those personal and miscellaneous feelings.¡±


    ¡°I see. So?¡±


    ¡°Hmm. So what? Oh, I get it.¡±


    After examining the scene of the attack, I learned that someone¨Dprobably a woman¨Dhad been taken. At that point, I had an inkling of how the women¨Dor those girls¨Dwere being treated. I was determined to help them, but did I expect to have that kind of relationship with them at that point? I wonder.


    ¡°Now that I think about it calmly, it seems likely, but I don¡¯t think I was thinking about that at the time. I just wanted to kill those bandits and save the victims.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s what it looked like.¡±


    Tozume, who was watching me closely at the time, nodded in affirmation of my words.


    ¡°Kosuke was like that from the very beginning. Even before we left the Black Forest, he had only seen Sylphy-ane.¡±


    ¡°In spite of that, he seems to have a lot of women with whom he has relationships.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t get it wrong. It¡¯s not that Kosuke has relationships with many women. Many women are having relations with Kosuke. We must not take it the other way around.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the same thing?¡±


    ¡°Not at all.¡±


    As she said that, Isla took out a piece of paper from somewhere and wrote a circle in the center. Then she drew many circles around it and wrote an arrow toward the center circle.


    ¡°The diagram is like this. What Aquawill-sama is thinking of is the opposite of this. From a distance, it looks the same, but the meaning is different.¡±


    ¡°¡­I see?¡±


    Aquawill-san looked convinced while tilting her head with a stern expression on her face. Princess, you¡¯re probably being deceived; that¡¯s it. After all, I have my hands on them. I can¡¯t escape the accusation that I¡¯m a lewd womanizer.


    ¡°By the way, Gerda-san?¡±


    ¡°Yes, what is it, Kosuke-san?¡±


    I called Gerda, who was standing by, and she walked up to me, smiling.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a terrible betrayal you just made?¡±


    When I said that, Gerda showed a slight pretense of thinking and then smiled again.


    ¡°Kosuke-san, you¡¯d do anything for those girls if they wanted you to, wouldn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°You asked me something that is hard to answer immediately¡­ Well, yes, I would. If it comes to that.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Then I¡¯m fine too, aren¡¯t I?¡±


    The air in the room seemed to freeze with a crackling sound. With my face still facing Gerda, I glanced to the side and saw that all of the people were looking at me. The pressure, the pressure was great.


    ¡°Gerda, you¡¯re acting illogically.¡±


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s right. My apologies.¡±


    After saying that, Gerda bowed deeply and walked quietly out of the room.


    ¡°¡­I see.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by I see?¡±


    ¡°No, yeah. I¡¯m confused. Forgive me.¡±


    I see. I see¡­ So it is. Come to think of it, I think I heard something like that when I was with the guys a long time ago. So, Gerda has been around since then? So, we lost contact for a while after that, but somehow she was able to spend time by my side again as a royal guard now that I¡¯m royalty.


    While she was thinking about how to convey her feelings to me, I brought the beastmen girls to her and instructed her to educate them to use them as my servants, and said that if they wanted, I would accept them.


    Gerda might have a hard time accepting this.


    ¡°Anyway, see to it that I don¡¯t do anything rash. I will discuss Gerda¡¯s case with Sylphy as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°I understand. I will send someone else over here as soon as possible.¡±


    Leviera then quickly exits the room.


    ¡°¡­You, aren¡¯t you using some kind of weird trick to make women fall in love with you?¡±


    ¡°No, nothing like that. There is no such thing. I am innocent.¡±


    The achievement effect is quite suspicious, but at least it is not active.


    But what is wrong with this? It¡¯s the day my children were born, and here I am, right away. I have no choice but to stand on my feet and try to make it all go away, yes. If I go it alone at a time like this, it will never turn out well, so the first thing I need to do is to ask for advice. When things like this get bogged down in dramas, manga, or novels, it¡¯s usually due to a lack of communication.

 CH 356

    Chapter 356 ¨C Territory


    After hearing the general circumstances from me, Sylphy thought for a moment and then said.


    ¡°I understand. We¡¯ll talk about it, and you can go look in on Ellen and the others.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    ¡°Kosuke, this is our business. If Kosuke interferes, things will get even more complicated. So, leave it to us.¡±


    Sylphy stared into my eyes with a strong will, and I looked into hers. We looked at each other for a while, and she seemed not to back down at all.


    ¡°Okay, I understand. I¡¯ll trust you as I always have, and I¡¯ll leave everything to you. That¡¯s the best I can do, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the best.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    I nodded back at Sylphy, who nodded at me, and I held out my hands to Sylphy. I then approached Sylphy, who was still sitting at her desk and embraced her.


    ¡°W-what is it?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any particular reason. I¡¯m always giving you a hard time.¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m the one who¡¯s giving you a hard time.¡±


    After saying that, I let out a sigh, and Sylphy wrapped her hands around my back and hugged me.


    The words were short, but they contained so many meanings that they could not be expressed in a single word. Having relationships with many women while saying that it is the best, letting me have relationships with many women, entrusting me with the coordination, and letting me have partners based on the coordination of these relationships. Furthermore, Sylphy is using me considering the practical and political aspects. This is not only to protect me but also to unite the higher-ups of the Merinard Kingdom firmly.


    ¡°It¡¯s getting heated, isn¡¯t it? Kosuke-san, how about me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, I also give Melty a hard time.¡±


    I also hugged Melty, whose lips were pouting at the office desk near Sylphy, and patted her on the back.


    ¡°It¡¯s kind of neglectful, isn¡¯t it? But that¡¯s okay.¡±


    Despite her complaints, Melty was all smiles. It seems that she was satisfied.


    ¡°Anyway, as Sylphy said, please leave the girl-related matters to us. We won¡¯t do anything bad to them.¡±


    ¡°I understand. That¡¯s the best, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the best. I assure you.¡±


    ¡°I understand. I believe you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s good to be honest. Then, please go and check on Ellen-san and the others. Oh, I recommend you to sleep in your bedroom, Kosuke-san. Babies are supposed to cry, after all.¡±


    ¡°Please give my regards to Ellen. I¡¯ll also go check on her one more time before I go to bed.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll let her know.¡±


    Sylphy and Melty smiled at me as I walked out of the office. The sun has long since set, but the two still intend to get the job done. Ellen and Amalie had given birth, and they both came to see how things were going, so it seemed that they hadn¡¯t finished their quota for today. It is impossible for me to help them with something I don¡¯t even know what it is, so I decided to go check on Ellen and Amalie as Melty told me to do.


    When I walked a little to Ellen¡¯s room, the Sister who was waiting in front of the room performed a miracle of purification on me. Apparently, it is written in the Adol scriptures that newborn babies and their mothers are vulnerable to the filth of the world, so they must be taught to do so.


    Hmm? Well, I may have read something like that when I examined the Adol scriptures before.


    Of course, as it is called scripture, it contains the teachings of the Adol religion, but I was surprised to find that it also contains some wisdom for daily life. It might be a good idea to read it again in detail next time.


    When I entered the room after having the miracle of purification performed, the two were just holding Elise and Conrad and nursing them. Bertha-san, who is standing beside them, is holding her index finger in front of her lips. Apparently, they were just about to go to bed.


    After a long time, I shifted into a sneak mode and swooped in with a command action while bending down to get closer to the bed. As I do so, the three of them look at me with creepy eyes. As usual, my sneak move has a bad reputation!


    ¡°¡­..? What¡¯s up?¡±


    I walked over to Ellen, who was putting Elise to bed, and when she saw my face, she tilted her head in agreement. I reconsidered the idea of lying to Ellen when I was about to tell her that there was nothing going on.


    ¡°I received a report about the astronomical observation in Aquawill-san¡¯s room.¡±


    I explained what had happened in Aquawill-san¡¯s room in order. Ellen then turned her head and stared at me.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been thriving again since the day the child was born, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to take issue with the word thriving.¡±


    While I was whispering to Ellen, Amalie was smiling happily at me. I feel like it¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve had this kind of communication with Ellen. Before the birth, it was a bit softer.


    ¡°They always seem to be sleeping, don¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just good timing. When you¡¯re not around, they cry quite a lot.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    I asked her about it, and she told me that she and Amalie had just finished breastfeeding the babies. Wow, they start drinking from the breast so soon. I mean, it seems like the timing was really good.


    ¡°Is there anything I can do to help?¡±


    ¡°Nothing in particular. You have prepared everything for us, and Bertha and the other sisters are taking care of us. Just showing up like this and caring for us is enough for me.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    It¡¯s true that when the two of them were working hard on the birth of the baby, I talked to everyone around me and made all the baby stuff I could think of, like a baby bathtub made of slime material. I also made a bathing area in a partially remodeled house, and I left two furnaces outside the room.


    ¡°Well, I guess this time it¡¯s just that you reap what you sow. I recommend that you be careful from now on.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to be modest about this. but¡­¡±


    I murmur to myself as I look at Elise, who is being held in Ellen¡¯s arms. Maybe there are already too many partners, and my senses are going haywire. I don¡¯t know; I just don¡¯t know anything¡­


    ¡°I¡¯m a father now, and I have to be aware of that.¡±


    Elise and Conrad aren¡¯t the only ones. The harpies that were born without my knowledge are also my lovely daughters. There will be more children in the future. Even now, I have too many partners. What will they think when they grow up and have many half-brothers and sisters? And on top of that, their father has more wives? Wouldn¡¯t the children look at me with contempt? Especially from my daughters¡­ Hyiie.


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s too late for that, but I really think I should lay low.¡±


    ¡°I agree. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s going to work, however, even if you decide to do it.¡±


    ¡°Stop it; it¡¯s really going to happen.¡±


    The word of the saint is so prophetic that it would be really unfashionable.

 CH 357

    Chapter 357 ¨C New Development


    A few days after the Gerda incident.


    ¡°Then, Byaku-san and Shen-san, please contact the merchants¡¯ guild. Luna-san and Lana-san, please go to the adventurers¡¯ guild. Meme-san will escort Kosuke-sama with me, and Mito-san, Fey-san, and Olivia-san will take the normal shift.¡±


    Gerda was given the position of overseeing the beastmen maids. I was not informed of the details of the discussion, but it seemed to have been settled in that way.


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°¡±Understood.¡±¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Byaku, the Fox-type beastman. Shen, the Horse-type beastman; Luna and Lana, the Dog-type beastmen; and Meme, the Rabbit-type beastmen, responded.


    In response, those who were told to work their normal shifts¨Dtheir normal duties as maids at the castle.


    ¡°Roger.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    On the surface, all three seem to have no complaints. However, Gerda, perhaps not pleased with Mito¡¯s overly appropriate response, smiled at her.


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    Gerda nodded her head in satisfaction as she looked at Mito, who had rephrased her words with her ears down and her tail straightened up.


    ¡°We will be Kosuke-sama¡¯s eyes, ears, and shield. That is our role.¡±


    ¡°¡±¡±Yes.¡±¡±¡±


    ¡°Well then, I look forward to working with you all today.¡±


    As I watch the beastmen maids perform their morning ritual, I take a sip of the morning tea that Gerda made me before the morning ritual.


    On the fluffy sofa where I am sitting, Grande is sitting with me¡­ or rather, lying down, sleeping peacefully with her cheeks on my thighs. Drool is dripping down my pants, but I pretend I didn¡¯t see it.


    ¡°What shall we do today?¡±


    I have a good amount of tasks to do. For example, making weapons as requested by Sir Leonard or making a new type of astronomical telescope as requested by Aquawill-san. I also want to check on other canned food and instant noodle-related situations, and if there are any tools needed or requests for improvement in the field, I want to take them and give them shape. I also need to deal with the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom soon. I hear they are waiting for me and Grande to come. Well, I am not in a position to go to other countries so easily. I¡¯ve already talked to Melty, so she¡¯ll decide when the time is right.


    I opened my inventory and checked the contents while thinking about what else, let¡¯s see, what else¡­ As for the materials, there is no problem. When I built the pioneer village, I collected a lot of materials such as stone, sand, clay, ore, wood, etc. There were also plenty of organic materials from the monsters that Shumel and her party had hunted and collected during the pioneering work. Thus, I get the materials from the monsters, and Shumel and her party get bonuses in the form of gemstones and cash. It was a win-win deal.


    ¡°What, are you thinking about your work?¡±


    ¡°Grande, your drool, your drool.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, oh. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Grande wakes up, and I point out to her that there is drool dripping down my pants, and she¡¯s rubbing her hand through it. Yeah, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s going to clean it up. Well, that¡¯s okay.


    ¡°Kosuke, you work too hard. If you work that hard, you will die young. You¡¯re with me now, so you should be more composed.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand. I don¡¯t feel at ease just sitting around doing nothing.¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. Then let me be the one to weigh you down.¡±


    Grande snuggles over and rubs her cheek against my thigh. Ah, yes, yes. Grande is so cute. I ruffle Grande¡¯s blonde hair, which is a little kinky.


    ¡°The weight is fine, but I¡¯d like to see the kids¡¯ faces.¡±


    ¡°That would be nice. I¡¯d like to see them, too.¡±


    ¡°So, please make the arrangements. After I see Elise and Conrad, I will go to see the harpies, too.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    Gerda looked at her, and Meme, the Rabbit-type beastman who was with her, walked out of the room. Since the last attack by the assassins of the Holy Kingdom, when I go outside, I have to be escorted by a guard. Not long ago, I used to wander around the area on foot, but now I have a magnificent royal carriage with a heavy escort. I guess this is what it means to be royalty.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    We stopped by Ellen and Amalie¡¯s to check on the babies and then went to the harpies¡¯ residence to see how the harpies were doing. The harpy kids were all very excited when I told them that their little sister and brother had been born. Let¡¯s take everyone to the royal castle and see if we can get them to meet Elise and Conrad.


    When I returned to the castle in the late afternoon, Isla was waiting for me in my room.


    ¡°I¡¯m back, Isla.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, welcome back. Are you from the harpies¡¯ house?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I went to check on the harpy kids. What¡¯s going on, Isla?¡±


    Basically, Isla rarely visits my room during the daytime. It is because Isla is busy working as a court mage and as the head of the Research and Development Department during the daytime, and when she has free time, she usually does some kind of research.


    ¡°Hmm, I wanted to talk to you about that flying vehicle you were talking about the other day.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that thing.¡±


    I talked about that kind of thing the other day when we were doing astronomical observations in Aquawill-san¡¯s room. The Merinard Royal Army has gained unrivaled mobility through the development of air boards, but Isla is greedily trying to go even further than that.


    ¡°You sounded as if you had a concrete plan.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have anything concrete in mind. Well, I¡¯m thinking in the direction of mass transportation rather than high-speed travel.¡±


    ¡°Mass transportation?¡±


    Isla tilted her head.


    ¡°The airplanes are flying in the sky, so they can ignore the terrain. So, of course, it will be fast. If we can install a wind-magic propulsion system, the speed will be considerably higher. But then, wouldn¡¯t it be better to use it in an air board?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, well, yes. Indeed, if you think about it, air boards are not really suited for mass transportation.¡±


    ¡°I think it would be different if we could improve the roads so that large air boards could be used for transportation. Well, in the case of air boards, the roads don¡¯t have to be that solid.¡±


    Since air boards also float from the ground, their maneuverability does not change that much, even if road conditions are bad. However, they do need to run along highways. Even though it is a highway, there are places where there are deep forests right next to the road, so it is not always possible to run at high speed on the side of the road. Also, in order to carry a larger amount of cargo by air board, it would be necessary to build a large air board for transportation. Even if they were to run on the side of the road, it would be a bit narrow on the road designed for horse-drawn carriages. It would take a lot of money and time to build such a road.


    ¡°So I think we should build a blimp or airship¡­ or whatever you want to call it, a flying ship.¡±


    ¡°A flying ship.¡±


    Isla¡¯s eyes widened. It seems to have caught her interest.


    ¡°If we use a wind-magic propulsion system for the propulsion, the problem is how to make it float.¡±


    What comes to mind is a ship with a big propeller instead of a sail, but what about that? It seems feasible to use a golem, but how do you counteract the torque? There¡¯s no tail rotor or anything like that. Oh, maybe by changing the direction of rotation for each of the several pillars to cancel out the torque? Sounds like a difficult problem.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    In the airships that existed in reality, buoyancy was generated by filling a large air sac with light gas, right? If we can prepare a large amount of so-called ¡°light gas¡± in this world, there is a possibility that it can be put to practical use. Since there are highly efficient propulsion systems, it would be possible to use them as auxiliary power to support buoyancy.


    Or, it may be possible to make it float in the sky and fly with only a wind-magic propulsion system. It would require some ingenuity to make it fly stably, but it seems feasible. Ah, there is also a way to make it like a balloon. If we use wind magic, we can keep sending wind into the air sac without using a burner, so we can gain buoyancy with it. In this case, would it be more of a sailboat in a sense than a balloon? Instead of a sideways sail, you would attach an upward sail to the ship and keep the wind blowing through it.


    ¡°At any rate, I have a lot of ideas. Let¡¯s start by sharing some theories and see what people think.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡±


    I feel like Grande is sending a look at me and Isla, who are getting excited as if to say it¡¯s hopeless, but let¡¯s not worry about that. Because it is fun to create something new.

 CH 358

    Chapter 358 ¨C Airship Development: Introduction


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s been a while since we¡¯ve had any new development¡­¡±


    I look around at the people gathered in the Research and Development Department. Naturally, Isla is there. And the other members of the Research and Development Department are also there. In addition, there are Gerda and Meme, who are my personal attendants today, and¨D¨D.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Well, aside from Iphrita, it¡¯s unusual to see Aquawill-san here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving if you don¡¯t want me to.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant.¡±


    I have no questions about Iphrita since she belongs to the Research and Development Department, but I feel that it is really unusual for Aquawill-san to be here.


    ¡°She¡¯s shown up quite a bit in the past when Kosuke wasn¡¯t here.¡±


    ¡°Well, you can see all sorts of unusual things here, after all.¡±


    ¡°I see?¡±


    Sure, there will be all sorts of unusual items, but this is the heart of the Merinard Kingdom, so to speak, where the latest technology is being developed. Is it really acceptable to let outsiders in with such a swoop? Well, it is unthinkable that Aquawill-san would leak information, and is it tacitly approved?


    ¡°Well, if that¡¯s the case. What we are developing this time is an airship.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re finally building a flying vehicle!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a dream vehicle!¡±


    The members of the Research and Development Department were very excited when they heard about the airship.


    ¡°Why a ship?¡±


    ¡°The air board is a vehicle designed to transport a small number of people or a small amount of cargo at high speed, but the vehicle we are building is designed to transport a large number of people or supplies. It will naturally be larger and shaped like a ship, which is why we named it an airship. Well, it may end up looking completely different, and then we¡¯ll think of another name.¡±


    It seemed that the attendees were satisfied with my explanation, and there were no objections from them.


    ¡°The propulsion system uses a wind-magic propulsion system, just like the air board. It is necessary to consider whether to use a larger size than the one used for the air board or whether to operate multiple units with the same output as used for the air board. After all, it is only good if it can move airships. It may be more cost-effective to make one high-power unit out of high-end materials than one large low-power unit out of low-cost materials, so that¡¯s something to study as well.


    Iphrita nodded in agreement with my policy of being conscious of manufacturing costs. I¡¯ve been lectured by Iphrita about that before. I am a good boy who can learn.


    ¡°I have a few ideas for the design. This one is just one example, and it may not even be the best solution. But the main obstacle will be the levitation itself. In other words, how to obtain buoyancy.¡±


    As I said this, I used chalk to draw several images of an airship on the blackboard set up in the Research and Development Department. My drawing skills are not very good, so I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯m getting it right or not.


    ¡°First of all, this is the type of airship that exists in my world. The airtight, sturdy bag is filled with lighter-than-air gas, and the buoyancy of the bag is used to lift the lower gondola part of the airship. Of course, if the bag is exposed, there is a possibility that a bird or flying monster will make a hole in the bag, and the gas inside will leak out, causing the airship to lose its buoyancy and crash.¡±


    Saying so, I first drew a picture of a so-called airship¨Da large air sac with a gondola attached to the bottom for passengers to climb into.


    ¡°The advantage of this type of airship is that the buoyancy is basically provided by the air sacs, so less power is needed to keep the airship afloat. So you don¡¯t have to pay the magic cost of being afloat.¡±


    That¡¯s the perspective in this world. In my former world, it would mean that less fuel would be needed to maintain altitude. But it seems that they used power to ascend and descend, so they were not able to fly completely without refueling.


    ¡°The problem is how to collect gas that is lighter than air. Can¡¯t alchemy be used to produce such a thing in large quantities?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not impossible. However, the cost of making a large enough quantity to float a ship would be ridiculous. Also, some of those gases are dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, methane burns, hydrogen explodes, and ammonia is highly toxic. Helium was probably the safest, but I don¡¯t know how to make it or anything.¡±


    I wish I could make it on the mixing table, but I kind of feel like I can¡¯t. I don¡¯t know if it would be a good idea to give up on it right from the start.


    ¡°So the other problem is how to keep it level. This is true for any type of airship, but keeping it level in the air is probably the most difficult part. We struggled with that with the air board at first, didn¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, it was a struggle. Kosuke was sighing a lot.¡±


    ¡°Stop it; I feel sick just remembering it.¡±


    The golem sensors were attached to the levitation devices installed at the four corners to measure the altitude, and the output of the levitation devices was changed according to the unevenness of the ground¡­ and I remember that it was very difficult.


    ¡°I¡¯d have to calculate the weight of the structural materials, the weight of the payload, the magnitude of the buoyancy, and the weight balance to design it. That¡¯s normal.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, there¡¯s a good chance we can work some magic there.¡±


    In the end, the air board should have used the magic tool that generates levitation magic as it is, without applying any poor correction. Rather than trying to balance the air board, they could have left everything to the magic that makes things levitate (horizontally) as they are. Fu*king fantasy.


    ¡°Honestly, I can only design to the extent that it uses little or no magic. I¡¯m a visitor, and I have a hard time thinking outside the box of my former world, so I provide direction. So I¡¯m going to give you a direction. I¡¯m counting on your brains and arms to solve specific problems.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a lot of help already.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Development is a team effort.¡±


    After saying that, I start to draw a diagram of another method on the blackboard.


    ¡°The second method is like this. We put up a vertical sail instead of a horizontal one and blow the wind into it to get up into the sky.¡±


    What I drew on the blackboard looked like a flat box with a large single-fabric sail on top. In the middle of the box is a vaulted space where the magic device that blows the wind into the sail is placed.


    ¡°The wind is blown into the sails from below to make them fly upward. But of course, there is the issue of fuel consumption, and the effect of a crosswind is unknown. If we¡¯re going to get the same upward thrust, we might as well use a wind-magic propulsion system.¡±


    This time, I drew a picture of a square box with wind-magic propulsion devices attached to its four corners. A wind-magic vertical takeoff and landing craft, so to speak.


    ¡°However, the type that ascends and descends with this wind-magic propulsion system is likely to have considerable difficulty in controlling its attitude. If any one of the four corners of the propulsion system is misbalanced, the aircraft will lose its altitude. If the aircraft loses its altitude in mid-air and tilts, it will immediately fall headlong to the ground.


    ¡°That¡¯s horrifying, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Depending on the altitude, it may not survive.¡±


    I put down the chalk and turned to the members of the Research and Development Department.


    ¡°The idea I can give you is this. In any case, I intend to use a wind-magic propulsion system for propulsion. It has absolutely perfect performance for use as horizontal thrust.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s true.¡±


    The wind-magic propulsion system is not only used for horizontal propulsion but also for other purposes, according to Isla and the others. For now, it¡¯s a very good propulsion device.


    ¡°I have a few questions.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll answer to the best of my knowledge about flying machines. But I am not an expert on flying machines. When it comes to specialized knowledge, I have no idea.¡±


    After saying this to a female Dwarf craftsman from the Research and Development Department who raised her hand, he began taking questions. Whatever it is, we¡¯ll start with a question-and-answer session and an exchange of opinions. There might be a solution in a direction I haven¡¯t thought of at all, like the purification magic that was used to produce canned goods.

 CH 359

    Chapter 359 ¨C Airship Development: Concept No.1


    ¡°After much deliberation, I saw the possibility in the falling-control magic.¡±


    While I was discussing with dwarves and lamia blacksmiths and carpenters about points to keep in mind when designing, Isla, who was talking with a group of mages, said so.


    ¡°Falling control.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, fall control. You should actually see it in action.¡±


    Saying so, Isla tossed an empty teacup toward the ceiling. The tossed teacups rose to the ceiling, spinning and spinning, and then began to fall.


    ¡°Fall control.¡±


    The teacup stopped just as it began to fall. The rotation also seems to have stopped.


    ¡°A magic that can control the speed of fall like this. In addition, the posture is fixed in the same state as at the moment the magic was cast.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because that¡¯s the kind of magic it is.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes.¡±


    When I first showed my ability to Isla, I think she said I was being unreasonable and absurd, but from my point of view, I think the magic that completely ignores the laws of physics is just about the same.


    ¡°This is magic. A phenomenon that was caused by paying a firm price for magic power. It is fundamentally different from Kosuke¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes. So, this one certainly seems to be useful. As long as you can ascend, you can use this magic to fix the height and posture and then use the propulsion system to move around.¡±


    I tapped the teacup with my fingertip, which came down softly, and it went forward in the direction I pushed it.


    ¡°But if it gets caught in a crosswind, it will probably be swept away by that much. Should we take measures against crosswinds? Hmm? I thought you said it was supposed to have a fixed posture, but does external force change that to some extent?¡±


    I grabbed the teacup that was still floating in the air and applied force to it, and the teacup turned. However, it stopped again. I applied force to the teacup as if I was spinning a top, but it did not spin around in the air and stopped immediately. What is this interesting? How does it work?


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem to have much resistance to external forces, but does it have a strong moment-killing force? I don¡¯t get it.¡±


    It seems to behave strangely, like an object floating in a weightless space or not. The magic power is amazing.


    ¡°But, as the object gets bigger, there will be problems with the amount of magic power consumed, and the bigger the object gets, the greater the effect of crosswinds and air resistance will be.¡±


    ¡°Regarding the effects of crosswinds and air resistance, it will be fine if we deploy a wind barrier. The cost of fall control magic is not that big. It is also possible to make it into a magic tool.¡±


    ¡°I see. The airship¡¯s shape is good for productivity and functionality if it¡¯s not affected by crosswinds. However, since it is necessary to gain altitude first, it would be better if the top surface is not flat. And considering stability during landing, it would be better to keep the center of gravity down¡­ Oh, no, wait? Can we apply fall control on the ground and then use the propulsion system to gain altitude?¡±


    ¡°Maybe we can do that too.¡±


    Saying that, Isla grabbed the teacup that had fallen to her hand with her own hand, jumped up, and pushed it much higher than her own head. Well, it¡¯s still about the same height as my face.


    ¡°I see. But is this really going to work? It looks useful as a teacup by itself, but will it behave the same way as this with multiple people and cargo inside a structure of a certain size? Something about just walking, flying, and bouncing around inside the structure seems to cause a bumpy altitude drop.¡±


    ¡°¡­We¡¯ll just have to experiment with that.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ Then I¡¯ll ask Grande and the harpies to do it for us.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s a good idea. I¡¯ll think of another way.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s do that. The effect of killing this moment is quite useful even if the fall control doesn¡¯t work. It might be good if we can use this alone.¡±


    If we can do it right, we might be able to reduce the effort of attitude control a lot.


    ¡°If it works with fall control magic, that would be best, but if it doesn¡¯t, we¡¯ll still need to keep applying upward force with strong propulsive force. I¡¯ve heard that the effects of crosswinds can be managed by a wind magic barrier, so we should proceed with a design that uses a wind magic propulsion system and sails.¡±


    We have plenty of time and budget. It will take time to develop, but this kind of basic research will surely be useful someday.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    While we were discussing and experimenting, the sun was setting, and the Research and Development Department members dismissed, leaving Isla and me to go to the cafeteria together. Sylphy and Melty were already waiting for their meals to be served in the cafeteria. It seemed that they didn¡¯t have much work to do today.


