《Greetings, Automata Maid》 CH extra The vacations ended, and the new term began at the school in the city. Olivia had learned the value of studies during that time, so her attitude changed entirely, avidly listening to class and studying. ¡°Hahh.¡± In truth, that never happened. Whether during class or during break, she spent her time looking out the window with longing eyes. She had never been serious about studying, but this was strange even for her. ¡°Hey, Olivia. Why the long face? Is something wrong?¡± During break, the cat demi-human Amy spoke to Olivia, as representative of her friends. They had known each other since childhood, and were pretty much best friends. ¡°It¡¯s nothing really¡­¡± Olivia replied, her eyes glued to the window. She had never behaved like that before, making Amy worried since she knew her for so long. ¡°Did something happen during vacations?¡± Even as her best friend, Amy thought that was a bit rude to ask, but she would never know how to help otherwise. They were best friends, she had to do this for her. But Olivia¡¯s reply would completely take over that little leap of faith. ¡°¡­So¡­¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°There¡¯s someone I like.¡± ¡°Oh, I see. So you¡¯ve fallen in¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Amy stayed silent, and pinched her cheek. She felt pain, she had to admit this was reality, which made her shake her head in defeat. But she still could not believe it. ¡°Are you joking?!¡± Olivia finally turned away from the window, glaring at her friend with an annoyed look. ¡°But it¡¯s you we¡¯re talking about! You¡¯ve always picked adventure stories over romance, your only interest in guys is to fight them and humiliate them. You¡¯re basically the school¡¯s gang leader but you like someone now?! Ahhh, I knew the world was coming to an end.¡± ¡°Amy, just what do you see me as?¡± ¡°An utterly hopeless student but fight-loving musclehead brawler girl?¡± ¡°Guh¡­¡± Olivia was stunned hearing her best friend¡¯s unfiltered assessment of her, but she also knew there was no way for her to deny any of that, so she remained silent. ¡°Tell me though, what kind of person is it? Someone cool? Is he older?¡± Amy was in the ripe age to be excited about romance, so she quickly changed her attitude and cornered her friend. Olivia was baffled at how fast that change was, but they were friends for so long she just let it go and replied. ¡°Hmm¡­good at housework¡­and delicious cooking! Though I only tried it once¡­¡± ¡°Being able to take care of the house is really valuable, yes.¡± ¡°¡­usually speaks softly too, but really aggressive when fighting¡­¡± ¡°Oh, some unpredictability is fun from time to time.¡± ¡°¡­younger than me1, but really smart and helped me study better¡­¡± ¡°Oh oh, so in short he¡¯s really good at keeping the house, really polite, but also has a wild side and is younger than you?¡± ¡°Y-Yeah.¡± ¡°I see, hmm¡­¡± Amy crosses her arms and tilts her head, closing her eyes while groaning. Olivia felt something was slightly off, though her description and Amy¡¯s understanding of it seemed to overlap, so she said nothing. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation and stop supporting the content thief!) ¡°You know¡­¡± ¡°W-what?¡± Done thinking, Amy opened her eyes, held Olivia¡¯s shoulders and looked at her with a gentle face. ¡°That person is probably crazy popular. If you don¡¯t pursue him aggressively, someone else might snatch him.¡± Natalia was still confined to the house¡¯s territory, but Olivia¡¯s mother had mentioned she would eventually help out as an adventurer too, which meant more people would get to know her, and it was hard to imagine they would not look at her in a special way. It was true that Natalia is just a Magic Automaton, but her personality more than made up for it, and plenty of people would look past that. It was very likely other people would fall in love with her just like Olivia, and Natalia might fall in love back with them. ¡°I won¡¯t let anyone do that!¡± Just thinking of someone else being with Natalia made Olivia want to die. ¡°How do I pursue aggressively though? A kiss on the cheek and a bath together didn¡¯t do anything to get myself noticed.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m shook. That¡¯s a lot more assertive than I expected from you, and I¡¯m your best friend.¡± Amy felt a chill down her spine. Olivia had always preferred a good fight instead of roses, and had remained untouched to love affairs for her entire life, but in two weeks she had stepped up the ladder to becoming an adult considerably. ¡°But he must be really dense to not notice anything even after all that. Though I guess it makes sense that he isn¡¯t interested in romance yet if he¡¯s younger. Still, you won¡¯t have many chances if you can only see him when you¡¯re home.¡± Amy continued thinking about it herself, while Olivia turned her eyes back to the window, staring outside. All Olivia could think about was her beloved Natalia. What was she doing at that moment? Has she learned magic already? Has she gone outside the house again since then? Thinking of Natalia made her chest feel constricted, but also warm. ¡°Hey, Olivia!¡± As she wallowed in those sad but endearing thoughts, a crude voice called out her name. When she lifted her face, she saw Joshua, the dog demi-human. He was a student of the classroom next to hers, and every time they saw each other they would end up fighting. It would always end with Olivia¡¯s victory though. But a week before the vacations, Joshua¡¯s attitude had changed dramatically. ¡°I heard you aren¡¯t looking well, what happened?¡± Joshua looked earnestly worried about her, but to Olivia he still looked like a bitter enemy, so she did not know how to feel hearing him like that. But then she recalled what her mother told her during vacations. ¡°Ahh, right, I actually have to apologize to you for something.¡± ¡°Huh? Did I do something then?¡± ¡°Actually, it¡¯s me. I didn¡¯t know that touching your ears meant that.¡± ¡°Wait, then¡­¡± The color of his face drained. Olivia did not care, and continued without mercy. ¡°Yeah, I really had no intention to make you think that when I touched them. I¡¯m sorry I gave you the wrong idea2.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­Joshua?¡± ¡°You a?s?s?h?o?l?e?! Manipulator! B?i?t?c?h?3!¡± ¡°I feel like I said something similar not too long ago¡­wait, Joshua!¡± Joshua broke into tears and ran away from the classroom, and in his stead the teacher entered. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen. Please support us by visiting our site.) ¡°Alright, time for class everyone¡­wait, what happened here?¡± ¡°Olivia made Joshua from the other class cry!¡± Her antics were really so common that not even the teachers were surprised anymore. Before heading to her own seat, Amy whispered into Olivia¡¯s ear. ¡°I¡¯ll research how to get the person you like to like you back. Good luck.¡± ¡°Thank you, Amy.¡± Amy had a bigger interest in romantic affairs than Olivia, so she decided to do her best to help her best friend fulfill her desires. ¡°Mm, maybe just treating it as an established fact would be faster, actually.¡± But they were still children at the end of the day, so it was hard to believe they really knew what they were talking about. Sneeze! ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Y-Yes. I¡¯m fine.¡± Natalia still did not know the explosive4 situation developing somewhere far away. CH 1 I heard a voice. I thought I had died, but a part of my mind still was conscious. Maybe I had gotten lucky and was still alive, or more likely, this is the afterlife. An unknown place greets my eyes as I open them. A wall covered with books and tools I could not recognize, and the room overall looking dark and old. At least I¡¯m certain that this is no hospital room. ¡°Now, I just put this over here¡­¡± ¡°Umm¡­¡± ¡°This is important, please don¡¯t interrupt me.¡± ¡°Ah, alright.¡± I tried talking to the woman in front of me, but she refused to talk. She looks very focused on something. Looking to the side, I find a large and tall mirror. I gasped after noticing it, taken aback by what I was seeing. She was clearly not a human, I could see seams and screws all over her body, and there were ball-joints to allow her limbs to move. A mannequin, very human-like, but a mannequin nonetheless. Still, what had surprised me so much was her actual appearance. She had silvery hair that grew down to her shoulders, long eyelashes, shiny blue eyes like sapphires, and lively lips. Her chest was large, but still shaped beautifully, and there was little excess material around her waist, giving her hips very charming curves. She was beautiful to an unrealistic extent. Too pretty. If I ever passed by a girl with a similar body wearing casual clothes, I¡¯d turn my head back just to continue watching her. ¡°Hm?¡± Feeling something off, I lift my right arm. The beautiful mannequin in the mirror does the same. I try my left arm. She follows suit. I lifted both my arms, then my knee, and crossed my legs!1 It was perfect. Without missing a beat, she followed every movement I did. I guess she really loves imitating others. Hah hah hah, what a playful girl. Wait no. The cutie I¡¯m seeing is actually me. ¡°Whaaaaaa-?!¡± I think anyone would shout in this situation. ¡°Ugh I told you to be silent already, I¡¯m trying to wo¡­rk?!¡± ¡°Uwahhh?!¡± ¡°Hieeee?!¡± The woman and I shouted as loud as we could. ¡°Alright, let me explain everything now that you¡¯ve calmed down.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± She points to a chair and I sit down as signaled. From what I could tell, the woman looks like she¡¯s in her late twenties. Her black hair was tied up high, and wore glasses with small lenses in front of wise and knowledgeable eyes. If I had to describe her somehow, she looked like a capable woman. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation and stop supporting the content thief!) Pretty, but in a different way to my current self. ¡°First, I¡¯m Ophelia Eto Gardeland, a sorcerer and your creator.¡± She barely started talking, but I¡¯m already getting worried. She created me? So my guess was right and I¡¯ve been turned into a mannequin. She also said something about being a sorcerer. I guess this is that trope then? Reincarnating in another world or something. Kinda like those animes and novels you see everywhere about God¡¯s Blessing in Another World, or Starting from Zero. I never thought that would happen to me. ¡°You¡¯re the magic automaton I made, your name is Natalia.¡± ¡°Natalia¡­¡± But reincarnating as an automaton? I thought slimes or spiders were more common. Oh right, I¡¯m also a female automaton now, so I guess it¡¯s closer to gender bender¡­maybe? Regardless. My maker, as she called herself, doesn¡¯t seem to notice my consciousness came from another world. I guess there¡¯s no way she could¡¯ve known though. Still, it¡¯s important that I tell her that soon, or I¡¯ll get treated like a common tool. I need to tell her or I won¡¯t be given the same rights as a human being. ¡°So¡­¡± ¡°Your role is to do all house chores, and someday I¡¯ll have you do some adventuring on the side. Just tell me if you don¡¯t like that, I¡¯ll painlessly reset your consciousness.¡± ¡°¡­Okay.¡± ¡°Did you want to say something?¡± ¡°No no, I understand perfectly, Mistress.¡± I could never tell her the truth! CH 2 After that Ophelia1 made me wear a maid outfit and gave me a tour. The house had two floors. Ophelia¡¯s room (where I woke up), a study, an empty room, and two storage rooms were on the second floor, while the dining room, kitchen, bathroom and toilet, and three empty rooms were on the first one. There was also a large garden outside. Quite the mansion, if I say so myself. Oh right, I was given one of the empty rooms on the first floor too, which I appreciate greatly. The tour ended a bit before noon, so we went to the kitchen to get lunch ready. The knives, pots, and other utensils looked a lot like those from my own world. ¡°If you want to keep something fresh, you should store it in this fridge, though if you want to store it for a prolonged time you should use the freezer instead.¡± There¡¯s even fridges and freezers?! ¡°Also, when cooking you can use this dial on the stove to control the heat.¡± There¡¯s stoves too?! ¡°Umm, Mistress, where did these tools come from?¡± ¡°These? I made them.¡± My Mistress, are you perhaps also from another world? Asking that would be more dangerous than walking through a minefield, so I decided not to. ¡°I¡¯ll be the one cooking today, but you¡¯ll help too.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± I cut the ingredients the way she told me, and tasted the seasoning when asked. I used to cook for myself in my past life, so thankfully I knew my way around the kitchen. Ophelia seemed to be very used to cooking, swiftly cooking some sort of seared meat, a salad, and some soup. But isn¡¯t this more than what a single woman can eat? ¡°Well, shall we eat?¡± Oh wow, she made lunch for me too. We walk to the dining room and sit down to eat. ¡°Usually magic automatons don¡¯t need to eat food, but I made you in a way that lets you obtain energy from food like humans.¡± ¡°Why was I made that way?¡± The way she spoke made it seem like she had gone out of her way to give me that ability. There really was no need to do that from an efficiency standpoint. ¡°It¡¯s more fun that way.¡± Ophelia grinned like a playful child when she said that. It caught me off guard since I can¡¯t understand what she finds so funny though, so I was left speechless for a moment. ¡°Let¡¯s eat before it gets cold.¡± ¡°Ah, right. Thank you.¡± I pick up my fork and carry a portion of meat to my mouth, finding the taste rather surprising. The texture was similar to chicken, but the flavor had a sweetness like pork. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation and stop supporting the content thief!) ¡°It¡¯s tasty.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that. One day you¡¯ll be in charge of cooking too, so hopefully you get used to food quickly.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± For a moment I thought maybe she was using food as bait for me, but I quickly reached for the other dishes and ate them while carefully examining the taste. As to where in my body all the food went, I do not want to think about it2. An outside tour followed during the afternoon. There was a very thick green lawn outside, and there was a large and sturdy wall surrounding everything far away. It looked like this house had been built in an opening inside a forest. ¡°There are walls all around the house, and I placed a barrier on it too, so you¡¯ll never have to worry about monsters getting inside.¡± I look around hearing that, seeing a wall of red bricks all around us. Was all of this Ophelia¡¯s property? It was at least as big as a school courtyard. But wait, she said something about monsters? In the forest? ¡°I¡¯m growing many medicinal herbs in the garden. You won¡¯t be in any danger for now, but I want you to learn what each plant and herb does, that will help you when you go outside as an adventurer one day.¡± There are many plants covered under the medicinal herb umbrella. I had to learn which ones helped recover my physical health, or magic power, and which served as antidotes. If I don¡¯t, I might get into a world of pain one day. I follow her behind the house. Unlike what I had seen so far, the ground lay bare and empty there. A gray stone slab was placed on a corner of that place. ¡°This is where you can practice magic. You¡¯ll start with this magic tool.¡± A dirt column popped up around twenty meters ahead of us when she placed her hand over the stone slab. ¡°That will make a target for you, and you¡¯ll have to take it down.¡± While she was saying that, a crimson fireball flew past me, hitting the dirt pile and making a hole in it. Putting her hand on the stone slab once again, the target crumbles and returns to the ground. ¡°Eventually I¡¯ll teach you how to use weapons and magic. You can do anything you want during your free time, so you should try to learn this soon, I have great hopes for you.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Ohh, I¡¯m gonna learn to use magic. There¡¯s nothing more exciting in fantasy than magic after all! While my very existence is fantasy itself, I¡¯ll ignore that and instead enjoy my life in a different world! CH 3 After looking at the magic training spot, she showed me the entire wall. Somehow, I didn¡¯t get tired from that. Ah, right. I¡¯m an automaton now, so I don¡¯t have muscles that get tired. Then we went back to the kitchen to make dinner, Ophelia cooked and I helped with what I could. After we ate together, I helped to wash the dishes. Ophelia said she had to get something ready so she went to her room, and I waited for her in my own room. To be honest, I feel like there are a lot more interesting fantasy things around the house, but my life is tied to my Mistress. I can¡¯t just do something careless and get into a dangerous situation. So for now, I¡¯ll just see what I can find in my room. There was a bed, a closet, a desk, and a chair. It was enough, while not being excessive, it was exactly what I¡¯d expect for a servant. Though from the way she acted, she would probably give me more things if I asked for them. ¡°I¡¯d like to read some novels at least.¡± Even though I was starting to live again in another world, it was hard to separate myself from my otaku roots. ¡°I¡¯ll have to learn how they write in this world first though.¡± I had never been good with other languages like English, but I would do my best to consume entertainment. ¡°I wonder what¡¯s inside here.¡± I open the closet and find multiple identical sets of clothes. All maid uniforms. My Mistress really prepared everything for me. I got so happy my eyes started feeling warm, though I didn¡¯t cry. Checking the lower drawers, I saw some sexy underwear too, yay! This would¡¯ve been a goldmine in my past life! Though I¡¯ll be wearing it in this life! Realizing that, I froze in terror until I heard a knock on the door. It was obvious who was there. ¡°Natalia, let¡¯s take a bath, I¡¯ll show you how everything works there too. And bring a change of underwear.¡± ¡°Right away, Mistress.¡± Ahh, a bath. I wasn¡¯t expecting that as an automaton. I return to the closet and take out a set of underwear, both the lower and upper type. That was important to remember. I was still easily entranced by girls, fantasizing all sorts of things, and I could not let my own appearance stop that. Ophelia was waiting for me in the bathroom. ¡°After you undress here you can put your used clothes in the basket. Doing the laundry can be left for tomorrow.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± That was also going to be my job. ¡°Why are you still standing there? Undress already.¡± ¡°Huh? Ah, right.¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation and stop supporting the content thief!) I hurriedly take off my maid outfit, seeing the artificial skin under them again. While I knew it was my own body, and also an automaton, I still felt unnerved looking at it. ¡°The bath itself is behind this door.¡± ¡°O-okay.¡± I walk past the door and enter a room filled with steam. The bathroom was large, like that of a Japanese inn, and there was plenty of space for three adults in the water. There was a slightly pink color to the steam, and I could faintly smell roses in the air, probably from some sort of bathing powder. There was also a shower next to the bathtub. By now I expected as much and wasn¡¯t as surprised as before. ¡°I was the most involved in designing this bathroom when the house was built. I¡¯m quite proud of it.¡± ¡°I see-?!¡± I turn around and to my surprise, I see Ophelia, buck naked and with her hair down. I had thought she was stylish before, but I could see just how gorgeous she is now, without anything getting in the way. ¡°What happened?¡± I had already guessed as much, but my Mistress truly possesses something magnificent. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing.¡± I feel ashamed and guilty, but the large and ripe fruits I had seen are burned into my eyes already. ¡°Anyway, this is how this works. First you turn the faucet here.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Calm down, me. Stare too much and it¡¯ll seem weird. It¡¯ll look obvious you¡¯re a virgin if you look so distracted too. N-n-n-n-n-not like I¡¯m a virgin though! Deep breaths, I have to calm down and focus. Don¡¯t let it overwhelm you. Nothing good comes out from rushing things. Slow and steady does the job. ¡°Always wipe down your body before entering the bath.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± I¡¯m an automaton, I¡¯m an automaton. No matter how alluring Ophelia¡¯s bountiful bosom is, I won¡¯t get distracted by it. ¡°So? Does it feel weird?¡± ¡°Not at all, everything is fine.¡± I¡¯m an automaton. I¡¯m an automaton. I¡¯m an automaton. I¡¯m an automaton. Even if Ophelia washes my naked body I won¡¯t budge. ¡°Baths are so nice.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen. Please support us by visiting our site.) I¡¯m an automaton. I¡¯m an automaton. I¡¯m an automaton. I¡¯m an automaton. I¡¯m an automaton. I¡¯m an automaton. Even if Ophelia¡¯s b?o?o?b?s? are floating in the water in front of me, I won¡¯t budge1. ¡°Phew, that felt really good.¡± Huh, I didn¡¯t feel the time passing and before I noticed we were back in the changing room. I feel like I had wasted a great opportunity, but no one would be able to go through such an enjoyable yet shameful hellish heaven without going insane! ¡°Natalia, raise your arms.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Ah, it feels nice to have someone else rubbing a towel on me. The next step is to put underwear on. I feel like giving up already. ¡°There we go.¡± Ophelia tied up her long black hair above her nape. Ohh, her light purple negligee looks gorgeous on her. ¡°This one is for you.¡± So I have to wear one too¡­ She used a hairdryer on me (which also felt incredible), and it was time to call it a day. CH 4 Before sleeping I had wanted to wake up at sunrise the next morning, and when I woke up it was right around that time. Maybe it¡¯s easier to schedule myself as an automaton then? There was little point in thinking about it. I take off my negligee and change into my maid uniform. Then I neatly fold the negligee and store it in the closet. Yesterday Ophelia was showing and explaining everything to me, so I hadn¡¯t been able to help much, but today I¡¯ll work properly as a maid. I have to do my best. I guess I¡¯ll start with preparing breakfast. I used to just have coffee and bread for breakfast in my past life, but I couldn¡¯t subject Ophelia to the same lifestyle. I look into the fridge, finding many ingredients I recognize. Using them, I start preparing an orthodox breakfast. I had a decent idea of what her tastes were like since she made me test the seasoning yesterday, and I could use the stove and other magic tools (if they really could be called that) without problems. When it was all done, I carried the food to the living room, and saw Ophelia had just woken up. ¡°Good morning, Mistress.¡± ¡°¡­Morning. Did you make all this? I¡¯m surprised.¡± ¡°Yes, I hope it¡¯s to your taste.¡± I had made lightly toasted bread in the oven, with bacon, eggs, and a salad of lightly boiled vegetables. This much was a piece of cake for me to make, heheh. I wait for Ophelia to sit down, and then I follow her. ¡°Let¡¯s eat then.¡± As we cut the eggs and bacon with a silver fork and knife1, a delightful scent rises to our noses. ¡°It tastes good.¡± I¡¯m glad. I was terrified of what would happen if she had said it was bad. I calm myself down and reach forward to the food too. It tastes pretty good, if I do say so myself. After eating I do the dishes, and then Ophelia said I¡¯ll take care of cleaning the house today. Cleaning might not sound like much, but the house was really large, and while Ophelia is the only one living here, she gets so immersed with building her tools and machines that she largely neglects cleaning. So it¡¯s probably going to take me the entire day to finish. Though she told me that I shouldn¡¯t touch her room, the study, any rooms on the second floor with locked doors, and the storage rooms. First I knocked down the dust on the walls and windows, so that I could sweep it all when I was done. The house looks newly built, so the dust doesn¡¯t stand out too much, but there is plenty of it everywhere. Dusting the entire house would be quite a workout. When I was done cleaning, it was already time to start making lunch. Ophelia isn¡¯t coming out from her room, so I work on cooking alone again. I use the leftover vegetables from the morning, and use them together with chicken meat to make sandwiches. Ah, I just put mustard in them out of habit, but I wonder if Mistress likes it? I know some people don¡¯t like it, so I should¡¯ve asked first. By the time I was done eating my portion, Ophelia still hadn¡¯t come out, so I covered hers with a napkin and went to resume cleaning. I polish the windows and clean the bathroom, then go back to the dining room and see the sandwiches untouched. ¡°Are you feeling alright, Mistress? You haven¡¯t eaten lunch yet.¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation and stop supporting the content thief!) I was starting to get worried so I walked up the stairs wanting to suggest she eats. ¡°?¡± Before I knock on her door, I notice one of the storage rooms is open nearby. Maybe she¡¯s inside there. I slowly open the door. The storage room was dark, filled with piles of random stuff. There were reddish and blackened coins, plant specimens I couldn¡¯t identify, probably used for magic and things I didn¡¯t know. Either way, curious about it all, I open and look into a wooden box I saw nearby. ¡°Oh, ohhh.¡± Most of the OOParts I was finding in the mansion didn¡¯t surprise me anymore, but this is a surprising find. So shiny, hard, large, and beautifully black. A magnificent handgun inside the box. I pick it up, feeling its sturdy weight as I examine it. It was loaded. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± No, I shouldn¡¯t. I go out of the room and open the window in the corridor, breathing in some fresh air. Oh look at that, a tree outside seems to be offering its branch as a perfect target spot. I pull the slide and firmly hold the gun with both hands. No, I should stop. Ophelia will get mad at me, and might even erase my consciousness. That should be more than enough reason to stop now. But no! True men need no reason to shoot a gun or not! I center the sights on my target and pull the trigger! A loud gunshot followed and the branch got blown to pieces. ¡°Phoo.¡± I blow away the smoke coming out of the muzzle. In my past life I used to frequent the shooter section of an arcade, grinding my name onto the scoreboards to the point my friends started calling me Nobita. My skills hadn¡¯t gone rusty yet. ¡°Natalia.¡± ¡°!¡± The voice I dreaded the most came from behind me. I had made so much noise, so obviously she was going to notice, yeah. ¡°Mind telling me what you¡¯re doing?¡± ¡°Mistress, umm, I was just¡­¡± ¡°Hm? You were just what?¡± ¡°I¡¯m truly sorry!¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen. Please support us by visiting our site.) I had no time to think of honor or shame. I instantly knelt down and pressed my forehead on the ground. ¡°I believe I asked what you were doing.¡± ¡°I found a gun in the storage room, and I felt like trying it out.¡± ¡°I thought I told you not to enter there though?¡± I didn¡¯t need to raise my head to know how she looked, there was a really ominous aura coming from her. This is bad, I¡¯m scared. ¡°Yes, you did tell me not to, Mistress.¡± ¡°Then why did you get in?¡± ¡°I came to check on you because you wouldn¡¯t come downstairs for lunch, then I saw the room was open.¡± ¡°So just because the door was opened, you entered a room you were told not to?¡± Woah, I think I really can¡¯t talk my way out of this! ¡°Look up.¡± ¡°Yes¡­hie!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let this repeat itself.¡± I nod silently. ¡°Good. It got a bit late for me, but I¡¯ll go eat now. Put that gun back to where you found it.¡± Ophelia went downstairs, but I still couldn¡¯t stand up even when she was gone. This was the first time I had ever seen such a scary smile. I vowed, for my own safety, that I would never cross my Mistress¡¯ orders again. I kept feeling bad even after dinner. When I was done washing the dishes, Ophelia told me to sit down with her. Ahh, she¡¯s still mad at me. I slowly sit down, feeling like a convict climbing the gallows. Ophelia stayed silent, her eyes narrowing. This situation is really really bad for my mental health. I wish she¡¯d just kill me instantly if she¡¯s so mad. ¡°Natalia.¡± ¡°Yes?!¡± My voice came out louder than I wished. Ophelia places something on the table, which rattles a little. It was the gun. ¡°This is the magic gun Black Hawk. My late husband designed it, and I finished building it.¡± I didn¡¯t know Ophelia was widowed. Wait no, there was something more important there. If her husband designed it, then maybe he was- ¡°But neither him, the designer, nor me, who built it, were able to fire it. Yet you easily used it earlier.¡± Nevermind, that wasn¡¯t as important either. Mistress, please, don¡¯t look at me like that. I feel my lifespan getting shorter as we speak. ¡°Sometimes high level magic tools choose their users by themselves, though I never imagined a magic automaton could be chosen¡­¡± Hm? Why do I feel like the conversation is going differently than I expected? (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Say no to content thief!) ¡°It¡¯ll just keep getting dusty and old in that box, so I¡¯m entrusting it to you.¡± ¡°Mistress, you aren¡¯t angry?¡± It was obvious from her eyes, but I couldn¡¯t stop myself from asking. ¡°Yes, of course I¡¯m angry. Why? Do you want to get scolded?¡± Ophelia narrows her eyes more, her lips twisting upwards repeating the smile that terrified me earlier. I shake my head so violently it almost comes off me. ¡°I already told you. Don¡¯t repeat the same mistake. I¡¯m forgiving you this time.¡± Ophelia doesn¡¯t seem mad at me anymore, so I can finally breathe peacefully and let my shoulders relax. ¡°Instead, use Black Hawk as much as you can, and tell me any thoughts you have on it.¡± ¡°Thoughts?¡± ¡°Yes, like how it feels in your hands, whether for a short time or a long time. Tell me any little thing you find or feel about it2.¡± So basically I had to test and monitor it in exchange for being forgiven. ¡°I understand.¡± I got the Thing! The magic gun Black Hawk and its holster are mine now! CH 5 The magic gun Black Hawk. A magic tool designed by Ophelia¡¯s late husband, and built by her. It converts the user¡¯s magic power into physical energy, which can then be shot. That conversion can be done almost instantly before firing, or it can be done preemptively, storing the energy in the gun¡¯s magazine. If needed, it can also be loaded with regular gunpowder and bullets too. The conversion from magic power to physical energy for regular bullets is rather efficient. Incendiary bullets could also be produced, but those used a lot more magic power, and the firing range was low. Ophelia¡¯s late husband had never been able to use it well, so it was just stored away. The next day I was given permission to use the training area during times I was free from work. I still haven¡¯t learned how to use magic, so Ophelia loaded three magazines for me, and I was excited to try them out. I put my hand over the stone slab and picture a human silhouette standing further away, and a column of dirt forms there. This is so easy even I can use it. To warm up, I raise a target ten meters away and shoot with regular bullets. I hit it easily. Fifteen meters. Done. Twenty meters. Same. Twenty five meters. Cleared too. ¡­ ¡­¡­ This body is really attuned to guns. My hands were steady unlike a human¡¯s where there¡¯s a shaking from the pulse, my movements are incredibly precise, and because I don¡¯t get exhausted, I also feel no pain from the recoil. And on top of all that, Black Hawk feels incredible. The precision of my movements is nothing to make light of, if I stood completely still and calm, I can even replicate a sniper shot. I knew the gun wasn¡¯t designed for that, but it was something I had to keep in mind. Also, regular bullets were very convenient to carry, twenty five of them fitting in a magazine. Incendiary rounds are far trickier though. They consume a lot more energy, and while I had been told about it, I didn¡¯t expect them to use the equivalent of five regular rounds or more. I still don¡¯t know how much magic power I can produce, so for now I¡¯ll have to stay away from those. Regardless, it¡¯s about time I return to my maid duties. I wonder what I should make for dinner tonight? I spent some repetitive days like that, taking care of the house and practicing shooting with the gun. Then one day Ophelia left after breakfast, and only returned in the afternoon. ¡°Humhuhum, hum hum~¡± She came back in a very good mood, humming happily. ¡°Mistress, did something good happen?