《On The 10th Year, The Transferee Who Gave Up Returning Finally Becomes The Protagonist》 Prologue Prologue ¡°Mister, are you sure you have enough money?¡± The bar master asked in a slightly worried voice as he lowered the fancy glass onto the counter. His eyes were cast towards a young, dark-haired man who appeared to be in his mid-twenties. He was sitting at the counter and had already ordered the four most expensive items on the menu and seemed to be working his way down. Yes, he was still staring at it. This young man with dark hair was Toru Wakusari, and he replied in the language of this world, which he was now fluent in. ¡°Should I pay in advance? It will be so much trouble calculating everything, so I prefer to pay for everything together. Also, that last glass of wine. Where is it from? It was rather good. He replied to the barman as he roughly shoved a hand into his purse and pulled out a single gold coin and put it down on the counter. The barman¡¯s eyes widened as he looked at Toru. ¡°You carry a lot for someone so young.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not rich. But, I just wanted to indulge myself for one day. The wine?¡± ¡°It¡¯s from Flaretalia. Not the rarest vintage, but it¡¯s fragrant, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know much about wine, but I like how it just seems to smoothly disappear.¡± ¡°Hmm. If you have the gold, I could serve you something even better. I have a rare liquor called ¡®Bloody Aquavit.¡¯ You¡¯ve had four glasses of wine already. Maybe it¡¯s time for something different?¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll take it.¡± There was no hesitation. Toru did not even ask for the price before ordering it. He simply returned to eating his plate of fried mushrooms and vegetables. The barman grabbed a red glass bottle from the shelf and called to Toru. ¡°You said that you wanted to indulge yourself today. What¡¯s the special occasion?¡± ¡°Haha, occasion, huh? I like that. Yes, let¡¯s say it¡¯s an anniversary.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t look it, but are you drunk?¡± ¡°I¡¯m drinking, so how could I not be? Besides, it really is an anniversary of sorts.¡± Toru chuckled with a hint of sadness in his voice. Nine years ago, Toru had suddenly come to this world when he was fifteen years old. There was no warning. He had been transported to another world out of nowhere. However, it wasn¡¯t because he was some chosen hero. He had no special power. Toru was nothing but an outsider with no purpose. And so he changed his name to something more fitting for this world, Tor, and searched far and wide for a way to return to Earth. Like that, nine years had passed. ¡°I¡¯m just a little tired. And I thought that I should just give up. But I can¡¯t sleep.¡± Tor laughed with a tired expression that did not match his young age. The barman looked awkward as he poured the red liquid. ¡°You¡¯re celebrating, right? It¡¯s too bad that you don¡¯t have anyone to celebrate with you, so I¡¯ll keep you company.¡± ¡°That¡¯s generous of you. ¡­This drink¡­it¡¯s quite harsh.¡± ¡°But delicious, no?¡± ¡°Yeah, it has a great flowery scent. Is it herbs?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a very refined scent. It¡¯s often used in cooking as well, but it¡¯s hard to order in large quantities.¡± ¡°Where is it made? I¡¯d like to buy some if I¡¯m ever close by.¡± ¡°That¡¯s just it. I have no idea! It just entered the market out of nowhere and then disappeared. Not only that, I don¡¯t know if there was some arrangement, but unless it¡¯s being resold, the price always stays the same.¡± ¡°That¡¯s very strange.¡± Tor felt a close fondness towards the ¡®Bloody Aquavit¡¯ now as he sipped it. Perhaps within the next few seconds, he too would disappear from this world and return to Earth. This hope had entered his mind many times during the last nine years. However, even after the glass was empty, Tor was still sitting in front of the counter. The barman filled his glass with the Bloody Aquavit again. The clear, red liquid looked almost like fresh blood under the light of the candles. ¡°If you¡¯re looking for entertainment in Durande town, there¡¯s always the brothels. What will it be? Should I recommend a place?¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather not. It¡¯s never really suited me.¡± ¡°Haha. Yes, it¡¯s not something you want to get too involved in. Especially at your age. And it¡¯s good that you know yourself.¡± But that¡¯s not it. Tor protested in his mind. Contraceptives were not reliable in this world. And while any women he would meet would be aware of that risk, Tor himself did not know when he might suddenly return to his own world. He didn¡¯t want to do anything if he couldn¡¯t take responsibility for it. That¡¯s really all it was. However, he did have doubts. Nine years had passed, he should give up trying to return to Earth, and accept that this world would be his final resting place. That was why he had stopped at this tavern. It might be best for him to say goodbye to his past self. ¡°¡­No, I can¡¯t do that.¡± Tor immediately rejected the idea and stuffed some nuts into his mouth. The barman stood up and brought out some bread, which he sliced and served with liver paste. ¡°We could talk till morning if you want?¡± They chuckled with an ease that was unusual for people who had just met. And they continued to drink. Perhaps it was because Tor had not experienced anything like this in a very long time, but he felt terribly grateful to the barman. ¡ù By the time he left, the sky was starting to turn pale. The city lights, which were machines powered by magic stones, had already been switched off. The bakers in this world also got up early, and the air was filled with the scent of fresh bread. Tor walked down the narrow streets between the stone buildings. He was completely drunk now, and his feet were so unstable that he sometimes had to lean against the walls and regain his balance. ¡°Tsk. It¡¯s so pathetic I could laugh.¡± Still chuckling to himself, he entered an alley that would likely be a shortcut to his inn. But after taking a few steps, his foot landed on something hard. Tor looked down. He could not believe his eyes. The thing that was on the ground in the alley, was a dismembered arm. ¡°Wha-, that¡¯s a grotesque thing to lose! We¡¯re not talking gloves here!¡± Tor suddenly thought of something, and he picked up the arm. He held it up with his left hand and then shook the hand with his right. ¡°Shaking hands in a back alley! Who are you? This is ridiculous.¡± While he looked like a lone drunk who was telling gravely immodest jokes to himself, Tor¡¯s eyes were carefully studying its ¡®features.¡¯ It was a metal artificial arm. And he had realized it when shaking its hand, but there was a great deal of freedom in its joints. However, the movements were also creaky, as if there was something stuck inside. Like the gears weren¡¯t aligned properly. It was a magitec hand. A prosthetic hand that could be controlled by the user after supplying it with magic energy. However, there was something about it that was different. ¡°¡­Hey, you. Give me back that arm.¡± His mind was foggy from the drink, and he could not remember what it was that bothered him about it. And that was when a voice called from the other side of the alley. A short man was standing there. He wore a robe and a hood pulled over his face. ¡°That¡¯s my arm. Give it back.¡± ¡°Ah, sorry. I was just shaking your hand.¡± ¡°What? Shaking? Tsk. A drunkard.¡± The short man scratched the back of his neck as if annoyed. Judging by the way that the robes hung near his shoulder, he did not have a right arm. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t look down on someone just because they are drunk. After all, I had the common decency to pick up a lost item. Here, take it.¡± Tor offered the magitec arm to the man. The man snatched it out of Tor¡¯s grasp and inspected it carefully to make sure it had not been tinkered with. Tor shrugged. ¡°Just so you know, it was poorly made from the beginning. So don¡¯t try to accuse me of anything, alright?¡± The way that the magitec arm¡¯s joints moved made Tor think it was made by an amateur. However, the man reattached it to his shoulder as if it was where it belonged. Tor yawned as he watched the man go through the motions of seeing if everything was in working order. Once that was finished, the man unrolled his sleeve again. Well, their business was over now. Tor walked past the man and towards his inn. ¡°See you. But if you¡¯re an Adventurer, I would try to get something better.¡± Perhaps this was unsolicited advice, but Tor was sincere with his warning. This world not only came with the familiar monsters from fantasy, but there were also threats from creatures that were half machine, known as magitec beasts. Adventurers made a living hunting down such threats, and a faulty arm would only help shorten your lifespan. ¡°¡­That won¡¯t be necessary.¡± He heard the man mutter. Immediately after, Tor swiftly ducked where he stood. A mass of metal shot over his head. The thing that cut through the air loudly, was the arm the man had just reattached to his shoulder. He must have not expected someone to be able to dodge such an ambush that was from behind, and the man wore an expression of surprise. Tor rose and with the same momentum, unleashed a backhanded blow. The man seemed to fall backwards as he dodged the attack. ¡°Shit. You move well for a drunk.¡± ¡°Damn it, I feel nauseous.¡± The sudden movement must have affected his stomach. Tor looked up just a little and controlled the urge to vomit. Then he spoke to the man. ¡°What? Were you so insulted by my observation of your magitec arm? I¡¯ll admit, it was rather insensitive of me. But your life¡¯s on the line, so why wouldn¡¯t I say anything? Isn¡¯t that a kindness?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care about any of that!¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t care, then don¡¯t start attacking me. What? Does it have sentimental value? A gift from your lady? ¡®Oh, now you can hold me in your arms.¡¯ Does it bring back romantic memories? If so, I am truly sorry.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t sound very sorry!¡± ¡°Uh, so what do you want me to do?¡± ¡°Die.¡± This simple demand caused Tor to narrow his eyebrows. ¡°Is it possible that you are also drunk?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t compare yourself to me.¡± He had now pulled out a short sword with his left hand, and he was using the magitec arm to cover the blade as he slowly walked towards Tor. This was so that it would be more difficult to calculate his reach. Clearly, this man was used to fighting people as well. However, Tor still calculated his reach and retreated just enough to stay safe. The man¡¯s expression turned to one of suspicion. He was hiding his blade, and yet Tor had seemed to know its reach. ¡°You. Who are you?¡± Tor did not answer the question. Instead, he looked up at the sky which was starting to turn blue. ¡°Hmm. This is my anniversary, so I had wanted to take things easy. But now that I think about it, it¡¯s the next day now. So maybe I should just arrest you and see what the city guards or the guild make of you.¡± ¡°¡­Hey, what are you doing?!¡± As he continued to retreat in order to stay out of range, he ended up exiting the back alley altogether. And then he saw that two uniformed men, who were the guards that maintained peace in the city, were running towards them. The man with the magitec arm was quick to react. ¡°Forget what happened today.¡± He spat. And then he spun around and dashed back into the dark alley. Perhaps he had physical enhancements, as his legs were very fast. ¡°Forget? But today has only just begun.¡± Tor thought about chasing after the man, but then the feeling of nausea returned. And so he decided to leave the matter to the guards, and he moved out of the way. ¡°Good morning, gentlemen.¡± Tor greeted them politely in order to punctuate the fact that he was the victim. CH 1 Chapter 1 ¨C The 10th Year Started With An Unlucky Day This town called Durande was not a particularly large one. After all, it¡¯s population was about two thousand. However, it was a town that was so rich with food, that along with the surrounding villages, their self-sufficiency rate was never below three hundred percent every year. And in a world with great walking threats such as monsters and magitec beasts, it was incredibly difficult to maintain vast fields. It was proof of just how much the guards, who protected the town, and the Adventurers who guarded the fields, were contributing. Tor was leaning on his elbow in front of the desk. He had a sulky expression that was void of remorse as he listened to the guard speak. ¡°As I was saying, we guards are just like you Adventurers. It¡¯s our job to protect the people from any threats. It¡¯s inconceivable that you would use your strength to fight others!¡± ¡°Look here, I was the one who was attacked. And it wasn¡¯t like it was a disproportionate response either. That¡¯s why he got away without a scratch. You weren¡¯t even able to catch him.¡± ¡°That may be true, but it¡¯s not the point. I¡¯m talking about the way it would look to the outside world.¡± ¡°So then you just have to make an announcement and tell the truth.¡± ¡°¡­In any case, you shouldn¡¯t be fighting when you¡¯re drunk.¡± ¡°And you just changed the subject. Let me see, you know who this guy is, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°And perhaps you should be drinking less.¡± ¡°It didn¡¯t seem like he was so strong that you wouldn¡¯t be able to stand against him. And he didn¡¯t seem like someone with authority. Maybe he¡¯s related to a great organization. Though, probably near the bottom.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t go prying!¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Tor muttered in a dissatisfied voice. He had been in this world for nine years. And he had finally thought to give up and live in this world, and this is what happens. He was not amused. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s you. Coming back in the morning? To be so young again.¡± The innkeeper said with a chuckle and a lewd hand gesture. Tor became even more annoyed, and so he turned towards the wall and started to shadow box. ¡°Ah, and you still have energy to spare. The youth these days!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it. Can I eat breakfast now?¡± ¡°The wife¡¯s in the middle of preparing it.¡± He pointed to a backdoor that was apparently connected to the kitchen. Then the innkeeper pulled out a chair and sat down. The sounds of crackling firewood could be heard from the back. After that, Tor could hear the sizzling of hot oil. It reminded him of an applause. He sat down at one of the tables and called to the innkeeper. ¡°I picked up something rare on my way back.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± The innkeeper leaned towards him with interest. Tor patted his own right arm. ¡°It was a magitec arm.¡± ¡°Ah, that is a surprise. It must have belonged to an Adventurer Clan. The one they call ¡®Magic Centipede.¡¯¡± Tor had not expected to learn about the culprit this quickly, and he chuckled to himself. An Adventurer Clan was a party that was above B-Rank who had over ten members and their own base. There were some Adventurer Clans who had their bases within cities for the purpose of guarding trade routes, and such clans were given special treatment. ¡°So that¡¯s why the guards weren¡¯t cooperative¡­¡± Tor understood it now. But he didn¡¯t know why he was attacked. It was hard to imagine that an Adventurer who belonged to a clan would unsheath his weapon over a minor insult. In the first place, clans were groups that offered support to their Adventurers, and so it was unlikely that they would let him go out there with such a shoddy magitec arm as that. Tor wondered if the clan was having financial trouble, but if that were the case, then why would the guards interfere like that? ¡°Is this ¡®Magic Centipede¡¯ clan famous?¡± ¡°They are in Durande. After all, their Adventurers stick out because every single one of them have magitec arms or legs. There¡¯s a company called Ubaz that has received exclusive rights from the higher ups in Durande, allowing them to sell salt. They are partnered with this company and are practically their private guards.¡± ¡°Private guards for a company with that kind of monopoly. Sounds like a successful clan.¡± ¡°Indeed. However, there are stories of them being ill-bred. So it¡¯s best to stay away from them. Though I¡¯ve never heard stories about fights breaking out, but they apparently hate it when people touch their prosthetic limbs. But I suppose it¡¯s no surprise, since they are the tools of the trade.¡± As someone who had mocked a tool of the trade, Tor averted his eyes. Still, according to what he had now heard about ¡®Magic Centipede,¡¯ there was still little reason for the man to be using something so badly made. Surely they had their own engineers on hand. It didn¡¯t sit right with him. However, it would have nothing to do with him as soon as he left Durande. Besides, it would be incredibly troublesome if the man continued to chase him and try and take his life. ¡°Another thing, mister. I was wondering if you could take some of our small money in exchange for gold. Is that alright?¡± ¡°That¡¯s an odd thing to ask a customer. Why not the money changers?¡± ¡°They charge ridiculous fees.¡± ¡°Well, alright. Will two gold pieces be enough? I¡¯m a wanderer, and really don¡¯t want to be carrying any more than that.¡± ¡°Two will do just fine. Thank you. Those damned tax managers. They try and trick me when dealing with silvers and coppers.¡± ¡°It must be tough running a business.¡± Tor took out his purse and the innkeeper thanked him as he brought out the coins. Tor accepted them and pretended to inspect them in the sunlight while charging them with just a little magic. They weren¡¯t counterfeit coins. ¡°Looks good. Alright, here are two pieces of gold.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± As Tor watched the back of the innkeeper who carefully put the coins away, his wife came in with the food. It was a simple meal consisting of oat porridge, a fried egg, and a selection of pickles. ¡°Here you are. It¡¯s included in your lodging expense, so eat all you want. There are also additional items on the menu you can order.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± But Tor had eaten and drunk so much last night with the barman, that he didn¡¯t feel like ordering anything extra. He picked up the wooden spoon and started to eat. ¡°Ah, Mister Tor, I presume? You¡¯ve been summoned by the guild manager.¡± So it wasn¡¯t a customer, but a messenger for Tor. As for this guild manager, it must be the manager of Durande¡¯s Adventurer¡¯s Guild. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t think we¡¯re acquainted?¡± ¡°It seems that there is a direct request for you.¡± The guild worker was now looking at Tor up and down as if to assess his worth. ¡°Uh, if you are eating right now, perhaps you can send someone else from your party? Which room is it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a loner. Rank B. There are no other party members.¡± The guild worker¡¯s expression grew even more suspicious. Quite rude. Tor smirked inwardly, but he was used to these kinds of reactions. He quickly finished his food and stood up. Someone was calling a wanderer like him. It must be something very troublesome indeed. Tor exited the inn with an annoyed expression. His first day after spending nine whole years in this world was off to a bad start. CH 2 Chapter 2 ¨C Guard Request The Durande Adventurer¡¯s Guild was located in a modest building near the wall that surrounded the city. This was no surprise. Unlike the guards who were an organization that kept the peace in the city, Adventurers did not stay in one place. They were constantly moving from one town to the next while working. And so it was rare for the Adventurer¡¯s Guild to be crowded with people. Tor entered the empty building and a guild worker led him towards the manager¡¯s room. ¡°I have brought B Rank Adventurer, Mister Tor.¡± ¡°Come in.¡± The voice was unexpectedly youthful as it sounded from the other side of the door. When he entered the room, the guild worker bowed once and then left. Tor ignored the door as it closed quietly, and stared at the manager. In spite of the impression that his voice had given, the manager who sat on the leather-covered chair was a large man who was in his sixties. He turned his large, bulging eyes at Tor, as if carefully assessing his ability. ¡°So, you are Tor, the B Ranker?¡± ¡°Yes, I am.¡± ¡°What¡¯s your reason for coming to Durande?¡± ¡°Reason?¡± Now that was a rather pointless thing to ask an Adventurer who was not rooted anywhere. Tor felt a little exasperated as he sat down on what appeared to be a guest sofa. ¡°Sight-seeing. I was planning on leaving today. In fact, I¡¯d like to leave right now if that¡¯s all you wanted to know.¡± ¡°Is it true that you¡¯ve been causing trouble with ¡®Magic Centipede¡¯?¡± ¡°Oh? Word travels fast. Well, I didn¡¯t know who he was, and he¡¯s the one who attacked me.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t doubt it.¡± The manager accepted Tor¡¯s story without question and chuckled. There was something very devilish about his face. The kind where people would call the authorities if they saw him. The manager leaned back into his chair and took out a purse from his desk drawer. Then he tossed three gold coins to Tor. Tor caught them in the air and then looked questioningly at the manager. ¡°Advance on a job? And directly from the manager?¡± ¡°The situation is rather complicated. But consider this as not a request from the Durande Guild Manager, but from me personally.¡± ¡°I thought it was a little too generous for a guild request. So, what is it?¡± Tor juggled the coins in one hand while studying the manager carefully. It was rather suspicious that this man would want to hire Tor directly, when he had only arrived in town yesterday. Surely the Adventurers who worked locally could be trusted more than him. And if none of his own subordinates were worthy of trust, well, perhaps it was best to forget the whole thing. That¡¯s what Tor thought. ¡°There is a great company called the Ubaz Company that represents Durande. The former head was also a central figure in its success. We had been friends for over thirty years, though he died three years ago. Both he and his wife were killed by bandits.¡± ¡°Three years ago? It¡¯s a bit late to want to get revenge.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t jump to any conclusions. This request is about guarding the twins that my friend left behind.¡± Tor¡¯s eyes narrowed as he looked at the manager. If it was about bodyguards, there was even more reason to want to leave it to people that you could trust. ¡°I understand why you are suspicious, but please don¡¯t glare at me like that.¡± ¡°Ah, forgive me. So, why would you want to hire a wanderer like me?¡± ¡°Currently, Durande has two B Rank Adventurers who are not part of Magic Centipede. But both have only risen to that rank recently. Furthermore, this request was brought to me by the twins as a secret. They believe that their enemy is the current head of Ubaz, a shady man by the name of Haran. He¡¯s the one who brought Magic Centipede in to work for them exclusively.¡± Upon hearing this, the dots connected in Tor¡¯s head. ¡°I understand now. I¡¯m the only one who is capable enough to go against someone from Magic Centipede, who also doesn¡¯t have his neck under Ubaz¡¯s foot. It was a process of elimination.¡± ¡°I will apologize if you find it insulting.¡± ¡°No, I just wanted to know how you decided on me. It makes sense now that I know. As for this request, I will accept it.¡± The manager was very surprised at how quick Tor had agreed to it. Tor shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Because if I accept this, it will discredit Magic Centipede won¡¯t it? I want to laugh as they lose face over a lone B Ranker taking their work.¡± ¡°Adventurers who talk like that are the ones who are quick to regret their decision. This is a guarding job. I would appreciate it if you didn¡¯t create any unnecessary friction.¡± ¡°It must be hard being a manager. You have to say things that you don¡¯t really mean.¡± ¡°What could you be referring to?¡± He shrugged, but there was a mischievous grin on his face. As the manager, if Magic Centipede caused trouble, he would be able to use his authority to investigate. That alone could reduce the number of his client¡¯s enemies. It was more than he could have asked for. Tor put the money away in his purse. ¡°I¡¯ve decided to accept it. Now, tell me the details. If their enemy is Haran, the head of Ubaz, why has he waited so long to target the former head¡¯s children?¡± ¡°By target, I mean that he wants the position as husband.¡± ¡°¡­Of the children. Daughters?¡± ¡°Yes. He would marry the former head¡¯s daughters and become the leader of the Ubaz Company in both position and name.¡± So it wasn¡¯t just about protecting their lives. He was to prevent them from getting married, and if necessary, take them and run away. As long as Magic Centipede were working for Haran, there would be pursuers if he ran away with the twins. Not only that, but these were Adventurers who fought against monsters and magitec beasts. He would not be able to protect the clients against such strength. Tor scratched his head. It was no wonder that no one wanted to do it. ¡°Is it possible that it¡¯s already an accomplished fact?¡± ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be. He might be rotten to the core, but Haran cares a lot about appearances. Of course, I don¡¯t know if that will always be the case. If the twins have their own personal guard, Haran might become desperate.¡± ¡°These twins would have the option of rejecting the proposal and leaving. Why am I being hired as a bodyguard first, and not someone aiding their escape?¡± ¡°You should ask them directly. However, I believe they still have unfinished business at the company. It was the company that their parents built up, and perhaps they don¡¯t want Haran to ruin it.¡± Apparently, that was all the information that the manager had. Tor asked him how to contact the clients, and then he stood up. ¡°You should come with me. If this is really a secret, then the clients will be suspicious if you¡¯re not there with me.¡± ¡°Aye. And once again, thank you for accepting.¡± They shook hands, and for once, the manager smiled in the kindly, gentlemanly way that was appropriate for his age. CH 3 Chapter 3 ¨C In the Middle of Enemy Territory The Ubaz Company was as large-scale in scale as the talk suggested. It was in a fancy two-story building made of red bricks, and the entrance on the first floor was made of expensive glass. There was also a giant storage house in the back, so that carriages and magitec cars could go in and out. Once Tor entered with the manager, an employee with the perfect business smile appeared without making a sound. ¡°Welcome. What can I do for you?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve come to meet Lady Euphie and Mailey.¡± For a second, just a second, looks of hostility were directed towards them from all over the floor. Tor looked towards a woman with a magictec right arm. She appeared to be the strongest one there, and so he smiled and waved at her. ¡°Do you have an invitation?¡± ¡°How many times are you going to do this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the rules.¡± ¡°Here it is. Now, we¡¯re going in.¡± The manager raised a thin wooden plate that was apparently the invitation, and then he tried to push his way in. The employee stepped out of his path while maintaining his business smile. However, when Tor tried to follow the manager in, the employee spread out his arms. ¡°And does this one have an invitation as well?¡± Just as the man turned towards Tor, his smile disappearing, a metallic ring echoed around them. The employee looked towards his feet and froze. The knife that he had been hiding within his clothes was now on the ground. ¡°Safe, eh? It looks like someone doesn¡¯t quite believe that?¡± Tor said with a grin. The employee quietly knelt down in order to pick up the knife. When he got up again, he had recovered both the knife and his composure. ¡°Excuse me. However, rules are rules.¡± ¡°There you go, manager. I guess you¡¯ll have to get me one of these invitations then. But you better hurry, or I might have to go and save you; as your guard.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯ll be right back.¡± The manager seemed to think about it for a moment, but after seeing Tor¡¯s easygoing attitude, decided that it would be fine to leave him. And so he moved to the back of the building. Tor found an area near the wall to stand. There were four bouncer-like people present. And they all had emblems sewn to their chests which depicted a centipede and a gear. So they were Magic Centipede. From what he could tell at a glance, two of them had the kind of crude magitec arms that he had seen that morning. He felt suspicious gazes coming from all over the room. It wasn¡¯t just these Adventurer bouncers, but the employees here were also giving him cautious glances. ¡°Tor!¡± He shouted so loudly that it surprised the others. Then he threw the invitation towards Tor. Tor caught it and then scanned the room again. Judging by their reaction, no one recognized his name. Tor then thrust the invitation under the employee¡¯s nose and then walked towards the manager. Together, they moved to the back. They went down a hallway and made a left turn. There was another hallway to the right that was made to be elevated a few steps. Apparently, this was the living quarters. ¡°The previous owner treated his employees like family. This is part of the remnants of that.¡± The manager explained. As was suggested, it was now closed off. ¡°It is rather quiet here.¡± ¡°Why are you talking like that? Just talk like an Adventurer.¡± ¡°So, where did the workers go?¡± ¡°Any who clashed with Haran were let go. And there were many.¡± Just as he was about to ask him about it, a lone man appeared at the end of the hallway. He was thin and seemed very high-strung. He wiped his ink-stained hands with a cloth and looked at the manager and Tor with undisguised suspicion. ¡°Well, well. You do seem to have a lot of time to be idle for someone who manages Durande¡¯s guild.¡± ¡°I happen to trust my men and leave the work to them. As for you, Haran. You look very busy.¡± Upon hearing this retort, the thin man¡¯s dull eyes were filled with hostility. So this was Haran, the man who now controlled the Ubaz company. Tor looked at him carefully in order to memorize his face. Haran felt the eyes on him and he turned to Tor with a malicious smile. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen you before, Adventurer. Did you arrive in Durande recently?¡± ¡°Aye, I have. My father and the manager are old friends.¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± Just kidding! Tor wanted to see Haran¡¯s reaction to hearing such a thing immediately after, but before he got the chance, Haran quickly moved past them and towards the store front. And so they climbed the stairs that Haran had come down, and walked through yet another hallway until they reached the room of the twins. ¡°It¡¯s me. I¡¯ve brought the Adventurer who accepted the request.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll open the door.¡± Came the short reply. A few seconds later, they heard the sound of the door being unlocked, and then it opened from the other side. A girl with golden hair peeked through while clutching the doorknob with both hands. She appeared to be around fifteen, but perhaps due to her calm manner, it was difficult to tell. She had clear, blue eyes that looked at them without emotion. Her skin was white like snow, and while her lips were the soft color of a peach, they were pursed in a tense line. Perhaps she was anxious. As the daughter of a company owner, she was likely aware of the latest fashions, and so she wore a long, thick skirt which seemed to have become popular recently. The fabric was embroidered in order to cover the stitches, and was of a modest flower pattern. Tor felt that she looked like the daughter of a good family with impeccable taste¡ªbut what drew his eye even more was that there was another girl in the back. She was armed with a shortbow that was pointed right at them. Perhaps if he had been Haran, she would have unleashed the arrow without hesitation. Their eyes met. ¡°You were unmoved. You passed the test.¡± ¡°Why thank you.¡± Indeed, these weren¡¯t helpless pretty things at all. Tor glanced at the manager who looked a little exasperated. ¡°Do you need a guard?¡± ¡°Yes. Maybe.¡± They¡¯re not even sure. Tor chuckled. CH 4 Chapter 4 ¨C Transferee¡¯s Troubles The longer you looked at them, the more they looked alike. They were identical twins. Even their clothes and hair were the same. Not only that, but these twins even had the same gestures. Apparently, the one with the bow was Euphie, the older sister. While the one who opened the door was the younger sister, Mailey. Of course, Tor was not able to tell them apart. ¡°¡­So. Are you strong?¡± The question left both of their mouths with the exact same tone at the same time. Tor wanted to ask them if they were radios. ¡°Well, if you two asked me to go and destroy ¡®Magic Centipede¡¯ right now, I think that I could do it.¡± ¡°¡­But you are a B-Rank Adventurer, aren¡¯t you, Mister Tor? Don¡¯t you know that Magic Centipede are mostly made up of B-Rankers?¡± Euphie and Mailey looked at him with suspicion. ¡°The Adventurers Guild has a ranking system with requirements for promotion. The requirement for B-Rank is the ability to charge weapons and armor with magic. In other words, enchantment. And while it is important for fighting, it does not dictate a person¡¯s skill in combat. There can be great differences between two B-Rankers.¡± ¡°But if you are so strong, then shouldn¡¯t you have reached A-Rank?¡± ¡°In order to be promoted to A-Rank, you have to be in a party with over five members that are all B-Rank and above. And of course, your past achievements are also taken into consideration. Merely being strong is not enough.¡± Many of the requests sent to A-Rank Adventurers involved defending multiple bases, which would be very difficult if you were alone. The only reason that Tor stayed at B-Rank was because he worked solo and did not join a party. The twins turned their suspicious eyes towards the manager, who nodded. ¡°In the first place, the ranking system was put into place so that the guild could properly assign requests to the right Adventurers. If you want to know about the abilities of individual Adventurers or parties, then there is a separate ranking with a top fifty. And it¡¯s viewable by the public.¡± ¡°Now that I think about it, there were B-Rank Adventurers in the rankings. Like Red Thunder, Hundred Leagues, and Bird Eye. Especially Red Thunder and Hundred Leagues. I¡¯ve heard that they are as strong as A-Rankers.¡± The words of the twins brought back familiar faces in Tor¡¯s mind. His expression looked conflicted. He was acquainted with a certain Farai from Hundred Leagues, who was also number nineteen in the ranking. He was a brilliant marksman who could shoot a target that was several kilometers away. All he needed was a hand¡¯s breadth of space to move his magitec gun. His personality was cunning and vengeful. In the past, through a mistake of the guild, they had been assigned the same quest. And Farai held a grudge against Tor for taking down the prey first. The words of the manager clearly held a lot of weight for the twins, and they looked at Tor with satisfaction. ¡°Mister Tor. Could it be that you have no friends?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t. At least, I¡¯m not in any parties.¡± ¡°A lonesome B-Ranker.¡± ¡°I might joke about being alone, but it can read as an insult when someone else says it, you know?¡± ¡°Please excuse me. I just assumed you were alone due to some great conviction. I didn¡¯t mean to suggest that there were problems with your personality.¡± The twins spoke with a practiced calmness that made it difficult to tell if they were joking. Tor was amused. They were clearly very quick witted. They started to speak again. ¡°What we will require is someone who has the ability to protect us. It¡¯s not about having a lot of people. This is our official request. Please become our bodyguard. There is no set term. But we won¡¯t keep you for too long. Perhaps somewhere in the realm of ten days.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already taken the advance, so I have every intention of doing just that. So, what should I do during the night?¡± ¡°You must stay nearby through the whole night as well. And you must send away any who would try and enter this room.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Tor had thought that they would hire a different Adventurer woman to guard them at night, but apparently not. They really did not have many allies. Who was the real loner here? Then he remembered that they had each other. Must be nice to have family. He thought wryly. The twins offered their hands. One was right handed and the other left. They wanted to shake on it. Tor accepted with both hands. After seeing them shake hands, the Manager got up. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll leave the rest to you then.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Tor watched the Manager leave the room and then took out one of the tools of his trade from his pocket. The twins looked at him curiously. ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°As you can see, they¡¯re gloves.¡± ¡°But they appear to be made of metal?¡± ¡°Well, they¡¯re not meant to keep me warm.¡± The protective gloves Tor pulled over his hands were made of small, metal chains. In spite of appearances, these gloves were light and the joints could move freely. ¡°Do you strike your enemies with them?¡± ¡°It¡¯s better to hit with these when you¡¯re indoors.¡± Now that he was wearing his chainmail gloves, Tor inspected the room and checked for an emergency escape exit. It was a corner room on the second floor, and had been made specifically for the twins. And so it was quite spacious and had windows facing the north. The door leading to the hallway was on the south side, and the west wall was lined with bookshelves. The east wall had a door that led to a simple bathing room and storage area. Tor saw a familiar book cover on the shelf and couldn¡¯t help but mutter the title out loud. ¡°High school chemistry?¡± The bookshelves were filled with Japanese textbooks and English magazines. In fact, they seemed to outnumber the books that were printed in this world. The twins looked at him with puzzled expressions. ¡°Mister Tor. You can read the letters of the lost items?¡± ¡°Mister Tor. Are you interested in lost items?¡± This was the first time they weren¡¯t in sync. Lost items. It was what they called creatures and objects whose origin was not from this world, just like Tor. Tor found a way to answer both questions at once. ¡°I¡¯m a lost item.¡± ¡°Ohhh.¡± Their eyes shone and they clapped their hands with excitement. One of them stood up and began to circle Tor for a thorough inspection. The other ran to the bookshelf and pulled out several volumes before returning. ¡°So, who is Euphie and who is Mailey?¡± ¡°I am Euphie.¡± ¡°And I am Mailey.¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t talk simultaneously.¡± ¡°Yes, yes.¡± Said Euphie as she continued to circle him. Mailey, who approached Tor in order to show him a book cover, was the younger sister. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll have plenty of spare time as our guard. So you could teach us to read. Because I don¡¯t understand these letters.¡± Tor looked at the cover she was pressing into his nose, and scowled. ¡°As if I could read old-style kanji. I didn¡¯t even finish highschool.¡± Nine years ago, when Tor had transferred to this world, he was in his first year of highschool. ¡°It can just be your best guess. If you are a lost item, then the chances of you being correct will be much higher than us.¡± ¡°That being said¡­ Uh, yukigouseika gakkai zasshi? Maybe?¡± It was surprisingly not too difficult to guess if you knew the first and last characters. However, Tor would not feel this way for long. Due to Mailey¡¯s request, this deciphering continued for a few more minutes. And as Tor had not had anything to do with modern chemistry for nine years, his head started to hurt. ¡°I¡¯m a bodyguard. Not a Japanese or English teacher. I can¡¯t teach chemistry either. This is outside of my expertise.¡± ¡°But since you are a fallen item, Mister Tor, it might help you to brush up on this.¡± ¡°I can tell you with certainty, that it will not help me. I¡¯ve given up trying to return to Earth. In fact, it was just yesterday that I decided. Learning new English words now won¡¯t do me any good. And so I don¡¯t see why I should care about reading English science magazines!¡± ¡°But studying is exciting. Don¡¯t you agree?¡± ¡°I hate studying. Well, I¡¯ll learn what I need for the job, but won¡¯t study otherwise. In the first place, I¡¯m sure you two can read English better than me?¡± There could be no reason to have him read it too. Tor sighed and then picked up an English-Japanese dictionary that lay next to him. He was impressed that they had managed to collect so many books. As these were items that had come from another world, they were rare and very expensive. The gold would fly right out of your pockets if you tried to buy them. And while the difficulty in reading them kept the market rather small, there were some cities who had professionals that researched them exclusively. And so it required a great deal of financial wealth to collect them. And these were, after all, the daughters of the greatest company in this town. ¡°¡­Do you not miss Earth, Mister Tor?¡± Euphie stopped playing with her hair and directed her clear blue eyes at him. ¡°What?¡± He pretended to have not heard, but Euphie would not back down. ¡°When looking at the bookshelf, you didn¡¯t ask about books about the old civilization. Even if you gave up returning, surely you would be interested in something that could give you a clue.¡± The old civilization. It was said that long ago, a gate had been opened to another world in hopes of taking their resources. However, they were attacked instead, and their civilization destroyed. Ruins could still be seen all over the world. The civilization was so advanced that they had already created the theory of the barriers that were now cast over every town. It was said that the monsters that roamed this world currently were originally from a different world. They were the negative legacy of the old civilization. And so if Tor wanted to find a way to return to Earth, it would be only natural for him to be curious about the gate that the old civilization had opened. ¡°Well, when you¡¯ve been here for nine years. Even your memories start to fade.¡± ¡°But Mister Tor, you don¡¯t seem to have an attachment to this world either.¡± Mailey exclaimed as she raised her head from her book. Tor suddenly felt very uncomfortable, and averted his eyes. The clear blue eyes seemed to look into his very soul. It didn¡¯t help that there were two pairs of them cast on him at once. Yes, it was very uncomfortable. And it seemed like they would not look away until he answered. Tor opened his mouth with a bitter expression. ¡°Do you know how lost items come to this world?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡± It was no wonder. Tor himself had never come across a lost item that he could speak with. ¡°In my case, I went through the front door of the house where I lived alone, and I came into a forest. It was just a moment ago that I could see the walls of the house on the other side. But I took one step forward and then I was in a forest. And when I turned around, there was no door, much less a house.¡± No god had descended and explained to him that he had died and been reincarnated. And he was not standing on some great magic summoning circle either. He had just been moved here in the blink of an eye. ¡°So it¡¯s possible that I might return to Earth in the same way that I came here. My footing is never certain. I don¡¯t know how long I will be here. And so I can¡¯t become attached to anything.¡± ¡®That being said,¡¯ Tor said as he continued. ¡°My tenth year started yesterday. And I decided to live with the mindset that I would die in this world.¡± Tor declared. The twins blinked their eyes several times. ¡°And yet you are still anxious about it.¡± ¡°¡­You don¡¯t have to point it out. It¡¯ll make me overthink things.¡± Tor retorted as if joking. But the twins seemed to understand that he meant it, and so they did not pry any further. CH 5 Chapter 5 ¨C The Trait of the Twins After just half a day of guarding the twins, Tor found himself unable to tell them apart once again. But since the time passed without incident, he continued to observe them carefully in order to search for differences. It was no use. Eventually, the magitec clock announced that it was midday, and the voices from the first floor grew louder. ¡°It seems like the workers have started to take their break.¡± ¡°There is a dining hall in this building as well?¡± ¡°Yes. Up until the death of our parents, most of the workers would eat there. But now more than half of them eat outside.¡± As the twins said, most of the noise moved from the first floor to the outside, and then to the alley behind the building before dispersing. Tor watched them scatter through the window, and then turned towards the twins. ¡°Aren¡¯t you two going to eat something?¡± ¡°Not right now.¡± ¡°I see.¡± One of them was flipping through pages of a book on the double bed. The other was at her desk, drawing letters and images onto sheets of paper. Apparently, these twins had a moderate understanding of Japanese, English, and German. There were also books from other worlds that Tor did not know about. All of this was quite astonishing. ¡°Researchers of lost items have been translating the words and putting together a dictionary. Of course, there are not many words included yet.¡± Tor had never liked to study back on Earth, and while he was impressed by the twins, he also looked at them as if they were something incomprehensible. It wasn¡¯t the look a guard should be giving to the ones he¡¯s supposed to protect, but the twins didn¡¯t seem to notice as they turned their pages and occasionally asked Tor how to read certain words. Tor was somehow reminded of being in a school library on Earth. Of course, the twins were behaving in a way that was, frankly, not proper for a school library. One was reading while lying down, and the other had one leg bent towards her as she sat down and wrote. There was a dictionary balancing expertly on her knee. While Tor didn¡¯t know which one was Euphie and which was Mailey, the one by the desk called out to him. ¡°Can you read these letters?¡± It was a strangely detailed doodle of a bird with letters written next to it. Tor replied. ¡°Kougyaku. It could be referring to a ruby or an apple. It depends on the context.¡± ¡°An apple?¡± ¡°Yes, there is a variety of apple with that name.¡± ¡°I see.¡± She looked a little puzzled but then wrote down ¡®ruby¡¯ over the letters. That was when Tor suddenly noticed something was odd, and began to look at the rest of the letters that had been written down. They were all names of ore and precious stones. Then he turned to look at the book that the other one was reading. While she would not have been able to see Tor, she held the book so that the cover was facing him. ¡°So you noticed.