    ¡°I thought you were taking the day off.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m having fun.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not a reply, is it?¡±


    With a troubled smile on her face, Melty shifted one seat to make room for me, so I sat between Melty and Sylphy. Yes, it¡¯s a little warm because of Melty¡¯s body heat remaining on the seat.


    Incidentally, this is the dining room used by Sylphy, Melty, Isla, Grande, Ellen, and other women who are closely related to me¨Dor, rather, the higher-ups in the Merinard Kingdom. Sylphy said that it would be fine to have the same dining room as the people working at the castle, but that would make the other people feel uncomfortable, so I prepared this dining room exclusively for them.


    ¡°It¡¯s fun to start something new.¡±


    ¡°That may be so, but don¡¯t push yourself too hard, Kosuke.¡±


    Isla, who sat down next to Sylphy, nodded in reply with a ¡°Hmm.¡±


    ¡°So, what have you started building today?¡±


    ¡°Well, we were thinking of building a large airship that could carry large quantities of supplies and personnel.¡±


    ¡°An airship?¡±


    I explained the outline of the airship to Sylphy, who tilted her head.


    ¡°I see, it¡¯s a flying ship, so it¡¯s an airship. But is it safe?¡±


    ¡°If you ask me if it is safe or not, it is not safe. If it were to crash, there is no way it would survive.¡±


    ¡°If the ship sinks offshore, it will not be able to save itself in the end. The danger is the same as with a ship.¡±


    ¡°Even a carriage is dangerous if it is attacked by monsters or bandits. It would be good if we could reduce the probability of an airship accident to less than that.¡±


    However, if airships are actually built and put into operation, the amount of cargo and the number of people they can handle will be quite large, and if they crash, it would be a terrible thing. It would be better to have double or triple safety mechanisms to function in the event of a crash and to have at least two emergency magic power sources in addition to the main power source.


    ¡°The budget is¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll pay for it. Isla can charge Melty as much as she needs. I¡¯ll cover the cost.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, okay.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ that¡¯s okay. The majority of the treasury¡¯s resources come from Kosuke¡¯s earnings.¡±


    The large number of crops that continue to be produced at the food production bases that I built in various places during the time of the Liberation Army, a large amount of gemstones and rare metal ingots that I provided, gold, silver, copper, a large amount of iron, and finally, weapons made of magic sparkling stone and mithril. The value of a large magic sparkling stone is at the level of a national budget, and a piece as small as the tip of a pinky fingernail is worth enough to buy the mansion of a noble family. And a piece of pure mithril armor is worth enough to become a national treasure. Both are not only valuable as mere commodities but are also valuable enough to be used in political transactions. I can make as many of these items in a day.


    ¡°If we get used to this kind of reckless budget management, it¡¯s going to destroy our country someday. I don¡¯t want to say too much, but please be careful.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be careful.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I understand.¡±


    But if we think about the future, now is the time to be reckless. If we develop this country¡¯s technology with this reckless budget management, it will surely help our children one day.


    There is still a lot of underdeveloped land in the Kingdom of Merinard, so there is still a lot of room for growth even if we do things the usual way. Now that food production is so excessive, if we do well, we can even expect an increase in population. However, it is difficult to stand out from the rest of the world by itself. And without something outstanding, it is difficult to survive. Nations without something outstanding will eventually be eliminated.


    I believe that someday, the technology that Isla, myself, and the Research and Development Department have poured our hearts and souls into will support the future of the Merinard Kingdom.


    ¡°It¡¯s still in the conceptual stage, but if the development of airships goes smoothly, it will be useful in many ways.¡±


    ¡°Certainly, if it becomes possible to transport large quantities of goods and personnel from the sky, logistics will change drastically. But isn¡¯t there any way to transport them by land?¡±


    ¡°Well, by land¡­¡±


    Speaking of mass transportation over land, railroads would still be the way to go, but in this world, there are monsters, and there are also bandits. I think it is likely that the railroads that have been laid will be destroyed or the rails will be stolen. But that¡¯s the thing, right?¡¡It might be possible to build a dedicated road for air boards instead of laying tracks and use freight cars that only float cargo and high-thrust vehicles to tow the freight cars for mass transportation. No, that would be tough with air boards that have brake problems.


    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it.¡±


    ¡°I would like you to do so. I would also ask you to develop air boards for civilian use.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it.¡±


    As Isla and I each responded, dinner was brought in. I think I¡¯ll just have dinner and be thankful for today¡¯s sustenance. After finishing dinner, let¡¯s go check on Ellen and the others again.

 CH 360

    Chapter 360 ¨C Golem Vehicle


    ¡°Mmm.¡±


    The next day, I was groaning in my private office. My plan to develop a means of air transportation that could ultimately transport people and goods in large quantities remained unchanged, but the technical problems were insurmountable. It would not be something that could be accomplished overnight.


    But what about mass transportation by land? Of course, there are problems. There are technical problems and labor-intensive problems. However, I have in my mind information on the technology used in my former world, and based on that, there is a possibility that we can produce some results in a short period. There is also golem technology in this world. It would be relatively easy to make something like a car or a locomotive by using a golem as a power source, even if we are not concerned with steam engines or internal combustion engines. At least, it would be easier than air transportation, for which there is almost no know-how.


    ¡°Well, relatively speaking¡­¡±


    For example, even if it is easy to build a railroad¨Dwhatever kind of vehicle it is that is being towed¨Dyou have to standardize the rails, standardize the containers to carry the cargo, and set up a dedicated organization to coordinate the operation. Arranging for personnel to lay the rails and maintain them, negotiating with vendors and other vested interests, etc., etc¡­ Just thinking about it for a moment, there are so many issues that need to be addressed. If the project actually starts, there will be many more problems to be faced.


    Of course, there are also technical problems. For example, if the train is to be used as a railroad, it will need strong wheels and axles that can withstand high-speed movement, as well as car bearings. Currently, it seems that light and strong materials such as magical wood are being used, but it would be very dangerous to have a broken axle when operating a high-speed train. It is no use talking about a train carrying a large amount of cargo if the axles break and cause frequent derailments.


    In such a case, a metal axle, wheels, and car bearings to support them would be necessary. In other words, ball bearings. No, I wonder if we can somehow manage this by magic, too.¡¡Is there some kind of magic that can reduce the coefficient of friction to as close to zero as possible? Is there such a convenient thing? No, there might be, so I¡¯ll ask. Asking is free, after all.


    It would be best if we could use air boards as train cars. There¡¯s the brake problem¡­ Oh, no, wait? What if we apply that new type of barrier magic that Isla made? That magic was originally created from a formula that kills the recoil of wind magic. In other words, I think it is magic that kills or cancels out kinetic energy. It could be used as a brake for an air board that glides through the air. It could also be used as a brake on an airship.


    ¡°There are a lot of things drawn on it.¡±


    ¡°They are strange shapes. Oh, this one looks like a horse.¡±


    Grande and Bella, who were very curious, were saying something as they looked at the paper I was scribbling down to collect my thoughts from the side. That horse-like thing is neither an air board nor a train, but a golem horse that was born as a result of trying to use something else as a power or traction vehicle.


    After all, what are the limitations of the horse? It is the fact that a horse is a living organism. As living organisms, they cannot run at full speed, and they need food and water. Naturally, overuse will cause fatigue, and in some cases, a horse¡¯s legs may break down, or it may die. Machines and magic tools also break down, but as long as the broken parts are repaired or replaced, the horse will be able to run again in perfect condition. Horses are not suited for transporting goods over long distances.


    Of course, they are very effective for distances of up to several tens of kilometers, but when it comes to several hundred kilometers, it is very difficult. There is also a speed limit. It is impossible to beat a vehicle that can run tens or hundreds of kilometers at a much higher speed. At least as a means of mass transportation.


    But what about a horse golem? A horse that never gets tired, never breaks down, never needs food or water, and can keep moving at full power with magic stones and magic crystals, would that not be a good idea?


    If that is the case, it would be better to build a magic vehicle equipped with a golem engine. Yes. In the first place, we are planning to use well-maintained roads and railroads, not rough terrain where it is impossible to run without four legs.


    ¡°Hmm, is it best to build roads with travel lanes for air boards?¡±


    If air boards for private use become available, I have a feeling that merchants will be able to fly around the country on their own without the government¡¯s initiative. The question is whether they will not flow to other countries¡­ I still think we should be more cautious about the sale of air boards for private use. The problem is that the government is not going to let them go to other countries.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Okay!¡±


    ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Grande, who was lying on the floor looking at the paper I had scribbled so many things on, looked up at me and said. Yeah, it¡¯s fine that you¡¯re relaxing, but don¡¯t lie on the floor. Everyone comes and goes with their shoes on. Yeah, well, that¡¯s the thing for Grande. She sleeps and wakes up in a hole in the ground that she dug herself, right? What¡¯s wrong with an indoor floor?


    ¡°I stopped worrying about it. As they say, it¡¯s easy to rest when you¡¯re not thinking straight.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking of actually making one.¡±


    By making full use of my abilities, I can make all the ball bearings and golem engines I want. It would be a good idea to make a working sample and then ask Isla and the others to improve it.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    ¡°So here¡¯s the finished product.¡±


    ¡°¡±Eehh¡­¡±


    The members of the Research and Development Department are bewildered when they see the vehicles lined up on the test site.


    In fact, if I make full use of my abilities, I can manage to make the actual thing, right? The actual airship is not really a good choice for the item creation. Once I had a general idea of the mechanism and design, all I had to do was prepare the materials and let the crafting menu do the rest.


    ¡°I could make a golem-powered transport vehicle here. I made this up using my crafting skills, so I don¡¯t even know how it works.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s scary.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s just the way it is. I¡¯ve had to do a lot of work on this one.¡±


    It took several stages to make a transport car moved by a golem engine. First, we built the golem engine, then we built the tires. So far, that was easy. The engine was basically the same as making a golem, and as for the tires, we managed with metal wheels and a pseudo-rubber made from slime material. The problem was the chassis part of the vehicle. No, it was difficult to arrive at the concept of a chassis.


    What do I mean by chassis? It is the basic structure that includes all the elements for the vehicle to run except the exterior. You might say that it is the vehicle itself, with only the exterior removed. The frame that is the basic framework, the suspension that dampens vibration when driving, the steering that controls the direction of the vehicle, the braking system that is necessary for slowing down and stopping, the engine that was first built, the power transmission system that transfers power to the tires, and the tires that are the driving system. It was very difficult to arrive at the basic structure or concept of a chassis that included all of these.


    It was good that we had created the tires and engine, but even though we used them as materials to create a golem car, a golem car, and so on, the item creation did not work at all. I dug up my memory to see what was going on, and I remembered that in games where you could craft vehicles, you would make a frame or chassis or something like that and combine it with the engine.


    That was the beginning of my battle. Even if I vaguely thought of a chassis, the crafting menu would not show a golem vehicle chassis item. Then I thought, ¡°How about a frame?¡± When I actually tried to make it, I found that it was really just a frame. Even if I put an engine and tires on it, I don¡¯t think it would move. In fact, there is no response in the craft menu.


    Well, what am I missing? I thought and thought. First, I need to attach the tires to this frame, right? Well, then it needs suspension, right? Oh, it¡¯s done. But it¡¯s still not enough, right? Well, I also need a steering wheel, right? And brakes. I see¡­steering wheel and brake system.


    And so, through trial and error and a kind of prayer-like process, I finally made it. It was a great help that, just like guns, even if I couldn¡¯t visualize the details, they complemented to some extent, but I think it was the most complicated item creation I¡¯ve ever done. Once I figured it out, though, it wasn¡¯t too difficult to make various items in different sizes.


    ¡°Is this the one Kosuke told me about before?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I think I told you about it when I first made air boards.¡±


    ¡°I see. It looks strong.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s an unexpected response.¡±


    It sure is big and basically a hunk of metal. I don¡¯t know about the speed because I haven¡¯t run it yet, but it will probably be as fast as an air board. Certainly, if we rush in with this, we may be able to overrun a group of enemies with no problem with a few arrow balls and magic attacks. Well, I think it will break down after one run-in.


    ¡°It¡¯s not for use in battle, anyway. It might be possible if we increase the armor so that the tires and steering wheel won¡¯t get caught up in the things we run over.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I know. Is this a means of mass transportation on land?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. It¡¯s a reproduction of some of the technology used in my former world but with our technology¨Dthe Golem engine.¡±


    ¡°I see. It certainly looks like it can carry a lot of cargo.¡±


    Isla nodded as she looked up at the four-ton truck-sized golem vehicle. Incidentally, three vehicles were prepared: a 4-ton truck, also known as a medium truck, a 2-ton truck, which is classified as a small truck, and a so-called light truck.


    ¡°They are quite small, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°I think they can be used for deliveries around town because of their small size and maneuverability. It would probably be easier than a horse-drawn cart.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    The dwarven blacksmith nodded his head as he scurried around the golem truck, which was the size of a light truck. I wonder if he likes it.


    ¡°This biggest one can¡¯t run in the city. Even on city streets, I think it would be tough.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too big and wide. Maybe a small truck-sized one would be easier to use.¡±


    The size of the streets in this world is based on the size of a horse-drawn cart, so even a medium-sized truck-sized Golem truck would be a little too big. We were careful not to make the air board too large, too.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see if we can get it running.¡±


    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll do that.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, yes! I¡¯ll drive!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to drive the little one.¡±


    Bella and the dwarven blacksmith, who had just been concerned about the light truck-sized one volunteered to drive it, so we decided to let them try it while checking out how to drive it.


    I¡¯d really like to teach them, but I¡¯ve never driven a truck before, either. I¡¯ve driven a light truck, though. I have never even test-driven a truck since I built it, so I don¡¯t know how it works. Hopefully, my experience driving a car will be useful.

 CH 361

    Chapter 361 ¨C What You Can and Cannot Do


    Two hours later.


    ¡°No, I can¡¯t make this. Impossible.¡±


    After Bella, satisfied with driving the truck, was called back by Shumel, the blacksmith and the engraver waved their hands in front of their faces as they said this with straight faces. I knew it was impossible?


    ¡°Impossible, even with a golem-style lathe. Especially this ball bearing or whatever it is called. It¡¯s hard enough to make a sphere out of steel, but it¡¯s impossible to make several of them without the slightest error. It¡¯s too crazy.¡±


    ¡°Do you know? If you cut too much metal, you can¡¯t put it back together again, you know?¡±


    The blacksmith and the metal engraver look at me with gloomy eyes as they say this. I think it¡¯s true that it would be difficult to do by hand and to tell the truth; I don¡¯t know how it¡¯s made either.


    ¡°But this is great. I think I can make a metal axle for a carriage with this.¡±


    ¡°I guess so. Hmm, I wonder if I can manage to make it with alchemy?¡±


    Isla and the alchemist are inspecting the ball bearing itself and the steel ball that was taken out after disassembling it. If it¡¯s alchemy, can you make a genuine ball of steel?


    ¡°I wonder how much it would cost to make one? I¡¯d like to know.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re here.¡±


    When did she come? Iphrita picked up two steel balls while saying so. She looked around at the two steel balls in her hands and stared at the alchemist, who wondered if he could manage to make one.


    ¡°From my point of view, it seems to me that you¡¯d have to blow a few gold coins to duplicate one of these, don¡¯t you?¡±


    That¡¯s why I said somehow.¡±


    The alchemist, who was staring at Iphrita, waved his hands in the air. I see; if you disregard the cost, it¡¯s something to be done.


    ¡°At present, it is impossible for anyone other than Kosuke to make and maintain this.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes.¡±


    Right? I knew that.


    In other words, it is the same as the light machine gun that I make and operate in the rifle corps, and if I make it and use it myself, or if I can operate it within a narrow range where I can take care of it, I can manage, but it is difficult to spread it widely.


    ¡°But I can use this one.¡±


    Saying this, Isla rotated the ball bearing with her hand. Yes, it¡¯s fun to spin with a little force, isn¡¯t it? Maybe I¡¯ll make a hand spinner next time.


    ¡°Isla-san, even if you say you can use it, you can¡¯t make this one. It¡¯s impossible to prepare such a large number of steel balls of uniform size¡­¡±


    ¡°We can make them out of wood. After that, if it is possible to magicalize the wooden balls, it should be possible to make something quite useful, even if it does not go to the level of steel.¡±


    ¡°I see. I wonder if that would work.¡±


    Iphrita agreed with Isla¡¯s idea. When it comes to wooden spheres, there may be slight variations in the grain of the wood depending on the material used, and above all, there is something to worry about.


    ¡°No, if we are going to do that, I think we need to make it resistant to heat. The wood would keep spinning at high speed, and the frictional heat could cause it to catch fire.¡±


    ¡°The wooden axles used today are also heat-resistant. The same reinforcement method can be used.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ I see.¡±


    It is true that the axles of a carriage always rotate at high speed while in contact with the bearings. If the bearings are not reinforced, they may be burnt by frictional heat.


    ¡°Then, let¡¯s make the ball bearing itself by using a shaved wooden ball. Regarding the golem track¡­¡±


    ¡°We are not ready yet. If you only think about the speed and the amount of transportation, it is probably better to develop an air board. I¡¯ll adopt Kosuke¡¯s idea of using an objective barrier as a brake.¡±


    ¡°I see. The air boards might be better when it comes to magic power efficiency and speed.¡±


    Air boards literally float off the ground and move. In other words, there is no friction with the ground. At high speeds, the inertia of the board allows it to travel a considerable distance. However, there is still air resistance, and the air board is not free from the effects of gravity, so inertia does not necessarily mean that it can travel any distance.


    In addition, air boards have an advantage in terms of body weight because they can eliminate undercarriage devices, and the number of parts is much smaller than that of golem trucks.


    The main components of an air board are the frame that serves as the vehicle body, the levitation system to float the frame, the propulsion system, and the piloting system to control them. Of course, in addition to this, there are seats, cargo space, a wind-magic barrier generator, and a physical barrier generator as a braking device.


    The number of parts in each component is very small. The size is different from that of a golem truck, so a simple comparison cannot be made, but it is probably less than half the size of a golem truck. The fact that the number of parts is less than half means that the time and effort required for production can be reduced accordingly.


    ¡°Is it superior in terms of the number of parts? Perhaps the only advantage is sturdiness.¡±


    ¡°Sturdiness is important. To be honest, air boards are fragile.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    The alchemist nodded at Isla¡¯s words.


    Air boards are delicate vehicles. No, the seats are properly covered with wooden walls and armored with steel plates, but if they are hit by a blow from a high-powered magician such as Isla or a being with strong muscles such as Shumel and others, they may be rendered inoperable with a single blow.


    ¡°It¡¯s the same with trucks, though. If they get hit in the undercarriage, they¡¯ll stop.¡±


    ¡°Air boards are lethal no matter where they are hit.¡±


    ¡°And if you make them too heavy-duty, they¡¯ll slow down.¡±


    I guess it¡¯s the same in this world that armor and speed have a trade-off relationship. Well, crossbows, bolt-action rifles, light machine guns, magic rifles, and other projectile weapons now have more power and range than ever before. If there is speed, we can destroy the enemy side by endless pulling shots, so speed or mobility is more important than armor now, right?


    ¡°Well, how¡¯s the mass production and deployment plan for the magic rifle coming along?¡±


    ¡°On track. The golem-type lathe is proving useful. We have separate workshops for each part, so confidentiality is maintained.¡±


    ¡°I see. Well, eventually, it will leak out from somewhere¡­¡±


    It is difficult to keep any information about new weapons from leaking out. The crossbow has already been leaked to the public and is being used by adventurers. Even assassins from the Holy Kingdom have been using them.


    ¡°Even if the original is captured, it is not so easy to imitate it. The processing of the gun barrel is a problem, and above all, the core part we are making¨Dthe tailstock¨Dhas a little trick in it.¡±


    ¡°A trick?¡±


    ¡°If you try to disassemble it, it will explode. The same is true if you try to use magic to dismantle it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s scary.¡±


    ¡°We originally wrote the explosion formula. It is easy to work out.¡±


    Isla makes a smug face. The alchemist also makes a smug face next to her. So they are all in on it too. Well, that¡¯s fine and good, but¡­ I wonder if the soldiers on the front lines know about it? Or is it safer if they don¡¯t know about it¡­?


    ¡°As for making magic tools for anti-physical barriers, I will work on it as soon as possible. As for the airship, it will take time to design it since we have to invite a ship carpenter from Pitoren.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    Designing a ship is not something that can be done at random, you know. A raft is one thing, but a proper ship is something else. Well, I don¡¯t know how much knowledge of sailing ships can be applied to the design of an airship, but it is much better than a complete outsider¡¯s work.


    ¡°Until a ship¡¯s carpenter, or rather a ship¡¯s expert, arrives, we¡¯ll have to develop brakes that use anti-physical barriers and a large means of transportation for land use.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I¡¯ll do my best.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll see if I can come up with some effective ways to use this ball bearing.¡±


    ¡°Tell us what it was used for in your world, Kosuke-san.¡±


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll try to make wooden balls.¡±


    Isla snorted, and the other members of the development department seemed to be thinking about how to use ball bearings. The woodworkers are going to make wooden balls, right?


    Okay, okay, I¡¯ll just twist and turn my knowledge to the best of my ability.

 CH 362

    Chapter 362 ¨C Noisy but Happy Days


    Well, it seems that all I¡¯ve been doing recently is working on developing new means of transportation and taking care of Ellen and the kids, but actually, that¡¯s not all I¡¯ve been doing. No, I would be lying if I said I haven¡¯t been focusing on that, but that¡¯s not all I¡¯ve been doing.


    So what is it that I do?


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we be taking more of what we call marital time?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I think so, too.''¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I think so too.¡±


    ¡°Isla stays with Kosuke during the day, doesn¡¯t she?¡±


    ¡°Work is work. A marital time is different.¡±


    ¡°Eehh, isn¡¯t that unfair?¡±


    I relax with Sylphy on my right, Melty on my left, and Isla on my lap, feeling the warmth of the three of them. This is also an important part of my role. Grande, who is still buried in the cushions, and Shumel and the others, who are enjoying their drinks at a table a little further away, are watching us, but they don¡¯t seem to be offering any particular help. Well, all three of them are just playing around and not really arguing.


    ¡°I wonder if we can¡¯t just split Kosuke in half¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t say such a scary thing.¡±


    ¡°I wish we could divide him into four parts, not halves. There are four sections: the administrative office, the research and development department, the saint¡¯s place, and the free section.¡±


    ¡°What is that? You have your exclusive quarters, and mine will be shared?¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better if we could divide it into ten parts?¡±


    Grande and Schumel were making fun of me from the outside. Even if you¡¯re joking, don¡¯t suggest cutting me into little pieces like that. It¡¯s frightening.


    ¡°Hmm, I can divide up to three people, but not ten.¡±


    ¡°Can you do it? Even if you can, don¡¯t divide me up!¡±


    ¡°Up to two people, but if you divide him into three people, he¡¯ll put his instincts first, so don¡¯t do it.¡±


    What do you mean by ¡®instinct first¡¯? Whether it¡¯s alchemy or magic, it¡¯s scary.


    ¡°If we can¡¯t separate him, we¡¯ll have to ask Kosuke to do his best, won¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°I guess so. Oh, that¡¯s right. I¡¯ve secured various sizes of maid¡¯s clothes made by Kosuke.¡±


    ¡°Hou. Then today, why don¡¯t we wear them and play around with them? Master?¡±


    Saying that, Sylphy tickles my chin with her fingertips while smiling. Is there a maid with such an irreverent attitude? Ah, no, that may be true. There are many kinds of maids. It¡¯s not good to think of things in terms of a template, right?


    ¡°The size doesn¡¯t fit me.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t wear it, can I?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s out of standard, so please give it up.¡±


    ¡°¡±Eh.¡±¡±


    Bella and Grande booed at Melty¡¯s merciless words. Yeah, I can make an ogre-sized maid outfit in no time, but it¡¯s a little difficult to make one that Grande can wear right away. The wings and tail, plus the big claws on her hands and feet¡­ It¡¯s fine for the skirt underneath, but not the jacket.


    And so, as I was looking at Sylphy and the others, who were being so congenial¨Dyes, generally congenial¨Dthere was a knock at the door of the room. When I answered, the door was opened, and a visitor entered the room.


    ¡°Good day, everyone.¡±


    ¡°Mother.¡±


    Seraphita-san and Driada-san, and even Iphrita and Aquawill-san have come into the room. The Sylphy family was all there. Behind them, Leviera also entered.


    ¡°Oh, is that the new maid¡¯s outfit?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I thought I¡¯d wear it and play with Kosuke-san.¡±


    ¡°Ara ara ara, that sounds like fun.¡±


    With a smile on her face, Seraphita-san approached the table where various sizes of maid¡¯s uniforms were spread out and started looking for a maid¡¯s uniform in the size that fits her best.


    ¡°Um, Mother?¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°What do you want to do?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just trying to get Kosuke-san to play with me, too?¡±


    What are you asking me? Sylphy held her head before Seraphita-san, who said so with a smile on her face.


    ¡°Mother, you have to understand your position¡­¡±


    ¡°Sylphiel. Putting it aside for an official occasion, you should not be concerned about such things in a private setting. Besides, you are the current queen, aren¡¯t you? Compared to you, I am just an ordinary woman without a title and crown, right? What¡¯s wrong with wearing a maid¡¯s outfit and having fun with Kosuke-san?¡±


    ¡°Kuh¡­¡±


    Sylphy kept her mouth shut in the face of Seraphita-san¡¯s fair argument. It is true that Seraphita-san does not have any position or status in the current newborn Merinard Kingdom. She is the mother of Sylphy, the queen, so it is not that she has no authority at all, and she has her own personal connections and experience of being a queen, so she is a kind of advisor to Sylphy and Melty.


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    Aquawill-san, with a pouty face, sat roughly on the seat to my right that was vacated by Sylphy¡¯s departure. I know she sat down as roughly as she could, but she was so small that I didn¡¯t feel like she did.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±


    I looked at her, and she glared at me, so I said so and looked away. Then, Iphrita sat down on the left side of the seat where Melty had been sitting just a few minutes before.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard for you, too, isn¡¯t it? Don¡¯t you have time to relax?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so, but if everyone is happy, that¡¯s all that matters to me.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see. Well, that¡¯s a good thing, then.¡±


    ¡°Will Iphrita join, too?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it. It is never boring with this guy, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    To Isla¡¯s words, Iphrita replied and waved her hand in the air. If she says she¡¯ll think about it, does that mean Iphrita might join us sooner or later? Are you serious? When I looked at Iphrita, she slapped me on the cheek as if to tell me not to look at her. Ugh.


    ¡°I won¡¯t join you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes.¡±


    When I turned my head to face the other way after Iphrita¡¯s smacking, Aquawill-san, who was sitting on the other side of me, gave me an absolute zero-degree stare. Let¡¯s face the front.


    ¡°If you insist that much, let¡¯s see who can serve Kosuke better! Mother!¡±


    ¡°Fufu, do you think you can beat your mother?¡±


    I don¡¯t know when or how it happened, but Sylphy had declared war on Seraphita-san. Wait a minute, what happened while I was taking my eyes off her? And you¡¯re going to start changing your clothes here?


    ¡°Ouch!¡±


    ¡°What are you looking at, you scumbag?¡±


    ¡°At least close your eyes, close your eyes.¡±


    While I was looking at Sylphy and Seraphita-san, who had started to take off their clothes, hands reached out from both sides and blocked my view. Yeah, the hand reaching out from the left is fine, but the one reaching out from the right is more of an eye-blinder than a blocker. What the hell was I supposed to do¡­!?

 CH 363

    Chapter 363 ¨C Invitation


    Not only working but also family service¡­ while being forced? No, well, it doesn¡¯t matter. Anyway, I was spending my days peacefully for a while, but those peaceful days did not last long.