¡± ¡°Heheh, look.¡± She shows me some sort of envelope. That reminds me, Ophelia had told me before that mail and deliveries don¡¯t come this deep in the forest, so instead she has to pick everything up from an Adventurer¡¯s Guild in a town nearby. ¡°It¡¯s a letter from my daughter who¡¯s studying in a city far away. She¡¯ll be having a long vacation and will be coming back during that time.¡± This was new information for me. ¡°Mistress, you have a daughter?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t tell you?¡± ¡°This is the first I hear of it.¡± ¡°Oh, cough. Anyway, I¡¯ll cook when she¡¯s here.¡± Ah, she changed topics. I don¡¯t really mind though. Still, I was surprised to see she had a motherly side that made her want to feed her daughter herself. There are many things I still haven¡¯t learned about Ophelia. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation and stop supporting the content thief!) ¡°So, when is the lady arriving?¡± ¡°Mm, she wrote this letter four days ago, and she said she¡¯d depart the next day. It takes four days on horse carriage to get from her school to the nearest town to here, so she should be here tomorrow at the earliest.¡± I see. Hmm, there¡¯s still at least a day left, but I was getting nervous. ¡°¡­ooo¡­¡± What should I do if she doesn¡¯t like me? I won¡¯t get restarted if that happens, right? ¡°¡­oooo¡­¡± At least I¡¯ll have to greet her properly. First impressions are important. ¡°¡­oooooo¡­¡± Also, what is that rumbling sound I¡¯ve been hearing for a while? ¡°Moooooooooooooooootheeeeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrr!!¡± That had been foreshadowing something that arrived at a speed I never thought possible. ¡°I¡¯m back! Motherr!¡± The door was blown open violently, as a girl with the same beautiful black hair as Ophelia entered. ¡°Olivia!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve missed you so much, mother!¡± ¡°Me too, Olivia!¡± The girl jumps towards Ophelia, who catches her in a tight hug. ¡°You look well.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m always in perfect shape!¡± As opposed to Ophelia¡¯s calm demeanor, she was very energetic, even more than girls of her age usually are. ¡°Oh right, there¡¯s someone you have to meet, Olivia.¡± Ophelia glances at me, so I stand up with my back straight. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen. Please support us by visiting our site.) ¡°Who?¡± She tilts her head in wonder, and finally notices I¡¯m there too. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure meeting you, young lady. I¡¯m Natalia, a magic automaton created by Mistress Ophelia. I hope my presence is agreeable.¡± I greeted her as courteously as I could, trying to look like an obedient maid. I also bowed while raising the hem of my skirt slightly. ¡°¡­¡± Wait, she¡¯s not replying? Did I say something weird? ¡°Olivia, introduce yourself too, Natalia looks troubled.¡± ¡°Ah, right. Sorry mother.¡± The girl walks away from Ophelia¡¯s embrace and turns to look at me, her back completely straight. ¡°I¡¯m Olivia Eto Gardeland, I turn twelve this year1. I¡¯m pleased to make your acquaintance¡­miss¡­Natalia¡­¡± Her face was completely red, probably from nerves2. ¡°There¡¯s no need to address me so formally. Please refer to me simply as Natalia.¡± I slowly turn my face up, until my eyes are at the same height as hers. The young lady was actually taller than I thought for her age. ¡°Okay, got it, Natalia.¡± ¡°Thanks, young lady.¡± She looks me in the eyes and smiles. I can understand why Ophelia babies her so much. If she wasn¡¯t my Mistress¡¯ daughter, I would impulsively want to pat her head. ¡°Before I forget, Olivia. Mind showing me your report card?¡± Olivia froze, her movements staggered like a badly oiled robot, and streams of sweat ran down her face. I knew that face all too well. ¡°Mother, I¡¯ve been trying to be more social and prioritized making friends lately!¡± ¡°I see, that¡¯s commendable. But how are your studies?¡± ¡°And even if I got into fights with boys I would always win. I¡¯ll become a high level adventurer like you and father when I grow up!¡± ¡°Oh my, you¡¯ve gotten really strong. But studies are also important to become an adventurer. Show me your report card.¡± ¡°Umm¡­err¡­I mean¡­¡± ¡°Show me your report card.¡± Olivia¡¯s hand trembled as she took out her report card. It¡¯s easier to take a bone from a bulldog¡¯s mouth than to make a mother forget about a topic like that. But young lady, you fought bravely. I offered a silent prayer for her poor soul. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Say no to content thief!) ¡°Olivia.¡± ¡°Yes, mother.¡± Ophelia¡¯s eyes rose from the report card. I knew that face all too well. ¡°I¡¯ll give you personal lectures while you¡¯re here for vacation. You know how those are, right?¡± Was this a regular occurrence then? ¡°This is actually perfect. Natalia, you¡¯ll join us too.¡± ¡°Huh, me?¡± Was I getting dragged into something? ¡°Regular studies and culture is something I had wanted to teach you in the near future as well. It¡¯s better if you two study together.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± I was expecting magic and things like that, but it seems I was wrong. Still, having to take classes again, even though I had actually been reincarnated into a new world, was something I didn¡¯t expect. ¡°¡±Hahh¡­¡±¡± Olivia and I sighed at the same time. CH 6 We follow Ophelia to her room and our lecture starts. I had barely spent any time in this world, so I had to learn their writing from the ground up. Luckily the characters looked similar to the roman alphabet, so it wasn¡¯t too hard. It wasn¡¯t easy enough to memorize in a single day either though. I¡¯ll have to practice writing and reading many times before I know it by heart, so I stop accidentally writing roman characters. While I was busy learning to write and read, Olivia was taking arithmetic classes. From what I could hear, it was hard to say she was doing well at all. ¡°So uhh, 33 x 4 is¡­145?1¡± ¡°Wrong. Calm down and try again.¡± ¡°Uhh¡­¡± Good luck, young lady. Obviously, solving that level of maths was a piece of cake for me. I had learned harder stuff in elementary school2. Eventually Ophelia focused only on correcting Olivia, and I was left to study on my own. B-but I was fine with being left alone! The study session went on until the sun set, and then Ophelia left the room to prepare dinner. Olivia took a deep breath as her shoulders relaxed. ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard, young lady.¡± I try talking to her, and she glares at me with her lips pursed. ¡°Ugh, why is it that you can do math so easily? I thought you were created recently.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how to reply to that.¡± I have to keep it a secret that mentally I¡¯m an adult. ¡°If I had to guess, I would say it was thanks to Mistress Ophelia¡¯s excellent magic skills, which imprinted these skills onto me during my creation.¡± ¡°Man, my mother really is an incredible sorcerer, huh.¡± Somehow I had come up with a convincing excuse. I barely know anything about this world, but my few days here were enough to let me know Ophelia was no average sorcerer. All the magic tools in the house had been built by her, and thanks to them I was able to live in pretty much the same way as during my past life. ¡°She¡¯s always been amazing like that. She used to be an adventurer together with Father before.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Ophelia¡¯s past, huh. She hadn¡¯t told me anything about that herself. ¡°Father was a swordsman, he had a special sword, and would use many skills no one had seen before. Mother is also well versed in alchemy, on top of magic. She even got the nickname ¡®Ebony Witch¡¯ back then.¡± ¡°Both your parents must have been excellent personages then.¡± ¡°Yeah, I heard they even hunted a dragon together.¡± Olivia seemed to really like talking about her parents. I could see she loved them. But then Olivia¡¯s face suddenly clouded over. ¡°But when Father passed away, Mother pretty much stopped going out on adventures. She also stopped teaching me magic, and instead told me to focus more on arithmetic and science.¡± I¡¯m sure Ophelia was also afflicted by her husband¡¯s passing then. Not like being an adventurer is an easy line of work either. ¡°Say, Natalia. Do you think I can become an adventurer like Father or Mother?¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation and stop supporting the content thief!) M¡­hm? I guess this means she can¡¯t see the point of studying. A girl of her age probably doesn¡¯t understand how general studies could help her, given that usually an adventurer just hunts monsters and harvests their parts. But knowledge can be a powerful weapon. Someone without much of it can easily get influenced by others, or exploited even. ¡°Let¡¯s say you get a request to hunt a pack of monsters, and you¡¯ll be paid depending on how many you defeat. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯d be helpful to be able to calculate your payment yourself?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­but isn¡¯t that something the guild already does for me?¡± ¡°Perhaps. But how will you know that the guild didn¡¯t make a mistake somewhere? Or not just in the guild, but shopping for anything in the city? Are you sure that will never happen?¡± ¡°It¡­might¡­¡± ¡°Exactly. There¡¯s always people who try to fumble the numbers to take advantage of others. Knowledge is important so that you won¡¯t fall into any traps like that.¡± Hearing me, Olivia nodded meekfully. ¡°The same goes for language. Do you think anyone will take you seriously if you constantly use the wrong words or can¡¯t understand what others tell you? Even if you become a strong adventurer?¡± ¡°Probably not.¡± ¡°And science will let you know which plants or herbs can be used to get you out of tricky situations during your adventurers. Everything you¡¯re studying is connected like that. ¡®Studies are also important to become an adventurer¡¯ were my Mistress¡¯ words, right? And I believe you said you look up to her as an excellent adventurer too?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, it¡¯s actually useful.¡± Somehow I convinced Olivia. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll have to work harder then.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the spirit, young lady.¡± She said that while clenching her fists, a determined smile on her face. She¡¯s so cute. Though I mean that in a general way. I¡¯m no lolicon3. CH 7 The next day I did my usual chores during the morning, while Olivia stayed in her room (one of the locked rooms on the second floor), studying on her own. In the afternoon, Ophelia¡¯s lecture began. This time the lesson was about the different races of people. I had some preexisting concepts about this, so it was pretty easy. First are humans. The race with the highest population, but short-lived compared to other races. Most of their skills are average and balanced throughout. Elves possess powerful magic and have a natural affinity with archery, but their bodies aren¡¯t as strong as humans. Dwarves have very sturdy bodies, and are blessed with a natural talent for forging but are bad at magic. Then demi-humans are a race of people with traits of other living beings, and depending on which features they inherit their abilities change drastically. Draconids, harpies, mermaids, and many more are grouped as demi-humans1. Those were the main ones, but there are a few outliers too. Namely the undead and demons. Both are technically also a race of people, but they¡¯re not treated as such. The undead only have small vestiges of the morals and ethics they had during life left, so they often attack other people. When that happens, they¡¯re hunted like monsters. There¡¯s a special subclass of undead called True Ancestors, which are a type of vampires that possess a higher intellect so they don¡¯t attack aimlessly like other undead, but they¡¯re very prideful and look down on other races, so they aren¡¯t too friendly either. Then demons, which are a superior species to ogres and goblins. They love fighting more than anything, so they never seek amiable relationships with other races, but they hold actual friendship and honor in high esteem, so once befriended, they¡¯ll stick to you until death. There are also all sorts of hybrids, but that can get very long. ¡°So knowing the traits of a race can make dealing with them easier.¡± ¡°Pretty much. There might also come a time when you have to work alongside people from other races, though knowing about them will help you communicate with others during your daily life too.¡± I voiced my thoughts so far, and Ophelia nodded in approval. But Olivia remained with her head tilted to the side, still struggling to understand. ¡°Mistress, do you perhaps have an anecdote or example of this?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see. There was this time when I was in a party with people from a lot of other races. We were traveling through a valley, but we had an accident and all our food provisions fell into the river. To survive we decided to hunt and eat monsters nearby, but one of the party members was an elf. Elves usually only eat vegetables though, so they had a really rough time forcing themselves to eat meat.¡± ¡°Was it really that bad?¡± Olivia didn¡¯t really get it yet. ¡°Well young lady, is there any food you dislike?¡± ¡°I hate bell peppers.¡± ¡°Then how would you feel if the only thing to eat at home were bell peppers, and you had no way of going out to buy something else?¡± ¡°Blegh, that sounds like hell.¡± Olivia frowned in disgust. ¡°That¡¯s it. Anyway, something I forgot to mention, but for demi-humans with dog traits, rubbing their ears is essentially proposing to them. So if you do that without knowing, it can get really messy.¡± ¡°Ohh, so there are traditions like that too.¡± Demi-humans with dog ears, huh. I guess I¡¯ll never find out how their soft ears feel. ¡°Mother, there¡¯s this dog demi-human boy at school, I got in a fight with him a while back.¡± ¡°Olivia!¡± ¡°But I won!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean!¡± I¡¯m starting to think Olivia is rather unruly. I don¡¯t think that was the point of her story though. ¡°So what happened after that fight?¡± I¡¯ll never know the end of the story if Ophelia starts scolding her, so I push the conversation forwards. ¡°When I immobilized that boy, I got too curious and started rubbing his ears.¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation and stop supporting the content thief!) Oh¡­oh no. Ophelia and I held our heads in terror. ¡°The boy just started crying after that, but it was weird. We had never gotten along before that, but the next day he was strangely kind.¡± ¡°Olivia, when the next school term starts and you see that boy, apologize and tell him you didn¡¯t have such intentions. That boy must think you proposed to him.¡± ¡°Eh! No way, that¡¯s so gross.¡± I feel bad for that boy. Our young lady had toyed with his emotions. As a former man, I truly sympathize with him. After dinner, I went to visit Olivia in her room. I figured Olivia hadn¡¯t fully understood the multiplication table she went through yesterday, but multiplication is the fundament of arithmetic, so I had to make sure she remembered it. ¡°Natalia, is something wrong?¡± ¡°There¡¯s something I wanted to give you.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°This.¡± I had written a multiplication table for her. ¡°This is called a multiplication table, have you seen one before?¡± ¡°Nope, I¡¯ve never seen anything like this. How do you use it?¡± I explained to her how to use the table. ¡°So if you have 6 x 7, you look for 6 on the leftmost column, and 7 on the top row, then check the number where the two lines cross, and you have 42 as the answer.¡± ¡°Amazing, I¡¯ll be able to count everything easily with this.¡± I can see why she thought that, but ¡®count¡¯ wasn¡¯t exactly the point of it. ¡°This isn¡¯t a tool to help you count, young lady, it¡¯s an aid for memorization.¡± Multiplication is more memorization than counting. In that way, once memorized, it can be even easier to perform than addition or subtraction. ¡°Multiplication has some regular patterns, and once you¡¯re aware of them and memorize them, you¡¯ll know the answer without even having to think about it.¡± A multiplication table simply made those patterns much more obvious. When I was in elementary I also struggled at first, but I quickly learned everything with the table. ¡°Patterns¡­ah, 6 x 7 and 7 x 6 have the same answer.¡± ¡°Exactly. When multiplying, you can reorganize the terms however you want and the answer will be the same.¡± She¡¯s noticing things already. That was fast. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen. Please support us by visiting our site.) ¡°There are other similar things you can find out. Do you think you can do it on your own?¡± ¡°Yeah, the table really helps a lot. Thank you Natalia! I love you!¡± Ahh, she¡¯s so cute. Though I mean that in a general way. I¡¯m no y¡¯knowat. Today¡¯s lesson is on monsters. Anything that possesses magic power and is sentient is considered a monster, regardless of whether it¡¯s an animal, plant, or some other substance. There are monsters that are born as such, as well as other beings that used to be normal, but for one reason or another were imbued with magic power turning them into monsters. The undead we learned about yesterday are part of the latter. The differences between both types are minimal, but one of them is their baseline abilities.. For instance, between a tiger that was born a monster and a tiger that turned into a monster later in life, the former will be stronger if both have the same age. Though between a rabbit born as a monster and a tiger turned monster, the tiger is stronger. Also, if a creature that turned into a monster mates, there¡¯s more or less a 50% chance that the next generation will be born as monsters. Though the number of offspring born at the same time varies depending on the species, so the rate at which more monsters are born can change drastically. ¡°Then would a magic automaton be considered a monster too?¡± ¡°Yes. Though when a magician is controlling it, they¡¯re considered mere tools.¡± I guess that means I¡¯m a monster after all. ¡°Probably one of the main features of monsters is that their bodies contain valuable materials.¡± A monster¡¯s hide and bones are far stronger than those of a regular being, and in some cases they even have secondary properties. ¡°For instance, if you use materials from a fire dragon to forge a sword, the blade might be covered in flames, or armor can become resistant to fire. Defeating powerful monsters and using them to forge more advanced gear is also part of the appeal of being an adventurer.¡± That¡¯s true, doing that sounds fun. Though Olivia sitting beside me was more excited, her eyes twinkling so much it was almost blinding. Anyway, let¡¯s not get sidetracked. Monsters are categorized depending on how dangerous they are, given ratings that went from F to S. Even average people can defeat an F monster, but S monsters could be so dangerous that an entire country¡¯s army is needed to beat them. They¡¯re usually regarded as something like natural disasters. ¡°Say, what was the highest rank monster that you and Father defeated?¡± ¡°Hmm, if I remember correctly, the two headed Black Garuda we defeated was an A monster.¡± S meant the entire country was in danger. Just below that was rank A, and the couple had defeated it without outside help. ¡°It¡¯s nothing to boast about though, it was a rather juvenile specimen.¡± Wait wait wait wait. ¡°Oh right, we used the materials from it to make Black Hawk.¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Say no to content thief!) I had a hunch it was no cheap artifact, but it turns out it¡¯s far more valuable than I thought. The gun holstered to my hips felt heavier hearing that. Olivia is looking at me with jealousy too. I wish she understood it¡¯s no toy. CH 8 I have no classes today. Not because I don¡¯t need to be taught anything anymore, but because studying for the last few days meant that I didn¡¯t do any cleaning or laundry. Unlike Olivia who has to catch up as much as possible during her vacation, I have no rush at all, so today I decided to focus on housework again. During the morning I focus on the laundry, and during the afternoon I take care of cleaning the house. While I had done little work the last few days, I still kept the rooms we usually use tidied, so the places that needed the most work were the empty rooms I hadn¡¯t visited lately. That made cleaning less painful. I look at the time when I¡¯m done, it¡¯s already 3PM. Nice, time to enact my plan. I had made some cookies after lunch when I was done with the dishes. Olivia is probably suffering through maths again. So I get the cookies and a tea set on a tray, go upstairs, and knock on Olivia¡¯s door. ¡°Mistress, young lady, would you like to take a break? I prepared some tea.¡± After I say that, Ophelia opens the door. ¡°Thank you, that¡¯s very considerate of you.¡± Ophelia winked as she said that. Was it really something that deserved so much praise? Still, I can¡¯t get over how beautiful my Mistress is. I enter the room, and see that Olivia isn¡¯t suffering as much as I had imagined. ¡°I¡¯m actually surprised. She struggled so much with multiplication before, but now she¡¯s doing pretty well. Is it true you helped her?¡± Ahh, she¡¯s talking about the multiplication table. ¡°I only gave her some tips. It¡¯s all thanks to her own hard work.¡± It¡¯s true that I gave her some advice and a multiplication table, but that wouldn¡¯t have helped at all unless she also put in some effort. That¡¯s why I felt like Olivia deserved more praise than me. ¡°Regardless, let¡¯s have some tea. I also made some cookies.¡± They put away the notebooks and other things from the desk, and I place the tray with cookies and tea on the free space. I place a cup for each of them, and then serve black tea from the teapot. ¡°Thank you, Natalia.¡± I pour tea for everyone, and then sit down with them. Ophelia then reaches for one of the cookies and takes a bite. I¡¯m extremely nervous, more or less just like when I cooked breakfast for the first time. ¡°Mm, it¡¯s tasty. You¡¯re always a good cook, Natalia.¡± ¡°You praise me too much, Mistress.¡± I had tried them before so I knew they were good, but it was still reassuring to hear someone else agree. I wonder what Olivia thinks of them? She picks one of the cookies and bites it too, closing her eyes as she slowly chews on it, carefully tasting it, then after a while she throws the rest into her mouth and quickly takes a sip of tea. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation and stop supporting the content thief!) Huh? She didn¡¯t like it? ¡°Natalia, come over here.¡± ¡°Y-Yes!¡± Olivia stands up from her chair and beckons me. I walk up to her, slightly hesitantly. ¡°Lower your head.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I do as commanded, lowering my face, and I see Olivia raising her hands. I really messed up! I¡¯m not sure what I did, but I really feel like I made a terrible mistake. But there was no pain, and no hit. Instead, Olivia placed her hands on my ears and began feeling them. Squish squish. ¡°Umm, young lady?¡± Squish squish. ¡°Is there something stuck on my ears?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Huh, why is she silent? Why is she looking at me with such disappointment? Did I actually annoy her? ¡°Were the cookies not to your liking?¡± ¡°They were very tasty.¡± I looked up at her and saw her cheeks were puffed, and her voice sounded annoyed too. ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± Olivia releases my ears and sits down again, eating the cookies. Though rather than eating, devouring is probably a better word. ¡°?¡± Still confused, I slowly returned to my seat, assuming I could sit down again since she said it was enough. But what just happened? Ophelia had her hand next to her lips, smiling entertained as if she just watched something very amusing1. I don¡¯t get it. Olivia continued looking displeased after that, and I wasn¡¯t sure how to feel until the tea break was over. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen. Please support us by visiting our site.) After I take all of my clothes off, I slide the door and am greeted with the scent of flowers and the feeling of steam on my skin. Taking a shower before a bath always felt like washing away the daily exhaustion together with the bits of dirt. My magic automaton body felt no physical tiredness, but I still have mental loads that accumulate every day. Still, Olivia¡¯s mood showed no signs of bettering. She said the cookies and tea were delicious, so that couldn¡¯t be the source of her displeasure, but I have no idea of anything else that might have caused this. And we had just started getting along so nicely too¡­ Rattle rattle. Hm? ¡°Natalia.¡± ¡°Young lady?!¡± I turn around and see Olivia, covered only by one towel. ¡°I thought you had taken a bath together with your mother earlier?!¡± I had made sure of that. ¡°Yes, but I wanted to wash your back.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to do such a thing.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want that? Am I bothering then?¡± ¡°Not¡­at all¡­¡± That was so unfair. There¡¯s no way I can refuse if she talks like that. Young lady, I can already envision a devilish future for you. ¡°Well, sit here then.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I sit down as told. After waiting for a bit, I feel a soft towel touching my back. Olivia uses the towel to scrub my back, but it feels soft, like a caressing touch. ¡°Tell me if it hurts.¡± From what I had seen, my body is similar to Ophelia¡¯s, just a little slimmer. But putting that aside, as Olivia scrubs my back, from time to time I hear her forced breathing2. ¡°Mm, there we go.¡± But seriously, what¡¯s actually going on? If I was a lolicon this would drive me crazy. But I¡¯m no lolicon so I¡¯m fine! But I¡¯m no lolicon so I¡¯m fine! That¡¯s very important, so I had to repeat3. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll wash it off now.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Is it too hot?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s perfect.¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Say no to content thief!) Olivia turns the shower on and washes away the soap bubbles from my back. ¡°There, all done.¡± ¡°Thank you very much.¡± ¡°Umm, Natalia, I¡¯ve gotten a little cold, so can I get in?¡± ¡°Of course, go ahead.¡± Olivia gets inside the bathtub while I quickly rinse my hair and other places. Though my body is still artificial, so my skin doesn¡¯t really produce any dead cells and I¡¯m good with just scrubbing away any dirt that gets on me. ¡°I¡¯ll get in too now.¡± It would be weird if I refused to enter the bathtub after all that, but I make sure to make some distance between us. But for some reason Olivia slowly moves closer, leaning against me. ¡°Umm, young lady.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Like I said, I can¡¯t say no when confronted like that! I decide to close my eyes, picturing my duties for tomorrow to distract myself from her soft skin. I¡¯ll be having classes again tomorrow, so I have to make sure I finish everything in the morning, or I¡¯ll lag behind even more like today. No matter how much knowledge I have from my past life, I still have lots to learn. ¡°Say, Natalia.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Still, Olivia didn¡¯t let me immerse myself in my thoughts for too long. ¡°Mother praised me for getting better at multiplication. That was thanks to you, so thank you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all because you worked hard. I only gave you a small push in the right direction.¡± I had already told Ophelia, but no matter how many tips and multiplication tables I made, if Olivia didn¡¯t work hard, she wouldn¡¯t get anywhere. So this really is Olivia¡¯s achievement, not mine. ¡°Mm, but still, thanks. I like you lots.¡± Olivia averted her eyes as she said that with a smile. She¡¯s so cute. Though I mean that in a general way. I¡¯m no y¡¯knowat. ¡°Thank you very much, I also like you, young lady.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Wait, she doesn¡¯t look as annoyed as during the tea break, but something feels similar again. ¡°I¡¯ll get out now. Make sure you relax for a bit longer, Natalia.¡± ¡°Ah, yes, of course.¡± What¡¯s happening? Is this puberty? I really don¡¯t get it4. CH 9 Ophelia went to town today, and I was told to go to the garden and gather herbs while comparing them to the illustrations in a book. Some time later Olivia came, seemingly out of breath. ¡°Natalia, what are you doing?¡± Why did she rush here like that? ¡°I was told to gather herbs for the Mistress.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that hard?¡± ¡°The flowers have unique shapes, and I have these illustrations to go by, so it¡¯s not too bad.¡± ¡°Ohh. These flowers are pretty.¡± ¡°Yes, they are.¡± Other than medicinal herbs, the garden has many other small flowers growing on it. I¡¯m currently looking for a type of medicinal herb that doesn¡¯t grow very tall, and has bright orange flowers. There aren¡¯t other orange flowers in the garden, so it isn¡¯t too hard to find them. ¡°So, Natalia, what flower do you like best?¡± That¡¯s a difficult question. There are some plants in this world that are identical to those in mine, but many more are completely different. For example, I had never seen most of the flowers depicted in the book I¡¯m holding. It would be easy to mess up and mention a flower that doesn¡¯t even exist in this world. It¡¯s best if I dodge the question somehow. ¡°Well, I¡¯ve only been alive for a couple of days, and I¡¯ve never seen anything outside this house. So I haven¡¯t seen enough flowers to be able to pick a favorite one.¡± ¡°I see. I should pick up a lot of flowers and show them to you then. You¡¯ll be able to have a favorite flower that way.¡± ¡°That sounds very fun, young lady.¡± Ophelia had mentioned that one day I would help working as an adventurer too, but that¡¯ll probably happen once I can fight somewhat. Maybe then I¡¯ll be able to go out with Olivia and see flowers nearby too. Olivia went back to the house after that, so I resumed picking medicinal herbs until Ophelia returned an hour later. ¡°Natalia, help me store the groceries.¡± ¡°Right away, Mistress.¡± I go to the kitchen and see a pile of ingredients that should last a week. She had never bought so much at once, so I wondered why she did that. ¡°What a predicament¡­¡± ¡°Did something happen?¡± ¡°They found an illegal slave trading operation in the next town over1.¡± Slavery exists in this world. There are two types, those who became slaves out of poverty, and criminal ones. The first type, as the name implies, are people who incur so much debt that they have no choice but to sell their freedom, becoming slaves. The second type are criminals who were arrested, and in punishment are forced to become slaves. I can¡¯t say they¡¯re treated in a humane way, but they¡¯re both covered by law. The issue is with a third type, illegal slaves, or basically kidnapped people. Apparently good-looking children or those from rare races are usually the victims. There¡¯s no family registry for the common folk in this world, so those who are kidnapped have no way of proving their identity in most cases. It is criminalized, but there are always cases popping up everywhere. ¡°The issue is that they couldn¡¯t catch all the perpetrators, and some might have escaped to the town here.