¡± ¡°No. I feel that something isn¡¯t right, but I don¡¯t know what it is.¡± ¡°You¡¯re surprisingly slow.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m an idiot. Got a problem with that?¡± ¡°It is not bad to be ignorant. It is bad to remain ignorant.¡± Tor felt a little annoyed by these blistering words, but he made his best guess. Though, with little confidence. ¡°Is it possible that you two have some kind of shared vision?¡± If they had already written down the words that they couldn¡¯t read, it wouldn¡¯t be efficient to be asking Tor questions piecemeal, and it was also strange that one of them was reading the book. That was his initial guess, but there was also another possibility. ¡°Either that, or you can share your thoughts.¡± ¡°Wonderful. Tor, you aren¡¯t a fool after all.¡± ¡°By the way, what led you to that conclusion.¡± ¡°Because you two haven¡¯t talked to each other during the time I¡¯ve been here.¡± They both smiled at the same time. ¡°Correct.¡± ¡°Ever since we were born, we¡¯ve been able to¡­¡± ¡°Share our thoughts. It was as if we were one mind and two bodies.¡± ¡°It was a feeling. Of course, now we have our own individual thoughts.¡± ¡°And our own will.¡± They talked as if finishing each other¡¯s sentences. Apparently, the truth was that the sister on the bed was reading the book, while the other wrote down the words she could not read, and then asked Tor for help. It was like that childish dream of having a second body. These two embodied it. Tor immediately understood how valuable such an ability would be. ¡°How far away do you have to be in order for it to stop working?¡± ¡°It still worked when we were on opposite sides of the city. But we haven¡¯t tested it any farther than that.¡± ¡°In other words, it will be possible for people to communicate with each other at a great distance if it¡¯s between you two?¡± The two looked at Tor as if he was a particularly attentive student, and chuckled. ¡°Hehe. The speed and precision that information can be transferred is something a merchant would care about the most.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s why Haran hasn¡¯t driven you out or killed you.¡± If his purpose was to take over the Ubaz company, then he didn¡¯t need to marry the twins. He could have banished them or have them assassinated. And while he had considered the possibility that Haran was just too much of a coward, considering what he had done to the living space on the first floor, he was unlikely to hesitate if it was necessary. ¡°Well, there are other reasons as well.¡± ¡°Haran is a fool, after all.¡± The two looked towards the first floor with cold eyes. However, they quickly changed gears and turned to Tor with pleasant expressions. ¡°You¡¯re a lost item, Mister Tor. Shouldn¡¯t we ¡®oddities¡¯ stick together?¡± ¡°This is just a job. There is no need for us to be friends.¡± ¡°But it wouldn¡¯t hurt either. Besides, we are interested in you. First of all, what is school like?¡± ¡°Are you from Japan?¡± ¡°How does it feel to ride a bicycle?¡± ¡°Tell me about video games.¡± ¡°What is the internet?¡± ¡°What is this dashi they talk about in Japanese cuisine?¡± ¡°Have you ever eaten instant noodles?¡± The twins started to bombard Tor with questions as if to say, ¡®we told you our secret, so now it¡¯s your turn.¡¯ And since he was their guard, he could not run away. Tor sighed and raised his hands in surrender. ¡°Please, one at a time. Unlike you, I only have one brain and one mouth.¡± CH 6 Chapter 6 ¨C Missus, He Really Is A Strange Man The questions from the twins did not end, even when the sun came down. After all, they had two mouths. Even if one grew thirsty from too much talking, the other would start talking while the other went to go drink some water. It was just as Tor started sighing with fatigue and exasperation, that help came from an unexpected place. Someone had started banging on the door, and then a familiar voice rang. ¡°Euphie, Mailey, I heard that you brought in a strange man! Open this door!¡± It was the head of the Ubaz company, Haran. Tor looked at the twins and then pointed at himself. To this silent question, the two pointed at him and nodded. ¡°What should I do?¡± ¡°Ignore him. And if he tries to force himself inside, you can knock him off of his feet.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°¡­Hey, are you listening to me!?¡± Haran was becoming more heated on the other side of the door. Tor started to hum to the beat of the pounding fists. Finding this very amusing, the twins pulled out a stringed instrument and flute and began to play as well. Once the music filled the room, Haran realized that they were playing to the sounds of his banging. He then kicked the door in a violent burst of anger. ¡°¡­They are mocking me!¡± ¡°Master, don¡¯t do this. It¡¯s late, and the neighbors will hear.¡± Tor heard someone calling Haran ¡®master,¡¯ and perked up his ears to the conversation on the other side. They seemed to be persuading Haran, and after a moment, they moved away from the door. ¡°Was the person who stopped Haran someone important from Magic Centipede?¡± Tor asked the twins. The two, who were now playing the Polovetsian Dance, nodded to him at the same time. The one with the stringed instrument opened her mouth. ¡°It¡¯s the clan leader of Magic Centipede, a B-rank Adventurer called Wenz.¡± ¡°But he didn¡¯t seem to be wearing any magitec arms or legs?¡± ¡°¡­You can tell when you haven¡¯t even seen him?¡± The twins looked at Tor with puzzled expressions. Tor pointed at his ear. ¡°I can tell by the sounds of their feet. Magitec feet make hard sounds, while people with Magitec arms lean to one side.¡± ¡°Very impressive. We could not tell at all.¡± Tor lied smoothly, but the twins were too impressed to notice. And so they continued to play as they answered his question. ¡°Magic Centipede are a clan of about twenty, and they all have magitec arms or legs.¡± ¡°However, about four of them, including Wenz, are completely whole.¡± ¡°The clan was formed several months before the death of our parents, and Haran¡¯s takeover of the company.¡± ¡°The condition of joining the clan is that you are an Adventurer who has lost a limb from either the elbow or knee.¡± ¡°Wenz has explained that the reason was to create a place for ¡®people who have lost their limbs but know of no other way to live but to fight.¡¯¡± It sounded very admirable. The occupation of Adventurer came with constant injury. Sometimes you fought far away from town, and by the time you returned, you had no choice but to amputate a limb. However, there wasn¡¯t a shred of respect in the expressions of the twins as they talked about Magic Centipede. Tor felt the same. If that was the real reason, why would they be made to wear such shoddy magitec prosthesis? ¡°This morning, I was attacked by one of them. And he was wearing a badly made magitec arm.¡± Apparently, the twins had already been told this information, and so they were not surprised. ¡°Yes, the low ranking members of Magic Centipede wear those crude devices.¡± So the twins had noticed it as well. Tor had been watching them as a guard for the whole day, and they had rarely left the room. They must have then been studying Magic Centipede from quite early on. In just one day, Tor learned that they were no ordinary young ladies. While it was true that they had a privileged upbringing, they had a sharpness that went beyond that. They had gained all kinds of knowledge and thought logically, searched for necessary information, and acted in order to accomplish their goals. They had a clear will and aim. They weren¡¯t just going to run away from Haran, but they were cultivating the tools to fight him. And Tor was one of those tools. If they had then determined that getting rough was no longer avoidable, then this matter might be much more serious than Tor had imagined. Both caution and curiosity were accelerating Tor¡¯s thoughts. The twins in front of him continued to play, as if to show off the wide breadth of their education. The sun had come down, and the room was dark. The pale light of the moon that shone from the window made their golden hair shine as they spun their tune. It was like a painting. Tor watched them until they were finished, and then opened his mouth. ¡°¡­Hey. I want to ask you something. Are you two not running away because you¡¯re investigating Haran and Magic Centipede?¡± The twins smiled thinly and stood up without answering. ¡°Mister Tor, let¡¯s go for a late night walk.¡± They said while extending their hands to him. They looked like mischievous fairies. ¡°Haran¡¯s men will probably intercept you the moment that you leave.¡± They would have noticed that the music had stopped. Tor would have waited were he in their place. After all, the twins had skipped lunch and had not eaten dinner. The possibility of them coming down to the dining hall was high. But the twins looked at him with a grin and then turned to the window. ¡°Surely a B-rank Adventurer would have no trouble jumping out of a window?¡± ¡°I could do it while carrying you both.¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s settled. Right now, the members of Magic Centipede are likely crowding the dining hall in order to deal with this new B-rank guard.¡± So the twins had purposely skipped their meal in order to direct Haran¡¯s attention to the dining hall. Yes, they were not cute at all. They opened the window and smiled at each other. Then they put their palms together in a mockingly dainty pose, and turned towards Tor. ¡°You know, this will be our first date.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll expect you to be a wonderful escort.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not part of my job.¡± Tor chuckled. He then strengthened his body and picked the twins up in his arms before jumping out of the window. CH 7 Chapter 7 ¨C Insufficient Gold No one followed. As the twins had predicted, Magic Centipede were keeping watch inside of the company building. ¡°Well, not many would think that two ladies would escape through the window together.¡± ¡°In the first place, it¡¯s surprising that you can carry us both and land without making a sound.¡± ¡°I thought we would have to make a run for it as soon as we got out.¡± ¡°That might have been fun in it¡¯s own way. I¡¯m a little disappointed.¡± ¡°So, where are you going?¡± ¡°We asked you to escort us, didn¡¯t we?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not part of the service.¡± As there were no pursuers, they bantered lightly as they walked down the night streets. The fact that they were far from the entertainment district also helped, and there were hardly any people to be spotted. The magitec lamps ensured that there was plenty of light. You could even see the weeds growing in the gaps of the paved streets. While they had said ¡®escort,¡¯ the twins knew exactly where they were going, and walked without hesitation. ¡°When did you come to this town, Tor?¡± ¡°Yesterday.¡± They entered a narrow alley that was near the outer walls that surrounded Durande. However, the stores that lined the streets here sold luxurious clothes, silverwork and precious stones. Their destination appeared to be a particular store that had a hanging sign with a scale depicted on it. ¡°Currency exchange?¡± It seemed like it was also a pawn shop, but judging from the outside, they mainly exchanged currency. As some time had passed since the sun went down, the place was already closed. But the twins¡¯ attention seemed to be on the wooden plate near the entrance. Tor looked to see what was so interesting, and then he narrowed his eyebrows. ¡°What is this exchange rate?¡± The wooden plate had the day¡¯s exchange rate for gold, silver and copper. The problem was that while there were several types of gold coins, they were all ridiculously high. When the innkeeper had made the request to Tor that morning, he had said that the fee was expensive, but it seemed like the real issue was the actual price for gold coins. As if having learned what they needed, the twins started to walk again. Tor followed after them, and the twins started to answer the question he had asked before they jumped out of the window. ¡°Shortly after Haran took control of the Ubaz company, the balance of supply and demand of silver and gold in Durande began to crumble.¡± As the demand was too high, the exchange rate had become absurd. That¡¯s what they were saying. Tor recalled the mutterings of the innkeeper. ¡®They try and trick me when dealing with silvers and coppers.¡¯ Every town had tax collectors who embezzled, but the residents still wanted gold coins to avoid unnecessary fees. However, with these exchange rates, it would be better to just pay with silver, even if there was embezzlement involved. ¡°Are you saying that the lack of gold coins is Haran¡¯s doing?¡± ¡°Yes. But we don¡¯t know how he is doing it.¡± ¡°Is there no possibility that it¡¯s the result of fair transactions?¡± ¡°I have never heard of an entire town¡¯s income and expenditure balance collapsing in this way. And more than anything, Durande¡¯s food production is very high. It almost never fails to make a profit.¡± ¡°So, the gold coins are being hoarded somewhere?¡± Tor asked. The twins seemed to be enjoying this exchange of opinions, and they were practically skipping as they continued down the street. ¡°It¡¯s true that he is saving gold coins in case he might need them in the future.¡± ¡°However, we know that it is not much. In the first place, if there is a lack of gold coins, you could release the ones you have saved and exchange them for silver.¡± ¡°Maybe he is expecting the price of gold to go up even further?¡± Tor brought up a map of the area in his head. Durande was attached to the much larger city of Hevel, to the north, which boasted a population of over one-hundred and thirty thousand. They would have the power to solve Durande¡¯s money problem. So, where had the gold gone? ¡°Judging from what I just heard, the leaders of Durande are quite anxious about this matter?¡± ¡°Yes. They suspect that it is being smuggled out, and are investigating it. Aside from that, there are stories of silverwork of unknown origin being discovered, suggesting things are being smuggled in as well.¡± ¡°Where did you get this information?¡± ¡°Apparently, the Adventurer¡¯s Guild was notified. They were to report if any suspicious persons were seen outside of the city.¡± So they heard it from the manager. That was at least reliable. ¡°And I suppose you two intend to keep me as your guard until you solve this mystery?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s our intention. Of course, once that is done, we will hire you as our Japanese decoder.¡± ¡°No, thanks. However, illegal exports and imports of gold and silverwork, eh? Does that mean they are selling this silverwork and then shipping out the gold they earned?¡± ¡°We doubt that it¡¯s that simple. Surely this silverwork business is nothing more than earning pocket money. As it would not be cheap to get, the profits would be quite low.¡± ¡°Besides, now that it¡¯s starting to be investigated, the trade will not last long. The pawn shops are now cooperating with the investigation as well.¡± The twins walked while holding hands. They were headed to what looked like a fine restaurant. Perhaps they meant to have their dinner there. ¡°We can discuss the rest inside. Our father was well connected with this place, and they have private rooms. It¡¯s perfect for secret talks.¡± ¡°I suppose you¡¯ll be paying for this?¡± ¡°Of course, while you are under our employment, all food expenses will be paid.¡± ¡°I wonder where all this money is coming from? I doubt you two have any significant positions in the company these days.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not the Ubaz name that has a monopoly on salt in this city, but ours. Still, it¡¯s true that we¡¯ve been deprived of any positions within the company.¡± Tor had no reason to refuse them if they were paying. And so he entered the building with the twins. It turned out to be true that the owner was acquainted with them. And after being welcomed with a warm smile, they were led to one of the rooms in the back. Tor was reminded that these really were two upper class ladies. They entered the room that had thick, earthen walls and sat around the table. As Tor was a guard, he sat near the entrance while the two took the seats in the back. ¡°Now, we will tell you about the incident that led to us having to hire you, Mister Tor.¡± ¡°Incident?¡± He repeated. And the two began to talk in such a casual way that they might have been discussing the blooming of flowers in their garden with their neighbors. ¡°Haran seems to be making backdoor money through fictitious orders. We want to expose him and will need your help to do it.¡± CH 8 Chapter 8 ¨C Smuggling Investigation The story Tor heard from them as they ate through their bowls of soup pasta went like this. They had heard reports of silvercrafts of unknown origin being discovered within Durande. And then such reports started to come more often. The twins then secretly checked the Ubaz company¡¯s books and saw that the number of orders to workshops outside of the city were increasing year after year. But the profits were insufficient when compared to the amount that the orders had increased. In the first place, it was not likely that it would all fit into the storage house. And when they checked the Ubaz company¡¯s storage house, it seemed that the items were not in stock. Investigating this while avoiding the eyes of Haran, Ubaz employees, and Magic Centipede was time consuming. And now the tax collectors were starting to act, and this issue regarding the lack of gold coins was coming to the surface. They would have to have a way of going against Magic Centipede in order to continue their investigation, and so they had hired Tor. ¡°So Magic Centipede and Haran are making money off the book through fictitious orders. And that money is being sent somewhere out of town. That is your suspicion. But aside from the fictitious orders, it¡¯s all your imagination, isn¡¯t it? Do you have any way of proving it?¡± Nearly everything that they had said was speculation based on circumstantial evidence. It was also strange that twins didn¡¯t denounce Haran for the fictitious orders alone. This suggested that they didn¡¯t even have enough evidence for that. Tor himself did not have a positive view of Haran or Magic Centipede. And he did not think that smuggling was beneath them. However, it was also true that they couldn¡¯t act without evidence. ¡°It¡¯s as you say, Mister Tor. We need proof.¡± When one of the twins ate, the other started talking. ¡°So you are going to see how Haran moves?¡± ¡°We think that he is already moving.¡± ¡°We are going to start moving now in order to grab him by the tail.¡± ¡°And I will be there in case you need me, eh? And what about the others?¡± ¡°The officials of Durande are also investigating. We believe that they are suspicious of Magic Centipede.¡± ¡°And I suppose the manager shares information with you?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The twins took a bite of duck ham at the same time, and then touched their cheeks and tilted their heads as if one were the reflection of the other. ¡°It¡¯s so good.¡± They hardly looked like two people who were talking about a large-scale criminal investigation. ¡°However, should you really be continuing the investigation?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± They asked him with puzzled expressions. Tor realized that he had better explain himself, and so he reworded it so that they would understand. ¡°Haran is objectively the person in charge of the Ubaz company, isn¡¯t he? If his crimes come to light, it will be a big scandal. Your monopoly on salt might be taken away, and your entire business might crumble. It could be the end of the Ubaz company.¡± According to what he had heard at the guild, it was their parents who had built Ubaz to what it was today. It was all that they had left of their parents. Surely they would not want it to come crashing down? Unless they meant to find evidence before the Durande officials, and quickly drive Haran out first. Depending on which path they took, the amount of time they had left would vary. And if it was to be the latter, they would have to use force. As their guard, he wanted to know which direction they would take. The twins put their forks down and with serious expressions, looked straight at Tor. ¡°There is no anesthetic when it comes to the economy. So you might as well bear the pain and quickly amputate the root of the problem.¡± ¡°The sweat of the people becomes funds. The blood of the people becomes debts.¡± ¡°Durande¡¯s economy is already ill.¡± Then they smiled a little sadly. ¡°The company belonged to our parents. And their knowledge was shared with everyone who worked there.¡± ¡°Sadly, we are the only ones left who still understand them.¡± ¡°And so it is necessary for us to act.¡± ¡°Even if what they left us is no more, what we learned will remain.¡± ¡°After all, we have two heads.¡± So, they had already decided. Tor realized that he had been foolish to ask. And he felt a great deal of respect for them as he continued. ¡°Where are you going to start searching, to be precise?¡± ¡°There is one piece of information that is crucial.¡± ¡°The method for smuggling. That¡¯s it.¡± ¡°And so comes the arduous task of questioning people.¡± Besides, if it was an inn used by Adventurers, it was unlikely that the employees would talk about customers. Even more because Magic Centipede were a large group of over twenty people. But it turned out that the twins were not going to interrogate people working at the inn. ¡°When it comes to food for twenty people, you can expect a lot of leftovers.¡± ¡°Hey, you don¡¯t mean¡­¡± ¡°Yes. We¡¯re going to question the people who come at night in order to eat the scraps.¡± They were talking about vagabonds. Not the kind of people that these two well-bred young ladies, who ate with the best manners, would usually talk to. Who knows what would happen? The two noticed his expression and chuckled. ¡°Mister Tor. Can we rely on you to protect us?¡± Realizing that his clients intended on running into danger head first, Tor could only sigh. And he decided to just enjoy what was left of his meal. It was as delicious as its high price suggested it would be. If he could eat this well, then maybe the job wasn¡¯t so bad after all. CH 9 Chapter 9 ¨C A Delicious Development The twins seemed to have done their research beforehand, and so they headed straight towards Magic Centipede¡¯s inn after leaving the restaurant. It was to the southwest of Durande. As it was an establishment capable of taking in a party with as much personnel as Magic Centipede, the building was quite large. It was three stories high and in the shape of a ¡®C,¡¯ with a courtyard in the middle. In spite of this, the fee was not that high. Since they had no intention of talking to employees, they decided to circle the building and start the investigation. That was when a man with shaggy hair appeared from the shadows. ¡°Guhehe. You two shouldn¡¯t be out here so late at night¡­guheh!?¡± Just as he tried to approach them, Tor launched him into the air and then chased him towards the wall. ¡°Old man, there¡¯s something we want to ask you. Hey, don¡¯t try and run away. Just listen. It won¡¯t take too long.¡± As the man tried to escape, Tor pressed his hand into the wall right in front of the man¡¯s face, blocking his path. Then he grabbed the man¡¯s collar and pushed him into the wall. Right now, he probably looked like he was trying to pull a badger game. But he tried not to think about it. ¡°I got him.¡± He turned to look at the twins. They were covering their mouths with expressions of shock. ¡°So this is Japan¡¯s ¡®kabe-don¡¯!¡± In the first place, if their source of information was books, then why did they know about internet slang? Perhaps they read it in a gaming book. Regardless, Tor pointed to the vagrant with his jaw, and the now very excited twins began to address him. ¡°Well then, we have a few questions for you. Your reward will be one silver coin, so please answer truthfully.¡± And so the twins and Tor went around and questioned three different vagrants and handed them a silver before releasing them. While the vagrants were quite frightened at first, they quickly regained their calm at the mention of silver, and they became very talkative when questioned. By the time that the moon was at its peak, the three were on their way back to the Ubaz company. ¡°There was no notable information.¡± The vagrants generally told them the same thing. Magic Centipede had been using that inn for three years now, and since there were a lot of leftovers, it became a favorite spot for the vagrants. Still, it was unlikely that they were working together and purposely telling lies to any who asked. Tor felt that it had been a waste of time, but the twins seemed to have seen something that he hadn¡¯t. ¡°It was rather interesting.¡± ¡°Really? I feel that all your sniffing around succeeded in doing was to reveal to Magic Centipede what you are up to.¡± He was talking about the vagrants. They would surely try to profit from this by informing on them to Magic Centipede. The twins wagged their fingers. ¡°We¡¯ve already declared war on them the moment that we hired you, Mister Tor. There is no point in worrying about what Haran or Magic Centipede think of us now.¡± ¡°Besides, we heard something that was so much more interesting than that. It was about how much firewood they used.¡± ¡°Firewood¡­¡± One of the things that all of the vagrants said was that on the days that Magic Centipede arrive and on the days they leave, the amount of firewood that is used rises enormously. However, this was not particularly odd to Tor. ¡°They have to wash the dirt off their bodies after traveling, no? Twenty people bathing will mean that a lot of water has to be boiled. So of course, they will use more firewood. It¡¯s the same with their departure. You would want to bathe thoroughly if you knew that it would be the last time in a long while.¡± ¡°Mister Tor, have you ever used water magic?¡± ¡°Water magic, eh? Not really. Besides, doesn¡¯t it disappear right away? You can¡¯t boil it in time¡­ Oh, but if they only have firewood¡­¡± Twenty Adventurers were going to take a bath. While they would require firewood, they would also need a lot of water. ¡°There is surely a well behind the inn?¡± ¡°But not enough to wash the bodies of twenty people.¡± Well, that was true. Tor had to agree with them. The agriculture in Durande was rich, and there were plenty of water sources, so the wells would not dry up. However, wells in the city would have limits when it came to use. ¡°So, what do they use the firewood for?¡± ¡°They must use it to boil water. Or else people will get suspicious.¡± ¡°¡­But didn¡¯t you just say that there wasn¡¯t enough water?¡± ¡°We said that there isn¡¯t enough for them to all bathe, not that they don¡¯t boil water at all.¡± ¡°Well, I suppose. So, why do they boil water?¡± But to this, the twins shook their heads. ¡°We cannot say for sure yet.¡± ¡°I think you mean that you don¡¯t know at all.¡± ¡°Hehe. You¡¯re very perceptive.¡± They seemed to want to change the subject. When they turned the corner, they entered a familiar alley. It was the same spot that he had been attacked that morning, by a member of Magic Centipede when on his way back to the inn. You¡¯re going to pass through here? Tor seemed to say as he looked around. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± ¡°Early this morning, I picked up a magictec arm here. It belonged to one of Magic Centipedes cronies.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s quite a thing to lose. Do people tend to forget their arms when they are very drunk?¡± ¡°Hardly. Besides, he came back as soon as I picked it up. So he must have realized it after a minute or two?¡± ¡°I would think it more natural to realize it immediately.¡± Well, she wasn¡¯t wrong. Wouldn¡¯t there be a loud noise when the metal arm hit the ground? It was strange that it was not the case, and that there was enough time for Tor to pick it up. ¡°So, you think he left it here on purpose?¡± It was possible that it was quietly left here so that someone else could pick it up later. The twins smiled just a little. ¡°It¡¯s too bad that we can¡¯t see the real thing, but something tells me that we¡¯ll soon discover something very interesting.¡± CH 10 Chapter 10 ¨C Enemy Boss When they returned to the Ubaz company, it was just as a group of people carrying torches were about to spread out through the area. A tall man with red hair, who seemed to be their leader, noticed Tor and the twins, and let out a chuckle and shrugged. ¡°Ahhh. And here they come, as if nothing had happened. All of you. Sorry for making you come out so late in the night. You can go back and sleep now.¡± The big man with red hair sent the others away, and then looked to the side, where Haran was standing. Haran was folding his arms with a look of irritation. Then he started to walk towards the twins. His shoulders were shaking with rage, and his voice sounded hoarse when Tor stepped out in front of them. ¡°Eufie, Mailey. What do you think you are doing? Going outside without permission!?¡± The twins poked their heads out from behind Tor and stuck their tongue out. ¡°You have no right to address us like that.¡± ¡°And we have no need for your permission to leave.¡± They protested. This only made Haran more angry. However, before he could open his mouth again, the red-haired man put a hand on his shoulder consolingly. ¡°Master, we¡¯ve made a big enough scene as it is. If this continues, word of unrest within the company will start to spread. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± ¡°However, Wenz¡­ These twins¡­¡± ¡°Wait. Think about this calmly.¡± Wenz chuckled, ignoring Haran¡¯s irritation as he continued. ¡°I commend your ability to create plans and act on them, but you always let the blood rise to your head when faced with something unexpected. And that¡¯s no good. You¡¯ve hired us all in order to deal with such unpredictable situations. And so you should keep your calm.¡± As Tor watched their conversation with a yawn, he felt two pairs of eyes on him. The twins were looking up at him. ¡°That¡¯s the clan leader of Magic Centipede, Wenz.¡± ¡°I thought so. Though, I¡¯m a little surprised that isn¡¯t the one making all the decisions.¡± It should not be difficult for Wenz to silence Haran. And yet he was just trying to console Haran and diffuse the situation. The twins looked a little conflicted. ¡°Perhaps Haran looks very feeble to you, as you have only ever seen him upset like this, but he is rather quick-witted.¡± ¡°He may show his weak side when his plan goes awry, but he is not completely incompetent.¡± ¡°That sounds like a back-handed compliment. At least, they are not exactly the words you would want to use to describe a leader.¡± No, maybe a number three, who took care of business, but allowed a superior to make the important decisions. ¡°At the very least, there should be someone who can react immediately to unexpected situations without listening to Haran¡¯s opinion.¡± ¡°The current Ubaz company is the result of Haran letting go of such people.¡± ¡°He could have at least left us alone in our roles, but he has an overblown opinion of himself.¡± ¡°Ah, I see. So it¡¯s all his own doing.¡± Tor almost felt sorry for him. While he and the twins shared their opinions of the man, Haran and Wenz also seemed to have come to a decision. ¡°So you¡¯re the new bodyguard that everyone is talking about. You are younger than I expected.¡± ¡°In spite of appearances, I¡¯ll be turning forty soon.¡± ¡°Hey, hey now. You can¡¯t be serious? That would make us nearly the same age.¡± ¡°Of course, I am lying.¡± ¡°¡­I thought so. As for you two, you really shouldn¡¯t make the others worry so much.¡± Wenz seemed to have realized that there was no point in talking to Tor, and so he turned to the twins instead. ¡°You should rely on Magic Centipede instead of this stranger here. And please inform us when you leave next time. Even if you must take him with you, it cannot hurt to have a few extra bodyguards.¡± ¡°You mean more people for me to protect?¡± Tor interjected. Wenz glared at him with surprising power. ¡°Are you saying that my men will just get in your way? A lone B-ranker who doesn¡¯t know the strength of Red Thunder and Hundred Leagues should keep his mouth shut.¡± ¡°And yet you didn¡¯t even notice when we left the building. Surely it is obvious to you? Or do I have to spell it out?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re trying to provoke me into attacking you first, you¡¯re wasting your time.¡± ¡°Damn it.¡± Tor had been thinking that crushing the head of Magic Centipede here would make things easier in the future. But the plan ended in failure. And so realizing that getting the Adventurer¡¯s guild or the guards directly involved was a lost cause, Tor stepped aside and allowed the twins to deal with the situation. They had been standing on opposite sides of Tor and observing, but after detecting that Tor would no longer be talking to Wenz, they pointed at their window on the second floor. ¡°If you¡¯re finished, perhaps you could take us back to our room.¡± ¡°Ladies, will you ignore my warning then?¡± ¡°Warning? A warning for us?¡± The two looked at Wenz as if he were some kind of puzzling creature. ¡°We hired Mister Tor so we wouldn¡¯t have to listen to such things.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve been over that part. All I¡¯m saying is we can have a few members of Magic Centipede accompany you and this Tor person.¡± ¡°With those faulty magitec arms and legs? You must be joking.¡± ¡°Faulty? That¡¯s quite rude of you. We are doing our best with a modest income.¡± ¡°And why would you increase your own workload, if the pay is not satisfactory?¡± ¡°You do have a point there. And so it would help us all if you two could just refrain from going out.¡± But before Wenz had finished saying this, the twins smiled and pointed to Tor. ¡°We have our own guard. And we have no intention of paying you anything.¡± ¡°After all, you have hardly proved yourselves competent enough for us to even consider paying for you.¡± This venom was spat out with smiles. And then they wrapped themselves in Tor¡¯s arms. ¡°Now, let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°He-hey, we¡¯re not finished here¡­¡± ¡°We are.¡± They ignored Wenz¡¯s protests and looked up at Tor. And so Tor pulled them in, used body strengthening magic, and kicked off the ground. And like that, they rose to the window on the second floor. Once they jumped into the room, he put them down and they looked out of the window. Wenz¡¯s eyes met theirs. He had a bitter expression on his face. Tor waved back. ¡°We¡¯re both hired help. So I suppose we should go along with our client¡¯s wishes?¡± ¡°Even the hired must have their own opinions. At least, if you want to be more than someone who is merely used.¡± Tor had not expected to hear any life advice from Wenz, but he couldn¡¯t help but nod with agreement. ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± ¡°Good. Do that.¡± Wenz waved back and then entered the building. As Tor closed the window, the twins addressed him. ¡°On the other hand, unnecessary opinions will make people think that you are useless.¡± ¡°And you shouldn¡¯t forget that having opinions can result in clients forcing responsibility onto you.¡± ¡°Aye. It¡¯s enough to make one hate the world.¡± Tor was annoyed that he also agreed with their warnings. CH 11 Chapter 11 ¨C Special Weapon After returning to their room, one of the twins got into bed while the other started looking through the book shelf. ¡°You¡¯re like owls.¡± He said, describing both the fact that they could share thoughts and their current state. The twin who was now carrying a few books looked at him and chuckled. ¡°Unihemispheric slow-wave sleep, was it? Yes, perhaps it is similar. But we both have our own will. And I don¡¯t think that each side of an owl¡¯s brain has a separate consciousness.¡± ¡°A will, yes. By the way, which one are you?¡± ¡°I am Mailey. The younger one.¡± He would not be able to tell if she was lying, he thought, while looking at one and then the other. Mailey sat down in the chair and started to read one of the books. Thanks to the magitec lamps, it was not difficult to read at night. ¡°Please have a seat, Mister Tor.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Tor sat down in the other chair and looked out of the window. The magitec lamp posts illuminated the night streets. There were many other company buildings here, and so they had tighter security. He saw no suspicious figures, but the wood of the window frame had scratches on it. Perhaps they had used a ladder to see if the twins had left. ¡°Can you also share dreams?¡± ¡°Yes. But we are used to it, so there is no disorder in our thoughts.¡± ¡°What does it feel like?¡± ¡°As we¡¯ve been like this since birth, it¡¯s normal. So I cannot describe¡­¡± Mailey looked at her older sister, Euphie, with a perplexed expression, and then smiled. One thing he had realized today was that these sisters got along very well. Due to being able to share thoughts, he had not actually seen them conversing, but they were likely doing it all in the mind. ¡°It¡¯s like a real version of ¡®give me fami-chiki.¡¯¡± ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°Internet slang.¡± As the twins had knowledge of Earth and Japan, it brought back all kinds of memories. And while this didn¡¯t make him homesick, it wasn¡¯t a bad feeling either. ¡°Daydreaming.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You asked. What it feels like to share thoughts.¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right. Sorry. So, daydreaming, huh?¡± ¡°Also, it¡¯s like when you are reading a book, and you are reading the letters out loud in your head. When the visual information is integrated into your thoughts, it¡¯s like daydreaming and¡­it is very difficult to explain.¡± It was all related to the senses. Maily hesitated as she tried to find the right words. Tor decided to think of it as watching tv inside of your head. They must be very good with multi-tasking. ¡°Yes, yes. Our visual field is wider than other people.¡± ¡°I guess it¡¯s like having two points of view. So you¡¯re more aware of your surroundings.¡± ¡°Yes. When learning the art of self-defense, we were told that together, we equaled that of a C-Rank Adventurer.¡± ¡°Was it the Durande manager?¡± She must have been quite proud of this. Mailey chuckled and nodded. A C-Ranker was a full-fledged Adventurer. You needed to have experience fighting against magitec beasts, which were much more dangerous than ordinary monsters. It was a rank where you had to be able to complete most quests. D-Rank self-defense skills were more than enough for the average person. With C-Rank, they could probably fight off the average thug. However, Mailey and Euphie expected their enemies to be professional Adventurers. A clan full of B-Rankers, to be exact. And so their skill level would not be enough. ¡°And what weapons do you use?¡± ¡°A spear and magic. I can also handle a bow. But now that I think about it, why don¡¯t you use a weapon, Mister Tor?¡± Mailey asked as she looked at Tor¡¯s mail gauntlets. Tor replied by taking something out of the large leather pouch on his belt. ¡°This is my partner.¡± ¡°¡­What is it?¡± Mailey may have been full of knowledge, but even she looked at it with suspicion. Tor¡¯s weapon was very unique indeed. There were ten cakrams, iron disks with blades on the outside that were slightly larger than the palm of his hands. And each was attached to a chain that was as long as his arm. ¡°It¡¯s called a chain chakram. A special order weapon.¡± ¡°You use a very unusual weapon.¡± ¡°Well, I usually work solo. And I had to think of ways to deal with enemies when I am surrounded. And this is what I settled on.¡± People would call him a fool when they saw it. And treat him like a freak when they saw it in action. Still, it was the result of spending nine years in this world as an Adventurer. ¡°Well, I probably won¡¯t actually use it.¡± ¡°I think you should sharpen it while you can.¡± ¡°It¡¯s like you¡¯re pretending to return to the subject, but spiraling out of control.¡± He joked at Mailey¡¯s suggestion that he would be using them soon. She chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m just elevating the conversation.¡± And then she used her finger to draw an upward spiral towards the ceiling. ¡°You¡¯re just moving upwards at an angle.¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t look at the process. The results are important, are they not?¡± ¡°I think they are both important.¡± ¡°But you are satisfied with that weapon, Mister Tor? So I am guessing that it has exceeded your expectations.¡± Maily said as she pointed a thin finger at the chain chakram. She was right. Tor winced and then put it back into his pouch. ¡°I see. The results are important. Very well.¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking you this out of pure curiosity, but is that weapon common on Earth?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯ve never seen it in real life, much less stories. Perhaps a bellows sword is similar.¡± ¡°A bellows sword?¡± So they didn¡¯t know what that was. ¡°Think of it as a long sword that has been split into multiple pieces. And the fragments are connected by steel wire. If you reel it in, it can function as an ordinary sword. And when extended, it can act as a whip. Of course, it¡¯s only used in fiction.¡± After giving this simple explanation, Mailey began to scribble on a piece of paper. And while the finished sketch had the characteristics down, there was something odd about it. It was clearly different from the detailed bird drawing next to it. ¡°Was it Euphie who drew the bird?¡± ¡°Yes. Euphie is good at drawing things that she has never even seen. I can draw a little, when sharing her thoughts, but do not really have the same skill for art.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s not exactly terrible.¡± It seemed less about skill and more about expression. Maily looked at the finished sketch and tilted her head. ¡°And can your weapon also reel itself in?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then how would you fight in close quarters?¡± ¡°A whip is a mid-range and a close-range weapon. But I don¡¯t really want to talk about it, so don¡¯t ask me.¡± He said, before Mailey could complain. ¡°Very well.¡± And then she returned to flipping pages in her book. ¡°That is enough idle chatter. There are serious matters to discuss. ¡­About their method for smuggling.¡± CH 12 Chapter 12 ¨C Low Melting Metal ¡°The method of smuggling? You found out already?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all just circumstantial evidence. Though, I don¡¯t really like that so much of it is built on assumptions.¡± Tor thought it was rather impressive that they could infer much at all after just one night of questioning. But it all depended on what they would say next. It was still possible that they had come up with some absurd idea. Mailey was writing information down on a piece of paper. ¡°First, let¡¯s say that the smuggled goods are gold coins and silvercraft. These things seem to be disappearing and appearing, so it¡¯s practically undeniable at this point.¡± In other words, there needed to be a method for transporting these two things. ¡°When it comes to smuggling, the biggest hurdle would be getting past the wall that surrounds Durande. The Durande officials had known about the smuggling, and had been tightening security. However, they have yet to catch the culprits by the tail.¡± There were various possibilities. Hidden spaces under the floors and secret shelves. Or having humans and animals swallow them so they could be taken out later. And while magitec lanps were more common now, they were still expensive, and so candles were still in demand, allowing objects to be hidden in the wax. ¡°But the Durande officials would be investigating these old methods.¡± ¡°And did you two investigate them?¡± ¡°We did check to see if the Ubaz company carriages used for transportation had been altered in any way, as well as the products and boxes for any empty spaces. We found nothing.¡± If the experienced Durande soldiers could not find anything, then it must be a very elaborate method. Mailey continued to write on the paper. ¡°Now, if Magic Centipede were to be used as guards for the Ubaz company¡¯s products while they are being transported, what is something they can take with them that will not invite suspicion?¡± ¡°Weapons?¡± ¡°Yes. Weapons as well. After all, there are monsters and magitec beasts out there. But that¡¯s not what it is.¡± ¡°So, magitec arms and legs?¡± ¡°Yes. That is what we should be focusing on. Especially since we heard about the magitec arm you picked up this morning.¡± Upon hearing this, Tor realized what had also been bothering him. In the end, he had never been able to figure out why the magitec arm had been left there in the alley. And there was one other thing. ¡°Yes, I did feel that something was wrong when I picked it up.¡± ¡°Wrong?¡± Mailey looked at him expectantly, as if some new information was coming. Tor gave her an apologetic look. ¡°But I was really drunk, and couldn¡¯t really grasp what it was that was wrong.¡± ¡°¡­Did you sense that something was wrong when you first saw the magitec arm?¡± ¡°Huh? No, it was after I picked it up.¡± He had felt that it was very poorly made. But that couldn¡¯t be the only reason that it felt off. After all, that was something clear to him, and wasn¡¯t the cause for this sense of unease that he felt but could not put into words. And it wasn¡¯t that the joints were bad, or about any other features. However, there was definitely something wrong with it. Mailey turned the pages of the book she had opened on the desk, and seemed to be searching for something. Then she made a suggestion in hopes of jogging Tor¡¯s memory. ¡°Perhaps it was heavier than the average magitec arm.¡± ¡°Weight, huh. Yes, it might have been on the heavy side. But the weight would vary quite a lot from arm to arm, and¡­ Ah, I see.¡± Tor finally realized what it was as he looked down at his hand. He was wearing chainmail gloves. ¡°Mister Tor. Did you realize something?¡± ¡°¡­That magitec arm. There was money inside of it. It was inside of the thick metal plates on the back of the hand and also the outside of the arm.¡± ¡°Wait a minute. Not within the gaps between the parts, but inside of a metal plate?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ask me how I know. This information is directly related to the way that I fight. Don¡¯t tell anyone.¡± ¡°But Euphie will know?¡± ¡°I suppose you can¡¯t hide anything from each other.¡± ¡°There is no need to.¡± Maily grinned and then passed the open book to Tor. ¡°I don¡¯t know how you figured it out, but we too considered the possibility that gold coins were hidden within the metal plates of the arm. Not only would they not be visible from the outside, but no one would ever suspect that you are hiding something.¡± The page that the book was opened to had the headline ¡®low melting medal.¡¯ ¡°What is this? Is this about mercury?¡± ¡°No, an alloy. Unlike mercury, it is solid at room temperature. Though, there are various temperatures where it turns into liquid.¡± Maily pointed at a chart for alloys with low melting points. Tor recognized some, like solder, which was used to fuse metal together. ¡°Among alloys with low melting points, there are some that melt from just having hot water poured over them. For instance, wood¡¯s metal.¡± ¡°Hot water? ¡­Ah, so that would be the reason that Magic Centipede are using so much firewood.