    ¡°Goodwill ambassador to the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom.¡±


    About a month from now, in early autumn, a ceremony will be held to commemorate the 800th anniversary of the founding of the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom. A letter saying that they would love to have a goodwill ambassador from the Kingdom of Merinard at the ceremony¨Dwell, it¡¯s an invitation, isn¡¯t it? I muttered to myself as I looked at the invitation.


    ¡°This implicitly means they want to invite Grande and me, right?¡±


    ¡°I suppose so. It may not state that, but I¡¯m sure that¡¯s what they¡¯re expecting us to do.¡±


    Sylphy shrugged her shoulders as she reached her desk in the office. Yeah, nice. What¡¯s that? That boing-boing is the best, isn¡¯t it?


    ¡°But in about a month? Shouldn¡¯t they usually inform us sooner?¡±


    I asked Melty, not letting out a hint of what I was thinking in my mind.


    The distance should not take more than a week, let alone a month, if we use the air board or air transport by Grande, but it is definitely too long for us to make it if we go by ordinary carriage or on foot.


    It is not possible for me and Grande to go alone if we are to be goodwill ambassadors. We have to take a certain number of people with us as our escort, and to show our national prestige, we have to bring along a certain amount of force¨Dan elite force. On Earth, it would be unthinkable to bring a force along on a goodwill visit, but that is the way things are done in this world, I hear. Well, I suppose there is also the aspect of escort to deal with bandits and monsters.


    Naturally, it would take a considerable amount of time to prepare a sufficient number of people and supplies to move with that many people, so it would be quite impossible order to travel to the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom a month from now¨Dor even to ask people to come.


    ¡°If necessary, they will send a flying dragon flight to pick us up. That too, for as long as it takes. They will also take care of the return trip.¡±


    ¡°I see. It sounds like they want to call me and Grande no matter what it takes.¡±


    They will send as many as necessary, which means that they don¡¯t mind having more escorts and luggage. The flying dragon trade is the backbone of the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom. It is a very generous offer to provide as many flying dragons as needed for this purpose.


    ¡°Naturally, we can¡¯t just go empty-handed, can we?¡±


    ¡°I guess so. Cash is not a very elegant thing to bring. If you want to bring something, you should probably bring something from the elves of the Black Forest, our specialties, or the latest technological products.¡±


    ¡°In that case, canned food or instant noodles would be good. Then maybe an air board and some mithril ornaments and armor?¡±


    ¡°A mithril mounted spear would be a nice touch. The Dragonis Mountain Kingdom is known for its dragon cavalrymen carrying lances.¡±


    ¡°I see. I¡¯ll make some.¡±


    I have plenty of mithril in stock. If I put a crafting reservation in the golem workbench, I can make mithril weapons in no time at all.


    ¡°The Dragonis Mountain Kingdom has been one-sidedly helping us up to now. This is a good opportunity to pay them back.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    The Dragonis Mountain Kingdom has consistently supported the Merinard Kingdom ever since they became aware of my and Grande¡¯s existence. They are the first to officially recognize the Merinard Kingdom as a legitimate nation, and they continue to keep an eye on the small group of nations that exist to the west of the Merinard Kingdom to prevent them from interfering with the Merinard Kingdom and they have provided us with various favors, including the flying dragon trade. It is not a bad idea to pay back all the debts we owe them.


    ¡°The only problem is, I¡¯ll be going on a business trip again.¡±


    There is no one more qualified than me to be a member of the goodwill ambassadors, or rather¡­ to be their leader. If I go, Grande, Shumel, and the other oni girls are sure to be on the list. I¡¯ll need an escort. I will also be accompanied by the beast maids and Gerda¡­ as attendants. The other suitable people for the role of diplomatic advisor would be Seraphita-san or Driada-san?


    The rest of the elite troops of the Royal Army of Merinard will be brought along as an escort force. This would be the riflemen or the magic riflemen. This would be at least 40 men. And a good number of civilian officers would also need to be brought along. It would be a good opportunity to discuss the various exchanges that would take place between the Merinard Kingdom and the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom.


    ¡°Kosuke will have a hard time, but so will I¨Dwe will have a hard time too. We will all have to hold out our tears here.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to be separated from Sylphy and the others again. I¡¯m also worried that Elise and Conrad won¡¯t recognize me as a father anymore.¡±


    ¡°Haha, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s¡­ true, do you?¡±


    ¡°Look me in the eye and say it.¡±


    Melty never looks me in the eye. Hey, look at me.


    ¡°Anyway, I understand the situation. I can put the supplies we need to take in my inventory, so please gather them up at the castle. I¡¯ll make the mithril spears. Anything else I should do?¡±


    ¡°Tell Grande about the situation. The only person that Grande will follow¡­ or rather lean on, is Kosuke. It would be a little different if we told her to go.¡±


    ¡°Understood. I think it would be better to leave the selection of the companion to you, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we will consult with you, but basically, we will make the decision. The maids will go with you, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, they¡¯re for times like this.¡±


    It would be nice if they could stay over here and carry on with the work I¡¯m involved with, but I haven¡¯t left that much decision-making to them yet, and I don¡¯t think I should.


    ¡°As for General Kosuke, what would you like to do with the escort force?¡±


    ¡°General Kosuke, huh¡­? Well, if we want to show the most advanced technology, shouldn¡¯t it be a magic rifle squad?¡±


    ¡°I see. So you would prefer a magic rifle squad instead of riflemen. All right, I¡¯ll make that arrangement.¡±


    ¡°What about transportation? Are you going to go by air board?¡±


    ¡°No, I think we have a chance to develop an airship, so I¡¯m thinking of going that way.¡±


    ¡°Eh, are you sure? You haven¡¯t done any test flights yet, have you?¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s too difficult, we¡¯ll go by air board. There will be about a hundred people in total, right? We can manage that much.¡±


    With air boards, we should be able to reach the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom in less than a week. Worst case scenario, we could take the air board to the base of the mountain and have a flying dragon take us to the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom.


    The airship has been taking shape pretty well over the past week or so. If the Research and Development Department continues to work hard, we should be able to make it work. Well, I¡¯m going to work with them even if I have to work harder.

 CH 364

    Chapter 364 ¨C Beginning of the Death March


    ¡°So we have two weeks to finish it.¡±


    ¡°¡±¡±Yes.¡±¡±¡±


    When I explained the situation to them and gave them the deadline, the members of the R&D department gave me terrible looks of disapproval. Yes, I understand. I understand that this is a foolhardy request. But it¡¯s kind of a political thing, you know? If we have to rely on the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom for transportation, and if we have to carry a lot of gifts (or tributes, if you look at it that way), it would be more like a tribute than a goodwill mission. We have to show more than our fair share of national prestige at home and abroad so that Merinard is not seen as a protectorate or vassal state of the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom.


    ¡°I know, I know. It¡¯s easy for people to say, ¡°Just hurry up and get it done in two weeks,¡± but it¡¯s not easy for people to be told that.¡±


    The people in the R&D department nodded in agreement with my words. I am not their direct superior, but I am far above them in rank. However, many of them have known me since I was in the Liberation Army, and I ask everyone to treat me normally, if not in public so that they can express their feelings honestly at times like this. I don¡¯t know if I can say it myself, but I think we have a good relationship.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I thought of a good counter-proposal.¡±


    I looked around at the members of the R&D department, nodded, and raised my fist in the air.


    ¡°In the development of the first airship prototype, we will remove all restrictions on the use of materials!¡±


    ¡°¡±¡±Oh!¡±¡±¡±


    The members of the R&D department shouted in surprise at my declaration.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care if it¡¯s excessive. Let¡¯s just think about using the best materials we can think of to make it fly safely and reliably. No matter what the cost.¡±


    ¡°C-can we use all the mithril silver alloys we want?¡±


    ¡°You can use pure mithril, magic sparkling stone, or whatever you need!¡±


    The members of the R&D department cheered again. The only one who remained calm among them was Iphrita, who raised her hand and spoke.


    ¡°Let me confirm your intention. Is it a political decision to shorten the development time and lift the ban on the use of materials in order to improve the morale of the R&D department?¡±


    ¡°There is that aspect, but there¡¯s more to it than that. First of all, I think it is fundamentally impossible to develop a product with cost in mind from the beginning. This is a goal that can only be achieved after a working prototype has been built, various tests have been conducted, and the knowledge gained from these tests has been fed back. I thought it was a mistake to skip the prototype and start making a mass-production model, even though it was the first one we had ever made.¡±


    ¡°I see. That sounds reasonable.¡±


    ¡°Does it make sense to you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m convinced.¡±


    After Iphrita nodded her head in understanding, Isla raised her hand.


    ¡°Can I use anything I want?¡±


    ¡°If I can provide it. Anyway, the important thing this time is to show our technological capabilities not only to the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom but also to the small states in the West. That¡¯s why there will be some changes in the specifications.¡±


    ¡°Change the specifications here?¡±


    Isla¡¯s eyes narrowed, and she made a sour face. Isla-san is usually sweet to me, but when it comes to research and development of new technologies, she prioritizes her position as a mage, alchemist, and head of the R&D department over her colorful love life.


    ¡°The first prototype was designed as a transport ship, but I would like to give it the characteristics of an airborne battleship or an airborne mothership. In short, we want to add ground and air attack capabilities.¡±


    ¡°Specifically?¡±


    ¡°For ground attack, I think we can use the air bombs we made for the Harpies. They are powerful enough to be dropped from a certain altitude. The development of a new type of magic bomb has already been completed at the rear base, hasn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Hmm. They have already sent us the designs and specifications. It is lighter than the air bombs Kosuke made, and its mass production is not bad. Except for one thing.¡±


    ¡°One thing?¡±


    ¡°There is a shortage of magic crystals and magic crystal stones that serve as the source of magic power. The supply cannot keep up with the demand, even though they are refined from the vein holes in the rear base.¡±


    ¡°I see. Securing the vein holes is also an issue that needs to be addressed in the future¡­¡±


    Although not under control, several vein holes have been identified in the territory of the Kingdom of Merinard. If they can be used as production bases for magic crystals, magic iron, and magic steel like the rear base, the veins will become important strategic points in the future. I will advise Sylphy and Melty to secure the vein holes.


    In any case, if the Merinard Kingdom wants to promote magical technology in the future, it will be essential to secure the vein holes, which will continue to release an inexhaustible amount of magic power. A large-scale battle with an external enemy is unlikely to happen now, and it would be better to let them consider whether they can allocate their forces in that direction.


    ¡°For now, we just need to have enough numbers to fight a large-scale battle at once. I would also like to build facilities on deck so that the Harpy bomber squadron can refuel and re-launch from the airship, and I would like to build a storage facility for air bombs.¡±


    ¡°When it comes to anti-aircraft attacks, do you prefer thunder cannons?¡±


    ¡°Yes, for the anti-aircraft attack, a thunder cannon would be the best.¡±


    The thunder cannon is a weapon that is a magic tool of lightning magic used by Isla, and it has been tried and tested. The drawback is that it requires a huge amount of magic power to operate, and it is currently difficult to miniaturize. It would have to be a large subhuman with special strength, such as Shumel, Bella, or Tozume, to carry it around.


    It also consumes a lot of magic power, and if you use magic crystals as the source of magic power, you need one magic crystal to fire one shot. Since magic crystals are not cheap, the operating cost is too high. Now, this could be solved by using a magic sparkling stone furnace as a source of magic power, but it is also large and heavy. Therefore, it was decided that it would be better to use it as a stationary weapon instead of a portable one.


    It is a very good anti-aircraft weapon because it has a good range, is almost impossible to avoid, and can attack a wide range of targets. It is powerful enough to disable a Wyvern with a single blow.


    ¡°Then, when the anti-aircraft equipment is converted by a golem ballista¡­ is the magic sparkling stone furnace the source of the magic power?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. In case of a crash, it would be a disaster. Well, thanks to this, we don¡¯t have to worry about the source of the magic power inside the ship, so let¡¯s think positively.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to make the compartment for the magic sparkling stone furnace extra sturdy¡­¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll use anti-physical barriers to protect the magic sparkling stone furnace in case of emergency, so it¡¯ll be fine. Maybe.¡±


    ¡°Maybe, you say¡­¡±


    ¡°Nothing is ever certain.¡±


    Iphrita smiles bitterly, and Isla cries over her little shoulders. I think it is true that no matter how many precautions you take, there are no absolutes. The reality is that we have no choice but to do the best we can.


    ¡°Since the airship will be equipped with a magic sparkling stone furnace, it is necessary to have a magic path around the furnace. Please prepare two systems, preferably three, just to be safe. Pure mithril can be used as the material if necessary.¡±


    ¡°Pure mithril is too much for the magic power conduits. Mithril-silver alloy is sufficient.¡±


    ¡°Okay, you can ignore the cost as long as it is necessary. You can even install several magic sparkling stone furnaces, not just one. With that in mind, please make a ship that can fly, even if it takes a lot of effort.¡±


    ¡°Roger that.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    ¡°We will do our best. Ah, we need to review the design¡­¡±


    The members of the R&D department each express their understanding and then go about their own business. Now, I must continue with the creation of the magic sparkling stone furnace, the mithril spear, and many other things.

 CH 365

    Chapter 365 ¨C Fellow Travelers


    The R&D department is on a death march now, but unfortunately, I can¡¯t just sit around with them. I will be away from Merinesburg for a long time again, so I have to give guidelines to the Merchant¡¯s Guild, the Adventurer¡¯s Guild, and the canned food and instant noodle factories in my absence, and most importantly, I have to keep in touch with Elise, Conrad, and the little harpies. I also have to serve the rest of the group.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m sorry, okay?¡±


    ¡°What is there to be sorry about? There is nothing to be sorry about.¡±


    ¡°Maybe, but I think the timing was bad.¡±


    ¡°Of all the things to be sorry for, having all three of us here at the same time is¡­ worst, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    The three of them, Shumel, Bella, and Tozume, are sitting in the big chairs I made for them, and they are saying this apologetically.


    Maybe you can guess what¡¯s going on. Well, it seems that all three of them are pregnant. Congratulations. What was there to apologize for?


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll go with you instead.¡±


    It was Isla who looked very satisfied when she said that. If the Oni girls were not going to be my escort, I would need someone else to be my escort. Sylphy and Melty are stuck in Merinesburg¨DI am officially going to the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom in place of Sylphy the Queen¨Dso Isla has decided to accompany me.


    The beastmen maids I have do not have enough fighting ability to serve as escorts, and Gerda, who will accompany me as their leader, is not strong enough. One hundred members of the Magic Rifle Squad are supposed to accompany the goodwill delegation, but they are too many and too imposing to be my personal bodyguards.


    I thought that Gerda and Grande would be enough for my escort. I thought about it too, but for the people of the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom, Grande, who was transformed from a dragon into a dragon-man to fight with me, a human, is like the second coming of the founder of their country. I am sure that there will be opportunities for Grande to be away from me, as she will be the center of attention and be entertained in that place.


    So, after much thought and consideration, Isla will accompany me as my escort, as the court magician of the Merinard Kingdom, and as the director of the Technical Development Department.


    Isla¡¯s individual combat ability is actually very high. Her physical ability is low, and her body is not at all robust, but her amount of magic power and magic ability, along with her alchemist skill and genius sense, made Melty say, ¡°I don¡¯t really want to fight Isla seriously. Because you never know what might come out of it.¡±


    In fact, the other day, she protected me from an assassin¡¯s attack, and this time I¡¯m bringing a lot of technological products to show our national prestige, so it¡¯s convenient for her position as the head of the R&D department.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take my time getting to know them over there. It is my turn next.¡±


    Isla herself was very excited. Her nose is wrinkled with excitement. In many ways, she is ready to have her way. Unlike the other girls, Isla is not a physical monster, so as long as she is careful with the suspicious drugs, she will be fine.


    ¡°I think those two are going to get impatient soon.¡±


    By ¡°those two,¡± we mean Sylphy and Melty, right? When they heard that Shumel and the others were carrying a child, they congratulated Shumel and the others, but their smiles were narrow. The same goes for Isla, who still can¡¯t have children, but this time she seems to be congratulating the three of them because she can accompany me on my long business trip.


    ¡°We elves have a hard time having children, don¡¯t we?¡±


    The one smiling as she says this is Driada-san, who will be accompanying me on this trip, as well. As a member of the Merinard royal family, she will accompany me and support me as I am not familiar with royal behavior and etiquette. By having not only me but also Driada-san, Sylphy¡¯s sister, accompany me, we want to show other countries that we value our diplomatic relations with the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom.


    ¡°It also means that we need time to nurture our affection for such a long time. Please take good care of me, will you?¡±


    ¡°Uh, yeah. Yes.¡±


    Driada-san¡¯s plump fruit is pressed against my arm as she leans in close. Yes, Isla is a little softer¡­ when she does the same. Yeah. But rubbing against it won¡¯t help, so let¡¯s not.


    ¡°Mmm, I feel the distance. I feel sad, even though, in many ways, we¡¯re not really strangers anymore.¡±


    ¡°No, yes, of course. Of course, it is, isn¡¯t it? I¡¯m kind of in awe of it.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s correct your tone. You only speak in such a reverent tone to my mother, don¡¯t you? Besides, isn¡¯t it a little late to be in awe?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. That¡¯s true, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Driada-san¡¯s appearance could be described as that of an orthodox elf princess. She has beautiful golden blonde hair, pointed ears peeking out from her beautiful blonde hair, a white, neat dress that fits her well, and a generous bosom that lifts her chest.


    Speaking of elves, there is a vague image of them having small breasts, but she has large breasts that are equal to¡­ or even larger than Sylphy¡¯s. She looks like a goddess of beauty and fertility.


    ¡°I feel a little awkward because I have been in such a relationship with Driada-san for some time now. And I don¡¯t know how to describe it. High class¡­ no, not unapproachable either. I don¡¯t know how to describe it, but I¡¯d say you¡¯re an extremely beautiful woman, and I¡¯m not used to that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to get compliments on my looks, but when you put it that way, Sylphy, Melty and the other girls are all pretty too, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s true! What can I say?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t explain it well to Driada-san, who tilted her head and said something supremely correct, and I winced. It¡¯s true. If Driada-san is too beautiful to be feared, then, of course, Sylphy and Melty are too beautiful, as well as the other girls. Seraphita-san is an exceptionally beautiful woman, and Ellen is also a stunningly beautiful woman.


    ¡°Driada-sama is too quick to close the distance between the two of you. You haven¡¯t followed the steps, so even though you are physically connected, you are not emotionally connected.¡±


    ¡°Wait!¡±


    Isla¡¯s insensitive tone made me unintentionally nervous. No, well, maybe Isla is right. Just a little more in the way of saying it, you know?


    ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s pretty direct, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s the truth. Kosuke and I are not only connected physically but also emotionally, just like everyone else. Driada-sama doesn¡¯t have that. That¡¯s why you¡¯re being held back.¡±


    Saying this, Isla leaned her body against my arm as if to lean on me and closed her big eye. Is she trying to relax and show her connection to me? Well, I don¡¯t feel bad about her leaning against me unprotected.


    ¡°Uh, well, why did you try to get so close to me, Driada-san? I¡¯m just stuck on this part.¡±


    When I asked that, Driada-san looked up at the ceiling, closed her eyes, and thought for a moment before turning to me with a serious expression and opening her mouth.


    ¡°Kosuke-san, you are indispensable to the Merinard Kingdom. It is my duty as a daughter of the royal family to keep you in this country, even if it means using my own body.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yeah. Yes.¡±


    In a world of royalty and nobility, political marriages are commonplace, and if the partner is someone of exceptional characters, such as a hero or visitor like me who possesses useful power, for a girl like Driada-san who has a good bloodline and good looks, it would not be surprising to see her use her own body to keep such a talent in the kingdom. It seems to me that it would not be surprising if they tried to keep such a talented person. I see.


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s the premise.¡±


    With her eyes still closed as she rests her body against mine, Isla murmurs in a whisper.


    ¡°Huh? Premise?¡±


    I¡¯m about to turn my head back to Isla¡¯s words when I feel a soft touch on my right arm.


    ¡°It¡¯s not fair, is it? I was a sleeping beauty for 20 years, and when I woke up, Sylphy-chan, who was so small and cute, had a boy and was so happy! And with such a cute boy! It¡¯s not fair!¡±


    Saying that, Driada-san puts her hand on my cheek and turns me towards her.


    ¡°Um¡­ yes?¡±


    I don¡¯t know what she means.


    ¡°I was holding back, thinking that Sylphy-chan went to a lot of trouble to save us, too. But wouldn¡¯t it be terrible if I had done that, and then my mother just got so close to Kosuke-san?¡±


    ¡°No, Seraphita-san would have been in danger if she hadn¡¯t.¡±


    I involuntarily turned my head to look up at Driada-san, who brought her face close to mine as she heated up. However, Isla is holding my left arm as if she is holding me with her whole body, so I cannot escape any further.


    ¡°But still! It¡¯s not fair! I want to be like this with Kosuke-san! If it¡¯s okay with my mother, please take me the same, too!¡±


    ¡°Eh¡­ maybe, Driada-san, is that the way you are?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t really understand, but I¡¯m talking to you right now without pretending, right? The reason I¡¯m hitting on Kosuke-san is because I just like Kosuke-san. Hair as black as the night sky, the same black eyes, your height, your not-too-muscular body, your voice, your personality, everything.¡±


    ¡°I-I see?¡±


    ¡°If it hadn¡¯t been for Sylphy¡¯s hands, I would have taken you at any price.¡±


    ¡°At least you have it.¡±


    ¡°I had to put up with it, you know? I¡¯m a big sister. But is it weird that I have to put up with it when my mother doesn¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ sure.¡±


    I can understand the feeling, aside from the ethical issues. The person in question smiles when she hears my answer and says, ¡°I know, right?¡±


    ¡°I was so positive that I went for it. With the intention of challenging the dragon.¡±


    ¡°You mean with determination?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! I was a virgin. I thought it was immodest, but if I withdrew, that would be the end of it.¡±


    ¡°In that respect, Iphrita-sama is not very good.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not very honest, you know.¡±


    I¡¯m not so stupid that I don¡¯t see the point of talking about Iphrita here. The fact that they say that means that¡¯s what they mean. Well, yes. But I didn¡¯t get a glimpse of it.


    ¡°But is it okay? You¡¯re only acting like this towards me.¡±


    ¡°If you are talking about a political marriage, there is no problem. We have a long life expectancy. Mother will be in service for a hundred or two hundred years, and Sylphy and I will be able to serve even longer. We can have our daughters or sons perform such political marriages.¡±


    ¡°It is a hundred times more advantageous to have Kosuke in your life than to be married to a worthless noble.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s how it is, isn¡¯t it? That¡¯s why Kosuke-kun, please take good care of me for a long time.¡± [T/n: She changed it to Kosuke-kun here.]


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    This is the one where it makes absolutely no sense to say no. In a way, Driada-san¡¯s situation was like, ¡°Oh my God, I can¡¯t help it anymore¡î,¡± yeah. In a way, isn¡¯t Driada-san the most troublesome?


    ¡°Well, if we travel together, the distance between us will be shorter, of course.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I hope you get to know each other well. Oh, and by getting to know each other, you mean this, right?¡±


    Bella, don¡¯t put your right index finger in and out of the loop you made with your left index finger and thumb. It is indecent.


    ¡°Stop it. Don¡¯t do that to a princess.¡±


    Tozume, perhaps thinking the same thing as me, slapped Bella¡¯s hand to make her stop the obscene gesture. Well done.


    ¡°You can count on me.¡±


    Driada-san, stop sticking the tip of your thumb out between the index and middle fingers of your clenched fist with a smug look on your face. It¡¯s vulgar.


    ¡°So please take care of me.¡±


    Driada-san says, smiling. Yeah, I get it, so let¡¯s stop with the fig sign, okay? I get it already

 CH 366

    Chapter 366 ¨C Test Flight


    It had already been a week since the death march began. The prototype airship was finally ready for its test flight.


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know how you managed to build something like this in just one week.¡±


    The airship is over 50 meters long, Sylphy muttered as she looked up at the majestic figure of the airship.


    ¡°I used an underhanded trick.¡±


    My eyelids are heavy as I answer. Yes, I was just assembling this thing about an hour ago.


    How did we manage to build the airship so quickly? The answer is simple: I used my inventory to move and arrange the components.


    With my inventory, even the largest and heaviest components can be easily moved and placed. Following the instructions of the invited ship carpenter, who is also the designer of the airship¨DLamia-san of the Sea Serpent species¨DI arranged the components by flying around inside the ship as it was gradually assembled. The ship was completed by having all the craftsmen of the R&D department work together to assemble the arranged parts.


    All the equipment necessary for navigation has been installed, but the interior has not yet been completed. The maximum number of crew members is 300. Well, that¡¯s just the maximum. In that case, you will have to hang hammocks in the hold and spend your time in cramped conditions, and the cruising range will also be shortened due to supply problems. If the ship were to sail long distances at full capacity, the maximum number of passengers would be about 150, half the number of passengers on board. In other words, the number of people on this goodwill mission would be about the same.


    ¡°This thing can fly? Really?¡±


    ¡°Theoretically, yes. A small ship flew with no problem using the same mechanism.¡±


    Of course, the small airship that was the proof of concept¨Dthe airboat¨Dcrashed many times. It crashed more times than I can count on my hands and feet. The first prototype had no problem gaining altitude, but if it moved even a little, it would go into free fall. It was a strange story in terms of the magic nature of fall control, but the ship crashed anyway. If all the crew members had not been mages or the Harpies who could use fall control, there would have been a lot of deaths.


    After conducting experiments under various conditions, sometimes with detection magic and sometimes with magic measuring instruments, it became clear that there must be no magical rupture in any part of the ship. Yeah, you don¡¯t get it, do you? I don¡¯t know, either. As far as I understand it, it means that every single part of the ship¨Ddown to a single floorboard¨Dmust be thoroughly imbued with magic power.


    Is that even possible? I wondered, but we had already conducted technical research to overcome this problem. Yes, it was the special structure of the Adol Cathedral that we came up with and studied during the development of the mana trap.


    The cathedral of the Adol religion was a large magic tool, with mithril-alloy magic transmission lines running throughout the structure. In other words, it is an object from a magical point of view. Therefore, we embedded mithril copper alloy magic transmission lines in each of the components of the airboat, and after assembling the air board, we connected the transmission lines with joints. As a result, the ship finally floated properly and was able to fly in the air.


    Incidentally, as for the balancing device we had feared, the mages and alchemists were able to solve the problem by extracting a levitation device for the air board¨Din other words, a magic formula for maintaining equilibrium from the levitation magic¨Dand adding a description to the fall control magic tool. It seems that Isla¡¯s experience in developing anti-physical barrier magic was fully utilized in the method of extracting a part of an existing magic formula and redirecting it for use.


    Subsequently, as a simplification measure for obtaining magical identity through the use of magic transmission lines, it was found that it was sufficient to construct the magic transmission lines after assembly rather than embedding them in each individual part and joining them together. The reason why the mithril-alloy magic conduits were hidden in the walls of the Adol religion¡¯s cathedral was probably to hide the existence of the conduits themselves.


    Well, the airboat crashed once to confirm that. It¡¯s okay; I can recover it, put it on the crafting table, and fix it as many times as I want.


    ¡°Well, the result of all that hard work is the prototype of the magic airship you see before you.¡±


    ¡°I see. Not that I know anything about it.¡±


    ¡°Why¡­ why¡­?¡±


    I tried my best to explain it to you.


    ¡°More importantly, Kosuke-san, was the crash okay? Were there any injuries or other damages?¡±


    ¡°No one was injured, and there was almost no physical damage. However, some of the mages who were test pilots developed a phobia of heights or airships.¡±


    ¡°Is that safe?¡±


    ¡°It has no immediate effect on their daily lives.¡±


    I don¡¯t know if it will have an immediate effect on their daily lives, though, when the use of magic airships becomes more widespread, and people start riding them on a daily basis. Well, that will probably be a long time in the future, so don¡¯t worry about it. If you seriously consider the cost of materials for this first prototype, it would be enough to make Melty and others scream and fall over. It is equipped with two magic sparkling stone furnaces, which use magic sparkling stones the size of clenched fists that require a national budget to purchase, and even pure mithril is used for some of the magic power conduits. Basically, all the wood used is magic wood as well.