¡± ¡°That sounds dangerous.¡± I know there¡¯s a proper procedure for finding and shutting down those kinds of operations, but it¡¯s also hard to catch all the members of underground organizations like that. On top of that, whenever some are found, the entire town can feel unsafe for a while. Though everything always calms down once everyone is captured and the streets are safe again. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation and stop supporting the content thief!) ¡°So I decided that it was best to stay away from the town for the time being, and bought a lot.¡± ¡°I see.¡± I nod hearing her reasoning, and begin sorting everything she bought. ¡°Ah, I should also tell Olivia to not go to the town. Just continue working here while I go.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± I continue sorting the groceries while Ophelia leaves the kitchen. Around half of the meat should be fine to store in the freezer, and some vegetables and fish can be stored in a dry and fresh place. While I continue thinking where to put everything, Ophelia comes back. ¡°Natalia!¡± She looked somewhat worked up. ¡°Olivia has-!¡± Ophelia pushes a letter onto me, which was written in shaky and unsteady letters. ¡®I¡¯m going outside to pick flowers. I¡¯ll return before the sun sets, so don¡¯t worry about me. Oliva.¡¯ Picking flowers?! Is that what she was talking about earlier?! ¡°I heard some of the illegal slave traders might be hiding in the forest too¡­ Natalia, I¡¯ll go look for Olivia so you watch over the house!¡± Not listening to me, Ophelia runs out of the house. I guess I¡¯ll have to wait here for them to return then¡­ ¡­I could never. Why had Olivia gone picking flowers? Because I told her such a stupid excuse. Because she wanted to show a lot of flowers to a stupid puppet like me2. Because of me. It was my fault3. And I was going to stay home without assuming responsibility? Never. Maybe she was safe, maybe I was worrying for nothing, maybe it was a needless panic. That would be best, I might look like a fool, I don¡¯t care if that happens though. But if something happened to her and I sat here doing nothing, then I would be a useless puppet. A tool that can¡¯t think for itself. But I¡¯m me, not a tool. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s outside. And I might be weak. But I don¡¯t care. Those aren¡¯t reasons to stay back and do nothing. ¡°Wait for me, Olivia.¡± Your beloved maid automaton will look for you! CH 10.1 She knew the forest well, yet she knew not to lower her guard. However, she had never imagined such an unlucky encounter here of all places. She turned around and ran away, her instincts warning her of the danger when she saw those strange men, unused to the forest, but also not adventurers. In a twisted but obvious reaction, those men grinned crudely as they began chasing her. ¡°Heheh, we only wanted to pass through the forest, but lady luck put such a cute girl in our way.¡± ¡°I bet she¡¯ll fetch a nice price if we sell her in a town nearby.¡± Their words let her know they wanted to abduct her. If they caught her, she would have to forget about her dreams, her family, and showing the bouquet she so dearly held against her chest. So she ran. Those men were not used to the forest, so they struggled trying to keep up with her. But she could not outrun them either. At this rate, it was a matter of who got tired of running first. The possibility of it being her flashed in her mind when she heard a familiar sound. Not nearby, but audible. Knowing what it was, Olivia changed directions. Diving under branches, pushing shrubs away, just running desperately. The men would not give up the chase either. She heard it again. She was getting closer, she could still be saved. ¡°Ah!¡± The momentary relief distracted her, and she tripped on the roots of a tree. Olivia tumbled on the ground, somehow keeping the flowers safe, but the men caught up to her. ¡°Alright, enough games for today.¡± ¡°We won¡¯t hurt you if you stay calm and behave.¡± She glared at those lowlives, who flashed a knife in front of her. But no adult would hesitate, no matter how much a child like her glared at them. In their case, it only flared their sadistic hearts even more. She hated it. She did not want everything to end there. ¡°Ah¡­¡± She still had not become a skilled adventurer like her parents she revered. She wanted to be spoiled by her mother again. She still wanted the person she loved to understand her feelings1. ¡°Don¡¯t worry girly, I¡¯m sure some noble or rich b?a?s?t?a?r?d? will buy you.¡± When Olivia first saw her, she thought her was beautiful. Such a wonderful person, wise and gentle, living under the same roof. ¡°Be a good girl and come quietly.¡± She instantly knew what that feeling was. But to her, she was only the daughter of her mistress. ¡°Natalia¡­¡± Olivia hated this. It could not end yet. Her feelings had not been corresponded yet. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation and stop supporting the content thief!) ¡°Nataliaaaaaaaaa!!¡± Unable to suppress that feeling any longer, they gave way to a simple but loud shout. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t shout like that so suddenly.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like anyone will help you in a forest like this.¡± One of the men tried grabbing her, but before his hand reached Olivia, his arm was pierced by a magic bullet. ¡°Grhah! What the-!¡± His arm recoiled as he held it tightly. A moment later, a silver haired maid kicked him in the face and sent him flying away, before standing between Olivia and the men, protecting her. ¡°You b?a?s?t?a?r?d?s?! What have you done to her!¡± Olivia gasped seeing her so worked up, having only seen her as a meek and obedient maid so far2. As I am now, there¡¯s little difference between me and a regular human, so I have no way of searching for Olivia in this forest. So my best option is to get Olivia to get closer to me instead. Olivia had watched me practice shooting many times during her classes, and she knew what my gun sounded like. So as I search through the forest, I periodically shoot to the sky. If she was close enough, she would surely hear it and know it¡¯s me. If she¡¯s in trouble, she¡¯ll come running towards me, guided by the gunshots. And even if she can¡¯t move for whatever reason, she¡¯ll know I¡¯m nearby and call for me. Until then, I just had to keep moving and search carefully. ¡°There!¡± I heard Olivia call my name. She wasn¡¯t too far away. Without hesitating, I turn towards the direction of her voice. Getting closer, I see four men armed with blades, closing in on Olivia. My blood starts to boil just seeing that. I run towards them, shooting the arm of the one closest to Olivia before kicking his face without slowing down. Now I¡¯m standing between them and Olivia. ¡°You b?a?s?t?a?r?d?s?! What have you done to her!¡± ¡°Who¡¯s this woman?!¡± ¡°Dammit, though she doesn¡¯t look too bad herself.¡± ¡°Yeah, I bet we can get another pile of cash for her. Was it your magic earlier? You really shouldn¡¯t have gotten so close though.¡± Just looking at them I could tell they were no law-abiding citizens. Even the way they spoke was completely crooked. ¡°Are you hurt, young lady?¡± ¡°N-no, I¡¯m fine. But be careful, they¡¯re kidnappers.¡± I had already guessed as much. At least that means I have no reason to hold back. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen. Please support us by visiting our site.) ¡°Alright then.¡± I shoot the flank of one of them. ¡°Gah!¡± ¡°She can use magic without chanting?!¡± ¡°No! She¡¯s got a shooting weapon!¡± The one standing furthest away had guessed the identity of my gun correctly. At least he has some brains for a criminal, though I wonder why he didn¡¯t put them to better use in a respectable employment. Either way, that didn¡¯t concern me now. ¡°Gyahhh!¡± I gift his feet with two bullets, toppling him down and making him wriggle like an earthworm left on sunny asphalt. This actually feels good. ¡°Now you¡¯ve done it!¡± Another man charges at me with his blade. Olivia is standing behind me, so I can¡¯t just dodge. ¡°Take this!¡± He swings the blade down, getting it stuck on my shoulder as I feel the shock spreading through my body. ¡°Heh, I hate to damage our goods like this, but you went too far. Don¡¯t hold it against me.¡± ¡°Sure, not like I want anything to do with you.¡± ¡°Wha-?!¡± He looks at me, not being bothered even though his blade is stuck on my shoulder, and I put my gun against his chin. A moment later I pull the trigger, sending a bullet straight into his brain as the gunshot rings. He dies instantly, and I take aim at another man. ¡°Dammit!¡± He lunges to the side, but is unable to fully dodge as blood spurts from his leg. Still, he managed to avoid a fatal wound, showing he was smarter than the others. But not enough. ¡°Catch!¡± ¡°Woah!¡± I pulled the first dead body away from me and kicked it towards the man who could barely stand, pushing him down under the corpse that bled from its chin and head like a fountain. Then I grab the knife stuck on my shoulder, pulling it out and throwing it to the ground. Since I¡¯m an automaton that feels no pain, I have no issue doing things like this. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Say no to content thief!) I step on the man struggling on the ground, keeping him still as I press my gun against the back of his head. ¡°What the f?u?c?k? is wrong with you! You look so frail but you didn¡¯t hesitate at all to kill a person!¡± In my past life, no matter how angry I was, I probably would¡¯ve never killed someone. But I am different now. I don¡¯t care if I¡¯m coldblooded, I¡¯ll do anything for those important to me. I didn¡¯t feel anything about the man I killed earlier, or the one I¡¯m about to kill. ¡°Dammit, are you even human3?¡± No, I¡¯m not. ¡°Good night, forever.¡± I pull the trigger, red blood splattering everywhere, some on my clothes. I have a lot of other clothes, but I still didn¡¯t like it. I stand up straight and wipe off the drops from my cheek. ¡°You did well for your first fight, though you should try to pay more attention to your surroundings.¡± I turn around hearing that sudden voice. Ophelia was behind me, holding a staff like that of a master sorcerer. ¡°You gave plenty of time to the other two to plan an escape or counterattack.¡± CH 10.2 Ophelia points towards the two men I shot first. They are covered in green vines now, unable to move at all. I can only guess that it¡¯s Ophelia¡¯s magic. I had only shot the arm of one of them, before kicking him in the face. He hadn¡¯t stood up after that so I forgot about him, but he was the least hurt one. The other one had been shot on the side and on both feet, but if he forced himself through the pain he could still escape. ¡°That¡¯s only because you lack experience fighting.¡± ¡°I¡¯m truly sorry.¡± They could have moved behind me while I was distracted killing the other two, and could¡¯ve used Olivia as hostage. ¡°As long as you¡¯re willing to work more on it, it¡¯s fine. Let¡¯s return home now.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Ophelia turns around and walks away, and at first I follow her too, but then I notice Olivia won¡¯t move, her head down. She probably is blaming herself for everything. Even though it really is my fault. ¡°Young lady, let¡¯s go back.¡± ¡°Natalia¡­¡± I extend my hand to her, which she accepts after some hesitation. She might be feeling down, but I have no intention of blaming her. I kept those words to myself, instead conveying them by firmly holding her hand. ¡°Thank you, Natalia.¡± ¡°You¡¯re very welcome.¡± I had done nothing to deserve words of gratitude, but I knew Olivia would insist regardless. So I decided to accept her thanks. ¡°W-wait! Don¡¯t leave us like this!¡± Things were starting to get nice, but then some garbage on the ground destroyed the mood. ¡°Mistress, should we contact the town¡¯s police about them?¡± ¡°Mmm, I guess we could, but it¡¯s a hassle too. I think leaving them here is good enough. I¡¯m sure the forest¡¯s monsters will take good care of them.¡± ¡°Ahh, I see.¡± So that was her plan all along, I support it. ¡°I swear I won¡¯t trade slaves anymore! Heck I don¡¯t mind becoming your slave! Just save me please!¡± The man twisted his body as he pleaded desperately, but I don¡¯t care what happens to him. Or actually, I think he¡¯s better off dead. Ophelia also thought the same. ¡°Mmm, I¡¯ll just repeat what Natalia said earlier. Good night, forever.¡± The man wouldn¡¯t stop complaining even after being given a death sentence, but I didn¡¯t care anymore. We all joined hands and happily went back home. ¡°Alright, you two.¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation and stop supporting the content thief!) When we got back home, Ophelia spoke again, and the two of us froze. ¡°I¡¯m ready to accept any punishment.¡± ¡°But Natalia just saved me! She hasn¡¯t done anything wrong!¡± Olivia tried to cover for me, but I didn¡¯t deserve that. It was my fault Olivia had been in danger, not to mention that I had already been warned about not obeying orders. ¡°That¡¯s incorrect, young lady. I ignored my Mistress¡¯ order to stay home. That makes this the second time I ignored her orders. Not to mention that I¡¯m the reason all this happened in the first place.¡± I¡¯m sure Olivia will be saddened, but I knew this would happen. I had put my Mistress¡¯ daughter in danger, and an automaton that can¡¯t follow orders is worthless. All I could ask now is that Ophelia keeps her word and painlessly erases my consciousness. It was a short second try at life, and at first I thought it was unfair how my life was tied to being a maid, but it wasn¡¯t such a bad time, or rather, it was actually fun. ¡°Mother, please forgive Natalia! It¡¯s me you should punish instead!¡± ¡°Young lady.¡± Olivia tries getting closer to Ophelia in protest, so I hold her shoulder to stop her. I don¡¯t want to upset Ophelia any more. I shake my head, even though Olivia looks about to cry. ¡°You two, can you stop deciding such things on your own? And Natalia, I¡¯m not that mad, you know.¡± ¡°¡±Huh?¡±¡± We both ask confused. Why? ¡°Whatever sparked it, it was still Olivia¡¯s decision to follow the impulse of going outside, I can¡¯t blame you for that. Also, you ignoring my orders is what saved Olivia, I might not have made it on time.¡± Saying that, Ophelia began massaging her forehead. ¡°Not to mention that resetting you and creating another automaton from scratch is a hassle, and there¡¯s no guarantee a new one would be as good of a house worker as you.¡± I guess that means my value is being recognized then. At least that is reassuring. ¡°Mother, you wanted to reset Natalia1?! Please don¡¯t do that!¡± ¡°Like I said, I won¡¯t.¡± Olivia was so shocked she protested immediately, and Ophelia just grimaced. ¡°I can tell you¡¯ve taken a liking to Natalia too, and I don¡¯t want to upset you.¡± I bet that¡¯s also a big reason to keep me around then. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen. Please support us by visiting our site.) ¡°Thank you very much.¡± I bowed deeply, and Ophelia just shrugged. ¡°Anyway, you really give up too easily Natalia. You have so many good points you should at least try negotiating with me next time. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re capable of that much. You didn¡¯t even try justifying your acts, and instead you got hung up on the weirdest things.¡± No way, I knew I was in the wrong, so making up excuses would just make me look desperate. I had caused all that to happen, so trying to weasel my way out was too pitiful and I¡¯d rather die. ¡°Natalia, here.¡± Olivia calls me, so I turn towards her. When our gazes meet, she offers me the flowers she had been holding onto this entire time. They had five white petals, and a slight blue hue in the center. ¡°They¡¯ve wilted a little already, but do you still want them?¡± ¡°Of course, they¡¯re such beautiful flowers.¡± I honestly thought that. They were flowers Olivia had picked for me. I would never think bad of them. It was true they were slightly wilted, but that was also because Olivia had been holding onto them and protecting them while being chased. ¡°These flowers are called Spica Lilies. The colors remind me of you, Natalia.¡± I take the Spica Lilies from Olivia. She was right, the colors were similar to my silver hair and blue eyes. Oh no, this is going to make me cry. Though I can¡¯t produce tears. ¡°Thank you very much, young lady. I¡¯ve found my favorite flower.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you like them.¡± ¡°You picked them personally for me, so I will obviously treasure them.¡± My voice was a bit stiff, but I honestly thought that. It also feels a bit weird to like a flower that looks like myself, but Olivia had gathered them, thinking of me, and for me, so that made me much happier than anything else. ¡°Natalia, I love you2.¡± Olivia suddenly got closer to hug me, and I barely got the flowers out of the way to accept her. She really gets way too touchy with me. But that¡¯s also what makes her so cute. Though I mean that in y¡¯knowat. ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s about time we get started with dinner, and I feel like having some of your food again, Natalia.¡± ¡°Leave that to me then.¡± It¡¯s been a while since I last cooked. I¡¯m confident that my skills are still sharp, but this will be the first time Olivia tries my food too, so I¡¯ll have to make sure it¡¯s something she likes. ¡°You can cook too, Natalia?¡± ¡°Yes. Do you have any specific request, young lady?¡± ¡°I like meat. Though I want to try the dish you¡¯re best at.¡± ¡°Understood, I¡¯ll make sure to live up to your expectations.¡± Pilaf and paella are my best dishes, but my pot-au-feu is nothing to scoff at either, and the best option if I want meat as the main ingredient. I¡¯ll have to make sure the seasoning is perfect though. ¡°Natalia, I think I hate you a little now3.¡± ¡°Huh?!¡± Why?! CH 11 Soon the day for Olivia to return to the city comes around. She had extended her stay as much as possible, but if she kept waiting she¡¯d miss the start of the new term. Ophelia and Olivia can only meet during long breaks like this one, so they look at each other with reluctance to part. I will also miss her. We had only spent two weeks together, but they had been fun days, like I had met a long lost sister. ¡°Nooooo, Nataliaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!¡± And somehow this happened. Young Lady, you seem to be confused. You should be hugging your mother, not me1. ¡°¡­¡± Ophelia had also held her arms wide open, thinking the hug would go her way, but they stayed empty. I-It wasn¡¯t my fault though! ¡°Young Lady, you can¡¯t keep delaying your leave.¡± ¡°I knowwwww!¡± I comfort her, patting her black hair she inherited from her mother. She lifts her head, a bit calmer, but tears welling in her eyes. ¡°Do I really have to go?¡± She recovers from her childish tantrum, and after wiping her tears, she looks at me with determination. ¡°Say Natalia, will you travel together with me when I become an adventurer?¡± That sounds like a lot of fun. But that¡¯s something I can¡¯t decide on my own, so I look at the person with control over my life, and she replies with a shrug. I¡¯ll take that as a yes. ¡°I will, if you wish me to accompany you.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be looking forward to that then.¡± A beautiful smile spreads on Olivia¡¯s pretty lips. She¡¯s so cute. Though I mean that in y¡¯knowat. ¡°Natalia, crouch down for a bit.¡± ¡°What is it, Young Lady?¡± I obeyed her order, even though I can guess what she plans on doing. Olivia is a mischievous girl, so she probably wants to play one last prank on me. I guess I¡¯ll have to be an adult and put up with it for her. ¡°Close your eyes.¡± ¡°As you wish.¡± Yup, this is definitely going to be a prank. I wonder exactly what kind though. ¡°Don¡¯t open them no matter what.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation and stop supporting the content thief!) Her voice sounds so happy I flinched for a bit. Having a rowdy sister can be hard sometimes too. ¡°Natalia.¡± Something soft suddenly touches my cheek. What was it? Had she poked me with her finger2? ¡°You can open your eyes now.¡± I open them as told, and see Olivia with her cheeks flushed and fidgeting nervously. I had noticed this before too, but Olivia gets red like that really often. Maybe it¡¯s her blood pressure? ¡°So, how was it?¡± I¡¯m lost. How am I supposed to feel about being poked like that? Though being unresponsive to a prank is the most boring sight for a prankster. I have to let her enjoy the moment at least a bit. ¡°That really startled me so much! You¡¯re a genius prankster, Young Lady3.¡± I¡¯m sure Olivia will be satisfied with this. But¡­huh? Why is she starting to tear up? Why is she glaring at me like that? ¡°You dummy, heartless, manipulator!¡± ¡°Y-Young Lady! What wrong have I done to you?!¡± Olivia bursts into tears and runs away from the room. What did she mean, manipulator? I¡¯ve lived two lives, and in neither was I popular enough to even attempt to manipulate someone. ¡°Good grief¡­¡± ¡°Wh-what is it, Mistress?!¡± Ophelia looked like she had witnessed a really tragic scene too. What is going on4? CH 12 Even though Olivia went back to the city, I still have to take lessons daily. After all, those were for me to learn more about this world. In the morning I do all the house chores I can, after lunch I have classes, and when those are done I finish the house chores. That is my daily schedule now. ¡®Alright kids, today we¡¯ll learn about a type of monster known as Magic Automaton.¡¯ Huh, about me? ¡®Yes, before we get there, let me talk about golems a little, as they are the predecessors to Magic Automatons. Golems are constructs of stone, wood, or other materials, which are like puppets controlled with magic. They can act either autonomously or half-autonomously.¡¯ Autonomous and half autonomous? ¡®Autonomous golems have their own will and can move independently, while half-autonomous golems can only move when given an order.¡¯ So golems are basically puppets that can move by themselves? ¡®Wow, you got it. Magic Automatons are an offshoot from that concept. They have more abilities, including being able to cast magic.¡¯ Other abilities? ¡®In broader terms, they are more capable. They can learn specialized skills, or control magic on their own.¡¯ So I¡¯m more incredible than a golem! ¡®Yes, but that¡¯s not all! Golems are very simple constructs, so creating them is relatively easy. For both golems and Magic Autonomous, the materials used for their construction have a strong influence in their main functions. For instance, even though golems are very easy to build, the bigger they are the more useful they can be.¡¯ Interesting. ¡®Also, remember how we learned that golems are either autonomous or half-autonomous? Magic Automatons can be switched between those, and have a third option to be under Full Subjection.¡¯ Subjection? ¡®Basically a function that allows the magician to control every movement, pretty much like a puppeteer. But that leaves them as simple tools, so even if they¡¯re Magic Automatons they no longer classify as monsters.¡¯ That sounds complicated. Are there golems that can be put under Full Subjection too then? ¡®That would be just a common doll.¡¯ Ah, I see. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation and stop supporting the content thief!) ¡®In conclusion, golems are constructs that can move by themselves, but can¡¯t use magic. Magic Automatons get really complex really fast, so building them is tricky, but they can use magic. Is everything clear so far?¡¯ Yup, I got it. ¡°Hey, are you really paying attention?¡± ¡°Yes, is something wrong, Mistress?¡± ¡°Not really.¡± She¡¯ll kill me if she finds out I was replacing everything she said in my mind like that. I have to actually focus, though I was listening to everything she said. ¡°Anyway, let me explain in a bit more detail then.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Whew, this was getting complicated. I only have a common grasp of human anatomy from modern medical studies, but now I have to learn every detail of an Automaton¡¯s body. ¡°Let¡¯s try flipping this.¡± Huhh? ¡°Now here.¡± Ah, what¡¯s going on?! ¡°And then we turn this.¡± This feels weird! It hurts a bit, but also feels kinda good? ¡°Look inside here.¡± S-Shtop thattttt! ¡°This is your very important spot.¡± I feel odd, but also- My heartbeat is so loud! ¡°Can you remember all that?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Natalia?¡± I wanted to reply, but all I can do is stare emptily at the ceiling. My mistress is too good with her hands. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen. Please support us by visiting our site.) After I finish my afternoon chores, I decide to practice the magic I was taught yesterday until it¡¯s time to prepare dinner. To use magic, I have to picture a spell, and then use some mana and a ritual to launch it. The rituals could be either an incantation or drawing a magic circle. They controlled the way the spell would behave. Incantations were a verbal ritual, basically chanting something with the correct intonation. Depending on one¡¯s skill it¡¯s possible to shorten chants, or even omit them. Magic circles are written or drawn rituals, and it¡¯s possible to prepare them on pieces of paper or cloth, which can be activated with a bit of mana at any moment. It¡¯s also possible to combine both chanting and magic circles, increasing the range and accuracy of spells. There are catalysts that can aid the activation of a spell, and some spells require a specific catalyst as well. The way I thought of them was to make an analogy with cleaning. Mana is like electricity, chants like a vacuum cleaner, magic circles like a roomba, and catalysts like detergent or wipes. ¡°Come through and burn!¡± Flames appear as I chant, then I aim at a lump of dirt. ¡°Fire Arrow!¡± When I chant, the flames take the shape of an arrow and fly towards my target. But after two meters, it quivers and vanishes into sparks. ¡°Hm.¡± This is supposed to be beginner¡¯s magic, but even then the most I can do is use it as a lighter. But no, I can¡¯t give up yet. I was taught how to control mana and some beginner spells three days ago. Yesterday I was finally able to form the basis for element-based spells, which is a little more complicated than neutral ones. Pulling myself together, I try out other elements. ¡°Jump out, Thunder Spark.¡± That went well. ¡°Bolus of land, Stone Shot!¡± Dammit. S?h?i?t?, this magic thing is starting to feel like a tsundere. Though I¡¯m too much of a noob to see any of the dere sides. But no, it¡¯s only been three days since I started. Patience is what wins a tsundere over. ¡°There¡¯s still more, Fire Arrow!¡± Poof! ¡°Thunder Spark!¡± Zap! ¡°Stone Shot!¡± Plop! ¡°Snow Wind!¡± Whoosh! ¡°Air Edge!¡± Swish! ¡°¡­¡± Click! BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM! ¡°Heh, this is what happens if you mess with me and my buddy Black Hawk.¡± I turned the target into a honeycomb. Well, it¡¯s about time I go back to work. I¡¯ll continue playing next time I¡¯m free. I store Black Hawk back on my hip holster and leave the training area. I-I¡¯m definitely not frustrated! CH 13 CHAPTER 13: REAL COMBAT PRACTICE TIME! The forest surrounding the house is called Valhen Woods, and houses monsters ranked F all the way to A. Today I¡¯m finally going to have some real-world practice, out in the woods. I put on leather gloves and boots, then wear a chestplate on top of my maid uniform. As to why I had to wear so many layers, because Ophelia told me it would be cuter. I would¡¯ve thought the same in my past life, but actually having to wear such a bothersome outfit to a forest is really uncomfortable. I have no right to refuse though. Ophelia wore her usual outfit, but covered herself in a black cloak, and held the staff I had seen before. That didn¡¯t look comfortable for a forest either, but I guess she¡¯ll be fine. ¡°Well, let¡¯s get going then.¡± Ophelia lets go of the staff at her side, and it starts to float there, defying gravity. It seems I had no reason to worry. Though it was strange for me to worry for Ophelia, who was a seasoned adventurer, while I barely knew anything about this world. ¡°I won¡¯t interfere, so just fight however you see fit.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Somehow going out the main gates didn¡¯t feel really special, maybe because I had already left once. But walking through the forest did feel like I was embarking on an adventure. When I left before to rescue Olivia, I had been lucky to not run into any monsters, but now my goal was to fight them. There¡¯s plenty of dangerous creatures here, so it might even turn into a deadly situation. This is really getting me excited. Maybe I shouldn¡¯t take this so lightly though. But this is still an adventure in a fantasy world! I can¡¯t not get excited. I even have a gun, and my capable Mistress is here too. No monster can measure up to us. ¡°Grrr¡­¡± Huh, it¡¯s just a really big wolf. ¡°Roar!¡± ¡°Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!¡± I run with all my strength. The forest floor is covered with fallen leaves and roots, but my body did not seem to be bothered by them at all while running. I can really tell Ophelia did her best building me! ¡°Grr!¡± I guess I¡¯m still not fast enough to outrun a wolf though! ¡°Oh, you aren¡¯t going to fight?¡± Ophelia asks, flying on her staff following me. She¡¯s crazy if she thinks I can fight that monster, that¡¯s obviously not something a beginner should start with. But maybe that wolf is weaker than it looks, and that¡¯s why Ophelia is saying that? ¡°Grrrr¡­¡± The fangs poking out of its mouth are as big as my thumb. A bite could probably tear my arm off. Woah there! I almost learned their true power first-hand. ¡°Ghihik!¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation and stop supporting the content thief!) A monkey with a crest growing on it appeared in front of me. I don¡¯t have time to brace! ¡°Kiii!¡± The monkey seemed ready to lunge on me, but then noticed the wolf behind me and turned away. Good choice, monkey. I wish the wolf was smarter and followed the monkey though. I¡¯m a fleshless Magic Automaton, there¡¯s nothing edible about me. ¡°Cawcaw!¡± A bird with four wings comes out. I can¡¯t fight that! ¡°Squeee!¡± Now there¡¯s a boar with horns on its back, never in a million years! ¡°Gyagya!¡± A little green man. Is that a goblin? Oh s?h?i?t?, it¡¯s a naked goblin. That¡¯s kind of amazing. ¡°Gahh!¡± No time to admire though! Why don¡¯t they go after something easier to hunt than me? Just go away. Don¡¯t chase after me! ¡°I have no choice then.¡± I put as much strength as I can into my legs, jumping high into the air. My body moves exactly the way I want, and I easily land on top of a tree. The wolf stops mid-charge, and I aim at its head with my gun. BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM I pull the trigger as fast as I can, showering it with lead. The wolf did not understand where the attack was coming from while its brown fur was bathed crimson. It was still standing after I emptied an entire magazine though, monsters really are tough. But its movements are much more sluggish than before. I reload and point the gun at it again. The wolf understood what that meant now, and ran back into the forest while crying. Tactically speaking, my first battle was won through the retreat of the enemy. Though it doesn¡¯t feel satisfying. ¡°Phew.¡± Finally able to relax, I wipe my forehead, but there¡¯s no sweat there. That makes sense, automatons don¡¯t sweat. ¡°The Meteor Wolf retreated, I see. I don¡¯t really approve of running away, though considering the matchup I guess it¡¯s optimal.¡± Ophelia comes, floating on her staff, and evaluates my performance. Though her usually calm voice sounded somewhat reproachful. But there was something else that I noticed. ¡°Running was optimal? Was that a really strong monster?¡± ¡°The infants can reach rank C, and the adults go all the way up to rank A, in a way they¡¯re the masters of this forest.