¡± Wood¡¯s metal. An alloy that melts at seventy degrees. The melting point of agar was generally considered to be eighty-five degrees. So it was hard to imagine that a metal could be lower than that. If that was the necessary temperature, then you would be able to seal coins within a magitec arm without any special equipment. You just had to place the coins on a board and pour the melted wood¡¯s metal over it. The coins wouldn¡¯t melt or be affected. And you could later extract them with hot water. It was certainly an interesting metal. Tor thought with amusement as he looked at the composition. ¡°Lead, tin, cadmium? Bismuth? Hey, leaving the first two aside, cadmium and bismuth would not be easy to acquire. I¡¯ve only ever seen them mentioned in textbooks from highschool.¡± ¡°Indeed. However, I didn¡¯t expect you to get stuck there, Mister Tor.¡± ¡°Stuck? What do you mean?¡± Mailey asked as she tilted her head. Her golden hair moved smoothly, reflecting the lights of the magitec lamp. As her clear blue eyes stared at him, Tor wondered about where the wood¡¯s metal had come from. ¡°A lost item.¡± ¡°Yes. That being said, there is likely not very much of it. If they did have a lot, they would use hammers or a large magitec machines instead. They could even use precious gems, which can be converted to gold, and put them into wooden boxes before sealing them with wood¡¯s metal.¡± ¡°So they only have enough wood¡¯s metal to make carrying golden coins the most efficient to carry.¡± ¡°Yes. And since Magic Centipede are Adventurers, it¡¯s highly likely that they would find lost items in the dungeons.¡± It was said that lost items often appeared in dungeons. Like Tor, sometimes they were found outside of them. But if you wanted a lost item, it was still best to search the dungeons. Mailey closed the book. ¡°There are several incidents throughout history revolving around lost items. But it¡¯s quite exciting when it happens close by.¡± ¡°Exciting? This is criminal activity.¡± ¡°But the lost items are not to blame. It is the people who use them.¡± Mailey used a hand to hide a yawn. And then she continued. ¡°And so they must be punished.¡± She then gave Tor the paper which had their conversation recorded on it. And asked that he hand it over to Euphie. And just as Mailey went to bed, Euphie woke up. CH 13 Chapter 13 ¨C Fight With Yourself After getting up, Euphie dropped comfortably into the chair that Mailey had been sitting in. She then stretched her arms towards the ceiling and arched her back like a cat. The movement accentuated her figure, as slim as it was, but Tor took no note of it. ¡°How much did you hear through your thought sharing with Mailey?¡± ¡°That it¡¯s all but certain that the method of smuggling is hiding the gold in wood¡¯s metal. The problem is, how we will gather evidence.¡± ¡°When things are this smooth, it doesn¡¯t feel like I¡¯m talking to a different person.¡± While it saved Tor the hassle of explaining everything again, it also confused him a little. And the fact that they were identical twins just added to the confusion. Euphie briefly looked through the notes that Mailey had left her before sleeping, and then she dipped her pen into the inkpot. She then began to scribble something on the other side of the sheet of paper. ¡°About the magitec arm you picked up, Mr. Tor. The money was hidden in the palm and forearm parts?¡± ¡°Aye, there is no mistake.¡± ¡°It must have been weak, because it was handmade by Magic Centipede. If they ordered it at a workshop, there would have to be differences in the thickness of plates between the arm and the plans, so their trick would be exposed.¡± Euphie had drawn an illustration of the magitec arm, and she added arrows that pointed to the palm and forearm. ¡°It will be possible to reveal them if we stopped them at Durande¡¯s gates and used fire magic on all of their magitec arms.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea.¡± Tor couldn¡¯t help but interject. Euphie looked at him with suspicion, and so he explained. ¡°Users move their magitec arms by sending magic energy into them. If this is done many times over, the arm will adapt to that magic energy, and its resistance to other types of magic energy will increase. If they are using these magitec arms daily, then your average fire magic will not be enough to make the temperature rise.¡± Apparently, Euphie was hearing this for the first time. She lifted her face from her writing with a curious expression, and stared at Tor. ¡°The requirement for rising to a B-Rank Adventurer is enchanting your armor and weapons, yes? Is that the reason?¡± ¡°Aye. In order to block the magic of powerful monsters, or at the very least, prevent your equipment from being destroyed, it must have some resistance to magic energy. That is why it¡¯s a requirement for B-Rank promotion. While it¡¯s possible to get by with strengthening your own body, you will have to retreat if your equipment is destroyed.¡± ¡°Has that ever happened to you, Mr. Tor?¡± ¡°Thankfully, it has not. But I do get injured often.¡± He had been reckless many times, in order to find ways to return to earth. Tor laughed as the memories came back to him. But they must return to the subject at hand. And so Tor shook the past from his mind and opened his mouth. ¡°And so if you wish to heat up the magitec arms, you must use a different method.¡± ¡°Hot water. Though, if we only need to apply heat, we can make a fire under an empty pot and just throw the magitec arms inside.¡± ¡°An empty pot would be best. Boiling water would take too much time. And using fire magic in water will result in a lot of steam. It will be difficult to see through it, and they might escape.¡± Euphie agreed with Tor, and she jotted down ¡®heat pot¡¯ onto the sheet of paper. ¡°It¡¯s like writing a cooking recipe.¡± ¡°There is money inside. Much like a Christmas pudding.¡± ¡°A what? I do know what Christmas is.¡± Tor asked, as he did not know how the two words connected to money. Euphie looked at him oddly. ¡°You¡¯re from earth, and yet you don¡¯t know?¡± Tor regretted getting off track again, and quickly corrected the course. ¡°So, we¡¯ll get evidence of the gold smuggling by throwing the magitec arms in a heated pot at the gates. That is all fine, but how will you suggest this method to the officials at the gate?¡± The watchful officials at the gate had already noticed that the Ubaz company was involved in the smuggling of gold. And the twins were related to the company. And so they might be suspicious of any suggestions they made. If anything, they might suspect that they were using Magic Centipede to set a trap, and they might not act at all. ¡°Indeed. Haran will be cautious after we went out tonight. And so Magic Centipede may depart ahead of schedule. We do not want to waste time dealing with the officials.¡± Euphie added to her notes that one must not breathe in the fumes when heating the magitec arms. She then glanced towards Tor. ¡°Do you have a method of contact, Mr. Tor?¡± ¡°The Adventurers Guild. I can contact the Durande manager, yes. We have an agreement.¡± ¡°That is what I thought. I think he will visit again tomorrow, but you should contact him immediately. Tell him how we mean to expose them.¡± She finished writing and then handed the sheet to Tor. Then Euphie smiled broadly at him. Framed by her golden hair, Euphie¡¯s smile was like a glorious sunflower. Most would have praised her beauty¡­but Tor narrowed his eyes as if seeing something suspicious. ¡°You meant for me to pass the message from the beginning, didn¡¯t you? I thought it was strange that you told me of the smuggling methods and what you meant to do.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so upset. We are relying on you, you know?¡± ¡°You¡¯re relying on a method of contact, and the manager. Give me that paper. I¡¯ll send it to him. By the way, is the manager married?¡± ¡°He is. They get along so well that they even fight.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. I can pretend this is a love letter. And then we can see just how close they are.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t do that. What if he refuses to help?¡± ¡°I was joking.¡± Tor shrugged his shoulders and took out a thin iron disk from his pocket. He folded the paper from Euphie and then inserted it into the disk. Then he opened the window a little so that no one would notice from outside. ¡°In that area¡­¡± He squinted through the darkness of the night, and then aimed at the inn where the contact man was hiding. Then he used ¡®body strengthen¡¯ on his wrist, hid his hand and activated the magic. The disk shot through the streets and towards a room at the inn. Euphie had been watching him from the side, but it happened so quickly that she didn¡¯t even see it leave his hand. He then closed the window without making a sound. It was only then that Euphie realized that he wasn¡¯t carrying the metal disk. And she grabbed Tor¡¯s arm and looked into the sleeve as if suspecting a trick. ¡°I didn¡¯t see anything.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to be seen by someone who hasn¡¯t even strengthened their body. I am a B-Ranker, after all.¡± They turned to look out the window, towards the inn. The light in the room blinked twice, probably through switching a magitec lantern on and off. That meant the letter had been received. ¡°Now it¡¯s up to how Magic Centipede will react.¡± Without waiting for Tor to reply, Euphie pulled out the board game. ¡°You seem very happy?¡± ¡°Because of our ability to share thoughts, it is always two against one when we are both awake. So this is a rare opportunity.¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s not all positives then.¡± Euphie lined up the pieces enthusiastically. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll play.¡± Tor would have liked to get some sleep in preparation for tomorrow, but after seeing Euphie¡¯s face, he felt that he could at least play one game with her. It reminded him of how he felt when going on school trips with his old friends. ¡°This is a serious game. I will not hold back.¡± ¡°Very well. But don¡¯t regret it.¡± Tor said with a grin. And then he lined his own pieces with practiced speed. Euphie narrowed her eyebrows. ¡°Regret¡­ Are you that confident?¡± ¡°Quite the opposite. You will feel guilty because I am so terrible. However, a serious battle is really a battle against yourself. And you must win.¡± ¡°I am supposed to be fighting you, but I will fight myself!?¡± CH 14 Chapter 14 ¨C Morning Attack ¡°You¡¯re not as bad as you claimed.¡± Euphie said. And then Tor replied. ¡°And you¡¯re not that good.¡± The battle on the board game was getting more heated than anticipated, and it was a back and forth of offense and defense. The twins had given the impression of high intelligence, especially when ascertaining the method for smuggling, but it seemed that their individual characteristics came out more when the other was asleep. If there was a reason that the battle was so heated, it was because Euphie tended to act by instinct. In spite of being quick to determine what would be the best move, she did not like to take her time and read too far ahead. In fact, she didn¡¯t read more than five moves. On the other hand, while Tor had been modest about his ability, he was a decent player. And so as long as he employed the standard tactics, he could make up for the difference through experience. While Tor clearly had the weaker formation, Euphie groaned at the battle situation, which still left her on edge. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to insult you. But you make very precise moves, kind of like Mailey.¡± ¡°Standard tactics are the result of experience.¡± Perhaps Mailey was good at building theories based on knowledge, while Euphie went by instinct. When they were together, the two heads could construct two types of theories, and so his medium ability would be no match for them. Tor could now see why she had been excited to play one against one. As the game continued, Euphie would occasionally make unpredictable moves that changed the situation, and just before dawn, when it was the darkest, the game ended. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I used my head so much in a game.¡± It was a good kind of tiredness of the brain that Tor felt. Though, the lack of sleep made his eyes glaze over, and so he looked out of the window in order to rest them. As he gazed at the town that was illuminated in lamp posts, he thought he heard the hard sounds of carriage wheels running over stone streets, and he sat up in his chair. ¡°¡­What?¡± The gates to the town wouldn¡¯t even be opened yet. And so it was too early for the carriage to leave. Euphie also heard the sounds, and her hands stopped as she was putting away the board game. ¡°The employees would all be asleep now, so it cannot be a customer. And it can¡¯t be a merchant if the gates are closed.¡± Feeling suspicious, Euphie got up in order to wake Mailey. Tor looked at the street below the window. There was a two-horse wagon that had stopped right in front of the Ubaz company. A young man jumped off of the driver¡¯s seat and then looked up at Tor. ¡­Damn it! Seeing that the man had strengthened his body, Tor immediately leapt back from the window. In the next instant, a wooden box crashed through the glass and into the room. The box shattered after hitting the ceiling, and the bag of salt that was inside now spread around the room. ¡°¡­Wh-what is this!?¡± Mailey said with astonishment after waking up to see that the room was covered in salt. However, she quickly understood what had happened through her shared thoughts with Euphie. And she quickly got out of bed. Magitec hands grabbed the rim of the window and the intruder pulled himself up. ¡°Ladies, you must come with me.¡± ¡°We refuse.¡± ¡°There is no time. I¡¯ll use force if I have to¡­¡± But the man did not continue his words. Tor rushed out from his blind spot and closed the gap between them. Then he smashed his fist, which wore the chain glove, into the side of the man¡¯s face. It was so strong that the man¡¯s jaw must have shattered as he flew out of the window. Tor clicked his tongue. ¡°Really. Not even a ¡®may I come in?¡¯¡± He joked as he turned to look at the twins. ¡°That one was from Magic Centipede, right? What is happening?¡± ¡°I do not know. He was clearly after us, but we don¡¯t have enough information.¡± Euphie and Mailey shook their heads. As the clammer from below grew louder, they heard the heavy footsteps of someone coming up the staircase. ¡°While I don¡¯t know what is happening, there will be no end to it if we stay here. We¡¯ll unite with the manager.¡± Tor picked up the twins in his arms and ran towards the window. The footsteps going up the stairs were now right behind the door. He strengthened his body and put his foot on the rim of the window. And at the same time as he leapt, the room of the door was kicked open. Tor looked over his shoulder as flew from the window. The intruders were Haran and an Adventurer with a magitec arm who was likely part of Magic Centipede. Haran must have been asleep until a moment ago, as he was wearing a rough nightgown. ¡°Damn it! Don¡¯t let them get away! Get the twins!¡± Haran shouted so loudly, as if forgetting that there were neighbors. For them, this was likely a completely unexpected situation. After flying out of the window, Tor ignored the Magic Centipede underlings waiting below as he landed in the wagon. Then he charged forward in spite of being surrounded. ¡°A charge? You have a lot of nerve for a B-Ranker!¡± The Magic Centipede underlings moved to unsheath their weapons in order to catch Tor. However, their expressions soon turned to shock as they realized that their blades were fixed to their sheaths and would not budge. ¡°It won¡¯t come out?¡± As they were left confused by the fact that no matter how much they tried, they could not unsheath their weapons, Tor held the twins in both arms and rushed past them. ¡°This isn¡¯t a very gentlemanly way to escort a lady from her house.¡± ¡°I would give you more credit if you didn¡¯t shake me so much.¡± Tor ignored Euphie and Mailey¡¯s protests as he entered a narrow alley and then put them down on the ground. ¡°I don¡¯t see Wenz. Or any of the main members of Magic Centipede for that matter.¡± Had there been B-Rank Adventurers there as well, they would not have allowed Tor to get through while still holding the twins. Even if they couldn¡¯t unsheath their swords, Tor had his hands full, and yet they could not stop him. That showed how they lacked coordination. ¡°We¡¯re going to the guild. I¡¯ll get rid of anyone who tries to stop us. So calm down and run.¡± Tor took out his chain chakram from his pouch, and then scattered caltrops on the ground in the alley. ¡°Are you a ninja, Mr. Tor?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just the son of a common farmer. Now run.¡± As they started running towards the guild, Tor perked up his ears. It was just before the breaking of dawn, and the streets should have been quiet, and yet the town was buzzing. Tor and the twins had the feeling that something big was going to happen as they ran towards the Adventurers Guild. CH 15 Chapter 15 ¨C Ambushes Seem To Be In Fashion As the twins had learned self defense arts, they had a decent amount of stamina. Tor looked over his shoulder at them as he led the way. They were running with good posture. Perhaps thought sharing allowed them to get a sense of how they were running, which helped polish their form. But even still, that was not enough to keep up with an Adventurer like Tor. And while the Magic Centipede Adventurers were on their trail, the caltrops seemed to have an effect, as they were nowhere in sight. When he looked ahead again, he saw a small woman jump down from the roof of the two-story inn. The twins stopped in surprise, but Tor reassured them. ¡°It¡¯s fine. That¡¯s the messenger who was waiting at the inn. An ally.¡± The twins nodded and began to run again. The messenger waved, gesturing for them to follow after her. And then she began to run ahead. When they finally caught up with her, the woman opened her mouth. ¡°Sorry. There was a mistake, and contact was delayed.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine. Tell me about the situation.¡± What they wanted right now was information. Tor urged, and the woman continued with a relieved expression. ¡°First, I¡¯ve told the manager about the smuggling method. From there, word was sent to the guards. I confirmed all of this myself.¡± The woman explained that she had been waiting at the inn after contacting the guards, and so that everything after that was known to her through messages. ¡°At first, it was suggested that they should close the gates entirely. But then the guards were able to confirm that Magic Centipede was indeed using a great amount of firewood at their inn every night, and so they decided to catch them at the scene of the crime.¡± Why hadn¡¯t he realized it sooner? Tor cursed his own carelessness. Eufie and Mailey also seemed to understand why the guards had acted quickly. ¡°When Magic Centipede pass through the gates as escorts, they are completely armed.¡± ¡°So if they are shown proof of their smuggling at the gates, then they will likely try and force their way through the gates and escape.¡± ¡°Even if they are taken by surprise, a battle against a group of Adventurers will mean great losses for the guards as well.¡± ¡°In that case, it would be better to ambush them now, while they are still at the inn and unprepared.¡± The twins understood why there was so much noise around the town now, and they looked apologetic. The messenger shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t think you have to worry about any damage towards the people of the town. The guards are professionals, after all. But once again, I¡¯m sorry that contact was delayed.¡± ¡°But why was it delayed?¡± Tor asked, and the woman explained with a troubled expression. ¡°As the suspects in this case are an Adventurer clan, the guards were afraid that information could leak from us, and that they would find out about the attack. And so they reported it after the fact. We can do nothing but feel regret about it now.¡± ¡°Aye, then it is no one¡¯s fault.¡± Even the manager was unable to trust his own Adventurers. That¡¯s why Tor had been made to guard the twins. In order for the guards, who didn¡¯t know what was happening inside, to be absolutely sure, they had to report after the fact. ¡°And so, how many people were able to escape?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard that they captured ten people at the inn. However, we don¡¯t know where clan leader Wenz and a few other important members are. An inspection of the Ubaz Company had been planned, but due to an attack from Human Centipede on the way, they are still regrouping. It seems like a carriage charged into them.¡± Tor recalled the underlings with the carriage that he saw when jumping out of the building. Magic Centipede had likely been thinking of using the twins as hostages when getting through the gates. And then they would unite with Haran. Right now, the main members of Magic Centipede would have united with Haran and others from the Ubaz Company who were involved in the smuggling. ¡°Still, it is odd. I don¡¯t see why they would target the twins at this point.¡± If they really wanted hostages when going through the gate, it would be much easier to take a random citizen off the streets instead. After all, they were not being guarded by Tor. They could now see the defense walls that stood near the Adventurers Guild. If they turned the corner, then the guild would be straight ahead. It was then that they saw that men were standing there as if to block their path. And so Tor and the others stopped. ¡°Haran and Wenz¡­¡± The messenger muttered with a bitter expression, and then she took a step back. It was Wenz and ten other Adventurers from Magic Centipede who blocked the road. On top of that, there was Haran and three employees they had seen before at the Ubaz Company. It looked like they had taken a carriage and arrived here first. This suggested a strong will to capture the twins, no matter the cost. Haran looked at Eufie and Mailey angrily. ¡°To think that leaving you alone for just one night would result in you exposing our methods¡­ This is why I had geniuses. Or have you made a contract with the devil?¡± Eufie and Mailey sighed with exasperation. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. Just admit that you are ignorant.¡± Woah, they are tearing him apart. Tor almost felt sorry for Haran, even though he was an enemy. Haran¡¯s face grew red as he saw the looks of pity he was getting. ¡°You two sure have a lot to say. But you wouldn¡¯t understand the feelings of a commoner. In order to run a company of that scale¡­¡± ¡°Master, that¡¯s enough talk. They are just trying to buy time. They aren¡¯t even listening to you.¡± As Haran spat and was about to argue back, Wenz stopped him. If they bought some time here, the guards would arrive. Wenz saw what the twins were thinking, and he unsheathed his greatsword and looked at Tor and the others. ¡°It so happens that we are out of time. Now quietly surrender. And we will spare their lives. With the knowledge the sisters possess, we can always start again with the funds we have saved.¡± Wenz¡¯s blade was nearly two meters long, and to his right and left stood Adventurers. They were not wearing Magitec arms or legs, but brandished weapons. Small shields, short swords and spears. There were two of each on either side of him. The main members of Magic Centipede, Wenz¡¯s own B-Rank party. Upon seeing this fighting force, the messenger began to retreat as she whispered to Tor and the twins. ¡°We can¡¯t go to the guild like this. We should head to the guard house instead.¡± It was an obvious suggestion, but Tor looked like he thought it was too much trouble as he held up his chain chakrams. ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary. I¡¯ll deal with them here.¡± Wenz snorted as he saw this. ¡°Hey, hey. This is no place for a B-Rank loner. You won¡¯t even be able to delay us.¡± ¡°¡­I haven¡¯t slept for two days.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I stayed up last night playing a board game, and the night before that I stayed up drinking to celebrate an anniversary. And so I¡¯m very tired. I want to get this over with.¡± The chains jangled as Tor held the chain chakram and took a step forward. ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate loners. But if you think relying on numbers will save you, come at me.¡± The moment that Tor threw the chakram with one hand, there was a thunderous roar. It sounded like the strike of lightning. But by the time that Wenz and the others realized it was the numerous sounds of metal chains scraping against each other, they heard the thuds of something heavy falling behind them. They realized it was the subordinates who had been waiting behind them. They fell without being able to do anything. The chain jangled and danced as it retracted back towards Tor. It was enchanted with Tor¡¯s magic, and enveloped in red electricity. This special weapon had attacked them with a roar, and knocked his men down. There was no longer even a hint of disdain in their eyes as they looked at Tor. ¡°¡­Enchanted with red thunder. A solo B-Rank Adventurer.¡± Once they realized who Tor was, all the confidence seemed to drain from them completely. ¡°¡­17th in the rankings. Red Lightning!?¡± CH 16 Chapter 16 ¨C Hierarchy The ranking system in the guild was merely a way of optimizing the distribution of quests, and not necessarily an indication of an Adventurer¡¯s true ability. After all, there would be Adventurers who couldn¡¯t hunt magitec beasts, which was the requirement for being promoted to C-Rank, but who had abilities that allowed them to track such monsters. In order to prevent them from all being stuck at lower ranks, the guild had created a rating system, which was the Adventurers Guild hierarchy. Regardless of you being solo or in a party, your contribution to the guild, combat ability, scouting, tracking, patrolling abilities etcetera were all taken into account. And the top fifty were given numbers. Among them, the number seventeen had the highest rank for a B-Ranking Adventurer. And while he was solo, Red Lightning had reached this position purely based on combat ability. Wenz could feel the cold sweat dripping down his back. The chain chakram flew through the air. With the least amount of movement necessary, Tor controlled the weapon so that it writhed like a dragon and shot out red thunder. It knocked down the Magic Centipede subordinates with a speed that you could not react to without body strengthening. Wenz and the other B-Rankers were able to follow it with their eyes, but Wenz¡¯s weapon was a great sword. And so its swings were not as fast, and he struggled to defend himself. In fact, Wenz and the others were signaling to each other with their eyes. Tor was still too far away, and no one could attack him. ¡°¡­Charge formation.¡± Wenz ordered the others, and then two small shield wielders moved diagonally behind Wenz and focused on defense. And two spear wielders held their spears forward as they stood behind Wenz. Wenz himself would rely on his own great sword for defense. There was no need to defeat Tor. Their goal was merely to capture the twins. When Wenz started to run, the other five moved at once. Even now, they were still a B-Rank party, and they were completely synchronized. While there was a good distance, they could close it if they ran at full speed. Now that they had strengthened their bodies, they could temporarily dash at the speed of a horse. ¡°¡­Arrghhhaaa!¡± Wenz growled in order to rouse the others. The two behind him launched their spears at Tor with all of their might, and then they pulled out the daggers that were their sub weapons. They were now halfway across. Considering the time it would take Tor to deal with the spears, they should be able to get close enough. ¡­That is what they thought. But Tor casually waved his arm. Thunder roared. And red lightning danced in the air. Just like that, the flying spears were knocked away by the chain chakram. By the time Wenz understood what had happened, he was also flying in the air. ¡°¡­What?¡± He did not understand what had happened, and so he muttered dumbly. After falling onto his back, he reflexively jumped back to his feet and held his greatsword up in front of him. Then his eyes scanned the scene in order to figure out what had happened. The two spear wielders were on the ground. There were deep lacerations on their limbs. They could not stand as they groaned there. And the two shield wielders were looking at their shattered shields in disbelief. Apparently, the chain chakram had lashed out like a whip at the speed of sound, and scattered the enemy across the floor. Wenz was stunned by the fact that he had not been able to see the chain chakram. ¡°¡­Ahh, damn it. When was the last time I fought someone above me?¡± Wenz chuckled at the near forgotten sensation as he targeted Tor. Four years ago, they had discovered a mysterious metal in a dungeon. This metal would melt in hot water. And they had used it to smuggle magictec materials. That was the start of it all. The life of an Adventurer was filled with risks. However, it was also an expensive one, when you took armor, travel and lodging expenses into account. As a low-ranker, just when you finally gathered together a meager set of equipment and set out, you could encounter a powerful monster or magitec beast, and be killed in an instant. Such stories were quite common. Surely they should be allowed to make a little extra on the side, as people who were able to climb up to B-Rank. It was such reasoning that led to the smuggling. And so he had gathered together a clan of Adventurers who had lost limbs and had to equip magitec arms and legs. This was so the smuggling would be easier. However, he could not deny that he felt sympathy towards them as well. It had been merely luck that allowed them to survive with all of their limbs up until now. If you encounter someone stronger than you, run. That was the trick to living long as an Adventurer. And it was the reason that Wenz and his men had survived. Now that they were in the smuggling business, they were supposed to be safe from life-threatening battles. And yet, they were now in a position where they had to fight a superior without the option of retreating. ¡°You reap what you sow, eh?¡± Wenz chuckled with a look of resolution, and then he ran forward. He enveloped his beloved sword in magic energy, and then activated the magic. A gust of wind surrounded the blade. The great sword on his shoulder created a storm, and Wenz accelerated even more. And in the moment that Tor moved his arm, Wenz swung down hard with his sword. A violent blast spread through the area, the wind caused the chain chakram to slow down so that Wenz could follow them with his eyes. ¡°Now we¡¯re talking!¡± With his superior build and the help of the wind, he suddenly swung upwards with his greatsword as if to attack the chain chakram. The chain chakram was knocked into the air after being hit. He didn¡¯t think that he could win. However, he wanted to land one hit at least. In spite of everything, he was still an Adventurer at heart. And so before the chain chakram was retracted and the next attack came, he wanted to get Tor within range of his great sword and hit him. That had been Wenz¡¯s plan, but he then heard the ominous sounds of metal against metal, and he reflexively looked at his greatsword. The chain was wrapped around it. Considering the difference in size, when it came to a tug of war, he should not lose. And yet, the honed battle instincts of a B-Ranker were ringing warning bells inside of Wenz. ¡°¡­Magnetic foce!?¡± The enchantment on the chain chakram created a magnetic force. The magnetic field of both chain and battle rings were manipulated, adjusting the repulsive and suction forces. Even without moving his arms, Tor could control them intricately. The earlier movement of his arms had been a bluff. But even though Wenz understood the trick now, the battle was over. The chain chakrams swung down and then the great sword was pulled away and plunged towards the ground. Wenz had no choice but to let go of it. Once he landed on his feet, he started to dash towards Tor. Even though his hands were now empty, he would not give up. Tor just smiled. ¡°Oh? So you are capable of acting like an Adventurer. But it¡¯s too late now.¡± Such true words. Wenz agreed in his heart. Immediately after, from the side, he was hit by the great sword that was wrapped in chains. And Wenz lost consciousness as he was knocked off of his feet. CH 17 Chapter 17 ¨C Solicitation for Investment ¡°¡­I slept well¡­¡± Tor awoke in a room in the inn, and then looked out of the window. The sky was completely dark now, and a few stars shone in the sky. The guards had taken Wenz and the other members of Magic Centipede, and the twins were taken to the guild manager. And after some questioning from the city guards, they returned to the inn by midday. After that, he slept for half a day. Just as he sat up, his stomach growled. The guards had given him some light food during the questioning, but he hadn¡¯t had a proper meal since morning. And so Tor rubbed his empty stomach as he got out of bed. ¡°¡­So, why are you two here?¡± He said to the twins. They were absorbed in a board game. While he wasn¡¯t sure if it was one person playing or two, they both looked serious. And when he looked down at the board, he saw that they had recreated and were studying his game against Euphie the other day. They both turned to look at him. ¡°Should we go and eat dinner?¡± ¡°I¡¯m full after watching you sleep.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure it was terrible. Now answer the question.¡± He said as he combed his hair, and then the twins explained. ¡°The aftermath has been dealt with, and the orders were given.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fast.¡± ¡°It had to be fast, or the Ubaz Company might get burned down. And so some procedures had to be skipped.¡± It was the time of year that the tax collectors started to move, so everyone¡¯s mind was on it. And then this smuggling incident. And since people¡¯s lives were starting to be affected by lack of money, there were many who held grudges. As Magic Centipede, an Adventurer Clan, was responsible for the smuggling, the manager had been called in by the mayor and had to explain. So he couldn¡¯t stay close to the twins. ¡°As this inn is often used by Adventurers, they opened the door for us as soon as we asked.¡± ¡°I think you shouldn¡¯t rely on the locks in inns from now on.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± Once Tor had washed up, he decided to ask the twins, since they were there. ¡°Take me to a place where you can eat fresh vegetables. Also, a hot potague would be nice.¡± ¡°I thought Adventurers ate nothing but meat.¡± ¡°Your body is capital. You have to think of nutritional balance. Though, I don¡¯t actually know much about it.¡± ¡°The study of nutrition? Yes, we haven¡¯t studied that at all.¡± And so Tor and the twins left the inn. The innkeeper looked at the twins with a conflicted expression. Yesterday, they had asked him to exchange some gold coins. And as they walked down the streets, they got similar looks from the Durande passersby. However, the twins held hands and walked as if they did not care about the stares. ¡°Haran, Wenz, and the others involved in the smuggling were all arrested. It seems that Haran had prepared an escape route in the underground sewers in advance. And it was mostly thanks to you, that they were arrested, Mr. Tor.¡± ¡°So, you are Red Lightning. Even we knew that name. But why didn¡¯t you tell us?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t get to choose that name, it was just forced on me. So it¡¯s rather embarrassing.¡± And even if it wasn¡¯t, it was a name that revealed something of his fighting style. Tor did not want it to spread too much, or people would be able to prepare countermeasures. ¡°What will happen to the Ubaz Company?¡± ¡°It will have to pay for the damages. Two thousand and seven hundred in gold. But it¡¯s more to set an example than a real punishment.¡± ¡°¡­So, you can pay that?¡± ¡°Of course, we cannot. Because business has not been going well.¡± ¡°For now, our assets and books related to lost items will be sold to the Ubaz Company at a low price, and then they will be auctioned off by the company. That¡¯s how we will pay.¡± They were rare, and could be sold at a high price. And so in the right place, they would likely exceed a thousand in god. In exchange, the twins would lose everything. ¡°But since we were in a state that was basically imprisonment, and had no hand in the smuggling, as well as the fact we offered information on their methods, we will not be charged with any crimes.¡± ¡°But even then, we have no choice but to close the Ubaz Company. We lost all trust, employees and funds. There is no hope of return.¡± The Ubaz Company wasn¡¯t the only thing that people didn¡¯t trust anymore. Tor ignored the looks of the people and sighed. The twins had no money, trust or place to work. However, they did not look like they were very sad about it. ¡°As for Haran¡¯s intentions, he would use the money from the smuggling to start a new company in a different city, where his own underlings would work.¡± ¡°It seems like he realized that his trusted subordinates were not enough to maintain the Ubaz Company.¡± ¡°He could have just scaled down the size of the company, but his pride would not allow him to do that.¡± Tor recalled the face of Haran, a man he would never meet again. He had always looked angry, but he still prepared an escape route. So he was capable of planning far ahead. It was too bad that he was still a terrible leader. ¡°Here is the place.¡± Just as the conversation about the incident had ended, the twins stopped. If you didn¡¯t know, it would look like an ordinary civilian house, but there was also a black board with a menu to the side of the door. But as it was halfway behind a potted plant, it was difficult to notice it. It was surprisingly spacious inside. Green plants decorated the back of the store. There weren¡¯t many customers, and so eight out of the ten tables were unoccupied. The owner saw the twins and urged them to take the table in the far back. There was a partition there, so we would not have to worry about prying eyes. They sat down, and Tor ordered a few dishes and then looked at the twins who sat on the opposite side of the table. ¡°What will you two do now?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve had an offer for adoption.¡± ¡°By the manager?¡± ¡°Yes. He is an old friend of our parents, so he would look after us. Apparently, our parents helped him a number of times financially when he was starting out as an Adventurer, and he wants to repay them.¡± Yes, the Durande manager was very concerned about the twins. And now Tor knew why. The couple who ran the Ubaz Company really were of good character. ¡°But, it seems that you two aren¡¯t eager to agree?¡± Tor pointed out. And the twins looked at him with surprise. ¡°How did you know?¡± ¡°If you two stayed in this town and were adopted, your behavior would affect his reputation. I think then, that you would have acted a little more pleasantly.¡± As they left the inn, Euphie and Mailey had ignored everyone they saw. Even though the Ubaz Company would be gone, as long as they explained themselves to any trade partner, it might have been possible to continue living in this town, in spite of various inconveniences. And once it was announced that they had helped in resolving the smuggling incident, it would be difficult for people to criticize them publicly, even if rumors continued to be whispered. ¡°Or I could accompany you now as you go around and visit everyone?¡± ¡°No, that won¡¯t be necessary. As you said, Mr. Tor, we will not be adopted.¡± ¡°We have a suggestion to make, Mr. Tor.¡± Euphie and Mailey said as they straightened their posture. ¡°Would you like to invest in us?¡± ¡°Invest?¡± It was so unexpected that he couldn¡¯t help but repeat the word. Euphie and Mailey nodded. ¡°You said that you¡¯ve had a change of heart, and accepted the fact you will die in this world. However, you are still anxious.¡± ¡°In that case, since we are the ones who understand your anxiety, we can help you make a place in this world where you belong.¡± ¡°Our knowledge will be of use to you. We will not slow you down.¡± ¡°And since we know of the possibility, we will have no complaints if you suddenly go back to your world.¡± As they called it an investment, the twins started to lay out the requirements. But Tor made them stop with a raise of his hand. ¡°I see¡­¡± He folded his arms. They were pretty girls, and still young. And while they had studied the art of self defense, it would not be safe once they left the town. And so they would need a guard. But they currently had no money. But they had a lot of knowledge. And with Tor¡¯s ability to protect them, they may find some success out in the world. That must be what they had thought. In fact, the conditions were not bad. Live and die in this world. While he had decided this, Tor still had a feeling of anxiety that he could not shake. Perhaps staying with them for now would help rehabilitate him. After turning it over in his mind, he made his decision, just as the drinks arrived at their table. ¡°Then we¡¯ll continue as we are.¡± ¡°Yes, thank you.¡± He raised his glass and Euphie and Mailey did the same for a toast. ¡°By the way, Mr. Tor. Do you think that I am Euphie?¡± ¡°Or do you think I am Euphie?¡± ¡°¡­First things first. I have to figure out how to tell you two apart.¡± CH 18 Chapter 18 ¨C Grave Visit ¡°I¡¯m sorry that we¡¯re only telling you after the fact, mother and father.¡± The twins faced the gravestones and talked of the fall of the Ubaz Company. As for Tor, he drank black tea with the caretaker, and watched them from a distance. ¡°So, those who were responsible for their parents¡¯ death were¡­?¡± ¡°Executed, yes. Many investors contributed to the reward money.¡± Said the caretaker as he rubbed his bent back. ¡°They were a very good couple. They did as much as was in their power when it came to charitable work.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s why their gravestones are so grand.¡± ¡°Do you envy that, Adventurer?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t really think about dying, and so I have no thoughts about my own gravestone.¡± ¡°Are you that strong?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that.¡± ¡°¡­If you aren¡¯t strong, there cannot be many who are strong in this world.¡± A voice suddenly joined their conversation. It was the Durande manager who was walking towards them. Next to him, there was a woman who was likely his wife. Tor moved so that the two could sit with them. ¡°Have the interrogations and other matters been settled?¡± ¡°Aye. And the wood metal, which is evidence, has been confiscated. About seventy percent of the smuggled gold was left. They are currently arguing about what to do with it, but that has nothing to do with me now. It¡¯s the job of those in charge of finance.¡± The manager said with folded arms and a look of relief. His wife stared at the twins in front of the gravestone, and she smiled gently. ¡°They have grown so much.¡± ¡°They are old enough to choose their own path in life. But I didn¡¯t think they would take away one of our promising Adventurers.¡± The manager said with a glare, but Tor just shrugged. ¡°I accepted the suggestion because it was advantageous to both parties. If you have a problem with it, talk to them.¡± ¡°You think I could beat those two in an argument!?¡± ¡°They say a man should speak with his back, not his mouth. Now, we¡¯ll stay here and watch, so go to them and show your back.¡± ¡°As if I¡¯d do that, you idiot. Young ladies like that would find it quite grotesque.¡± The manager said with annoyance while his wife laughed. ¡°Our daughter once berated him for lying around shirtless after a bath. He¡¯s never quite gotten over it.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t go telling people about that.¡± ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be so bashful. Besides, I prefer being the one person to see your back.¡± She said as she began to slap him on the back. The twins had said something about how they were so close that they even fought. But this wasn¡¯t even a fight. Apparently, he knew he was no match for his wife, and so the manager quickly changed the subject. ¡°So, where are you going after leaving Durande?¡± ¡°For now, we¡¯re thinking of going to Flaretelia.¡± ¡°Flaretelia, eh? I suppose it¡¯s to go to the dungeon then?¡± He was the head of the Adventurers Guild, and so he immediately had an idea of why someone might go there. Tor nodded. Flaretelia was a famous dungeon town. The city had developed alongside a dungeon that remained unconquered for fifty years. This attracted many Adventurers to it, which attracted many businesses. It was a city that sold many items that could only be found in dungeons. Tor reached out for a tea cake. ¡°The twins have no money, and I have little to spare. So I thought we¡¯d remedy that.¡± ¡°Little to spare? In spite of being part of the hierarchy?¡± The manager found this quite odd. When directly hiring a B-Rank Adventurer, you needed to pay their reward. And if they were in the hierarchy, they could hunt powerful monsters and magitec beasts, which made them even more expensive. ¡°I was wasteful with my spending.¡± ¡°Well, you are still young, so it cannot be helped. However, with Euphie and Mailey with you¡­¡± ¡°Dear, it¡¯s rude to talk to others about their wallets.¡± His wife said admonishingly, and the manager frowned. Tor chuckled. ¡°I was collecting fallen items as well as artifacts related to the old civilization. But I won¡¯t be doing that anymore.¡± The real reason that Tor had little money was that he had been collecting things that he hoped would give him information on how to return to earth. However, he had given up on his tenth year. So he would no longer collect them. ¡°¡­I am quite interested, in this collection of yours, Mr. Tor. Because we sold our own collection.¡± ¡°We¡¯re finished here. Thank you for the flowers, Mr. Tor.¡± Euphie and Mailey said as they entered the conversation. ¡°Euphie. I can¡¯t show it to you any time soon, as they are at my base. What we have to do first, is go to Flaretelia and make some money by dungeon crawling. Besides, it will help with your combat training. Mailey, the flowers were my way of paying respect to your parents. I think next time, all three of us should buy our own.¡± Tor answered them and then drank the last of his tea before standing up. ¡°While it¡¯s earlier than expected, should we go?¡± ¡°Indeed. Thank you all for everything.¡± Euphie and Mailey said as they bowed their heads. Then they stood on either side of Tor and began to walk. The manager glared at Tor¡¯s back with a look of discontent. ¡°Just how did he manage to tell them apart?¡± ¡°Perhaps he has better intuition than we do. You used to be as sharp as him when you were younger, but you¡¯ve grown quite smooth and round.¡± ¡°In your hands, no doubt.¡± ¡°In that case, I think we can expect the same thing to happen to Mr. Tor the next time we see him. It¡¯s those two, after all. He will come out like a polished gemstone. I¡¯m sure of it.¡± She added that she could not wait, and then laughed. The manager just sighed. CH 19 Part 2 ¨C Chapter 1 ¨C Hot Spring Town As the carriage swayed along the road, a mass of iron passed them from the side. ¡°A magitec carriage. I suppose they are delivering gold?