    ¡°So you¡¯re going to fly now, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°Why does everyone look so unhappy?¡±


    ¡°I told you earlier. It should theoretically fly.¡±


    ¡°You mean there¡¯s a chance it could crash?¡±


    ¡°There is always a possibility. That¡¯s why I prepared this.¡±


    Saying that, I took something out of my inventory. It was an ultra-compact paraglider made of extremely light, thin, and strong Wyvern wing membranes¨Dthe kind of equipment that an overly carefree hero might have, but this was my own fall-control equipment.


    To my surprise, the magic of fall control does not work on me. I still don¡¯t know why, but Isla said it was probably because I don¡¯t have an ounce of magic. She said something scary about some kind of experiment, but I¡¯ll pretend I didn¡¯t hear it.


    I put it aside for now, but this is the problem. If the fall control magic doesn¡¯t work on me when the time comes, I won¡¯t be able to get on the airship. That¡¯s why they made this thing.


    ¡°What is that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an emergency escape device for me. It is equipped with a Wyvern wing membrane, a handle, an ultra-compact wind magic propulsion system made of pure mithril, a fall control magic device, and a magic sparkling stone to generate magic power, so in an emergency, I can use it to glide safely to the ground. Theoretically.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it again. What¡¯s the problem?¡±


    ¡°Well, if I have to glide from a very high altitude, I¡¯m not sure if my grip would hold.¡±


    ¡°Kosuke should be able to do it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a stubborn man, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that assessment a bit disturbing?¡±


    Well, I don¡¯t have completely zero fall protection, either. Even if I lose my footing and fall, if I can get a straw block on the ground before I hit the ground, I have a chance. I love straw blocks; no matter how high I fall, they will catch me gently.


    ¡°Kosuke, the check is complete. No abnormalities in the magic sparkling stone furnaces or the magic path.¡±


    ¡°OK, then, let¡¯s take the first flight.¡±


    The members who volunteered for the test flight this time were 12 researchers from the R&D department, including Isla, myself, Grande, and the Harpies. All the members of the R&D department are mages who can use fall control magic, but just in case something happens, a harpy is assigned to accompany each of them. As expected, it is impossible for the Harpies to catch a person and fly, but they can make a soft landing safe enough not to die. In short, it¡¯s a substitute for a parachute. Grande will be with me. Well, I also have this magic parasail, so if by chance¨Dor is it a thousand? A hundred? I¡¯m sure it won¡¯t be one in a thousand, or one in a hundred, or one in ten, but anyway, even if the airship falls, I¡¯ll be able to handle it.


    ¡°By the way, if we fail and this thing is wrecked, it will be difficult to use the airship for this goodwill visit because of the workload.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ can¡¯t you do something about that?¡±


    ¡°No. The interior and furnishings have not been completed. If it is wrecked, we will have to identify improvements, redesign it, repair it, furnish it, and equip it. We will never be able to do it in time. In fact, even if we could, it¡¯s not even close to being ready in time.


    First of all, it¡¯s impossible to order something that¡¯s still in the design stage to be built and flown in two weeks. Actually, it was a little less than a month, but as I said, it takes time to prepare the interior, add anti-aircraft guns from the current bare state, and prepare the arrival and departure supply decks for the Harpies.


    In fact, we need to complete the development within a week, two weeks at the latest. That¡¯s impossible from the start. It is a mission that can only be accomplished with my presence. Or rather, even if I were present, it would be difficult. It¡¯s just barely possible.


    ¡°Well, we¡¯re going to fly out now. Wish me luck.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll wish you luck from here.¡±


    ¡°Please be careful. Kosuke-san¡¯s life is worth more than anyone else¡¯s in this country.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes.¡±


    ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll be going.¡±


    I boarded the prototype airship with Isla. Unlike a ship, it lands on the ground, so we can normally enter from the ground through the hold.


    Now, the small ship prototype has crashed many times; how about this one? I hope it flies well.

 CH 367

    Chapter 367 ¨C Completion of the Prototype Airship


    ¡°Ascent tube activated. Maximum power.¡±


    ¡°Take off confirmed. Levitation system activated. Operation is stable.¡±


    ¡°Ascent tube power at 20 percent. When we reach 100 meters, we¡¯ll counterbalance.¡±


    ¡°Roger that.¡±


    The ground, which was visible through the magic glass windows installed diagonally downward from the front, gradually moved away from the aircraft.


    The take-off process was as follows. First, the airship floats, if only a little, with the help of the large-diameter wind-magic propulsion units, one at the front and back of the airship and two on each side for the ascent. The moment the airship floats, it activates the magic tool that uses the improved magic formula for controlling the fall. At this point, the mass of the airship is reduced to less than one-tenth, so the power of the wind magic propulsion device for ascending is reduced. Even with the improved fall control technique, the airship cannot float completely, so the ascending wind magic propulsion is used to compensate for the gradual fall.


    ¡°Altitude one hundred, set ascent tube output to offset output.¡±


    ¡°Wind magic barrier activated. Magic sparkling stone furnace output is stabilizing.¡±


    ¡°Hull stability within expectations.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, then set the output to the propulsion tube. For now, 10% of the output is enough. Slowly circle in the sky over Merinesburg.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    The prototype airship begins to move under Isla¡¯s direction. Stabilized in the sky above, the airship is completely covered by a wind magic barrier, making it impervious to the effects of wind from all directions. The magic power required to maintain the powerful wind magic barrier covering this huge hull is enormous, but to achieve this enormous magic power, an entire magic sparkling stone furnace is used. Since there is still some room left in the output, it is possible to increase the strength of the wind magic barrier when fighting flying dragons and other flying monsters.


    ¡°It¡¯s working well for now, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, let¡¯s get out of Merinesburg for now.¡±


    ¡°If it falls into the city center, it will be a big problem.¡±


    By the way, the prototype airboat crashed into the city twice. Fortunately, no one was injured, but of course, there were repairs to be made to the broken houses and other things that had to be done, and Melty, who had to take on extra work in the process, was upset with me, and it was a mess.


    ¡°How stable is the improved fall control technology?¡±


    ¡°So far, so good. It seems that the strain on the conduit is not a problem either.¡±


    The alchemist from the R&D department said this while looking into a crystal ball in response to Isla¡¯s question.


    Well, I made the magic conduit with a mithril-silver alloy that has a fairly high mithril content. It should be fine as long as we don¡¯t run the two magic sparkling stone furnaces at full power for too long.


    ¡°Starboard 0-2-0, circle the perimeter of the Merinesburg.¡±


    ¡°Roger that. Starboard 0-2-0.¡±


    With that, the night demon mage acting as helmsman turned the rudder wheel and began to turn the airship to the right. Hmm, our voyage¨Daviation? The technology is an amateur skill that¡¯s been installed. The ship¡¯s carpenter, who is no longer on board, was not that knowledgeable about navigation techniques, and we may have to invite someone to teach us navigation techniques and have them trained.


    By the way, airships turn by means of a wind-magic propulsion system for changing direction, which is installed horizontally at the rear of the hull. Air resistance is much less than water resistance. The rudder used on a normal ship could not turn properly, so this is another desperate measure.


    ¡°Increase speed. Thrusters at 30%.¡±


    ¡°Roger that.¡±


    On Isla¡¯s command, the thrust is increased, and the speed of the airship increases. So far, no strange noises have been heard, and there seems to be no problem.


    ¡°Is everything okay?¡±


    ¡°For now. The information from the messengers we released throughout the ship has not detected any suspicious sounds or phenomena so far.¡±


    The ship now has many small animals¨Dmessengers¨Dused by the mages. With only the minimum number of personnel on board to move the ship, it is difficult to detect anything more than what is happening in different parts of the ship. Therefore, they are releasing small birds and rats, controlled by the mages¡¯ magic, into the ship to look for anything out of the ordinary.


    ¡°For now, we will try to run the ship at 80% power.¡±


    ¡°Please do that. I hope it will be safe.¡±


    We plan to operate the ship at 60% thrust for normal navigation and 80% even if we have to hurry, so we take a safety margin of 20% each. Eventually, we will have to test the operation at 100%, but for now, 80% is fine. We just need to fly to the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom under normal navigation without any excesses or deficiencies.


    The prototype airship circled Merinesburg in the right and left turns for a while, then landed safely at a temporary landing site behind the royal castle, which was originally a test site for the R&D department.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    After a successful test flight, the equipment and interior work must be completed before we can rejoice. At the moment, the prototype airship can only fly for a short time. In any case, it cannot travel long distances. It is unarmed and has no living quarters for the crew.


    Fortunately, this prototype airship does not need to carry fuel, so it can take up a surprisingly large amount of space. Most of the cargo will be in my inventory, but the bare minimum of supplies will have to be carried in the hold. If I am unable to use my inventory for any reason, we will all have no choice but to starve. Even if the mages can manage water with magic, food is the only thing they cannot control.


    There is also the problem of water, toilets, and garbage disposal. If the ship were sailing on the sea, it would be enough to just dump the waste into the ocean, but that is not an option for a ship sailing in the sky. Well, if it was a jungle or a wilderness where no one lives, that might be okay, but if it was flying along a highway, that would not be the case. An airship that flies while dripping with filth is too disgusting, and there is no dream or hope for it.


    ¡°If so, won¡¯t it have a very long range?¡±


    Sylphy tilted her head as she looked at the prototype airship as it was loaded with cargo after cargo, outfitted and furnished.


    ¡°No, if you can get a mage to carry food and produce water, you should be able to fly without refueling until you run out of food. But you won¡¯t be able to dump the waste of your daily life out of the sky.¡±


    ¡°On the battlefield, this could also be a weapon.¡±


    ¡°Airships that can¡¯t be attacked, that can spray bombs and filth from the sky¡­ That¡¯s terrible.¡±


    One ship would only be able to threaten a small city, but if ten or twenty of these ships were in operation, even a city like Merinesburg would be easily destroyed. If you want to attack a city, you can use incendiary bombs instead of grenades¨Dor even simpler, a pot of flammable oil.


    ¡°If you fly as high as you did today, some attacks might still reach you, but you could get higher, couldn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, yes. If you put up a wind magic barrier, there doesn¡¯t seem to be much of a problem with air and air pressure, and if you want to, I think you can fly 30 to 50 times higher than the height we flew today. I mean, if we couldn¡¯t go that high, we wouldn¡¯t be able to go over mountains or anything, would we?¡±


    It should be possible to fly from 3,000 to 5,000 meters above the ground. I don¡¯t know what would happen at 10,000 meters or more.


    ¡°It would be difficult to detect it if it flew that high.¡±


    ¡°Even if it were that big, it would be like a pea. It seems to make almost no sound, so if you¡¯re not paying attention, you won¡¯t notice it, right?¡±


    ¡°If it flew that high, there would be nothing anyone could do if they noticed it.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you get away from the military point of view?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? A big ship is a military weapon, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­¡±


    The use of large ships that can carry large amounts of supplies and personnel is primarily for military purposes, at least in this world.


    Of course, there is trade and other activities, but there are monsters in this world. And, of course, there are monsters on the seas. Only a nation can provide enough weapons and fighters to fight them, so it seems that most of the large ships in this world naturally fall under the jurisdiction of the military.


    ¡°But you really have built a flying ship, haven¡¯t you? I¡¯m sure the small nations of the west will be stunned when they see it.¡±


    ¡°Even the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom will be astonished. At least they won¡¯t underestimate us as inferior.¡±


    ¡°I hope so.¡±


    The prototype airship is equipped with a thunder cannon, and since I¡¯m on board, I can also use a heavy machine gun for anti-aircraft fire. The history of aerial warfare is much longer in my former world. I don¡¯t think you can underestimate them.


    ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m glad we made it in time.¡±


    I want to sleep now. After the successful test flight, I felt tired.

 CH 368

    Chapter 368 ¨C People from the North


    While the interior and outfitting of the airship were underway, a hundred members of the magic rifle squadron, called up from the north, arrived in Merinesburg. I thought they were just soldiers, but apparently not, and a small welcoming ceremony of sorts was to be held.


    ¡°Welcome to the Kingdom of Merinard. I am Melty, serving as the prime minister.¡±


    Melty greets the guests with a smiling, friendly smile. I am standing next to her, but for some reason, the boys and girls who are facing us are incredibly scared of us.


    They are the children of royalty and nobility from the Kingdom of Tigris and the Duchy of Dihart, the two northern countries that I had beaten to a pulp when they invaded the Kingdom of Merinard a long time ago.


    ¡°I-I am the first prince of the Kingdom of Tigris, Zarinas Delas Tigris.¡±


    ¡°I-I am the first princess of the Duchy of Dihart, Bjord Mass Dihart.¡±


    The two royalty with the highest status among them barely kept their composure, but they managed to reply in a strained voice. Yeah, this is scary, even for royalty. Melty was smiling and in intimidation mode with her magic at full force, four heavily armed golems behind us and magic riflemen surrounding us.


    By all accounts, it¡¯s more than welcome; it¡¯s completely intimidating. Thank you very much, though.


    ¡°This is His Highness the Prince Consort, Kosuke-sama. Surely you know him, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°O-of course.¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    Prince Zarinas nodded as he said this, and Princess Bjord also nodded repeatedly while trembling. Huh? Am I that scary? No, well, it might be scary if I had four heavily armed golems behind me.


    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m Kosuke. Well, just think of me as someone like that. I¡¯m going to be away from Merinesburg for a while soon.¡±


    ¡°Away from Merinesburg?¡±


    Princess Bjord asked with trepidation, and I nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been invited to the founding anniversary of the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom. I¡¯ll be staying over there for a while. Don¡¯t get carried away just because I¡¯m not here, or you might get a merciless slap from Melty-san here. I¡¯m not joking; she could tear down even a steel door with her bare hands.¡±


    The prince and princess shuddered and looked at Melty. Melty¡¯s smile is as endearing as ever, but I sense a strong will to crush you if push comes to shove.


    ¡°I will be taking care of you at the royal castle. There are many things I am not good at, but please don¡¯t hesitate to ask me when you need help.¡±


    ¡°U-umu.¡±


    ¡°Y-yes.¡±


    They seem to be completely intimidated, but will they be all right? I¡¯m worried, but I don¡¯t have much time to worry about it either. I¡¯m a little worried about what will happen to them when I return from the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom¡­ Well, if they are in the castle, Lime and the others will be there, and it won¡¯t happen very often. In every sense of the word, they shouldn¡¯t be in trouble. Maybe.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    ¡°And this is the airship you are going to board.¡±


    The hundred magic riflemen shouted in surprise. It is a large ship with an overall length of more than 50 meters. The design of the ship is such that if you look closely, it may not even look like a ship. Considering the fact that the bottom of the ship had to be flat when it was landing, it looks like an absurdly large flat-bottomed ship, doesn¡¯t it?


    ¡°Your Excellency, does this thing fly?¡±


    Ted, the captain of the accompanying 1st magic rifle platoon, asked me that. He is a rather large human male and is a subordinate of Peter, the large rabbit beastman, and Noir, the black cat beastman, who are the company commanders under the wolf beastman Worg, who is the northern magic rifle battalion commander. So he is the head of the magic rifle platoon, which consists of 50 men.


    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re going to fly. You see the Sorel Mountains over there? We can fly more than twice as high as that. It is also faster than an air board. We can fly to the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom in the far west in less than half a day.¡±


    We haven¡¯t flown there once yet, but that¡¯s the specs. There is still time before departure, so once the outfitting and interior are completed, we will fly around the Kingdom of Merinard for three or four days to conduct test operations. Of course, we will have them ride on the ship during the test operation. Of course, I¡¯ll be on board, too.


    ¡°Um¡­ won¡¯t it fall off?¡±


    The one who is sweating on her forehead as she says this is another platoon captain, Darko. She is a multi-armed woman with three pairs of arms, and it seems that she can handle two magic rifles by herself. The rest of the men carry only one magic rifle, but she has two rifles on her back.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry; this ship hasn¡¯t fallen down once. It¡¯s only flown once, though.¡±


    ¡°Is it okay¡­?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going to repeat the test flights to make sure it¡¯s all right. When the outfitting and interior are done, we¡¯ll go on an expedition to the Sorel Mountains, so be prepared for that.¡±


    ¡°Ro-roger that¡­¡±


    She saluted, but her complexion was pale. But unfortunately, you can¡¯t just say that you are afraid of heights and can¡¯t go aboard a ship. You¡¯ll have to do your best to overcome it or else endure.


    ¡°Let me show you where you will be staying for now. Once the test flight starts, that ship will be your quarters for a while, so I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll get to know each other briefly. Oh, and take the day off tomorrow. I¡¯ll give you a little bit of money, just an allowance, so you can go to Merinesburg and stretch your wings. But if you get into too much trouble, I¡¯ll rope you in mid-flight and hang you from that ship.¡±


    When I said I¡¯d give out a little allowance, there was a cheer¨D¨Dbecause there were a lot of women¨D¨Dbut after that, hearing my words, the whole magic rifle squad of a total of 100 people went quiet. Well, that¡¯s scary. Don¡¯t worry, just go and play normally, as long as you don¡¯t cause any problems.


    ¡°Yes, therefore, you are dismissed. Show them to their quarters.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    The soldier in charge of guarding the castle took over the rest, and I walked straight to the prototype airship. Eh? What for, you ask? I have to work again today to get the outfitting and interior ready.


    It¡¯s not hard work, but I¡¯m sad that I haven¡¯t been able to spend much time with Elise, Conrad, and Harpies¡¯ kids these past few days. Elise and Conrad are sometimes awake or crying in the middle of the night, so I can go see them, but the harpies are sleeping at night. I have to go during the day.


    Well, at night, I have to check on Sylphy and Melty, who will be staying over, and Seraphita-san and Bertha-san, who will also be staying over. I also want to check on Shumel and the others.


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s get on with it¡­¡±


    First of all, I need to check the progress and determine where I can make the most progress. Ah, busy, busy, busy.

 CH 369

    Chapter 369 ¨C Before Departure


    After the arrival of the magic rifle squadron, the prototype magic airship, which had been outfitted and furnished, successfully completed its familiarization flight in the Sorel Mountains, and its degree of completion was enhanced through a series of detailed modifications. For example, when functioning as an aerial carrier for the harpies, it was not convenient to keep the wind magic barrier around the entire perimeter in place, so the barrier was made partially removable, and it was required to wear a lifeline when going out on deck to prevent falling off. The ship was also extensively modified by changing the lifelines from ordinary ones to strong, thin, and lightweight arachne ropes, making all passengers wear bracelet-type magic tools with fall control magic, improving the suspension system to increase the angle of fire of the thunder cannon, and creating an ammunition box holder to safely secure the ammunition box for the magic rifle on the deck.


    The list of interior modifications is endless. We made a lot of changes to the interior, such as the placement of doors and other small details. As a result, the interior comfort level has improved considerably.


    ¡°The only regret is that the sleeping quarters are hammocks, but other than that, it is more comfortable than the barracks of the original squadron.¡±


    Ted, the first platoon captain, shrugged his shoulders as he said this in the commander¡¯s office of the prototype magic airship. It would certainly be comfortable. The airship has air conditioning, and thanks to the two magic sparkling stone furnaces, there is plenty of magic power. Not only water and hot water but also a purifier that purifies laundry in an instant can be used as much as one wants, and even meals are served warm and delicious by the animal-eared maids.


    ¡°It¡¯s uncomfortable up there in the sky, though¡­¡±


    Ted, the first platoon leader, seems to be fine, but Darko, the second platoon leader, is not so at ease in the sky. Even though she is not afraid of heights, she still has a hard time with it, even after completing her familiarization training.


    ¡°But this must be very hard for the enemy to handle. If one like this appeared, there would be nothing anyone could do, would there?¡±


    ¡°Certainly, they won¡¯t be able to touch us, but I suppose we can only harass them with a single ship.¡±


    ¡°If we had the numbers, there would be nothing more frightening.¡±


    One hundred men per seat. The airships are capable of carrying about 300 people in an instant over a very long distance if the airship is used to transport troops for a short period of time and can attack the thin rear bases without regard to the front lines. It is undoubtedly a cheat weapon in this world, where the only means of transportation are horses and similar mounted animals and the vehicles they pull. With airships, it is possible to attack supply depots behind the front lines, supply convoys, and anything in between.


    Naturally, not only that, but it can also conduct reconnaissance from the air. Since it can also be used as a base of operations for the harpies, it will be even easier for the harpies to conduct reconnaissance in the future.


    ¡°So. Finally, tomorrow, we will depart for the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom.¡±


    ¡°¡±Yes.¡±¡±


    The two platoon leaders nodded with serious faces.


    ¡°The purpose of this visit to the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom is only a goodwill visit. But it is also important to show the majesty of the magic airship and the magic rifle squadron to other countries. Please keep the members of the squadron on their toes. The Dragonis Mountain Kingdom and other nations will look at the magic rifle squadron and evaluate what the soldiers of the Kingdom of Merinard are like. You are, so to speak, the representatives of the entire army of the Kingdom of Merinard¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a big responsibility.¡±


    ¡°Yes, indeed. Tell everyone not only to think of Worg but also of Sir Leonard, General Zamir, and Danan¡¯s face.¡±


    ¡°That will make them feel better, I¡¯m sure.¡±


    Ted gave me a wry smile. The three of them, Sir Leonard, Ms. Zamir, and Danan, are strong people who have been active in the center or spearhead of the army since the time when they were active as the Liberation Army. They are respected and feared by the soldiers of the Merinard Royal Army.


    ¡°That¡¯s about all I have to say¡­ Any questions?¡±


    The two shook their heads, so we decided to disband for now. If there¡¯s anything else I need to tell them, we can talk about it again. I don¡¯t have any more immediate work to do today.


    After they left the captain¡¯s office, Isla and Driada-san came in to replace them.


    ¡°How are you doing?¡±


    ¡°No problem. Everything is ready, supplies are loaded, and personnel has been arranged.¡±


    ¡°We can leave any time now.¡±


    While saying that, Isla sat on my lap quite naturally, and Driada-san, who had turned around behind me, leaned on me from behind. Aside from Isla, Driada-san¡¯s huge breasts hit me on my back, or rather, crushed me, and I felt so heavenly. It was wonderful.


    ¡°Ah, ahem, ahem. I¡¯m going to ask you one more time, do you think I should be the commander of the ship?¡±


    ¡°There is no one more qualified than Kosuke.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. In terms of both status and ability.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    I am the royal consort, a general who actually led a magic rifle squadron to repel invasions from the Kingdom of Tigris and the Duchy of Dihart during the Battle of the North, and also the companion of Grande, whom the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom considers to be of great importance. As the head of the mission, there could not be a more suitable person to head a prototype magic airship that would demonstrate the prestige of the Kingdom of Merinard.


    ¡°Or rather, our departure is already tomorrow. It¡¯s impossible to change it now.¡±


    ¡°Right?¡±


    I knew that. However, I¡¯m not comfortable in the position of leader. I¡¯d rather leave it to someone else if I can help it. I guess it¡¯s too late for that; let¡¯s get over it.


    ¡°Anyway, it is better to rest while you still can to prepare for tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Eh? It¡¯s still morning. No, it¡¯s not quite morning, but it¡¯s still mid-morning, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    The sun¨Dwell, not the sun, but anyway, the sun hasn¡¯t even reached the mid-sky yet. It¡¯s too early to be resting now in preparation for tomorrow¨D¨D.


    ¡°Now, go ahead. Sylphy and Melty are waiting for you in your room. They¡¯re off from work today.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that kind of¡­ Eh? Seriously?¡±


    ¡°Kosuke-kun, while we¡¯re in the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom, make sure you take care of us so that we don¡¯t get lonely, okay?¡±


    Isla and Driada-san make me get up from my seat and start pushing me back with a giggle. Okay, okay, don¡¯t push me. I¡¯m going.

 CH 370

    Chapter 370 ¨C Departure


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m fine.¡±


    On the morning of our departure, Ted, the first magic rifle platoon leader, was worried about me as soon as we saw each other. The second platoon leader, Darko, didn¡¯t say anything either, but she also looked worried. Is my current complexion so bad that I look like this, or am I so exhausted¡­ or maybe it¡¯s both. My maximum health and stamina are at 20% of normal. Isn¡¯t that a state of great weakness? I can¡¯t help but think that if I eat right, I¡¯ll recover in about two hours, so there¡¯s no problem. No problem at all.


    ¡°Forget about me; check on the crew. If anyone is missing after the flight, we¡¯ll be in trouble.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    The two of them spread out on the deck. I am standing on the aft deck, on the tower deck at the stern of the ship. From here, I can see the entire deck, and as captain, this is where I usually stand when the ship is moving.


    ¡°Isla, what is the condition of the magic engine?¡±


    ¡°Both engines are stable. We can fly at any time without any problems.¡±


    Next to me, Isla looks at one of the many crystals on the pedestal. Besides Isla, several other mages are also looking at the crystals on the pedestal. These crystals are connected to the two magic sparkling stone furnaces and the magic tools installed in various parts of the ship, and their status can be checked. In addition, the aft deck also functions as a bridge, as it is also equipped with a rudder, wind-magic propulsion system throttles installed in various parts of the ship, and an improved fall control system, etc.¨D¨Dbut this location is also a weak point of the prototype airship. If this area is destroyed, the ship will be out of control.


    Well, it would be the same for an ordinary ship, but for a magic airship equipped with a magic sparkling stone furnace, it would be fatal. Even though the magic sparkling stone furnace has ten or twenty layers of safety measures, it might explode and disperse before the ship crashes if the ship is not properly secured. In the meantime, a roof of mithril-silver armor has been added to the top to provide some defense.


    No, if we did not do this, a monster of a certain mass, such as a wyvern, could easily break through the wind magic barrier used during the battle and attack the aft tower deck. I can¡¯t tell you how many times we shot down wyverns attacking us during our familiarization training in the Sorel Mountains.


    It¡¯s also a weakness or bottleneck from an operational standpoint. It seems that in order to fully monitor and control each part with crystals, a mage with a certain level of competence is required.


    Of course, there are not so many of them. No, there are plenty in the R&D department, right? Generally speaking, there are not that many. As for the selection of the user, this magic airship is a complete failure as a weapon. A weapon should be something that ordinary people without special talents can use to their full potential.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s a prototype¡­¡±


    ¡°? What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m talking to myself.¡±


    Whether it failed as a weapon or not, this time, it would be enough if it flew and demonstrated its power without a regrettable failure. I¡¯ll leave it to the future me¨Dor maybe Isla and the others¨Dto perfect it as a weapon. Yes.


    While I was thinking about the future, the crew seemed to have finished boarding. Ted and Darko, who had finished the roll call not only for the magic rifle platoon under their command but also for all the other personnel, waved their hands in a broad gesture toward me.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s fly.¡±


    I had already greeted Sylphy and the others before boarding the ship. They are probably sitting on the balcony of the office, waiting for us to take off.


    ¡°All right, let¡¯s get this ship moving! All hands, notify all units to prepare for takeoff and be aware of any turbulence.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, copy that.¡±


    Isla nodded and began to announce to the magical sound tube near the crystal she was operating that takeoff was about to begin and to be aware of the turbulence that would accompany it. Isla is not a very talkative person, but her voice itself has a distinctive calm that makes it very easy to understand. Perhaps this role suits her better than expected.


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s begin our climb. Altitude one thousand, heading 2-7-0, start moving at cruising speed.¡±


    ¡°Altitude 1,000. Copy that.¡±


    ¡°Copy that. After altitude is secured, turn to heading 2-7-0.¡±


    The magicians in charge of altitude and course¨Dthey are from the Research and Development Department¨Deach concentrates on their own work while reciting my orders. Isla monitors them both and points out any errors in their operations. This is how we operate the ship at the moment. Since they had no operational know-how at all, even after the familiarization training, there were still many areas where they were still groping their way.