¡± ¡°What would¡¯ve happened if I fought it head-on?¡± ¡°Olivia would¡¯ve hated me for the rest of my life.¡± So running was my only option! ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that. If you get experience from fighting strong monsters first, everything else will be much easier, right?¡± I had been able to repress my emotions from showing on my face so far, but this time some had slipped through. Still, she had a point. If I get used to strong monsters like that, weaker ones will seem easy to deal with in comparison. Maybe that was Ophelia¡¯s goal all along. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen. Please support us by visiting our site.) ¡°I wonder what monster will show up next. That Clamp Boar earlier was still small, and the Shaman Ape is of no danger alone, so it wouldn¡¯t make sense to fight them. It would be more interesting if a Devil Tiger comes around.¡± I hope it doesn¡¯t. That name sounds like a really strong monster. But I¡¯ll ignore that, and continue walking through the forest. I ran into goblins soon enough, four of them. As soon as they notice me, I shoot them in the head. I was glad I thought of doing that before they could react. They are low level monsters, so Ophelia says we can ignore them, and we move on without touching the bodies. After that we encountered many more monsters, but none were particularly strong. The gun offered more range than the monsters, and I could kill them almost instantly. Even against large groups, I would take them by surprise and quickly pick them apart. A gun really changes my fighting possibilities. As long as I¡¯m fighting low level monsters, I¡¯ll probably be fine without Ophelia¡¯s help. Ah, I was so entranced with fighting that I didn¡¯t notice, it¡¯s almost noon. ¡°Mistress, would you like to have lunch?¡± ¡°Huh? Ah, sure.¡± Ophelia seemed like she had been deep in thought. We sit down at some random tree, and Ophelia places a barrier around us. The house has a similar one around it, and it stops enemies outside from entering and hides our presence. I take out two baskets from a magic storage space. One of them had a packed lunch, and the other had a tea set. I put tea leaves on the pot, as well as water I purified with simple magic, then heat it with fire magic. ¡°You told me you could use storage magic before. You¡¯re already storing things like this in it?¡± ¡°Yes. Was I not supposed to?¡± This magic storage is one of the few spells I can use to a decent extent, even though I struggle so much with other attack spells. The capacity depends on the caster¡¯s mana, and putting things in and taking them out consumes mana too, but it¡¯s really easy to learn, and even a beginner like me can use it chant-less. Since I can¡¯t use other spells well, I have a surplus of mana. I¡¯m still learning, and I don¡¯t want to run out of space at an important moment, so I¡¯m keeping the space as small as I can, but I can carry two baskets without issue. ¡°I really can¡¯t tell if you¡¯re skillful or lack ability. I¡¯ve seen you struggle so much with other spells, but then you learn this one in a blink and put so much stuff inside. Usually beginners can store a small pebble at most.¡± Whut? I guess it¡¯s just a difference of practice. I only get to test out offensive spells when I don¡¯t have anything else to do, but I store things inside the magic storage all the time to help me in the house. That definitely makes a difference. Also, I can only fit like four baskets in it at the moment. ¡°By the way, how do you feel using it?¡± Ophelia bites into a sandwich and points at Black Hawk holstered on my hip. ¡°It¡¯s incredible. It has excellent accuracy, power, rapid-fire speed, and capacity. Incendiary rounds are tricky to use, but in a good moment they¡¯re like a trump card.¡± ¡°Hmm, and is there anything you find difficult about it?¡± ¡°Let me think. I guess controlling large crowds is nearly impossible, I¡¯d need to be able to fire many more rounds at a time to keep them at bay. Accuracy wouldn¡¯t matter much in such situations anyway. Though fighting groups from afar and taking their members down one by one is also fun.¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Say no to content thief!) Black Hawk is an excellent arm, but only in the handgun category. It¡¯s inferior to a machine gun or assault rifle when it comes to constant firepower, and not as accurate or powerful as a sniper rifle from long distances. But as far as handguns went, it¡¯s the best in terms of power and weight. ¡°I see. I¡¯m sure I can build anything you need, so I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± Ohh, Ophelia really is a genius. If things go well, I might even get a new gun. We did it, Tae-chan! I¡¯ll get more weapons. ¡°Hahh, I don¡¯t really feel like leaving yet.¡± After eating and when I put the baskets away, Ophelia suddenly says that. If I go out there alone and Ophelia isn¡¯t close to help, things could get ugly, so I have no choice but to wait for her to feel like getting up. ¡°Natalia, keep still.¡± She suddenly lies down and places her head on my thighs. One of the most desired situations for any male with their girlfriend, a lap-pillow. This is my first time experiencing something like this! I had dreamed of this day so much, and I¡¯m doing it with such a pretty woman too. I wish I could¡¯ve done this in my past life, dammit. ¡°It actually feels rather pleasant. He always pestered me to do this.¡± She slowly closes her eyes while smiling softly. That ¡®he¡¯ she mentioned is probably her late husband. Ophelia is a widow, and her only daughter Olivia is studying abroad to fulfill her own dream. I¡¯m sure Ophelia must feel lonely. I don¡¯t know why she¡¯s living in the middle of a forest though, or what kind of research she does in her room all the time. I only see her come out to eat. Maybe she¡¯ll tell me one day. Maybe if I prove to be worth enough. Hopefully I can meet up to her expectations. I keep thinking things like that as I gently stroke Ophelia¡¯s hair, who breathed softly falling asleep. CH 14.1 ¡°Ah, I overslept a little.¡± Having slept after eating lunch, Ophelia stands up and stretches, rubbing her shoulder that had stiffened. Meanwhile I take out a cup from my magic storage and use magic to fill it with water. It¡¯s normal to get thirsty after sleeping. ¡°Here Mistress, water.¡± ¡°Oh, thank you.¡± She drinks it all at once. ¡°That really hits the spot. Well, let¡¯s go now.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± I return the cup to the storage. Ophelia had slept on my lap for a long time, but my Automaton leg did not get numb. We resumed walking through the forest, and I killed every monster we saw from afar. I¡¯m happy that I got to see the staple monsters of any fantasy world like goblins, orcs, kobolds, and similar ones, but they were all low level and too weak to really count as practice. Usually a bullet to the head was enough to take care of them. Ophelia also looks concerned, probably feeling like this isn¡¯t enough too. I feel like something bad is about to happen, but I have no way of avoiding it. ¡°Alright, this is what we¡¯ll do.¡± She suddenly says, and before I can do anything she strikes the ground with her staff. At the same time, a purple magic circle appears around her, and vanishes a moment later. Did the spell fail? That was hard to believe. I bet she drew the magic circle in an instant and didn¡¯t need to chant. I¡¯m worried about the spell itself though. ¡°Umm, Mistress, what spell was that?¡± In reality I don¡¯t want to know, but something is about to happen, and I¡¯d prefer to be prepared. ¡°It¡¯s a spell to attract monsters of a specific rank from a radius of five kilometers. It was meant to be used to hunt a specific type of monster though.¡± Hm¡­hmmm. I¡¯m still worried. ¡°Grahh!¡± ¡°Oh, that was fast.¡± A goblin appears from a nearby bush. Unlike all the goblins I fought earlier that only wore rags and used wood clubs, this one was taller and wore crafted armor and a sword. BAM The first move takes the victory. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation and stop supporting the content thief!) ¡°That¡¯s a high goblin, the next step up from a goblin. You should try to be a bit more considerate, don¡¯t you feel bad for him?¡± Still, I think it¡¯s safer if I aim at a vital spot and shoot before the monster can do anything. So I don¡¯t feel like it was a mistake to instantly shoot at its head. ¡°We¡¯re here for you to gain combat experience. If all you do is repeat the same movements, you won¡¯t gain anything.¡± Now that she says it, she¡¯s right. This isn¡¯t like a game where I can level up purely by killing enemies, I have to move and experience things too. I don¡¯t know how well I¡¯ll do it, but I¡¯ll try avoiding vital spots like the head or heart from now on. The next monster to show up is a boar with horns on its back, just like the one I saw while running away from the wolf earlier. Its two tusks and two horns on the back look like the open jaws of a beast. ¡°That¡¯s a Clamp Boar. As you can see, it¡¯s a powerful beast, so be careful.¡± Yup, that much is obvious. It would fail to be a boar if it wasn¡¯t a strong monster. The Clamp Boar looked at me and began charging towards me, its powerful legs propelling it forward. Ophelia had left at some point, flying high up on her staff. I was annoyed that she would escape at a moment like this, but I guess this means she doesn¡¯t consider this dangerous enough to get involved. I keep my eyes focused on the boar, moving slowly. I had played enough games in my past life to know how to deal with monsters charging like that. The Clamp Boar moved in a straight line, just like I expected. That made it easy to dodge. After I leap to the side, the boar keeps moving past me, crashing into a tree. Thunk! Its horns and tusks got stuck into the tree. It lifts its head, pulling the entire tree out of the ground, then opens its jaw, shattering the trunk. The tree gets broken to pieces between its tusks and horns. I see, so charge attacks aren¡¯t all it can do, getting caught between the tusks and horns is dangerous too. But regardless. ¡°Stay cool. One wrong move, and that¡¯s it.¡± Repeating the words of a certain red comet, I began firing. The boar¡¯s legs were small compared to its body, so if I take them out, the boar won¡¯t be able to stand up. Once the Clamp Boar loses its footing, I finish it off with an incendiary round. ¡°Announcement for Natalia, the clueless and inconsiderate.¡± Why is she talking down to me like that? ¡°You¡¯re surrounded.¡± I look around hearing that, seeing what happened. There were countless large goblins and orcs surrounding me. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen. Please support us by visiting our site.) ¡°High goblins, high orcs, high kobolds, all superior types of low level monsters.¡± A beautiful girl surrounded by low level monsters in a forest is a common trope for certain magazines. But I¡¯m a doll, I don¡¯t know if something like that actually would happen in this world, and sadly I hate that genre. I carefully watched my surroundings while changing the empty magazine for a new one. ¡°Alright then.¡± I was still unsure, but just in case, for my chastity and dignity. ¡°I¡¯ll kill you all.¡± Even surrounded, there¡¯s no need to get worried yet. They aren¡¯t paying much attention because of the distance. I aim at a high orc and pull the trigger. A magic bullet flew straight to where I aimed, opening a hole in its stomach. ¡°Bughyaa!¡± As the high orc began screaming, I unloaded more rounds on the other orcs surrounding it, and then ran from that spot. ¡°Gyahh!¡± While I was attacking the orcs, the high goblins behind me came to attack, but I anticipated that and jumped out of their swords¡¯ path. I begin shooting at their unprotected backs, and after a few steps they collapse. Even with their leather and metal armor, Black Hawk¡¯s bullets have no issue piercing through. ¡°Guahh!¡± ¡°Gyugyu!¡± A high kobold and high goblin chase after me, but they aren¡¯t cooperating with each other properly, so when I jump away they run into each other and fall down. ¡°Gyuaah!¡± ¡°Grhuh!¡± The two monsters begin fighting between each other. Perfect for incendiary rounds. ¡°!¡± I notice something glowing through the corner of my eye so I jump away, and bright scarlet flames burn the two monsters. I look to where it came from, and see a high orc holding a staff. ¡°Booo, bubu!¡± Flames form at the tip of the staff again. A low level fire magic, Fire Arrow. I hid behind a tree and peek out, and the high orc began chanting again. The other monsters looked wary of ending like the other two, so they did not seem willing to charge in. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Say no to content thief!) Dammit, I wish I could fire back with a lot of magic too, but it¡¯s annoying how bad I am at it. No, wait. I have to calm down, this is actually a good chance. The tree gets hit by a Fire Arrow and shakes violently. Now! I walk out and begin firing. But the bullets don¡¯t hit the high orc. ¡°Booo, bubu!¡± CH 14.2 Another Fire Arrow is shot, so I hid behind the tree. When the orc is busy chanting again, I come out and shoot. But I didn¡¯t hit the orc. The tree won¡¯t last if I stay here too long, so as soon as there¡¯s an opening I move to another tree, and we continue firing intermittently at each other. But neither the high orc or me hit the other. ¡°Buuuu?¡± There¡¯s no spell. It finally noticed. ¡°You noob.¡± BAM A magic bullet lodges itself inside between the high orc¡¯s eyes, the last one who remained standing. All the other monsters refused to move while the high orc used magic, so I used that to my advantage and killed everyone else first. It felt like I had returned to the arcade¡¯s gun games, all thanks to the high orc. ¡°Don¡¯t let your guard down just yet. There¡¯s still one more.¡± Hearing that from above, I look around desperately, and see there¡¯s still one high goblin standing. It¡¯s just one, so it¡¯s easy prey. I fire, and the goblin quickly falls over. ¡°I¡¯m-¡± I¡¯m done, Mistress. Before I could get the words out, I noticed a shadow in the corner of my eye that made me stop. ¡°Huh?!¡± A high orc and high goblin. I can deal with that. But these two had bullet wounds on their head and chest, crimson blood flowing from them. I had definitely shot them before. I can see a chest wound not being lethal, but a head one should be an instant death. But still, those two were standing again. Not just them, soon other monsters follow and stand up too. ¡°Gahhh!¡± ¡°Gyuuu!¡± Their dimmer eyes look at me as they raise their weapons. What¡¯s up with them? They¡¯re moving completely differently than before, and in a bad way. It¡¯s like there¡¯s no life in them. Before, they moved sluggishly and clumsily, they were alive. Now they move like puppets, even when swinging their weapons, they just lift their arms and then let it fall, like the limbs of a marionette after its strings get cut. The caster high orc also stands up and throws its staff away, which I couldn¡¯t understand. But I can¡¯t think now, I have to defeat them. Their movements are so robotic that I can forget about my earlier strategy. I just have to dodge any attacks I see, and attack whichever monster gets close. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation and stop supporting the content thief!) But as soon as I decide on that¡­ ¡°There¡¯s no end to this.¡± Whether I shoot at their heads or hearts, they just stand back up like nothing ever happened. Dammit, what should I do? ¡°Natalia, you can give up if you want, you know.¡± Ophelia speaks, still floating above. Her voice sounded somewhat entertained. ¡°No, I can keep going!¡± Sure, I¡¯m putting on airs, but I haven¡¯t received a single blow yet. I know I can do more. But no matter what I do, they keep standing up. This is so strange, why are so many of them standing up again and again? ¡°Hm?¡± Wait, one of the monsters isn¡¯t standing up. I can¡¯t do the same to the rest, but I can imitate it at least. ¡°Buaaa!¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± A high orc charges at me, and I shoot an incendiary round that explodes with a bright blue glow. The high orc burns to a crisp, and its smoking body falls down, and doesn¡¯t stand up again. I was right. The two monsters burned by the high orc¡¯s magic didn¡¯t stand up again. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s the fire or how damaged their bodies are, but I can kill them this way. Incendiary rounds take longer to fire, so I can¡¯t go all-out like earlier, but I could counterattack now. DON! DON! ¡°I guess that takes care of everything.¡± Having burned all the monsters to black clumps, I finally put my gun away. ¡°It¡¯s not over yet.¡± ¡°Bhuhhh!¡± They¡¯ve come back! My warriors, they¡¯ve come back! Wait, I can¡¯t get carried away. Still, isn¡¯t it unfair that even the Clamp Boar is standing up again? But I already know how to deal with this, so it¡¯s just a repeat from earlier. I reach out for a magazine to reload Black Hawk, but my hand grabs emptiness. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen. Please support us by visiting our site.) ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Bhahhhh!¡± ¡°Woah!¡± It charged at me on a straight path, but it still startled me. ¡°Oh, what happened? You aren¡¯t going to use incendiary rounds like earlier?¡± Ophelia¡¯s voice from overhead still sounded entertained. Why is she taunting me like that? ¡°I¡¯m out of ammo! Uwah!¡± As simplistic as the Clamp Boar¡¯s movements are, I can¡¯t allow myself to get hit. I kept tracking it while I replied to Ophelia. ¡°Just use magic then.¡± She¡¯s laughing! I¡¯m suffering but she¡¯s laughing! Close one! I can keep dodging, but I can¡¯t attack back. ¡°Hahah. It¡¯s somewhat refreshing to see you so desperate. Going out was a good idea.¡± Why is she talking like this doesn¡¯t concern her! ¡°Do you want to keep trying?¡± ¡°Uncle! Uncle! I give up! Please help me!¡± I scream, and Ophelia laughs even more happily. ¡°Okay, okay, your beloved Mistress will rescue you.¡± As soon as she says that, lightning blinds my eyes as it strikes the Clamp Boar and tears its body apart. ¡°Thunder Storm is just a middle level spell, but maybe it was a bit overkill.¡± The Clamp Boar got turned to cinders. I¡¯m speechless. ¡°Also, Natalia, turn sixty degrees to the right and look up.¡± Wondering what she¡¯s seeing, I follow her orders and see the monkey with the crest atop a tree, frozen in ice. It was the same one I had seen while running away from the Meteor Wolf. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Say no to content thief!) ¡°That¡¯s a Shaman Ape. They¡¯re a monster that uses necromancy to control dead bodies.¡± So he¡¯s the one constantly resurrecting the other monsters. ¡°So if I had just one more bullet I could¡¯ve gotten out.¡± ¡°Like I said, the Shaman Ape¡¯s necromancy. If you kill him, the spell stops too.¡± Nooo, I hadn¡¯t noticed! I wasted all my bullets and humiliated myself! ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. You fought well against monsters you saw for the first time.¡± ¡°¡­Okay.¡± Ophelia lands again and tries encouraging me, but I still feel disappointed with myself. I guess it¡¯s not strange having to fight enemies with unknown abilities in this world. If I just mindlessly shot everything at first sight, this could¡¯ve gone on forever. But on top of that I had kept shooting without paying attention to my ammo, looking like a complete novice running out of bullets. My mistakes would¡¯ve spelled my death if Ophelia hadn¡¯t been here. ¡°Natalia.¡± I look down in self-deprecation when I feel Ophelia¡¯s hand on my head. ¡°I like how serious you are about everything, but you¡¯re a bit too serious sometimes. I told you, this is practice. Take this as a lesson to learn from and do better.¡± She gently strokes my hair, and I feel my remorseful heart slowly loosen up. ¡°Mistress.¡± ¡°Raise your head, you¡¯re my masterpiece. Or is it that you don¡¯t trust me?¡± ¡°I do.¡± I shake my head. I knew that much. We have lived together since I came to this world, and I¡¯ve seen how powerful she is, and I know what she expects from me too. But if I keep performing poorly, I¡¯ll end up betraying her trust. ¡°Well, let¡¯s return home.¡± ¡°Yes, Mistress.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll teach you how to pour your own mana into Black Hawk tomorrow.¡± ¡°You will? Thank you very much.¡± My footsteps felt light as we headed back home, the sky starting to take red hues. CH 14.5 The vacations ended, and the new term began at the school in the city. Olivia had learned the value of studies during that time, so her attitude changed entirely, avidly listening to class and studying. ¡°Hahh.¡± In truth, that never happened. Whether during class or during break, she spent her time looking out the window with longing eyes. She had never been serious about studying, but this was strange even for her. ¡°Hey, Olivia. Why the long face? Is something wrong?¡± During break, the cat demi-human Amy spoke to Olivia, as representative of her friends. They had known each other since childhood, and were pretty much best friends. ¡°It¡¯s nothing really¡­¡± Olivia replied, her eyes glued to the window. She had never behaved like that before, making Amy worried since she knew her for so long. ¡°Did something happen during vacations?¡± Even as her best friend, Amy thought that was a bit rude to ask, but she would never know how to help otherwise. They were best friends, she had to do this for her. But Olivia¡¯s reply would completely take over that little leap of faith. ¡°¡­So¡­¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°There¡¯s someone I like.¡± ¡°Oh, I see. So you¡¯ve fallen in¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Amy stayed silent, and pinched her cheek. She felt pain, she had to admit this was reality, which made her shake her head in defeat. But she still could not believe it. ¡°Are you joking?!¡± ¡°Why would I be?!¡± Olivia finally turned away from the window, glaring at her friend with an annoyed look. ¡°But it¡¯s you we¡¯re talking about! You¡¯ve always picked adventure stories over romance, your only interest in guys is to fight them and humiliate them. You¡¯re basically the school¡¯s gang leader but you like someone now?! Ahhh, I knew the world was coming to an end.¡± ¡°Amy, just what do you see me as?¡± ¡°An utterly hopeless student but fight-loving musclehead brawler girl?¡± ¡°Guh¡­¡± Olivia was stunned hearing her best friend¡¯s unfiltered assessment of her, but she also knew there was no way for her to deny any of that, so she remained silent. ¡°Tell me though, what kind of person is it? Someone cool? Is he older?¡± Amy was in the ripe age to be excited about romance, so she quickly changed her attitude and cornered her friend. Olivia was baffled at how fast that change was, but they were friends for so long she just let it go and replied. ¡°Hmm¡­good at housework¡­and delicious cooking! Though I only tried it once¡­¡± ¡°Being able to take care of the house is really valuable, yes.¡± ¡°¡­usually speaks softly too, but really aggressive when fighting¡­¡± ¡°Oh, some unpredictability is fun from time to time.¡± ¡°¡­younger than me1, but really smart and helped me study better¡­¡± ¡°Oh oh, so in short he¡¯s really good at keeping the house, really polite, but also has a wild side and is younger than you?¡± ¡°Y-Yeah.¡± ¡°I see, hmm¡­¡± Amy crosses her arms and tilts her head, closing her eyes while groaning. Olivia felt something was slightly off, though her description and Amy¡¯s understanding of it seemed to overlap, so she said nothing. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation and stop supporting the content thief!) ¡°You know¡­¡± ¡°W-what?¡± Done thinking, Amy opened her eyes, held Olivia¡¯s shoulders and looked at her with a gentle face. ¡°That person is probably crazy popular. If you don¡¯t pursue him aggressively, someone else might snatch him.¡± Natalia was still confined to the house¡¯s territory, but Olivia¡¯s mother had mentioned she would eventually help out as an adventurer too, which meant more people would get to know her, and it was hard to imagine they would not look at her in a special way. It was true that Natalia is just a Magic Automaton, but her personality more than made up for it, and plenty of people would look past that. It was very likely other people would fall in love with her just like Olivia, and Natalia might fall in love back with them. ¡°I won¡¯t let anyone do that!¡± Just thinking of someone else being with Natalia made Olivia want to die. ¡°How do I pursue aggressively though? A kiss on the cheek and a bath together didn¡¯t do anything to get myself noticed.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m shook. That¡¯s a lot more assertive than I expected from you, and I¡¯m your best friend.¡± Amy felt a chill down her spine. Olivia had always preferred a good fight instead of roses, and had remained untouched to love affairs for her entire life, but in two weeks she had stepped up the ladder to becoming an adult considerably. ¡°But he must be really dense to not notice anything even after all that. Though I guess it makes sense that he isn¡¯t interested in romance yet if he¡¯s younger. Still, you won¡¯t have many chances if you can only see him when you¡¯re home.¡± Amy continued thinking about it herself, while Olivia turned her eyes back to the window, staring outside. All Olivia could think about was her beloved Natalia. What was she doing at that moment? Has she learned magic already? Has she gone outside the house again since then? Thinking of Natalia made her chest feel constricted, but also warm. ¡°Hey, Olivia!¡± As she wallowed in those sad but endearing thoughts, a crude voice called out her name. When she lifted her face, she saw Joshua, the dog demi-human. He was a student of the classroom next to hers, and every time they saw each other they would end up fighting. It would always end with Olivia¡¯s victory though. But a week before the vacations, Joshua¡¯s attitude had changed dramatically. ¡°I heard you aren¡¯t looking well, what happened?¡± Joshua looked earnestly worried about her, but to Olivia he still looked like a bitter enemy, so she did not know how to feel hearing him like that. But then she recalled what her mother told her during vacations. ¡°Ahh, right, I actually have to apologize to you for something.¡± ¡°Huh? Did I do something then?¡± ¡°Actually, it¡¯s me. I didn¡¯t know that touching your ears meant that.¡± ¡°Wait, then¡­¡± The color of his face drained. Olivia did not care, and continued without mercy. ¡°Yeah, I really had no intention to make you think that when I touched them. I¡¯m sorry I gave you the wrong idea2.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­Joshua?¡± ¡°You a?s?s?h?o?l?e?! Manipulator! B?i?t?c?h?3!¡± ¡°I feel like I said something similar not too long ago¡­wait, Joshua!¡± Joshua broke into tears and ran away from the classroom, and in his stead the teacher entered. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen. Please support us by visiting our site.) ¡°Alright, time for class everyone¡­wait, what happened here?¡± Her antics were really so common that not even the teachers were surprised anymore. Before heading to her own seat, Amy whispered into Olivia¡¯s ear. ¡°I¡¯ll research how to get the person you like to like you back. Good luck.¡± ¡°Thank you, Amy.¡± Amy had a bigger interest in romantic affairs than Olivia, so she decided to do her best to help her best friend fulfill her desires. ¡°Mm, maybe just treating it as an established fact would be faster, actually.¡± But they were still children at the end of the day, so it was hard to believe they really knew what they were talking about. Sneeze! ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Y-Yes. I¡¯m fine.¡± Natalia still did not know the explosive4 situation developing somewhere far away. CH 15 There aren¡¯t that many people moving around, but it¡¯s still the most I¡¯ve seen since I arrived in this world. Elves and demi-humans are around too, stirring my adventurous heart. I saw a demi-human with a sword accompanied with an elf holding a staff, they¡¯re probably adventurers. ¡°Natalia, I understand that you¡¯re curious, but try to not wander off.¡± ¡°Yes, Mistress.¡± We had left the forest and went to the town of Bamel, which was the nearest to us. Due to its proximity to the Valhen Woods, Bamel has a tall wall surrounding it, but across it lies a fantastical town. We¡¯re here so Ophelia can register me in the guild as a monster under her supervision. Monsters that are registered that way get known as Servants, and are treated as the property of whoever is supervising them, which gives us some benefits. At least as long as we follow our supervisor¡¯s orders, and don¡¯t go around hurting other people indiscriminately. ¡°This is Bamel¡¯s branch of the adventurer¡¯s guild.¡± Ophelia took me to a large three storey building. As we step inside, I feel countless gazes focused on me. What¡¯s up with these people? They haven¡¯t seen a maid before? I guess we¡¯re a rare sight. ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t that the Ebony Witch?¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a while since she¡¯s come here.¡± ¡°Who do you think is with her? She¡¯s really cute.¡± It¡¯s hard walking with so many eyes on me. But Ophelia did not seem to be bothered at all, heading straight to the reception desk and talking with the clerk there. They spoke in a very casual manner, I guess they knew each other. This is all because of me so I lean forward trying to listen to their conversation, but all they talk about are guild regulations and a bunch of jargon, so it just sounds like gibberish to me. It¡¯s boring listening to a conversation I don¡¯t understand, so I take a look around instead, and spot a bulletin board with requests on a nearby wall. I guess it¡¯s not really all that far away. I leave the reception desk and go check out the bulletin board. There¡¯s post after post there, requesting all sorts of things like certain materials or the hunt of monsters. One of them wants some herbs that grow in our garden. Another one looking for a Clamp Boar bone. Many are like that, pretty much demanding the hunt of a given monster first. Distracted by the bulletin board, I accidentally bump into the person next to me. She appears to be around the same age as Olivia. She¡¯s wearing armor made of thin metal plates, and her petite body gives off a naive aura. ¡°My apologies.¡± ¡°No no, it was my fault for not paying attention.¡± I apologize and bow almost instinctively, and she does the same. ¡°Umm, are you an adventurer?¡± The girl looks me up and down and asks timidly. I can see why she would hesitate, while I do have some leather armor, there¡¯s still a maid uniform underneath. ¡°I¡¯m not. I came here with my Mistress. I presume you¡¯re starting off as one though?¡± ¡°Yes, I guess it¡¯s easy to tell.¡± Her armor looks really beaten up, but she herself still looks like a novice, she reminds me a lot of freshmen who barely started school. She probably bought her equipment second hand. But saying that would be rather rude, so instead I decide to point out that her armor doesn¡¯t match her size instead. ¡°Yes, I know. This is just a leftover from our store. I actually wanted a new one, but we don¡¯t really have enough money.¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation and stop supporting the content thief!) She said while smiling gingerly. ¡°Oh sorry, I almost forgot. I¡¯m Mir.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Natalia.¡± I also introduce myself and turn back to look at the requests. ¡°There¡¯s so many requests it¡¯s fun just looking at them.¡± ¡°I know.¡± My voice sounded indifferent, but I shared the same sentiment. Just reading their description and imaging it is fun. ¡°Ah, this request might just be perfect for me.¡± The request she picked was one procuring the crest from a Shaman Ape. That triggers memories from the other day. Everyone accepts requests individually, so whatever happens to her is unrelated to me. Not like I have enough experience to give advice to others. But still¡­ ¡°Do you happen to know how to use attack magic? If you can¡¯t, you might be better off choosing a different request.