¡± Mailey said as she watched it go. The six-wheel magitec car was about the size of a one-box wagon back on earth. It was both faster and more stable than any carriage, but as it consumed magic stones with high purity as fuel, they were not often used. But they could sometimes be seen transporting expensive goods or important people. Clans with high-ranking Adventurers sometimes owned them, but they really were rare. ¡°It looks like it¡¯s headed in the same direction as us.¡± ¡°You mean Flaretelia?¡± ¡°Aye. Though, they are probably going to stop at the hot spring town on the way there, just like us.¡± Tor muttered as he looked up at the clear blue sky. As monster and magitec beasts became active at night, it would be best for them to enter the town. While Tor¡¯s abilities meant they would likely be safe, even if they camped outside, it would be a waste to not stop at a hot spring town that was close by. ¡°It could be me, but I feel that I¡¯m seeing more Adventurers as well.¡± Euphie said as she watched the people on the road. Most of the Adventurers that passed them by were in their twenties or even younger. And they looked at the trio in the carriage with envy. The scents from the forest that was carried on the gentle winds caused Tor to yawn. ¡°They too are headed to the same destination.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t realize Adventurers cared so much about being clean.¡± Though, you also won¡¯t make much. Added Tor. It was then that they saw the walls surrounding the town up ahead. ¡°However, I think that most of the Adventurers we passed by are after the carbonated potions.¡± ¡°Carbonated potions?¡± The twins looked puzzled by this thing they had never heard of before. However, as they had a lot of knowledge from the texts from earth, they were able to quickly guess as to what it was. ¡°Judging by the name, it must be a potion that uses carbonated water?¡± ¡°Could it be that the bubbles make it easier for the magic energy to be absorbed?¡± ¡°If they are traveling this far in order to buy it, it must be very effective.¡± ¡°However, surely vibrations and any impact would cause the carbon dioxide to be released. That does not sound very practical?¡± Before Tor had even explained what it was, they had already thought of possible problems with it. He was very impressed. Magic energy was absorbed into the air easily, and so the bubbles made the potions more effective. This knowledge was known to some. And for Adventurers whose lives were always in danger, a fast healing method was incredibly valuable. And yet, circulation was limited. And they could only be purchased near hot springs with carbonated water. This was because, even if you bought them, the carbon dioxide would leak if it shook or moved suddenly. And then they would be ordinary potions when drunk. As it wasn¡¯t very practical, it was considered to be a joke or a souvenir at best. Of course, there were always Adventurers who had just started, and would want to try it out after hearing rumors. It was because they were so prone to injury, that they wanted to try it at least once. Perhaps they could find a way of carrying it safely, and could make a fortune. ¡°It¡¯s a road that all Adventurers travel through. But as they can still use the hot spring, it¡¯s not a total loss.¡± We went through the gates and then got out of the carriage. The twins immediately searched for a store that sold the carbonated potions, and began to browse. Tor wasn¡¯t sure what expectations they had. He paid off the driver and then turned to them. ¡°It¡¯s really not worth anything, outside of being a souvenir.¡± ¡°That is not true. Besides, even if it is just a gift or a drink, so many Adventurers come here to buy it. Surely it must be cheaper here than in other towns?¡± ¡°Very good, Mailey. You truly are the daughter of a merchant.¡± In fact, they did tend to be cheaper here than other towns. In short, they were a type of promotion for the town. And so they didn¡¯t care as much about making a profit off of them. Because anyone who came here for the potions would buy other things as well. ¡°Let¡¯s find an inn first. They will sell the carbonated potions at any inn that has a hot spring.¡± ¡°Then which should we go to?¡± ¡°But we don¡¯t have any money.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll pay. Once we reach Flaretelia, you two will start your combat training. And so you should restore your energy while you can.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll wash your back for you.¡± ¡°Men and women are separated in the baths. So are the rooms. I¡¯m not your bodyguard anymore, and so there is no need for me to be with you twenty-four-seven.¡± Tor brushed away their joke and they entered a random inn. It was a wooden building with two stories. Old, but very solid-looking. The reception floor was small, but the receptionist looked very refined. ¡°I will take you to your room then. You can enjoy our hot spring for as long as you stay.¡± The room they were led to was shaped like a T. There was a living room when you stepped in. To the right, the bedroom, and to the left, a balcony. You could see the courtyard from the balcony ¡°Your rooms are right next to each other. Will you also take your meals separately?¡± ¡°We would rather eat with Mr. Tor.¡± ¡°We still have much to discuss about our plans.¡± ¡°Then please have three meals brought to this room.¡± ¡°Certainly. As for the menu, which would you prefer, meat or fish? Both are specialties of Flaretelia dungeon.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have the fish. What about you two?¡± ¡°Fish.¡± ¡°Meat.¡± ¡°That way, we can taste both.¡± How very calculating of them. They were then told to use the bathing clothes on the shelves, and then the receptionist left the room. Tor put down his things and looked at the yard. It was well tended to. That alone showed that the inn was successful. Euphie and Mailey sat and waited on the chairs. ¡°Mr. Tor. Let¡¯s have some tea.¡± ¡°We can bathe after that.¡± ¡°You two are already enjoying yourselves.¡± They should have been tired from their travels, which they weren¡¯t used to, but they seemed quite excited as they prepared the tea. A tea set had been prepared by the inn. ¡°We¡¯ve never been to an inn before.¡± ¡°I did hear that they were common in your homeland, Japan. Is there anything we need to know in terms of manners?¡± ¡°Wash before entering, so you do not dirty the water. Also, don¡¯t swim. Though, in Japan, people bathe without any clothes on.¡± ¡°So there are enough that you can have a whole hot spring to yourself.¡± ¡°No, everyone bathes like that together.¡± ¡°¡­Oh, uh¡­¡± ¡°Hey, why are you reacting like that? Well, of course, you would. But just so you know, men and women are separated.¡± He chuckled as the two looked away in embarrassment. Tor sensed that the atmosphere was about to get awkward, and so he pretended to remember something as he looked through his belongings. He then took out a key, and a few sheets of paper that were in a leather tube. ¡°I¡¯ll give this to you two. Documents from the ancient civilization that I gathered. And this is the key to the storage with fallen items. I was going to just sell them, but perhaps you two can make better use of it all.¡± The two looked at the offered key and leather tube and they scowled. However, they must have exchanged thoughts after that, as their expressions softened and they accepted the items. ¡°We accept them gratefully.¡± ¡°Ah, but you cannot take out the items from storage until you finish your training in Flaretelia. I want you two to be able to use Enchant.¡± ¡°Very well. I¡¯ll see it as receiving one¡¯s wages in advance.¡± CH 20 Part 2 ¨C Chapter 2 ¨C Carbonated Spring ¡°All right, we¡¯ll meet up later in the resting area.¡± Tor said, and then he went off to the changing room. The twins watched him go, and then turned to the entrance to the changing room for women. (He really seems used to it.) (They must bathe a lot in Japan.) They thought to each other. Up until now, they had seen just how much he cared about cleanliness. And it was hardly a bad thing for a traveling companion to be clean. (Should we¡­knock first?) (I don¡¯t know. Mr. Tor entered without doing anything.) (I just don¡¯t know the right etiquette.) As the twins stared at the wooden door to the dressing room, one of the workers at the inn looked at them suspiciously before opening it and going inside. (Well, I guess you don¡¯t need to knock then.) (Yes, they have a wall so you can¡¯t immediately see inside.) (Let¡¯s go in.) The two made up their minds and nodded to each other. And with synchronized movements, Euphie and Mailey stepped through the door at the same time. Euphie closed the door behind them, and Mailey entered the changing area first. There were hardly any people inside. The inn worker was wiping things with a cloth. ¡°You can get in the water.¡± The worker said as she pointed to the baths. Mailey waited for Euphie to come, and then the two began to undress. Once they had removed their tops, the twins turned to face each other. Their eyes immediately went to the neck and clavicle above their modest chests. They wanted to know if there would be tan lines, as it had been two days since they left Durande now. (There is nothing at all.) (But we¡¯ve been outside the whole time since leaving. Perhaps it¡¯s a matter of constitution.) After inspecting each other, they took off the rest of their clothes and put on the bathing clothes. It was then that they felt eyes on them, and they turned to see the inn worker. ¡°Pa-pardon me.¡± The worker continued to work busily before they could say anything. Perhaps they had accidentally walked in with dirty feet? They both looked at their feet. This was easily done, as their forms were so slim. (There is nothing.) (Perhaps we were supposed to keep on our undergarments under the bathing clothes?) (We should ask her.) (Yes, we should.) ¡°Um, excuse me.¡± ¡°Ye-yes!?¡± They were puzzled by the way the worker¡¯s voice rose oddly, but continued. ¡°Are you supposed to keep your undergarments on when wearing this?¡± ¡°N-no. You wear it when completely undressed.¡± ¡°I see.¡± (So this wasn¡¯t the reason.) The two tilted their heads. (Then why were you apologizing earlier?) ¡°¡­I was just staring, because I had never seen such pretty twins.¡± ¡°I see. Thank you.¡± The two said simultaneously as they continued to get changed. It was similar to a one-piece dress that cut off at the knees. The material was light and breathable. And when they moved their arms, they saw that it could stretch and would not hinder movement. (It seems to be made of hemp cloth, but it is very fine.) (It must be of good quality. I¡¯m looking forward to the water now.) The two went over to the bathing area and looked around. It was rectangular. There were two baths made of stone, one in the far back and one on the right side. Apparently, there were no other guests there. They felt lucky to have the place to themselves. But as the sun was still high in the sky, perhaps everyone was still outside. (By the way, Mr. Tor said we have to wash first.) (But we can¡¯t wash while wearing this.) They said while folding their arms and looking at each other. It was like a mirror. Just then, Euphie noticed the wooden sign behind Mailey. It said that you must wash your bodies before entering the water. And there was an arrow pointing to a burning stove. Above it, was a large pot of hot water. (I think we were supposed to wash before putting these on.) (We got ahead of ourselves then.) Satisfied with this explanation, they took off the bathing clothes and walked carefully across the floor so that they didn¡¯t slip. Euphie scooped up some of the hot water while Mailey got some cold water to adjust the temperature. Then they used a towel to wash themselves. (The towels are also soft.) (It¡¯s just as nice as the ones at home.) (If we had money, I would want to buy a few of these.) (Yes, money¡­) The two looked at each other and sighed. As Euphie began to wash Mailey¡¯s back, she thought about the key and leather cylinder that Tor had given to her. Mailey immediately knew why, and answered her. (His worries are quite serious.) (Judging by what I saw of the inventory, five hundred pieces of gold is a ridiculous price for a sacrifice sale.) (And this wish to have our combat training in dungeons is not a good sign.) (It is insurance. In the unlikely event that he suddenly disappears. We will still be able to live on our own.) (In order to ease his anxiety, we have to show that we can live independently.) (Besides, if we don¡¯t increase the number of his belongings, he will continue to wander about, without ever having his feet firmly planted into the ground.) Euphie thought. It was now Mailey who was washing her back. (But we need money to become independent.) Currently, Euphie and Mailey had practically no money. And so they relied on Tor to live. (I suppose the best solution is to experience battle in the dungeons so that we can acquire materials from monsters and sell them.) (It won¡¯t be much money, though. That¡¯s not very reliable.) They finished by pouring water over their heads. Then they put the bathing clothes back on and headed to the baths. (As it is carbonated, they can¡¯t let it get too hot.) (It¡¯s the perfect temperature if you want to take your time and relax.) They quietly sank their feet into it. Bubbles rose, as the water slid over their delicate white skin. They looked at the burst of bubbles curiously, and then allowed the rest of their bodies to sink. ¡°¡­Oh.¡± They said with a sigh. (This is rather good.) (I think I might have to stop at all of the hot springs on our travels.) (Well, let¡¯s enjoy this moment now.) (We can drink carbonated potions after getting out¡­ Ah, wait, that is a way¡­) (Mailey, can that really be done?) Euphie asked. She was very curious about the idea that had vaguely popped into Mailey¡¯s head. (Theoretically, it should be possible.) (Then we can make the containers like this¡­) Euphie thought of the actual shape, material, size and construction in her mind, Mailey received it and added her own theoretic explanations. With their thought-sharing fully at work, information of science, engineering, calculations of necessary funds and acquisition of materias went back and forth¡­ But to any onlooker, it would have just seemed like the two were relaxing in the comfortable water of the hotspring. CH 21 Part 2: Chapter 3 ¨C Dungeon Town Flaretalia After spending the night in the hot spring town, Tor and the twins headed to their destination, which was Flaretalia. It was two days by carriage. The closer they got to Flaretalia, the number of monsters increased, as did the number of Adventurers that hunted them. And while safety was supposed to be guaranteed on the main roads, they would occasionally see smaller monsters crossing the road. ¡°It really does become flat.¡± Mailey drank a little of the carbonated potion, and stared at the container. She had bought it as an experiment. It was a circular flask. She had likely chosen it because it was strong to pressure, and would not burst. ¡°It¡¯s because the carriage sways so much.¡± ¡°But it is still as effective as a regular potion, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yes. Light slash wounds will take half a day to heal. But with carbonated potions, it¡¯s almost disgusting how quickly it closes up.¡± It took around five minutes to heal. Even if you were moving your body aggressively during combat while drinking it, not only would it prevent the wound from widening, but it would heal it gradually. That¡¯s how effective it was. And yet they were sold in that town at a lower price than ordinary potions. That showed how big the issue of transportation was. ¡°We¡¯ve entered it. The barrier.¡± Euphie muttered, and then Tor, who was in the back of the carriage, scowled as he felt the sensation. It was like tearing through some membrane. ¡°I¡¯ve never gotten used to that feeling of going through a barrier.¡± ¡°It cannot be helped. Without this barrier, the town would be destroyed by the monsters and magitec beasts.¡± ¡°I know that. But Flaretalia¡¯s barrier feels¡­stickier than in other places.¡± ¡°Oh? Are you the barrier meister now?¡± Euphie chuckled after hearing Tor¡¯s reaction. ¡°Flaretalia is a relatively new town, so the barrier isn¡¯t just an imitation of barriers from the old civilization. They must have made adjustments to it.¡± ¡°Ah, that would explain things. It is expensive to maintain a barrier, so if they were able to make it more efficient, a little discomfort could be forgiven.¡± Barriers were a type of magitec that existed since the old civilization. But it required an immense amount of energy to make a barrier that could surround an entire town. And so they had to gather magic stones with high purity from magictec beasts and used them for this purpose. You needed Adventurers who were above C-Rank to hunt magitec beasts, and they were quite expensive. ¡°If only there was a way to instill magic stones with energy.¡± ¡°That would cause a revolution.¡± Magic stones were used as a magic energy source and fuel, but no one had found a way to instill magic energy into them once they were emptied. ¡°When I first came to this world, I thought they were like rechargeable batteries. Only, they are really just ordinary batteries.¡± ¡°The magitec beasts are out of place artifacts from the old civilization. Just like magic stones.¡± In spite of there being a dungeon nearby, the walls surrounding Flaretalia were low, and the gate was gigantic. Not only Adventurers, but many merchants came and went. And there were multiple lines as the screening procedures were different for each. ¡°You¡¯ll be able to enter sooner if you get off here.¡± Suggested the driver. And so Tor paid off the fare and they waited in the line on the Adventurers side. As the driver said, they were practically letting people through after just looking at them. Once it was their turn, Tor showed his Adventurer identification. The guards seemed to assume that the twins were in his party, and they were let through without any questioning. As someone who had been involved in a smuggling incident not long ago, it was rather worrisome. ¡°It is lively here.¡± Euphie said as she saw how crowded the main street was. Mailey was holding hands with Euphie as she turned to look at Tor. ¡°Should we find an inn?¡± ¡°No, you two to need to buy weapons and register at the guild first. In Flaretalia, you can get a discount if you are from the Adventurers Guild.¡± ¡°Is that because of the dungeon?¡± There was a reason that Tor was frowning. The popular theory was that the old civilization had opened a gate in the dungeon that connected to another world. However, not only did their attempts to invade that world end in defeat, but monsters then came out of the dungeons and destroyed them. That was why dungeons were overflowing with monsters. And so it was the job of Adventurers to go into the deepest layers of the dungeon and activate the barrier, and turn off the dungeon¡¯s function of being a gate to another world. Flaretalia¡¯s economic structure was supported by the pillars that were the income from the dungeons. And it could not be maintained without Adventurers. However, it was the job of Adventurers to seal the dungeon. And if the dungeon was sealed, then Flaretalia¡¯s economic structure would crumble. ¡°Well, everyone who lives here is aware of it. The dungeon will not last forever.¡± ¡°But I heard that this dungeon hasn¡¯t been sealed in over fifty years?¡± It had been discovered fifty years ago. And while people had traversed as far as the seventh floor, no one had been able to go farther in over ten years. The eight floor was a treacherous mountain range, and there were many flying monsters, which made things difficult. ¡°Even B-Rank parties have trouble in the eighth level. You must be able to deal with flying enemies. But you will likely be exhausted already by the time you reach it. That means you need to have enough personnel that you can take turns resting. And considering the risks of injury, you would need a great deal of people to make it through.¡± The twins followed Tor as he started to walk towards the street with the weapon shops. ¡°On which floor will we be for our combat training?¡± Their purpose here was to train Euphie and Mailey, as well as acquire some funds. It was not about going through the dungeon. If they went to the guild, they could acquire information about what monsters would appear. And it would not be dangerous if Tor was there. As they made their way to the weapon store, the twins suddenly stopped. ¡°What is it?¡± He turned to where they were looking. It was a store that sold liquor. As there were many merchants and Adventurers in Flaretalia, there was a great demand for alcohol. And so there were wine storehouses. Tor recalled the wine he had drank in the Durande bar as he said to the twins, ¡°Do you want to stop by?¡± ¡°No, there is no need right now.¡± ¡°It is not the wine that we want.¡± Tor wasn¡¯t sure what else they could want at the store, but the twins started walking again. While he thought it was strange, he brushed it aside and walked after them. CH 22 Part 2 ¨C Chapter 4: Twin Enchant It was said that the insides of a dungeon was a recreation of a different world. Flaretalia¡¯s dungeon was discovered fifty years ago. As the inner structure did not change, detailed data of the terrain of the first four floors could be purchased. There was even a decent amount of information on the fifth to seventh floors. Tor and the twins went down to the first floor. It was near the back of a field of grass that was away from the sloped route to the second floor. Tor then looked at the twins. ¡°You two really are strong.¡± They had both chosen spears as their weapons. As they had good range, they were optimal for defense. And since they had already been learning self defense arts, Euphie and Mailey had all the general forms of spearmanship down, and so Tor had nothing to teach them. Right now, a monster that looked like an evolved boar with giant and sharp tusks was charging at them while breathing heavily. Euphie and Mailey dodged it easily and then from the right and left side, they thrust their spears towards the monster¡¯s head and rear. While the monster reacted to the attacks, it was not only pincered from the sides, but would also be attacked if it went forward or retreated. And so without being able to resist, the boar was killed after being pierced by their spears. Tor had assumed that the twins would have great coordination, as they could share their thoughts, but it was even better than he expected. ¡°I guess you really are the equivalent of C-Rank Adventurers.¡± Not only that, but they were quick and efficient when carving monsters for materials. As they had much knowledge on the subject already, they knew how to avoid ruining the materials. After removing the tusks, which were used to make artwork, the twins looked at Tor. ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°I think you¡¯ll do just fine as Adventurers. Now, I will tell you about Enchantments.¡± Tor pulled out a shortsword from his sheath. While it was used for carving monsters, it was strong enough to be used as a sub weapon as well. ¡°Though, it is really quite simple. You use magic energy to activate magic. However, the magic energy on the surface of the weapon is maintained as energy.¡± It was a way of dealing with powerful magic attacks, and the amount of magic energy on the weapon¡¯s surface was connected directly to anti-magic energy. Tor sent a current of magic energy into the shortsword, and then activated the magic. And then mild red lightning, like static electricity, appeared. Euphie and Mailey looked at Tor¡¯s sword with interest. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen this red lightning magic before. Is it original?¡± ¡°This is the only one that I can use. Apparently, because I¡¯m from Japan, the quality of magic energy is greatly different from people of this world. And so even when I follow instructions, I cannot activate the magic of this world.¡± And after much trial and error and adjustment, this special lightning magic was the one thing Tor was able to use. ¡°But I have no complaints, as it¡¯s very useful. If my opponent is weaker than me, they won¡¯t even be able to unsheath their weapons.¡± ¡°Could it be that those of Magic Centipede¡­when they couldn¡¯t unsheath their weapons¡­¡± ¡°Yes. I enchanted their weapons and fixed them with magnetic force. It was easy, because they have never used Enchant.¡± ¡°So anyone below B-Rank isn¡¯t even worth fighting for you, Mr. Tor.¡± ¡°It¡¯s best to not fight someone if you don¡¯t have to. But more importantly, you two should try it.¡± Tor said, and so Euphie and Mailey turned to each other and began to send magic energy into their spears. This was something that even a child could do, once they learned how. It only became difficult when you had to activate the magic. As the two attempted this, with some difficulty, Tor threw his chain rings, killing any monsters that approached them in an instant. He then gathered the materials. By the time he had enough to pay for their rooms at an inn for the day, the twins were able to activate the magic for an instant. ¡°So both of you did the water Enchant.¡± Water was wrapped around their spears like a snake. While water magic took a lot of space, it was not very dangerous, and had no added effects like Tor¡¯s lightning. However, when these two were together, it could not be said to be weak. ¡°I¡¯m sure with some practice, you two can become monsters.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t feel like we can go that far.¡± As Mailey said, they hadn¡¯t even got the basics down yet. They were unable to maintain the Enchant, and it kept disappearing and then reappearing. ¡°Well, you can practice water magic even when you¡¯re not in a dungeon. We should go back for the day.¡± When it came to magic to activate an Enchant, it was different from person to person. While there were some special people who could use multiple types of Enchant, for most people, the one that was affected by the quality of their magic energy was activated automatically. Because of this, Tor had chosen a dungeon for them to train, as they could hardly practice an explosive flame Enchant while in the city. As Tor suggested they train in the safe gardens of the inn, or the guild training grounds, Euphie and Mailey protested in unison. ¡°I want to defeat a few more monsters in this dungeon.¡± ¡°But if you want to experience real combat, it would be safer to do so after you can use Enchant¡­¡± ¡°We want to make our own money. And so we must hunt some monsters to raise funds.¡± They said while looking at Tor seriously. He thought about it for a moment. ¡°¡­Very well. I¡¯m glad that you want to be independent. All right, we can hunt for a little longer. But doing so on the first floor is not efficient at all. We¡¯ll head to the fourth floor.¡± According to information he got from the guild, the fourth floor had monsters whose materials could be used for night blindness potions. If they took the shortest route, they could be back the same day. And so it would be the most efficient way for a C-Ranker to earn some gold. ¡°You said you wanted to raise funds. Are you going to start a business?¡± Tor asked as they headed towards the slope that would take them to the lower floors. They had once inherited the Ubaz company. And so they must have a mind for business, and how much money could be made a day in the dungeon. Depending on their goal, they might have to hunt in the dungeon for several days. ¡°We still do not know if it is possible. Some experiments must be conducted first.¡± ¡°So you have an idea?¡± ¡°It is still a secret for now. Please look forward to finding out later.¡± As they were not at a stage where they could talk about it, the twins said no more. And as someone who had no knowledge of business, Tor did not ask further. CH 23 Part 2: Chapter 5 ¨C Acquiring Materials ¡°Two pieces of gold¡­¡± After selling the materials from the monsters they hunted in the dungeon, Euphie and Mailey were sticking their foreheads together. ¡°Mr. Tor, it is quite amazing.¡± ¡°This hunting is very efficient.¡± ¡°It¡¯s within expectations for monsters. But if we hunted magitec beasts, who have metal parts as well, it would be three times as efficient.¡± Tor¡¯s method of hunting involved spreading out red lightning through an area through Enchant, and then pushing his chain rings to round up any monsters that reacted by charging into them. This was something Tor could do without hesitation, because he was good at facing multiple enemies at once. However, it would be a very foolish method for the average B-Rank Adventurer. ¡°So, what are you going to do with that money?¡± ¡°This is your money, Mr. Tor.¡± ¡°It can be an investment then. One day, you¡¯ll pay me back twice as much.¡± ¡°You say that so casually.¡± Tor chuckled. He really had no attachment to money. Euphie then took Tor¡¯s hand. ¡°First, an experiment. Let¡¯s go to a glass atelier and a wine storehouse.¡± ¡°Glass atelier? Are you going to order some equipment for experiments?¡± ¡°That too.¡± Tor was curious at this hint that there was more to it, but he decided to amuse himself by guessing for now. And so Euphie and Mailey pulled him by the arms to the glass atelier, where they manufactured bottles for potions. There were rows and rows of glass beakers here. ¡°Excuse me. I¡¯d like to speak to you about ordering a small quantity of glass containers. Can we schedule an appointment?¡± Mailey asked the craftsman, who seemed to be resting. The crafter looked at the twins in surprise and then called to the back of the atelier. ¡°Master! Some pretty twins have come to make an order!¡± ¡°What!? Say that again!¡± ¡°Some exceedingly beautiful twins!¡± ¡°I¡¯m on my way!¡± What was going on here? Tor looked around in exasperation. I suppose there were only men here. It felt like being at an all boys school. After a brief moment, a middle-aged man with a severe expression appeared. But he took one look at the twins and his face softened into a grin. ¡°And how may I be of service to you on this fine day?¡± ¡°We would like to order glass containers that are durable to inside pressure. And we would also like a small quantity of that kelp ash that you use to lower the melting point of glass.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± The master muttered, deeply impressed. After looking at the twins again, this time with a professional expression, his eyes turned to Tor. ¡°I see that you are an Adventurer. An escort, perhaps?¡± ¡°Yes. The order is from us alone.¡± ¡°My apologies. And you seem so knowledgeable of glass. It is rather rare, as there are few women in this profession. Perhaps it¡¯s because of how we look?¡± The master jokingly showed off his work apron. As he dealt with high-temperature glass, his clothes were stained with sweat. However, the twins continued to smile without a hint of change. And so the master then pointed to the back. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll listen to what you have to say then¡­¡± ¡ù After they had negotiated and placed their order at the glass atelier, Euphie and Mailey took their great wooden box of help ash and headed to the wine storehouse. Tor accompanied them, of course, and he thought of the shape of the glass containers that they ordered. They were in the shape of gourds. The master at the glass atelier also looked like he had no idea what they would be used for. But the twins¡¯ order was very precise, and Euphie had even provided a detailed drawing. Tor had never even heard about kelp ash being used to lower the melting point of glass, and he, for the most part, had no idea what they were talking about. As soon as they entered the wine storehouse, the twins called a clerk. ¡°We were hoping you could give us some of the tartar that comes off when cleaning the fermenting barrels.¡± ¡°You want that gritty stuff? Are you going to make sweets with it?¡± He looked at the twins with a puzzled expression, but after pondering it for a moment, he went to the back of the store. After some time, a man who was likely the person in charge, came out. ¡°So you¡¯re the people who want the tartar. You do realize that it¡¯s just sour, and not sweet at all?¡± ¡°We are not going to make candy with it. So, how much will you charge?¡± ¡°You can have it for free, if you want. We throw it out anyway. Well, some people use it to feed their livestock, but in Flaretalia, we acquire our meat from dungeon monsters, so it really has no other use.¡± Apparently, it was just seen as waste here. However, Mailey then handed him two pieces of silver. ¡°If that is the case, please refrain from disposing of it for a while. It may be that we have an interesting use for it. While we only need a small amount now, we will let you know the results in a few days. And we will bring a sample as well.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re up to, but I do not mind. So, how much do you need?¡± ¡°As much as that silver weighs, please.¡± ¡°Very well. Just wait one moment. By the way, mister¡­¡± After dealing with the twins, the man turned to Tor. Tor had been looking at the labels on the wine bottles that lined the shelf with a serious expression. And the man approached him with a look of amusement. ¡°Have you tasted our wine before in some other place?¡± ¡°You could tell? A good fragrance, refreshing and sharp taste. I liked it very much. But I don¡¯t remember which one it was.¡± ¡°Where did you have it?¡± ¡°In a Durande tavern.¡± ¡°Then it must be this one. Will you two pretty ladies drink as well?¡± The man said with a jolly laugh as he went to fetch the tartar. Euphie and Mailey stood on either side of Tor. ¡°Are you very fond of wine then?¡± ¡°I do not hate it. However, I drank that wine in Durande during a special day. The day I gave up on ever returning to Earth. And so I feel sentimental about it.¡± ¡°¡­I see. In that case, we really must drink it together.¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t need to force yourselves¡­ Ah, very well.¡± They took Tor¡¯s arms as if to declare that he would not be allowed to escape, and so he gave in. Perhaps sharing such pathetic sentimentality with others might lessen the pain. ¡°But more importantly, I think you¡¯ve held off long enough. What kind of business are you two thinking of starting?¡± Special glass containers, kelp ash, tartar. They were all things that Tor knew nothing about. However, what Euphie and Mailey were trying to make was, in fact, something he was very familiar with. They looked up at Tor and smiled. ¡°¡­We will make carbonated drinks.¡± CH 24 Part 2 ¨C Chapter 6: May They Rest In Peace In a slightly high-end room, in an inn that was introduced to them by the Adventurers Guild, Tor poured the white wine into Euphie and Mailey¡¯s cups. ¡°Cheers.¡± They clinked their wine glasses together and took a sip. Just like the one he had drunk in Durande, it had a flowery scent that tickled his nostrils before fading away. At the same time, there was a smooth sweetness and subtle sourness that stimulated the tongue just right. Euphie held her glass against the light of a candle. ¡°It is delicious and easy to drink.¡± ¡°I like that it¡¯s a little sweet.¡± Mailey seemed to enjoy it as well, and her face broke into a smile. Tor had bought some cheese to go with it, which he now stabbed with a small fork as he got to the subject at hand. ¡°Can you really make a carbonated drink so easily?¡± If the twins said they were going to make it, then they must have a reason for believing they could. And while Tor understood that the things they bought today at the glass workshop and wine store were materials for it, he did not understand how it all worked. Mailey wrapped some vegetables in slices of smoked cod as she began to speak. ¡°First, what is a carbonated drink?¡± ¡°In this case, it¡¯s liquid with dissolved carbon dioxide.¡± Tor had that much knowledge, at least. The carbonated hot spring they had stopped by also contained dissolved carbon dioxide. While the content was not exactly the same as the drinks Tor was familiar with on earth, it was still carbonated water. Mailey continued. ¡°In other words, you can make carbonated drinks by dissolving carbonic acid in liquid. But in this world, people do not even know what carbon dioxide is, so it is not something that anyone could just make.¡± ¡°Mr. Tor. Do you know how it was invented on earth?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t know.¡± When asked this by Euphie, Tor shook his head. People often didn¡¯t know the history of things, even though they were so close by. And so Euphie told him what she had learned from their library of fallen items. ¡°The discovery and invention of carbonated water was the result of experiments by Joseph Priestly, an English scientist. While hanging a bucket of water over a brewing barrel of beer, he discovered that you could make carbonated water. This was because the beer yeast had broken down the maltose and turned it into glucose. Furthermore, as this change generates carbon dioxide, the density of the carbon dioxide inside the brewing barrel rose and dissolved into the water.¡± ¡°I see. Well, beer is also a carbonated drink.¡± He had forgotten about that, since he was still a highschool student and did not drink alcohol back on earth. But the beer was indeed quite bubbly. Now that he was satisfied with this, Tor¡¯s eyes then moved to the ¡®tartar¡¯ crystals that Euphie and Mailey had bought. ¡°But that isn¡¯t beer yeast, is it?¡± ¡°No, it is tartar. It is not a microorganism. But you understand that in order to make a carbonated drink, we need a source for the carbon dioxide?¡± ¡°¡­Ah, baking powder!¡± Upon hearing her talk about a source, Tor finally and suddenly reached the answer, much to Euphie and Mailey¡¯s surprise. Baking powder was used when making bread, as it caused carbon dioxide to be released into the dough. It was mainly made of bicarbonate and weak acid. As Tor knew about the acidity of wine, he realized that that was why they had bought the tartar. ¡°And I suppose the kelp ash is the bicarbonate?¡± ¡°Ye-yes, exactly.¡± ¡°Talking to someone who is born on earth makes things much simpler.¡± ¡°Though, I don¡¯t know anything about the chemical formula.¡± Mailey began to write the chemical formula on a sheet of paper while she explained it. ¡°As you said, Mr. Tor, the basics are the same as baking powder. But in this case, it might be more accurate to call it effervescent powder.¡± ¡°Effervescent powder?¡± ¡°It is a powder that existed from the Meiji era and was used to make carbonated drinks. Bicarbonate, in other words, the crystals that result from making sodium hydrogen carbonate and wine is mixed with potassium tartrate and sold as effervescent powder.¡± Mailey said this much and picked up the cork from the wine bottle and showed the bottom-side to Tor. There was a small, semi-transparent crystal. So that was tartar. ¡°When the sodium hydrogen carbonate and tartaric acid react, they release carbon dioxide. Since we are prepared, allow us to demonstrate.¡± ¡°Uh, demonstrate?¡± It seemed like they were going to start with some science experiments. Tor pulled back, as he never did like to study. But before he knew it, Euphie was standing next to him, and she then took his wine glass. As he looked at her in surprise, she drank all of its contents. ¡°Hey, that was mine¡­¡± ¡°Now, let us begin.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re just going to ignore me?¡± The empty wine glass was placed in front of Tor. Euphie then took out two different kinds of powder. One was white and the other was a reddish purple. ¡°The white one is kelp ash. The sodium carbonate that will replace the bicarbonate.¡± Euphie sprinkled the white powder into the wine glass. ¡°And this red one is the tartar from the red wine barrels. The potassium hydrogen tartrate.¡± The red powder was sprinkled into the wine glass as well. And then Mailey brought over the bottle of white wine. ¡°And when I pour this in, there will be a reaction, and it will become a carbonated drink.¡± Mailey tipped the bottle, and the white wine poured out in a gentle stream, mixing the powders within. And then bubbles began to appear. The fine bubbles rose until they reached the rim of the glass. ¡°Here. The first sparkling wine in this world.¡± ¡°How very fancy.¡± Tor chuckled, both with sarcasm and amusement at this demonstration. Still, he obliged the twins by picking up the cup and tasting the sparkling wine. The refreshing sensation of bubbles bursting in his mouth. Every burst was like an explosion of aroma. ¡°Ohhh!¡± He had been in this world for nine years. He had nearly forgotten what this was like, and so Tor could not help but raise his voice in surprise. Yes, this was it. But at the same time, he realized that there was something strange. ¡°It is a little bitter?¡± While the wine was on the sweet side, it wasn¡¯t too distracting. But he did sense an odd bitterness as well. It didn¡¯t detract from the nostalgia that he felt, but it did seem like a shame, given how delicious the wine was. The twins pulled their seats from the other side and placed them on each side of Tor as they sat down. ¡°Bitter? You must have a sensitive tongue.¡± ¡°What is that bitterness?¡± ¡°I suppose it must be from the kelp ash.¡± Euphie said as she glanced at it. Once he heard that, Tor¡¯s mind immediately went to the times he had accidentally drank sea water. ¡°Is there anything that can be done about it?¡± If this was a carbonated potion that healed wounds, then this bitterness would be nothing. It really wasn¡¯t that bad. But there was no harm in improving the taste. If the twins could do that, perhaps then they could collaborate with a tavern and offer this sparkling wine to cutomers. Tor, Euphie and Mailey all smiled together. ¡°Mr. Tor. Are you aware of Sherlock Holmes?¡± ¡°He is a famous private detective from novels.¡± ¡°Yes, during Victorian England, which Sherlock Holmes is set in, there was a glass instrument called a gasogene, which allowed you to easily make carbonated drinks.¡± When he heard ¡®glass instrument,¡¯ what came to his mind was the gourd-shaped glass bottle they had ordered at the glass workshop. So that was a gasogene. Euphie showed him a rough sketch of the inner structure. The top and bottom were two separate spheres. ¡°The liquid that you want to carbonate is poured into the lower sphere, and in the upper sphere, you place your effervescent powder. And then you pour just a little water into the upper sphere and close the lid. The carbon dioxide that is then released will reach the lower sphere, where it will dissolve into the liquid. According to the principles of the gasogene, it should not be affected by the bitterness of the kelp ash.¡± ¡°You really thought this through, huh?¡± ¡°Yes. However, since we do not have the gasogene now, why don¡¯t we just enjoy this slightly bitter sparkling wine?¡± ¡°A sparkling wine that only we know about.¡± ¡°Well, when you put it like that¡­¡± They prepared enough for all three, and then they made a second toast before Mailey returned to the subject. ¡°Now, while we have succeeded in creating a carbonated drink, the real problem is the carbonated potions.¡± ¡°What is the problem? According to what you said, surely all you have to do is put the potion into the gasogene and dissolve the carbon dioxide, and then it is done?¡± ¡°Did potions exist on earth?¡± ¡°¡­I suppose it needs to be tested¡­¡± As carbonated potions existed, they already knew that they were safe. However, as this was connected to an effect brought by magic, which modern science could not explain, there was no guarantee that there wouldn¡¯t be side-effects. For instance, it was possible that the potions substances might be changed after coming in contact with the kelp ash or tartar. ¡°And since we cannot afford to be injured during such tests, we will have to perform them on animals first. But how¡­¡± Euphie and Mailey looked quite troubled at this. Tor was puzzled. ¡°Uh, surely that is simple enough?¡± ¡°Well, we could never use livestock. No one would allow that.¡± ¡°But there are plenty of creatures in the dungeon. And they are easy to capture.¡± ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t think of that.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Tor would have no trouble capturing them alive.¡± And so for the next few days, the mad trio of Adventurers were sighted, capturing monsters in the dungeon and feeding them potions. CH 25 Part 2 ¨C Chapter 7 ¨C Advertising As soon as the gasogene they had ordered at the glass workshop was finished, the twins went to the taverns next to the wine storage house, and the one next to the Adventurers Guild. ¡°This is sparkling wine. Carbonated potions will soon become popular here, so why not serve this, in order to get people used to carbonated drinks?¡± The twins were rather good when it came to marketing. In the first place, all Adventurers knew about how immediately effective and useful carbonated potions were. And since they were close to Flaretelia, where there were carbonated hot springs, it would receive a lot of attention. If sparkling wine was introduced as a way of getting people used to the sensation, then there was no way that it wouldn¡¯t sell. As many Adventurers used taverns to gather information and strengthen party bonds before dungeon crawling, the tavern master agreed in an instant. The twins were so thorough, that they even held a demonstration on the first day that the sparkling wine was added to the menu. To put it simply, the sparkling wine did sell. While some Adventurers scowled at the unfamiliar taste, they could not refuse it when other party members insisted that it was training for when they had to drink carbonated potions during an emergency. They also offered cheap carbonated water without alcohol, which allowed those who didn¡¯t drink to get used to it as well. Next, the twins approached the alchemist workshop, which would produce the potions, and the Adventurers Guild, and then started to produce carbonated potions and sell effervescent powder. As Adventurers had to enter dungeons, which were monster nests, they welcomed this with open arms. And so they made a few gold coins in the process. The twins took these coins to make a contract with the alchemist workshop, sent the gasogene from the glass workshop to the alchemist workshop, and set up an environment to mass produce the carbonated potions, ensuring a stable supply. The twins had a stable business in just ten days. Their skill reminded Tor of what Wenz had said. ¡®¡­With the knowledge the sisters possess, we can always start again with the funds we have saved¡¯ And after seeing them work, he could only agree. He watched them as they calculated the taxes they would pay to Flaretelia. Tor was relieved to know that they would be just fine, even if he suddenly disappeared. It was then that Euphie turned to him. ¡°We¡¯ll have to hire Mr. Tor again as an escort.¡± ¡°An escort? Are you going into the dungeon again?¡± ¡°No. This carbonated potion business has become this stable because of your presence, Mr. Tor. It¡¯s because of you that no one has tried to take the carbonated potion rights from us.¡± ¡°No, no. As long as you are in Flaretelia, you are in no real danger.¡± Flaretelia was a town with many working Adventurers, and so there were many soldiers and guards who kept the peace. Tor found it hard to imagine that anyone would try and harm the twins. ¡°Besides, the two of you can use Enchant now. While you have not hunted any magitec beasts, and will have to stay D-Rank, you have the ability of B-Rank. And so you will be able to defend yourselves against any attackers.