    By the way, 2-7-0 is the value for due west when due north is 0 degrees, 0-0-0 is due north, 0-9-0 is due east, and 1-8-0 is due south.


    As I looked from the deck of the airship, which was slowly rising, toward the Royal Castle, I saw Sylphy and the others waving to us from the balcony of the office. Since a wind barrier had already been erected to prevent crosswinds, their voices could not reach us. So I waved back.


    ¡°Shall we go then?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, let¡¯s fly safely.¡±


    The prototype airship continued to climb. As we rose 1,000 meters above the ground, the scenery was a world apart from the one on the ground.


    ¡°Start turning.¡±


    ¡°Yes, we are beginning our turn.¡±


    The airship gradually begins to turn with a distinctive jet noise.


    Well, I hope the trip will be trouble-free, but what do you think?

 CH 371

    Chapter 371 ¨C Smooth Sailing Air Travel


    ¡°Kosuke, this is free time.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say it is free.¡±


    It had been about an hour¨Dtwo hours actually¨Dsince we had left Merinesburg. Isla immediately began to babble.


    ¡°There are no wyverns or anything.¡±


    ¡°If something like that was flying along the road, it would be a big deal¡­¡±


    The personnel on the aft tower deck, or rather the bridge, all nodded in agreement with my words.


    We were flying west from Merinnesburg, keeping the highway in sight and heading west along it. Of course, there are villages and towns scattered along the road, as well as peddlers and travelers. We have no way of knowing how surprised they were, as we were flying at least 1,000 meters above the ground, but they must have been in for a big surprise.


    And there is no way that powerful aerial monsters like wyverns, gryphons, and hippogriffs would be flying around in such a place. If there were such a thing, the Royal Army of Merinard or adventurers from the Adventurers¡¯ Guild would have been notified immediately and sent to the right place to destroy it.


    ¡°No one would go near this thing unless they had the numbers to do so.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°That is how it is. The magic emitted by this flying ship is comparable to that of a dragon. Most monsters will retreat to their nests even if their territory is invaded.¡±


    ¡°The wyverns and the like attacked us in the Sorel Mountains because they thought we were invading their territory and that they could handle us because there were so many of them?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I think. The other reason is that even if it is their territory, it is close enough to their sleeping area. They would have been desperate if they thought their home would be taken away from them.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Isla nodded with interest at Grande, who had brought a large number of pillows to the bridge and was relaxing as she explained the theory of monster behavior. Then, perhaps feeling something about the interesting information, Isla fell silent as if in deep thought. Meanwhile, she seems to be doing her job by looking at the crystal ball in her hand, so that¡¯s good.


    ¡°This is the surveillance. Regular report. No problems.¡±


    ¡°Copy that. Anything unusual?¡±


    ¡°A lot of people on the ground pointing at us and making a lot of noise. Also, a young harpy took off and tried to chase us but couldn¡¯t follow us and fell out.¡±


    ¡°I see. Is the harpy who tried to follow us safe?¡±


    ¡°Probably. If she fell and died, that¡¯s all there is to it.¡±


    ¡°I-I see. Thank you for your report.¡±


    The one who answers is probably Rey, the black-winged harpy. They are surprisingly cool or dry with their own people. Not so much with their relatives. I feel that the way they deal with people outside the pack and inside the pack is really different.


    I looked around the deck, but there didn¡¯t seem to be any problems. I have a platoon standing guard just in case, but with this, half a platoon¨D25 men¨Dmight be enough. I¡¯ll talk to Ted and Darko later.


    ¡°This is the kitchen. Lunch is ready.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. Then please notify those who are free to take their meals first.¡±


    ¡°Understood, sir. We will bring it to you as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. Be careful not to cause any accidents due to the turbulence of the ship.¡±


    I told Byaku through the magical transmission tube while I operated my inventory, took out a wooden table, and set it up in the middle of the bridge. I used my ability to set it up so that it would never move from its place, no matter how shaky or tilted it might be.


    ¡°You eat in order.¡±


    ¡°What about you, Kosuke?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll eat last.¡±


    ¡°No. The captain eats first.¡±


    ¡°Is that the way it should be?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the way it is.¡±


    Apparently, that¡¯s the way it is. Since it can¡¯t be helped if she assures me like that, I decide to eat the food brought by the beastmen maids as soon as possible.


    ¡°Oh? What¡¯s this? It looks very delicious.¡±


    The beastmen maids brought a taco-like dish wrapped in thin dough. The aroma was quite spicy, but what was inside?


    ¡°A mixture of ground meat and onion, slowly simmered with tomel, beans, and spices, wrapped in dough with shredded raw vegetables. Please enjoy.¡±


    Byaku, who had brought a tray with a pile of taco-like food, offered me three tacos on a wooden plate.


    ¡°It must have been a lot of work to make so many.¡±


    Three tacos is a pretty hefty portion. I mean, can I eat three tacos? They are all very hearty. Each one is pretty big.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s easy to make a lot of meat-tomel at once. We just serve them wrapped in thin slices of bread.¡±


    ¡°Do you serve anything else to the soldiers?¡±


    ¡°Yes. If you can sit down to eat, it is easier to serve it in a bowl. If you are eating here, I thought it would be more convenient if you could eat with one hand, so we made it that way.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    But it must have been a lot of work to serve a total of 150 people. Since Byaku was staring at me, I picked up one of the tacos and brought it to my mouth as if pressed by her gaze.


    The soft dough was filled with meat tomel, and I could taste the moderate acidity of the tomel and the delicious flavor of the meat and beans. At the same time, there is a spicy aroma and taste. This may be due to the use of spicy condiments such as tabasco. The crunchiness of the cabbage-like vegetables adds a nice accent to the spiciness.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s delicious. This should keep everyone¡¯s morale up.¡±


    ¡°Thank you very much.¡±


    Byaku smiled very happily. It¡¯s not too spicy, and I doubt many people would find it too spicy to eat. Although some people might get sick of spicy food every time they eat it, once every day or two is no problem.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    And so the flight continued for about six hours. We arrived at Windes, the westernmost city of the Merinard Kingdom. I heard that the main industries in this area are cattle, sheep, and other livestock, as well as barley and other grains.


    ¡°There are a lot of pastures and barley fields here.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. And there are gentle hills, so there is no place to park the ship.¡±


    The magic airship has the ability to land on uneven terrain, but with so many gentle hills, it is not possible. But we had already made arrangements for that in advance.


    ¡°Kosuke, over there.¡±


    ¡°Oh, is that it? That¡¯s the flag of the Delisans, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    I also used the binoculars to check where Isla was pointing. With her eyesight, she would be able to see the pattern of the flag clearly with the naked eye, but it was impossible for me.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go. Driada-san, can you go?¡±


    ¡°Yes. And as I said yesterday, you can call me Driada, or you can call me Dri, as a sign of affection.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Dri-aneesama.¡±


    ¡°Anee-sama is too much.¡±


    While soothing Driada-san, who was puffing up her cheeks with such words, I took a small flying boat¨Dan airboat¨Dfrom my inventory on the deck and got on board. I could have asked Grande and the harpies to carry me down, or I could have used the parasail-like escape device (temporary), but I decided to use the airboat because I thought it would look better.


    ¡°Please fasten your seat belt. Also, are you wearing your fall control bracelet?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m wearing it. And your tone.¡±


    Saying this, Driada-san shows me a bracelet that is more elaborately decorated than the ones distributed to other people. Yes, it looks good. As for the tone, I want you to wait a little while until I get used to it. Somehow, our hearts are still far apart, aren¡¯t they?


    ¡°I will try my best. I¡¯ll bring it out then and make sure you stay still so you don¡¯t fall off.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    I started the airboat with Driada-san, who replied with a smiling face. Although the airboat had crashed many times, it was now reliable, and I was used to piloting it. Now, let¡¯s quickly greet the lord who rules this land and secure a landing spot.

 CH 372

    Chapter 372 ¨C Landing


    ¡°He looked kind of pale.¡±


    ¡°I guess so. I don¡¯t think you need to worry too much.¡±


    Driada-san, who is smiling, seems to be in a very good mood. For some reason, she and Count Delisans, who rules Windes, watched me build a large stone plaza for the magic airship to dock, and apparently, the conversation with Count Delisans was quite pleasant. I was struck by the fact that Count Delisans¡¯ complexion was getting worse and worse while Driada-san¡¯s was getting better and better. I wonder what they were talking about.


    ¡°This is Kosuke. The landing site is secure.¡±


    ¡°We have confirmation. We are in the landing position. Evacuate.¡±


    I took a short-range golem communicator from my inventory and contacted the prototype magic airship, and soon received a reply from Isla. If we stay here, we will be crushed under the magic airship, so I will leave the landing site together with Driada-san. The airboat is already stored in my inventory, so all I have to do now is wait patiently for the magic airship to come down.


    ¡°Speaking of which, you seemed to be having a good time, anything interesting to talk about?¡±


    ¡°No, I was just talking about how the airship flew in from Merinesburg within six hours while Kosuke-kun was working and how the airship could easily burn down an entire city.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s very disturbing, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    It¡¯s almost a threat, isn¡¯t it? Why would she say such a thing?


    ¡°This is a long way from Merinesburg, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    It¡¯s certainly true. The speed of a magic airship is faster than that of an air board. At cruising speed, it can go over 100 kilometers per hour. It takes about six hours, so the straight line distance from Merinesburg to Windes here is about 600 km. If one were to travel by land, it would actually be a longer distance, as the road meanders in places, avoiding mountains, hills, valleys, and rivers. Even with a moving horse-drawn carriage, the overland journey would easily take a week.


    ¡°There have always been a lot of western lords who are connected to the small western states and are up to all sorts of schemes. Well, to put it another way, they are full of independent and self-reliant spirit.¡±


    ¡°I see. But aren¡¯t the current Western Lords all right?¡±


    As far as the pacification of the West is concerned, it should be rather quiet since Mrs. Zamir wields a mighty arm or rather a strong spear, and the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom stares back at them.


    ¡°It is not unusual that they are in the same boat. However, considering the disappointments of the past twenty years, I feel it is not my place to say anything about it.¡±


    ¡°I guess that¡¯s the way it is.¡±


    After saying that, Driada-san makes a gesture as if she were stroking her neck quickly with the tip of her own hand. Please don¡¯t do that with a smile on your face, because it¡¯s really scary.


    ¡°Today, the Count is inviting us to his mansion. I can¡¯t wait to see what kind of hospitality he will show us.¡±


    ¡°Do you really think so? Don¡¯t tease him too much, okay?¡±


    ¡°Of course. If he treats us well, I¡¯ll treat him well. If not, I¡¯ll deal with him accordingly.¡±


    ¡°I see. So if he starts threatening me, does that mean you have to do something rude to him out of the blue?¡±


    I had no idea what to expect. I just greeted him normally and got right to work.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. First of all, it was out of the question for him to greet us while standing up. When royalty comes to visit, it is only natural that he kneels down to greet us.¡±


    ¡°Seriously?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It is natural to show vassalage on that basis. But he greeted us standing up, and he had armed men with him. That was a sign that he would not bow to the power of the royal family. It was a sign that he would not hesitate to use force, depending on the situation.¡±


    ¡°Seriously?¡±


    My vocabulary disappears at Driada-san¡¯s super-interpretation. No, I mean, that¡¯s all it is? I feel that way but for me? I think you could loosen up a bit.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care if it¡¯s wartime; it¡¯s an unthinkable reaction in peacetime. If he had treated the royal family like that 20 years ago under the rule of the Merinard Kingdom, it would have been taken as a sign that he had changed his mind.¡±


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s scary. Nobility, or rather a royalty, is scary!¡±


    To me, it sounds like an irrational objection, but Driada-san¡¯s eyes are serious.


    ¡°Kosuke-kun is also a member of that scary royal family, you know. You didn¡¯t seem to care much about it until now, but from now on, you should behave properly.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not very good at such things, you know.¡±


    ¡°You have to be very clear about the hierarchy in this kind of thing. After all, it is the soldiers who fight on the battlefield and the people who get caught up in the war who really cry when there is a rebellion by the local lords.¡±


    ¡°If you put it that way, I can¡¯t say anything.


    While we were talking about such things, the magic airship approached us from the sky. After much trial and error, we finally equipped it with six golem arms as landing gear to stabilize the hull during landing. Since there was no point in being stingy with safety equipment, we decided to go with an insanely fine one made of mithril-silver alloy. Well, splendid, but they are quite thin and look rather poor to the eye.


    The descending magic airship touched the ground, and the folded golem arm landing stabilizer extended from the port side of the magic airship to hold the ship in place. This would prevent the ship from swaying or tipping over in the slightest breeze.


    Meanwhile, the front part of the ship, the part that corresponds to the bulbous bow¨Dthe red part of a certain space battleship that does not have a wave cannon, if I may say so. Anyway, the overhanging part near the bottom opened, and the crew came out. Even though it had only been six hours, the relief of being released from air travel was evident in the sight of the civilian crew members collapsing on the stone floor I had made, feeling the ground.


    ¡°It seems they were unexpectedly frightened¡­¡±


    ¡°Even though they were given fall control bracelets, I¡¯m sure many of them are scared at the thought of being thrown headlong out of the sky if something should happen to them.¡±


    Driada-san smiled bitterly as she said this. I wonder if she thinks that the personnel who have the important role of escorting the royal family would look pathetic. As expected, with such an important role, I wonder if that¡¯s the case.


    In any case, I should do what I have to do as the captain. There was no point in just staring at them.


    ¡°Yes, pay attention. I have informed you in advance, but as originally planned, we will wait here for about two days. We will receive a pick up from the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom. Until they arrive, we will rest for a while. The R&D staff should continue to maintain the ship. The magic riflemen will take turns guarding the ship. All other personnel should basically stay on the landing site. If you want to go out, you have to ask me through Ted, Darko, or Isla. Anyway, it¡¯s time to take a break for today. Except for the night watchmen on duty, you may have up to two drinks with your dinner.


    The crew cheers. Those who are not cheering are probably those who are on duty tonight. We can¡¯t have a drunk on the night watch. I¡¯m sorry, but please accept this with tears in your eyes.

 CH 373

    Chapter 373 ¨C Consultation Before Arrival


    We were greeted by Count Delisans, who treated us as if we were below his rank while we waited to be picked up from the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom.


    For the past two days, to appease Grande, who had begun to complain of being bored, we had been hunting monsters near Windes; while I had been gathering materials, Isla had been gathering medicinal herbs that could be found in this area, and a certain baron, who said he was related to Count Delisans, wanted to see the capabilities of the Magic Rifle Squad. I also made a target wearing thick plate armor for heavy cavalry, which was shredded by a volley of gunfire, making him tremble.


    I asked the baron if he wanted to do something different this time. He apologized to me in tears. Why did he do that?


    So we spent two days in peace, but for some reason, Count Delisans treated me like a tumor. Somehow I got the feeling that he didn¡¯t want to have anything to do with me. I don¡¯t know why. Is it because I managed to scare all of Count Delisans¡¯ minions, who were subtly poking at me like that baron?


    It all started when I came to make all the decisions on disputes that his minions¨Dwho are like minions or subordinates in the noble sense¨Dhave, just because they have some big guy in their group.


    They were very noisy and annoying, asking about water rights, land suitable for cultivation, and who should remove the big rocks between their territories.


    I listened to them in silence, and after a brief discussion with Driada-san, who listened to the conversation with me, we decided to clear all the land. The minions of Count Delisans, who had come to me for advice, tilted their heads, wondering what I was talking about, but Count Delisans himself and the baron, who had already been made to cry by me, seemed to think that I was literally going to clear the disputed land.


    Too bad I was stopped before I could carry it out by two guys dripping with sweat. I was about to make one evil move to eliminate all sources of conflict and say, ¡°Now we¡¯re at peace (smirk).¡±


    No, I didn¡¯t really want to go that far because if I did, not only the old men in front of me, but also all the people in the area would be in trouble. I could remove the big rocks in no time at all, and it wouldn¡¯t be too difficult to clear the lack of land for farming or to rearrange the plots of land with my help. As for water, wells might not be enough for farming, so it would take a large construction to get water from somewhere or something.


    I had the golems clean up the site after I roughly smashed it with an explosive block while we were there. Actually, it would have been faster if I had swung my pickaxe from start to finish, but I decided to focus on the impact. When it was all over after about 10 minutes, the nobles, who had brought all kinds of problems with them, returned to their homes with frightened expressions on their faces, saying they would take care of it themselves.


    ¡°How is the morale on board?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s good. That¡¯s thanks to your command, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a little worried, though, that the instructions are too loose. Let me know if there are any problems.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll tighten it up for you.¡±


    Evening of the second day. As for dinner, it would be me, Driada-san, Isla, and Grande, plus Ted and Darko, the captains of the magic rifle platoon, for a total of six people. Once a day, we would have a meeting with the ship¡¯s top brass. In addition, Gerda, who is in charge of organizing the beastmen maids as a servant, and two of the beastmen maids also attended the meeting. Although they didn¡¯t eat with us.


    ¡°How are the officials doing?¡±


    ¡°Well, they seem to be anxious about flying tomorrow. However, they have already flown once without any problems, and they have heard a lot from the members of the Magic Rifle Platoon who flew for familiarization training, so I think it will be better than the first time.¡±


    Driada-san is in charge of organizing the civilian officials who will accompany us on this goodwill visit.


    ¡°How about the R&D department¡­¡±


    ¡°No problem.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    The people in R&D are developers. They know the safety and dangers of the airboat better than anyone else, and if anything, they have crashed it many times during test runs. If it were to crash, they would probably just think, ¡°Oh, no, not again.¡±


    ¡°What about the maids?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about them. There is no time to worry about such things.¡±


    Gerda, who was standing nearby, smiles at me, but I wonder.


    ¡°Please be careful not to overwork yourself. It would be very difficult if you were exhausted at the critical moment.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    The rest are the harpies, but they need to eat several times a day, even though they are small eaters, either because of their physical constitution or their ecology, and this time of day just doesn¡¯t work for them. Well, I¡¯m not worried about their morale at all because someone is with me during the day.


    ¡°The messenger, or rather a pick-up, from the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom, is scheduled to arrive tomorrow at noon, so you should continue the removal work in the morning. We don¡¯t want to have a disaster if our luggage or something collapses when we start. Be careful in the kitchen with the cabinets and such.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    ¡°I will also tell the officials to be careful with documents and writing utensils, especially inkwells.¡±


    ¡°Please do that.¡±


    Grande has nothing special to say. The only personal belongings she brought with her were pillows. The rest of her clothes and things are in my inventory.


    ¡°Is there anything else we need to talk about? Perhaps the diplomatic policy of the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom?¡±


    ¡°Diplomatic policy, isn¡¯t it? Since they have a history of treating our country, or rather Kosuke-kun and Grande-chan, well, the so-called normal diplomatic stance will not be very useful.¡±


    Driada-san put her hand to her cheek and sighed as if she was troubled. It is true that the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom is in contact with the Merinard Kingdom, and the reason why they treat us so well is because the relationship between Grande and me is exactly the same as that of the founder of their country. If Grande and I did not have such a relationship, the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom would not have looked at the Merinard Kingdom.


    ¡°We must maintain a high degree of flexibility and be resourceful.¡±


    ¡°In other words, hit or miss.¡±


    ¡°We have no choice. We just have to make sure we don¡¯t offend them. We have to be friendly and take care of things¡­ I don¡¯t even know what they¡¯re looking for right now.¡±


    The only thing Rezarus-shi, a member of the royal family of the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom who had visited Merinesburg before, wanted was for the current relationship between Grande and me to continue and for us to be together. He even seemed to idolize, if not deify, Grande and me. It was as if he wanted to tell the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom about what Grande and I were doing.


    He hinted that he would eventually like to have a child born to Grande and me in their royal family, but he only talked about whether it would happen naturally, not about asking the Merinard Kingdom as compensation.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t they the ones we talked about before, with a little bit of the dragon in them? Well, I didn¡¯t feel any hostility, so I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything to worry about.¡±


    Grande said fluently while munching on her favorite cheeseburger. I don¡¯t think they could do anything to Grande if they had any malicious intent; well, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any problem. They seemed to have a great deal of reverence, almost religious reverence, for their ancestors¨Dthe dragon who became the founder of the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom and the human woman.


    ¡°If it comes down to it, I¡¯ll take care of it. Rest assured.¡±


    Grande smiled cheerfully as she said this. Well, it is true that Grande is a very powerful card against the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom. The Dragonis Mountain Kingdom even seems to be able to turn white into black if Grande says so.


    ¡°Is there anything going on that could possibly shake the legitimacy of the royal family?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve thought about that, too, but the internal affairs of the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom are shrouded in mystery and difficult to understand.¡±


    The Dragonis Mountain Kingdom is located in a rugged mountainous region. It is difficult to enter on foot, and goods and information are exchanged with other countries mainly by airmail, so it is very difficult to find out what is going on inside the kingdom. The steep mountains are a barrier to entry, and the area is also overrun with wild monsters, so patrols by the Dragon Cavalry are active. The Dragon Cavalry patrols are not for invaders from other countries but for monsters.


    ¡°Even if we think about it, we don¡¯t know what we don¡¯t know. But let¡¯s assume a few things.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, this is important. I want to talk about how to answer technical questions.¡±


    ¡°For our part, I would like to ask what we should do if we get questions about magic rifles or magic airships.¡±


    The agenda is proposed by Isla, as usual, and Ted, who struggles to use polite language in the presence of Driada-san. Yes, yes, let¡¯s work that out as well. If we decide on a certain policy in advance, it will make it easier to deal with the situation and reduce the likelihood of trouble.

 CH 374

    Chapter 374 ¨C Dragon Corps


    After much discussion last night, we agreed on a number of guidelines. In particular, the questions posed by Count Delisans and his cohorts regarding the explanation of the magic rifle and magic airship served as a good example, and I think we were able to finalize our response in considerable detail. I was able to understand where the interest of those who saw the magic rifle and the magic airship for the first time would be directed.


    Many of the questions about the magic rifle and the magic airship were still about their performance, followed by questions about the scale at which they would be operated, whether they would be available in the future, and how much they would cost to operate.


    It was easy to decide how far to go in answering these questions. As for the power of the magic rifle, we only told them that it could shoot through heavy cavalry armor from a considerable distance and that it had enough killing power to kill a Gizma with a single blow.


    As for the magic airship, since the R&D staff and I were the only ones who knew the specific capabilities of the airship, it was enough for Isla to tell the R&D staff not to talk about it. Now, I think a civilian officer who actually went on board with the magic rifle squadron could talk about what they experienced, but the idea is that they would not have a grasp of the specific specifications. Even if they knew the specifications, it would be impossible to imitate a magic airship, so there would be little point in finding out the specifications. However, it was decided that the internal structure would be kept secret for security reasons.


    We also considered other questions directed to Grande and myself, but since we had no idea what kind of questions or tactics would be used, we decided to drop the matter. It seems we have no choice but to maintain a high degree of flexibility and tactfulness.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    So the next day, as we were standing by, fully prepared for departure, a message came to the bridge from Harpy-san¨DRey, the black-winged harpy who had been in charge of the introductions.


    ¡°Several large flying dragons are approaching from the west. They are believed to be from the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom.¡±


    ¡°Understood. Meet them and lead them to the landing site.¡±


    ¡°Roger that.¡±


    With these words, Rey ends the communication. A few minutes later, the deck of the magic airship also receives a report of an approaching large flying dragon. The ship¡¯s airborne surveillance seems to be working fine. The development of an active radar using magic is being considered, but it has not yet been put into practical use due to various concerns, such as how to release magic waves that can reach far and are highly reflective and whether or not the magic waves will stimulate monsters. The magic detection magic Isla used before has high accuracy and very good performance, but it is not suitable for long-range detection for magic airships due to its short detection distance.


    While I was thinking about this, the members of the magic rifle squadron standing guard on the deck pointed to the western sky. From the bridge, I could see all the movement on the deck, so I knew immediately what they were doing.


    ¡°Can you see them?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, five flying dragons are approaching.¡±


    Isla nodded.


    Five? If we didn¡¯t have our own transportation, we could only take about 20 people with us. With me, Isla, Driada-san, the Beastmen maids, and the civilian staff on board, it would be a full load. They said they would send any number of flying dragons to transport us, but I am not sure if they would have even transported the magic riflemen.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s welcome them. We should fly the flag of the Kingdom of Merinard so that people can recognize it, right?¡±


    ¡°I think that would be good.¡±


    Driada-san nodded her head, so I used the magic transmission tube to give Ted instructions. The landing area for airships is larger, so the flying dragons of the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom will have plenty of room to land.


    Even with my naked eye, I could see several dots in the western sky. They must be the flying dragons of the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom. Unlike wyverns, flying dragons have upper and lower limbs in addition to their wings. Wyverns are easy to distinguish because their upper limbs are wings. And the flying dragon is bigger.


    ¡°Should I greet them?¡±


    ¡°No, that is not necessary. It would be enough to come out and work with them when they arrive.¡±


    ¡°From a superior position?¡±


    ¡°Actually, you are the superior.¡±


    Driada-san smiled bitterly. I¡¯m sorry. I just can¡¯t be like this, you know?


    ¡°Anyway¡­ I¡¯ll do it accordingly.¡±


    The shadow of the flying dragons is getting bigger and bigger as we speak, and they seem to have arrived at the landing site right away. Hmm, I¡¯ve seen them before, but they¡¯re really cool. They are also very powerful. If I were an ordinary infantryman in this world, equipped only with a sword, spear, and shield, I definitely wouldn¡¯t want to fight with something like that.


    A little later, Driada-san said it was time to leave, so I decided to take Isla, Driada-san, and Grande to the landing site. The flying dragons had just landed in front of the airship, and as soon as Grande appeared, they crouched down with a kind of pitiful cry.


    ¡°Hmm, they are well trained.¡±


    Grande nodded as she looked at the trembling flying dragons. The dragon riders and flying dragon soldiers of the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom also saw this and quickly kneeled down. They were all strong-looking lizardmen and horned subhumans, but the way they knelt before Grande was as if they were pious believers facing the object of their faith.


    ¡°I see that you are Grande-sama. It is an honor to meet you.¡±


    ¡°Hm? Umu, it¡¯s no trouble.¡±


    Grande was a little surprised to see them kneeling so suddenly, but she seemed pleased as if it tickled her self-esteem. She¡¯s so easy.


    I counted them and found there were seven of them. Considering that there are five flying dragons, it seems that flying dragons can carry two people.


    ¡°Your Excellency¡¯s military fame is also echoing throughout our Dragonis Mountain Kingdom. As expected from the companion of Grande-sama. We are all deeply impressed by you.¡±


    ¡°I see. I have also heard about the military fame of the Dragon Corps of the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom. If I have the opportunity, I would like to fight side by side with you.¡±


    ¡°That would be a great honor. If the opportunity arises, I will show you the full extent of the martial arts we have developed.¡±


    I am not good at this kind of thing. I never know what to say. I¡¯m always occupied.


    ¡°Now, please stand up. We will go to Dragonis Mountain Kingdom as soon as possible. Please lead the way.¡±


    ¡°Yes, leave it to us¡­ But is this thing supposed to fly?¡±


    ¡°Of course. However, I don¡¯t know what¡¯s faster than your flying dragon. Meanwhile, we will be traveling at cruising speed here, so can you match our speed? Ah, we would like to have one of you on board with us, if possible. We need to communicate when we need to adjust our speed. Is there any kind of sign that would help us adjust our speed?¡±


    I said, and they looked at each other and then nodded.


    ¡°Then let me.¡±


    With that, the most splendidly equipped horned subhuman stepped forward. Perhaps he was of royal blood.