¡± I couldn¡¯t allow such a young and inexperienced girl to throw herself into danger. ¡°Err, have you fought a Shaman Ape before then, Natalia¡± ¡°Yes, it was quite a struggle. Though I don¡¯t think it was the Shaman Ape that gave me the most issues.¡± ¡°Hey girls, why don¡¯t you group up with me then?¡± Before I get to explain the Shaman Ape¡¯s necromancy, a guy barges between us. He looked idiotic, quite stupid actually1. ¡°I can tell you two are just starting out, yeah? Then just rely on someone with experience like the great Rank D Danny from the Soaring Dragon clan, so basically me!¡± He probably isn¡¯t necessarily lying, but I can¡¯t see him as a trustworthy person. His over-familiar attitude is rubbing me the wrong way too. ¡°Have you fought a Shaman Ape before?¡± ¡°I have no clue what that is2! But it sounds like a monkey, right? I¡¯m too awesome to be beat by a monkey.¡± At least that means he doesn¡¯t know the Shaman Ape uses necromancy then. ¡°There weren¡¯t enough monsters where I worked before, so I came here. The Beastly Forest is the only place where I belong! You really got lucky, girls, you¡¯re witnessing the start of a legend.¡± We didn¡¯t say anything, but he started talking about himself anyway. But I can tell he doesn¡¯t actually want to talk to us. All his words and his eyes have been directed at my chest. All my limbs have been carefully built and molded by Ophelia, making them much more charming and pretty than those of girls nearby. My chest is rather bountiful too, without being sleazy, and it¡¯s easy to tell it¡¯s well formed even through my clothes. I can understand why people would stare. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen. Please support us by visiting our site.) But having an idiot be so obvious about it is creepy. I wonder if I had stared like this at women in my past life too, I¡¯m afraid of knowing the answer. Not like it matters anymore. I¡¯m still a monster, so if possible I want to end things peacefully without making a mess inside the guild. Mir looks worried too, her eyes rapidly moving between me and Danny. ¡°Anyway, that¡¯s settled so let¡¯s hurry on.¡± He tries to hold my hand. ¡°Natalia.¡± But just in time, I hear Ophelia call my name from behind. I brush away Danny¡¯s hand and turn around. ¡°Here¡¯s your registration card, be careful not to lose it.¡± ¡°Thank you very much, Mistress.¡± Ophelia gets closer and affixes a brooch with a red gemstone to the knot of my tie. Ah, somehow this feels like a newly married wife fixing the husband¡¯s tie. Not like I know how that feels though. ¡°Ohh, the mistress of a cute maid always has to be beautiful too.¡± You b?a?s?t?a?r?d?! Don¡¯t look at my Mistress with those dirty eyes of yours. Even I know to avert my gaze. ¡°You¡¯ve already made friends, Natalia?¡± Nope, how does someone arrive at that conclusion?! ¡°I can tell these two are beginners, so I want to be a gentleman and teach them everything I know.¡± He still isn¡¯t listening and just blabbering on his own. It¡¯s really getting to my head. ¡°No one asked you to do that. Having my Mistress is enough for me3.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Mm?¡± Did I just say something weird? Why is Mir holding her cheeks while her face gets red? ¡°Err, umm, okay. How about we demonstrate that you¡¯re unnecessary then?¡± ¡°Huh? What do you mean?¡± Even Ophelia seemed to get slightly red, though I¡¯m not sure, and I don¡¯t really care anymore.Danny crosses his arms in confusion, but then Ophelia says something outrageous. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Say no to content thief!) ¡°It¡¯s easy. Just fight against Natalia. If you win, I¡¯ll let you have her in your party. But if she wins, you better forget you even saw us.¡± ¡°Hahah, that¡¯s funny. Then how about you join the party too?¡± ¡°Sure. Let those be our stakes.¡± Having decided that in an instant, Ophelia and Danny walk out and I hurry to follow them. ¡°Err, Mistress, are you serious about that?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve been wanting to let you gain experience fighting other people too, so this is perfect.¡± ¡°No way¡­¡± Even if we form a party just once, I doubt that guy will stand down afterwards. Not to mention that having to carry out a request while feeling his constant gaze is worse than death. Now Ophelia got dragged into this too, I¡¯m really a failure as a maid. ¡°It¡¯s fine, you¡¯ve been training more than enough. If you do your best, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll win. I¡¯ll repair you if you get injured, so just go wild.¡± I really want to retreat, but Ophelia shows no intention of allowing that. She¡¯s actually confident I¡¯m going to win. I guess I¡¯ll have to try if she¡¯s so sure. No choice but to resign myself and fight. But then I notice Mir following us too. ¡°Mir, this is my problem to deal with, there¡¯s no need for you to follow me. You should run away while that guy is focusing on me.¡± ¡°No can do, I was the one who chose that request, so I can¡¯t give it up so easily. If you end up forming a party with him, I¡¯ll join you too. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll be of much help though.¡± She said while clenching her little fists. Now I have more reasons not to lose. CH 16 Ophelia and Danny lead me to a training area behind the building. There¡¯s a fence surrounding it, and inside I can see other adventurers training and sparring with each other. There¡¯s an empty spot we can use, so we head there. ¡°I¡¯ll heal1 any wounds unless they¡¯re an instant death, so fight to your heart¡¯s content. The match ends when one side is neutralized or gives up. Any questions?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just get this started already.¡± Ophelia remained outside the fence as referee, while Danny and I shook our heads. There¡¯s a considerable distance between us as we face each other. Danny was armed with a regular size sword, which could not reach me from that distance. The fight is leaning in my favor already. ¡°Then¡­ Start!¡± As soon as Ophelia announces that, I draw Black Hawk and shoot. Sorry bud, but I don¡¯t want to drag this out. I¡¯ll just shoot both your legs and be done with this. But my expectations didn¡¯t get met. ¡°Wow, what¡¯s that weapon?¡± No way. This was his first time seeing black hawk, yet he instantly moved out of the bullet¡¯s path. I shoot again. Danny jumps away again, except that I had anticipated that. There¡¯s no way he can dodge while still in mid-air from his jump. Clink clink! But he deflected the bullets with his sword this time. ¡°Tsk! That¡¯s some power already. My hand feels funny.¡± Oh, I see. Then there¡¯s more where that came from. I continue shooting as fast as I can, hoping I can break his defense. But he evades all the bullets. Either by moving out of the way of the bullet¡¯s paths, or with his sword. I¡¯m too busy shooting continuously and stopping him from getting closer to do anything else too. Luckily Black Hawk has a way to be infused with mana to replenish its bullets, and Ophelia had taught me how to do it. Without that, I would have an opening while I change magazines, giving Danny enough time to close in, and losing any chance at winning this match. ¡°Is someone fighting?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Danny and the Witch¡¯s maid.¡± ¡°Danny? That dude that came from the country-side and took the highest rank of the area around here? He¡¯s really annoying but he¡¯s got some skill.¡± ¡°That maid is using a weird weapon too.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you lose barely a moment after your duel with him started?¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± A crowd gathered quickly. And the fight is in a stalemate. Danny refuses to come closer, and I have no way of gaining the upper hand. At this point whoever is more impatient will make the next move. If Danny is an orthodox swordsman, his choices are rather limited. ¡°Tsk, that¡¯s a really annoying weapon, y¡¯know.¡± Danny lowered his stance a bit. He¡¯s going to come. The moment I think that, Danny kicks off the ground and dashes towards me. Using mana to reload is faster than switching magazines, but isn¡¯t instantaneous either. He aimed at exactly that moment of pause to attack. But I had already anticipated that. The magazine had only refilled a little with mana, but I turned it into an incendiary round and shot it. A magic explosion covers Danny¡¯s body. ¡°Oryaa!¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation and stop supporting the content thief!) But he crosses through the flames without issue. The incendiary round lacked magic power, so it barely did any damage to him. I jump back as I infuse mana into Black Hawk again. He swings his sword up after me, the blade hitting against Black Hawk. A loud metallic clink resounds as my beloved gun is swept away from my hand. My palm shone softly as the mana lost its destination. Dammit! What can I do without a gun? Would my beginner-level magic help in any way? I should get away from him. I instantly punch down with my now-empty hand. He raises his forearm to block my punch. He recoils down slightly, and his gauntlet gets dented, but that¡¯s all the damage I cause. An instant later he counterattacks. I somehow manage to dodge two strokes from his sword, but I doubt I can repeat that a third time. Things had turned around, now it was me who was pushed to defend myself. ¡°The maid should just give up. There¡¯s no way for her to win anymore.¡± ¡°Well, no harm in trying I guess?¡± ¡°Well yeah. Though Danny is still stronger.¡± The people in the audience already consider this my loss. But I don¡¯t want to give up yet, for Ophelia¡¯s sake. ¡°Come through and burn, Fire Arrow!¡± Even if I can¡¯t maintain the spell for too long, I¡¯m close enough that it won¡¯t matter. But his iron sword easily scattered the flaming arrow. ¡°Oh, you can even use magic. That¡¯s amazing.¡± Being able to use such simple magic was nothing to be praised for. And hearing it from that guy made it even worse. I try using a thunder spell, but he dodges that. What should I do? Think! Ophelia said I can win if I use everything I have at my disposal. I have to remember everything I¡¯ve learned so far, everything I¡¯ve practiced. Oh right, when I punched him earlier while still having mana on my hand, I dented his armor. Maybe just having mana and not turning it into a spell can be used to attack too. But I doubt that¡¯ll be powerful enough to decide the match. I really have to go all out. As I concentrate mana in my hand, I chant. ¡°Jump out¡­¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it about time you surrender?¡± ¡°Thunder Spark!¡± In response, I step forwards and unleash a spell to say no. I swing my fist at the same time, my fist covered in lightning as it nears on Danny. ¡°Woah!¡± He hadn¡¯t been expecting that. His disorderly sword movements quickly changed course in reaction. And my arm from the elbow down was sent flying away2. ¡°Ahh!¡± I wobbled onto my knees, pressing the spot where my forearm used to be attached. That¡¯s too muchhhhhhh! My aaaaaaarmmmmmmmmm! (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen. Please support us by visiting our site.) ¡°I-It¡¯s not my fault! You just ran towards me like that so I reacted and-!¡± Danny is utterly confused, the audience gets even louder, and Mir looks like she¡¯s about to cry. Ah, I¡¯m sorry. Only Ophelia is grinning calmly at me. ¡°Huh? Why isn¡¯t she bleeding?¡± Crap, I have to act before they notice3. CH 17 I had learned about this when Ophelia was showing me the anatomy of my body. ¡°Now we move this like so.¡± ¡°?!¡± Ophelia pulls my hand, and suddenly my hand is no longer attached to my body, gone. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s built to be disconnected like that.¡± Can anyone stay calm having their hand literally taken away? And the lack of pain makes it even scarier. ¡°All these strings here are like your nerves. They¡¯re threads made from the silk of a monster called Purple Steel Spider, and are very resilient and good conductors of magic. If you practice enough, you can control them individually, and maybe even use them as a weapon.¡± ¡°Is there enough of them to really be useful though?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, why don¡¯t you try stretching them out right now?¡± I try extending the threads out of my body as much as I can. And a lot comes out. ¡°Wha-!¡± Danny hurries to step back while exclaiming in shock. I¡¯d do the same, seeing my opponent¡¯s fallen arm move by itself to shoot a gun. Him assuming he had cut my arm was a grave mistake, I had disconnected it on my own. Still, I took him entirely by surprise, but only two or three shots grazed him, and he evaded the rest. He really is a strong opponent. With him increasing the distance between us I had recovered my advantage though, and I wouldn¡¯t let this end like earlier. ¡°Wh-what the hell are you?!¡± He screamed, sounding slightly afraid. Though I never did anything to deceive him. But as a maid, I have to keep my Mistress¡¯ name clear, so I better introduce myself properly. Using only my left hand that¡¯s still attached to my body, I slightly lift the hem of my skirt and bow with a simple curtsy. ¡°Excuse my late introduction, I¡¯m Natalia, Mistress Ophelia¡¯s loyal Magic Automaton. I¡¯m a mere infant born two months ago, so I beg you find it in yourself to be gentle with me.¡± ¡°¡±¡±¡±No infant ever looks like that!¡±¡±¡±¡± Somehow it was the audience that reacted the most. ¡°Let¡¯s get back on track and resume our match, shall we?¡± My disconnected right arm moves in mid-air, pulling the trigger again. Muahahahah, fear me! But Danny was expecting that now, so he just evades the bullets coming from a new location. I could use another hand, literally. So I disconnect my left forearm, and shoot it ahead while focusing mana into its palm. ¡°Kuh!¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation and stop supporting the content thief!) I can control it telepathically too. I¡¯ve literally turned into a Zeong1! The Purple Steel Spider silk is so thin it¡¯s hard to notice, but it still transmits enough magic for me to move my hand. To me, it just feels like my limbs got stretched out. My right hand holds the gun, the left is a powerful fist, both attack him from all directions. ¡°There¡¯s more.¡± I disconnect my left foot from the knee down next. Now I can perform an all-range attack with my limbs. Surrounded by so many attacks, Danny focuses on dodging all the bullets, but the attacks from my hand and foot covered in mana get to hit him from time to time. ¡°Tsk!¡± Unable to stand it any longer, Danny dashes towards my main body, but I won¡¯t fall for the same attack twice. I instantly constricted all the silk I had strewn around. The silk is all around Danny, moving irregularly as it wraps around his body and restrains his movements entirely. ¡°Ghagh!¡± Losing his freedom to move, Danny groans. ¡°So, do you want to keep going?¡± I point the gun to his head. ¡°I-I give up.¡± His voice quivers, but rings clear. ¡°Danny surrenders, making Natalia the winner!¡± ¡°So that maid was a Magic Automaton all along.¡± ¡°And she won against Danny, that¡¯s crazy.¡± ¡°She¡¯s so pretty too, a shame she¡¯s an automaton.¡± ¡°I-I think I might have a new fetish.¡± My Mistress declares my victory, and I hear voices of mixed confusion and cheering. But they had all thought I was a maid, but now they found out I was a Magic Automaton. I hadn¡¯t deceived them, but I still feel like things can get awkward. ¡°Good job there, you worked hard.¡± Only Ophelia smiled widely while walking towards me. I guess putting all that effort was worth something at least. ¡°Natalia, are you okay?¡± Mir also runs towards me, looking worried. Oh right, I don¡¯t care about the rest, but I should at least apologize to her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mir. I didn¡¯t tell you I was a Magic Automaton. I didn¡¯t mean to deceive you, but I should¡¯ve told you earlier.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything to deceive me! And you look really different from the automatons I heard about, you don¡¯t look like a monster or a tool!¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen. Please support us by visiting our site.) I bow to her, but Mir shakes her head vigorously. ¡°Even if you¡¯re a monster or a Magic Automaton, I can tell you¡¯re kind so I¡¯d like to be your friend.¡± She says that, knowing I¡¯m not human. Now that I think about it, she¡¯s the first human I¡¯ve interacted with, aside from Ophelia and Olivia. I guess that also makes her the first person to really accept me. ¡°Heeeey, can you set me free already? I¡¯m not into public bondage and that stuff okayy.¡± Ah, I forgot. ¡°Apologies. That wasn¡¯t my intention or desire.¡± I try unraveling the silk. ¡°¡­¡± I try unraveling the silk. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Hey.¡± I try unraveling the silk. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡± ¡°I can¡¯t undo it.¡± No way! ¡°How do I get out then! S?h?i?t?!¡± Danny starts twisting his body trying to get free from the silk. ¡°Wait! If you move-¡± The silk threads get pulled, and my body standing on one foot tips over. ¡°Wah!¡± With no way to balance myself, I fall flat on my face. Swirl I feel a cold breeze past my inner thighs, that can only mean one thing. My skirt has turned over. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Say no to content thief!) ¡°Oh, now that¡¯s a sight.¡± ¡°That¡¯s hot, even though she¡¯s an automaton2.¡± ¡°Well, she¡¯s still cute after all.¡± I feel my cheeks burning. ¡°I-I¡¯ll kill you! All of you who looked! And then I¡¯ll kill myself too!¡± This is the first time I¡¯ve been humiliated like this! In both my lives! ¡°Calm down before you go all suicidal on me. Don¡¯t move, I¡¯ll help you out.¡± ¡°Err¡­umm¡­sorry.¡± ¡°I-it¡¯s fine Natalia! You actually look really sexy3!¡± After all his aggression, Danny looked earnestly apologetic, while Mir said something I never expected from her, but that only made me feel more ashamed. ¡°Just kill me! I don¡¯t want to live goddamnit!¡± CH 18 There¡¯s a food stall inside the guild, and we went there to have a light meal and talk after I was finally set free. Danny went away the moment he was free though. ¡°Are you done crying?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not crying. Not like I could if I wanted, I can¡¯t produce tears.¡± Ophelia knew my functions even more than I did, but she still liked being mean. ¡°Hmm¡­Just pretend you were bitten by a dog then, don¡¯t let it get you down.¡± ¡°Getting bit by a dog would be a thousand times better¡­¡± All the underwear Ophelia gave me matched my body type. I usually avoid the more extreme ones, but I half-jokingly tried on a black lace one for a change, since I was going to the city for the first time, and it fit me so well I didn¡¯t feel like taking it off. Now I wish I could go back in time and beat the crap out of myself for doing that. And just in case, I¡¯ve never been into cross-dressing, and I don¡¯t think I¡¯m being a crossdresser right now either. It¡¯s more like I¡¯m playing an RPG as a cute girl. ¡°Anyway, was there something you wanted from me?¡± Ophelia puts me and my depression aside, and talks to Mir instead. ¡°Ah, yeah. Though to be precise it¡¯s something I want from Natalia.¡± ¡°From me? What is it?¡± She¡¯s more interested in a maid automaton she just met, instead of Ophelia who¡¯s famous amongst adventurers. ¡°Natalia, do you want to form a party with me?¡± Mir¡¯s eyes are serious, filled with determination. But my response was already decided. ¡°Umm, I¡¯m terribly sorry but-¡± ¡°I beg you! I don¡¯t mind if you¡¯re busy most of the time with your maid work!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not exactly it, but-¡± Mir bows violently, almost striking the table with her forehead, but I can¡¯t respond to that. It¡¯s true that I¡¯m busy as a maid, but I don¡¯t have the right to decide something like that. ¡°Go ahead, as long as it¡¯s just one or two days in a week.¡± The person who could, gave her permission. ¡­huh? ¡°Is that alright?¡± ¡°Sure. Though you¡¯re still my Servant, so strictly speaking I¡¯ll be the one forming the party with Mir, and you¡¯ll come with me. Learning to cooperate with other adventurers is also a valuable experience after all.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± I understand that, but we had only come here to register me as a Servant today, so forming a party right away feels like I¡¯m asking for too much. ¡°If it really is okay, then I have no complaints.¡± ¡°Well, that settles it.¡± ¡°Thank you very much!¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation and stop supporting the content thief!) Bonk! Mir¡¯s head actually hit the table this time. ¡°But why ask me, who you just met today? I know you¡¯re just starting, but weren¡¯t there other people you could ask?¡± After saying that, I realized I made a mistake. I¡¯m pretty much asking if she is completely alone. ¡°Well, err, I don¡¯t really know anyone who¡¯s an adventurer¡­¡± She is completely alone. ¡°And when I tell anyone about the materials I want to gather, they all refuse.¡± ¡°Materials?¡± ¡°These here.¡± Mir shows us a piece of paper. Let¡¯s see. ¡®Shaman Ape bone¡¯ ¡®Clamp Boar tusk¡¯ ¡®Steel Spider steel silk¡¯ ¡°These monsters would be hard for a beginner or low level adventurer to hunt, I see.¡± I¡¯ve never seen a Steel Spider, but I know Shaman Apes and Clamp Boars are hard to fight. I doubt even I could beat them without using Black Hawk. ¡°Yeah, and that¡¯s why no one wants to form a party with me.¡± ¡°Why do you need all these hard to get materials?¡± Ophelia asks, with justifiable curiosity, and Mir begins explaining the details. ¡°You see, my family owns a forge, and some noble ordered something from my father. But there¡¯s this worker in the blacksmiths¡¯ guild that doesn¡¯t get along with my father, and doesn¡¯t let him get the materials he needs, so now we have to procure them elsewhere.¡± ¡°I see. And if your father fails to fulfill the order from a noble, the forge¡¯s reputation will fall to the ground, or even go bankrupt instantly.¡± I¡¯ve always heard that dealing with nobles is a hassle. But I haven¡¯t learned about them properly yet, so I better pay attention to this. ¡°I know. But my father is kinda hot-blooded, so he started saying, ¡°I¡¯ll hunt for it myself then!¡± and tried going out. My mother and I had to force him to stay, if he gets hurt he can¡¯t fulfill the order after all.¡± Sounds like a troublesome father. ¡°That¡¯s why I decided to become an adventurer myself and somehow get us out of this problem.¡± ¡°You were left without choice, in other words.¡± ¡°Mhm¡­¡± Mir hung her head as her shoulders drooped down. Ophelia really doesn¡¯t mince words. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen. Please support us by visiting our site.) ¡°And so, when¡¯s the due date for that order?¡± ¡°We still have one month left.¡± ¡°You¡¯re also pressed for time then.¡± I don¡¯t know what kind of order they received, but a blacksmith without materials can¡¯t even get started. So the materials should be ready even before the actual smithing begins. ¡°We¡¯ll have to hurry then. How about we make the Clamp Boar our target for tomorrow? Sounds good?¡± ¡°Yes, thank you very much.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Ophelia suggests that, and Mir and I nod. After that we discuss what we¡¯ll need to prepare and where to meet tomorrow, and we part ways with Mir. When we get home, Ophelia gives me all the magazines she had in reserve, and shuts herself in her room to prepare for tomorrow. I focus on the remaining housework for the day, while pouring mana into the magazines whenever I can afford to. ¡°This one¡¯s full too.¡± I stash the filled magazine into my magic storage space. I could leave it on my belt too, but I¡¯m already used to the amount of mana necessary to take things out of storage, and I don¡¯t have to worry about accidentally letting them fall or encumbering my movements this way. It¡¯s much more practical. Then I recall something else. While I fought Danny, I found out I could keep mana in my hand and use it to attack. Maybe I can refine that into a proper skill. I leave my hand half opened and focus mana into it, a pale blue glow filling my palm. That¡¯s my mana. The light seems to flicker slightly. It won¡¯t be of much use in such an unstable state. I need to figure out a way to keep it constant if I want to use it as a skill. I know it¡¯s not something I can learn from one day to another, but I have a higher hope in it than with other spells. I guess I¡¯ll focus more of my training on this. CH 19 The next day, we go to the adventurer¡¯s guild in Bamel to meet up with Mir, and we head to the forest right away. ¡°Why are you two living inside the forest?¡± Mir asks us as we walk. Anyone with common sense would think that living in a forest that runs rampant with monsters is an insane idea. Even I think that. ¡°There are a lot of useful magic ingredients in the forest, so it¡¯s easier for my research to live closer.¡± ¡°Ahh, I understand now.¡± Mir nods, understanding Ophelia¡¯s reasoning. Watching them is a bit comical, like a child trying to talk on equal terms with an adult, but that¡¯s only because she¡¯s a small dwarf. Apparently Mir is already an adult (anyone above 15 is considered that in this world though). We continue talking about random things as we walk, until we get close to the place where I had run into a Clamp Boar before. ¡°Mistress, we¡¯re about to reach the place where I fought the Clamp Boar before. How shall we proceed?¡± Ophelia tilts her head as she thinks about it. ¡°The other monsters probably got scared and are avoiding this place, so a luring spell probably won¡¯t work. And if we want to hunt a Clamp Boar specifically, I know a better place further ahead.¡± What she said makes sense. Anyone would avoid a place where one of their kind had been killed. On top of that, on our way here we hadn¡¯t encountered any monsters, or even heard any of their cries. I guess this means we¡¯ll have to keep going further in. Ophelia seems to have a plan, so she takes the lead and guides us deeper into the woods, our surroundings slowly getting filled with more sounds. ¡°Monsters should start appearing soon. Always look around, you two.¡± Mir and I weren¡¯t slacking off, but hearing that we became more careful. ¡°If a fight breaks out, I¡¯ll stand ahead and you two can help me from behind.¡± Mir said that with courage, but her hand is trembling on the hilt of her sheathed sword, and a drop of sweat rolls down her cheek. We haven¡¯t seen any monsters yet, but she is clearly very nervous. ¡°Understood, we will support you, so try to relax.¡± With Ophelia¡¯s unfair magic and my unfair gun, Mir has nothing to worry about when fighting. We might be inexperienced, but I¡¯m sure we can somehow defeat a Clamp Boar. ¡°Careful you two, there¡¯s a monster to our left.¡± We instantly unfasten our weapons and hold them ready. A group of goblins come into view. I can kill all of them in an instant alone. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation and stop supporting the content thief!) ¡°Yahhh!¡± But as I raise and aim my gun, Mir charges at them with her sword. ¡°Natalia.¡± I decide to shoot the other goblins that Mir isn¡¯t engaged with, but Ophelia stops me. ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to butt in right now. If you want to maintain a healthy friendship with her, that is.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± We aren¡¯t here to train, but to hunt monsters, so killing them as fast as possible should be the best idea. I can¡¯t understand how killing or not killing the goblins will affect my friendship with Mir. ¡°I know you can take care of all those goblins effortlessly with your current skills, but you need to think like a party. Can you really call yourself her comrade if you don¡¯t know her strengths and weaknesses, or her fighting style? Can you trust her to have your back when you need it?¡± I feel like Ophelia just dunked a bucket of cold water on my head. I thought everything would be over faster if I shot all the monsters, but my thinking was flawed. If I killed everything, I would never know how Mir fights, or how to properly support her. That would make her just a person traveling with us, not part of the party. In the worst case Mir could end up feeling like a parasite feeding off our success, and not a true friend. ¡°My apologies, I¡¯ll stand back.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t overthink it either now. Anyway, let¡¯s see what we can do to help. If she goes too crazy, we can help make it work, so just observe carefully.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Mir is crossing swords with a goblin. Her dwarven blood gives her plenty or raw strength to overpower goblins, but her skill with a blade is still lacking. All she¡¯s been doing this entire time is swinging her sword broadly and aimlessly. If she lands a blow, the effect will be powerful, but her defense is full of holes, and easy to target. Even the dumb goblins noticed that. Essentially she¡¯s a wildcard. On top of that, she¡¯s using a light single handed sword. She lacked the strength and speed for her attacks to be lethal. She misses again. A goblin decides to use that opening and swings its own sword. Mir manages to evade the attack, but everything repeats itself again. I shoot a regular bullet to the goblin¡¯s sword. There¡¯s a high pitched cling and the sword flips in the air a few times before landing on the ground a distance away. ¡°Gya gya!¡± The goblin holds its hand, probably from pain to his fingers. I had given her a big opening, and Mir knew what to do. ¡°Yaahh!¡± She runs and swings at the goblin¡¯s torso, red blood oozing from its green skin. ¡°Alright!¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen. Please support us by visiting our site.) Mir turns to her next target and holds her sword ready. Just in case, I shoot the fallen goblin¡¯s head, and then look at the one Mir is fighting against now. Before it can do anything, I shoot its shoulder and leg. Unable to hold his weapon and stand up, it easily falls to Mir¡¯s blade. I look beside me and see Ophelia also start to work, using simple spells to blast goblins away. Though she did that chantless and without magic circles. Maybe there¡¯s no need to worry anymore. ¡°Gagyaa!¡± The last goblin falls, and we finally get to relax. ¡°Natalia, thanks for the help. It got much easier thanks to you.¡± ¡°It was all you, you really cut through them with your sword.¡± Though I wish her aim was more accurate. ¡°Mir, are you sure you want to leave this behind?¡± Ophelia picks up the sword from a goblin she defeated. It was longer than a regular sword, but shorter than a great sword. It was almost the same size as Mir when she held it. ¡°Isn¡¯t this a cavalry sword though?¡± ¡°It appears that way. But I think it might fit your fighting style better.¡± As an A rank adventurer, it¡¯s easy for Ophelia to understand Mir¡¯s way of fighting. ¡°Thank you very much, I¡¯ll try it out.¡± Mir bows deeply, then sticks her current sword into the ground, and fastens the longer one to her back with a leather belt. ¡°Ah, what should we do with my old sword though? It feels like a waste to leave it here.¡± ¡°Let me take care of that.¡± ¡°Hwha-?¡± I put her sword in my magic storage. ¡°If there¡¯s anything else I can carry just tell me, okay?¡± For some reason Mir¡¯s eyes were round, and her mouth kept opening and closing like a fish¡¯s. Ophelia shakes her head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that, she still lacks some common sense.¡± ¡°I never thought Mistress would be the one to say that. And anyone can do this if they practice enough, it¡¯s nothing special.¡± ¡°Not anyone, ever.¡± She might have cheat-level skills, but I didn¡¯t want to be the same as her. And it was her who told me the magic storage spell was one of the simplest there is. CH 20 We continue walking through the forest after that, running into monsters every now and then. They were mostly goblins, orcs, kobolds, and their superior counterparts. Mir was a bit nervous about her new sword at first, but after a few battles she got more confident. Before she would constantly get too close to her enemies, but now she understood her reach, and could attack her opponents without being in their range. Being able to attack enemies from outside their range, and with powerful attacks, was invaluable. I knew that very well thanks to my gun. It might be considered a dirty tactic by other warriors, but that¡¯s the best way to use my weapon so I didn¡¯t feel bad. ¡°Bugyaa!