¡± ¡°Perhaps you don¡¯t understand, Mr. Tor, because you are not sensitive to matters of money. But the money that is being moved through this business is enough to attract malice.¡± Euphie and Mailey stared at Tor. Tor was measuring the weight of some kelp ash on a scale as he answered. ¡°Or not?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just surprised that you used that word, Mr. Tor.¡± ¡°Ah, I suppose it¡¯s not like me.¡± Tor was a solo B-Rank Adventurer. He had no friends, and had only experienced being in a party a few times. Euphie and Mailey smiled gently at him. ¡°Yes, friends. That¡¯s how it should be.¡± ¡°Should you really be so pleased?¡± ¡°Of course. If we are all friends, then we need not be so distant.¡± If anything, Tor thought he interacted with them rather closely, and so this was a surprise. Mailey chuckled. ¡°So you weren¡¯t aware of your motives for the combat training.¡± ¡°¡­Ah. I suppose it was a kind of self preservation. I might have had such motives.¡± Tor realized this for the first time after it was pointed out. But just as he was thinking about apologizing, Euphie and Mailey bowed their heads. ¡°Regardless of your motives, thank you for teaching us Enchant.¡± ¡°You¡¯re thankful, now? No, I should be apologizing to you. While I wasn¡¯t aware, I was keeping a distance from you.¡± ¡°No, we understood that you were anxious. And part of the reason we wanted to make money through carbonated potions was to rid you of that anxiety. And so we are glad that our goal has been reached.¡± ¡°Besides, regardless of what your motive was, we have to be thankful for what you did, and what you taught us. And we really are thankful.¡± Tor chuckled at this. ¡°You got me. And thank you for being so considerate. I guess it would look even worse if I tried to hide my anxiety now. Very well, I will continue to rely on you two as friends.¡± There was no winning against these two. Tor coughed once and then changed the subject. ¡°Well, you have enough funds for a while. What will you do now? Is there a place outside of Flaretelia that you want to see?¡± ¡°No. we are thinking of expanding the carbonated potion business a little, and then we will prepare the groundwork to sell them outside of Flaretelia as well.¡± ¡°As it will be impossible for us two to manage it alone, as soon as the foundation is set, we will find people through the Adventurers and Alchemists guild who can manage it for us.¡± ¡°That is probably a good idea. If the carbonated potions become popular, the death rate for Adventurers will likely drop, and exploration of the dungeons will accelerate.¡± The other day, he had heard a rumor that an Adventurer clan that was equipped with carbonated potions and effervescent powders had broken the ten year record, and reached the ninth level. There were also other parties who were known to get injured often, but were now more stable. Overall, Adventurers were able to travel deeper than before. ¡°The guild manager was very grateful towards you two. Apparently, other guilds were getting annoyed that so many people are going to Flaretelia. After all, dungeons have been appearing all over the place recently, and there aren¡¯t enough Adventurers to deal with them. It¡¯s a serious problem.¡± Adventurers were a valuable fighting force that helped secure the safety of an area and its roads. If they all concentrate in a single area, the others would become unstable. And so it was best for them to move around. But if the dungeon is penetrated, then many of the Adventurers will start to spread out to other lands. And so the manager would be glad that the development of the carbonated potions and effervescent powder were helping to speed up the process. ¡°While money can invite malice, as long as you don¡¯t misuse it, it can¡¯t save people. You two should be proud. And if anyone gives you trouble, I will silence them.¡± Tor encouraged the two, who were more cautious about money, ever since the smuggling incident. After that, they continued their work of separating the effervescent powder. CH 26 Part 2 ¨C Chapter 8: The Dragon Rises ¡°¡­The deal is off? Wh-what do you mean?¡± Mailey answered with confusion to the owner of the winery, who had suddenly visited their inn. The owner turned away with a bitter expression. ¡°It seems like you haven¡¯t heard then. It is something that vexes us greatly as well, but we¡¯ve been outmaneuvered. The others will be here soon¡­¡± ¡°Excuse me. I¡¯m from the Alchemists Guild¡­¡± As if to interrupt the owner¡¯s words, there was a knock on the door, and a voice could be heard coming from the other side. The owner looked and nodded silently. It probably meant that it was fine to let the person in. ¡°The door is unlocked. Please come in.¡± ¡°Excuse me. ¡­Today, I¡¯ve come to say that the deal is¡­ Ah, I suppose you already know then?¡± The representative of the Alchemists Guild saw the owner and seemed to understand what was happening. But Mailey shook her head and said that she did not understand. At the same time there were footsteps in the hallway that stopped right in front of the room. As the door had been left open, the leader at the glass workshop peered through hesitantly. ¡°Ah! I see everyone is here already.¡± Said the glass workshop leader as he entered the room. Euphie and Mailey looked anxious as they turned back to look at Tor. Then they faced the three visitors. ¡°The deal is off? What do you mean?¡± Asked Mailey in a quiet voice after regaining some of her calm. The three looked at each other as if to encourage the other to speak. Finally, the representative from the Alchemists Guild, who had the highest position, was pushed forward. ¡°The Merchant Guild in Flaretalia beat us. To be precise, they announced that they will cease all trade with any who produce or sell carbonated potions. And after placing the profits of carbonated potions on the scale, I had no choice but to stop this transaction¡­¡± ¡°¡­But can such tyranny be allowed?¡± Mailey narrowed her eyebrows at what she felt was a ridiculous announcement from the merchant guild. The leader of the glass workshop opened his mouth. ¡°I understand how you feel. It is tyranny, just as you say. However, they are desperate too. And it¡¯s not the sales of carbonated potions that they are afraid of. It¡¯s the accelerated speed that people are going through the dungeon.¡± For nearly fifty years since the dungeon was made in Flaretalia, local merchants had come to rely on materials and goods that came from it. And so if the dungeon was sealed, then they would not be able to live. This sudden acceleration due to the carbonated potions had been a shock to the merchant guild, and they were not prepared for it. ¡°I also know that you have been trying to avoid this situation by negotiating with the Flaretalia council behind the scenes through the Adventurers and Alchemists guilds. But the Merchants Guild knew this as well, and so they resorted to such a drastic measure.¡± The twins sighed in unison at the words of the glass workshop leader. As long as Tor was near the twins, it would be difficult to control them through force. However, even if using threats to force those around them to cease doing business with the twins was ethically questionable, it was all part of the game. And no outsider would intervene. ¡°But surely it will mean the loss of trust in the Merchants Guild.¡± ¡°They are just buying time. I doubt this was an easy decision for them as well.¡± As he was also a resident of Flaretalia, the leader of the glass workshop was quite sympathetic towards them. Then the owner of the winery stood up, and the others did the same. ¡°I don¡¯t mind if you hate us for this. But the deal is off. As for the stock we currently have, we will dispose of it ourselves.¡± It was already decided then. And so the three left the room. When the door closed, Euphie and Mailey let out a sigh. ¡°We lost.¡± ¡°While it is difficult to admit, it does not change the fact.¡± ¡°¡­So you two are fine with that?¡± Said Tor in a calm voice. He had not spoken a word earlier. ¡°I cannot be satisfied with it. However, there is nothing that we can do. We are talking about all the merchants in Flaretalia.¡± ¡°And there is nothing to be done in terms of the law. We are utterly defeated. It makes me sad, since you believed in us, Mr. Tor, but it is over.¡± The twins sighed again. While the development of the carbonated potions had gone smoothly, the selling, distribution and expansion had been something that the twins worked on with all of their power. And now it was for nothing. It was no wonder they were disappointed. Suddenly, they seemed very tired, and they didn¡¯t even have the strength to put away the books on the desk. Tor folded his arms. ¡°I won¡¯t let it end like this.¡± ¡°Mr. Tor?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve seen first hand how much you two put into this. And I cannot stand to see it end in such a way. But it¡¯s not only that. Regardless of the guild¡¯s reason¡­they are going to allow Adventurers to die for their own profit.¡± Indeed, the Merchants Guild would be desperate, as their livelihood was on the line. However, dungeons were meant to be sealed. And to get in the way of that was to purposely allow civilization to be threatened by monsters. For Adventurers who risk their lives in battle, this position of the Merchants Guild would be unforgivable. Euphie looked troubled at this. ¡°You are right to be angry, Mr. Tor. But there is nothing to be done.¡± This was a surprising answer. Euphie and Mailey looked at Tor with expectation. Tor laughed confidently. ¡°If they are going to use such methods, then we just have to employ our own power as well, full on.¡± ¡°But you cannot use violence!¡± ¡°Of course not. I don¡¯t intend to use violence against the Merchants Guild. I am an Adventurer, after all.¡± Tor said with a chuckle and then continued. ¡°We use the carbonated potions and seal the dungeon. Once the dungeon itself is gone, the merchants will not be able to say anything. You two will become famous as the people who contributed the most to this feat, and will be able to sell the carbonated potions. There are other markets, after all.¡± Indeed, completing the dungeon was a solution that involved using all of your power. Euphie and Mailey hadn¡¯t even considered this possibility, and they were impressed. But at the same time, they hesitated. ¡°¡­This is a problem that we brought on ourselves. Is it right for us to rely on you?¡± ¡°Of course. We are friends, after all.¡± Tor said without hesitation, and the two laughed happily. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Tor.¡± CH 27 Part 2: Chapter 9 ¨C Temporary Party The reception counter at the Adventurers Guild was crowded. ¡°Why has the supply of carbonated potions stopped! Do you have a replacement product?¡± ¡°Is the guild going to do something about it?¡± ¡°There are so many monsters that ambush you on the 9th floor. Do you know how many people will die without potions with immediate effect?¡± Tor felt bad for the guild workers who had to deal with them. They were practically in tears. The Adventurers Guild was doing its job. As for the carbonated potions, the guild chief was also moving. However, they must not have had enough time to understand the situation fully. But as their lives could be on the line, the Adventurers had rushed here to gather information instead of going to the dungeons. It was then that Tor appeared, along with the twins who had been the ones to develop the carbonated potions. All eyes turned to them. Suddenly, the place was completely quiet. None of them were foolish enough to rush towards a B-Rank Adventurer. But as Tor and the twins tried to move through the crowd and head towards the counter, a small woman appeared. She was young, with long hair that was roughly tied together near her neck, and had sharp eyes. On her back was a longsword that was nearly two meters, and its sheath bore tribal runes. Mailey looked at the runes with interest. ¡°Sheath Bane?¡± ¡°Hmm? ¡­You can read it?¡± The woman looked surprised when Mailey read the words on the sheath. Euphie nodded. ¡°It is the language of the elves who live on the mountains of Shurihel, to the north, is it not?¡± ¡°You are very knowledgeable. It was given to me by the father who raised me. But that is of no matter now. You, Red Lightning!¡± Tor looked at the young woman as if inspecting her. Was there anyone like this small woman among his acquaintances? The question was written on his face. And so she looked quite annoyed as she replied. ¡°Sheath Bane Bastora.¡± ¡°Ah, Sheath Bane, the B-Rank party. I thought your base of operations was farther to the north?¡± ¡®Sheath Bane¡¯ was a B-Rank party of seven, and Bastora was their leader. If Tor remembered correctly, they ranked 41st in the Adventurer hierarchy. ¡°I heard rumors of this carbonated potion, and came to see for myself. But more importantly, what¡¯s all this noise? It seems like you are involved in it.¡± ¡°The Merchants Guild was not happy about the speed of the dungeon being captured, and so they applied pressure to cease the sales of carbonated potions. In retaliation, we are going to capture the dungeon and seal it. Do you want to come too?¡± ¡°I was about to enter a fit of rage over what you said, but it seems that you¡¯ve come up with an amusing plan. Yes, we¡¯ll help you.¡± ¡°Thank you. You¡¯ll be able to use as much of the carbonated potions as you want, and see their effects. Two birds with one stone, eh?¡± ¡°Hehe. I feel lucky.¡± In spite of the intimidating name, Bastora smiled like a young girl. Then she turned to her friends, who sat at a nearby table, and gestured for them to come. A group of six men and women rose up. Their average age appeared to be mid-twenties. However, all of them, including Bastora, had pointed ears. If they were elves they were likely all over two-hundred years old. ¡°17th, Red Lightning, Mr. Tor. It¡¯s an honor to make your acquaintance.¡± ¡°You¡¯re very kind.¡± Tor shook hands with all of the members and then headed to the counter. ¡°We¡¯re here to apply as a party. A temporary party consisting of me, these twins, and Sheath Bane over there. Also, I would like to hire someone to carry our belongings. The reward will be one gold per day. The requirement is that they can use Enchant.¡± ¡°¡­Ye-yes¡­¡± The guild worker was a little stunned by this sudden temporary party consisting of high-rankers, but they then nodded. As Tor was given the hiring form, the Adventurers looked at each other. They had heard that the reward would be an incredibly generous one gold per day. However, not only would you be in danger of getting involved in a battle with high-rankers, but their goal was to capture the dungeon. In other words, they would be going to the deepest floor. And the requirement of being able to use Enchant essentially meant that he expected you to be able to protect yourself. You had to protect their baggage in a battlefield where powerful magic was flying towards you. The average Adventurer would not be able to keep up with them. Of course, Tor knew that with these conditions, there would not be many who would join just for the hopes of making a profit. Tor looked uncomfortable as all eyes were turned towards him at the counter. He then pinned the sheet to the quest board, which the Adventurers soon flocked towards. Tor then sat down with the members of Sheath Bane, and they began to plan out how they would capture the dungeon. ¡°Have your party read through the available documents on the Flaretalia?¡± ¡°We have. People have only just reached the 9th floor now. I heard that from about ten years ago, people were entering the 8th floor. But it seems the problem was more about the inner environment of the dungeon, and not the skill of the Adventurers.¡± ¡°Aye. The proof is that they got through as soon as the carbonated potions were available. The 8th floor should not be a problem for us.¡± Tor was confident that as long as they had the right supplies, they would be able to reach the 8th floor without any problem. And while there was not much information out there about the 9th floor, they knew that it was a desert area. Many of the monsters liked to ambush you, and it was easy to get hurt. Bastora looked at the twins who sat next to Tor. ¡°Hey, are you going to take them with you? They do not look very strong¡­¡± ¡°They can use Enchant and their combat abilities are that of B-Rankers. There is no need to worry about them. And unlike in ancient ruins, there are no magitec beasts in dungeons. Besides, if these two are with us, they can create carbonated potions within the dungeon.¡± ¡°What? Are these twins the ones who developed the potions?!¡± Bastora was so surprised that she leaned forward. Euphie and Mailey shrank back as if intimidated. But Bastora ignored their reaction and continued to stare at them carefully. Then she nodded with satisfaction and sat back in her seat. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then they are necessary personnel. I¡¯m quite happy, as I have a lot of questions to ask them. So, will our main job be to protect them?¡± ¡°And guarding while they rest.¡± ¡°Understood. Still, in spite of being high-rankers, we won¡¯t have much to do.¡± The others chuckled along with Bastora. They must have felt the same, but they shrugged. ¡°But you are a B-Rank party that is in the hierarchy. Is there really so much difference?¡± Mailey asked. But Bastora waved her hands with a ¡®No, no.¡¯ ¡°We do not rank so highly because of our accomplishments in battle. Our skill lies in tracking and capturing prey alive, whether they be human, monster or magitec beast. While we can fight head on as well, we do not do it often. After all, we are called Sheath Bane because we can take down a target without unsheathing our weapons.¡± Bastora showed her white teeth as she laughed and said that she was fond of the name. And then Tor added to her words. ¡°While she says that, they can use Enchant as B-Rankers. And every member of the party can use it. In the first place, no party that can capture a magitec beast alive without unsheathing their weapons could be considered weak.¡± Upon hearing this, the members of Sheath Bane smiled proudly. Just then, the Adventurers who had been watching from a distance stirred. And then heavy footsteps approached them. When Tor turned his head, he saw a man in his prime with a scar on his cheek. He led a group of five who walked towards him. ¡°I saw your request sheet. Allow us to join you.¡± The man showed his Adventurers identification. He was Rank-D. ¡°Our party is called Boulder. I¡¯m the leader, Fudo.¡± Tor looked at him up and down and smiled. ¡°You seem reliable enough. Welcome.¡± The twins seemed alarmed and whispered to him. ¡°While he does appear to be strong, he is D-Rank?¡± ¡°Mailey, what is the requirement for the promotion to C-Rank?¡± ¡°Hunting magitec beasts. That¡¯s why we are also D-Rank.¡± ¡°You sometimes meet people like that. Those who are not interested in rank. Money can be made when needed. They just want the glory of capturing dungeons. And they have the skill for it. Many Adventurers like to be free. You shouldn¡¯t care too much about rank.¡± And then Tor looked at their swords. It was clear that they had seen much use. And because they used Enchant daily, they were filled with magic energy. Apparently, Fudo and the others heard this conversation, and they smiled. ¡°In fact, it was us who first stepped foot into the 9th floor.¡± ¡°In other words, your party is at the forefront of Flaretalia¡¯s dungeon?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. We won¡¯t be a burden to you. And if we are, you can leave us behind.¡± ¡°Any objections, Sheath Bane?¡± ¡°None.¡± Bastora represented the others and agreed readily as she got to her feet. Tor also stood up and shook hands with Fudo. ¡°We leave tomorrow. So you should all prepare.¡± CH 28 Previous post: Strange Dragon ¨C 48 POSTED 3 HOURS AGO Part 2: Chapter 10 ¨C The Dungeon Crawl Begins The wind blast turned opaque as it picked up the sand from the hills, and shot towards the Adventurers. The small particles hit their faces, and as they had not prepared for this, it went into their eyes, robbing them of vision. The monsters that lurked in the desert would not let such an opportunity pass them by, and their forked tongues hissed towards the Adventurers. ¡°¡­You¡¯re in my way.¡± In the next instant, numerous tongues flew into the air. Within the blink of an eye, the chained battle rings had whipped through the sandy air and cut through the hissing creatures. Some of the monsters frantically tried to escape back into the ground, but it was too late. The rings severed the monsters in the sand, and blood began to seep out. Then the rings were pulled back to the Adventurer¡¯s hands. Tor rubbed at his eyes as he sighed. ¡°My hair feels shaggy. Let¡¯s head to the 10th floor at once. I¡¯ll get a look from the sky.¡± He flung the battle ring, which was then enveloped by red electricity. And in the next instant, it shot up as if propelled by some kind of spring contraption, launching Tor high into the air. The leap employed the repulsive force of magnetic power, allowing him to leap to heights that a normal person could not reach. Tor then looked at his surroundings as he began to fall. He threw the ring towards the sand and adjusted the magnetic force in order to soften his landing. Then he told the other party members where they must go. ¡°I saw a slope. Over there.¡± As they walked, he threw his battle rings at the four-legged monsters, killing them as they rushed down the dunes towards them. The twins were right behind Tor. ¡°I heard that dungeon monsters were stronger than the ones outside¡­¡± Even as Mailey spoke, Tor buried his battle rings in the sand, turning the monsters into corpses before they even had a chance to ambush the party. Upon hearing Mailey¡¯s words, Fudo answered with an expression that suggested he was not as confident as before. ¡°They have more magic energy, and are large. And since they are constantly fighting and eating each other in dungeons, most of them have a lot of experience in battle. And so they are especially strong in dungeons that have been left alone for a long time. As for the bosses that are at the deepest parts of the dungeon, the strongest monsters with the most magic energy gain that spot after fighting each other. ¡­It is not normal to be able to kill such monsters while passing them by. But it seems that we live in different worlds.¡± A monster that had been hiding behind a dune now swung its thorned tail at Tor. He answered with his thundering chain chakrams, blowing off the monster¡¯s tail. Without being able to kill the momentum, the monster too was dragged into the air as if being pulled by the tail. Tor saw it from the top of the hill, and then he severed the monster that was in the air. And a stream of red flowed down the sand. After fulfilling its role, the ring returned to Tor¡¯s hand. It clinked against his chain mail gloves. Bastora smiled tensely. ¡°Everyone thinks they are strong once they are able to defeat magitec beasts. But even I think that there is something wrong with Red Lightning. What is that weapon?¡± Up until the ninth layer of the dungeon, they had been able to advance through the quickest route, thanks to Boulder¡¯s guidance. It was now the third day. While they had now encountered hundreds of monsters, no one had wielded their weapons outside of Tor. Even when just standing there, his range exceeded five meters. But it was extended farther when he used body strengthening to quicken his step. He was able to kill enemies in a single hit before they could even get close to them. ¡°His range is too wide, his reactions too swift, and his attacks too fast. It¡¯s no wonder he ranks so high in the hierarchy.¡± ¡°But so is your party, Sheath Bane. And you are B-Rank.¡± ¡°Yes, and we were quite proud of it, you know? But after seeing this¡­¡± Bastora scratched her cheek. Eventually, they reached the edge of the 9th floor. A semi-transparent, black slope was moving like a mirage. It was so vague that it made you feel anxious about stepping into it, but as they had gone through others on their way to the 9th floor, they did not hesitate this time. The 10th floor, and then the 11th. Things went smoothly and uneventfully. It was not until they reached the 12th floor that they reached a roadblock. ¡°¡­So, what should we do?¡± They had just gone down the slope to the 12th floor. Tor questioned the others, who had all sat down on the ground. The 12th floor was a strange-looking place indeed, with its great tree-like stones standing tall. And in the distance, they could see giant birds that were at least three times the size of a human. ¡°We do not have the equipment for climbing. I suppose we will have to make our way through the roots of these strange rocks. However, I am worried about the birds, which seem to be carrying boulders to the top of the stone trees.¡± Mailey said as she observed the movements of the monsters. Indeed, they were carrying boulders. And if they were dropped from such a height, even an Adventurer would die in an instant. If there was a right way to get through, it would be to get on top of those strange boulders and attack the giant birds, and then move on to the next one. ¡°If we didn¡¯t have to worry about the safety from above, we could deal with the ones on the ground.¡± Bastora said as she looked at the ground that could be seen from between the rock trees. Tor turned to Fudo. ¡°How much supplies do we have left?¡± ¡°Enough for ten days at the very least.¡± ¡°Since it will take four to five days to return, that gives us two days to advance.¡± Tor opened his waist pouch and took out some caltraps. ¡°I¡¯ll deal with the ones above. And if we don¡¯t reach the end after this floor, we will go back for now.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Just in case, they assigned roles so that they would know what was happening above their heads, and someone would be able to guard them with magic if any stones fell from above. And then they departed. The monsters here were like rabbits, and had great leaping ability, but Bastora killed them with her sheathed longsword. As it swung horizontally, the impact caused the creature to reverse and crash into the monsters behind it. Then she stabbed the sword into the ground and used it to vault up into the air. Furthermore, she used earth magic to create a platform beneath her feet, which she kicked off of, charging head first into the monster in front of her. When she landed in the center of the rabbit herd, she swung her long sword in a circle. The monsters flew in every direction, and Bastora¡¯s comrades put them down quickly. ¡°Since it¡¯s difficult enough to walk here, it would be best to not shed any blood. Because we might slip.¡± They shouted to each other, and as she ordered, they kept the bloodshed to a minimum as they made their way through the monsters. And above them, Tor flew between the stone trees. His chain rings cut into the rock, and he used the magnetic force to propel himself forward. It looked like an action scene with wires as he moved. And every time he was in range of a giant bird, he launched the caltraps with magnetic force. As they spread out like a shotgun, the giant birds could not dodge them. And the caltraps dug deep into their flesh. Still, they were not lethal wounds, and they would counter attack. But then Tor would lightly swing his battle rings, the caltraps would be pulled by the magnetic force, and turn violently within the bodies of the giant birds, tearing their flesh until they returned to Tor. He ignored the large birds that fell to the ground after being torn apart. He knocked down the collected boulders before his friends would pass below, and then he moved to the next. ¡°¡­Mr. Tor. We¡¯re going to rest.¡± Euphie said, and Tor raised a hand in reply. After confirming that the surrounding area was safe, he jammed the battle ring into the rock and slowly descended to the ground. ¡°Here are carbonated magic recovery potions.¡± Mailey passed the potions out to everyone. Tor tasted the citrusy drink. It was like a lemon soda, he mused as he drained it. Then they rested so that their magic energy would recover. ¡°This potion is delicious!¡± Bastora laughed as she raised her cup into the air. ¡°Usually, they are just sour. It hurts your throat and makes chanting difficult.¡± Fudo and the others nodded in agreement. Mailey then put the potions away as she said, ¡°The alchemists we were working with made adjustments to the taste.¡± ¡°Impressive. I thought they were just a lot of fools who submitted to pressure.¡± Said Bastora. It was hard to tell if she meant it as a compliment. Then Fudo turned to Mailey. ¡°What do you think will happen to Flaretalia after the dungeon is captured?¡± ¡°It will remain even after it¡¯s sealed, won¡¯t it?¡± ¡°The space will remain, it¡¯s just the number of monsters that will not increase. Some people try to turn them into tourist attractions, but it rarely goes well.¡± ¡°The more usual use for them is to make them pasture lands. As they have been exporting goods to the hot spring lands up until now, they will likely continue in that direction. I suppose they will switch to the leather and yarn industries. Many inns targeting Adventurers will close, and those who lose their jobs might find work at the mills. Did you see the fur of the rabbits we defeated earlier?¡± Fudo and the others looked at each other. None of them had seen the monsters as sources of fabric, and not targets to destroy. Tor thought about the rabbit and something came to his mind. ¡°Angora rabbit.¡± ¡°Exactly that.¡± Mailey said as she clapped her hands. It was a long-haired rabbit, and they were rather similar in outward appearance. However, the rabbits we were talking about were monsters. They were quite aggressive and could leap great distances. And so they would be a lot harder to catch. ¡°It won¡¯t be easy to manage, but depending on their breeding rate, it might be worth trying to keep them as livestock.¡± ¡°Additionally, they can bring in livestock from other territories and breed them here as well. That being said, there is no escaping a few years of recession.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Fudo had a grim expression. While there was no doubt that the dungeon had to be sealed, they did not feel good about having to pull the trigger that would put Flaretalia into a recession. As their morale started to decline, Bastora opened her mouth. ¡°I don¡¯t like to say things like this, as it shows my age, but judging from my experiences, in a few years, a peaceful future will come to this place.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Euphie asked. Bastora glanced over to Tor. ¡°Including that solo B over there. You would know if you are B-Rank. When a dungeon is sealed, the density of the mana in the area is lowered. This is the same everywhere, except in different situations called magic energy abnormality.¡± Bastora slid her hands to the side to demonstrate the slope of magic energy density, and then continued. ¡°And the magictec beasts detect this abnormality and come charging.¡± ¡°So you are saying that if the dungeon is sealing, magitec beasts will be attracted to it?¡± ¡°Yes. On top of that, there is the issue of hunting what remains in the dungeon. After all, just because the dungeon is sealed, it doesn¡¯t mean the monsters will disappear. The drying up of monster resources that the merchant guilds fear will not happen in an instant. Besides, this is the 12th floor. And since we¡¯ve been moving straight towards the deepest floor, most of the monsters between here and the 9th floor are untouched.¡± And then she came to her conclusion. ¡°Those of the Merchants Guild, they must be very shocked now, as the Adventurers Guild explains to them what will happen. Because if they earn the wrath of Adventurers now, no one will bring back what they have gathered. They know this much through experience, which is why that solo B-ranker was able to do something like this without hesitation. If there was any chance that the twins would be hated and targeted after this, they would have just ignored Flaretalia and gone elsewhere.¡± ¡°Old people talk too much.¡± ¡°Hey, you want to fight, Red Lightning! I¡¯ll fight you verbally! I will!¡± Tor ignored Bastora, who he wasn¡¯t sure was actually trying to fight, and he got to his feet. ¡°We should be going soon. I think the end is near.¡± That night, Tor and the others discovered the slope that led to the 13th floor. CH 29 Part 2: Chapter 11 ¨C Dungeon Boss They went down the black, semi-transparent slope. Beyond it, they could sense a powerful presence, and Euphie and Mailey pressed against each other fearfully. Tor, who walked in the lead, raised his hand to signal for the others to stop. ¡°There is a boss.¡± ¡°The magic energy is thick. It must be in the far back.¡± Agreed Fudo and the others of Boulder. As the representative of Sheath Bane, Bastora asked Tor how he planned to proceed. ¡°Should we charge in? But that would be dangerous if there is a horde.¡± ¡°Euphie, Mailey, I want you to prepare the carbonated potions. We should be in the boss¡¯s territory already. If there is a horde, then there may be scouts sent up the slope while you¡¯re still preparing them.¡± ¡°Very well.¡± And so they took the potions, effervescent powder, water, and gasogene from Fudo and the others. While they started to make the carbonated potions, Euphie pointed ahead. ¡°I have heard that monsters don¡¯t move between dungeon floors. But do the scouts come up the slope?¡± ¡°That is just a popular belief. Because monsters are often cautious, and they are afraid of this semi-transparent slope. But there are still brave ones that cross in search of places with dense magic energy or better prey. And it¡¯s the strongest of such monsters that becomes the boss.¡± Tor was looking down the slope as he explained this. There was no smell of any beasts. As they had not encountered any slimes or other monsters that liked to be clean, it was unlikely that they had turned into the boss. And if this was not a monster that hunted regularly on the twelfth floor, then it was likely that it had set up traps. ¡°Could it be a spider?¡± They thought back on the spider monster that they had seen on the eleventh floor. ¡°We finished making the carbonated potions. I have separated them into small bottles, so everyone can take two bottles. All of them are healing potions.¡± Euphie passed them out to the members of Boulder and Sheath Bane, while Mailey gave them to Tor. ¡°Bosses are strong, aren¡¯t they?¡± ¡°It depends on the type. But they are said to be slightly stronger to fight than two magitec beasts. I want you two to wait near the entrance to the thirteenth floor. You and Boulder should secure an escape route.¡± The deepest part of a dungeon was a place where monsters fought each, and where the magic energy was the thickest. Many of the strongest monsters from the upper floor would come down there, and while they might try to leave after realizing that they were no match for the boss, they would then encounter other monsters that were coming down from the upper floor, and end up being attacked from both sides. And so if they wanted to be able to focus on the boss battle, then they had to make sure that their backs were guarded. ¡°And what should we do?¡± Asked Bastora as she put away the potions. ¡°If there are multiple bosses or if there are children, you will deal with them. If there is only one boss, then I should be able to handle it, so you should start controlling the magitec seal. ¡°Leave it to us. I haven¡¯t used one in a long time. Fudo, lend me your magitec seal.¡± After seeing that Bastora had accepted the cylinder shaped device, Tor moved on ahead and walked down the slope. The presence was getting even stronger. However, they could not hear anything. The thirteenth floor was a room surrounded by black walls. It was a square that was about fifty meters wide, and there were boulders on the ground that must have been from the twelfth floor. There was also what could have been the remains of past bosses, such as bones, wings and shells. Tor looked up at the ceiling. Five pairs of red eyes looked down at him. All five pairs of eyes belonged to a single face. The moment that he realized it belonged to a black spider that was the same color as the ceiling, the floor moved. ¡°¡­So it¡¯s a trap.¡± All at once, the webs that had been covering the entire floor were pulled up towards the ceiling. It was like a fisherman pulling up a net. Tor threw his battle rings to the side, sliding through nearby webs. Once the spider realized that he had escaped the trap, it was quick to move. It threw the torn web over Tor¡¯s head, blocking his movement as it moved to his blindspot. Tor was able to leap to the side and dodge the web, and while keeping the spider¡¯s movement in his vision, he slashed the top part of the monster¡¯s shell with his chakrams. The spider then abandoned trying to pull the web back. It had been pulling the web, which was attached to a shell, in hopes that it would slam into Tor¡¯s back, but Tor had seen through this plan. And so the spider spun some new webs, and began to throw them. There must be other traps still here, Tor thought as he read the trajectory of the webs with precision and dodged them. ¡°This will be difficult¡­¡± The spider was moving around the ceiling. As it was throwing its webs, it understood that Tor had ranged attacks, and that it was safest if it stayed on the ceiling. Furthermore, he could see numerous webs on the ceiling that sparkled as they reflected the light. And so if he lept in order to get close to it, he would end up getting caught in the webs. It didn¡¯t help that the spider was also very fast. Tor roughly plunged his hand into his pouch and took out some iron caltraps. At the same time, he threw his chakram in order to drive back the webs. Red thunder flashed, and the webs were burned. As if in surprise, the spider let go of the webs. After cutting through the webs, the chakram gained momentum as it blew the remains of monsters on the ground into the air. ¡°See!¡± Tor swung his arm to the side. The tip of the chakrams exceeded the speed of sound, and the destructive sound of air being pushed away echoed through the room. The chakrams blew away the remains that were in the air, causing them to fly towards the spider on the ceiling. The spider reacted immediately, shooting out its webs into the remains. For a moment, it looked like it would knock them out of the air, but instead of losing momentum, it only flew faster. The spider was too shocked to react, and the remains crashed into it. As the impact made the spider fall from the ceiling, Tor rushed towards it while slamming the chakrams into the ground. Red thunder spread out, and the caltraps that were in the remains began to be pulled by the magnetic force. And while the spider tried to shoot its webs in order to return to the ceiling, now that the carcass was being controlled by manipulating the magnetic pull, it moved in the spider¡¯s way. The spider still managed to land in a defensive position and then jump out of the way, just as the remains came crashing down from above. However, Tor was now within range of it. The spider bared its fangs angrily. ¡°Poison, I assume.¡± Tor barely even looked at the liquid that shot out. He knew from experience, and so he had already moved out of the way. He had thrown the chakram to the side, making it dig deep into the floor, and then used the magnetic force to pull himself away. After moving to the side of the spider in an instant, Tor stuck his right foot into the chakram that was in the ground, and kicked up in order to pull it out. ¡°Here¡¯s the finishing blow.¡± The chakram sliced off the spider¡¯s head. Knowing that bug-type monsters were often very resilient, Tor swung his chakrams to the side and cut off all of the spider¡¯s legs as well. And then he jumped back, just in case. However, the spider monster did not move at all. Tor then turned to the entrance. ¡°Good work, Mr. Tor. Were you hurt?¡± ¡°I¡¯m untouched, as you can see. What about the magitec seal?¡± ¡°According to Ms. Bastora, you have to go to the back of the room. However, they could not go, because of all the spider traps.¡± ¡°I see. Bastora, you can use the magitec seal now.¡± ¡°I¡¯m on my way.¡± Bastora and the others ran to the back of the room. There was something like a swirl of black mist there. Mailey stared at it. ¡°Is that the core of the dungeon?¡± ¡°Apparently. If you seal it, then the dungeon will not create any more monsters. Of course, that doesn¡¯t include natural reproduction.¡± In order to watch the process, Tor took the twins closer to the dungeon core. It was said that these dungeon cores were gates to other worlds that the old civilization had opened, but no one knew where they connected to. Because there are no records of anyone ever coming back. Bastora opened the lid of the cylindrical device and stuck her hand inside and turned the handle in order to activate it. As soon as the magic circle appeared on the surface of the machine, a spherical seal that was about two meters in diameter appeared and swallowed up the dungeon core. In principle, the dungeon core¡¯s magic energy was being used to maintain the seal magic, and so as long as the dungeon core was not destroyed, it would continue to be sealed. Bastora looked quite satisfied to have finished the job. ¡°Sealing complete. Let¡¯s go back, everyone.¡± With their goal completed now, Tor and the others started to make their way back. CH 30 Part 2: Chapter 12 ¨C Completion Report After exiting the dungeon, Tor and the party were greeted by workers from the Adventurers Guild. Due to the magic energy density being lowered, they had determined that the sealing had been a success, and decided to come before the malicious Merchant Guild could arrive. The Adventurers who were waiting with the guild workers raised their voice when they saw Tor and the parties. ¡°Serves you right, Merchant Guild!¡± There was a lot of shouting as they went through the walls of Flaretalia, which drew the attention of its residents. Several days had passed since the dungeon¡¯s magic energy density had dropped, and so the news had already spread and there was not much confusion. ¡°¡­Just as expected. The people are not very happy.¡± Mailey muttered. ¡°Ignore them. They¡¯ll cry and then go back to work soon enough.¡± They ignored the looks of the residents who could not be happy about the sealing. And then they headed to the Adventurers Guild to make their report. The Flaretalia branch chief was waiting for them on the first floor. ¡°First of all, you did well. Congratulations on a successful sealing. The reward has been prepared. The report can be tomorrow. ¡­I want to sleep.¡± He muttered tiredly with dark lines under his eyes. The guild worker who had guided them here whispered into Tor¡¯s ear. ¡°He was incredibly busy, having to explain the validity of sealing it to the Flaretalia council, telling the Merchant Guild about the magitec beast attacks, having the guards and councilmen prepare a defense force for what happens after the dungeon is sealed, and asking other guilds for support.¡± ¡°Ah, I feel bad now. But I suppose you would act in advance, when two high-ranking parties were going to cooperate in order to seal the dungeon.¡± Normally, you would return once after each floor in order to plan and make a report before going back down. Otherwise, if you all died, then the guild would not acquire any information at all. However, considering the people who were going this time, their success was all but guaranteed. Indeed, Tor and the others had sealed it without returning even once. It would have been very difficult to arrange things behind the scenes when there were no reports at all. Tor didn¡¯t know how he managed to explain things to the others, but he understood how exhausting it would have been. The branch chief rubbed his brow. ¡°No, there is no need to apologize. Who knows what the Merchant Guild would have done if there were prior reports. This shock will be a good medicine for them. Though, I could use some medicine myself.¡± ¡°Do you want a carbonated potion?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯ll have one.¡± While he looked a little hesitant at Mailey¡¯s offer, he could not resist the temptation in the end. Euphie and Mailey found an empty table and began to concoct the carbonated potion. The branch chief and some of the Adventurers had never seen this process before, and so they watched with deep interest as they listened to the rise of the bubbles. ¡°So you really make them.¡± ¡°That¡¯s how you do it. Though, I don¡¯t understand the principle behind it.¡± Mailey poured the carbonated potion from the gasogene into a cup and handed it to the branch chief. ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­¡± He tipped the cup into his mouth and then scowled and the unfamiliar sensation. However, he must have started to feel his strength recover. And then he opened and closed his left hand in surprise. ¡°It is much more effective. I might get addicted to this.¡± ¡°As it is medicine, you shouldn¡¯t rely on it too much.¡± ¡°Ah, sorry, sorry. However, this really is amazing. It shows just how bad the sins of the Merchant Guild are.¡± He must have been impressed, as his hostility towards the Merchant Guild seemed to have increased. The other Adventurers all nodded in agreement. Just then, Tor thought that he saw the twins smile for just a second. Euphie took the now empty cup as she talked to the branch chief. ¡°In fact, I have a suggestion that can prevent such things happening again in the future.¡± ¡°A suggestion?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Euphie and Mailey put their hands together and tilted their heads. Upon seeing this cute pose, the branch manager looked like a grandfather whose grandchildren were asking him for pocket money. However he quickly coughed and looked back at them sternly and in a business-like manner. ¡°Your potions have saved the lives of many Adventurers. And I¡¯m sure you will save many more. If you have a suggestion, I shall listen to it.¡± You did drink it. Euphie seemed to say with a smile. The branch chief chuckled awkwardly. He had felt the results himself, and proved how much this would help other Adventurers. Due to his position, he could not refuse them. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll have to discuss it with the accountant.¡± ¡°Of course. We can wait for a few days.¡± The Adventurers who had been watching were a little stunned by how quickly he folded. ¡°Those twins are scary.¡± ¡°If they succeed in spreading the carbonated potions, they will be high in the hierarchy soon enough.¡± Fudo, who had also been watching, elbowed Tor. ¡°Your friends sure are stubborn.¡± ¡°I can be rather aloof, so they are reliable.¡± After talking for a short while with the accountant, the twins returned. ¡°Mr. Tor, since we¡¯ve received some money, and have some free time, let us go to the hot spring town.¡± ¡°I would like to heal the tiredness from the dungeon before we start discussing business again. Since you helped with our problem, Boulder and Sheath Bane, will you accompany us?¡± Mailey took Tor¡¯s arm and began to walk without waiting for a reply. Euphie invited the other parties, and both Fudo and Bastora agreed to go. But just as they started to make their way to the hot spring, the branch chief stopped them. ¡°Wait one moment. The leader of the Merchant Guild should come to apologize soon. I don¡¯t think anyone here will be satisfied until it is all settled. Will you not stay a little longer?¡± Apparently, after hearing everything from the branch chief, and that there would be special procurements, the Merchant Guild had changed their tune. Mailey looked up at Tor. ¡°What should we do?¡± ¡°You two should decide. It was you who were directly affected.