    ¡°The matter is settled. Let¡¯s leave at once. Everyone in the Dragon Corps, please go ahead and stand by upstairs.¡±


    Now it¡¯s time to rendezvous with the world-famous Dragon Corps of the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom. I hope it will be a peaceful flight.

 CH 375

    Chapter 375 ¨C To the Sky Again


    After saying goodbye to Count Delisans, who rushed to the scene when he saw the flying dragon, the magic airship with the flying dragon took off.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect this huge body to fly¡­ And it rises almost vertically?¡±


    From the bridge, a warrior with magnificent equipment looks around and shouts in amazement.


    Two magnificent horns protrude from his head, or rather the hairline of his forehead, and a mighty tail with conspicuous light-blue scales grows from around his waist.


    ¡°Is Caltas-dono related to the royal family?¡±


    ¡°Indeed. My father is the brother of the former king. He has long since renounced his right to the throne, but I am sure that we are related to the royal family. However, I am now just a warrior who swears allegiance to the royal family, so I would appreciate it if you would treat me as such.¡±


    ¡°I understand. I will do so.¡±


    Driada-san, standing next to me, nodded in agreement.


    His name, the one who offered to board the magic airship, is Caltas. He may have a family name, but he did not tell us. He is a huge man, about the same size as Danan¨Dno, he is a big, strong man, and his armor and weapons are splendidly decorated. Considering his bloodline, there is no doubt that he is a warrior of considerable rank in the Dragon Corps, the pride of the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom.


    ¡°This vehicle is huge¡­ How many people are on board?¡±


    ¡°The current crew, including non-combatants, is a little over one hundred and fifty.¡±


    ¡°One hundred and fifty¡­¡±


    Caltas-shi snarls when he hears the number of crew members. I don¡¯t know what he¡¯s thinking, but from the look on his face, he seems to think that this magic airship is quite a threat.


    ¡°This is a prototype, the culmination of all our technology. We have not even reached the point of mass production. If we were to mass-produce it with its current specifications, our treasury would be depleted in no time.¡±


    ¡°Not just mass production, but this ship alone will drain us in no time. At the moment, this ship can only be built by Kosuke, and we can¡¯t own it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It is not the property of the Merinard Kingdom but of Kosuke-kun.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? I see.¡±


    The amount of magic sparkling stones and mithril used in this ship may be more valuable than the Merinard Kingdom itself. It is said that the magic sparkling stone is worth enough to build a mansion in a prime location with a piece as small as the tip of a little fingernail, and the mithril is worth enough to make a single weapon a national treasure.


    Since there are two fist-sized magic sparkling stones and several hundred pieces of mithril on this ship, I wonder what the market value would be.


    ¡°Forgive me for being tactless, but how much wealth did it take to build this ship?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to put a market value on it. Perhaps the cost of one of these ships would turn the economy of the Holy Kingdom and the Empire upside down.¡±


    ¡°Our excellent Prime Minister gave up calculating the price in the middle of the project.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I¡¯m beginning to worry that I might damage the ship if I accidentally lean over too far.¡±


    Caltas-dono let out a dry laugh. Don¡¯t worry, don¡¯t worry, you needn¡¯t be afraid. There are also mithril silver alloy wires under your feet, so a light step or fall won¡¯t even scratch them. After all, the wood around our feet is also wood that has been strengthened by magic. It¡¯s stronger than metal.


    ¡°Captain, what is our altitude and course?¡±


    The mage from the R&D department who serves as the helmsman answers the question after thinking for a moment.


    ¡°Follow the Dragon Corps¡¯ lead. As for speed, Caltas-dono, is it correct to say that we will match the cruising speed of one of them?¡±


    ¡°Either of them?¡±


    ¡°Yes. We will not know each other¡¯s cruising speed. For now, we will ask your men to fly as usual and match the speed of the slower of the two.¡±


    ¡°I see. I don¡¯t know how fast you can go with this huge body, but let¡¯s do it. I will go on deck to contact my men.¡±


    ¡°I understand. A place on the deck where you can use the sound tube would be good. Darko.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    I ordered the second platoon leader, Darko, who was guarding the bridge, to accompany him. It would be better to be able to communicate with the bridge for speed adjustments.


    ¡°Is that okay? To put it in here.¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s good. It¡¯s good enough that people can see from the outside that this is an important section.¡±


    After watching Darko lead Caltas-shi out, Driada-san asked me worriedly, but I shrugged and acted like it was nothing.


    In fact, among the many bare parts of the deck, only this aft deck, which serves as the bridge, is armored. It is easy to understand that this is a weak point that needs to be protected with armor. Well, even if it is understood, the armor protecting this bridge is mithril armor, so it is not so easy to break.


    ¡°The dragon cavalry has begun to lead the way.¡±


    ¡°Follow them. For now, follow their lead and gradually increase to cruising speed.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    With a distinctive ¡°squeaking¡± sound, the large-diameter wind-magic propulsion system for forward propulsion began to expel air backward, and the huge body of the magic airship began to move forward.


    ¡°The improved fall control system is functioning normally.


    ¡°Altitude stabilization propulsion system operating normally.¡±


    ¡°Rudder and propulsion systems operating normally.¡±


    ¡°Magic sparkling stone furnace output normal.¡±


    ¡°Good. Then match speed with the dragon cavalry as planned.¡±


    After hearing the mages¡¯ words of approval, it was time for a leisurely stroll in the sky. This time, the speed increase is slower because there is someone to match, but it is still the same thing to do. While I was looking at the map and compass I had brought with me from Merinesburg, I received a call from the deck through the magic voice pipe.


    ¡°Your Excellency, we have received a request from Caltas-dono asking if we can still make speed.¡±


    ¡°Our current output is just under 70% of cruising power. Tell him we can still make it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    The speed has increased again. Is everything okay? The ship has an inexhaustible supply of magic power from the magic sparkling stone furnace, but the flying dragon driven by the dragon cavalry is still a living creature. It must have limited stamina, and especially since that huge body is flying at such a high speed, it must be using magic power to fly. I think this is another thing that could be exhausted if it continues to be used for stamina and agitation. While I was thinking about this, I received another call from the deck.


    ¡°Sir, they are at their limit over there at this speed.¡±


    ¡°Copy that. Tell them to maintain their speed. Helmsman, please record this exit.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    The cruising speed of the dragon cavalry is about 85% of the cruising speed of the prototype magic airship. The speed is just under 90 kilometers per hour. It¡¯s not slow at all¨Dor rather, it¡¯s amazingly maneuverable in this world. We seem to have an advantage in cruising speed, but when it comes to starting combat, it¡¯ll probably be much faster than cruising speed. If they lose altitude, their speed will increase by that amount. Unfortunately, this is a trick that the magic airship can¡¯t do. If we accelerate too fast, it could damage the hull.


    ¡°Deck to Captain. Caltas-dono will remain on deck and act as liaison with the crew.¡±


    ¡°Very well, Darko, return to the bridge. Post a guard on deck to act as a liaison.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    That¡¯s it for now. We are now in the airspace of the Confederation of Small States. Well, I guess this world doesn¡¯t have the concept of airspace yet. No, I wonder if the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom, which has air power, does?


    Anyway, there will be no monsters for a while, but once we enter the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom, there might be monster attacks. That¡¯s the crucial point.

 CH 376

    Chapter 376 ¨C The Story of the Confederation of Small States


    Since we have no plans to stop at the Confederation of Small States, it will be smooth sailing for a while.


    What kind of land is the Confederation of Small States that stretches west of the Kingdom of Merinard? Since it is also a neighboring country, I had some interest in it and looked into it. I looked into it, but¡­


    ¡°This really is an unknown land, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°In short, it¡¯s a land of loose solidarity among various tribes and clans. They help each other in times of need, but when they don¡¯t, they are constantly skirmishing over land and interests. Centaur tribes dominate the steppes, Dwarven tribes near the western mountains, herbivorous Beastmen tribes in the plains, and Lizardmen and Gillman tribes in the lakes and swamps. In between, there¡¯s a land of various sub-races huddled together, with their respective leaders calling themselves kings or chieftains.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand how this doesn¡¯t lead to invasions by other nations, and I don¡¯t understand how it doesn¡¯t lead to great turmoil.¡±


    ¡°To put it more succinctly, the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom in the west had no intention of expanding its territory, and in the east, from the collapse of the Omit Kingdom until the establishment of the former Merinard Kingdom, there was no country that threatened the Confederation of Small States. Even after the establishment of the former Merinard Kingdom, the Merinard Kingdom was too busy governing and developing its own territory to merit a confrontation with the Confederation of Small States. Also, the internal conflicts did not intensify because if they became too much, other tribes and small kingdoms would beat them up.¡±


    ¡°What about the north and the south?¡±


    ¡°The south leads to the Great Omit Wilderness. Occasionally, Gizma invades from the south. The north is blocked by mountainous terrain. Beyond that is the Kingdom of Castor.¡±


    ¡°The Kingdom of Castor?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know much about it. I¡¯ve heard that it¡¯s a land with many subhumans of the Beastman type.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Isla-sensei¡¯s lectures are very informative. But I see. They are the ones who are always skirmishing within themselves like that, so did that inspire them to mess with the new Merinard Kingdom when they saw an opening? Like a thief in the fire. If they really wanted to mess with us, we¡¯d have no choice but to deal with them, so it might have been a good thing for the Small States Confederation that the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom kept them in check and didn¡¯t let them get involved.


    Huh? Is it strange that we build our story on the assumption that we will win? No. If the Confederation of Small States had prepared more powerful and more numerous soldiers than the Holy Kingdom, and if they were to launch a broad penetration attack instead of a single-point breakthrough, the story might be a little different, but that would be unreasonable. In fact, there is no nation in the vicinity that maintains a force strong enough to threaten the current Merinard Kingdom.


    ¡°How do you think Sylphy will lead the country in the future?¡±


    Driada-san, who was listening to Isla¡¯s lecture with me, whispered to me.


    ¡°In the future, huh? At least it doesn¡¯t look like we¡¯ll be heading in the direction of territorial expansion.¡±


    To be honest, there is a lot of land in the country that can be developed without having to seek territory outside the country. Most of it is unexplored monster territory, but with my abilities, the development itself is not difficult at all. If I wanted to, I could easily use the Golem Corps to run from one end of the monster territory to the other and destroy the monsters living there.


    ¡°Kosuke-kun, is there anything you want to do? Kosuke-kun, who knows the state of nations in your former world, can show many ways, can¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°Me? I don¡¯t want to talk about running the country. The environment in this world is so different from the one I used to live in that I don¡¯t think it would be a good idea for me to talk about it based on the way the nations of my former world were run.¡±


    There was no magic, no monsters, and no subhumans on Earth. At least as far as I could tell. Perhaps such things existed hidden from the eyes of the general public, but at least they were not openly acknowledged.


    And if such things existed, the various systems developed in my former world would most likely not work. There have been different cultures and technologies on Earth, but when we trace them back to their roots, we often come up with the distance a man or a horse can travel in a day, the amount of land that can be cultivated, and so on. I believe that in this world, where there are subhumans with different physical abilities and magic that dramatically improves the amount of work that can be done by humans and horses, there are many cases where the technology and systems of Earth do not work well.


    For example, the machine guns used in the rifle corps were too light and fragile for subhumans with superior physical abilities if left to their original specifications. The specifications of these weapons were also changed considerably from the original versions in response to feedback from the field. The use of black steel, a metal unique to this world, made it more heat-resistant and sturdy, but at the same time, it was more than twice as heavy as the original machine gun. It is too heavy for me to carry, like a heavy machine gun.


    ¡°Have you no ambition? With your power, Kosuke-kun, you could not only bring the Holy Kingdom to its knees but also the Empire and rule the world, couldn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°What? Driada-san likes that kind of thing, huh? I didn¡¯t expect that.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not that I like it. I¡¯m just wondering, you know?¡±


    ¡°I see. Well, to answer your question, I don¡¯t want to do it at all. It¡¯s too much trouble, and I¡¯m dying just thinking about it.¡±


    ¡°Fuh¡­ That answer was really like Kosuke.¡±


    Isla lets out a small smile as she takes control of the magic airship.


    ¡°Too much trouble, you say¡­¡±


    Even now that I¡¯m in the position of being Sylphy¡¯s companion, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m worthy of the position, but it¡¯s absolutely impossible for me to become the supreme king who rules the world. Or rather, there is no reason for me to do so. It is impossible for me to have a grand dream of pacifying the world under one nation and one ideology. As long as my family, including myself, is happy, that¡¯s all that matters.


    ¡°A statement that lacks even a shred of ambition¡­¡±


    I shrugged, and Driada-san gave me a wry smile.


    ¡°Is a man without ambition not a good one?¡±


    ¡°Well, I think Kosuke-kun could be a bit more aggressive. But I think it¡¯s nice to have a man you can rely on in times of need.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, I don¡¯t have the energy or strength to be aggressive because I¡¯m being sucked dry by my many wives night after night. But if I have to, I will!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. Considering what Kosuke-kun has done so far, there is no doubt about that statement.¡±


    Driada-san smiles. Hmm? I wonder what this series of exchanges is all about. I have the feeling that I¡¯m being tested.


    ¡°Why do I feel like I¡¯m being judged?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a maiden¡¯s heart that wants to know a lot about her husband.¡±


    Driada-san shows her princess smile that looks like a flower is about to bloom around her smile. However, she was a very strong woman who joined Sylphy and the others in our friendly activities, and before I knew it, she was in such a relationship with me. What is a maiden¡­? Ugh.


    ¡°But why now?¡±


    ¡°I never had a chance to talk to Kosuke-kun, did I? I thought of this trip to the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom as my honeymoon, and I wanted to use this opportunity to get to know Kosuke-kun better. It¡¯s hard to get in the way now with the way things are going.¡±


    ¡°Isla is here, though¡­?¡±


    ¡°Isla is my best friend, you know.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, we¡¯re best friends.¡±


    Isla turned to me and made a peace sign. Eehh¡­? I¡¯ve never heard of that before.


    ¡°Isla¡¯s close in age to Sylphy, isn¡¯t she? But you¡¯ve been friends for a long time?¡±


    Isla nodded her head. It seems to be true. Well, I don¡¯t have a perfect understanding of the relationship between my wives either. There is nothing surprising about this kind of unexpected connection.


    But it¡¯s been a long time, hasn¡¯t it? Could it be from before the fall of the old Merinard Kingdom? In any case, Isla would never lie to me, so it must be true.


    ¡°Whether or not even a best friend will get in the way is another story. ¡°


    ¡°Wait a minute?¡±


    ¡°Even I want to spend some loving time with Kosuke. And then there are the Harpies.¡±


    ¡°Geez¡­ that¡¯s something we need to discuss.¡±


    It seems that negotiations have begun regarding my treatment during this visit to the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom. Anyway, we¡¯re flying now, so I ask for moderation, just moderation. The other crew members have ears as well.


    ¡°Um¡­ uh, we are about to leave the airspace of the Confederation of Small States and enter the airspace of the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom.¡±


    The mage, who looks uncomfortable after overhearing the lively conversation between the boss and the royal princess, makes such a report. Yes, I¡¯m sorry. I will scold them soon, so please forgive me.


    ¡°I told the guests to be on high alert for the possibility of monsters. Also, Isla and Driada-san, please keep your mouths shut. This can wait, can wait.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Okay.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    I¡¯m very glad you¡¯re being honest with me. But next time, please use TPO when you talk like that. Please. I¡¯m really counting on you.

 CH 377

    Chapter 377 ¨C To Dragonis Mountain Kingdom Territory


    It had been a while since we had entered the airspace of the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom, but the flight had been very safe, with no particular signs of danger.


    ¡°Hmm? Have they secured the air route after all?¡±


    ¡°I think so. Perhaps they have destroyed any monsters that might interfere with the flying dragon trade.¡±


    ¡°That may be so, but most importantly, monsters are not stupid. If they are hurt many times, they will learn.¡±


    ¡°You mean they won¡¯t attack us because we have the dragon cavalry escorting us?¡±


    ¡°I suppose so. Or maybe because I¡¯m on board,¡± said Grande.


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Does this mean that something like the dragon¡¯s aura of strength that Grande gives off might be a monster repellent? She may look cute, but she was originally a giant dragon. Could that be the case?


    ¡°It¡¯s unfortunate. I thought we would have a chance to show Caltas-dono the magic airship¡¯s performance.¡±


    ¡°A show of national prestige?¡±


    ¡°No, I just want to show off. Our engineers and soldiers are amazing, right? Besides, boys like to show off big, strong, cool things like this.¡±


    Hearing my words, the men on duty on the bridge nodded their heads in agreement. Right? Don¡¯t you get it?


    ¡°Even if we don¡¯t do anything, they will ask us to show them what we can do. We just have to wait until then.¡±


    ¡°Is that how it is?¡±


    ¡°It is something like that. Until now, the dominance of the sky belonged only to the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom. If an existence appears that threatens it, the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom will not remain silent, no matter how friendly they are to Kosuke and Grande.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I think so too. Let¡¯s not be too hasty, shall we?¡±


    ¡°If you two say so, then let¡¯s do it. Well, it¡¯s not like I want to show off our power at all costs.¡±


    Although I say it with my mouth, I want to be bold because I made it. But it can¡¯t be helped if both Isla and Driada-san say so. Anyway, I¡¯ll wait for an opportunity.


    ¡°Speaking of which, we have plenty of time in our schedule, don¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. There are only five days left, including today, until the founding anniversary of the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom.


    It looks like it will take us all day to unload and set up today, so how should I spend the next four days? If I have time, I¡¯d like to mine for ore. After all, I used a lot of materials to build the magic airship.


    ¡°That¡¯s the face of a man who wants to go to the mountain with a pickaxe every chance he gets.¡±


    ¡°Could you stop reading my mind?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no time for that, you know. It¡¯s an opportunity to make contact with important people in the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom and the Confederation of Small States.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ you don¡¯t need me to be there for that, do you? Don¡¯t you think it would be better if you arrange something well and do it properly?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not how it works. Kosuke-kun is the head of the delegation to the Kingdom of Merinard, right? It would be rude to the other party if the head of the delegation didn¡¯t attend the meeting, right?¡±


    That seems to be the case. But my material gathering and ore mining is the mainstay of the Merinard Kingdom¡¯s economy, you know? There¡¯s a limit to the amount of rock and terrain that can be quarried within the territory of the Merinard Kingdom, and it would be in the Merinard Kingdom¡¯s interest for me to do the ¡°construction¡± of the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom under the mask of goodwill, wouldn¡¯t it?


    I¡¯ll be lucky to get the materials. The Dragonis Mountain Kingdom would be lucky to have flat land for construction despite the rugged mountainous terrain. The Kingdom of Merinard is lucky to have my supply of rare metals and gems and the gratitude of the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom. See, it¡¯s a win-win-win-win situation for everyone.


    I said enthusiastically.


    ¡°U-um¡­ if you put it that way, it may indeed be in the national interest, but¡­¡±


    ¡°As expected from Driada-san, you know what I mean. Then, if there¡¯s a chance, I¡¯ll go that way.¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m somewhat stumped to say.¡±


    Okay, I¡¯ve managed to convince her. While I was talking my heart out, we received a call from the deck through the magical conduit. Apparently, we would arrive at Drado, the capital of the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom, in about an hour or two.


    ¡°I know it¡¯s a little late, but is there a place we can land?¡±


    ¡°I heard that there is a place for the flying dragon to take off and land, and it would be possible to dock there. But¡­¡±


    ¡°But?¡±


    ¡°Well, that would make it difficult for the flying dragon to take off and land, so I was wondering what they would do after that.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    That¡¯s a problem. For the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom, not being able to take off and land a flying dragon is like not being able to breathe. It would be a matter of life and death.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be fine. It will undoubtedly be a temporary inconvenience, but as long as we can get permission from the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom, I think we can handle it. Tell them that.¡±


    ¡°Understood, sir.¡±


    After we finished our conversation with the magic voice tube, I turned my attention back to Isla and Driada-san and saw them staring at me with stern looks in their eyes.


    ¡°Kosuke-kun. I understand that you don¡¯t have a choice, but you have to exercise some restraint. If you show too much power, there might be a conflict over you.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I don¡¯t care if you do it at home, but you should be careful when you¡¯re abroad.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    Indeed, they may be right. This is a foreign country. If something goes wrong, the only forces are the personnel on board this ship, and it is not easy to get help from Sylphy and the others. There is the barrier of distance. Maybe I got a little too excited after completing the magic airship. Let¡¯s be careful.

 CH 378

    Chapter 378 ¨C Royal Capital of Drado


    The magic airship carrying the delegation from the Merinard Kingdom arrived in Drado, the capital of the Dragon Mountain Kingdom, without any particular problems, such as being attacked by monsters. The only thing that was a little unusual was that a dozen dragon cavalrymen took off from Drado to pick us up.


    I think they were very suspicious of us at first, but they welcomed us. That was nice, right?


    Anyway, we arrived in Drado, and I was actually a bit impressed by its unusual and otherworldly appearance. The royal capital of Drado, a city built on a huge rocky mountain.


    A magnificent royal castle was built at the top of the mountain, and various buildings were constructed to cling to the outside of the mountain. It seems that the city was also built inside the rocky mountain.


    And right next to the castle is the landing place of the flying dragon.


    ¡°All right, cut thrust. Maintain altitude and stand by. Land as soon as the landing site below is cleared. All hands prepare for landing.¡±


    ¡°Aye, aye, sir.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave you in control of the ship, Isla. I¡¯ll take the airboat down to secure the landing zone.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    Driada-san comes forward to accompany me. Well, is that reasonable? I¡¯ll leave the negotiations for securing the landing site to Driada-san.


    ¡°It would be better for me to go as well.¡±


    ¡°It would be helpful in case of an emergency.


    ¡°Umu, you can rely on me completely.¡±


    Even if the small airboat has trouble and crashes, Grande can carry the small airboat and fly it. Even if Driada-san or I was on board, there would be no problem.


    ¡°It would be better to have Caltas-dono come along to discuss things, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. But we should also take an escort or a servant with us.¡±


    ¡°Gerda can do both, can¡¯t she?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ Since this is also a goodwill visit, it might not be a good idea to make the escort more conspicuous than necessary. Let¡¯s take her with us.¡±


    ¡°OK, then let¡¯s call her up on deck.¡±


    I call Gerda up to the deck using the bridge¡¯s magic transmission tube, and with Grande and Driada-san in tow, we head up to the deck as well. I think Caltas-dono is on the deck, commanding the dragon cavalry. We also have a small airboat on deck, so it¡¯s convenient for us.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re all together¡­ I¡¯ll contact them now about the landing.¡±


    ¡°Yes, about that. We¡¯re going down now.¡±


    ¡°Going down¡­? But with the size of this deck, the flying dragon might be able to land, but¡­ will it be able to withstand the weight of the flying dragon?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s probably okay, but I¡¯m afraid of accidents if we do it haphazardly. So I¡¯ll use something that has been on and off the ground many times.¡±


    Saying this, I pointed to a small airboat at the back of the deck near the bridge. Unfortunately, there are only two of them installed, one on each side, which is not enough for the entire crew to board. Well, all the crew members are equipped with magic tools containing fall control magic, so it is as if they are all equipped with parachutes at all times.


    ¡°Is that it? I was curious about that since it also flies?¡±


    ¡°Well, to the extent that it can transport a small number of people to and from the ground. It is not at all suitable for long-distance flights. Defensive measures are also scarce.¡±


    ¡°Certainly. It would disintegrate just by being hit by a wyvern¡¯s body.¡±


    While we were talking, Gerda appeared on the deck. When she saw my figure already on the deck, she rushed over as fast as she could. Hey, hey, don¡¯t fall off the deck with too much momentum, okay?


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m late!¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s just a matter of distance and speed of information transmission. No need to apologize.¡±


    ¡°Ugh¡­ sorry!¡±


    I know she blames herself for making me, Driada-san, and Grande wait for the guest of honor, Caltas-dono, but there¡¯s really no need to worry about it¡­ Well, I¡¯ll tell her again later that it¡¯s okay.


    ¡°Now, we¡¯ll go down and talk to them about expanding the Flying Dragon Landing Site. Driada-san, you will deal with them directly. Gerda, you will follow her. Can you do that?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    ¡°Grande, stay with me. If I step out of line or fall while I¡¯m working, you¡¯ll be there to help me.¡±


    ¡°Yes, leave it to me.¡±


    As we talked, we boarded the small airboat. There were only women in the airboat except me, and Caltas-dono looked a little uncomfortable, but I¡¯d like him to bear it for a while.


    ¡°Everyone, please fasten your seat belts. And, Caltas-dono, take this.¡±


    I took a fall control bracelet from my inventory and handed it to Caltas-dono.


    ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a bracelet with fall control magic in it. It¡¯s an insurance policy in case this airboat falls.¡±


    ¡°I pray it won¡¯t come in handy. How do you use it?¡±


    ¡°The bracelet is activated simply by channeling magic power into the bracelet or by touching the silver-white part at the top of the bracelet. In that case, it will forcefully absorb the user¡¯s magic power. The amount of magic power used is apparently not so significant that even a non-magician can safely descend from such a height.¡±


    ¡°What about you, Kosuke-dono¡­?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any magic power, so I can¡¯t use it.¡±


    If it is a type that uses an external source of magic power, such as magic crystals or magic stones, it can be managed, but then it would be difficult to make it the size of a bracelet. It is necessary to install a mechanism to accommodate the external source of magic power.


    ¡°Well, I have a reliable partner.¡±


    ¡°Kosuke, we¡¯re not partners. We¡¯re a couple.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. We are more than partners, aren¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Grande seemed very pleased with my complete affirmation. In fact, Grande has been very helpful to me, and in a way, it might be a bit lukewarm to use the word ¡°partner¡± to describe our relationship.


    ¡°I am glad to hear that Dragon-sama and her companion are getting along very well.¡±


    While saying this, Caltas-dono looks as if he has had sugar shoved into his mouth. Isn¡¯t that what Grande looks like in her spoiling mode?


    ¡°Kosuke-kun, I think we should go down there as soon as possible, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right too. Then let¡¯s go.¡±


    After activating the fall control device, use the lever on the side of the small airboat to detach it from the magic airship. All right, let¡¯s go down safely.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    ¡°Kosuke-dono. It¡¯s been a long time.¡±


    ¡°And you too, Rezarus-dono. Thank you for your hospitality this time.¡±


    We landed at the Flying Dragon¡¯s landing site in a small airboat and were greeted by Rezarus-dono, who had previously visited Merinesburg as an envoy of the Dragon Mountain Kingdom. He was, as always, a handsome man with fine horns.


    ¡°I heard from the envoy that the ship¡­ is an airship. Do you want to offer us something to land that thing?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. During your stay in Merinesburg, have you seen or heard from anyone that I am constructing various buildings?¡±


    ¡°Yes, well. It was also my mission to gather information. I see¡­ Is it using Kosuke-dono¡¯s ability?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I mean. In the meantime, I¡¯d like to expand this arrival/departure area just enough to allow for temporary ship disembarkation.¡±


    As I said that, I looked around the landing area of the flying dragon. It¡¯s quite a big place. I know that a flying dragon needs some run-up to take to the sky.


    Well, it is still pretty big, even if only a little. It is probably bigger than an elephant on Earth. It was 13 to 15 meters long and 7 to 8 meters high. It is hard to believe that such a huge creature can fly in the sky and move around so nimbly on the ground, but since it is a dragon, it must have strengthened its body with magic power and used magic power when it flew. Biologists in my former world would probably be very excited to see a flying dragon.


    Well, with such a huge body, even a short flight is still quite a long distance. This landing place is also quite long, probably more than 100 meters, to compensate for the running distance.


    ¡°Is that possible? Even if you use magic, it is difficult to expand it further, so the expansion work has been postponed many times.¡±


    ¡°With me, there will be no problem. If it fails, I will just be laughed at, right?¡±


    ¡°No, we¡¯d be in big trouble if the current landing area was damaged.¡±


    ¡°If Kosuke takes care of it, there will be no problem. Let him do it.¡±


    ¡°If Grande-sama says so, then we have no choice.¡±


    I thought he was reluctant, but he agreed with a single word from Grande. Seeing this, Driada-san is quietly thinking about something.