¡± The last orc takes a hit from the sword and falls down. Mir swings the sword to shake off the blood, and then looks at the edge. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± ¡°Oh, not really, I just felt like the edge was a bit blunt, I wish I could sharpen it.¡± I look at the blade too, but it looks normal to me. Though I know nothing about blades and sharp weapons, I¡¯ll trust the opinion of a blacksmith¡¯s daughter. ¡°Do you have a whetstone, perhaps?¡± ¡°Yes, I have one stored in case of emergencies.¡± Mir pointed to a pouch hanging from her belt. ¡°Good, then while you sharpen your sword, we¡¯ll prepare something to eat.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Just like the other day, I took out a basket from my magic storage. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Try to not think about it.¡± But this is normal. While I prepare food, Ophelia creates a barrier around us, and Mir begins working on her sword with a palm sized whetstone from her pouch. While I make black tea, Mir finishes and the three of us sit to eat. ¡°Isn¡¯t this a bit excessive?¡± Mir reacted seeing the food I prepared. Today¡¯s lunch was muffin sandwiches with cup salad, and fruits for dessert. There was a bit more than usual since we were three this time, but I didn¡¯t think it was anything fancy. ¡°Just what are you, Natalia?¡± ¡°I thought you already knew, just a maid magic automaton.¡± ¡°Again, try to not think about it.¡± Like I said, I¡¯m normal. ¡°Let¡¯s just eat.¡± Ophelia reaches for one of the sandwiches and Mir follows right after. ¡°It¡¯s really tasty¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m pleased to hear that.¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation and stop supporting the content thief!) Then why is her face so displeased? Oh right, I almost forgot. ¡°I also prepared three types of dressing for the salad. Please choose whichever you please.¡± I take out three small bottles with dressing from the basket. ¡°Ophelia, are all magic automatons like that?¡± ¡°Of course not, Natalia is just a weird case.¡± ¡°Why do you offend me so?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re weird.¡± That¡¯s unfair, I work my a?s?s? off and this is what I get. I can¡¯t accept this. Slightly bothered, I begin eating my sandwich. It was tasty, just like I made it. Then I tried eating some of the salad, but everything was fresh and healthy. The dressing was good too. What was going on? ¡°Thanks for the meal.¡± Having finished eating, I lightly rinse the dishes with magic water. Washing them this way makes it easier to clean up afterwards. ¡°There¡¯s a bush called star berry that grows in the land further ahead. Clamp Boars love their fruits, so there¡¯s probably some there.¡± ¡°So we attack while they eat.¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± Ophelia nods to Mir. I see, so we can go to a place like that and find Clamp Boars even more easily than by using a luring magic. ¡°Natalia, what did you do first when fighting a Clamp Boar?¡± ¡°I provoked it to charge at me, and then I dodged. When it was defenseless, I attacked its feet.¡± ¡°How did you provoke it?¡± ¡°Nothing really special. It¡¯s obvious it¡¯ll charge against anything it sees as an enemy.¡± Clamp boars have large horns, unlike regular boars, which they can use together with their tusks to crush their enemies. But they need to get close to do that, and their way of doing so is very boar-like, by charging ahead. The tactic was to lure a charge, and then time a dodge correctly. ¡°Just keep your eyes glued on it, and time your dodge appropriately. That¡¯s the most important part.¡± ¡°Yes, that method applies to any monster that has charging attacks too, not just Clamp Boars. But this time we¡¯ll start with a surprise attack, so that will change things a little.¡± Ophelia nods hearing my explanation, but then repeats our current strategy. She¡¯s right, my idea only applies when fighting one head on. I had not considered the fact we would be striking first. ¡°What should we do then?¡± ¡°It¡¯s simple. We¡¯ll sneak inside the thicket, and approach him silently to deal a massive blow. And in the best case, that should be lethal.¡± Ophelia answers Mir, narrowing down our options to move. ¡°For a wound to be lethal, it must be on the head, neck, or heart. So we can¡¯t really approach from behind, but from the front.¡± It¡¯s hard to kill any quadruped, including Clamp Boars, with a single hit from behind. There¡¯s too much in the way of vitals, and they usually have thicker hair there too, making it harder to deal damage. ¡°So that means¡­¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen. Please support us by visiting our site.) I was about to say I would shoot it, but Ophelia interrupts me. I had not expected to hear that at all, so I opened my eyes wide in shock, but Ophelia ignored me and continued talking. ¡°With her strength and reach, she¡¯ll easily go through the Clamp Boar¡¯s thick hide and fat. There¡¯s no other option.¡± ¡°Me..?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m counting on you.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Mir firmly holds her sword and answers energetically. I want to say something, but in the end I decide to remain silent. Ophelia had just told me earlier. In truth, I didn¡¯t want to do anything needlessly dangerous. I¡¯ve already fought a Clamp Bear before, and I know I could do it alone. But Ophelia would not allow it. For Mir¡¯s sake, and my sake as well. ¡°We¡¯ll support you Mir, but try to not force yourself too much.¡± ¡°Thank you, Natalia.¡± All I can really do is try to distract the Clamp Boar so Mir doesn¡¯t get injured. ¡°Let¡¯s move then.¡± We stand up and follow Ophelia. CH 21.1 We peek out from the thicket and see a Clamp Boar, just like we expected. It¡¯s a bit smaller than the one I fought the other day. It rummaged around a low bush, looking for fruits. There¡¯s other similar bushes around, with fruits of the same color, so they¡¯re probably the star berries Ophelia mentioned. We hold our breaths and approach the monster silently. It seems like the Clamp Boar is too focused on its food, not noticing our presence. Mir firmly holds her sword low, readying her stance. I¡¯m ready too. We nod to each other. And with Ophelia¡¯s signal, Mir dashes ahead. Then- ¡°Bugyaaa!¡± The Clamp Boar lets out a horrible shriek. Mir hasn¡¯t reached it yet though, barely halfway there and her sword still lowered. What had happened? The Clamp Boar falls down, and I finally understand. A large set of jaws appear on top of it. Blood spewed in large quantities from the Clamp Boar. After swallowing the jaws lowered again to the Clamp Boar¡¯s neck, twisting and tearing it apart. Beyond the spray of blood, a scaly long snout becomes visible.. ¡°Dragon¡­¡± I mutter, but that was not exactly it. ¡°No, that¡¯s a Tyrannoghavial, a crocodile-like monster. With that size it¡¯s probably a rank C monster. Usually they live further inside the forest though.¡± Ophelia corrects my mistake. Rank C monster all of a sudden. If I remember correctly, a Clamp Boar is rank D. The Tyrannoghavial picks up the Clamp Boar¡¯s carcass and carries it back to the forest. ¡°Ah, our Clamp Boar!¡± The Tyrannoghavial stops and turns to look at Mir. having heard her cry. Its slit vertical pupils focus on her, dropping the Clamp Boar from its jaws. We all knew that wasn¡¯t because it was surrendering its prey. Its entire body became visible now. She had called it a crocodile type of monster, but its plump torso and thick limbs remind me more of a hippo or rhino. Basically like a triceratops with a crocodile head. That¡¯s probably how crocodiles would look if they had evolved to live only on land. ¡°Grarrr!¡± Mir recoils hearing the Tyrannoghavial¡¯s roar, but quickly recovers and reaffirms her grip on her sword. ¡°I need that Clamp Boar! I won¡¯t let you take it from me!¡± I expected as much. Resigning myself to this fate, I jump out of the thicket and fire the first shot. The magic bullet hits the Tyrannoghavial¡¯s shoulder, but its sturdy scales and strong muscles easily absorb its momentum. ¡°Mir, don¡¯t lower your guard now. This is a completely different type of beast.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve noticed.¡± I stand next to her, and sweat forming on her forehead. She was stressed. Her objective was a Clamp Boar, which she¡¯d struggle against alone. But now she was thrown against a larger and more powerful monster. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation and stop supporting the content thief!) This really is too much. But we can¡¯t step away from it. It¡¯s unrelated to me and Ophelia, but if we retreat, it¡¯ll leave a very sour aftertaste. So let¡¯s do everything we can. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Mir shouts and runs with her sword ready, and I begin shooting to support her too. But all my bullets end like the first one, unable to do any substantial damage. Mir¡¯s sword isn¡¯t much better. It could easily cut through the goblins¡¯ leather armor, but it can¡¯t pierce the Tyrannoghavial¡¯s scales. ¡°Garr!¡± It opens its jaw with a roar, and Mir quickly retreats. We had seen it tear a Clamp Boar apart earlier, so getting caught would be too dangerous. But at the same time, we can¡¯t escape from the fight anymore. I repeatedly jump back while continuing to fire. Eventually the Tyrannoghavial starts paying attention to me. ¡°Yahh!¡± Mir¡¯s sword glints, drawing an arc, but it¡¯s repelled once again. A blue speck of light follows into the same step, but barely does anything. Nothing we did had any effect. With another swing from the sword, it turns his eyes back to Mir. I run closer and pool all the magic power in a magazine into a single attack. The magic bullet hits the Tyrannoghavial¡¯s flank, causing a wild explosion, but all it does is tip its body to the side slightly. A moment later, it¡¯s standing back on its feet. I quickly throw my hand and hold onto a nearby tree, and pull myself there as fast as I can. From the smoke of the earlier explosion, a long snout lined with sharp teeth appears and bites where I had been standing. If I had taken a bit longer to react, it would¡¯ve gotten me. Once all the smoke dispersed, I looked at the spot I had hit earlier. ¡°Barely a scratch¡­¡± I speak my mind without thinking. A similar blast had taken out a Clamp Boar before, and I had gotten better at molding magic since then, but it had almost no effect on this monster. Wait, maybe I was just thinking about this wrong. Regular bullets only affect a small area, but they have a lot of concentrated power. Incendiary rounds affect a large area, but their power is dispersed. Regular bullets should be better for enemies with strong defenses like this one. ¡°Hyah!¡± Mir¡¯s sword strikes are fast, but they¡¯re just as useful as before. ¡°I¡¯m not done yet!¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen. Please support us by visiting our site.) Her first attack futile, Mir swings again. Oh no. I quickly throw my hand at her and pull her towards me. CH 21.2 ¡°Grarr!¡± ¡°Kyah!¡± The Tyrannoghavial¡¯s fangs miss her by the breadth of a hair. ¡°Mir, are you okay?¡± ¡°Y-yeah, thanks.¡± Mir stood back up, and I wound back my nerve threads. ¡°Try to refrain from chaining attacks like that. If you stay there for too long, you might not get out alive.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± The two of us are attacking it, but it¡¯s not enough to corner it. Normally one would use an advantage in numbers to attack from two opposite sides, but we can¡¯t do that now since I use a gun. If a bullet pierces through the target, or is deflected, there¡¯s a high likelihood it could hit my ally. I¡¯m familiar with my gun¡¯s power too, and friendly fire would be no joke. On top of that, if we try cornering a large monster like the Tyrannoghavial, we won¡¯t be able to see each other¡¯s movements, making it impossible to help each other like I just did. Our best option is to continue chipping away at its stamina until it gets too tired. We continue paying attention to it and each other, making sure we don¡¯t become stationary targets. Changing our position also makes it easier to dodge counter attacks. I lose track of time, but the Tyrannoghavial is getting weaker, assaulted by our continuous attacks. Its head is held lower than before, and it no longer tries to counter attack. Even if we can¡¯t kill it, at least we¡¯ll be able to escape at this rate. But as soon as I think that, I notice I was too optimistic. It rushes towards Mir, jaws open wide. I instinctively pushed her away. And my hand vanishes inside the mouth. How can I be such an idiot! It might be terrestrial, but it¡¯s still a crocodile! I had forgotten the other features of crocodiles, as important as their large jaws and strong scales are their strong and fast movements! That it lowered its head meant it was preparing to lunge like that! And once a crocodile bites something, it proceeds to tear it apart, in a large rotating movement known as death roll. Tumble! The Tyrannoghavial throws its body to the side, starting to turn over many times. Before it snaps my arm, I separate it myself. ¡°Kuh-¡± I brace my legs and stand my ground, trying not to get pulled together with my nerves, but my fingers can¡¯t bear the stress and let go of Black Hawk. Eventually the death roll ends, and the Tyrannoghavial gets on its feet again. Its eyes were filled with confusion. Surprisingly enough, mine were too. My nerve threads had gotten wrapped around its snout, restraining the jaws¡¯ movements. ¡°Grrr¡­¡± The Tyrannoghavial tries to open its mouth as much as it can, but my resilient nerve threads refuse to break. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation and stop supporting the content thief!) ¡°Mir, attack!¡± ¡°O-okay!¡± Her sword hits the monster, but it isn¡¯t enough to break the scales. The Tyrannoghavial¡¯s eyes turn to Mir. This is bad. Even if it can¡¯t open its mouth, it still has enough strength and weight to crush a human. I have to attract its attention somehow. But all I can use to attack is my hand charged with magic. Though I can¡¯t see that working. The bullets had little effect, so an attack with less power would be useless. I have to focus at least a bullet¡¯s worth of mana. I channel mana onto my left hand, trying to mold it there. Not into a fist, but a sharper shape. Not to hit, but to pierce. I have to attack a softer and less protected area. The eyes. ¡°Grgrrgghhhhh!¡± I stab its eye with the blue crystalline blade I formed, and it lifts its head while growling loudly, getting away from my hand and the blade. I can imagine it¡¯s even more painful because it can¡¯t cry properly, but I have no mercy. ¡°Try thrusting, Mir! Focus your strength into smaller points!¡± Mir holds her sword lower near her hip, and stabs it into the exposed throat, the blade going through and poking out from the other side. The Tyrannoghavial¡¯s eyes turned to Mir and it lifted its front leg. All that movement made my right hand feel something inside its mouth. Caught it! It hadn¡¯t swallowed Black Hawk yet. This sounds a bit corny, but I had to say it. ¡°It might be hard outside, but what about the inside?¡± I hold the grip and start firing wildly. Multiple bullets come out from the top of its head all the way to its back. The Tyrannoghavial leans its body forward, but stands its ground. Then it lifts its leg again, even though I¡¯m sure I pierced through its innards. It can still move?! What should I do?! Even with an eye crushed, throat pierced, and innards filled with holes, it still remained alive. I had to do more than just make holes in it. ¡°There¡¯s no other way.¡± I don¡¯t like the idea, but I had no other option. ¡°Mir, get away!¡± I infuse Black Hawk with all the mana I could muster, aim it up, and fire an incendiary round. Thump! There was a muted sound from the enclosed explosion. The biggest incendiary round I could muster, aimed straight at its brain in the area where the bone is the thinnest. That should do the trick. Flames and blood spurt out from all the holes riddling the Tyrannoghavial¡¯s head. Its body tips over once more, and this time it doesn¡¯t support itself again. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen. Please support us by visiting our site.) ¡°Did we do it?¡± Fully aware I might have just jinxed it, I look closer at the Tyrannoghavial. ¡°Good job, you two.¡± Ophelia appears behind us with words of praise. ¡°Mistress, are you saying this Tyrannoghavial is actually dead now?¡± ¡°Yes, you two did well.¡± ¡°Hahh¡­that was so scary.¡± Hearing Ophelia, Mir falls on her back exhausted. I also finally got to relax my shoulders. CH 22 8-10 minutes ¡°I¡¯m sorry to break this to you so soon, but try to gather everything you need as soon as you can, the scent of blood tends to lure other monsters. I¡¯ve cast a protective barrier, and killed all the nearby monsters I found, but always better safe than sorry.¡± I thought she had abandoned us during the Tyrannoghavial fight, but apparently she was just helping us elsewhere. She¡¯s right though, there are monsters powerful enough to prey on Clamp Boars around here, so we have to be careful. Let¡¯s hurry and gather everything we need. ¡°First we should get Natalia¡¯s arm back though.¡± I started wondering how she¡¯d do that, and saw her approach the fallen Tyrannoghavial and put her hand on its head. ¡°Here we go!¡± And she lifts it effortlessly. I have to give it to dwarves, they really are strong. ¡°Well, let me get right into it then.¡± I start to uncoil my nerve threads from the Tyrannoghavial¡¯s snout and wind them back into my body. I finished soon enough, so I let Mir open the beast¡¯s mouth and take out my arm. ¡°Woah¡­¡± My arm feels numb so I had already expected it, but it was cracked all over, and multiple fingers were crushed. A predictable outcome for coming in contact with such sharp fangs, and then firing an incendiary round point-blank. There isn¡¯t a single scratch on Black Hawk though, that thing really is ridiculously strong. ¡°Oh my, you really went all-out again.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been wondering for a while, do you enjoy seeing me suffer?¡± ¡°Not at all. Not to mention that it¡¯s always been your fault you got to such a state.¡± Damn, she has a point. The only reason I struggled against those reviving monsters was because I didn¡¯t notice the Shaman Ape¡¯s necromancy, my incompetence controlling my nerve threads during my fight against Danny caused that shameful display, and my arm got damaged because I was careless. I give up on trying to argue, and we pull out Mir¡¯s sword. Because of the explosion, it had broken in two. ¡°Please forgive me, Natalia!¡± Letting go of the monster¡¯s head, Mir bows deeply to me and apologizes for some reason. ¡°You got so hurt trying to save me!¡± After some time, it finally clicks in my head. ¡°Ah, but I¡¯m an automaton that can¡¯t feel pain, and Mistress can fix me up, so don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯m just glad you¡¯re safe.¡± Considering the time it would take for Ophelia to fix me, and the risks to Mir¡¯s life and time of healing, I think this was the most optimal outcome. I didn¡¯t do that out of some sense of self-sacrifice. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation and stop supporting the content thief!) ¡°I¡¯m the one who should apologize for destroying the new sword you had just obtained.¡± ¡°Not at all! That¡¯s a sword I got from a monster anyway, so it doesn¡¯t matter!¡± ¡°But it fits so well with your own fighting style¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you, it¡¯s fine!¡± Seeing the argument go on between us, Ophelia decides to step in. ¡°If that¡¯s what Mistress thinks, then I won¡¯t continue.¡± I couldn¡¯t disobey my Mistress after all. ¡°¡­Okay then.¡± Mir didn¡¯t look satisfied either, but had no other choice. ¡°Natalia, let me fix your hand before you work again, come over here.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Hmm, there isn¡¯t any serious damage, this is an easy fix.¡± I extend my arm to Ophelia and she examines the cracks, then takes out a test tube with some liquid inside. ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡± She pours the unknown liquid on my body. Then I feel magic flowing into my arm from her hand. Thanks to that magic, my arm begins to glow, and an instant later turns into a brand new one, without a single scratch. ¡°Was that alchemy?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct. Natalia¡¯s body is built mainly with alchemy.¡± ¡°Ohh¡­¡± Mir nods impressed. I try opening and closing my hand, then move my fingers around, feeling it around. ¡°That¡¯s incredible. It feels like nothing ever happened to it.¡± That was my first time being fixed up, and I hadn¡¯t expected it to be done so quickly and perfectly. I had thought the entire arm would be changed. ¡°Alchemy seems so useful. I wish I could use it too.¡± If I could do that, then I would be able to fix myself without having to rely on Ophelia to fix me up, or create my own weapons. Atelier Natalia: Automaton Alchemist1. ¡°¡­¡± Huh, why is Ophelia looking at me so oddly now2? ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s just get to work on those materials.¡± Saying that, Ophelia goes to the Clamp Boar¡¯s carcass. Did I say something strange? Had I been somehow inconsiderate? ¡°Mir needs the Clamp Boar¡¯s tusks, so make sure to take those, but its bones are pretty much worthless. The hide is useful to make clothes, and the flesh is sold as meat too.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Mir listened to Ophelia as she worked on the dead monsters. She grew up in a smithing shop, so she¡¯s probably familiar with those materials. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen. Please support us by visiting our site.) ¡°As for the Tyrannoghavial, its bones, scales, and fangs are all valuable materials, so try to get as much as you can.¡± I feel bad letting Mir do everything, so I join her. I decide to test out the new attack I thought of during the earlier fight too, so I form the magic blade on my hand. With it, I somehow managed to cut off the scales. At least we¡¯ll get something this way. ¡°You know, somehow you struggle with the easiest stuff, but then you do something complex without effort.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Oh nothing, forget I said anything.¡± ¡°?¡± Whatever then. I focus on breaking the Tyrannoghavial down again. Their size and shape are completely different from those of a fish, but I somehow got most of the scales off without damaging them. ¡°Ah, take some Tyrannoghavial meat too.¡± ¡°You can eat that?¡± I knew there were places where crocodile meat was eaten frequently in my past life, but it wasn¡¯t anywhere near where I lived. I don¡¯t necessarily have an aversion to it, but I¡¯m not drawn to it either. ¡°You¡¯ve already eaten it.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°The first meal I made for you had Tyrannoghavial meat in it.¡± Ah, that was it! So that¡¯s what Tyrannoghavial tastes like. I always wanted to try eating that meat again, so this is perfect, we should take a lot back. I¡¯m definitely drawn to it. ¡°Ah, let me have some of those teeth and scales.¡± While I threw everything we got into my magic storage, Ophelia stops me and takes some of the fangs and a strip of skin with many scales on it. I¡¯m curious to see what she¡¯ll do, so I look her way and watch as she activates alchemy on the broken sword and the materials she just took. When the light was gone, a long sword with a slightly yellow blade and a green scabbard appeared. ¡°I guess we can call it a Ghavial Sword. Mir, your sword is fixed, and it got a bit stronger too.¡± ¡°Whah-? No way, you¡¯re too kind!¡± ¡°If your equipment isn¡¯t the best it¡¯ll affect the entire party, you know?¡± Her words are a bit harsh, but the tone of her voice is kind, I can almost see her smiling even. Mir also notices that, so she looks a bit indebted as she picks up the Ghavial Sword. At least things ended well. ¡°Mistress, my magic storage is completely filled now.¡± ¡°Time to go back then.¡± There¡¯s still around half of the Tyrannoghavial¡¯s body left, and while it feels like a waste, we have no way of carrying more. Reluctant to leave, we head back to Bamel. CH 23 Ophelia leads us through the dense forest, and we reach a large cave eventually. A large opening on the side of a hill, and pitch black inside, telling us it went on deep underground. ¡°This cave is a Steel Spider nest.¡± ¡°Here..?¡± Mir sounds nervous hearing Ophelia, looking into the cave with an unsure look. I approach Ophelia and talk to her in a low voice, so Mir can¡¯t hear. ¡°Umm, Mistress, can I ask something?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± I felt something on our way here, and now that we arrived I¡¯m almost convinced. ¡°We¡¯re right behind the house, right?¡± I can see a red brick wall peeking through the trees to the side. Mir can¡¯t see it because of the barrier, but that doesn¡¯t affect me. ¡°Keep it secret from Mir. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t trust her, I just don¡¯t want anyone to know about it.¡± Ophelia lowers her voice to a murmur. I understand she has things she keeps to herself, and I won¡¯t pry too much unless she wants to talk about it. I nod and look at the cave again. ¡°But a cave, huh. At least I can use light magic to see, then.¡± While I still struggle with any form of offensive magic, at least I can use more miscellaneous spells in these situations. ¡°No issues then.¡± ¡°If you say so.¡± Hearing Ophelia say there were no issues made me feel slightly unsure. Somehow I feel like she¡¯ll put me through a harsh experience again, for experience¡¯s sake. ¡°Let¡¯s go then.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Mir and I step inside. Wait, huh? ¡°I¡¯ll stay outside and make sure no monsters follow you inside, good luck you two.¡± Woah, somehow she¡¯s grinning even more than the time Olivia left. ¡°So it¡¯ll just be the two of us?¡± Mir looks even more unsure. I feel the same. There¡¯s no guarantee we can win again if a monster like the Tyrannoghavial appears again. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation and stop supporting the content thief!) ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Steel Spiders are really weak. And my magic is so strong it might collapse the entire cave if I use it.¡± ¡°But Mistress-¡± -I remember seeing you take out a low level monster barely moving? ¡°Hm, what?¡± She interrupts me before I can finish. I¡¯m not an idiot, I know she interrupted me on purpose. ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°Alright, then be on your way.¡± I knew it. It¡¯s unfair and dangerous, but she¡¯s determined to send us two alone. ¡°Light up this space, Float Light!¡± I chant as we walk inside, creating a small light that floated above us with the spell. At least we¡¯ll be able to see our surroundings this way. ¡°You really know how to do everything, huh.¡± Mir sounds impressed, but she¡¯s really overestimating me. ¡°Not at all. I¡¯m terrible at any offensive spell, and I¡¯m a novice at hand-to-hand combat. I rely solely on my gun, so my defenses have a lot of holes.¡± ¡°So you also have holes¡­¡± Somehow I feel like Mir¡¯s face just got redder1. ¡°Your face looks red, are you okay?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m fine!¡± ¡°If you say so. But don¡¯t force yourself if you¡¯re feeling unwell.¡± There¡¯s a stark difference in air temperature inside and outside the cave, so I¡¯m worried her body might have suffered from that. I¡¯m also worried about any noxious gasses that might exist in the cave, which Ophelia didn¡¯t mention, but I don¡¯t breathe so I need Mir to tell me if she notices something. The cave is slanted downwards, so I have to pay attention to where I put my feet too. Mir is our vanguard, so I just follow her inside. Like I mentioned earlier, I¡¯m bad at close quarters combat, so we had no other choice. We continue walking for a while and encounter a monster. ¡°Kii kii!¡± A large bat. It¡¯s alone, so it probably got separated from its group. ¡°Hyahh!¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen. Please support us by visiting our site.) Mir¡¯s Ghavial Sword easily cuts the bat in two. ¡°That was amazing.¡± ¡°I know, Ophelia really made it more powerful.¡± I meant Mir¡¯s strength though. ¡°This bat aside, there really don¡¯t seem to be many monsters here. I really thought we¡¯d see a lot more of them considering this is a nest.¡± Mir¡¯s question is valid, but I don¡¯t believe it¡¯s as strange as she seems to think. ¡°These monsters usually live in dark caves. I guess they¡¯re hesitant to approach a light.¡± ¡°Ah, you might be right.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know for sure, so don¡¯t lower your guard though.¡± We continue going deeper, but no monsters ambush us, and the few we encounter die almost instantly. But we still can¡¯t find the Steel Spiders we¡¯re after. ¡°Should we really keep going?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m starting to get worried too. Ah!¡± Mir suddenly raises her voice and points into the darkness. ¡°I just saw a Steel Spider there!¡± I pour more mana into Float Light and illuminate the area. I see it. A black spider the size of a rabbit. It doesn¡¯t seem to like the light, as it quickly scurries into the shadows. ¡°Let¡¯s go after it!¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± We chase the spider, going further down the cave. The Steel Spider probably did live nearby, as it knew the cave¡¯s layout, easily running through the scattered rocks without slowing down. It was a big difference to the two of us visiting for the first time. But it wasn¡¯t fast enough to outrun us. We kept tripping on the rocks, but we could still see the spider ahead of us. After some time of chasing, we reached a larger cavern. The ceiling was high, and there was around twenty meters of distance between the sides. The Steel Spider stops, turning to us as if thinking of something. ¡°Well, time to fight then.¡± I take out Black Hawk and aim at the spider. But Mir remains still, not taking her sword. ¡°What happened, Mir? You don¡¯t want to defeat it and take the materials?¡± While I ask, Mir looks up and starts to tremble. I follow her gaze. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Say no to content thief!) ¡°Wha-¡± The entire ceiling was covered in spider silk, a nest. There¡¯s a large purple spider in the center, and around it smaller black ones, wriggling constantly. All eight of the large spider¡¯s eyes are looking at us. ¡°Ugh, there¡¯s so many little ones, it¡¯s so creepy¡­¡± Mir didn¡¯t mind one or two large spiders, but seeing such a large group had a strong impact on her mind. It was a reasonable reaction for a girl. But her hand is firmly on her sword, she knows what she has to do. ¡°Mir, I¡¯ll attack from range, it¡¯ll be your turn afterwards!¡± ¡°Got it!¡± Mir¡¯s sword would never reach the spiders on the ceiling, only Black Hawk has the reach. First shot! Clink ¡°¡­¡± I must¡¯ve seen that wrong. Clink ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Umm, Natalia?¡± O-one more time. Clink ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Could it be¡­¡± The bullets are getting destroyed. Unlike the Tyrannoghavial that received a small amount of damage from my bullets, the Steel Spiders nullify my attacks entirely. In other words, the Tyrannoghavial had so much HP that it could ignore my bullets, but the Steel Spiders have a strong shell that doesn¡¯t receive any damage. Shoop! (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation and stop supporting the content thief!) A Steel Spider forms a bundle of Steel Silk, which it shoots towards me. I jump to the side and dodge it, but I get scared thinking it would hit me directly. The large spider continues shooting without rest, creating a shower of Steel Silk. Mir also starts dodging them, and hitting a few with her sword to derail them. I focus mana onto my left hand, and use the magic blade to help me too. But we won¡¯t get anywhere this way. Even if my body can¡¯t get tired, Mir will reach her limit eventually. Either that, or the entire room will get filled with silk and we won¡¯t be able to move. ¡°Kuh¡­¡± Sparks fly from the Steel Silk hitting my magic blade, together with a screeching sound. I push it away, bracing my legs from the impact. The large spider did not show any signs of stopping. I really have no other choice now. ¡°Mir, think you can handle it alone for a bit?