¡± ¡°¡­That is true. Let us wait then.¡± Tor could tell from their expression, that they were already thinking of ways to profit off of this. CH 31 Part 2 ¨C Chapter 13: Keepsake It was evening when the messenger arrived from the Merchant Guild. They had already received an invitation to dine together during midday, and so Euphie and Mailey were fully prepared. ¡°Mr. Tor, you¡¯re not as nervous as I¡¯d expect.¡± ¡°You do realize this is an important person from the Merchant Guild who is also a Flaretalia councilman?¡± ¡°Well, since we have just humiliated them in a way¡­¡± As they had succeeded in the sealing of the dungeon, the Merchant Guild must be quite frantic. And as the one who had done it, Tor was at a distinct advantage. And while he did not want to be rude, and was careful with his appearance, he was not nervous. They then entered the magitec car that the servant had brought. As these machines used the highly pure magic stones from magitec beasts as fuel, they were incredibly expensive to maintain. The fact that it had been sent showed how serious the person they were dealing with was. However, Tor got in without a hint of surprise on his face. Not only was he used to riding in cars on earth, but he had also taken down magitec beasts numerous times and acquired the magic stones and sold them. So none of this was particularly interesting to him. The servants were the ones that were surprised by how calm he was. But then again, Euphie and Mailey were also calm. They had been the heirs of the Ubaz company, and so they had seen magitec cars used for transporting goods. And since they had the exclusive right to sell salt, they also rode the magitec cars when attending the city council. And so they entered and sat down on the leather seats as if it was the most natural thing. Then they looked at the servant and waited as if they could not understand why he did not close the door. They didn¡¯t even think about doing it themselves. That said something about their upbringing. And so the servant closed the door. The Merchant Guild had clearly sent this magitec car as a kind of preemptive attack, that would stun them. But realizing it would not be so easy, the servant began to worry about his master. Euphie inspected the quality of the seats. ¡°It¡¯s monster leather. Very smooth and soft.¡± ¡°It must be hard to maintain.¡± ¡°According to the rumors, they are developing larger magitec cars that can be used for travel.¡± ¡°Mr. Tor, I have once read in a book that you have something called camping cars back on your earth.¡± ¡°Aye, the family of one of my friends had one. I got to look inside once.¡± ¡°You must tell me more about that later. And since we have some money now, wouldn¡¯t it be nice to have one? A mobile base?¡± Euphie said, and Tor thought about it. Unless they decided to stay in Flaretalia, then they would continue to travel. And so a mobile base would indeed be useful. Tor had not liked to buy things, as he never knew when he might return to earth. But now, since the twins were there, it would not be a waste. ¡°As long as you two learn how to drive it.¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s decided. Now, our next destination is Fangaro.¡± As they talked about the journey, they soon arrived at the restaurant that was their destination. And so Tor and the twins got out of the magitec car. It had been a very comfortable ride, with minimal shaking, and so Tor was feeling quite positive about a possible purchase. When they entered the restaurant, they saw that the whole place had been reserved. Mateiko was a councilman in Flaretalia, and one of the most prominent members of the Merchant Guild. And on the surface, he greeted his guests warmly. ¡°Good evening. So, you are the people who developed the carbonated potion. It is an honor to meet you. Thank you for agreeing to meet on such short notice. Now, please take a seat.¡± Mateiko pulled out the seats for them himself. Euphie and Maily smiled politely and thanked him. Now that everyone was present, the wine was served. ¡°Let¡¯s make a toast.¡± They raised their glasses into the air, and after taking a sip, Mateiko went straight to business. ¡°I apologize for what transpired. It is with great regret that we must admit that this would not have happened had we tried to discuss it with you first. The carbonated potion is a wonderful product that saves Adventurers. And so we were selfish to panic as we did. We now realize that to you two, who developed it, as well as the Adventurer and guards, it was an act of betrayal. And so we are terribly sorry.¡± As Mateiko bowed his head, Euphie and Mailey smiled calmly. Tor felt something like a tingling on the back of his neck. It was like the sense of danger that he felt when stepping into the territory of powerful monsters or magitec beasts. He decided that it was best to not say anything, and so he kept silent. Mailey opened her mouth. ¡°We accept your apology. More than anything, it is time to clear up any misunderstandings and minimize damage on both sides. It will serve us both to help each other than to be at odds. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± ¡°I am glad to hear you say that. Of course, those who were involved will be rightfully punished. I myself mean to step down from my position as councilman, once I have submitted the bill concerning the carbonated potions.¡± Punishments were a necessary measure, and so Mateiko assumed that they would be fine with this. But Euphie¡¯s reply was a little surprising. ¡°That is good news.¡± ¡°¡­Good news?¡± Now that they were reconciled, it seemed a little odd to say that it was good that people were being punished. However, she showed no signs of having slipped her tongue. It was clear that the two were used to these kinds of places. They searched for meaning behind words. Mateiko¡¯s instincts told him. There must be a reason that they expressed themselves like this. Euphie continued to smile as she spoke. ¡°If people who can calculate are going to be dismissed, then the Adventurers Guild might hire them. For instance, as a form of atonement, they can help in the spreading of carbonated potions.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ However, will the Adventurers accept that?¡± ¡°I have heard that you have strong connections to the hot spring town, Mr. Mateiko. If you were to help in the branding of the carbonated potions, people will be grateful, and not hold a grudge.¡± It was a suggestion that would be profitable for both sides. Mateiko felt that it was worth considering, and he made calculations while drinking his wine. After waiting for some time, the twins continued. ¡°Now that the dungeon is sealed, we can expect magitec beasts to come. However, the need to hunt them is also temporary. In other words, it¡¯s merely a preparation period for building a new industrial structure.¡± Mateiko was now ready to negotiate. These twins understood what they were doing. They had the mind of a merchant, just like him. He was sure of it now. He had thought that this was merely a dinner for him to apologize, but it might be more profitable than he could have ever imagined. More than anything, he was glad that these twins were going to act as a bridge between the two guilds. Mailey then explained it in detail. ¡°We have a suggestion regarding the use of the dungeon. Production of the grapes used in the wine, while researching and growing food products that go with sparkling wine, and then selling them to the hot spring town?¡± ¡°As for that, there are already some stores that are attempting it. However, due to this incident, they did not want to receive any support from us directly.¡± ¡°The spreading of the carbonated potions will be most efficient if done at the same time as the sparkling wine. The Adventurers Guild has come to this conclusion. And so we want to use the Flaretalian Merchant Guild¡¯s distribution network.¡± After Mailey had emphasized that this was profitable for both sides, and that the Adventurers Guild was in agreement, Euphie continued. ¡°If you were to take the initiative and act, the Adventurers Guild will be able to help you. It should be easy to persuade them if both sides are cooperative.¡± Mateiko nodded after thinking about it for a moment. ¡°As a councilman of Flaretalia, I will take on that task. And as a resident, I am glad that you were worried about Flaretalia, and offered your wisdom. Thank you.¡± ¡°It benefits us as well.¡± ¡°That is true. You two will have to be rewarded. Preferably, it should be something that publically shows that we have reconciled. But since this affair was a failure on the Merchant Guild¡¯s part, Flaretalia cannot award you any medal. It will have to be something within the Merchant Guild¡¯s power. Do you have any wishes?¡± Mateiko asked. Euphie and Mailey were very silent for a moment, and then looked over to Tor. And then they smiled. ¡°We want priority purchase rights for Flaretalian sparkling wine. We will pay the full fee.¡± Mateiko had assumed that they would ask for something concerning the rights to the sparkling wine or carbonated potion, and so he was stunned for a second. ¡°¡­That is all?¡± He could not tell what they were thinking, and was confused. But Euphie and Mailey nodded. ¡°It is enough.¡± They said in unison with a satisfied smile. Mateiko could not say anything in reply. ¡ù After finishing the meal in high spirits, Tor and the twins left the restaurant. They then turned down the ride home, and decided to walk down the night streets back to their inn. Tor held the bag full of sweets that they had bought as he looked up at the starry sky. ¡°Hey, about the reward. Are you sure about that?¡± Considering the position they were in, they could have asked for much more. Euphie and Maily swung their joined hands happily and answered him. ¡°It is like a keepsake for us. And it would be sad if we could not acquire any of it.¡± ¡°We were the very first people to drink it. It had sentimental value for the three of us. And so we must ensure that we will always have access to it.¡± ¡°I doubt you¡¯ll have any trouble with getting some.¡± However, after seeing how pleased they were, he could not say any more than that. Besides, the night that the three of them tasted the sparkling wine was also a good memory for Tor. ¡°Tomorrow, we will all go to the hot spring town. And then the three of us will head to the magitec city of Fangaro!¡± ¡°If we are going to buy a magitec car, then there is one thing it should come with. A wine cooler!¡± ¡°Does everything revolve around wine for you now?¡± The three of them laughed as they took a long route back to their inn. CH 32 Part 3: Chapter 1 ¨C Reunion A well-trodden dirt path continued deep into the forest. It was quite wide. Tor estimated it to be about thirty meters. Twenty days had now passed since they left Flaretalia, where they had then stopped at different towns. As he walked down the road that led to their destination, Fangaro, Tor looked to the twins on his side. ¡°Are you two alright?¡± ¡°¡­We should rest.¡± ¡°We could go under that tree over there?¡± Mailey seemed exhausted as she asked that they rest, and so Tor chose a random tree for them to stop at. Euphie and Mailey sat under the shade of the tree and looked up at the clear blue sky with tired expressions. ¡°Traveling¡­is tiring.¡± ¡°We must buy a magitec car. We absolutely must.¡± They said as they massaged their feet. Tor chuckled. As they had been trained in self defense arts, the two had a lot more strength than your average noble ladies, but twenty days of continued travel was a lot even for them. They would have reached this point even sooner had they not stopped at towns on the way. If anything, Tor was impressed that they had held up this long. He looked at the road up ahead. There were a few people scattered around. All of the other travelers were armored. He could tell that they were C-Rank and above at the very least. This was to be expected. Tor sent magic energy into his chakrams and then glared at the forest. He could not see them. But both sides were aware of each other. Deep in the forest, gears were moving smoothly, and then something sharp and made of steel dug into the ground. Immediately after, Tor had the tip of his chakram dig into the ground and then he activated Enchant. Red thunder crackled loudly, and he blocked the metal bullet that came flying through the forest. Tor looked at the bullet on the ground and clicked his tongue. ¡°Long range attacks. Both of you, don¡¯t move.¡± The thing deep in the forest was now moving without making a sound. It hid in the bushes and prepared to fire while keeping an eye on Tor¡¯s chakrams. Thanks to the effect of the red thunder he had scattered everywhere, Tor had an idea of where the metal was. And he understood what stance the enemy was in. He took out some caltraps from his pouch, and threw them at the chakram that he held in front like a shield. Immediately after, the caltraps were blown away by the magnetic force, and they flew towards the enemy in the bushes. In order to bear the recoil of the firing, the enemy had its metal claws stuck into the ground, which caused a delay in their reaction so that they were hit directly. ¡°¡­!¡± The sound of metal screeching against metal rang, and then the enemy came rolling out from behind the bushes. ¡°A sniper-type Shell Hound.¡± Tor squinted at the thing that came rolling out. It looked like a sleek dog. But its body was covered in metal plates, and its legs were clearly steel machinery. As for the parts that had been hit by Tor¡¯s caltraps, they were leaking a thick red liquid that dripped down like blood or grease. And there was a ten inch wide barrel coming out from its neck. The barrel turned to Tor as the magitec beast moved a step back. And just as its left front leg left the ground, Tor kicked the dirt. Then the magitec beast pushed off the ground with the three other legs and jumped. The magitec beast must have assumed that as long as they were surrounded in trees, a mere human would not be able to get close to it. Right after Tor disappeared behind a tree, the magitec beast¡¯s head was severed from a blade from above, just like a guillotine. ¡°¡­Rather weak.¡± Tor retrieved his chakram. It had flown in an arch over their heads as it ambushed the magitec beast. It cut down several branches as it returned to Tor. Euphie and Mailey stuck their heads out. ¡°Is it over?¡± ¡°It is. We might as well take the magic stone as well. Come over here. I¡¯ll demonstrate.¡± And so as Euphie and Mailey rushed to him, Tor retrieved the caltraps from the magitec beast, and then removed the dark brown stone next to its heart. It was about five centimeters in length, and was hard and smooth like glass. This stone was attached to the heart through a thin metal tube. A highly pure magic stone that was the source of mobility for the magitec beast. ¡°So that¡¯s what become fuel for barriers and magitec cars.¡± ¡°It won¡¯t be fueling any barriers at this size. But it can be used for magitec cars.¡± He wiped it with a cloth and put it in his pouch. Even at this size, it could be sold for more than a gold coin. Euphie looked down at the magitec beast corpse. ¡°I have heard stories about the magitec city of Fangaro, but it really is a dangerous place.¡± ¡°A magitec beast of this size would have caused an uproar in Durande and Flaretalia.¡± Hunting Magitec beasts was one of the requirements for being promoted to a C-rank Adventurer. And even if the magitec beasts themselves could vary in strength, they were strong enough that C-rankers would only take them on after preparing in advance. A D-ranker was supposed to retreat without hesitation. And the magitec city of Fangaro was a dangerous place where such beasts roamed in large numbers. As this was an environment where it was easy to acquire magic stones with high purity, the magitec skills in Fangaro were very developed, and so Adventurers here were expected to have the ability of C-rank at the very least. And if you were B-rank and above, you would receive a subsidy for staying long term. There were also many ruins from the ancient civilization scattered around, which the magitec beasts protected. And their vicious battle against the Adventurers seemed to continue all day and night. ¡°We should hurry so that we can get a room in a Fangaro inn.¡± Tor left the other materials there, and returned to the road with the twins. Just then, they saw a figure appear on the other side of the road, in the forest. It was a thin and tall man. He had roughly cut hair that was brown and thick-framed glasses that covered eyes with deep lines underneath. A closer inspection would have shown that he was not bad-looking, and had kind eyes. But his eyebrows were currently furrowed in a paranoid glare. But what was the most striking about the man, was that he had magitec arms. They went all the way down to his knees and had the seal of a bird holding a gear in its beak, which meant he was an official Adventurer of Fangaro. With this overwhelming sense of power, the Adventurer stared at them nervously. But after frowning once, the man continued on his way down the road. However, he then stopped, as if remembering something, and looked at Tor. ¡°¡­Are you¡­Tor?¡± Tor was surprised to hear his name like this. ¡°Huh? Who the hell are you?¡± The sudden, not exactly friendly, interaction caused some of the passersby to look at them nervously. However, the man stopped scowling here and laughed. ¡°So it is you! Has it been eight years? You haven¡¯t changed at all. It¡¯s me.¡± ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t know you at all.¡± If it was eight years ago, then it would be when Tor was C-Rank, but he did not remember such a person from that time. The man chuckled and then explained. ¡°It¡¯s Rokuk. We registered as Adventurers in the same place on the same day, and even did the training quests together. Well, we barely talked after that, so it¡¯s no surprise that you¡¯d forget.¡± ¡°¡­Ah, I remember now! You got in trouble with our instructor, because on the night of our training, you left to make some mushroom soup for yourself and got sick.¡± ¡°Surely you have a better memory than that!¡± Rokuk laughed as his eyes turned to the twins. ¡°Uh, are you escorting them?¡± ¡°No, we¡¯re friends.¡± ¡°F-friends? Really? You have certainly changed. So, you¡¯re going to Fangaro, yes? I¡¯ll guide you there.¡± Rokuk said with a smile, and then he started walking again. Euphie and Mailey looked up at Tor. ¡°What should we do?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never been there either, so we might as well accept his offer.¡± CH 33 Part 3 ¨C Chapter 2: A Well-ripened Quest Apparently, Rokuk was famous in Fangaro. Passersby and shopkeepers who saw him walking with the trio looked on in surprise. And while none of them said anything to him, the expressions on their faces were both of fear and respect. ¡°I¡¯m an Adventurer that is officially and directly supported by Fangaro.¡± ¡°You really made it in life then. Congratulations.¡± Tor commended him as he glanced at Rokuk¡¯s giant magitec arm. If he was officially backed by Fangaro, then without a doubt, his prey would be magitec beasts. Not only that, but the requests that came to him would be for especially dangerous ones. ¡°A-Rank?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m solo just like you, Tor. And so it¡¯s B. And I don¡¯t rank in the hierarchy either.¡± ¡°Surely Fangaro would introduce you to a party if you wanted. Did you reject them?¡± ¡°I have my reasons. But thanks to this arm, I have an easy enough time even while solo.¡± Rokuk said as he raised the magitec arm. Euphie looked up at him. ¡°That is a very big magitec arm. It almost seems too big for someone to be able to move it with their own magic energy.¡± After the incident with Magic Centipede, Euphie had some knowledge about magitec arms. And so Rokuk patted his arm and explained. ¡°You¡¯re right about that. This is a new battle-type magitec arm, called an over parts. It was developed about five years ago. There¡¯s this technique where they can transplant metal parts and highly pure magic stones from large magitec beasts, into humans. And due to using magic stones of such high purity, they are able to output much more energy than most magitec arms. And they also have little gimmicks that come from the magitec beast.¡± Rokuk scratched his cheek awkwardly. But thanks to the over parts, he did not feel too much regret over it. ¡°After getting the magitec arm in Fangaro and working, I became B-Rank five years ago. And so they asked if I wanted to try on their new prototype. And so I¡¯ve been using it ever since. I¡¯m the original user.¡± ¡°Huh. If that¡¯s the case, you must know a skilled magitec master?¡± The reason that they had come to Fangaro was to purchase a magitec car. And so it would be great if they could talk to someone who could give them advice on maintenance. Rokuk had a few candidates which he relayed to Tor. ¡°There are three that the guild will recommend. Also, if you go to the magitec guild, they will also introduce you to someone who fits your requirements. Also, there is someone I wouldn¡¯t recommend, in spite of their skill, but¡­ Ah, here we are. I have some work to do here, so just wait a moment. You have to make a report here anyway, don¡¯t you, Tor?¡± ¡°Aye. We can meet up later.¡± And so they entered the Adventurers Guild building and Rokuk ran up to the second floor. That was where the manager¡¯s office was. Euphie and Mailey scanned the floor until they found the reception desk. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Mr. Tor.¡± ¡°Should we sell the magic stones? Or should we save them for fuel for the magitec car?¡± Mailey asked as she took out the magic stones. After thinking it over¡­. ¡°We¡¯ll sell them to pay for our inn.¡± Tor had determined that they could easily acquire this amount of magic stones later, and so he told the twins to convert them into money. ¡°Mr. Tor, do you have a minute?¡± ¡°The guild wants to know about the magictec beast that appeared. The type and location.¡± ¡°Just give me a minute, I¡¯m almost finished with this.¡± He submitted the form and turned to look at the guild worker, who had a question sheet. The guild worker bowed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to disturb you. But I heard that you encountered a magitec beast on the town road. What location was it exactly?¡± ¡°Do you have a map?¡± Tor looked at the map and pointed at the area. The guild worker wrote something down and continued to question him. ¡°And what kind of magitec beast was it?¡± ¡°A sniper-type Shell Hound. It was alone.¡± ¡°A sniper-type. That might be bad.¡± Muttered the guild worker. Euphie and Mailey opened their mouths at the same time. ¡°Is this an unusual occurrence?¡± ¡°Well, uh, no, quite the opposite. It happens during this season. Some might even consider it a bonus.¡± The guild worker did not look too worried, much to the confusion of the twins. From the perspective of material distribution, having monsters and magitec beasts appear on the roads was a serious problem. Not only that, but due to the magitec beasts, the areas around Fangaro could not produce their own food, and so they relied on it being imported from outside. If the roads were blocked, then the people would starve. And even if Fangaro had a lot of high-ranking Adventurers working for it, it was not a situation they should take lightly. Still, the guild worker chuckled. ¡°Near the ruins, there are facilities that seem to be manufacturing the magitec beasts. We send Adventurers there to destroy them, but the magitec beasts repair them eventually. And once they are finished, the magitec beasts increase and appear on the roads again. And so the Adventurers must be sent out. And the cycle repeats.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t destroy them permanently?¡± ¡°We cannot. When Fangaro was first founded, many Adventurers were hired in order to hunt down all of the magitec beasts and destroy the facilities. However, magitec beasts would just come from other lands and repair them.¡± It was just how things were. And so the guild worker talked about it as if it was some natural phenomenon. It must really be normal for the Fangaro people. However, as the twins did not know much about magitec beasts, they could not understand the feeling. Once the questioning was finished, Tor was asked to sign his name. ¡°By the way, what is your purpose for coming to Fangaro?¡± Mailey answered the guild worker. ¡°We want to buy a magitec car. Do you know of a good place?¡± ¡°A magitec car? There are stores that sell them to the east, but as they are expensive, there are not many available. You will probably have to tell them what you want and buy option parts. In any case, I think it is best that you go there in person.¡± They thanked the guild worker for this kind answer, and then Rokuk returned from the second floor. The guild worker must have become nervous after seeing Rokuku, as his back suddenly straightened. ¡°Is something the matter, Sir Rokuku?¡± Rokuk looked slightly troubled by the gaze of complete respect that he got from the guild worker. He then glanced at the quest board and then turned to Tor as if to escape. ¡°About the skilled magitec master. There is someone who I wouldn¡¯t recommend, in spite of their skill. Look at the quest board.¡± Rokuk said as he pulled Tor by the arm. He then pointed at one of the requests. Upon seeing it, the eyes of the twins seemed to shine as they looked up at Tor. ¡°This one looks very interesting!¡± ¡°You may say that, but¡­¡± Tor was puzzled as to why a request like this was even on the quest board in the Adventurers Guild. He looked over to Rokuk, but he just shrugged. ¡°While they are probably the best magitec master in Fangaro, they will not even talk to you unless you accept this. Apparently, they hate people and are as stubborn as a golem.¡± If Rokuku, who fought at the frontlines with a magitec arm said so, then it must be true. This is what the request sheet said. ¡®Requesting information on a certain metal lost item. Aluminum.¡¯ It was written in English. CH 34 Part 3 ¨C Chapter 3: Magitec Car Dealer After deciding to go and see some magitec cars, which was their purpose for coming to Fangaro, they headed to the east side of the city, following Rokuk¡¯s guidance. ¡°It feels different from other towns.¡± Mailey and Euphie muttered as they looked at all of the rare things on each side of them. As they could share their thoughts, they could assign roles, and observe their surroundings without having to turn their heads from left to right. Aside from the magitec lamp posts, which existed in other towns, there were cleaning machines made for the city, as well as accounting machines used in stores. Fangaro seemed like it was a hundred years ahead of other places. ¡°It has a very magic punk feel, doesn¡¯t it?¡± While magitec beasts were animal-type cyborgs, and had that strange magic punk vibe, this world was still well within the norms of a fantasy world in Tor¡¯s mind. However, Fangaro¡¯s city felt almost modern. Only, they used magic energy instead of electricity. There were plenty of things that they did not even recognize, and it was quite fun to just look around. Rokuk watched their awe with amusement and then pointed at the sky. ¡°Apparently, they are now developing vehicles that can fly in the sky. They are based on the flying magitec beasts. They just need a light alloy metal from a certain type of magitec beast. Only, they are having trouble getting samples, as they are difficult to hunt.¡± ¡°A flying vehicle?¡± ¡°I would like to ride such a thing.¡± Euphie and Mailey looked up at the sky longingly. After some time, they eventually arrived at the store that sold magitec cars. As soon as they saw Rokuk, the employee went to the back to call the manager. The manager rushed out and called to Rokuk with a big smile. ¡°Mister Rokuk. So you have finally assembled a clan? Will the members include Janz and the others?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not here to make a purchase. But an old friend is interested.¡± Rokuk then glanced over to Tor, and the manager inspected him up and down. ¡°You don¡¯t seem to have any¡­over parts.¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m traveling with those twins over there. And we would like to have a look at some large magitec cars.¡± ¡°Certainly. Come this way.¡± The manager went through the door in the back, and they came out into a parking lot. ¡°Mr. Rokuk. I hate to sound meddlesome, but why do you now form a clam? I worry about you, working out there alone.¡± ¡°There is no reason for you to worry. Really, why does everyone always¡­¡± Rokuk touched his temples as if he had a headache. Mailey looked puzzled. ¡°Is it really so much easier to fight alone?¡± Rokuk¡¯s eyes shifted from side to side as if he were searching for the right words. ¡°There is that¡­ But once you form a clan, you have the responsibility of looking after its members. And then I will no longer be able to go out to the frontlines. Over parts are combat magitec, so it completely defeats the purpose.¡± ¡°Well, surely earning a living safely is preferable. Or are boys just that obsessed with fighting?¡± ¡°¡­Tor. I haven¡¯t been treated as a boy in a while.¡± ¡°It¡¯s hilarious. Don¡¯t worry, boy. Be ambitious.¡± ¡°Shut up. You aren¡¯t much older than me, and are constantly fighting as well. Yes, rank 17th, combat freak.¡± ¡°Oh, unlike a strapping young lad like yourself, those days are far behind me.¡± ¡°You sound confident. Step outside. I¡¯ll show you a real fight to jog your memory!¡± ¡°Oh? Feeling ambitious already?¡± ¡°You¡¯re all talk.¡± Euphie and Mailey shook their heads as the two squabbled. ¡°How childish.¡± The manager looked at Rokuk and Tor with some surprise. ¡°Mr. Rokuk is usually so indifferent.¡± ¡°Indifferent?¡± Tor asked, as Rokuk held him in a headlock. It wasn¡¯t that Tor and Rokuk were especially good friends. Before coming to Fangaro, they barely talked outside of greeting each other. And considering how they were now unleashing wrestling moves on each other, the idea that Rokuk was usually so curt was hard to believe. ¡°Uh, it is awkward to say this right in front of him, but¡­ He was a lot more friendly to others about five years ago. But recently, he has seemed very tense. And I thought, if he is feeling so much stress, then one would hope that he would go out and make some friends. You see, Mr. Rokuk is very famous in Fangaro, and so we¡¯re all worried about him.¡± Tor looked at Rokuk. Rokuk looked away, embarrassed. His mouth remained closed. ¡°What? Do you have the tsundere attribute, Rokuk?¡± ¡°¡­What is that?¡± Rokuk asked, not knowing the meaning of the word. And that was when Euphie and Mailey interrupted them. ¡°That is a good question!¡± Upon hearing this explanation, the manager nodded, as if this connected all of the dots. ¡°In other words, he¡¯s hiding his embarrassment.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it!¡± ¡°See?¡± ¡°Tor. I won¡¯t forgive you for this!¡± They laughed at the glaring Rokuk, as they entered the parking lot in the back. While they had been imagining a wild field, what they actually saw was a parking lot that had one floor below ground and two floors above. It was surrounded by walls, with the underground floor being for large vehicles, the first floor being for regular vehicles, and the second floor being for small, one passenger vehicles. ¡°Through the stairs over here. There is another building for option parts, so you can look at them later.¡± And so they went down the stairs to the underground floor. While there had been a magitec elevator, it was apparently only used for moving the magitec cars. There were a number of large cars being displayed underground. Some were very round in design, while others had sharp angles. Some had separate carriers, while others were combined. There was a lot of variation. ¡°Now, please take your time¡­¡± CH 35 Part 3: Chapter 4 ¨C Magitec Master Coen ¡°They only sold the outside parts.¡± Mailey muttered with disappointment as they left the store. Rokuk shrugged his shoulders. ¡°That¡¯s because the interior is to be customized. That way, they can be fitted to suit different needs, including transportation of passengers or supplies, or being used as a base for Adventurer clans.¡± They were not very widespread just yet, and so it was easier to sell by adding the interior once the customer had a clear concept of what they wanted. And so in the end, the store only sold an outer shell that did not even have seats inside. Still, Tor thought that it had been worth looking into. ¡°There really were a lot of different types. I thought that there wouldn¡¯t be many types that could be used as a mobile base, but there were over twenty of them.¡± ¡°He did say that clans were his main customers. If you bought several of them and lined them up, you could make a temporary defense wall.¡± ¡°They must be very durable then. Still, what should we do?¡± While they had also taken a look at the interior parts, in terms of fuel efficiency, design and size, none of them were what the twins were looking for. And even though they had the funds to order special parts, all of the skilled magitec masters were currently busy. Apparently, this was because they were producing and maintaining over-parts. ¡°We simply must have a wine cooler.¡± ¡°And a suspension so that it does not shake too much.¡± ¡°Perhaps we should at least do the design?¡± ¡°Though, since we are not professionals, we will have to have a magitec master look over it.¡± ¡°Then we must find one first. Rokuk, is it this way?¡± Tor pointed down the street. It was a wide street, with rows of workshops on each side. It could be called a crafters street. And in the far back, was the storage house for discarded materials that they were looking for. ¡°Yes. She lives there in order to avoid people. But are you really going to accept that request? I could not even read what was written.¡± ¡°Because it is the language of lost items.¡± ¡°And how is it that you three are able to read it? Well, nevermind. Just go straight down this road and you will see it. As I¡¯ve been called by a Fangaro councilor, I must leave you here.¡± Rokuk stopped at the crossroad and waved a hand at them. ¡°Thank you for guiding us this far. It was a great help.¡± ¡°Aye. We have not talked enough, so why not have a drink tonight? We can talk about things that no lady could listen to!¡± ¡°Somehow, I think it is you who will be doing all of the talking.¡± ¡°What? So you have no interesting stories? How boring. Well, I¡¯ll meet you at the inn later.¡± Rokuk high-fived Tor and then turned the corner and went on his way. The twins chuckled. ¡°He is a very cheerful and nice man.¡± Euphie said to Tor. At the same time, Mailey looked up at Tor with a sweet expression. ¡°I hope you will bring back a souvenir.¡± ¡°If I remember.¡± ¡°I will be very sulky if you forget!¡± ¡°I will be very envious if you forget!¡± Euphie and Mailey said as they took his arms on both sides. ¡®Yes, yes.¡¯ Tor replied as they continued to walk. ¡°Still, there is something strange about it. About Rokuk.¡± ¡°Strange?¡± ¡°Is it, that you were not actually acquainted?¡± ¡°No, I have met him before. But unlike the last time, there is something about the way he laughs now that does not seem sincere. Of course, it was a long time ago, when we had just started to be Adventurers. Eight years ago.¡± While they were memories of his teenage years, it had been a time when he was desperately trying to survive in a world where he knew nothing. And while he had met many people, he was not able to remember all the faces and names. Euphie nodded as she held his arm. ¡°You have certainly aged.¡± ¡°I am still seen as more of an older brother.¡± He glared at her. Euphie turned away with a little embarrassment and muttered. ¡°Older brother Tor?¡± ¡°What, sister Euphie?¡± ¡°Hmm. That does not work at all.¡± ¡°Which one.¡± ¡°Calling you older brother.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ll get sulky if you start calling me ¡®old man.¡¯¡± ¡°You are not that old yet. Besides, you look younger than most people your age.¡± They talked aimlessly like that until they reached a building that was both a residence and workshop. There was a large yard in the front, and a great building to store materials. This was magitec master Coen¡¯s house. In spite of her reputation of being a recluse, Mailey rang the doorbell without any hesitation. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. We came after seeing the request at the Adventurers Guild. Can you talk to us about aluminum?¡± She said, and then a window opened from the side of the workshop. And the face that peered out, belonged to a woman in her mid-twenties. She had short brown hair and wore a bandana. She was rather underdressed in rough clothing as she leaned out of the window and glared at them sharply. ¡°¡­Do you know how to refine it?¡± She asked, without even a proper greeting. So, this was Magitec Master Coen then. The woman had a low but pleasant-sounding voice. Mailey raised her index finger and waved it. ¡°Electrorefining is the most common method.¡± Euphie then whispered to Tor. ¡°Please use Enchant.¡± For a second, Tor wasn¡¯t sure why she was asking this, but then he realized that she wanted it as a source of electric power, and so he unsheathed his short sword and activated the Enchant. Upon seeing the red electricity crackle around the blade, Coen nodded. ¡°You do seem to have knowledge. There is an entrance in the back. You can come into the workshop directly from there.¡± Coen said, and then shut the window. Tor deactivated the Enchant and sheathed his sword. Then he went with the twins to the entrance behind the workshop. There was a metal door that was opened and led inside. When they looked in, they saw a workshop that was about seven meters wide and ten meters long, and Coen was sitting on a round chair in the back. ¡°Come in. Sit where you like.¡± Coen leaned on her elbow over the desk with a bored expression. After Tor and the twins sat down, she then opened a drawer and took out some reddish brown ore. ¡°Do you know what this is?¡± ¡°Considering what we were talking about¡­I think it is bauxite.¡± Mailey replied, and then Coen put the bauxite on the desk and picked up a pen and paper. ¡°As it cannot be refined, I don¡¯t know if it actually is bauxite. You, with the black hair. What is your name?¡± ¡°Tor.¡± ¡°Mr. Tor. Can it be refined?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t say anything without trying. In fact, I don¡¯t understand the principles.¡± He admitted, allowing Euphie and Mailey to take over. Coen then turned to Mailey, who had been looking around at the workshop. ¡°Do you have any concentrated sodium hydroxide solution? For now, I want to extract the aluminum oxide from the bauxite.¡± ¡°There should be some at the alchemist workshop. I will order some for you. Is there anything else that you need?¡± ¡°If I am to acquire aluminum by itself, then I would want cryolite as well. But I doubt they have any, so we might have to ask for fluorite from the iron mill.¡± ¡°We have some cryolite. We bought it once, when it had entered the market after a magitec beast facility was destroyed.¡± ¡°You have a good eye. Also¡­¡± Tor ignored the unfamiliar names that kept coming as the twins and Coen talked. Instead, he looked around the workshop. He had never been in a magitec master¡¯s workshop before, but he had an idea of what these things were. In order to decrease the number of Adventurer deaths, Golems had been studied for a very long time. However, even now, there was still not a single Golem that could be considered to be a finished work. While Golem with complex movement, capable of battle, had been developed by the skills of the ancient civilization, none were considered to be practical. As Golems were incredibly heavy, they consumed a lot of magic energy just to move, which meant that magic stones of high purity were required. Not only that, but for some reason, after enough time had passed, they would start attacking both humans and monsters without differentiating them. Ultimately, development of Golems was currently under fire, and more focus was put on the development of Magitec arms in order to enhance Adventurers. ¡°¡­Mr. Tor. How long can you continue to activate your Enchant?¡± She asked, and Tor answered. ¡°It depends on my condition, as well as the output. But I would say for around one day.¡± ¡°In that case, the necessary output is the key.¡± ¡°And we will have to build an electric furnace as well.¡± ¡°Before we go too far, there is something that I would like to ask you, Ms. Coen. What do you intend on doing with the aluminum?¡± As the twins continued to move along, Tor had a question. She had been writing the necessary materials on a sheet of paper, and her hand did not stop as she replied. ¡°I¡¯m going to make a Golem.¡± ¡°I thought so. In that case, it will be no use using my magic energy for electrorefining.¡± Coen stopped and looked at Tor suspiciously. But then the twins both put their hands together with realization. ¡°Because if you use your magic energy for refining, it will become part of the metal, and will reject other kinds of magic energy¡­?¡± ¡°Exactly. If you want to make a Golem move, then you will need highly pure magic stones. But if my magic energy is in the aluminum, then it will become even less efficient. At worst, it might not move at all.¡± ¡°I had not thought about that when considering Enchants¡­ In any case, the concentrated sodium hydroxide solution can be prepared right away. After all, I want to know if this ore really is bauxite. Also, is there any other refining method then?¡± Coen asked, and the twins looked at each other. They thought about it with serious expressions, and then Mailey finally opened her mouth. ¡°There is no documentation, and it is not a common method, but it should not be impossible. Though, it is a very old method from the Napoleonic age, and is quite inefficient.¡± CH 36 Part 3 ¨C Chapter 5: Ruin Investigation Invitation ¡°So, you really went and accepted that quest after all.¡± In a bar frequented by Adventurers, Rokuk¡¯s eyes widened in genuine surprise as he listened to Tor. Having Adventurers who are regulars usually means a rowdy place. But the Adventurers in Fangaro were generally above C-rank, which was when you were considered fully-fledged, and so it was relatively calm. Besides, Fangaro¡¯s top Adventurer, Rokuk, and Tor were talking together. This attracted much interest, but there were none who would try to eavesdrop. The customers here were much better behaved than most Adventurers. Rokuk was slowly sipping a mild white wine. Apparently, he was here to enjoy conversation, and not to get drunk. ¡°That quest had been on the board for over a year. No one could read what it said. I even dragged a scholar to it once, but he couldn¡¯t make sense of it. So I¡¯m glad someone is cleaning that up, but are you sure about this?¡± It was a sensible question. Tor¡¯s mind went to the twins, who should be in Coen¡¯s workshop. ¡°I was just as surprised. But they say that they can do it.¡± ¡°In the first place. Uh, aluminum? What is that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a metal. It weighs half as much as iron and is difficult to refine.¡± Back when he was on earth, it was a metal that existed in every household. Tor thought about aluminum foil as he thought of a certain white powder that was common in this world. ¡°You know alum?¡± ¡°The stuff that is used for tanning and eye drops?¡± Rokuk looked confused as to why Tor was talking about that. ¡°It contains aluminum.¡± ¡°¡­Indeed? So it¡¯s a metal?¡± ¡°To be precise, it is a metallic compound.¡± Alum was hydrated aluminum sulfate. Rokuk let out an impressed sigh. ¡°So, you¡¯re going to extract this aluminum stuff from it? But in Fangaro, there is a monopoly on alum. Not only that, but only those in the monster skin trade can purchase it. I don¡¯t know how much can be extracted, but will you be able to acquire enough?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just telling you that alum contains some of it, not that we are going to extract it. Of course, there are still other problems. But the twins will surely figure it out.¡± ¡°You really trust them then. Tor, the famous solo B-ranker.¡± He chuckled as Rokuk grinned at him. ¡°It¡¯s not that. Well, no. I do trust them.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be shy. Still, it¡¯s now been nine years since we became Adventurers. Things really do change.¡± Rokuk muttered nostalgically as he stabbed an olive with a toothpick. His movements were so natural that you might forget he was using a magitec arm. ¡°Did you know? I was rather frantic when I heard that you were numbered on the ranking, when we had registered at the same time.¡± ¡°Frantic?¡± ¡°Well, you wouldn¡¯t understand. The young have their pride. We don¡¯t want to lose.¡± ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t understand that.¡± ¡°Damn you.¡± Rokuk said with a laugh. ¡°Still, when I look back at myself at that time, I didn¡¯t have much besides youth. I didn¡¯t realize it until I lost my arm. That your life is more important than achievements.¡± ¡°That I understand.¡± ¡°Adventurers would, eh? Though it¡¯s something that I can laugh at now.¡± Rokuk laughed, but then he suddenly narrowed his brows. Tor looked at him questioningly, and Rokuk took a moment to gather his thoughts. ¡°Hey, Tor. What do you think about accepting a quest together?¡± ¡°That came out of nowhere.¡± Tor thanked the waitress, who had removed his plate after he had cleaned it of a cheese omelet, and then he turned towards Rokuk. ¡°The details?¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re enthusiastic. There is a ruin of the old civilization near Fangaro. I want to destroy the magitec beast nest there.¡± This magitec beast nest was a production facility that was in the center of an old ruin, southwest of Fangaro. Tor recalled the words of the guild worker as he had made the report about the sniper-type Shell Hound. ¡°Why not? Still, if it is a magitec beast next, how will you deal with their ability to learn?¡± When magitec beasts gathered in herds, they shared combat data in order to be more efficient. A small amount of combat data would not make much of a difference, but when it added up, the effects could not be ignored. ¡°A number of capable Adventurers will be participating. And we intend to hit the facilities hard and at once, before they can gather much data. So there is no worry about them learning.¡± Tor had actually been rather excited when he heard them talking about refining and electricity. However, it was just to make a golem, and there was no need for his help. Though, Euphie did say that they might need his Enchant. However, Red Thunder was unique to Tor, and no one else could copy it. Because of this, they thought it would be better to not rely on it, if they wanted to continue to produce aluminum. ¡°Well, it was accepted in my name, so I¡¯ll probably have to stick around and watch a little longer. But you need time to prepare, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°As the guild will have to investigate it first, it will take at least three days, I think. Will the twins come too?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. It depends on how things go with the aluminum.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll make it so they can be added later. I¡¯m also talking to several other B-rankers. So, we will meet three days from now, in the guild in the afternoon.¡± ¡°Fine. Iron Arms, was it? I look forward to seeing you in action.¡± Tor said Rokuk¡¯s nickname as he patted him on the arm. Rokuk chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t get your hopes up too high.