    How can I put it? It makes me feel uncomfortable. When Grande says it, even black becomes white. I feel a little bit of an unspeakable sense of danger. I don¡¯t know if I should call it fanaticism.


    ¡°Now that we have the green light, let¡¯s get to work, shall we?¡±


    ¡°Go ahead. Caltas, please stand by Kosuke-dono¡¯s side and give him some advice regarding the landing place of the flying dragon.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    Caltas-dono nodded.


    Well, after we use it, it will be used as a landing place for the flying dragons. Should I listen to the opinions of the users?

 CH 379

    Chapter 379 ¨C Securing the Landing Site


    ¡°Basically, should I go in the direction of the extension? Or should I make an intersection? Intersect it, or rather make it T-shaped.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s that easy to extend it or make it T-shaped¡­¡±


    ¡°Both are easy to do. So which is easier to use?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s easier to use if you extend it.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll go with that.¡±


    I immediately check the list of building blocks in my inventory. Right, I think solid stone is the best building material. Well, the blocks I¡¯ve placed can¡¯t be reduced in durability unless I ¡®attack¡¯ them with clear intention. If I made it out of stone and wood, it would be uncomfortable to look at¡­ Aside from humans, I wonder if flying dragons would also be uncomfortable? I¡¯d like to see it somehow.


    ¡°But it¡¯s pretty aggressive modeling at this point.¡±


    ¡°I heard that if it were to be expanded any further, it would require a lot of work from the foundation up.¡±


    Somehow, the landing place of the flying dragon had been extended quite a bit. No, I don¡¯t really know how to put it, but that¡¯s the only way I can describe it.


    The royal capital of Drado is a city built on a huge rocky mountain, and the royal castle is built on top of it. The castle stands out with spires that would hurt a giant if he stepped on them. To be honest, it looks like the castle of a demon king. The landing place of the flying dragon, which looks like an airstrip, extends from the second floor of the castle, which resembles a demon king¡¯s castle. Viewed from the side, the base of the runway is thicker, and the further it goes, the thinner it becomes, perhaps to reduce weight. It is true that it would be difficult to extend it further. If I used dirt or stones to extend it further, it might break off without being able to support its own weight.


    ¡°Let¡¯s sharpen the tip a bit.¡±


    ¡°Yes¨DHuh? Sharpen it?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Taking Caltas-dono¡¯s half-hearted reply as approval, I took out the mithril pickaxe registered in the quick slot and slammed it down on the runway. The enchanted mithril pickaxe easily crushed and scraped the tip of the runway, which had probably been strengthened by magic.


    ¡°Hey¨DW-wait a minute! W-what are you¨D!?¡±


    ¡°No, the joint has to be flat, or it won¡¯t look good, you know.¡±


    It is possible to attach them as they are now, but it would look a little too bad. There will be a gap.


    Ignoring the fussing Caltas-dono, I finished the excavation. The width of the landing place is quite wide since the giant flying dragons come and go there. Well, it¡¯s no match for my Mithril pickaxe.


    ¡°All right, let¡¯s set it up right away. It¡¯s pretty scary at the edge. The wind is strong.¡±


    ¡°If you fall, I¡¯ll pick you up.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t fall.¡±


    In fact, the sneak system prevents the top of a step with a drop of more than one meter from falling off. It¡¯s actually useful if you¡¯re building a high-rise. I¡¯ve lost count of the number of players who have fallen and died in voxel-style sandbox survival games without using it. Of course, I have died many times. Like diving into magma or falling into an abyss¡­ Oh, my heart aches when I think about it. I don¡¯t want to lose all my equipment.


    ¡°Wow¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know how you feel.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m used to being stopped.¡±


    When I¡¯m sneaking, that is, using command actions while crouching to move forward, backward, left, and right, it creates a very creepy image of sliding movement. I¡¯m used to being called creepy when I use command actions to move, hahaha.


    Speaking of being used to it, I¡¯m also used to placing blocks on a flat surface. The floor of the new runway is 2 meters thick, so two blocks should be enough for now. Using the blueprint function, I create the 10m x 10m stone floor with a bang. The first step. Then copy the first step using the blueprint function and reinstall it, and the second step is complete. It only took a few minutes. Since I made it a little wide, it will be able to be completed with a little time to spare.


    ¡°¡­I think I¡¯m going crazy.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it different when Kosuke says that?¡±


    Don¡¯t worry about the details. In such a case, it¡¯s best to agree with them anyway. After that, make a mooring post before I forget. You know, those things in harbors that make you want to put your foot on them and look out to sea. It¡¯s a projection with a rope attached to it to moor a ship. It is also called a bollard.


    Of course, they are not used to mooring a ship like a ship floating on the sea. They are used to prevent the ship from capsizing¨Dor rather tipping over¨Din a crosswind. Well, our airship has six powerful golem arms for landing gear, so I think it will probably be okay, but just in case.


    ¡°That¡¯s about it for now. All right, I¡¯ll call them.¡±


    I pulled a portable golem communicator from my inventory and contacted Isla on the magic airship to let her know I had secured a landing site.


    ¡°Hmm, we confirmed it here too. We¡¯re landing.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Be careful.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, leave it to me.¡±


    After the contact was made, the airship immediately moved away from the landing site. Soon after, the magic airship gradually lowered its altitude and landed without a hitch. The landing gear, made up of six strong golem arms, seemed to function without any problems.


    The front lower part of the airship opens, and the crew jumps out. A strong rope is tied to the mooring post to secure the ship. While searching for a strong rope, I learned of the existence of a race called Arachne, whose lower body is like a spider, and asked them to make a rope from their threads. However, it was not accepted because it was too weak against fire and too strong to be cut with ordinary knives. I would like to use it for other purposes someday.


    ¡°We have arrived.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for the good work. I¡¯ll go to the hold and unload the cargo.¡±


    Right now, the holds are loaded with only the bare necessities. Most of the gifts for Dragonis Mountain Kingdom and other supplies for my stay are still in my inventory and need to be stored in the hold.


    ¡°Hmm, okay. I¡¯ll go see Dri-ane.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sure she¡¯s discussing the stay with Rezarus-dono, so go talk to her. There will probably be more people than they expect, so we should at least think about making our own accommodations.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I understand. But I don¡¯t think that¡¯s going to happen. If they couldn¡¯t give us a place to sleep because there were more guests than expected, they would lose face.¡±


    ¡°Is that how it is?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s how it is.¡±


    Isla nodded her head. I don¡¯t know who¡¯s going to arrange our accommodation, but they¡¯re probably blue in the face when they hear how many people we have. All I can say is that I¡¯m sorry. Well, if push comes to shove, there is a way to keep most of the personnel on the ship for security purposes. I think I should talk to Driada-san about it and make adjustments. It would not be good to cause too much trouble for the other party.


    ¡°Maybe I¡¯m working too hard.¡±


    First of all, I have to fill the empty cargo holds. If I don¡¯t think about it, I¡¯ll get booed, so let¡¯s get someone and discuss it with them.

 CH 380

    Chapter 380 ¨C To the VIP Room


    ¡°Is that how you want me to do it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master. I think it¡¯s perfect.¡±


    Byaku, the fox-eared Beastman maid, nodded confidently. The other Beastman maids don¡¯t have any objections, so I guess it¡¯s all good. The civilian in charge of managing the supplies stands next to me and gives me his assurance. If we just throw out the supplies according to the list, it will be over in a heartbeat, but if we just pile them up without thinking, it will be a disaster, you know. I¡¯m the kind of person who manages and organizes supplies in games, so I know exactly what I¡¯m talking about.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to be leaving the ship soon, so be prepared for that. You¡¯ll probably be the first to go down with me.¡±


    ¡°Yes! Leave it to me!¡±


    Olivia, the goat-beastmen maid, replies spiritedly. The twin dog-beastmen maids, Luna and Lana, nod their heads in agreement behind her, and the horse-beastman, Shen, and the large rabbit-beastman, Meme, also quietly turn their gazes toward me.


    ¡°Master, what about our sleeping quarters?¡±


    Mito, the mouse-beastman who approached me before I knew it, looks up at me with her cute round eyes and asks.


    ¡°Driada-san is negotiating with them right now. Since I need you to take care of me and Driada-san, I think they will put you near our room, right?¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ I guess we can rest easy then, huh? Ah, ouch!¡±


    ¡°Mito, watch your language. I am sorry, Master. I will make sure to remind her of that.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ if it¡¯s just me personally, I don¡¯t mind at all, but if you do it in public, there¡¯s a limit to how much I can cover for you. Be careful.¡±


    I smiled at Fey as she patted Mito on the head and bowed to me. I would have been happier if the Beastmen maids, who are my servants, had treated me as casually as Mito, but it would have been very bad if they had spoken to me, Driada-san, and the royalty and nobility of other countries in the same tone of voice in an official setting. I don¡¯t know about that, but I¡¯ve heard that in some cases, you could be fired or even thrown in jail. The difference in status is frightening.


    ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m going to tell them to move your bedrooms as close together as possible. So don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    ¡°¡±¡±Yes.¡±¡±¡±


    Hearing the harmonious response of the Beastmen¡¯s maids, I walked over to Driada-san, who was probably talking to Rezarus-dono this time.


    ¡°Grande, let¡¯s go!¡±


    ¡°Yes? Are you done?¡±


    Grande, who had been relaxing on a pile of cushions in the corner of the hold, peeked out of the pile of cushions. Yeah, she¡¯s cute. I pulled Grande out of the pile of cushions, retrieved the cushions, and left the cargo hold.


    ¡î¡ï¡î


    After leaving the ship¡¯s hold, I met up with Driada-san again and was escorted by Rezarus-dono to the castle¡¯s guest room.


    ¡°Hmm, all I know is that it looks kind of expensive.¡±


    ¡°These are all first-class items that the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom has collected from all over the continent through the flying dragon trade. They might not be anything special for you, Kosuke-kun.¡±


    ¡°For Kosuke, no matter how luxurious the furnishings are, they¡¯re no better than the stones in the field.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, you rascal. Well, it is true.¡±


    If I were to take the furniture in my inventory and dismantle it, most of it would probably be nothing but wood, stone, and scrap metal. And my skills don¡¯t take into account any market value. But the stone sofa is comfortable, and the height and position of the table, and the tactile feel of it when you touch it. You seem to have carefully filed the wood so that you don¡¯t feel the corners when you touch it while respecting the texture of the natural wood. Compared to this kind of craftsmanship, the products made with my crafting skills seem to be standardized or processed according to a standard.


    While thinking about this, I drink the tea offered to me and discuss future plans with Driada-san. Well, we didn¡¯t go to the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom with any special purpose this time. Since we were invited, we wanted to show them our technological prowess so that we would not be underestimated by the surrounding countries, especially the confederation of small nations spread out to the west of the Kingdom of Merinard. It is possible that the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom has something against me and especially against Grande, but to be honest, I cannot predict what they will do.


    ¡°After all, we have no choice but to maintain a high degree of flexibility and react flexibly¡­¡±


    ¡°You say that like it¡¯s a difficult thing to do, but doesn¡¯t that mean you just take things as they come?¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, you little rascal.¡±


    ¡°Uyuyuyuyuyu.¡±


    I poke Grande¡¯s cheeks as she gives me a sharp rebuke. Although she says ¡°uyuyuyuyu,¡± she doesn¡¯t try to avoid it or shake it off, and it seems she doesn¡¯t mind this kind of thing.


    ¡°Guh!¡±


    ¡°Ouch, ouch.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea to leave me alone and flirt with her. Right, Kosuke-kun?¡±


    ¡°Wait, that tickles, tickles, it hurts!¡±


    Even if it is a sweet bite, Grande¡¯s teeth are quite sharp, so it usually hurts, and Driada-san, who was jealous, tangled up with me and started tickling my side. Or rather, remember the time and place! Oh, wait, something¡¯s knocking at the door! There¡¯s a knock at the door!


    ¡°Excuse me¨DOh, I¡¯m sorry to disturb you.¡±


    ¡°Wait, wait, wait! We¡¯re not in the middle of anything!¡±


    Look! You¡¯ve given the Lizardman¡¯s maid the wrong impression!


    ¡°So, what do you want?¡±


    ¡°Yes. The royal family would like to see Grande-sama, her companion Kosuke-sama, and Her Royal Highness Driada-sama.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I guess I¡¯d better accept. Driada-san?¡±


    ¡°Of course, you should.¡±


    ¡°Grande?¡±


    ¡°No problem.¡±


    ¡°Okay, then.¡±


    ¡°Thank you very much.¡±


    A Lizardman in a maid¡¯s uniform bows deeply and then leaves. It¡¯s hard for me to tell the gender of Lizardmen with my eyes, and it¡¯s also hard to read their facial expressions, but they still look cute when they wear maid¡¯s uniforms. The power of the maid¡¯s uniform is amazing.


    While I was thinking about such a useless thing, there was another knock at the guest room door. It seems that I am finally going to meet the royal family of Dragonis Mountain Kingdom. I don¡¯t know what they¡¯re going to say, so I¡¯m going to brace myself.

 CH 381

    Chapter 381 ¨C Meeting with Royalty


    ¡°Your Majesty Hoskat, how are you?¡±


    ¡°Umu¡­ Princess Driada, it has been a long time. I¡¯m sorry about your father.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    I watched from my seat on the sofa as Driada-san stood to greet the people as they hurriedly entered the VIP room and exchanged greetings with each other. Yeah, I wanted to stand up and greet them, too, you know?


    ¡°Why should Kosuke stand up to greet people who come here on their own?¡±


    With these words, Grande forced me to sit down on the sofa, threw her upper body on my lap, and started to relax, so there was nothing I could do. I, Driada-san, and even Gerda are no match for Grande¡¯s physique. So I had no choice but to let her do what she wanted.


    ¡°So that¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°Sorry for looking like this. I¡¯m Kosuke, husband of Her Majesty Sylphiel, Queen of the Kingdom of Merinard, and life partner of this Grande. It is an honor to meet you, Your Majesty Hoskat.¡±


    ¡°I am Grande. Umu, I can still feel the dragon¡¯s blood on you.¡±


    Grande, resting her elbows on my lap and her cheeks on her palm, looked at His Majesty Hoskat, Her Majesty the Queen, and the princes and princesses and said that. I don¡¯t know, but it seems that Grande can sense the dragon blood flowing through the royal family.


    ¡°Grande-sama, it is an honor to meet you. I am sure our ancestors would be happy to see you.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Is that so? Well, it doesn¡¯t bother me. Kosuke, get that thing out.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes.¡±


    I did as Grande asked and took three small bottles out of my inventory. They were crystal bottles carved with intricate patterns and filled with crimson liquid. The contents were Grande¡¯s blood.


    ¡°It¡¯s my blood. I don¡¯t know what it is, but I¡¯m sure you have many uses for it. I heard that you helped Kosuke and Sylphy a lot. I have no interest in the Kingdom of Merinard, but Sylphy is my friend, and Kosuke is my companion. You may take it.¡±


    Hearing Grande¡¯s words, the eyes of the royalty focus on the bottle and then on me. Scary, scary, their eyes are serious. I nod my head, inwardly stunned.


    ¡°As Grande said, this is not a gift from the Kingdom of Merinard but a personal gift from Grande, so I would appreciate it if you could accept it without thinking too much. Please accept these words as Grande¡¯s companion, not as the Prince Consort of the Kingdom of Merinard.¡±


    ¡°Umu¡­ Sindriel.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    With trembling hands, the well-built, handsome man called Sindriel takes three small bottles in his hands. Even though each bottle isn¡¯t that big, his hands are big enough to hold three small bottles at once. If you look closely, the skin on his hands seems to be quite thick.


    ¡°Oh, about those bottles¡­¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Perhaps startled by my voice, Sindriel¨Dor perhaps His Highness¨Dnearly drops the small bottles. That¡¯s dangerous. Well, I don¡¯t think it would even break if it fell.


    ¡°Forgive my sudden voice. The bottle seems to have been processed with magic to make it very strong and to keep its contents fresh. Our court mage told me that as long as it is kept in this bottle, the contents will be safe for a hundred or two hundred years.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ this bottle alone must be worth ten thousand gold pieces. I would also like to thank the court magician.¡±


    ¡°Since they are accompanying me on this trip, I think they would be pleased if you tell them personally when you get a chance.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡±


    After that, we talked about nothing much. Mostly about how Grande and I met, Grande¡¯s family home¨Dthe depths of the Black Forest¨Dand the silly antics we had in the cave of her family home.


    ¡°Wow, that was a good time. I¡¯d like to hear more of your stories when you have time.¡±


    ¡°With pleasure.¡±


    ¡°See you later.¡±


    After a little practical talk, the royalty left the VIP room at ease. Well, that¡¯s how a king behaves, isn¡¯t it? But what was it all about?


    ¡°What the hell was that?¡±


    ¡°Maybe they wanted to see how well Kosuke-kun and Grande-chan were getting along.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I think they wanted to find out how close you two are and if there is any room for interference and what your personalities are like.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    If me and Grande weren¡¯t as close as they thought we were, were they thinking of somehow flattering Grande or something?


    ¡°What¡¯s that? In other words, did they doubt my relationship with Kosuke? That¡¯s an unpleasant story.¡±


    Driada-san makes a worried face as she looks at Grande, who is angry with a puckered lip. If Grande is sulking here, it will be very difficult in many ways.


    ¡°It¡¯s just my imagination, okay? It could be that they were just interested in Kosuke-kun and Grande-chan. I think that ordinary royalty and nobility would think and act like I just said, but the behavior or thoughts of the people of this country towards Grande-chan are a bit different from the behavior of ordinary royalty and nobility¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s for sure. When it came time to build a magic airship runway, Grande¡¯s one word was enough to get the green light to skip the whole thing.¡±


    This is not possible under normal circumstances. The flying dragon runway is an indispensable part of the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom. In a sense, it is the most strategically important facility. It is clearly unusual for Grande, who does not belong to the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom, to make decisions on the spot regarding the reconstruction and expansion of the facility.


    ¡°In other words¡­ What does that mean?¡±


    ¡°There is no strange intention at all; they just might have wanted to have a chat with Grande and me.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ Well, now that you put it that way, I didn¡¯t really feel any evil intentions.¡±


    The cute lips that had been pouting retreated, and now she looks somehow thoughtful. By the way, is it time for you to stop throwing your upper body over my lap because my legs are getting numb? Is that not good? Was that it?


    ¡°Whatever it is, it seems to be going well so far. It would be great if everything went smoothly.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. That would be nice.¡±


    ¡°Do you have any concerns?¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything strange about the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom as long as Grande is there, but there are a lot of people in the small states confederation who are a bit of a problem¡­¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Well, there are some people with brains and muscles and barbaric minds. Should we worry more about them?

 CH 382

    Chapter 382 ¨C Suite Room


    After a while, the room was ready, so the four of us, Grande, Driada-san, and Gerda, who accompanied us as an attendant, went to the prepared room.


    ¡°This is a magnificent room. It¡¯s as good as the rooms in the royal castle in Merinesburg, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    The room is a so-called suite room. It seems to be connected to several bedrooms from the spacious living room.


    ¡°Umu, I see. Kosuke, I think I¡¯d like to sleep there.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes.¡±


    Grande points to a pile of pillows in a sunny spot near the window. Grande prefers this kind of bed to a real bed because the wings on her back and the tail at her waist get in the way.


    ¡°The master bedroom seems to be this room.¡±


    Gerda¡¯s voice checking the room caught my attention, and I went to check the room and found a bedroom with a very large and magnificent bed. It was big enough to sleep three adults. How on earth did they get it into this room? Did they assemble it here?


    ¡°Hmm? What about this door?¡±


    I found a door discreetly placed in the corner of the bedroom. It¡¯s not a closet¡­ When I opened it, I found three ordinary beds in a row. The decor is a bit plain, but it¡¯s a normal bedroom.


    ¡°Why is there a door in the master bedroom that connects to the other bedrooms?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a connecting room. It¡¯s a place for servants and guards to wait.¡±


    ¡°I see. Is the door of this room¡­ connected to the hallway?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it appears so.¡±


    Looking at the other rooms connected from the suite, there was another room almost the same design as the master bedroom I had just seen and another twin room that seemed to be one or two levels down. The other master bedroom also seemed to have a connecting room.


    ¡°I think six of the maids will be in the connecting rooms on either side, two in the twin room, and the master bedroom will be used by me, Driada-san, and Isla, right?¡±


    ¡°Kosuke-kun. You¡¯re using the ¡®san¡¯ suffix again, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Mm¡­ It¡¯s hard for me to get used to.¡±


    Driada-san has a strong older sister vibe from the beginning. It¡¯s not easy to change the way you address her. It took me a while to call Amalie, too. Well, let¡¯s wait patiently.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine here. You can sleep with Kosuke.¡±


    Saying this, Grande jumped into the pile of pillows and adjusted the position of the pillows to create an ideal sleeping place. The pattern of pillow placement is different every time and changes every day, so it is impossible for anyone else to create her ideal bed. It might be a good idea to use it as a random number generator or something. No, actually, there might be some sort of pattern. Is anyone going to do any research? I think not.


    ¡°Since the bed is so big. I think three people could sleep on that bed alone.¡±


    With a bed that big, Grande would have no problem sleeping on it. Well, sometimes, when I sleep with Grande, her tail and her scaly arms and legs attack me. It¡¯s actually quite dangerous, so a slime cover is essential when sleeping together.


    ¡°By the way, will the three of you be sharing the two master bedrooms?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s how it¡¯s going to be. Well, it¡¯s a tricky situation for me to say who¡¯s sleeping with me in the master bedroom, so¡­¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ will Isla be in charge this time?¡±


    ¡°That would be good.¡±


    Isla is one of the women who has been in a relationship with me almost from the beginning.


    ¡°Isla, this is Kosuke. The maids and our rooms are secured. The other staff quarters are also secured. However, we have decided that half of the magic rifle squad, half of the Harpy bomb squad, and some members of the R&D department will remain on the ship to maintain the ship and provide security, so please select the personnel who will remain on the ship. During their stay, they will rotate between the ship and their quarters. All civilian personnel will be assigned quarters here.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, okay. I¡¯ll let Ted and Darko know.¡±


    ¡°Do that. Anything from your end?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. All good.¡±


    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll see you later. I¡¯ll leave the comm set up in my room, so call me if you hear anything.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, okay.¡±


    After ending the call, I set up the golem communicator in the living room of the suite and looked around the room. Let¡¯s get our stuff out first.


    ¡°When you¡¯re done here, Gerda, you¡¯ll be in charge of the maid corps. What about the food preparation on the ship¡¯s side¡­¡±


    ¡°I think it is normal for the host to prepare the food in such a case. I¡¯ll ask the people at the castle later.¡±


    Gerda smiled as she said this. It¡¯s a relief to see Gerda smile.


    ¡°So¡­ what else should we do?¡±


    ¡°Once we get our personal belongings out, we just have to take our time. At a time like this, the leader of the group should just take it easy. It is the superior¡¯s job to be calm and reassure the subordinates.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? I don¡¯t feel comfortable.¡±


    Is that called being poor? I do not feel comfortable with the idea that I can rest while others are working. I understand that there are many problems when a person in charge does everything because it is faster for him to do it himself.


    ¡°Kosuke-sama, when you finish sorting the luggage, will you let me use the communicator?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes. Use it as you like.¡±


    And so, in the end, Driada-san¨DDriada urged me to spend time in the living room of the suite, drinking tea that Gerda made with Driada in a restless mood and preparing snacks for Grande, who was fussy about her hunger and feeding her.

 CH 383

    Chapter 383 ¨C Diplomatic Stance of the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom


    ¡°Was it too much to bring two platoons?¡±


    ¡°It was a royal visit, so I don¡¯t think it was too much.¡±


    ¡°Really? Well, if Driada-sa¡­ if Driada says so, then I guess it¡¯s true.¡±


    It¡¯s good that we arrived in the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom, but I didn¡¯t have anything special to do, so I had tea with Driada and got a lecture about the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom.


    Apparently, the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom was having a hard time preparing accommodations for the two platoons of riflemen we had brought with us, a total of 100 people. From what I heard, the members of the small nation confederation who were invited to the national celebration brought only the minimum number of guards. So this is the policy of the elite few.


    As the name suggests, the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom is a mountainous country. Although there are some roads, they are narrow, steep, and difficult to navigate along the mountain ridges and slopes, making it very inconvenient for a large number of people to come and go.


    The Dragonis Mountain Kingdom is also a land of many monsters. If they make a half-hearted effort, they might be attacked by monsters along the way and go missing. If that happened, other countries would laugh at them as a weak nation that could not even protect one of its own envoys, and the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom would not look back on such a nation.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this the point where the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom will be condemned for not being able to protect the safety of the roads as a nation?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that the people of the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom don¡¯t have a problem with monsters appearing on the roads unless they are children.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s scary.¡±


    Does that mean that almost everyone in the kingdom is strong enough to defend themselves against monsters? No, that¡¯s just the people who¡­ probably have to travel to and from the roads. Right? I¡¯d like to think so.


    ¡°Is it possible that the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom is a crazy muscle-brain nation?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not all¡­¡±


    Driada smiles bitterly as she says this. What is it called? The basis of their thinking is really dragon-like¡­ As if they don¡¯t care about the weak or don¡¯t value them. No, it¡¯s not that they don¡¯t value them. Or should I say they don¡¯t recognize them as equal?


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand how such an attitude can be tolerated, but is it because most of the nations invited to the National Founding Day are practically dependent nations¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yes, well. Neither the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom nor the Confederation of small states recognizes this fact.¡±


    I see¡­ I had a quick look at the participating countries, but most of them were small countries belonging to the Confederation of small states, and there seemed to be no visitors from very distant countries.


    Well, that¡¯s true. Traveling in this world is never safe. There are many monsters and bandits to watch out for, and even though there are magic and potions to heal yourself, it is not impossible to get hurt or get sick along the way. Especially if the main means of transportation is a horse-drawn carriage, it will take several weeks just to cross the Kingdom of Merinard.


    After passing through the Confederation of Small States and arriving in the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom, they climbed the steep mountain paths on foot¡­ Of course, only people from the Confederation of small states with strong direct interests in the region would come.


    ¡°If they are from a nation that they recognize as an equal, they will send their dragon cavalry to the foot of the mountain to pick them up. That¡¯s why there are facilities at the foot of the mountain to accommodate a large number of guards.¡±


    ¡°And since no one has ever brought a large number of soldiers to the capital before, they will have a hard time dealing with the situation.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s how it is. But it is not our fault. It is the fault of those who are not prepared to receive the guests. You know how it is.¡±


    ¡°The manners of royalty and nobility are so complicated.¡±


    Come to think of it, my ability to instantly construct most of the buildings when there is a sudden shortage of accommodations or buildings is extremely useful, isn¡¯t it? I don¡¯t want to brag, but it might be a skill that can handle all kinds of situations.


    ¡°So, are we just going to sit here and do nothing for the rest of the night?¡±


    ¡°The Dragonis Mountain Kingdom will be busy accommodating the personnel we brought with us, so maybe. The fact that the royal family themselves went to meet us as soon as we arrived would be a sign of the importance they attach to us. Perhaps we will be invited to a dinner party in the evening?¡±


    ¡°A dinner party, huh¡­ I don¡¯t know anything about table manners?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s okay. The dinner party in the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom has no formal manners. I¡¯m sure Grande-chan will enjoy it.¡±


    ¡°Oh? If Grande can enjoy it, it seems to be quite casual.¡±


    Grande is not very good at using tableware, or rather cutlery. That¡¯s true. She has big scales and claws on her fingertips, and she is not good at grasping small things like that. Basically, if it¡¯s not something she can grab and eat, she needs to be fed.


    By the way, Grande is sleeping soundly, buried in the pillows. Grande usually sleeps unless she has something to do. It seems that dragons are basically lazy.