¡± ¡°I think I can keep going, but what are you going to do?¡± As we speak, our eyes continue focused on the large spider. At least I have permission now. ¡°I¡¯ll attempt to fight from a shorter distance.¡± CH 24 I throw my arm to the spider¡¯s nest, and winding my nerve thread I hoist my body up. Quickly I reached the nest. Unlike regular spider silk, this one was metallic. Thanks to that I have a solid and safe foothold. Float Light follows me too, so I increase its brightness so Mir doesn¡¯t have trouble below. With a magic blade and gun, I face off against the large spider. The monster takes the first move. A bundle of silk flies my way, and I deflect it with my magic blade. And I instantly follow up with a bullet. The shell repels it. More silk flies my way. I evade and counterattack. No effect. Now a long strip of silk flies my way. I lower my body so it passes above me while I pull the trigger again. The bullet gets deflected again. But I can keep going like this. The moment I feel reassured, the spider stops attacking. What happened? Wondering why it¡¯s staying still, I shoot another bullet just in case. But it gets dispersed by its shell all the same. It¡¯s still not enough. I shoot two more times, and the large spider finally moves to dodge the bullets. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s¡­¡± I shove away the doubt rising in my mind. It¡¯s just a spider monster, it can¡¯t be that intelligent. The large spider resumes throwing Steel Silk at me. I use my magic blade to get them out of the way while I shoot again. But it jumps to the side. I shoot again. And it builds up a shield with silk. The doubt I had discarded comes back, proven right. ¡°It did notice, I¡¯m sure.¡± So far I had focused all my shots on the same spot of its shell. I had thought of this while fighting the Tyrannoghavial too, the way to defeat an enemy with strong defenses is to focus all attacks to a single spot and whittle it down, eventually breaking through. That works even better when the enemy is overconfident in its armor. But I can¡¯t do that anymore, the spider noticed my plan and is guarding that spot now. I can try again focusing on another spot, but my plan is already known. This giant spider had seen through me. There isn¡¯t much else I can do now. Only closing in and attacking from melee range. Deciding on that, I slowly force my way forward. ¡°Kyah!¡± But Mir¡¯s scream stops me. I look down and see Mir surrounded by many smaller spiders. I have to help her! I jump down, and a bundle of silk catches me in mid-air, pinning me against the cave wall. ¡°Guhh!¡± It didn¡¯t really harm my body, but it successfully restrained my movements. But I can¡¯t let that stop me. Even if my body can¡¯t move, I still have my hands and feet. Thinking that, I shoot all my limbs towards Mir, but they start moving wildly halfway there, refusing my commands. Almost like they were held by something. I look more carefully, and notice thin threads similar to my nerves extending from the nest to the ground. My limbs had gotten tangled with them. Though I feel like I lost control before reaching those threads. There aren¡¯t all that many threads there in the first place. But I can think about that later. I try moving my limbs, but I only get them to tremble and convulse. I can¡¯t aim my gun or pull the trigger like this. Trying to form a magic blade, all I get are a few specks of light that quickly vanish. How can I get out of this? I start panicking and can¡¯t think of anything. Mir also gets caught in the little spider¡¯s silk. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation and stop supporting the content thief!) What can we do? The large spider moves over to me. Its eight red eyes focus on me. What should I do? ¡°Move dammit!¡± No matter how much I struggle and yell, my limbs refuse to move. I have to let Mir escape safely at least! The large spider opens its mouth. Is this the end of the line for me? ¡°You¡¯re so ba~ad at controlling it. Are you re~ally using my silk?¡± I had closed my eyes in fear, but then a slow and foreign voice reached my ears. I hesitantly open my eyes, and see the large spider¡¯s head wriggling, and sprouting from it, a human upper body. Purple skin like its shell, eight red eyes without any white, and long hair the same color as the eyes. Overall shaped like a woman. ¡°An Arachne¡­¡± ¡°Precisely~. I¡¯m Aria, a Purple Steel Spider Arachne. Nice to mee~t you, Natalia.¡± The large spider, Aria, says that and pats my head with her human hand. ¡°How do you know my name¡­¡± ¡°Oh, I just so happen to be a Servant, just like you~¡± Aria parts her hair to the side and shows me a hairpin with a red jewel, identical to the brooch on my necktie. ¡°So you¡¯re also-¡± ¡°Is this enough?¡± Aria asks, and I see Ophelia walk in through the same path we entered here, even though she said she would protect the entrance. ¡°Yes, good job Aria.¡± Ophelia is smiling brightly. I knew it, she actually enjoys watching me suffer. ¡°Alright my children, you can release that girl too~¡± At Aria¡¯s behest, the small spiders dissolve the silk restraining Mir, and they climb up to the nest. ¡°Hi- hiee!¡± Now free, Mir collapses on the ground and starts crying. ¡°I¡¯ll release you too~¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen. Please support us by visiting our site.) Aria collects her silk back too, and my feet and hands return to my body. I could move them again like before. Then the silk pinning me to the wall detaches as well. I begin falling to the ground, so I shoot my hand to the ceiling nest again, but instead of pulling myself up, I just slow down my fall. ¡°Mistress, I¡¯d like an explanation.¡± Why had a fellow Servant like Aria attacked us? She hadn¡¯t even mentioned that she had other Servants aside from me. ¡°Don¡¯t sulk, Natalia.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sulking. I¡¯m offended by your constant unreasonable treatment of me.¡± I don¡¯t expect her to tell me everything about her personality or hobbies, but I deserve knowing that at least. ¡°Now now, calm down Natalia~. Ophelia just wanted to give you more experience~¡± ¡°Experience?¡± ¡°Yes, you¡¯re very skilled, a bit too much, in fact.¡± Ophelia finished Aria¡¯s explanation. ¡°You¡¯re clearly adept at house chores, the handling of your gun, storage magic, and your fighting skills. You lack offensive magic, but have plenty of ways to cover for them, making you even more of a success than I anticipated. But that¡¯s why I¡¯ve been wanting you to experience defeat at least once.¡± ¡°Mistress¡­¡± ¡°Even if you feel confident fighting strong monsters, nothing guarantees you¡¯ll always win. The first time you saw a Meteor Wolf you ran away instantly, but I feel like you¡¯ve lost that instinct since then.¡± Hearing that I noticed she was right. The reviving monsters, and the Tyrannoghavial, there was no reason for me to kill them at that moment and place. I did have a reason to fight back though. But no reason why I shouldn¡¯t try retreating. That also applied here. If I can¡¯t win, I should retreat. But I always kept fighting needlessly. Somehow my sense of danger had gotten dull. Or more like I got too carried away. ¡°The same goes for you, Mir. I get that you¡¯re pressed for time, but that isn¡¯t a reason to throw your life away. Do you realize the situation you¡¯d be in right now if Aria was a wild monster?¡± ¡°Yes, I understand.¡± Mir hangs her head in shame. It seems both of us had gotten overconfident. But Ophelia had prepared a safe place to teach us that lesson, so in the end all she did was protect me. I had no right to blame her for not explaining everything or keeping secrets for me, I wasn¡¯t worthy of that. CH 25 ¡°Let¡¯s leave it at that, Ophelia. I think they¡¯ve learned their lesson. But mo~re importantly, I¡¯ve prepared what you requested.¡± As Aria said that, one of the little spiders descended from the ceiling, a thread of silk supporting its rear. It held a pale yarn ball between its legs. Near the ground, it lets go, and the yarn ball falls with a heavy thud. Apparently it¡¯s far heavier than a regular yarn ball. ¡°You need Steel Spider Silk, ye~s? Will this be enough?¡± ¡°Woah, this is a really high quality one!¡± ¡°Of course, it was made by my cute children after all~¡± The small spiders began scratching their heads as if embarrassed hearing that. ¡°Also~ this is from me.¡± Saying that, she produces a purple yarn ball in her hand. ¡°You should practice using the threads more, okay Natalia? Otherwise it¡¯s a waste of my precious silk.¡± That reminds me, Ophelia had told me before that my nerve threads were made with Purple Steel Spider Silk. ¡°So my nerves are¡­your silk?¡± ¡°Yes~, I gave some to Ophelia when she requested it. You¡¯ve still got ways to learn before you master them, though. You won¡¯t get far as Ophelia¡¯s maid at this rate.¡± ¡°I¡¯m trying to learn whenever possible. But I have one question, how did you make my limbs lose control when I used them earlier?¡± ¡°I just let so~me magic power flow through my silk, and when you touched them they disturbed the magic in your nerves. Both threads were made by me, so the effect was immediate.¡± My body moves with magic coursing through my nerves, and that connection was broken by Aria. ¡°Anyway~, where¡¯s today¡¯s reward, hmm?¡± Reward? What¡¯s she talking about? ¡°Natalia, bring one out.¡± ¡°Right away, Mistress.¡± I finally understand what Aria wants, and I take out a few wine bottles which Ophelia asked me to store before leaving. ¡°Yayy, you brought them~¡± Aria happily embraces the bottles and rubs her cheeks against them. Ah, maybe that explains her red eyes. ¡°Say, Ophelia~, stay for a drink, will you? It¡¯s been so long since the last time~¡± ¡°Hmm, let¡¯s have lunch and drink a bit afterwards then.¡± Even though Aria is a spider, she has a really soft and mellow voice, which makes Ophelia give in. Is that really a good idea though? I take out a basket with lunch and some wine glasses. ¡°I¡¯ve only prepared human food for lunch, is that alright, Aria?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s fine~. Still, I was told about it, but you really do have a lot of storage capacity.¡± ¡°Not at all. Anyone can do this if they practice daily.¡± ¡°No, they won¡¯t.¡± ¡°It¡¯s only you.¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation and stop supporting the content thief!) Ophelia and Mir deny it instantly. I spread out a sheet on the ground and sit on top, then hand out the glasses. ¡°Well then, cheers!¡± ¡°¡±Cheers!¡±¡± I don¡¯t know what we cheered for, but I¡¯m not rude enough to point it out. I did enjoy drinking in my past life, but it¡¯s been a while since I last drank, so it felt even more delicious. ¡°Mmmm, this the best~¡± Aria holds her palm against her cheek, her eyes filled with ecstasy as she looks at the empty glass. She then uses her silk to lift the bottle and refills her glass. Now that¡¯s an impressive skill. ¡°Natalia¡¯s food is also really good.¡± ¡°Really, let me try. Mmm! Yes, that¡¯s amazing!¡± Her eyes twinkle as she tastes my food. ¡°To be honest, after eating Natalia¡¯s food last time we went hunting, I feel like my mom¡¯s cooking is lacking¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s a shame.¡± Mir looked miserable as she said that, and Ophelia could only force a pitiful smile. ¡°I can understand what you mean~ This is incredibly tasty.¡± Even if I lack combat experience, I¡¯m still confident in my cooking. Though it was slightly uncomfortable being praised this much. ¡°Ahh~ Maybe I should move in with you.¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re always welcome.¡± ¡°Hahah, just kidding~ I can¡¯t leave my poor children alone here.¡± Saying that, she looks up to the countless little spiders watching from the ceiling. Ah, Mir is getting pale. ¡°Aria, is it fine to not share food with them?¡± ¡°There wouldn¡¯t be enough for everyone. I¡¯ll go hunt later, so it¡¯s fine~¡± Apparently she¡¯s more attentive than I thought. But at least I don¡¯t have to worry about eating too much then. I¡¯m still carrying some of the monster meat we got yesterday, frozen as emergency rations. I can always make dinner with those if we don¡¯t eat them until then. The meat I did take out finished thawing though. I take some pieces of it, and throw them a distance away from the sheet. ¡°Aria, the small spiders can eat those.¡± ¡°Aww, that¡¯s so sweet of you~¡± Aria looks up and claps her hands. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen. Please support us by visiting our site.) ¡°Children, it¡¯s lunch time!¡± At the behest of their mother, the spiderlings rush to the meat. Watching that was slightly¡­y¡¯know, Mir¡¯s face was twitching in discomfort too. ¡°Thank you, Natalia.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it.¡± We have a lot more food at home, so I didn¡¯t mind giving some away. ¡°Ah, I almost forgot, I was also promised a reward from Natalia~¡± ¡°From me? Well, I don¡¯t mind if there¡¯s anything I can do.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry~ I¡¯ll be gentle since you fed my children.¡± Saying that, Aria scuttles closer to me with a swift movement. ¡°Huh, Aria-¡± She interrupts my words with her lips. ¡°Oh my, we¡¯ll have to keep this secret from Olivia.¡± ¡°Hwha- Hwha-?!¡± I feel her tongue invade my mouth next, wriggling around and sucking on me. It felt like she was drawing from my physical strength together with my saliva. ¡°Puh. That was delicious~¡± I finally get released, and I fall back, unable to properly support myself. ¡°N-Natalia?!¡± ¡°I just took some of her magic power~ No need to worry~¡± Ah, I see. My body runs on magic, so this is what happens when I lose some of that power. ¡°Still, you¡¯ve always looked so confident but you¡¯re surprisingly innocent, Natalia. You cutie~¡± Hahahah, it¡¯s not like she really took that much magic power from me, but I really don¡¯t feel like getting up though. Somehow my view is completely black too. Oh I see, it¡¯s my own hand covering my eyes. Don¡¯t think about it, me. That was just your First Kiss (past life included). Oh nooo! CH 26 It¡¯s been a while since I was in Ophelia¡¯s room, and it¡¯s also been a while since I last sat on this chair. Ophelia is teaching me alchemy today. I saw it for the first time during the fight with the Tyrannoghavial, but it looked really useful so I want to learn it. ¡°Alchemy is a skillset to infuse items with magic power, changing their shape and properties.¡± ¡°So I can¡¯t do alchemy if I don¡¯t have any magic power?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct. But the amount required is minimal, so there¡¯s no need to worry about running out of it. The most important part is your tools and how you use them.¡± There are tools and materials ready on the table. ¡°First, the quintessential alchemy cauldron. Some are made from iron, others from silver, but they all help contain the flow of magic and ease the alchemy process.¡± As she speaks, Ophelia throws a multitude of herbs and water she created with magic into the cauldron, then puts a glass lid on it. She holds her hands against the cauldron. ¡°And then you infuse your mana into the cauldron. The quantity isn¡¯t too important, you just have to make sure it¡¯s uniform throughout the entire cauldron. That mana turns into magic power that dissolves the materials and reconstructs them.¡± ¡°Mistress. If I recall, you didn¡¯t use any of these tools when fixing my arm or crafting Mir¡¯s sword, right?¡± From what I saw, she had just used some liquid those times, and not a cauldron or similar tool. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m adept at controlling magic power, so I don¡¯t need tools to help me mold it better. Also, a cauldron limits the size of the products.¡± I see, so with the necessary skills one can increase the reach of alchemy. Now that I think about it, every magic tool in the house was built by Ophelia, including my gun Black Hawk. There¡¯s a lot of things that would never fit in a cauldron, though trying to picture that is quite surreal. ¡°This is the most basic healing potion. The most basic starting point.¡± All the herbs had lost their shape, giving the water a green hue. But it doesn¡¯t look like the herbs had gotten dissolved or anything, since the liquid is clear. Ophelia pours the liquid into test tubes, and gives me the empty cauldron. ¡°Give it a try.¡± I really feel like Ophelia has a rather spartan teaching method. This also happened with magic, she taught me the basics, and then sent me to practice instantly. I guess she wants me to get used to it rather than just study it. I repeat what Ophelia did before, putting the herbs in the cauldron and making water with magic, then I get magic power into it. But there is no change in the cauldron, the herbs just float inside. ¡°Don¡¯t focus your magic on the cauldron itself, channel through it and permeate everything inside.¡± Ah, I see. The cauldron isn¡¯t the target, just a vessel. So I have to picture mana leaving my body to a larger area, probably similar to my magic blade? The cauldron¡¯s contents seem to react to my mana, glowing softly. ¡°Try using less mana, that¡¯s too much.¡± This is like a third of the mana I use for the magic blade, but it¡¯s still too much? ¡°Yes, much better. Don¡¯t pour more mana into it now, instead try to focus on getting what you have into every fiber of the materials to take them apart.¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation and stop supporting the content thief!) Into every fiber. Thinking of it like roots spreading in the ground should be good enough. I just need minute control over my mana, and slowly get it everywhere. It feels like each of my fingers is split into many tendrils, filling every space they can find in the water and herbs. All the ingredients fall apart, and fully dissolve. ¡°Good, you¡¯re done.¡± Hearing Ophelia I come back to my senses. I had been focusing too much. The cauldron in front of me contained a green liquid. But unlike Ophelia¡¯s potion, mine still had pieces of leaves and other muck floating around. ¡°If your magic power doesn¡¯t penetrate enough, the ingredients won¡¯t mix entirely like this.¡± So I have to be even more precise. This is way harder than the magic blade. ¡°This should still be good enough to heal all sorts of cuts though.¡± So at least it has healing properties and can be considered medicine. ¡°Also, when making liquids you just need to mince everything finely, but when creating metal objects or other tools, you need to fully comprehend the physical structure of the finished product, and how to reconstruct it. So that¡¯s even harder.¡± So first learning, taking apart, and finally reconstructing. Got it. ¡°Then Mistress, shouldn¡¯t I prepare healing potions for every time I go hunting?¡± ¡°No harm in that, though I don¡¯t see why you¡¯d need them?¡± ¡­Why? ¡°You¡¯re a monster, yes, but you¡¯re not a living being. Healing potions won¡¯t fix your injuries.¡± O-oh right. Medicine doesn¡¯t have an effect on automatons. ¡°What was that liquid you used to fix my arm then?¡± ¡°Ah, that was just a liquid with the materials used to build you dissolved in it. I used them with alchemy to seal the cracks in your arms, and to activate the self-repairing features built in you.¡± ¡°I have self-repairing features?¡± I was never told. ¡°You didn¡¯t notice? Though you never really got hurt before so I guess there was no reason to know about it.¡± Now that she says that, the wound on my shoulder when one of the kidnappers that took Olivia swung his sword on me disappeared without me noticing. There was no scar from that, and I was afraid of having disobeyed orders afterwards so I had no time to think about it, but now it makes sense. ¡°Though rather than a feature, it¡¯s an innate property of the orichalcum and World Tree Bark I used to build you.¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen. Please support us by visiting our site.) Mistress, you just said something completely unbelievable, even after knowing you for this long. ¡°Umm, Mistress. Am I really made with that?¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯ve heard of those materials before? Orichalcum and World Tree Bark, I had a lot of trouble sourcing both of them.¡± ¡®Trouble¡¯ doesn¡¯t cut it. In most fantasy stories those are the highest level materials in existence. ¡°But regardless of that, if you want to be able to repair yourself, you¡¯ll have to properly learn to reconstruct things with alchemy first.¡± So there¡¯s a long way to go. But considering regular medicine won¡¯t help me, practicing and getting to that point is of utmost importance. It would be terrible if I get hurt and can¡¯t move while Ophelia isn¡¯t around. ¡°You can have this alchemy cauldron, and I¡¯ll give you the recipes for potions that can be made with the garden¡¯s herbs. Make sure you practice it all.¡± ¡°Yes, Mistress.¡± I¡¯ll really have to do my best learning this. It¡¯s important enough that I might need to sacrifice some of my magic and gun training time for it. Though actually, I still haven¡¯t made any progress with offensive magic, and my gun can take care of anything at range, so giving up on that might be for the best. CH 27 I know it¡¯s a bit sudden, but I look really life-like. It¡¯s possible to notice I¡¯m not human by looking at my elbow or finger joints, but there are no seams on my face, and my legs are hidden with my skirt. There have been a lot of people who think I¡¯m human when they see me, even Danny thought I was human until I disconnected my arm. So every time I walk through town, I get treated as human most of the time. ¡°Hey there, need some vegetables? This batch just arrived!¡± ¡°We actually also have fresh meat over here! I¡¯ll give you something extra too!¡± ¡°That¡¯s playing dirty! My fish is just as fresh!¡± The vendors in the market constantly call out to me, offering their valuables and freshest produce. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen this fish before.¡± ¡°This is called White Bass, it looks like a regular fish, but it¡¯s actually a fully-fledged monster. They¡¯re pretty strong so fishing them is tricky, but their flesh is firm and has a distinct texture.¡± ¡°Ohh, how do you recommend cooking it?¡± ¡°Hmm, let¡¯s see. The area around the belly has a very distinct smell, so it¡¯s best to cut it off and fry it with oil. Though grilling it also works.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take four of them then.¡± ¡°Thank you! I¡¯ll throw you one more in as an extra!¡± ¡°Hey, that¡¯s not fair!¡± The fisher at first had called the butcher out for offering something extra, but now their roles had reversed. I put the White Basses in my shopping bag. That was only for show though, as once they were inside, I got them inside my magical storage. Ophelia had ordered me to not let anyone see me using the magical storage. The fisher and butcher¡¯s argument starts getting heated, so I leave before it gets worse. I¡¯m walking through Bamel alone now. I know the town¡¯s layout well enough, so while Ophelia is busy until the afternoon, I¡¯m doing some shopping and enjoying my free time. Having hunted a few monsters so far too, I had amassed a small fortune from the rewards. My shopping list as a maid is checked off, so now it¡¯s my own private time. This is the first time I¡¯m completely free since being reborn here, so my feet feel lighter than usual. Where should I go? Buying something to munch on while taking a walk sounds nice, but I¡¯ve also gotten decent at reading so I¡¯d like to visit a bookstore too. Though checking out variety stores sounds fun too. ¡°Hey, the maid over there, wanna hang out if you¡¯ve got nothing to do?¡± I turn around hearing someone call to me, and I see an elf wearing tacky clothing and with his nose and ears pierced. Don¡¯t ruin my image of elves now, goddamnit. Getting hit on like this happens pretty often too. ¡°I¡¯m truly sorry. I¡¯m not a human maid, but a magic automaton, so I can¡¯t correspond to your expectations.¡± I lift my hand and point to my joints, to make explaining easier. ¡°Oh, a magic automaton? No way¡­never mind, my bad.¡± He didn¡¯t seem interested in automatons, so the tacky elf bows politely and leaves. Somehow I thought he would react more aggressively, or call me a monster, but I guess I shouldn¡¯t judge people by their appearance. From what I¡¯ve seen, even though I¡¯m a monster and a magic automaton, people would treat me as equal once they realize I have self-consciousness. Ophelia told me that¡¯s because there¡¯s already many races living together in this country, which is called the Seperion Kingdom. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation and stop supporting the content thief!) There are humans, elves, dwarves, and demi-humans, all treated equally. Or well, there¡¯s also royalty, nobles, and slaves, so it¡¯s not exactly equal in a social ranking system, but any sort of discrimination between races is forbidden. Also, the royal family of the country are Naga demi-humans, basically half snakes. The first king of Seperion had joined multiple countries, which were all separated by race. Since then, the policy of the country was to respect and accept the differences between races. As an extension of that, even monsters with sentience were received with open arms. That¡¯s really commendable since I heard there are many other countries that see demi-humans as monsters. That last part isn¡¯t really dictated by the law though, and it¡¯s more of a personal choice. That¡¯s why every so often someone looks at me with disdain, but from what I¡¯ve seen, those are far and between. All in all, there¡¯s little issue with a magic automaton like me walking alone in the town. On top of that, I was registered as a Servant in the guild, so if someone attacked me, they were looking for a fight with my Mistress Ophelia and the guild as a whole. No one is stupid enough to get on the bad side of an A rank adventurer and a big organization like that. ¡°Oh, Natalia?¡± I turn around hearing a familiar voice. It was Mir, wearing casual clothes instead of her adventurer armor. ¡°I knew it was you. Are you here alone?¡± ¡°Yes, I was doing some shopping, but now I¡¯m free so I was taking a walk through town.¡± ¡°I see, do you mind if I tag along then? Our shop is closed today so I¡¯m free too.¡± ¡°Sure. I don¡¯t really know many places apart from the market and guild, so it¡¯d be nice if you could show me other locations you¡¯d recommend.¡± I hadn¡¯t planned for this, but I guess I¡¯ll walk around with Mir then. Wandering around randomly isn¡¯t bad, but this is probably a better option. ¡°Is there anything specific you¡¯d like to buy?¡± ¡°I have a lot of things in mind, but first I¡¯d like to get some clothes.¡± ¡°Clothes?¡± ¡°Yes. Mistress has prepared many clothes for me, but they¡¯re all maid uniforms, so I have no casual clothes.¡± ¡°I know the perfect store then!¡± I follow Mir and we reach a detached clothing store. A large three storey building, with a sign outside that read ¡®Docami Tailor Shop¡¯. ¡°They have a large variety of all types of clothing, so I¡¯m sure you can find something you like.¡± Mir leads me inside in high spirits, the store is filled up with clothes. It even rivals the stock of clothing stores in my life. Mir was right, this is a good place. ¡°What type of clothes do you like?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t really have a specific style I like, though I prefer subdued colors.¡± ¡°I see. Ah, excuse me!¡± Mir nods and calls out to a female store employee. ¡°We¡¯re looking for clothes for her.¡± ¡°Oh we have just the thing. Please wait in the dressing room there.¡± The employee listens to Mir¡¯s request and quickly goes inside the store to look for something. I go to the dressing room as told, and a moment later the employee is back. ¡°Please try this on!¡± ¡°Ah, sure.¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen. Please support us by visiting our site.) I¡¯m slightly taken aback by the employee¡¯s excited voice, but I change into the clothes she gives me. ¡°I¡¯m done.¡± I open the curtains and show them how I look. ¡°Woah, it fits you really well.¡± ¡°Yes, I thought it would fit well when I saw you.¡± Mir sounds impressed, and the employee nods to herself in satisfaction. It does look cool, if I held Black Hawk while wearing this, I would look like a hitman. Wait, not the time for that. ¡°Umm, so about these clothes¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s called a business suit, like a uniform for workers. It¡¯s a really refreshing design and it¡¯s gotten popular lately.¡± Yes, I know. I wore something similar in my past life. ¡°No, but-¡± ¡°Natalia, please! Please buy it!¡± It seems Mir forgot my initial request. ¡°Also, if possible I¡¯d like something a bit more loose¡­¡± I won¡¯t say where, but it was slightly suffocating. ¡°Is that so? I¡¯m sure the shoulder and waist size matched¡­ Ah, excuse me for a bit.¡± Without waiting for a reply, the employee walks up to me and touches the tight spot, my chest. ¡°I see. That was my bad. Just give me a bit.¡± Squish squish ¡°N-no worries, that¡¯s al-alright¡­mm¡­ah¡­¡± Squish squish ¡°I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll find something better this time!¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Say no to content thief!) The employee lets go of my chest and runs back into the store. Hey, there was no need to squish them so much even if you were checking the size! ¡°I-is it over yet? I swear I saw nothing.¡± Mir was covering her face with both hands, but I could see a large gap between her fingers, she was clearly peeking through. Is it just me or does she get strangely shaky every time I go through something embarrassing? CH 28 ¡°Casual, right? So just the perfect thing to wear when out of work!¡± Now I¡¯m wearing a white dress with many frills and ribbons. A hat of the same color rests on my head. She has a point, a maid would never wear princess-like dresses like this during work hours. And I can see a girl who wears this kind of clothes considering them casual. ¡°Ohh, you look so pretty! And cute!¡± ¡°Umm, I feel like it¡¯ll be really awkward to wear this whenever I¡¯m free.¡± This isn¡¯t something I want at all. ¡°I¡¯d prefer something that makes it easier to move.¡± ¡°I see, I see! Just wait a moment please!¡± The employee¡¯s eyes shine brightly before she runs away. I wonder what is riling her up so much. Somehow thinking about it sends chills down my spine. ¡°Mir, maybe you could help me find something too? I don¡¯t feel like I can trust that employee too much.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll wear whatever I pick?!¡± Wait¡­ ¡°Okay! I¡¯m not worthy of this role, but I swear I¡¯ll find you some cute clothes!¡± ¡°Wait-¡± She stops listening to me, and she runs away just like the employee did. Did I just make a terrible mistake? ¡°Sorry for the wait!¡± The employee returns with the vigor of a storm, and pushes me and the clothes into the changing room. ¡°These clothes are a bit-¡± ¡°You look incredibly well! And you seem familiar with it too, only pulling the zipper halfway up and not wearing a bra!¡± My chest doesn¡¯t feel constricted, and it matches my body nicely making it easy to move. It¡¯s entirely black, with red lines accentuating my shoulders and legs. ¡°It does accomplish what I want, but still, a riding suit¡­ I don¡¯t have anything to ride, in the first place.¡± ¡°Hm, I see. I¡¯ll look for something else then.¡± The moment the employee leaves, Mir enters in her place. I close the changing room curtains and wear the clothes Mir just pushed onto me. ¡°Are you done?¡± ¡°Yes, somehow.¡± I reply while I slide the curtains open. ¡°Ohh, you look good!¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation and stop supporting the content thief!) And I can move well. It¡¯s a leather bikini and knee-high socks, covered with a pareo and stole of a deep indigo color. It has a wild and charming adventurous look. I do like it, but it¡¯s not exactly what I¡¯m looking for today. ¡°Mir, I¡¯d prefer something that¡¯s worn more commonly.