¡± He said self-deprecatingly. Tor raised his eyebrows but Rokuk just shrugged. ¡°Right now, Fangaro legislators are eager about the spread of over parts. This city has always given a lot of power to magitec masters, so the bill will likely be passed. However, I am against it. That¡¯s one of the reasons I was summoned.¡± ¡°But why are you? I hope it¡¯s not some ridiculous reason, like not wanting more business rivals?¡± It was the same reason that Tor was not much help when it came to the aluminum request. Tor took a sip of his drink and then realized the fatal flaw with over parts. ¡°So over parts have usage limitations?¡± ¡°Exactly. Once the magic energy is drained from the stone, the over parts cannot be used. Though, it is said that an individual will not be able to deplete one during their whole lifetime. And I¡¯ve used mine for over five years now.¡± Rokuk had a conflicted expression as he admitted that he felt emotionally attached to it as well. ¡°But the maintenance fees are insane. Not only that, but there are only so many skilled magitec masters around. You won¡¯t see them anywhere if you leave Fangaro. In other words, if you have an over parts installed, then you will have no choice but to stay and work in Fangaro.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ So that¡¯s why you¡¯re against it.¡± Tor had to agree with him now. As he had just come from Flaretalia, after sealing a dungeon where Adventurers had gathered. ¡°How many over parts users are there currently?¡± ¡°Fifteen, including me. We¡¯re all B-rank.¡± ¡°Well, it is quite useful.¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t recommend it. A slovenly person like me is better off with real arms that don¡¯t require regular maintenance.¡± Rokuk said jokingly as he drained the rest of his wine. CH 37 Part 3: Chapter 6 ¨C It Is Not Possible While Tor was drinking with Rokuk at the bar, Euphie and Mailey were in Magitec Master Coen¡¯s workshop. As she gazed up at the setting sun, Mailey mused on how fortunate it was that they were currently in the magitec city of Fangaro. Fangaro was a city that didn¡¯t sleep. Magitec lamps illuminated the streets, and guards patrolled the area for every hour of the day, in case the magitec beasts attacked. And now, they were in the workshop of the famed Magitec Master. ¡°So, how will you acquire the aluminum?¡± Coen asked them, her notebook in one hand. Euphie got to her feet and began to line up the tools they would need. (It¡¯s a good thing that there is a furnace in order to cast the Golem parts.) (Euphie, is there a retort?) Mailey¡¯s thought went flying. A retort was an instrument for distillation, in which an experimental sample is placed in a sphere and heated, and the sample, which has become steam, is cooled through a beak shaped tube at the top of the sphere to extract the liquefied substance. Euphie searched the shelves and took out an iron retort. (I have secured one) (Sodium carbonate) (That as well) (Charcoal) While Euphie gathered the ingredients, Mailey started to explain to Coen. ¡°What we were considering when Mr. Tor was here was the Hall-Heroult process. It is the most popular method of refining aluminum on the Earth world. Before it was introduced, aluminum was a more expensive metal than gold.¡± As Mailey explained, aluminum had been a very expensive metal. Aluminum, whose usefulness had been noticed by Napoleon III, has a very strong connection with oxygen. It is also this aluminum oxide that is contained in bauxite, and its melting point is 2,000 degrees. Electrolytic refining was also difficult until the invention of the Hall-Heroult process, which uses cryolite to lower the temperature to 1,000 degrees. So, how was aluminum obtained before the Hall-Heroult process? As Mailey raised her index finger, Yuffie, who had finished preparing for the experiment, eagerly opened her mouth. ¡°First.¡± ¡°If aluminum doesn¡¯t melt, let¡¯s reduce it by electrolytically refining sodium.¡± ¡°Second.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just acquire sodium without using electricity¡± ¡°¡­I see that you two have rather amusing personalities.¡± While she looked a little exasperated, Coen questioned them with a smile. ¡°Was it possible to electrolytically refine sodium?¡± ¡°The difficulty of the electrolytic refining of aluminum lies in its high melting point. In contrast, sodium has a low melting point. If you dissolve salt, electrorefining is possible.¡± And then Mailey continued. ¡°Do you know about ionization tendency?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the ease of oxidation, isn¡¯t it?¡± As she was searching for aluminum, Coen had knowledge of lost items. It seemed that she was able to follow the twins¡¯ talk of science to some extent. Mailey, who was having some fun, as she was now able to talk with someone who understood her other than Tor, nodded repeatedly. ¡°That¡¯s right. And sodium has a greater ionization tendency than aluminum. In other words, aluminum can be reduced.¡± ¡°I understand what you mean.¡± Coen wrote down the main points in her notebook and then opened her mouth. ¡°If that Tor fellow can electrolytically refine sodium, there¡¯s a high possibility that the aluminum reduced with it won¡¯t be imbued with magic energy.¡± Coen laughed faintly, probably because she was happy that her troubles may be at an end. However, the twins partially denied Coen¡¯s idea. ¡°As you say, you can get standalone aluminum that¡¯s not imbued with magic energy.¡± ¡°However, Mr. Tor is essential for electrolytic refining.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re thinking about the future, you should acquire sodium without relying on Mr. Tor.¡± When Coen tried to offer this solution, Yuffie and Mailey interrupted her in unison. ¡°We will not give Mr. Tor to you.¡± ¡°¡­Of course.¡± With a wry smile, Coen withdrew her proposal. ¡°So, what are the specific steps?¡± When Coen returned to the main subject, Yuffie placed the iron retort in front of her. ¡°I¡¯m going to distill sodium carbonate and charcoal powder with this.¡± ¡°French scientists acquired sodium in this way.¡± Yuffie put a mixture of kelp ash and charcoal into the retort, and pressed it into Coen¡¯s hands. ¡°We can acquire sodium for reduction with this. The real problem is the aluminum.¡± ¡°But there¡¯s aluminum oxide?¡± So saying, Coen looked at the bauxite, but Mailey shook her head. ¡°What we¡¯ll use is aluminum chloride. But it is rather difficult.¡± ¡°The procedure involves dissolving bauxite with concentrated sodium hydroxide to obtain aluminum hydroxide, and then washing it with water.¡± Concentrated sodium hydroxide ordered from the alchemist¡¯s workshop had been delivered to the workshop earlier. Mailely continued her explanation while arranging bauxite and concentrated sodium hydroxide on the desk. ¡°With the Bayer process, aluminum hydroxide is heated to 1,200 degrees to obtain aluminum oxide. But I want aluminum chloride this time, so I¡¯m going to dissolve it with hydrochloric acid.¡± She explained and then glanced over to the furnace. If the electrolytic refining of aluminum was carried out by Tor, they would heat the aluminum hydroxide in a furnace until it became aluminum oxide. Mailey turned her eyes back from the furnace to Cohen. ¡°We will dissolve the aluminum hydroxide in hydrochloric acid and heat it in order to concentrate it.¡± ¡°What is produced by this method is aluminum chloride hexahydrate. However, since it is sensitive to heat, the hydrogen chloride escapes, and there are cases where hydroxyl groups cannot be removed and remain.¡± ¡°So, in order to make aluminum chloride, I want to slowly lower the temperature, and if possible, reduce the pressure so that the hydrogen chloride does not escape.¡± She stopped once here, and waited for Cohen to write it down in her notebook. Then she continued. ¡°The obtained aluminum chloride hexahydrate will be heated to remove moisture, and we¡¯ll obtain the aluminum chloride.¡± ¡°It also reacts to moisture in the air, so be careful when heating.¡± ¡°The sodium will react with the obtained aluminum chloride to reduce it, and we¡¯ll obtain sodium chloride and aluminum.¡± ¡°These are the steps.¡± After the explanation was finished, Yuffie and Mailey reached for the arranged instruments and reagents, and smiled. ¡°You will likely fail a lot, but then you¡¯ll succeed one day. I¡¯m sure of it.¡± CH 38 Chapter 7 ¨C Two Gifts ¡°Hey, I came to pick you up. ¡­What the hell is this?¡± Night. Tor had gone to the workshop after parting ways with Rokuk, and was quite puzzled to find the three looking completely exhausted mentally. Unfamiliar iron instruments, beakers of white and yellow powders, glass bottles with ¡®waste liquid¡¯ labels that were filled with something resembling red mud. Mailey raised a tired-looking face at him. ¡°Mr. Tor¡­ Please help us¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never heard you sound so desperate.¡± Euphie also looked drained as she got to her feet and grabbed onto Tor with her sister. As for Coen, she was looking at Tor like a ravenous beast looking at its prey. ¡°Mr. Tor, would you consider being employed here for the rest of your life?¡± ¡°Wait, what is going on here? What happened? Were you not able to make the aluminum?¡± He passed out some of the cake he had bought as a gift at the bar. Apparently, the three had not even had dinner yet, and they looked at Tor with shining eyes. ¡°Mr. Tor, God of Thunder! Lend us your power!¡± ¡°Enough of that now. Just tell me what happened.¡± He insisted as Mailey and Euphie put their hands together. And so Mailey picked up the beaker of yellow powder and began to explain. ¡°It was fine up until the moment that the sodium for reduction was prepared in an attempt to obtain the aluminum. But the material we needed, the aluminum chloride, could not be obtained. The only thing that formed was aluminum compounds that are difficult to dissolve in water, and that we don¡¯t know very well. And so we are stuck.¡± ¡°Ah, um. I see. Well, I don¡¯t really¡­¡± Tor only had a junior highschool level knowledge of chemistry, and so while he recognized the names of substances, he did not understand what had happened. Regardless, the point was that they had failed in their attempt. As for Tor, he decided that he best change the subject, as he also had something to tell them. ¡°By the way, I have some good news for the three of you.¡± ¡°Good news?¡± ¡°They are going to storm another magitec beast nest. And Rokuk asked me to join them. I agreed. However, since I didn¡¯t want to go without any prior information, I looked through the records at the guild.¡± Tor then showed them a copy of the records. There was a list of rewards you would acquire, which included various metals and ores. ¡°Ms. Coen. The last time you acquired cryolite, it was because it entered the market after a magitect beast nest raid, wasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°It was. It was an exciting time, as all kinds of things were flowing in.¡± ¡°That made me curious, and so I started looking at the old records. And then I found this. It¡¯s a record from the early days of Fangaro, of an operation to completely destroy a magitec beast nest. ¡®¡­Discovered a silver that does not react to mercury. Cotton-like fibers extend when scratched.¡¯¡± Euphie and Mailey stopped eating their cake and looked at Tor. ¡°It¡¯s aluminum!¡± ¡°I thought it sounded familiar. I suppose it really is a record of aluminum then.¡± Aluminum reacts with air to form an oxide film, and the surface becomes aluminum oxide. Aluminum oxide does not react with mercury and is stable. However, when the surface is damaged and the aluminum inside is exposed, it reacts with mercury, but it immediately becomes aluminum oxide. Aluminum oxide formed in this way will stretch like a tower over the mercury in a fibrous form. Tor had been going off of a picture he had seen in a textbook in the twins¡¯ room back at the Ubaz Company, but it seemed like he had been right. The twins applauded him. ¡°Mr. Tor, you have done it!¡± ¡°Thank you. Apparently, it¡¯s a metal used in the flying-type magitec beasts that are categorized as scouts. But flying magitec beasts are hard to kill, so the metal rarely enters the market.¡± Tor suggested that this was the reason that hardly anyone knew about aluminum. Coen smiled at this. ¡°So if you participated in this operation, you may be able to acquire some aluminum.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Regardless, I have decided to participate. And I will try to bring back some aluminum. But how much do you need?¡± ¡°I will go too. Because we¡¯ll be able to carry more if there is a Golem with us.¡± Tor looked at Coen with surprise. She was a Magtiec Master. Surely she was not able to fight. And ordinary monsters were one thing, but these were magitec beasts. She would just get in the way. ¡°Sorry, but you¡¯ll just hinder us.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t expect you to protect me. I have five Golems that are specialized for combat. The guild commissioned them to be training partners for Adventurers. They can use Enchants as well.¡± Want to give it a test? She asked, and so Tor nodded. ¡°We¡¯ll give it a try then.¡± ¡°So it¡¯s decided.¡± Coen left the workshop and headed for the storehouse. ¡°We will go too.¡± ¡°We definitely will.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve told them as much. I need you two to be with me. I would not know how to tell aluminum apart from other metals.¡± With their ability, the twins would at least be able to protect themselves. They could use Enchant rather well now, and were equal to most B-Rank Adventurers. Besides, he thought that it was time for them to experience fighting against some magitec beasts. As a lot of Fangaro Adventurers would be participating this time, as long as they understood their roles, they should not be in too much danger. Coen entered the storehouse and came out with five Golems. As they were built for battle, they wore thick armor and seemed very heavy. All were two meters tall, had two arms and two legs, as well as a tail for extra balance. There was a pulley on the tips of their tails. As for weapons, they had crossbows and iron clubs. I suppose they felt that if they were going to fight magitec beasts, then it would be best to use the strength of the Golems and strike them. ¡°Should I have them change to training equipment?¡± ¡°No, that won¡¯t be necessary. As I want to see their combat ability, have them use real weapons that are affected by the length of the Enchant.¡± In order to avoid breaking them, Tor only put on his chain gloves, and did not take out the combat rings. His breath still smelled of drink as he sighed and fell into a fighting stance. ¡°Let¡¯s begin then.¡± CH 39 Part 3: Chapter 8 ¨C Romanticist and Realist Five Golems were lying on the ground in the yard behind Coen¡¯s workshop. Coen was holding her forehead in shock. ¡°You have got to be kidding me. But their movements are based on those of A-Rank Adventurers. Well, they are only able to replicate it by seventy percent, but they still shouldn¡¯t be defeated in such a one-sided battle¡­¡± ¡°I think they just went against the wrong opponent.¡± ¡°In the first place, Mr. Tor is ranked in the hierarchy.¡± Tor¡¯s Enchants allowed him to control magnetic and electric power, and so it was no wonder he could make quick work of the metal Golems. Even if these Golems could also use Enchant to some degree, they were only using it to envelope their weapons. As their bodies were made of metal, Coen hadn¡¯t considered the need for an extra layer of protection. Besides, Golems used an immense amount of magic energy already, so using Enchant on their weapons meant shortening the time they could be activated. Tor removed his gloves and turned to face Coen. ¡°A passing mark. You should be fine as long as you¡¯re not actively trying to engage in combat.¡± To Tor¡¯s senses, these five Golems were just as capable as a similar number of B-Rank Adventurers. Perhaps even a little more, given that Golems were more durable. But then again, their movements were slower. So they would not be too reliable outside of their roles as guards. But if they could be made lighter with aluminum alloys, their speed and efficiency could be improved. Tor was looking forward to their completion. ¡°By the way, weren¡¯t Golems supposed to go crazy if they are used for too long?¡± Tor asked Coen. ¡°Yes, highly advanced Golems will. Ones that have a camera lens that allows them to recognize what is around them, and differentiate between things. While these Golems fulfill those requirements, we shouldn¡¯t have to worry about them for a while.¡± ¡°Because you just made them recently?¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± He had wondered if they might lose control in the magitec beast nest, but it seemed to be an unnecessary worry. Coen put the Golems back into the storage house, and checked to see if they hadn¡¯t malfunctioned during the battle against Tor. Euphie and Mailey were looking curiously as she worked. ¡°So this is what Golems look like on the inside.¡± ¡°What is this cylinder with gears used for?¡± ¡°It is to measure the size and position of targets based on signals it receives from a camera lens that uses light magic.¡± ¡°This part inside of the head, is it the light magic lens then?¡± ¡°There is also a support camera in the torso. However, we are merely using technology found in the ruins of the ancient civilization. And so I don¡¯t actually know how they work. It¡¯s all a mystery.¡± As the twins questioned her about various things, Coen replied honestly. Tor leaned his back against the wall of the storage house and watched them. In spite of Rokuk¡¯s warning about how she hated people, Coen seemed to be rather kind with the twins. She was never sarcastic, and just seemed like an honest person. ¡°Hey, why are you so fixated on aluminum?¡± Tor understood that it was a metal with many advantages, but he wasn¡¯t sure it was worth risking your life and entering a magitec beast nest for. Coen stopped working and turned to look at him. ¡°I hate people.¡± This sudden admission was quite the opposite of what Tor had just been thinking, and so it took him by surprise. However, Euphie and Mailey didn¡¯t seem to mind, and they just nodded for her to continue. And so Coen returned to her work as she explained. ¡°People will say they like B over A, but then they will switch to A depending on their emotions. I hate that kind of vagueness. That is why Golems are wonderful. They have no emotions and cannot deceive with their words or actions. They are truly ideal partners, deserving of love.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Tor realized that she was even worse than her reputation suggested, and decided to stop thinking about it. However, there were some who would not back down so easily. ¡­The twins. After all, they were able to befriend someone like Tor, so it would take more to shake them. Mailey peered into Coen¡¯s face. ¡°Are you one of those Golem lovers then?¡± ¡°Oh, you know? Well, there are not many such people, so I am treated like a deviant.¡± ¡°While I do not relate, I can understand. At the very least, I have no intention of judging others.¡± ¡°How very kind of you. With aluminum¡¯s weight, the magic energy depletion will be reduced, and they will last longer. I can make the ideal partner.¡± Tor had never even heard of a Golem lover before, and his mind was stuck on that point, as the conversation continued. Euphie clapped her hands together. ¡°In other words, Ms. Coen. You are a romanticist who wants love that will stay the same forever.¡± Coen burst into laughter at this unexpected observation from Euphie. ¡°Splendid. I think you have mercilessly hit the nail on the head. Though, the fact that I¡¯m a human feels like quite the contradiction.¡± Coen seemed quite amused by this, as she continued to grin as she finished up her work. And then she turned to Euphie and Mailey. ¡°But what about you two then?¡± Apparently, they were in the mood to expose each other¡¯s romantic tastes. And so Tor slipped quietly out of the storage house. ¡°Us?¡± The twins pondered over it for a moment. ¡°Perhaps¡­a realist who will undo what has been changed.¡± ¡°You¡¯re very confident. But what is changed may not ever return.¡± ¡°Well, there are two of us. We chase dreams that are too big for one person.¡± Coen was surprised by this, and looked back and forth at their faces as she chuckled. ¡°A realist with a dream, eh? Not bad, but whoever you are after will have a hard time.¡± Coen said. And then they all turned around. But Tor was already gone. Coen shrugged. ¡°He runs faster than a dream, eh?¡± CH 40 Part 3: Chapter 9 ¨C Red Thunder¡¯s Achievements Tor and the twins visited the Adventurers Guild in order to prepare for the attack on the magitec beast nest. Mailey approached the front desk. ¡°We want some effervescent powder. Do you have any?¡± ¡°Yes, we do. We have more in stock than usual, in preparation for the coming attack on the nest.¡± The twins had negotiated behind the scenes, and now the effervescent powder that allowed you to easily make carbonated potions was carried in guilds all over the land. But Mailey stayed humble, and paid seven coppers and purchased it in bulk. They also bought some potions that had been adjusted for carbonation, and then returned to Tor. ¡°We bought it. Was there anything else we needed?¡± ¡°I think that you two need some new shoes.¡± Tor left the guild with the twins and they headed for the market district. ¡°It seems like the effervescent powder is spreading quite well.¡± ¡°Because Flaretalia has been pushing it very hard. It is becoming a successful brand.¡± ¡°While we sold the rights to it in order to spread it, at this pace, it may not be long before we enter the hierarchy as well.¡± Euphie said with a laugh as she looked at Tor. ¡°We may catch up to you before long, Mr. Tor?¡± ¡°Perhaps.¡± He agreed with Euphie. The hierarchy was decided based on reports submitted by branch managers during regular meetings. The number of completed quests, hunted monsters, magitec beasts and their threat level. Those whose abilities stood out above the others would be assessed and rated. The carbonated potions developed by Euphie and Mailey would have raised the chances of survival for many Adventurers. If it could be shown that the death rate had lowered, and it was due to the potions, that alone could put them in the top forty. ¡°In your case, you also have the Flaretalia dungeon, which had not been sealed for many years. I think you could reach about 37th.¡± ¡°That¡¯s it? Well, we haven¡¯t been Adventurers for very long, so it cannot be helped.¡± When compared to the achievement of all Adventurers, 37th seemed unexpected to Mailey, as she sighed as if disappointed. Euhpie tilted her head and looked at Tor. ¡°¡­Mr. Tor. You are 17th, yes? What did you do to rise so high?¡± He said it lightly, but he had gone into remote mountains where he could not restock on supplies, and hunted magitec beasts in city ruins by himself. He had been quite reckless. ¡°But I think there were two things that really helped it go up. Killing the magitec dragons of the Gazan wastelands, and getting through the mad demon horde in the Sayara sea of fog.¡± He had gone up ten ranks. Tor thought back with a smile. The twins looked at him with stunned expressions. The magitec dragons of the Gazan wasteland were a group of dragons that had turned into magitec beasts. They were five to ten times more dangerous than ordinary dragons. You would usually need to send out an A-Rank party to hunt just one of them. But there were more than a hundred of them in the Gazan wastelands. There were documents that told of a giant city ruin at the end of the wasteland, as well as a grand library. But no one had seen this, as it was said to be impossible to get through the dragons. As for the Sayara sea of mist, it was filled with powerful monsters of mixed blood. And there were some mutants who were strong enough to annihilate an A-rank party by itself, and they were working together in groups. The Sayara was a great forest land that was shrouded in mist, so visibility was bad. Once, multiple Adventurer Clans had joined forces and sent two hundred men into it. But in just half a day, twenty percent of them were dead. Both places were incredibly dangerous, and anyone with even a passing knowledge of the land would know to avoid them. ¡°Why are you still alive?¡± ¡°Because I am not dead.¡± Tor replied calmly, but the twins shook their heads with disbelief. ¡°I suppose you wanted to find something in the grand library in the Gazan wastelands. But why did you go to the Sayara sea of mist?¡± Euphie asked Tor. Tor was apparently worried about someone listening, as he whispered in Euphie¡¯s ear. ¡°Because I read in the Gazan grand library, that there is a great beastkin settlement in the depths of the Sayara forest.¡± Euphie held her ear and leaned back. Mailey was also blushing a little. Tor narrowed his eyebrows at this unexpected reaction. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Anyone would do that if someone suddenly whispered in their ear!¡± ¡°You should be a little more aware of your appeal!¡± ¡°¡­Ah, I forgot that you two are supposed to be sheltered ladies.¡± ¡°What do you mean, supposed to?¡± ¡°You should be a little more aware of our appeal!¡± Tor could only apologize as the twins yanked him from both sides. ¡°Still, beastkin? I understand now why it had to be kept a secret.¡± Beastkin were humanoid monsters that could speak in the human tongue. And it was said that they had come from another world during the age of the ancient civilization. During that time, all living creatures that came from other worlds were categorized as monsters, and were targeted for expulsion. Aside from beastkin, there were elves, dwarves, demons, vampires, demihumans and others. Some of them warred with the ancient civilization, while others tried to negotiate. Now, there were no more demihumans in the lands of men. It was said that they were either living in hiding or that they had gone extinct. The reason that Tor was secretive, was that unlike the elves, which had ultimately made peace with the ancient civilization, the beastkin were still seen as monsters by law, and were supposed to be hunted. Of course, since no one had seen any recently, it was starting to be forgotten. But Tor wanted to be cautious. ¡°And did you meet the beastkin?¡± Euphie asked, and Tor nodded in reply. ¡°I did meet them. However, too many generations had passed, and so they did not know anything about the ancient civilization. Though, I did learn various other things.¡± ¡°I see. But I¡¯m still amazed that you survived being in such a dangerous place.¡± ¡°There are supposedly several settlements with populations in the hundreds. I even fought some duels with the strongest fighter in one settlement, and he was just as good as me. They had incredible physical ability and a great sense of smell.¡± ¡°Just as strong as Mr. Tor¡­ It is hard to imagine such a thing.¡± ¡°It just shows that in this world, there is always someone who is stronger.¡± CH 41 Part 3: Chapter 10 ¨C Magic Stone¡¯s Characteristic On the day before the attack on the magictec beast nest, Tor visited Coen¡¯s workshop. ¡°Modifying a magitec car?¡± Coen had an annoyed expression when she heard Tor¡¯s request. ¡°It can be after you acquire the aluminum. I want you to make a few optional parts.¡± He handed her a sheet of paper with the requests he and the twins had come up with. Coen looked at the list and smiled thinly. ¡°What is this? A wine cooler? And it¡¯s at the very top. You must really like to drink.¡± ¡°No, that was by Euphie and Mailey¡¯s request.¡± ¡°Those two?¡± The twins, who had Coen¡¯s permission to read her books on magitec books, raised their hands. ¡°It¡¯s what we want the most. Please make it so that the wine doesn¡¯t shake inside.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t look very nice.¡± Aside from that, they also wanted a suspension and other mechanical parts. ¡°And what kind of magitec car are you going to buy?¡± ¡°After looking around, we have a few candidates, but¡­¡± After telling her them, Coen looked back at the list and opened her mouth. ¡°In that case, I would recommend the Raclea. In spite of appearances, it is impressive with cornering and acceleration. Also, since its center of gravity is towards the bottom, it will be difficult to knock over.¡± The Raclea that Coen recommended was also the first candidate for the twins. It was quite spacious inside, with something like a second floor with a sunroof. If you positioned a sniper in there, you could attack while driving. It had been designed with Adventurer Clans in mind, and so the armor was very durable as well. ¡°It will cost you, but it¡¯s a good magitec car.¡± ¡°Mr. Tor. That is three against one. Let¡¯s get the Raclea!¡± Mailey pressed. Coen looked at Tor in surprise. ¡°Is there a different one that you were considering?¡± ¡°I liked the Garon.¡± ¡°Men often do. It has a severity that I quite like. But the habitability is the worst, you know? It may be the fastest, but Adventurers won¡¯t be going to places where you could make the most of that speed. I would advise against it.¡± ¡°I see. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re right¡­¡± There was nothing that he could say, as her arguments were perfectly sound. And so Tor solemnly gave up on the Garon. ¡°So, how many of these requests can you fulfill if it¡¯s the Raclea?¡± ¡°All of them. But starting with the wine cooler, I think you are putting too much weight into comfort. Since it is not efficient, I will have to use a different magic stone than the one for mobility.¡± ¡°That is fine. I don¡¯t want to run out of fuel during a critical moment.¡± ¡°Normally, people would hate it, since it is so difficult to acquire magic stones. But I guess the mentality of a high-ranker is completely different.¡± She said with a laugh. And then she immediately started to draw up some plans for the requests. ¡°Acquiring magic stones¡­ Yes, it is quite troublesome.¡± The highly pure magic stones acquired from magitec beasts were like crystals of energy. And because of all that energy, just like the Enchant skills, they were known to have great resisting power to any interference from outside energy. Because of this, while you could send energy through an empty magic stone, you could not fill it up again. And so empty magic stones were crushed and then mixed with metals with relatively low melting points, such as zinc and tin, resulting in a composite material that conducted magic energy very well. This was used in magitec cars. ¡°If you have the skill to imbue it with magic energy¡­¡± ¡°If one could develop such a skill, they would make a fortune. But it¡¯s just a fanciful dream.¡± When Coen laughed, Euphie stopped turning the page of her book and raised her face. ¡°Is it really not possible to imbue them with magic?¡± ¡°I suppose there is reason to doubt? After all, magic energy is different for everyone. With magic that is activated with an Enchant, there are differences because of the magic wavelengths. So perhaps if one had the exact same magic wavelengths as a magitec beast, then you could fill the magic stone with energy again.¡± Coen said, and then she opened a drawer and took out a magic stone that was about the size of her palm. ¡°Why don¡¯t you try it then? Here is an empty one. It was from a Golem that I made previously, and I don¡¯t mind if you crush it.¡± ¡°A previous Golem?¡± ¡°As it is like a corpse, I buried the dog tag in a communal graveyard. People looked at me as if I was mad.¡± While Golems could use magic stones until they were empty, they were disposable. They adapt to the stone¡¯s magic energy, and so if you change it, then their specs would drop dramatically. In some cases, they would not move at all. And so such Golems had to be returned to scrap metal. Coen had a rather sad expression. ¡°He was a good one. In spite of being slender, and clumsy, he was stronger and¡­¡± ¡°Are you still talking about a Golem?¡± ¡°Of course. He was better than any human I ever knew.¡± Tor had no reply as Coen spoke with a far away look. He then turned to the twins who had been given the stone. They held it up to the light and shook it. And then Euphie tried to imbue it with energy. The next instant, she seemed to be surprised, and nearly dropped it. Coen and Tor looked at each other and grinned as if they had pulled off a successful prank. Euphie glared at Tor. ¡°You should have told me that it vibrates.¡± Euphie turned away sulkily. As she had said, magic stones vibrate when you imbue them with energy. This vibration varied depending on the quality of the magic energy, which helped prove that the energy was different depending on the person. Coen turned to Mailey. ¡°Since you are twins, I suppose your magic energy is the same?¡± ¡°While their Enchant was the same, surely their magic energy would be a little different?¡± Tor thought about how identical twins still had different fingerprints. Euphie then handed Mailey the stone. ¡°The vibration is the same.¡± Apparently, their ability to share their thoughts included the vibrations as well. Coen smiled with amusement. ¡°In that case, perhaps if we search for a type of magitec beast that breeds like rabbits, then we could secure multiple magic stones with the same characteristics. Very interesting.¡± Coen wasn¡¯t even thinking about reusing magic stones, and talked of more realistic methods. The twins looked puzzled. ¡°Breed like rabbits? I thought the magitec beasts were created in a facility?¡± ¡°Aye, people often make that mistake. But magitec beasts were originally animals and monsters. They are then modified in the facility to become magitec beasts. And since they can still mate in the magitec beast state, they sometimes return to being in herds, if that is their instinct. Of course, their aggressiveness is different.¡± ¡°But they aren¡¯t born with the magic stone, right?¡± ¡°It seems like it is embedded in them as a core when they are turned into a magitec beast. But it¡¯s a technique from the ancient civilization, so we do not know much about it.¡± Coen said as she leaned on her elbow with a mischievous smile. ¡°So, do you think you can imbue magic stones with energy? If you could do it, it would be such an achievement that you could laugh at the person who developed the carbonated potion.¡± ¡°I would never laugh at myself.¡± ¡°¡­Hmm?¡± Coen seemed surprised by their answer. ¡°You mean the person who developed it¡­¡± ¡°Yes. We did it in Flaretalia, and Mr. Tor helped us spread it.¡± The twins said with a smile. Coen turned to look at Tor. ¡°I had heard a rumor about someone in the hierarchy being involved. So that was you, Mr. Tor?¡± ¡°I have no knowledge like these two. I¡¯m just an average, high-ranking Adventurer.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not average.¡± Coen said with a shake of her head. ¡°I could see that you two knew a lot, but this is quite remarkable. You might just be the ones to find a way¡­ I hope you tell me, when you do. Before I get used to saying goodbye to my beloved Golems. Yes, please do.¡± ¡°We cannot say no after being asked like that. We shall think about it then.¡± The twins said, and then they smiled at each other. ¡°We would like some scale insects.¡± ¡°And tree sap.¡± ¡°¡­You already have an idea?¡± ¡°It is a secret.¡± The twins said, putting a finger to their lips and tilting their heads. CH 42 Part 3 ¨C Chapter 11: The Beginning of the Magic Beast Nest Attack On the morning of the expedition, Tor and the twins headed to the rendezvous point, and were surprised to see so many people there. ¡°Even though there are guards to protect the city, is it really fine to send out so much of their fighting force?¡± Mailey asked with an anxious expression. There were nearly forty Adventurers who were participating. But there was also an additional thirty, for backup support, as well as to secure an escape route. Most of them were above B-Rank, and some of them were like Rokuk, and were equipped with over parts. As for those who were going into the nest, they were to be split up into several teams, and so they were being split up right now. Rokuk saw Tor and the twins and waved his arm as he approached. ¡°Aye, Tor. I know the twins, but who is that?¡± ¡°Magitec Master Coen and her Golem.¡± ¡°Ah, Ms. Coen. Your reputation precedes you. I¡¯m Rokuk, a B-Rank Adventurer.¡± Rokuk offered his magitec hand, and Coen smiled when she saw it. ¡°How long have you been using over parts?¡± She did not shake his hand, but questioned him with a smile. ¡°This is my fifth year with it.¡± ¡°I see. So you are iron arm Rokuk.¡± ¡°You have an intimidating stare. So, is that Golem for combat? Or is it a guard?¡± Rokuk shrugged and changed the subject to the Golem. ¡°They passed Mr. Tor¡¯s inspection, and so I am to use them as guards. After all, our purpose here is to carry rare aluminum ore.¡± ¡°If Mr. Tor says that, then there is nothing to worry about. The five of us will make up one team, and our goal will be to reach the deepest part of the nest.¡± Rokuk spread out a map. While the nests were in the center of the ancient ruins, they were very big. And so forty people would have to spread out and destroy the important facilities. And Rokuk¡¯s team would target the control facility, which was in the deepest part of the nest. ¡°Unlike the spare parts factory, magitec beast production facility, and adjustment facility, there are generally not a lot of magitec beast around the control facility. However, there are numerous fixed defense devices and turrets. So you will have to be careful.¡± ¡°Where are the turrets located?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not fixed. And so we won¡¯t know until we go there directly.¡± They discussed how they would deal with different situations, and then they departed. The first part of their journey was on foot, along the main road, and then they turned and entered the forest. The forest was not tended to, but it was a place where Adventurers and magictec beasts fought all of the time, and so there were torn down trees and holes in the ground. As Tor was in the far back, he could watch the five Golems that surrounded Coen and the twins. ¡°The Golems have no trouble getting through.¡± There were some places that were dense with trees, but they avoided them as they reached the magitec nest. Rokuk, who walked in the lead, raised his hand for the others to stop. ¡°They¡¯re coming from both sides. Both are medium sized. I¡¯ll deal with the left.¡± He extended his left hand and activated the Enchant. And then a white mist appeared around his metal arm. From both sides, large magitec beasts with metallic manes were rushing towards them. Each limb is as big as a human torso as they kick the ground, and their metal manes groan in the wind. The magitec beast roars angrily at Rokuk, it bares its fangs and attacks him. Immediately after, the white mist around Rokuk¡¯s arm spread out explosively. And just as the magitec beast¡¯s vision was filled with white, Rokuk swung his right arm upwards. After targeting the magitec beast¡¯s face, Rokuk used the weight of his arm, and the sounds of the attack echoed. ¡°One more!¡± As the magitec beast is staggered, Rokuk thrusts his hand into him. The metal armor protecting the magitec beast¡¯s stomach crumples like paper, and he scrambles the insides. ¡°¡­Ohh. That¡¯s a good scream.¡± Rokuk grins as the magictec beast shrieks. He then pulls out his left hand, and uses his right hand to grip the magitec beast¡¯s neck, and then slams it to the ground. Rokuk watches the flailing magitec beast with amusement, but then turns away with disinterest, and snaps the beast¡¯s neck. And then the white mist begins to purify the blood on his left hand. And in that hand, is the magitec stone he had grabbed after the thrust. ¡°Tor. How are things going over there¡­ Ah, are you serious?¡± Rokuk turned to the right to see how things were going, just as the twins swung their spears and cut off the magitec beast¡¯s tail. Tor wasn¡¯t doing anything. Apparently, he meant to leave everything to the twins. Euphie and Mailey were silent. They weren¡¯t even looking at each other. However, with smooth, dancer-like movements, they filled in each other¡¯s blind spots and openings while overwhelming the magitec beast. They reacted to the magitec beast¡¯s movement, including the preliminary actions that only one of them could see. There was nothing wasted. They moved like a single creature as they attacked the magitec beast on both sides. The magitec beast probably felt like it was inside of the stomach of a large animal. They would read its every movement and always attack from a blindspot. They had an accuracy that exceeded that of a machine, and there was nothing it could do to retaliate. They slashed at its four limbs and then pierced its neck and heart. And then Euphie and Mailey turned to look at Tor proudly. ¡°And now we are B-Rank Adventurers.¡± ¡°We are the same level as you, Mr. Tor.¡± They said smugly, but Tor shook his head. ¡°While it¡¯s good that you are cautious, you are still taking too much time. It is fine this time, because you have allies, magitec beasts are crafty, and become more strategic in herds. And so the combat time should be as short as possible. However, your positioning was good, and you stayed aware of your surroundings. I will give you that. So, I¡¯ll give you a seven out of ten.¡± ¡°You¡¯re too strict!¡± ¡°We demand a reevaluation!¡± You can train again when we get back.¡± Tor ignored the twins who tugged at his arms, and he turned to Rokuk. ¡°Let¡¯s keep going.¡± ¡°Aye. Still, those two are quite strong, eh?¡± ¡°They are quite special. But more importantly, Rokuk. Why are you standing so far away?¡± Tor asked Rokuk, who was standing some distance away. While the battle had ended, there were a lot of magitec beastkin nests in this forest. It was not a good thing for him to be so far away, as it would affect their cooperation when attacked. Tor wondered if it was because Rokuk was used to working solo, but Rokuk chuckled and hit the machinery of his left arm. ¡°It gets really hot, so I have to stay away. Now, let¡¯s move on.¡± He waved away the thin white mist, and started to walk back towards the nest. Coen followed after him, as if observing him carefully. CH 43 Part 3: Chapter 12 ¨C Hidden Circumstances Red smoke rose in the forest. It was a signal from the Adventurers who had secured our path of retreat. ¡°They succeeded then. Let¡¯s go in.¡± Rokuk knocked his fists together excitedly. The high pitched ring of the metal echoed. At the same time, the other teams had started to charge in as well, and the sounds of fighting could be heard. The Adventurers were entering the nest from every side, and they would start by wiping out the magictec beasts that were within. Because of this, each team was made up of the best. Tor¡¯s team likely had the strongest fighting force, and so it was no wonder that they had been assigned the deepest part. And so they stepped foot into the ancient civilization¡¯s ruins. While they stayed on their guard, Euphie and Mailey looked around with interest. ¡°In spite of being called a ruin, it is surprisingly clean and well maintained.¡± ¡°Do the magitec beasts keep it clean?¡± As the twins had pointed out, the ruins were in an incredibly clean state. The buildings, from the walls to the roofs, showed no signs of having been repaired. They looked like people could be living in them even now. There were even waterways along the streets, and when they looked inside, there wasn¡¯t a single fallen leaf within. They doubted that even Fangaro was kept so clean. However, both Euphie and Mailey felt something ominous here that they could not describe. ¡°I do not sense any living creatures here.¡± ¡°There is no smell of life.¡± Frogs, reptiles, rats and other city vermin. Not even a single insect. They had seen no signs of life since entering the ruins. It almost felt like they had wandered into some kind of dollhouse. ¡°There are magitecs that are specifically designed to clean the cities. There are also some for construction work. The sad thing is that they would stop working if you brought them back to Fangaro.¡± Perhaps she was hoping to catch sight of them, as Coen was looking around her, as if they were not in a dangerous place. But like the other three, Tor felt extra cautious about this unnatural silence. During his nine years of adventuring, Tor had experienced such ruins several times. However, this time, he had felt a tenseness on his neck the moment that he entered. It was the feeling that he got whenever he entered the territory of a strong monster or magitec beast. ¡°Rokuk. There is a powerful magitec beast here. Be wary of a surprise attack.¡± ¡°So you can feel it, Tor.¡± Rokuk smiled and then suddenly stopped. And then he pointed his right arm to the building on the right side. Immediately after, the walls exploded from the inside, and a conical stone came flying out while rotating. Rokuk calmly lowered his stance, and then struck the stone from below as if scooping it up. The moment that the stone cone hit his fist, it shattered, and the pieces flew through the air. A bear-like magitec beast had also jumped out of the building, and was running towards Tor. Just as red electricity ran through Tor¡¯s war rings, Coen¡¯s Golems unleashed their arrows with an explosive sound. An explosion Enchant caused the arrows to move with accelerated speed, and with increased energy, they pierced the head of the magitec bear, causing it to die instantly. Tor then used his rings to attack the ant-like, four-legged magitec beast, who had been camouflaged on the roof. Coen looked surprised as she saw the magitec beast fall from above. ¡°I didn¡¯t even see it.¡± ¡°I have an Enchant that allows me to detect most metals. And I was getting strange signals from the roof, so I tried attacking it.¡± ¡°That is a good Enchant for fighting magitec beasts.¡± ¡°It¡¯s what helped me to rise to B-Rank so quickly.¡± The battle ended so quickly that they had time to chat as they headed deeper in. On the way, they saw the storage houses, which was their goal, in the distance. However, they passed them for now, as their role was to destroy the control facility. ¡°We must stop at that processing plant on the way back. I want some aluminum.¡± ¡°I want any rare metal they might have. Like bismuthinite.¡± ¡°Platinum would be nice as well. It can be used as a catalyst.¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t a treasure hunt, ladies. Tell them, Tor.¡± ¡°It won¡¯t matter if I say anything. These three are only here for ore.¡± While the monsters they encountered were large and powerful magitec beasts that were good at hiding, they were nothing in front of Rokuk¡¯s destructive power, and Tor¡¯s scouting ability. They left the magic stones, as those would be gathered once everything was over. And so as they continued on, a paved road appeared ahead of them. It was a path of cut stone. The shapes were irregular, with some being the size of a palm, while others were the size of a head. But they were packed tightly together. And there were no magitec beasts. Clearly, this was an important district, unlike the others. Still, Rokuk took a step forward as if he was not concerned. ¡°There will hardly be any magitec beasts from this point. However, there are several turrets installed, so you must be careful. And we may be sniped at from far away.¡± Just as Rokuk explained this, a bullet came flying. Rokuk had been standing so as to become a smaller target for the turret, and like that, he caught the bullet in his hand. ¡°Right back at you¡± He flicked his fingers, launching the bullet back and destroying the half-hidden turret. ¡°That¡¯s how it is.¡± ¡°This is going to be annoying.