    ¡°Kosuke-sama, I heard that they have finished gathering all the personnel. Half of the magic riflemen and half of the mages stayed on the ship under the guise of guarding the magic airship, and the rest of the personnel were assigned quarters within the compound, which is a short distance from here.¡±


    ¡°I see. Tell them to rest as they see fit. If there are any problems, let me know.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I will let you know.¡±


    While listening to Gerda¡¯s answer, I continued to discuss our future plans with Driada-san. I would like to have Isla¡¯s opinion as well. Isla is a very knowledgeable person. Well, she will be here soon after the preparations are made to house the staff. Let¡¯s wait and see.

 CH 384

    Chapter 384 ¨C An Invitation to Depravity


    ¡°I¡¯m tired.¡±


    ¡°Good, good. Isla is such a hard worker.¡±


    ¡°Mmm.¡±


    After she finished supervising the magic airship, I hugged and patted Isla as she arrived at our assigned room. She looks very happy, and that¡¯s good. Isla is so cute.


    The Beastmen maids have also arrived and are carrying their belongings into the rooms Gerda has assigned them.


    ¡°Why am I in this room?¡±


    ¡°Because Master loves you too much, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°Some people think that if it¡¯s a room connected to the master bedroom, the master might crawl in there at night.¡±


    ¡°Nngh¡­¡±


    Olivia groans as Shen, the horse beastman, and Fey, the weasel beastman, interfere with her. She groans but doesn¡¯t deny it. I¡¯m sure they¡¯re joking. They are joking, aren¡¯t they?


    By the way, these girls were assigned a connecting room that was connected to Driada¡¯s room.


    ¡°We¡¯re this way.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, together.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m tired.¡±


    The ones carrying their luggage into the connecting room connected to my room are Luna and Lana, the dog beastmen sisters, and Mito, the mouse beastman. All in all, the three of them are rather clumsy.


    ¡°We¡¯re done with the luggage.¡±


    ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll go check out the area and greet the maids of the castle.¡±


    The double bedroom connected to the living room is occupied by the head maid, Gerda, and the big rabbit beastman Meme. The fox-eared beastman Byaku stays on the magic airship and seems to take turns with Gerda in this room. This is because there is a need for manpower over there. After that, it seems that everyone except Gerda and Meme will return to the ship to do various chores. The maids, who had finished packing their things, leave the room with a clatter, leaving Meme alone.


    ¡°How¡¯s your work going? Meme.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s hard because there¡¯s so much to learn. I¡¯m not very smart¡­ but everyone is very nice, and the work is very rewarding and fun.¡±


    Meme says with a smile. The content of what she is saying is very positive or even exemplary¡­ but it makes me feel uncomfortable.


    ¡°Is everything okay? Are you pushing yourself too hard? Are you really struggling? Talk to me all you want about improving the work environment. I¡¯m not going to make my people work in a black, uh, harsh environment, okay?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I really have no complaints about my life right now. Far from being dissatisfied, I¡¯m very content.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine, but¡­ if it¡¯s too hard to tell me face to face, then write me a letter or a note or whatever you can sneak it to me. Just don¡¯t force it too much, okay?¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Meme smiles as she thanks me. She always smiles, which makes it hard to read her emotions. It¡¯s a smile that makes me feel relieved, but I can¡¯t help but wonder if she¡¯s really holding something inside.


    ¡°Kosuke, what¡¯s the situation?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll share some information with you.¡±


    I shared information with Isla about what happened on the royal castle side and what happened on the airship side. From the royal family¡¯s reaction, it seems that Grande¡¯s presence is very important to the royal family of the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom and that my presence is also very important. It is possible that they consider me more important as Grande¡¯s companion than as the Prince Consort of the Merinard Kingdom.


    ¡°I see. There were many people from the Confederation of Small Nations who came here to see things. They just watched from a distance because they were not allowed to enter the landing site of the flying dragon. However, there were a few who tried to catch the members of the Magic Rifle Squad and the officials who were going to their quarters and talking to them.¡±


    ¡°Catch them?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mean physically detain them; just talk to them. It seems that no one would do anything reckless in the territory of the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom.¡±


    ¡°I see. Should I do anything about it?¡±


    I think it¡¯s safe in the eyes of the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom, but in some cases, some might try to extract information through blackmail tactics.


    ¡°Meanwhile, it might be better to have a magic rifleman accompany the civilian officials when they act. If they try to get information from our personnel in an outrageous way, it would be a disgrace to the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom, so I think it would be okay.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    I am sorry to add more work, but I will contact Ted and Darko, the platoon leaders, and have them make arrangements. At the same time, I have also contacted the civilian officials and told them to be careful. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s possible for other countries to imitate the specifications of the magic airship, no matter how much is leaked, but there is a possibility that they will develop some countermeasures if they know the specifications.


    Even if they do not have access to the actual gun, they might be able to imitate it if they know how it works. This is more dangerous. Therefore, I will tell the magic rifle team to never lose their magic rifles.


    ¡°But am I allowed to sit here and relax while all these people are working so hard? Is there something, something I have to do¡­?¡±


    With Isla and Driada on either side, flowers in both hands, and even a rabbit beastman maid present, and a dragon girl sleeping a little further away, this is not an easy situation to handle. Objectively speaking, it¡¯s like a boss making his subordinates work and flirting with beautiful women. If I were the subordinate, I¡¯d want to kill the boss with all my might.


    ¡°Kosuke usually works too hard. Besides, in a situation like this, if the head of the delegation is running around and working hard, the Kingdom of Merinard will be looked down upon.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Please be patient.¡±


    From left and right, Isla and Driada tempt me as I try to regain a human heart. But I have to stand here, don¡¯t I? Isn¡¯t this the point where I have to decide whether I will fall as a human or not?


    ¡°All right! Let¡¯s go sightseeing! It is necessary for me, the prince consort, to look around other castles and expand my knowledge. This is not work because it is also a distraction. Perfect.¡±


    I get up from the comfortable sofa and shake off Isla and Driada, who are entangling me left and right. Besides, there¡¯s a saying that even a dog bumps into a pole when it walks. Walking could be good for you.


    No, the original meaning was that a stray dog walking around might get hit by a person with a stick or something and cause unnecessary trouble? Well, it doesn¡¯t matter either way. If I stay here, I¡¯ll be corrupted by the two of them.


    ¡°Kosuke is in too much of a hurry to live.¡±


    Saying this, Isla also got up from her seat. Driada seems to want to stay here.


    ¡°It¡¯s my turn. I¡¯m looking forward to it since it will be my first visit to the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom.


    ¡°Yes. Then I¡¯ll stay here and watch over things, I guess.¡±


    Of course, Driada could not be left here alone, so Meme had to stay behind. It is said that it is not possible for royalty to spend time alone without a servant. I just want to be alone once in a while.


    ¡°I¡¯m off then.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I¡¯m off.¡±


    ¡°Okay, see you.¡±


    ¡°Have a good day.¡±


    Driada and Meme said goodbye as Isla and I left the VIP room.

 CH 385

    Chapter 385 ¨C Walking Around the Royal Castle


    After leaving the VIP room, Isla and I strolled through Drado, the royal capital of the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom, and the royal castle that stood there.


    ¡°Hmm, should I call it solid and sturdy?¡±


    ¡°From the outside, it looked magnificent with its many towers, but inside, it is more practical. It was built with the main purpose of defending against monsters coming from the sky.¡±


    The royal castle seemed to have so many spires that it would be painful if a giant stepped on them, but it seems that most of the spires were anti-aircraft defenses. Most of the windows of the castle are also equipped with metal armored doors, and it seems that all the windows can be used as defensive facilities in case of emergency.


    ¡°The castle itself is made of stone, reinforced with magical power in many places. There are also signs of recent repairs.¡±


    ¡°Are there regular attacks by monsters? Well, it would not be surprising if that were the case.¡±


    There is no doubt that the royal capital of Drado and the settlements surrounding the royal capital are the area where people live, but the area surrounding it is basically the realm of monsters.


    ¡°But stone strengthened by magic power must be very strong, right? What kind of monster would attack from the sky and destroy it?¡±


    ¡°A wyvern, a chimera, a griffon, a hippogriff, or maybe¡­ some kind of demon.¡±


    ¡°A demon? You mean like a devil?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what they¡¯re sometimes called. Demons are ferocious monsters that appear out of nowhere. Their appearance is inconsistent, but their entire bodies are covered with thick, smooth skin, and they have horns and wings. They can be seen communicating with each other in some kind of language, but communication between humans and demons has never been established. Basically, they are brutal, killing and playing with humans. They don¡¯t eat them; they just kill them.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s scary.¡±


    ¡°Yes, they are dangerous. Some of them can fly, and they are more powerful than most humans and use destructive magic.¡±


    What about these ¡°absolute man-killers¡±? Who created them, and how and for what purpose?


    Like the man who contacted me before or the main god of the Adol religion, this world feels artificial. To be precise, I have the impression that it was created with super technology that I can¡¯t even imagine. In such a world, or rather on such a planet, there are beings that exist only to kill people¡­ Or maybe the very existence of monsters is like that. What is the purpose of placing vicious, hostile creatures¡­ is it to adjust the population? Or is it to balance the power of humanity? Hmm?


    ¡°Kosuke?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I was just thinking. Well, I guess there¡¯s no point in thinking about things that have no answers.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? But let me ask you later. I¡¯d like to hear what Kosuke thinks about the demons.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Oh, it looks like we¡¯re out in the open.¡±


    There are signs of people, and it seems brighter than the hallway because the sun is shining. I can feel the wind, so it looks like a courtyard or something.


    ¡°Is this the training area?¡±


    ¡°Looks like it.¡±


    It seems that we have arrived at a training ground for the soldiers who work at the castle. Most of the soldiers were Lizardmen or large beastmen, mixed with those with dragon-like horns, wings, and tails. The Dragonis Mountain Kingdom seems to be a nation of subhumans.


    ¡°So the spear is their main weapon?¡±


    ¡°It seems so. Perhaps it is because the main weapon of the dragon cavalry is also a spear.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    But even at such a time, they don¡¯t miss their training, do they? Oh, no, the soldiers¡¯ work won¡¯t change much when people like us come to the castle. Although the sudden arrival of more than fifty people in the castle might have had some effect.


    While Isla and I were watching the training of the soldiers, a group of large beastmen appeared behind us. They all carried weapons and wore armor that was different in design from the soldiers in the castle.


    All of them have lion or lion-like parts somewhere on their bodies, and the one in the lead¨Dprobably a man because of his mane¨Dhas a face that looks just like a lion. His face is exactly like a lion¡¯s face. He reminds me of Sir Leonard, but this lion man has a much darker look in his eyes or face.


    ¡°You raw, white bean-sprout bastard. You¡¯re an eyesore. Get out of here.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    He walked past me, or so I thought, but then he stopped right in front of me and suddenly did this. I was confused.


    ¡°Oh¡­ stay, stay, Isla, stay.¡±


    ¡°He needs to be disciplined.¡±


    I grabbed Isla¡¯s shoulder and stopped her, who had somehow pulled a short stick decorated with mithril out of her pocket. It would be bad in many ways to release magic in a place like this.


    ¡°Let me ask you something. Are you crazy? Do you know who I am? Do your superiors allow you to make insulting remarks to a stranger out of the blue? I mean, if you want to take back what you just said, now¡¯s the time. I can still pretend I didn¡¯t hear it.¡±


    Perhaps sensing a hint of an argument out of the corner of his eye, he sees a high-ranking soldier¨Dor perhaps a knight, with horns like a dragon-coming this way. If my guess is correct, in the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom, those who have dragon-like parts on their bodies are either of royal blood or from a noble family close to the royal family. I don¡¯t know who or what this evil-looking lion man is, but if the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom finds out that the man in front of me insulted me, there will probably be trouble.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with calling a raw white bean sprout bastard a raw white bean sprout bastard? You can¡¯t handle a sword or a spear with your weak body, can you?¡±


    The bad-looking lion man said this in a mocking tone and laughed.


    The other lion-like beastmen laughed along with him. Oh¡­ now¡­ why can¡¯t I guess it right away? Or a dragon-like knight¡­ a dragon knight already. Are they saying that even though they know that the dragon knight is coming this way?


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what will happen to you¡­¡±


    I murmured while stroking my temples. My head hurts when I imagine what will happen.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? I¡¯d like you to refrain from unnecessary fights in the hall.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡±


    ¡°That man insulted my husband.¡±


    I tried to improve the situation, but Isla said it faster and pointed her fingertips at the lion man with a bad look on her face. Isla-san?


    ¡°He called him a raw white bean sprout without the strength to fight. If he doesn¡¯t take back his words and apologize, I will have no choice but to make him take back those words and restore his honor in a duel.¡±


    ¡°I see. And what about you?¡±


    ¡°I have no intention of retracting my words. A duel? I accept.¡±


    Saying this, the lion man grinned. The head of Isla, who is small in stature, does not even reach the waist of the lion man, who is huge in stature. It is a staggering difference in size. From the side, one would normally think that there is no match.


    But Isla is a court magician with a prodigious talent for magic. She is so skilled that she can even catch a crossbow arrow fired at close range with a physical barrier that she instantly deploys and immediately unleashes lightning magic to counterattack the assassin. The lion man may look strong, but it would be nearly impossible to face Isla, who manipulates physical barriers with mere physicality.


    ¡°I understand. If this is a duel based on mutual consent with honor at stake, then we have no right to stop it. I will be the witness.¡±


    Huh? You¡¯re not going to stop it? I was really surprised, but what happened after that was even more surprising to me.


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s fight!¡±


    ¡°Why¡­? Why¡­?¡±


    Why do I have to duel with the muscular lion man in front of the audience?

 CH 386

    Chapter 386 ¨C Duel


    The time goes back a bit.


    ¡°Good luck, Kosuke.¡±


    After saying that, Isla put the short staff she had taken out into her robe and looked up at me.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    I was confused. Wasn¡¯t the story earlier that Isla had arranged a duel with that evil-looking lion man? Good luck? Me? Isn¡¯t that something funny?


    ¡°If Kosuke blows up that obnoxious, undisciplined cat, everything will be fine.¡±


    ¡°Wait, wait. Me? I¡¯m the one who will do it?¡±


    ¡°Kosuke is the one who was insulted, so it¡¯s only right that Kosuke himself fights to regain his honor.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­?¡±


    If you say so, it might be true. After all, I was the target of the Lion Man¡¯s insult, and Isla was furious about it. Considering the content of the insult, it would be best for me to show my strength to the Lion Man, which would lead to a complete denial of the insult.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be bad from a diplomatic point of view? Besides, Isla knows how I fight, right? I won¡¯t go easy on my enemy or anything, you know?¡±


    ¡°As long as you don¡¯t kill him, I¡¯ll heal him with my magic. I also have magic potions. Even if two or three arms are blown off, there are regeneration potions. It doesn¡¯t matter if you destroy more than half of them or even ninety percent.¡±


    ¡°No, there are only two arms¡­ I don¡¯t like that. I mean, how can I be provoked so easily?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s okay. This will be a favor.¡±


    ¡°Favor?¡±


    I tilted my head at Isla, who suddenly started saying things I didn¡¯t understand. Who is this favor for? In other words, there is someone who wants me to fight a duel, and by obediently accepting it, I will be doing this person¨Dor group of people¨Da favor, right?


    ¡°Kosuke should smash that cheeky cat so hard that it doesn¡¯t die instantly without a second thought. I don¡¯t care if it¡¯s a little conspicuous.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m telling you, my fighting style is not easy to handle.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Beastmen don¡¯t die easily because their bodies are strong. Or rather, you shouldn¡¯t underestimate them too much. If he is from another country and has come to this castle, he is a man of some ability. I don¡¯t think he¡¯s as good as Sir Leonard or Zamir, but he might be as good as Danan. I¡¯m just warning you.¡±


    With that, Isla walked steadily toward the dragon knight, who said he would be a witness.


    The Lion Man who lunged at me warmed up by wielding what seemed to be his favorite weapon, a glaive¨Da large-bladed, naginata-like weapon.


    ¡°Ehh¡­¡±


    He¡¯s already feeling motivated. I don¡¯t like pain¡­ Well, I guess I can¡¯t complain anymore. Then I will just have to deal with it my own way.


    When it comes to someone of a certain caliber, a handgun is a bit inadequate. I had tried it before, but even Danan had easily dodged or deflected a .45 caliber pistol bullet, and the pistol was no match for Sir Leonard or Ms. Zamir. And, of course, Sylphy. What they said they had trouble with were submachine guns that fired pistol bullets in rapid succession, shotguns that fired multiple bullets at once, and firearms that fired rifle bullets with higher initial velocity and power than submachine guns.


    Well, in order, let¡¯s take a look at the submachine gun. The shotgun is the real deal. If I wanted to be ruthless, I would use an assault rifle or an all-purpose machine gun to suppress it. But rifle bullets are too powerful and penetrating to be dangerous.


    So I should use a shotgun, which is my main weapon of choice. There are many types of shotguns, but I have a basic pump-action shotgun and a double-barreled shotgun. I also have a sawed-off shotgun with the barrel cut down from a horizontal double-barrel shotgun. I should have made an automatic shotgun with a magazine loader.


    ¡°Both men, to the center. Let the duel begin!¡±


    And so we are back to the beginning.


    ¡°Now, fight!¡±


    ¡°Why¡­? Why¡­?¡±


    Whoosh! The muscular Lion Man swung his glaive, causing the wind to blow and caress my cheeks. It¡¯s scary. If I were to take a serious hit from that thing, it would cut me completely in half. Because the distance is quite long, you know? Probably more than 10 meters, right?


    ¡°Are you serious? With that?¡±


    ¡°Are you scared? It¡¯s a duel, so it¡¯s only natural to use a serious weapon. If you want to save your life, you can withdraw from the duel.¡±


    Hearing the muscular Lion Man¡¯s words, I turned my eyes to Isla, but she just nodded her head. Sometimes Isla is so reckless, isn¡¯t she?


    ¡°Now, the duel between the prince consort of the Merinard Kingdom, Kosuke-dono, and the incisive leader of the Laios Chiefs Union, Iorn-dono, will take place. Each of you will fight to the best of your ability for the sake of your own honor.¡±


    When he first heard my identity, the muscular Lion Man¨D¨DIorn¡¯s face was slightly shaken¡­ Not shaken, huh? Hmm? What does that mean? Does it mean that he knew that I was the prince consort of Merinard?


    ¡°Begin!¡±


    Without even a moment to think, the signal was given to begin the duel. There was no way that both sides would take a wait-and-see attitude at first.


    ¡°Haaaa!¡±


    ¡°Oops.¡±


    ¡°Ugaahh!¡±


    As soon as Iorn closed the gap between us, he tried to cut me in half, and then a stone wall 2 meters high, 3 meters wide, and 1 meter deep was erected between us. He must have crashed into the stone wall that suddenly appeared. I heard Iorn¡¯s anguished voice from the other side of the wall.


    What shall I do now? I don¡¯t want to have a real fight with someone who can close the distance to almost ten meters in an instant. But this dueling arena is not that big. There is a limit to how far I can run.


    ¡°Kuh, this is weird!¡±


    I took a pump shotgun from the shortcut and ran, adding a wall to the right side of the one already installed, while Iorn was surprised. He was controlling the glaive with his right hand, so it would be harder for him to wield the weapon if I fled to the left side from his point of view. I kept my eyes open for him to come around from behind and pointed the muzzle of my weapon forward. Given his physical capabilities, he would probably¨D¨D


    ¡°Move around¨D¨D¡±


    ¡°Come.¡±


    I fire a shot at Iorn, who appears in front of me at the wall that is being added to the area. The ammunition in my shotgun is a very conventional type of shotgun that fires nine lead balls simultaneously. The muzzle velocity is about the speed of sound. In other words, for Iorn, it is as if nine shots were fired simultaneously at the same speed of sound.


    Well, if I¡¯m using a shotgun, it¡¯s basic to wait at the corner, right?


    ¡°Guoooaaah!¡±


    Since the shots were fired at close range, the bullets would have landed at the same time the flame was visible. The distance is so close that the bullets would have hardly scattered. It was almost as if a handgun had fired nine shots at the same time in the same place.


    ¡°Gghh, nnghh! That kind of thing!¡±


    ¡°Seriously?¡±


    It seems that in that split second, he turned around and escaped a direct hit. However, it seems that he was unable to avoid it completely, and his right arm is bleeding heavily. In this condition, he can no longer wield a weapon properly. As soon as our eyes met, I stepped back to keep my distance, and I had already loaded the next round. I immediately fired a shot at Iorn¡¯s feet, who was still stomping around from the damage.


    With the deafening sound! The cobblestones shatter at Iorn¡¯s feet, sending up a cloud of smoke.


    ¡°Give up. I missed that on purpose.¡±


    ¡°To admit defeat without even a single fight like this!¡±


    ¡°My weapons are not designed for restraint. If you resist any longer, you will die.¡±


    I aim the muzzle of the shotgun at Iorn¡¯s right arm, which he is holding down now that he has lost his glaive. It is a bad idea to aim at the head for a one-hit kill or the limbs for incapacitation in a situation like this. If I want to incapacitate him for sure, it¡¯s better to shoot him in the torso, and it¡¯s harder to miss if he makes a sudden move.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough! Kosuke-dono is the winner. With this duel, Kosuke-dono¡¯s honor has been preserved, and he has proven that he has the strength to fight!¡±


    The Dragon Knight, who acted as a witness, declared in a loud voice, and the Lizardmen, who wore some kind of fluttering costume, approached Iorn. I could not make out anything about them, but it seemed that he¨Dor she¨Dwas one of the healers working in the castle. With that understanding, I exhaled, reloaded my shotgun, and pulled a Mithril pickaxe from my shortcut. I can¡¯t just leave this wall like this, can I?


    ¡°Kosuke, you did a good job.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because my first attempt just worked. Next time, I won¡¯t be able to pull off the same trick.¡±


    Now that they know about my weapons and my ability to build a stone wall, those who have seen how I fight are bound to have countermeasures.


    ¡°So, are you going to tell me why you made me do that? It scared the hell out of me.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. I¡¯ll tell you when we get back to the room.¡±


    ¡°All right, then. This is the last time you make me do something crazy like that. It¡¯s really scary to fight the warriors of this world at close range.¡±


    It¡¯s really not funny. Our physical abilities are too different. If I were to go head to head with him without using my first attempt to fight him, he¡¯d cut me in half in no time.


    ¡°Hmm, I¡¯m sorry. Onee-chan will pet you later, so please forgive me.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s okay. Yeah.¡±


    I don¡¯t care about the petting¡­ No, it¡¯s not good, but¡­ But I¡¯m not being nostalgic about it. I forgive her because she seems to feel really bad about it. It¡¯s not that I was convinced by the petting.

 CH 387

    Chapter 387 ¨C Scolding


    ¡°Do you have some kind of disease that will kill you if you don¡¯t do something?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m very sorry.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, but we had no choice.¡±


    When we returned to the guest room, we were scolded by Driada, who had already heard about the commotion I had caused¨Dor rather, got involved in, I think.


    Ah, now I understood why Gerda, standing next to Driada, had a satisfied, smug look on her face. Maybe Gerda was somehow gathering information. I don¡¯t know what she was doing or how she was doing it, but she was working fast.


    ¡°We can¡¯t just sit back while they openly insult us.¡±


    Saying that, Isla tugs at my clothes as we sit side by side. What? That¡¯s what I thought, but it seemed she had no intention of backing down, so I lay down with my head on her lap, as Isla asked.


    ¡°That may be so, but¡­ what is that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m stroking him, as promised.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that? That¡¯s not fair.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll switch later.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s fine then.¡±


    Are you sure you don¡¯t mind? Well, I don¡¯t mind.


    ¡°Then why did you accept the challenge of a duel?¡±


    ¡°That was a trap set by the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom. I think they wanted to see how good Kosuke was.¡±


    ¡°Eehh¡­?¡±


    I was confused. What the hell does she mean? They wanted to see what I could do? That doesn¡¯t make any sense.


    ¡°Well, to be precise, someone from the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom must have arranged it. I don¡¯t think it was a state-sponsored plot.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the point of knowing my personal ability, or rather, my fighting ability? I mean, the fact that the Dragon Knight and the guards of other countries were moved, even if it wasn¡¯t the whole country, means that someone with a very high status sent them.¡±


    If I had to guess, it would be someone with connections in the military service. Maybe it was the crown prince who carried the crystal bottle of Grande¡¯s blood in his trembling hands. Well, it¡¯s not good to have preconceived notions, is it? Reset, reset, reset.


    ¡°There is no doubt that he is a well-liked and well-connected person. I guess he¡¯s trying to find out if Kosuke is a suitable partner for Grande-chan or something like that.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand more and more. Even if it turns out that I am not suitable according to the criteria of the person who examines me, it has nothing to do with Grande and me.¡±


    ¡°The dragon beliefs of the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom, or rather the ancestral beliefs, are literally a religion.¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­ that¡¯s another annoying word that just popped up.¡±


    Hawks. These are the so-called hardliners. If I had to use religious words to describe them, I would say they are fanatics or fundamentalists. I wonder if I am doomed to be bothered by such people no matter what it takes in this world.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know the details, but isn¡¯t the story of the ancestors of the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom about a dragon who fell in love with a human girl, took human form, and married her? It¡¯s not like the girl who became the dragon¡¯s mate was actually extremely strong and beat the dragon to a pulp and said, ¡®You shall be my husband,¡¯ or something like that, right?¡±


    ¡°Kosuke¡¯s story is interesting.¡±


    ¡°Kosuke-kun, don¡¯t ever tell this story to anyone in the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom, okay?¡±


    Isla seemed to be amused, but Driada warned me in a serious tone not to talk about it. Is that an excuse to tell me not to talk? Don¡¯t push it? Something like that. Well, I won¡¯t talk about religious things because it¡¯s dangerous to mention it.


    ¡°We¡¯re getting off-topic. In other words, are you saying that someone on the side of the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom saw through the scheme and decided to take advantage of it, thus creating a debt of gratitude?


    ¡°Something like that. By taking advantage of that scheme and actually showing Kosuke¡¯s power, it also includes the intention to discourage them from further strange attempts.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I see¡­ Will that plan work?¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t act, you won¡¯t get anything. The Joker is in our hands.¡±


    Having said that, Isla turns her big eye to the pile of cushions. Surely that¡¯s a joker for us and against the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom. When Grande says white, black becomes white in this country.


    ¡°Is there a countermeasure? Is it enough to just act with Grande?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. If they do anything wrong when you are with Grande-chan, they will probably incur her wrath, and the people of the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom won¡¯t be able to touch you so easily.¡±


    ¡°But for my part, I don¡¯t want to treat Grande like that, like a convenient card to be played. Grande may want it that way, but I¡¯m against using it for our own convenience.¡±


    Grande is only working with us because of her personal relationship with me. I don¡¯t want to take advantage of that and act in a way that benefits the Merinard Kingdom.


    ¡°I knew Kosuke would say that. But you should explain the situation to Grande. After that, I think it¡¯s better to let Grande make the decision.¡±


    ¡°I agree. Kosuke-kun and Grande-chan are equal partners, not in a relationship where one of you unilaterally protects the other, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­ I¡¯m afraid that if I speak badly, she¡¯ll get angry and start raging.¡±


    ¡°¡±Ah.¡±¡±


    After all, Grande is very sweet to me, and she also has a very self-centered temperament, which is typical of dragons¡­ Grande herself chose me as her mate, and others tested me to see if I was worthy. If she heard that I might have been seriously injured in such a way, it would not be surprising if she started to bring down this castle as it was.


    ¡°Well, I guess it¡¯s more dangerous if she finds out when I¡¯m not around¡­ I¡¯ll share the information with Grande, making sure to keep it as peaceful as possible.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s a good idea.¡±


    So that¡¯s how we decided to wake up Grande. Right, it¡¯s just in time for a snack. Hopefully, this will have some calming effect.