¡± Tor said as he enchanted his war rings and threw them into the air. And then bullets came from every direction, as if to knock the rings down. However, before they could reach the rings, the bullets stopped and then were blown away. And as if moving in reverse, they shot back at the turrets, destroying them. ¡°If they can detect bodies, then this way will be faster.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ All of my hard work¡­¡± As someone who put himself in danger in order to destroy a turret, Rokuk had to laugh at Tor¡¯s method. So even the turrets were not much of a threat, and the team continued to walk forward. As Rokuk said, there was no sign of magitec beasts. Instead, they saw large construction magitecs, storage houses and cars. ¡°The control facility is supposed to be very important. So why are there no magitec beasts guarding it?¡± Mailey asked Coen with a puzzled expression. Coen shook her head. ¡°Ask the people of the ancient civilization. There are rumors that they were wary of the magitec beasts revolting. After all, they attack not just monsters, but humans as well.¡± ¡°If the magitec beasts fix the facilities after destroying them, then you would have to destroy control facilities all over the world at the same time. Perhaps this current situation is a result of the ancient civilization not being able to manage everything anymore?¡± ¡°There is too much we don¡¯t know, and so I cannot say. Some people like the sense of mystery, but I don¡¯t. They were just a foolish civilization that lost control of their own creations.¡± Coen looked at the destroyed turret with exasperation. Since it was attacking humans, it had also likely escaped the control of the ancient civilization. ¡°¡­Mr. Tor. Is something the matter?¡± Euphie looked up at Tor with concern. ¡°Stand back. Stay behind Coen¡¯s Golems.¡± ¡°¡­Very well.¡± While not understanding the reason, Euphie and Mailey sensed the seriousness in Tor¡¯s voice, and so they stood between the Golems. Up ahead, Rokuk pointed to the control facility. ¡°That is the control facility that is our target. You just have to destroy those horn-like parts surrounding it.¡± To Tor, the control facility looked a little like a radio tower. There were eight metal bars like antennas that stretched out from it. And the base of the tower was supported by eight pillars. Tor held his chakrams and looked at Rokuk. Rokuk looked up at the facility and sighed as if troubled. ¡°¡­Ah, I knew it. The symptoms have gotten worse.¡± Rokuk muttered as he looked down at his mechanical arm, and then he turned to Tor. Immediately after, like a cannonball, the metal fist came shooting towards Tor. Anticipating this, Tor raised the rings like a net, stopping the fist and using the magnetic power to knock them back. Rokuk jumped back in order to kill the momentum and then landed with the control facility behind him. ¡°¡­Well done, Tor. An average Adventurer would have died.¡± ¡°What are you trying to do?¡± While Tor answered calmly, his guard was at the highest level now. Rokuk laughed awkwardly. ¡°You can look up the details in my house in Fangaro. I left three wills on my desk. One is addressed to you, the others are for the guild chief and the Fangaro council. Everything is explained in them. If someone like you knows, I won¡¯t have to worry about the information being extinguished. I can die in peace.¡± ¡°Hey. If you have a reason for this, then tell me now.¡± ¡°Telling you won¡¯t solve anything. Just kill me. That being said, I did not expect Ms. Coen to come along. Perhaps you understand my situation?¡± He chuckled. Coen looked at him with cold eyes and clicked her tongue. ¡°Side effects of the over parts¡­¡± ¡°Side effects?¡± Mailey heard Coen¡¯s muttering and she narrowed her eyes. Then she turned to Rokuk in realization. ¡°Is it like how the old Golems go wild?¡± Mailey asked, and Rokuk laughed apologetically. ¡°Ah, yes. I didn¡¯t want to say it, but I suppose it is obvious¡­¡± White mist began to appear from his left arm, and the over parts of his right arm started to enlarge as they were encrusted by orange powder. ¡°The Golems lose control because they run out of magic energy. Orders are sent from this control facility to the magic stone. Five years after I had these over parts attached, it seems that the stones in my arms are at their limit¡­¡± As soon as he heard Rokuk¡¯s words, Tor threw his chakrams at the control facility. They were enveloped in red electricity as they shot faster than the speed of sound. Then the high-pitched sound of the impact echoed. However, as if predicting Tor¡¯s movement, the orange powder from Rokuk¡¯s right arm shot out and slammed into the chakrams from the side. ¡°I also thought that perhaps breaking it would work, but it is no use. Not only that, but now I cannot even break the facilities myself. This arm moves on its own. And I hear a voice from somewhere. Kill monsters. Kill living creatures. Kill, eat, take their energy. That¡¯s what I hear during every waking moment. Apparently, they are coming from this control facility. It is so loud that I cannot sleep. And when I try to kill myself, these over parts stop me. I cannot even end my own life.¡± Rokuk said with a sigh, and then he took a step forward towards Tor. ¡°Magitec beasts must be able to recharge on energy by eating animals and monsters. Even I felt that my symptoms improved a little when I ate, which allowed me to make it this far. But it won¡¯t be possible with the over parts that were added later. Do you know how desperate I felt, when there was no one in Fangaro who was strong enough to stop me once I went mad? It was my good luck that you came along, Tor.¡± ¡°¡­The reason you invited us to this fight¡­Was it to fight near the control tower, where you wouldn¡¯t have to worry about magitec beasts?¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t fight you in the town. But here¡­well, destruction is part of the mission.¡± ¡°And there is no other way?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be asking you to kill me if there was.¡± They talked while slowly taking note of the distance between them. Thanks to this, Tor was able to understand the situation. He then turned to Euphie and Mailey. Euphie and Mailey had been thinking with serious expressions, but they nodded when Tor looked at them. ¡°Please buy some time.¡± ¡°Aye.¡± Euphie and Mailey were saying they could do something with more time, and Tor replied curtly. ¡°Rokuk. I¡¯ll play with you until we find a solution.¡± ¡°¡­But I want you to kill me.¡± ¡°In that case, you better go all out, so I¡¯ll feel that I have to kill you.¡± ¡°Aye¡­ I will do that. Even if I didn¡¯t want to, this arm looks like it can¡¯t wait to fight!¡± CH 44 Part 3: Chapter 13 ¨C Solution Euphie and Mailey turned away from Tor and Rokuk, who were now waging a vicious battle, and they scanned the area. Coen looked at the twins while using the Golems as a shield. ¡°What will buying some time accomplish? To be honest, the most logical solution would be to kill Rokuk here.¡± ¡°But that is not what Mr. Tor wants. In that case, we must search for a different solution.¡± ¡°This is why I don¡¯t like humans¡­¡± Coen looked at Tor with exasperation. Mailey looked at Coen from the corner of her eye. ¡°Judging by what Mr. Rokuk has said, the reason for losing control is lack of energy in the magic stone. So he should return to normal if you remove the over parts. What do you think?¡± The reason for it was in the over parts. And so that reason should be removed. In any case, there was no way that Rokuk had not considered this already. Coen must have predicted such side effects from the over parts, as she answered while observing Rokuk. ¡°He also said that the side effects weakened when he ate. In other words, the magic stone in the over parts is now part of him. While removing it will stop him from losing control, who knows how he will be affected by it. He will likely die, just like how magitec beasts die when you extract the magic stone from them.¡± ¡°Well, what if he drank magic energy recovery potions?¡± ¡°A B-Rank Adventurer would have tested that immediately. The reason that this didn¡¯t solve the problem, was either that the energy recovery was too slow, or the conversion of the energy has started to rely on the over parts and not the human body, and so it could no longer be absorbed.¡± ¡°Mr. Rokuk did say that destroying the control facility was meaningless. In that case, we must find some other way to recharge the magic stone.¡± ¡°Indeed. So he must be killed.¡± There was no way to recharge magic stones. As there was no real solution, Coen was about to order her Golems to kill Rokuk, but stopped. Tor¡¯s chakrams had nearly scratched the magic stones inside of the Golems. It was a warning for her to not get involved. Even as he fought against a B-Rank Adventurer, he was able to listen to their conversation and react. Coen let out a sigh of resignation. ¡°Mr. Tor, being swept away by your emotions and putting off the problem will not have good results, you know?¡± ¡°Effort towards a better result is not the same thing as ¡®putting off.¡¯¡± Euphie interjected, and then she took Coen¡¯s hands. ¡°Please help us.¡± ¡°Help you, eh? Do you really think there is a way to recharge a magic stone?¡± ¡°We will experiment.¡± ¡°¡­You have an idea?¡± Unable to believe this, Coen asked while looking back at Euphie. Euphie nodded quietly and pointed at one of the Golems. ¡°We must crush one of the Golems.¡± ¡°¡­My Golem?¡± Coen suddenly became serious, and her voice had a dangerous edge. Euphie looked at Coen and nodded. ¡°Yes. We will modify the Golem¡¯s magic stone, as well as the system for extracting the magic energy.¡± This was probably the worst kind of request to make to someone who loved Golems, but Euphie still explained her purpose. ¡°If the differences in my magic energy between people cause vibrations, then we can record it like a phonograph, and convert the vibration while charging the stone with energy. In order to experiment with this, we need an empty magic stone to charge, and a mechanism that can extract the magic energy. So please help us.¡± ¡°Very well. However, they are not so simly in structure that an amateur can tinker with them. So I will do it.¡± After Euphie asked her for help, Coen nodded as if she had no choice. Coen then went around to the back of the Golem and quickly started to remove some of the outer parts, much to Euphie and Mailey¡¯s surprise. ¡°¡­Um, I know we¡¯re the ones to ask you, but¡­ Are you sure?¡± ¡°It seems that you might have misunderstood me. But even I understand the value of a human life. In the first place, just because I love Golems, it doesn¡¯t mean that any Golem will do. I do not feel love towards Golems that don¡¯t talk.¡± After calmly revealing that she didn¡¯t love the Golems around her, Coen extracted the magic stone and magic energy conductor. ¡°So, what will you do with this? And what is a phonograph?¡± Mailey explained quickly. Apparently, the twins already had the structure inside of their heads. ¡°You are the developers of the carbonated potion. Now I¡¯m scared that you might just do it.¡± However, Coen then pointed out a problem. ¡°I don¡¯t know if the right vibrations will allow you to recharge the stone, but the vibrations will have to be recreated very accurately. Otherwise, the magic stone might reject the energy. Also, how will you made the recreated vibrations carry the magic energy?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know how accurate it has to be. However, putting the magic energy on the vibrations will be easy. We will use an Enchant on the recording medium, embuing it with magic, so that it is seen ass a magic stone, and then we connect it with a magic conductor and draw out the energy.¡± ¡°¡­I see. I¡¯ll have the Golems bring some of the magitec beast carcasses we killed on the way here. And then you can create this phonograph of yours. If you really can charge them with magic, then I will be able to make my ideal Golem as well, which is two birds with one stone. And so I will cooperate with you.¡± Coen talked with a smile. It was hard to believe that two high-ranking Adventurers were fighting a deadly battle nearby. Euphie and Mailey nodded and turned to Tor. ¡°We will go and gather the necessary materials. Please do your best!¡± CH 45 Part 3: Chapter 14 ¨C Five Against One ¡°Well, there it is. Did you hear that, Rokuk?¡± Rokuk¡¯s right arm groaned, and it scattered rust-colored powder as he blocked Tor¡¯s chakrams. Rokuk¡¯s face was contorted, as if his head was in pain. And then he opened his mouth. ¡°I heard it, vaguely. But I can not trust them.¡± ¡°Even if you don¡¯t trust them, surely there is no need for us to kill each other now?¡± ¡°Aye, that may be, but¡­¡± Rokuk suddenly closed his mouth, twisted his body, and then dodged the iron caltrops that shot up from under his feet. At the same time, he thrashed his left arm to the side, spreading out a white mist while escaping Tor¡¯s followup attack. ¡°This arm is going wild on its own. I cannot control it.¡± Rokuk turned to look at the control facility that was behind him. As he had magitec beast parts implanted into him, the over parts were receiving orders from the control facility and moving. And the weaker the power of the magic stone, the stronger the signals from the control facility. ¡°Like an alien arm?¡± ¡°A what? Is that a sickness?¡± While their conversation may have sounded casual, the battle was growing more vicious. The rust-colored powder shot out, carving away the stone floor and turning it into sand. Tor crushed the rock, kicked it into the air, and crashed it against the sand. ¡°That powder. Is it some kind of polishing agent?¡± ¡°¡­Aye. And it will easily make a hole in steel.¡± ¡°Horrifying.¡± Tor shrugged his shoulders and destroyed a random building wall with his chakrams. Then he slammed the caltraps in them and made them levitate with magnetic force. ¡°Hey, Rokuk. It seems like your head has been hurting for a while now. How much longer will your consciousness last?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. If the battle drags on, then the magic stone will be emptied, and things will really get bad.¡± ¡°Will you die?¡± ¡°Probably.¡± ¡°You really are a troublesome one.¡± If this went on for too long, it would run out of magic energy, and he would die. And it would be the same if he cut off the arm. Tor made the chakrams spin over his head as he scowled. ¡°Rokuk. How many Adventurers with over parts are participating in this expedition?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t remember¡­the exact numbers. I think it was about five¡­including me.¡± The pain in his head must have been getting words, as Rokuk had to pause while talking. Tor clicked his tongue. ¡°So the numbers match.¡± ¡°¡­What¡­are you talking¡­about?¡± ¡°Everyone with over parts is heading in this direction.¡± ¡°¡­No, that¡­can¡¯t be. I was able to last for five years. It¡¯s too early¡­for the others to lose control¡­¡± While Rokuk was denying it, the sounds of destruction were moving closer to them. Tor then jumped away. Immediately after, a man with a platinum greatsword came jumping over a building and landed in front of him. ¡°¡­Gah!¡± The blade slammed into the ground and created a big hole. And then the man turned to Tor and glared. Rokuk looked on in surprise. ¡°Janz?¡± But the man ignored him and continued to raise his sword in order to attack Tor. Blue flames were emitting from his over parts, as well as his feet. Tor¡¯s chakrams flashed through the air, knocking Janz off of his feet. Janz rolled on the ground and crashed into a building. ¡°¡­The others are coming!¡± Someone came flying while spinning, and Tor only managed to dodge the iron bullet that they shot by a hair¡¯s breadth. In the corner of his vision, he saw the woman who had fired at him. She must have been unconscious as her head hung limply. She seemed to have normal legs, but her over parts arms were directed at Tor. ¡°¡­Hey, Rokuk. It seems like they can still control your body, even if you¡¯re unconscious?¡± ¡°Then maybe¡­death will not be enough¡­¡± Rokuk laughed. There was nothing to do but laugh at that point. ¡°Disarming all five of them without killing them¡­in order to buy time. That¡¯s a death sentence, isn¡¯t it?¡± Tor chuckled and let out a sigh. His chakrams blocked an iron bullet that came flying, and then he kicked Janz, who had come charging towards him. And then he shot down the arrows with his caltrops, which he controlled with magnetic power. Tor then brought back his chakrams and then turned to Rokuk. ¡°Sorry, but I¡¯ll have to play rough now. Consider your bones broken.¡± And in the next instant, Tor vanished. Thunder roared, and a red flash ran through the air. The two figures came falling from the sky, and then Janz was blown into the air. Before the three could get up again, Tor rushed towards Rokuk. Rokuk¡¯s left arm spread out a white mist, blocking Tor¡¯s vision. And then his right arm sprayed out the rust-colored powder. However, Tor had moved around and kicked Rokuk in the back. And then he placed the chakrams under Rokuk¡¯s feet. Red lightning ran through the ground, launching Rokuk into the air. As he shot up, defenseless, Tor unleashed a roundhouse kick into his back, and then he lashed at the control facility behind him with his chakrams as if wielding a whip. Thunder roared with the attack that was faster than sound, and the antenna of the control facility was destroyed. He then blocked an oncoming bullet with his chakrams, and then slammed them into the control facility as a followup attack. As Rokuk raised his face, he saw the back of the woman who had been knocked off of her feet. He used the repulsion of the magnetic force to accelerate quickly, shooting the chakrams into the wall and floor of the building, and then using it as a fulcrum to change direction as if drawing a circle. As Janz rose, he kicked him behind the knees, causing him to fall. And then he grabbed him by the collar and threw him towards Rokuk. As Tor called the chakrams back, he dug the tip of his feet into the ground, and used the repulsion of the magnets to launch himself up into the air. Tor then rained down red thunder on the two Adventurers who started to get back to their feet. Once they were paralyzed, he pulled the chakrams as hard as he could. This caused him to fall to the ground at a great speed, landing on their backs. He then kicked off of them and ran towards Rokuk. A great cloud of white mist came out of Rokuk¡¯s left arm. It was supposed to hide him. But Tor¡¯s red thunder shot right through it, and then his chakrams followed in a straight line. And like that, they extended and wrapped around Rokuk¡¯s right arm. He then pulled them back, causing Rokuk to topple to the ground in shock. Fighting against the overparts on equal footing was one thing, but winning so easily should have been impossible, no matter how strong you were. As Rokuk¡¯s hands touched the ground, he realized that the movement of the over parts was worsening. ¡°Are the gears affected by the magnetic power¡­?¡± It wasn¡¯t that they had stopped working entirely, but they were definitely slower. And when he looked, Tor saw that the same was happening with the others as well. After seeing Red Thunder in action on the battlefield, Rokuk smiled. Tor meant to disarm everyone here. Without killing them. ¡°These hierarchy people really are something.¡± After becoming a B-Ranker and getting the over parts, he had thought that they were at the same level. But his rival had gone much farther than that, apparently. While he didn¡¯t feel frantic, the sight of him was almost blinding. ¡°We¡¯ll just say that it¡¯s because of the brightness of the thunder¡­¡± CH 46 Part 3: Chapter 15 ¨C A Historical Invention By the time that Euphie and Mailey had returned to the control facility with Coen, the battle was already over. The five over parts users were on the ground. They could not move, due to broken bones and being covered in rubble. In the center, Tor waited, but remained ready to fight. But when he saw the twins, he sighed with relief and waved his hand. ¡°And the result?¡± ¡°We succeeded after testing it with a Golem¡¯s magic stone.¡± Euphie said as she looked behind her. It was the Adventurers who they had united with while testing the magic energy recharging. Mailey looked at the over parts users. ¡°These Adventurers told me about what has happened. All of them seem to lack magic energy, just like Mr. Rokuk. We have the materials, so we will commence recharging at once.¡± ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll hold them down if they become violent. The rest of you Adventurers, keep your eyes on the area. As the control facility is destroyed, the other magitec beasts might come to repair it.¡± Normally, they would have quickly retreated, so they would not encounter any magitec beasts. However, as they had to deal with Rokuk and the others, they may have to fend them off. Mailey then took out a part from a Golem that was coated in wax. She then touched it with a needle made from a sharped Golem finger. And then the needle was placed on the empty magic stone. And then Coen used a magic conductor to connect the empty magic stone with the one in Rokuk¡¯s over parts. While Tor was holding Rokuk down, the fact that Coen worked without hesitation showed how brave she was. Rokuk turned unfocused eyes towards them. ¡°I still¡­have consciousness. The others¡­¡± Coen muttered and then clicked her tongue. ¡°Really. I do not like humans at all.¡± ¡°Aye, Tor said that. I think I understand what a ¡®tsundere¡¯ is now.¡± ¡°If you talk nonsense anymore, I¡¯ll change your arms into something you won¡¯t like.¡± ¡°But everyone looks up to me!¡± As Rokuk chuckled, and felt the magic being drawn from his over parts. His eyes followed the wire of the conductor, and fixed on the circle board of wax. Tor was also looking at it with a curious expression, and so Mailey explained. ¡°It is a kind of record disc. A very primitive one, made by Mr. Edison.¡± ¡°I thought it was a discus.¡± ¡°We had to use what we have. But when it comes to sound, it is better to use vertical grooves.¡± The magic energy from Rokuk¡¯s over parts flowed into the vibration board, showing a unique pattern. And then the needle carved it into the rotating disc. As the Adventurers held their breath and watched, Euphie removed the needle, and then connected the reading needle and Golem magic stone with the magic conductor. The magic energy from the Golem went into the needle. Then the needle was placed against the wax disc, and it started to vibrate up and down. ¡°Mr. Rokuk, tell me if something feels wrong. This is still an experiment, so we do not know what can happen.¡± Rokuk said with a chuckle, and then the reading needle began to send magic energy into his over parts¡¯ stone. It was a strange feeling. It felt like his arms were being warmed from the inside. Like the blood was starting to flow in again. It itched and felt numb. And the orders that had been ringing in his head grew farther away. And his foggy visions and thoughts became clear again. It was as if he was regaining himself. ¡°How do you feel?¡± ¡°It does not feel bad.¡± ¡°And your speech has improved.¡± They would have liked to watch over him for longer, but after seeing his face and hearing him talk, Mailey determined that the danger was gone. And so she instructed the others to do the same procedure on the remaining four Adventurers. Rokuk was told to rest there. He then turned to Tor, who was next to him. ¡°¡­Sorry for all the trouble.¡± ¡°Really. Though, it resulted in my friends creating the invention of the century.¡± ¡°Recharging magic stones. The world will change. And it seems quite simple to do.¡± Up until now, there was no way to recharge magic stones, and so it was difficult to maintain the barriers and cars in cities, as they required magic energy of high purity. The barriers around cities were especially important, because they kept magitec beasts and monsters out, and yet they required so many magic stones that they put the city at financial risk. But once this recharging method spread, the price of stones would drop, and the fuel problem would be solved. It would affect so many departments. ¡°You¡¯re really something, Tor. But these pals of yours. They will be a part of history.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m starting to feel left behind. And so I¡¯ll expect you to drink with me when we return to Fangaro. We can cheer each other up.¡± ¡°No, you make me sick. Ouch! Don¡¯t hit me! I¡¯m bound here and can¡¯t even move!¡± ¡°You deserve it. Idiot!¡± As the two joked around, Tor and Rokuk¡¯s lack of seriousness seemed to infect the others, and their expressions finally relaxed. If Rokuk was this lively now, then the others should be able to return to themselves as well. The process continued, and they waited for all five of the Adventurers to regain consciousness. And then Tor and the others left the magitec beast nest behind them. They reunited with the team that had been worriedly waiting for them, as they were late, and then they started down the road back to Fangaro. It was then that someone muttered. ¡°Over parts. What will happen to them now¡­¡± Now that they knew of the danger of losing control, and the effects of the control facility, the use of them would surely be restricted. However, Rokuk just laughed it off. ¡°People will just have to continue using magitec arms. Well, it¡¯s a bit too late for us. I suppose I¡¯ll have to do office work at the guild instead.¡± ¡°It seems like you won¡¯t be affected, as long as you avoid any stressful combat that uses a lot of magic energy. And with regular inspections, you should be able to live a normal life.¡± Mailey declared. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, Ms. Coen?¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes turned to Coen, who knew more about magitec than anyone present. Coen yawned as if disinterested. ¡°Hmm? I think it should be fine? The Golems probably went crazy for a similar reason, so expulsion won¡¯t be necessary. A fighting force is always needed, no matter where you are.¡± Now that Coen had agreed with Mailey, the Adventurers sighed with relief. ¡°¡­Ah!¡± Suddenly, Coen stopped and raised her voice. And then she turned back to the nest. ¡°After all that chaos, we forgot to gather the aluminum!¡± As she tried to return, Tor grabbed her by the collar. ¡°We can do it tomorrow.¡± ¡°My aluminium!¡± As he dragged Coen away, he turned to the twins. ¡°I hope that you two aren¡¯t thinking about going back either?¡± ¡°Yes, yes.¡± Rokuk saw them and chuckled. ¡°¡­They sure are free.¡± CH 47 Part 3 ¨C Chapter 16: A Quest You Wouldn¡¯t Want To Accept A week had now passed since the attack on the magitec beast nest, and things had settled down considerably. An investigation that combined a review of the safety of overparts and finding the cause of control loss. Verification and experiments with the magic stone recharging method. The outlook for a magic stone price crash and a reevaluation of various magic machines, now that fuel efficiency issues had been resolved. Golem development for city defense. The Fangaro council was in turmoil, and the magitec masters¡¯ workshops were incredibly busy. Companies refrained from purchasing magic stones, as prices were expected to crash and put surplus funds into the magitec cars, which would be used as transport vehicles. And Adventurers who could no longer sell magic stones, formed new clans and started to flow out of Fangaro. Now that a week had passed, it was noisier outside of Fangaro than inside. After completing his magitec car driving training, Tor showed up at Coen¡¯s workshop. ¡°I see you¡¯re doing it.¡± Coen and the twins were making a Golem. A light Golem made from an aluminum alloy. It was not much bigger than a human, and even though it could not hide the fact that it was mechanical, it had a strikingly humanoid face. Tor was reminded of a mannequin, but according to Coen, it was the ultimate Golem and lover. She then installed the conversation BOT feature, and independence drive. ¡°We just finished. Isn¡¯t it amazing?¡± Euphie said as she rushed to him with excitement and pointed to the Golem. Apparently, it contained various conversation patterns that Coen had prepared over time, allowing it to speak quite naturally. Tor didn¡¯t know much about such things, and so he had no idea where the data was. But it was clear that this was impressive technology. Coen hummed as she started to clean up her tools, and then she noticed Tor. ¡°The interior parts that I ordered for the magitec car have arrived, and so I should be able to install them tomorrow or the day after that. Have you gotten used to driving?¡± ¡°Well, for the most part.¡± As this was a world without proper driving rules, there was no such thing as a driver¡¯s license. You didn¡¯t even need to train if it was just driving, but Tor also had to learn how to attach the tire chains. Tor then sat down in a nearby chair, and took out some sandwiches that he had bought for everyone¡¯s lunch. ¡°So, what did you hear from the Fangaro Magitec Master Guild?¡± While Coen was one of the best in Fangaro, she hated people, and did not involve herself in the guild. Up until now, overparts had been considered a necessity for the city¡¯s defenses, and so research of the dangerous Golems was more obscure. However, now that it was revealed that overparts had the same problem as Golems, things had changed. As Golems weren¡¯t real people, the risk was not as high. And since Coen was an authority on Golem research, she would often get visitors from the Magitec Master Association. ¡°They asked me to join their advisory group. Of course, I declined. After all, I have him now. I won¡¯t need any other Golems!¡± Coen said as she rubbed her cheek against the aluminum alloy Golem. Tor did not say anything. If he wanted to argue with Coen about treating a Golem like an ordinary lover, then they might be here for another hour. Euphie reached out for a sandwich and changed the subject. ¡°Ms. Coen. She just said, ¡®As if I care!¡¯ and threw the people out! I felt bad for them.¡± ¡°I hate humans that change their minds like that. Golems are wonderful because they are consistent.¡± ¡°See? They had no hope at all. And yet, it seemed like they hadn¡¯t given up completely either.¡± ¡°Well, if they want to show consistency, then they would have to visit at least three times.¡± ¡°Like in the Records of the Three Kingdoms? We don¡¯t have much resources when it comes to old literature, so I cannot keep up with you.¡± Euphie said apologetically. Tor waved it away. It was just idle chatter and not important. ¡°Hey! Are you in there, Tor?¡± A voice rang from outside of the workshop. Coen immediately looked annoyed. That¡¯s your guest, so go. Coen seemed to say as she gestured to Tor. And so he got up from his seat. When he opened the door of the workshop, he saw that Rokuk was standing there while folding his iron arms. ¡°Oh, so you were here after all.¡± ¡°Want to come in?¡± ¡°¡­Hey, don¡¯t invite so many people into my workshop.¡± Coen warned. And so Tor chuckled. He then stepped outside and leaned against the wall. Euphie and Mailey also came out to see what it was about. Rokuku bowed to Euphie and Mailey. ¡°Ladies. Thank you so much!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Euphie and Mailey looked taken aback. Tor folded his arms in front of him like a shield. And with a chuckle, he spoke to Rokuk. ¡°I know that you¡¯re grateful to them for saving your life. But you don¡¯t need to bow to them every time we meet.¡± ¡°You may say that, but they are now great women who have accomplished a historic feat. I have to show them some respect.¡± ¡°Well, nevermind. So, why are you here? Did you fail the staff employment exam at the guild?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that. Of course, I passed. And I got my first job.¡± ¡°First job?¡± Mailey poked her head out from behind Tor, as if she was interested. Euphie looked out from the other side. ¡°Is there a request for Mr. Tor? Or is it for us?¡± ¡°All three of you, my ladies.¡± Rokuk then showed them the request sheet. It read, ¡®Requesting an investigation on the Crambarrow Vampire Incident.¡¯ Tor read it from top to bottom and then looked at Rokuk. ¡°And you think we¡¯re going to accept that?¡± ¡°I think everyone thought that you wouldn¡¯t, and so they hoped sending an old friend might help.¡± They both laughed at that. Euphie and Mailey were at a loss, and started to read it over again. However, they could find no reason to refuse, and so they looked up at Tor. ¡°Why don¡¯t you want to accept it?¡± ¡°The client isn¡¯t the Crambarrow Council or Adventurers Guild branch.¡± ¡°It is from a group of livestock raisers. What about it?¡± ¡°If the damage was bad enough that multiple people would sign this request, then the council or guild should have acted already. And if they haven¡¯t, it suggests that opinions on the matter are split. In other words, taking on this request could mean making enemies of one side of the city. And they will hold a grudge.¡± ¡°So that is why¡­¡± While there were other points of concern, Tor did not go into detail, as the biggest issue was the client. Rokuk looked like he had given up already, and he started to roll up the sheet again. ¡°I will tell the guild then. Though, I doubt anyone else will accept it. Besides, if there really are vampires, then this would be work for an A-Rank party. But, I would really appreciate it if you could just go and take a look?¡± ¡°Take a look¡­¡± While Tor was not enthusiastic about it, the twins were very interested. ¡°I heard that vampires are intelligent enough to speak, in spite of being classified as monsters.¡± ¡°And they were nearly at a state of war with humans during the age of the ancient civilization.¡± The twins looked up at Tor as if they had just discovered some treasure. ¡°It sounds terribly fascinating!¡± ¡°¡­Fine, if we are only going to take a look. But do not expect us to solve any problems.¡± ¡°Tor, you really are soft when it comes to them, eh?¡± Tor ignored Rokuk¡¯s remark. Rokuk then left, saying he had office work to do, and Tor turned back to the twins. ¡°You two really helped with the overparts matter. Thank you.¡± ¡°No, no. We are comrades, after all. We help each other.¡± ¡°Besides, it¡¯s not like there was no self-interest involved.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Euphie and Mailey let go of Tor and smiled mischievously. ¡°The more friends you have here¡­¡± ¡°The deeper your roots will be in this world. That¡¯s what we thought.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Tor laughed and pulled them close by the shoulders. ¡°I have you two already. That¡¯s deep enough.¡± Euhpie and Mailey blushed. ¡°It sounds rather embarrassing when you say it like that.¡± ¡°Well, with all of that said, we¡¯ll be more like rootless trees with the new magitec car.¡± ¡°Like tumbleweed then. Those things that are always rolling around in westerns.¡± ¡°Is that what they are called?¡± ¡°Apparently, that¡¯s how they sow their seeds. We should also sow seeds of trouble.¡± ¡°We aren¡¯t exactly troublemakers¡­ Well, maybe we are.¡± In most cases, there had already been a problem, but Tor had to admit that they tended to cause quite a scene in the process of solving it. ¡°We-well, we are not going to be solving this vampire problem. And I doubt that our presence will lead to anything bigger.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a flag.¡± Euphie and Mailey said teasingly. CH 48 Part 4 ¨C Chapter 1: Magitec Car Ride A single, large magitec car drove down the road that had been hardened under the feet of travelers and horses. Even though there was no one else on the road, Tor made sure that he did not drive too fast, and kept his eyes on the scenery while gripping the wheel. As for Euphie and Mailey, they leisurely read books in the back of the car. ¡°It really doesn¡¯t shake.¡± ¡°It is incredibly comfortable.¡± ¡°Mr. Tor, would you like a drink?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need a drink, but I¡¯m becoming bored, so talk to me about something.¡± Tor said. He would have been able to listen to the radio if he was on earth, but not here. The twins flipped through the pages of the books, and muttered ¡®indeed,¡¯ as they chose a subject. ¡°Our destination is Crambarrow, it has long been considered the capital of art and culture.¡± ¡°Ah, I have heard of that. There are quite a few famous masters that came from there. Painters, architects, composers, playwrights¡­¡± A center of culture that has produced artists in various departments. It was surrounded in vast and rich lands, where many monsters lived. As they made a profit from such trade, they actively worked to keep the roads safe. But though they had many Adventurers in the city, for some reason, the types and number of monsters in the area was very unstable, which meant that the Adventurers were quick to leave and be replaced by others. ¡°I¡¯ve never visited. What about you two?¡± ¡°We went there once, because our parents had to attend a party. It was about five years ago.¡± ¡°It was very fancy. But not a place I would like to stay for too long, as I would pick up some wasteful habits. It is a fun place to be as a tourist.¡± The two added that the food was also very good. As Tor never meant to stay there long anyway, his expectations grew. ¡°Yes, yes. There is something that we have to tell you, Mr. Tor.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Tor asked as he slowed down. They were nearing a curve. He looked at the twins through the rear mirror. But they looked away as if embarrassed. ¡°If you intend to make purchases of any erotic pieces, let us know so that we can give you some privacy.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t buy that!¡± Tor let out a sigh. ¡°No, I wouldn¡¯t buy such things. I don¡¯t really understand the worth of art. I would rather eat something good if I¡¯m going to spend money.¡± Tor insisted that he had an appetite for food more than the lewd, and Mailey nodded understandingly. ¡°I was under the impression that all men owned something of that nature. And so I was puzzled that you had nothing like that in your belongings, Mr. Tor.¡± ¡°Wait a minute, you looked through my belongings?¡± ¡°There will be surprise inspections every now and then.¡± Mailey said with an adorable smile as she held her index fingers together. Tor looked at her admonishingly. ¡°How about not at all? Postponed. Indefinitely.¡± ¡°Do you have something you wish to hide?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not even hiding your curiosity. Even possessive girlfriends would do it in secret.¡± Tor was impressed that they possessed such skills, though he had no interest in lewd animations. ¡°Crambarrow has these animation techniques?¡± ¡°No, and not anywhere in this world. Besides, pigments are so expensive that you would be forced to work with black and white in order to make enough pictures for an animation. And on top of that, it would be even more expensive to hire a skilled artist. Animation would take an incredible amount of time and money.¡± In this world, you have to be decently wealthy to even be able to study art. And so gathering enough people to make an animation would be very expensive. ¡°You are not considered a first rate artist until you are familiar with working with expensive pigments and have created enough art with them. It would be very hard to hire such a person.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Tor realized how privileged his situation had been, as Japan was flooded with animation. ¡°Pigements, huh? I never really thought about it, but I suppose they are expensive here. I rarely buy any clothes that are dyed.¡± It was very difficult to make purple. And so it had always been expensive and a sign of luxury. The twins nodded back, and then took out some herb tea from the refrigerator. ¡°A lot of the trade in Crambarrow is related to importing pigments. It is causing great stress to their finances.¡± ¡°The city has always been run by the Barrow family. Apparently, when status restrictions were applied to the import of purple, which is a precious color, the residents backed it which led to the rise of the house.¡± ¡°So art even affects the politics of the city. Interesting.¡± It was a city where art put food on the table. ¡°And yet, they are being troubled by vampires now. I heard that the incident has already inspired paintings and plays.¡± ¡°Plays, huh? That sounds entertaining.¡± ¡°You really do sound like a tourist¡­¡± While Tor had no intention of solving this supposed vampire incident, they were still going to Crambarrow in order to investigate. And while he chuckled at the twins, who seemed to have forgotten their purpose, he stepped harder on the accelerator so that they would have more time to sightsee. CH 49 Part 4 ¨C Chapter 2: Waiting The number of people increased the closer they got to Crambarrow. Tor eased the pressure on the accelerator and looked to the left and right. While Crambarrow was on top of a gentle hill, it was surrounded by a vast, dense forest. And though there were town roads extending from it, it seemed that there were even fewer Adventurers here than he had heard. Most of the people seemed to be merchants, carrying food products, and they were currently waiting in a line for inspection. It was so long that you would likely have to wait for hours to get in. But at least it suggested that Crambarrow was full of life¡­ ¡°It seems like the inspections are becoming stricter.¡± Said Mailey, as she looked ahead from over Tor¡¯s shoulder. It wasn¡¯t that the inspectors were bad at their job, but that there were so many items to examine, that it took a long time. As it was Tor¡¯s first time, he just supposed that this was normal. But Euphie looked puzzled. ¡°The last time we were here, it felt like they welcomed anyone who came. Could this be because of the vampires?¡± Euphie wondered, as it seemed like any container that was large enough to hide someone was lowered from the carriages or wagons and inspected. ¡°Documents and records from the ancient civilization¡¯s ruins tell us that vampires carbonize when exposed to sunlight. And will turn to ash in a matter of minutes. And they cannot heal without drinking blood. Perhaps they inspect them in sunlight, just in case?¡± ¡°That is likely. If there really is a vampire lurking there, then fighting it would be too dangerous. And seventy percent of the people standing in line will likely die as well.¡± ¡°Mr. Tor. Have you fought against a vampire?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t. It was just something I heard in the hidden beastkin settlement.¡± According to what a beastkin elder told him, the combat abilities of vampires surpassed that of most humans. The twins were curious now, and urged Tor to continue. Euphie sat in the passenger seat, while Mailey leaned on the back of Tor¡¯s seat. ¡°According to reports from the ancient civilization, vampires can create thralls by sucking their blood. And they form a strict class system. However, not a lot is known about them.¡± ¡°While the report itself is considered to be important and of great value, there are many who are doubtful that vampires really exist.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve read that report as well. And there were some parts that fit with what I heard from the beastkin. But the part of rigid class systems is a lie. And while it is true that they can make thralls, it does not happen every time they suck blood.¡± As the line had stopped moving completely, Tor slouched back into his seat. ¡°Vampires do not age, and have incredible healing ability. However, they are quite few in number. And they live in hiding. Apparently, they have a hidden settlement somewhere, but the beastkin do not know where it is.¡± ¡°A hidden vampire settlement. How frightening¡­and interesting¡­¡± ¡°It is not like vampires go around and drink anyone¡¯s blood. In the first place, it doesn¡¯t even have to be humans. They can drink from monsters. Though, apparently, magitec beasts have poison to ward them off.¡± Euphie and Mailey looked surprised when they heard that monsters were prey for vampires as well. Even during the age of the ancient civilization, vampires were seen as enemy creatures to the point that they were categorized as monsters. The reason was that not only did they need human blood to survive, but the fact that they could increase their numbers through making thralls, which might result in societal instability. However, if they could quench their thirst with monster blood, that changed things greatly. ¡°In that case, they may not really be a threat to humans?¡± ¡°In terms of their survival, yes. But their combat ability is a different matter.¡± The beastkin were already strong compared to humans. And the vampires surpassed even them. Humans would not be able to do anything when facing a vampire. ¡°Are they really that strong?¡± It was hard for the twins to imagine, as they had never seen Tor struggling during a fight. Tor thought for a moment, how to best explain it, and then he opened his mouth. ¡°For instance, say that you two have a mana level of 1 right now. But if you turned into a vampire, that would turn to level 20.¡± ¡°¡­Twenty times as much? Wouldn¡¯t that be close to a dragon?¡± There was no limit to how much mana they could have, and they continued to get stronger. If they had a hundred times as much mana as the average person, even weapons with anti-magic Enchants would not be able to stand against them. ¡°Even I would not want to go up against a vampire. Besides, according to the beastkin, there are some vampires around now who have lived since the ancient civilization. I don¡¯t want to think about what it would be like to go against them.¡± If there really were people from that time, then they would not be someone that humans could go against. Upon hearing this, the twins questioned Tor nervously. ¡°If you were to be able to fight against a vampire, how young would they have to be?¡± ¡°In a one on one fight, I suppose we might be evenly matched if it was a hundred years old. If it was two hundred years, then I would have to use my trump card, and I might still die. If it was three hundred years old, then I would say there would be no hope of winning.¡± While the Adventurers Guilds had never put out requests to hunt vampires, Tor had made a report about everything he heard from the beastkin, and it was accepted for the most part. The reason why this request had even come to Tor was because he was ranked in the hierarchy, and had proven his battle ability, on top of writing that report. ¡°However, I very much doubt this incident here is the work of a real vampire. Surely they would have hidden themselves better.¡± After the fall of the ancient civilization, no vampires had ever been sighted. That¡¯s how good they were at concealing themselves. They were also cautious. ¡°In any case, we cannot say anything until we investigate¡­ However, these inspections are so slow¡­¡± He chuckled as he looked at the line ahead of them. Mailey then took out a box of cookies from a shelf in the back. ¡°Snack time!¡± ¡°It was a good thing we purchased this magitec car. Just being able to sit like this is nice. And there is proper ventilation, and we can relax while eating.¡± Merchants and youths, who looked like hopeful artists, watched Tor jealously, as he accepted the cookies from Mailey. The sun was high in the sky, and it was quite hot. They were sweating and looked thirsty. Always perceptive, the twins then began to prepare some carbonated fruit water. ¡°Refreshing carbonated juice! We have different types as well! Three coppers for a cup!¡± Euphie started to sell them. She really was the daughter of a great company owner.