¡± ¡°Oh? Alright, I¡¯ll go look.¡± ¡°Sorry for the wait.¡± I¡¯m starting to suspect these two girls are exchanging secret signals somehow. Their timing is uncanny. ¡°I-I don¡¯t know how to feel about this.¡± This next outfit was a small tank top that barely covered my chest, and tight shorts that left most of my butt exposed. The fabric is soft and fluffy, so I can see it being warm, though it covers so little I doubt there¡¯s any point to it. That isn¡¯t the main issue though. ¡°Miss, you have to add meow to the end of your sentences.¡± ¡°That sounds too embarrassing.¡± ¡°Miss.¡± ¡°I-it¡¯s embarrassing¡­meow¡­¡± I was also wearing a headband with cat ears, and a tail affixed behind me. ¡°Those cat ears are a garment that perfectly encapsulates the cuteness of a kitty. It enhances both cuteness and sexyness, and nothing can top it.¡± A headband with cat ears sounds more like an accessory to me, but the employee looks really shocked. ¡°T-that¡¯s true. They¡¯re fake cat ears, just an imitation of the real thing.¡± What? ¡°Thank you so much! You¡¯ve made me realize the errors of my ways! Cat ears should only refer to those of a natural cat girl! It was rude and disrespectful of me to talk about fake cat ears like that!¡± She holds my hands while bawling her eyes out. ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I meant at all! Please, you¡¯re looking too deeply into it!¡± ¡°I¡¯m back. Wait, what happened?¡± ¡°Nothing, nothing at all! Just give me the next outfit!¡± I shake off the employee¡¯s hands, snatch the clothes Mir brought from her hands and shelter myself in the changing room. ¡°I¡¯ll look for something else then.¡± ¡°Yes, please do so.¡± I wait until the employee is gone, and open the curtains. ¡°Mir, are these clothes from this country?¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen. Please support us by visiting our site.) This dress has no sleeves, and a slit on the skirt, making it easy to move in it. There¡¯s also a hole on the top of the chest, so it doesn¡¯t feel asphyxiating either. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a traditional dress from a region in this country.¡± ¡°H-huh.¡± So they exist here too¡­cheongsams. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, this isn¡¯t exactly it either.¡± ¡°Really? I¡¯ll look again then.¡± ¡°I found something else.¡± I don¡¯t know what to think anymore. I changed into the clothes the employee just gave me. ¡°What is this?¡± The black glossy fabric has a strong contrast with my white skin. It¡¯s very revealing, but the important parts are covered even if they don¡¯t seem so. It seems like it would attract a lot of sexual attention, but the whip in my hand would keep it at bay. ¡°What do you think?¡± Think? There¡¯s nothing to think about. ¡°Even if you work as a maid by day, you can unleash your inner queen out of work! Maybe if you have a maso-employer you could entertain him too! Or go hunting outside!¡± I don¡¯t like the sound of any of that. ¡°I have no interest in things like that.¡± ¡°No worries. You can easily reverse the roles while wearing that and-¡± Snap! ¡°Ahii! Thank you, my quee- dear customer!¡± I crack the whip in frustration, and she enjoys it. I hate it here now1. Eventually I get released from dress-up doll duty, and Mir takes me to a sidewalk cafe. I plop down on a chair tired, and lay on the table while I wait for the tea I ordered. That¡¯s not proper behavior for a maid? Who cares? It¡¯s my free time, and I¡¯m not wearing my uniform anymore. ¡°I know I¡¯ve said it before, but you look really good in that dress.¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Say no to content thief!) Mir is sitting in front of me. Yes, like she mentioned, I¡¯m wearing a dress I just bought. I had bought some other things too, but I¡¯m keeping them in my magic storage like usual. ¡°Thank you. I didn¡¯t expect it would take so long though.¡± ¡°Really? I feel like usually it takes much longer to decide on things like that.¡± All Mir¡¯s words are doing is to terrify me even more. I knew women took long shopping, but I never thought my experience would be considered fast. ¡°By the way, how are your preparations to go hunt a Shaman Ape?¡± I don¡¯t want to think about shopping anymore, so I change the topic, fully aware that it¡¯s a bit forceful. Our plan is to go tomorrow night, since it¡¯s a full moon. Shaman Apes are usually solitary monsters, but on nights like that they gather to perform some sort of ritual, so Ophelia said it¡¯s the best moment to attack. ¡°Pretty much done, my sword and armor are ready to go. How about you?¡± ¡°My Mistress taught me some alchemy, so I prepared some healing potions.¡± ¡°Your almighty skills really know no bounds, huh.¡± I can¡¯t see how that would imply my skills are almighty, but I know she¡¯ll deny anything I say in response, so I better keep it to myself. Either way, our strategy to hunt the Shaman Ape takes priority. If we don¡¯t plan on how to deal with their necromancy, we¡¯ll end up fighting an endlessly resurrecting army of monsters. Ophelia told me about that after my first encounter with them. If the dead bodies suffer a certain amount of damage, they can¡¯t be resurrected anymore. Decapitating them is usually good enough. With Mir¡¯s sword, and my incendiary rounds and magic blade, I think we have the means secured. But we still have to be careful. If a large monster like a Clamp Boar gets resurrected, it could get tricky. Cutting through a massive neck like that isn¡¯t so easy. Ophelia won¡¯t get too involved with the fight too, so we can¡¯t rely on her from the start, and will have to take care of everything ourselves. Though we can¡¯t forget what Ophelia just told us about finding ways to run away too. Adventurers are only fun when you come back alive. I raise my head and take a sip of tea. It¡¯s been sitting there for a while, so it¡¯s just lukewarm now. ¡°I¡¯ll meet up with my Mistress at the guild later, do you have any plans?¡± ¡°Ah, maybe I¡¯ll go greet her with you then.¡± Mir decides to accompany me to the guild, so after I finish my tea we leave the cafe. CH 29 After leaving Natalia on her own, Ophelia went to the guard¡¯s headquarters. Being a famous adventurer, Ophelia had connections in many places. She was led to a meeting room, where she waited until the divisional officer of the guards entered. ¡°And well, has there been any progress?¡± There was barely any greetings, Ophelia addressing the main topic as soon as he sat in front of her. ¡°Yes, we found some dirt on Grog. He¡¯s violated free commerce laws, and it seems he¡¯s committed many other smaller infractions, so we might discover even more felonies to charge him with.¡± Grog was the worker in the blacksmiths¡¯ guild that did not get along with Mir¡¯s father. Ophelia felt like his actions were against the law, so she decided to ask about it with one of her acquaintances, the divisional officer. The result of his investigation proved Ophelia¡¯s suspicions, and they determined Grog had acted against the law. ¡°We¡¯ve written a warrant already, and the city¡¯s gates have been informed. He has no way to leave the city, so it¡¯s just a matter of time before we catch him.¡± ¡°Is that all you¡¯ve done?¡± Ophelia glared at the officer, who recoiled and began sweating. He had essentially declared Grog was on the chase. Either because he predicted this would happen, or because he managed to avoid being spotted by a guard. Regardless of that, him being free was a failure of the guards. The fact that criminals that had escaped the law in a similar way had attacked her daughter was still fresh in her memory, so she could not overlook this matter. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, really! I promise we¡¯ll catch him, so please forgive us!¡± He said while bending down to bow. He sighed, he knew Ophelia had more than enough reason to blame him, but he had apologized as much as he could, so he sat down again. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to unload this onto you too, but we¡¯d really appreciate it if you could help us catalog some of the items we confiscated from Grog¡¯s house.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you have sorcerers working for the guards already?¡± ¡°Yes, we do. But some of the items were related to automatons and alchemy, so our investigation is a bit stumped.¡± There were far less people knowledgeable about magic automaton and alchemy, compared to regular sorcerers. It was valuable to have a contact who could properly identify items related to that. Ophelia was not convinced though. ¡°You found automaton and alchemy things in the house of a worker for the blacksmiths¡¯ guild? That still doesn¡¯t sound too strange.¡± When building an automaton, it was common to commission parts from other people. Most of the puppeteer¡¯s job was to ensemble and give them orders after all. There were hardly any who would make everything from scratch, even if they had the know-how. Alchemy could be used as a magic substitute for blacksmithing as well. That all seemed to check-out at first sight, but the population of alchemists was so low that most of them lived as hermits. Alchemy was also used to get materials, instead of complete items. Like gathering iron dust and forming ingots with it. Either way, it was not too strange to find items like that in Grog¡¯s house, both automaton parts and materials purified with alchemy. ¡°I probably should¡¯ve explained it better. We¡¯ve seized a Sorcery Core, one with a really strong protection.¡± Ophelia raised her eyebrows hearing that. Sorcery Cores were a source of magic power. They were commonly used for large scale magic tools that required a long and constant supply of mana, or magic automatons and golems. Making one required highly technical magic knowledge, so it was hard to imagine a blacksmith building one. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation and stop supporting the content thief!) ¡°That does seem out of place.¡± There were no records of Grog being able to build something like that, or to cast a defensive spell that the guards¡¯ magicians could not break. In other words, Grog had not built that Sorcery Core. That left the question as to why it was in his possession. ¡°That¡¯s why it¡¯s so puzzling. Could you take a look?¡± She had plans to hunt a Shaman Ape with Natalia and Mir the next day, but she figured she would be done by night so she accepted. She also knew how to prepare in case she did not make it on time, and if she refused, the investigation she started would go nowhere. ¡°It¡¯s still strange though, seeing you get so involved in the matters of others.¡± ¡°Well, I guess. Though if the blacksmiths¡¯ guild is corrupt, it¡¯ll affect all adventurers working there.¡± In truth, Ophelia did not care much about the guild¡¯s situation. She could fabricate anything she needed herself with alchemy, so she rarely had any use for it. But there were other people who could end up suffering from it. Once they became proper adventurers, it would be hard for them to obtain quality equipment. And she knew at least one of them would feel bad seeing a friend struggle as well. That was why Ophelia had decided to meddle with those affairs, for the sake of her two beloved daughters. Though she also had a bit of sympathy for another adventurer they had met as well. ¡°This situation has also launched an internal investigation in the blacksmiths¡¯ guild, there might be a pretty large reorganization coming soon.¡± ¡°That¡¯s reassuring to know.¡± The divisional officer had known Ophelia for a long time, and it had been a while since he saw her smile like that. A heartfelt smile, without forcing herself, which he had not seen on her since she had lost her husband. That relieved him, though a new, mysterious uneasiness creeped inside him. Her business in the guards¡¯ headquarters concluded, Ophelia headed back to adventurers¡¯ guild. There was still some time before the arranged meeting time with Natalia, but there was something she wanted to do before that. The person she was looking for usually hung out in the guild¡¯s dining hall at around that time. And just like she expected, she found the person. That person was a woman with a well trained body, muscles bulging everywhere, and her tan skin standing out amongst the crowd. ¡°Jane, do you have some time?¡± ¡°Ophelia! It¡¯s been a while. And of course. Hey you, move aside.¡± Under Jane¡¯s command, another person sitting there moved to the side, opening a spot for Ophelia to sit. ¡°Sorry to come barging in like this.¡± ¡°No worries, I still feel indebted to you after all.¡± Jane smiled in a friendly but dignified way. The other adventurers sitting nearby were surprised at their interaction, not knowing the relationship between the two, though they kept their thoughts to themselves. They were all members of a large clan of adventurers, with Jane as their sub-master, who recruited members through displays of strength. She only spoke so friendly and casually when talking to her relatives. ¡°Anyway, it might be a bit sudden, but I have a favor to ask of you.¡± ¡°Sure, anything you want.¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen. Please support us by visiting our site.) Hearing Jane¡¯s straightforward reply, Ophelia smiled softly and detailed what she wanted. Once she was done, Jane stuck to her word. This is something that happened the day before Ophelia went to the guards¡¯ headquarters. Grog breathed heavily inside a dark warehouse. Noticing the guards had started sniffing around him, he quickly gathered the bare necessities and fled his house, hiding inside the warehouse of someone he was trading with. ¡°What a mess, Grog. You got the guards on your a?s?s?, and now I might get roped in with you too.¡± The owner of the warehouse, a merchant, sighed in an exaggerated manner. ¡°Heh, but if I get caught, they¡¯ll come after you soon enough too.¡± ¡°I guess you have a point.¡± This merchant also had a rather black record in the underground world. So if Grog was arrested and interrogated, it was easy to imagine they would get many more leads for people like them. ¡°How do you plan on dealing with this though?¡± ¡°I heard Jace¡¯s daughter will go gather the last material tomorrow. I have to stop her no matter what.¡± Jace was Mir¡¯s father. The merchant shrugged in a dissimulated way hearing Grog still obsessed with ruining Jace, even in a dire situation like this. ¡°Alright, lend me the workshop you got near here. And go buy me as many materials as you can with this.¡± ¡°Woah!¡± Grog threw a closed bag at the merchant, who hastily caught it and checked its content. It was stuffed with gold coins. ¡°As long as I get my fee I don¡¯t mind, but what do you want that for?¡± ¡°Is that any of your business?¡± ¡°Sorry, forget I asked.¡± The merchant quickly bowed in apology, and went out to fulfill Grog¡¯s request. ¡°Just you wait, Jace. I¡¯ll crush everything you have and love, not just your career as a blacksmith.¡± Grog muttered to himself in the empty warehouse. At the same time, a Sorcery Core stuffed in his pocket began activating. CH 30 Sorcery Cores were items that could amplify its contained magic power, and release it in a regulated manner. They were built from a shell of Magic Stones, which were a form of crystallized mana, which underwent a complex fabrication process. Sometimes that process involved even more specialized steps, to strengthen a specific element. They were used in magic tools, but there were many times when the owner did not want them to be used by someone else, or they were an expensive variety, so a protection spell would be cast on them. But the protection on the Sorcery Core on the desk did not only restrain its usage, but it concealed everything it contained. An inspector of the guards placed it inside a tool, and the Sorcery Core emitted a faint light. ¡°This is as far as we got, not even our sorcerers could decrypt it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, this is a high level protection. It¡¯s quite difficult to open.¡± ¡°I knew it¡­¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say it¡¯s impossible, though.¡± The divisional officer looked distraught, but jerked his face up hearing Ophelia. ¡°You can do it?!¡± ¡°Who do you think you¡¯re talking with?¡± ¡°True, I almost forgot.¡± Ophelia had an ominous smile, which made the officer shudder. The most skillful and knowledgeable sorcerer in all of the Seperion Kingdom was her, Ophelia Eto Gardeland. She extended her white and slender hand towards the Sorcery Core. A high pitched sound came from the Sorcery Core, and it began to vibrate. Ophelia¡¯s magic had touched the Sorcery Core. Whenever the Sorcery Core noticed outside interference, it would deploy a protective barrier. And that was precisely what Ophelia was aiming for. The barrier could be used as an entry point to begin decoding the spell. ¡°I see, a password is needed to activate the core and access its settings. The barrier is a composite of physical and magic mechanisms, and it¡¯s not just one or two, but at least ten layered on top of each other.¡± No matter how valuable Sorcery Cores could be, that was an oddly strong protection. But even that ridiculous barrier was rendered useless the moment Ophelia finished her assessment. Just like how ice melts, or silk is pulled from a cocoon, or sand falls through an hourglass, the barrier slowly begins to fade away. That process took an immense amount of skill, which made the guards¡¯ magicians keep their eyes glued on her actions. ¡°This is so curious. I wonder what we¡¯ll find inside of all this.¡± Ophelia continued smiling, and sped up the process slightly. I arrived alone at the main gate of Bamel, though I¡¯m not going inside today. Ophelia had said she had some stuff to do first, so she left ahead a few hours ago. ¡°Nataliaaa!¡± After I wait for a bit, Mir comes out running from the town. We had become friends, so I have seen her many times in the past, but this is the first time I see her wearing this armor. ¡°Mir, did you get new equipment?¡± ¡°Yess, it¡¯s Ghavial Armor I made with some of the Tyrannoghavial scales we brought back the other day, how does it look?¡± She walks up to me and turns around for me to see. The dark green scales catch some of the sunlight and reflect it brightly. The Tyrannoghavial we saw looked more battered up, so the scales probably had been polished a lot for them to look like that. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation and stop supporting the content thief!) ¡°I see. It looks pretty good.¡± ¡°Hearing you say that makes all that hard work worth it!¡± That¡¯s surprising. I had seen her sharpening her sword before, but I didn¡¯t know she was this skilled. ¡°That¡¯s amazing. I hope I can build my own equipment soon enough too.¡± I¡¯m still wearing common leather armor. In game-terms, it¡¯s only a starting level armor, and if I take a direct hit from a monster it might break. My body is more sturdy than a regular human¡¯s though, so I can probably survive without armor, though I don¡¯t want to take any chances. I also have Black Hawk and my magic blade to defend myself from most things, so I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll run into issues. Offensive magic? Never heard of it. ¡°You should drop by our shop sometime then. We¡¯ll give you a special discount.¡± ¡°Thanks, I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± Now that she mentions it, I¡¯ve never been to her house yet. I should go next time I¡¯m free. I should get some materials ready by then too. ¡°I don¡¯t see Ophelia, is she coming later?¡± Ophelia told me that something urgent came up, and she might not make it to the Shaman Ape hunt, but that she¡¯ll send an adventurer to fight in her place. ¡°I see. Do you know who¡¯s going to come then?¡± ¡°Mistress said it¡¯s an adventurer she¡¯s friends with, with ¡®decent¡¯ skills. Considering her standards, I¡¯m sure they¡¯re plenty strong if she described them that way.¡± ¡°Hahah, she¡¯s always been a strict woman like that.¡± We turn around hearing that unknown voice, and see two adventurers approaching us. ¡°You must be Natalia and Mir. Ophelia told me about you, I¡¯m Jane.¡± Inside a dark warehouse, Grog stood with a wicked grin on his face, multiple giants of steel kneeling in front of him. They were golems. Being able to build so many in just a single day spoke of his skill as a blacksmith. He also had a keen sense of business and management, which was why he was chosen as a worker for the guild. He was about to destroy everything he had gained that way though. All to get rid of someone he could not get along with. No one could understand what drove him to such extremes. Maybe he himself had forgotten now. But he did not care. Unwavering hatred. That was all that filled him now. And that was all he needed. ¡°Rise up, Golems!¡± The crystals on the golems¡¯ heads began glowing. And Grog began giving them orders. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen. Please support us by visiting our site.) ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯ll have to leave this city behind because of you, and lose everything in my warehouse and workshop. I really don¡¯t feel like it was worth it.¡± The merchant, owner of the warehouse, muttered in a low voice, far enough behind Grog that he could not hear. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but at least I¡¯ll be careful enough with getting rid of any evidence, just so I don¡¯t paint a target on my back.¡± He glared at Grog, and muttered the password of the Sorcery Core without Grog noticing, directly rewriting some instructions. CH 31.1 I guess this is what being lost for words feels like. I¡¯ve seen many monsters and magic in this world already, but somehow this woman left an even stronger impact on me. ¡°Guess we¡¯ll be working together for the day then.¡± ¡°Ah, right. Thank you for coming with us.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Ophelia never showed up, even after the scheduled time. Only this female warrior came, with such a muscular body that it¡¯s hard to tell if she¡¯s really a woman at first glance. She was a friend of my Mistress, so I don¡¯t doubt her skill, but she looks a bit odd. She speaks about Ophelia with a lot of respect, but I feel like Jane is more likely to garner that kind of respect with her looks. ¡°I guess she won¡¯t make it after all. Guess we¡¯ll have to go without her.¡± ¡°Sure, I don¡¯t mind that, though¡­¡± I turn to the man who came together with Jane. He¡¯s someone both Mir and I know well. ¡°Why is Danny here too?¡± Danny, the man I had a slight altercation with the first time I went to the guild, he¡¯s here carrying a large backpack behind Jane. ¡°Ah yeah, I heard what my new recruit did before. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s enough to make up for that, but I brought him as our walking trolley. Feel free to offload whatever you want on him.¡± That reminds me, I think Danny mentioned being part of some clan before. ¡°Then are you in the same clan as Danny, Miss Jane?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m the sub-master of the Soaring Dragon clan. Also, please don¡¯t address me so formally, I¡¯m not used to it.¡± From what I¡¯ve heard, clans are teams of adventurers, and are officially recognized by the guild if they submit an application. In simple terms, they¡¯re a more corporate party. I didn¡¯t really pay them much attention so far, but I never expected that Ophelia would be friends with the master of Danny¡¯s clan. ¡°Danny, did you know Jane was friends with my Mistress?¡± ¡°Of course not. You have no idea of the earful I got from Jane and the clan master after that.¡± ¡°You made trouble for Ophelia, so you deserved that. Even our master is indebted to her.¡± Danny grumbles while looking to the side, and Jane responds by crossing her arms and sighing. ¡°Anyway, we should get going.¡± We leave Bamel and head to the forest, arriving by the time the sun sets. There¡¯s a full moon tonight so visibility isn¡¯t too bad, but it¡¯s always nice to have more light, so I cast Float Light. ¡°Oh, that helps a lot.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a simple spell.¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation and stop supporting the content thief!) Jane takes the lead into the forest, and asks us after a while. ¡°No, not yet.¡± ¡°Same here.¡± Neither Mir or I have any experience hunting at night. We did experience fighting in a dark cave before, but that¡¯s still different from fighting in the open. ¡°Okay then, there¡¯s a few things you should keep in mind. One obvious difference is the reduced visibility, but there¡¯s also nocturnal monsters that you rarely find during daytime.¡± ¡°Are nocturnal monsters different from the regular ones?¡± ¡°Yes, very much so. They¡¯re completely different beasts.¡± Jane narrows her eyes as she replies to Mir. ¡°These monsters usually live in the darkness. Their eyes, ears, and noses are far more developed too. Living in the shadows is all about striking prey undetected, or being struck from behind. Nocturnal monsters are extremely adept at being stealthy.¡± All of a sudden, she swings down her large battle axe she carries on her back, and a gust of wind breezes past me and Mir. A moment later, a wolf monster stumbles out from a nearby thicket, its neck gushing blood as it falls lifeless. ¡°Did either of you notice it hiding there?¡± ¡°¡­No.¡± I didn¡¯t notice at all. ¡°Me neither.¡± Mir is the same. The wolf was hidden in the thicket¡¯s shadows, but Jane somehow noticed its presence and struck first. She didn¡¯t even need to hit it with her axe directly, just the pressure and wind unleashed from the swing were enough. ¡°The nocturnal monsters are already on the prowl, lower your guard too much and they won¡¯t waste a second to kill you.¡± I exchange glances with Mir and we nod, paying more attention to our surroundings. ¡°That¡¯s why being able to see better helps too. Can you make the light any brighter, Natalia?¡± ¡°Yes, I can.¡± ¡°Do it then, though just a bit.¡± I pour a bit more mana into Float Light, making it brighter and increasing our range of vision. ¡°¡±?!¡±¡± ¡°Understanding the hunting methods of each monster is also important.¡± With the brighter light, I saw many wolves surrounding us. I only noticed them now. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen. Please support us by visiting our site.) ¡°Wolves hunt in packs. If you see one, that means there¡¯s a lot more nearby.¡± Mir unsheathes her Ghavial Sword, while I get Black Hawk ready. ¡°They¡¯re Night Wolves. A single one isn¡¯t much of an issue, but when they attack together as a pack they can be dangerous.¡± The Night Wolves notice we saw them, becoming more wary. They all bared their fangs, and began growling. ¡°I¡¯ll attack first, and then you follow up from behind!¡± Jane¡¯s axe cuts through the wind and sends a Night Wolf flying away. A low level monster can¡¯t resist her powerful attacks at all. ¡°Yahh!¡± Mir¡¯s Ghavial Sword also slashes through their bodies, but they just roll back a few steps and return, showing they suffered no fatal wounds. ¡°Mir, your footwork is too slow, get used to the darkness and strike with confidence.¡± ¡°Got it!¡± I shoot at Mir¡¯s unsuccessful kill, finishing it off. The Night Wolf yelps loudly and falls over. But the pack still doesn¡¯t retreat. Rather, more of them lunge at us, as if prompted by the death of their fellows. ¡°Hmph!¡± Jane continued attacking calmly at the onslaught of wolves, her skill befitting of the leader of a large clan. Any wolves that made it through her were met by Mir¡¯s sharp longsword. Maybe more light will help then? I pour more mana into the Float Light, making it brighter. ¡°Ah, Natalia, dim it again. It¡¯s better if your eyes get used to the darkness, or things will get trickier later.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± I lower the brightness of the Float Light I just powered up, and fire a warning shot to a Night Wolf that was eyeing me. ¡°Ghyu-¡± ¡°Grarr!¡± CH 31.2 The moment the Night Wolf topples over, another wolf jumps from behind it. I face it while I form the magic blade on my left hand, ready to counterattack. But before it¡¯s in range of my magic blade, Danny¡¯s sword strikes it down. ¡°Heheh, I can also help a bit.¡± ¡°Thanks. But try to stay focused, or you might get roughed up again.¡± ¡°Damn, relax a little.¡± I still think the only reason I won against him was that he let his guard down. While he¡¯s skilled, he never noticed I¡¯m a magic automaton, and seeing a severed arm was enough to distress him. Ophelia had also said that I could win if I used every tool at my disposal, though by that logic, I wouldn¡¯t have won without a surprise attack. ¡°I know you¡¯re skilled enough. Just be careful to not let them get too close.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a compliment, then!¡± I prepare to attack another monster while I watch Danny¡¯s movements. I can¡¯t get myself to like him, but I could learn a thing or two from his movements and sense of battle. I¡¯ll take anything I can get. The light seemed to shatter as the last barrier was destroyed. The Sorcery Core was left exposed. ¡°I¡¯m done. I¡¯ll let you disassemble it.¡± ¡°Yes, don¡¯t worry.¡± The guards¡¯ magicians used their tools to examine the contents of the Sorcery Core. Ophelia watched them work from a distance, wiping off a drop of sweat that formed on her forehead. ¡°So even you can sweat.¡± ¡°What do you think I am?¡± The divisional officer knew how powerful Ophelia was, so he had not expected the task to be so strenuous on her. She started with the sun overhead, but it had already set beyond the horizon now. ¡°Either way, there were a total of sixteen intermediate level spells contained, including those controlling it.¡± ¡°Did I hear that right? Sixteen intermediate level spells?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what I just said.¡± Intermediate defensive spells were even stronger than the outer walls protecting Bamel. Being able to stack sixteen of those meant that the creator of the Sorcery Core was at least as powerful as a rank A adventurer. ¡°I¡¯m sure a B rank adventurer has the skills necessary to do that too, given enough time.¡± ¡°Maybe you¡¯re right, but that doesn¡¯t make it any less impressive.¡± The divisional officer felt like the stamina and patience necessary for that were too extreme for a human to handle, but then he recalled that the sorceress in black clothes he was talking to lacked some common sense too. ¡°Sir, the disassembly is done.¡± Hearing the magician, the officer turned his attention that way again. ¡°Good job, what did you find?¡± The magician that had watched Ophelia work with such interest earlier, looked pale and sick now. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation and stop supporting the content thief!) ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s just¡­I thought I was used to seeing things like that, being a magician and a defender of the city, but this is¡­¡± The magician took a step to the side, revealing the table with the dismantled Sorcery Core. When the divisional officer saw it, he had to take a deep breath. ¡°Wait, is that¡­¡± Magic could be used to harm people, take their lives even. The research of magic had long been tainted with blood. The guards were an organization to protect and defend the city. At times deterring violence, or pursuing murderers. But this was something that both the magician and the divisional officer did not see often, nor wanted to see. ¡°Well¡­at least that explains why it was so heavily protected.¡± Ophelia¡¯s voice was calm and cold, as she looked at the heart concealed inside the Sorcery Core. A heart, bloody and real. Not metaphorical, but the organ, stuffed inside the core. ¡°It has to be a monster¡¯s heart, right?¡± ¡°No, I identified with magic already. It¡¯s an elf¡¯s.¡± The divisional hopes were dashed as the magician looked away while shaking his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know much about this topic, but are hearts a useful material for magicians?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s a monster that can use more than intermediate magic it can be incredibly valuable.¡± ¡°¡­And a human¡¯s?¡± ¡°Elven ones are the most powerful.¡± Hearing Ophelia¡¯s reply, the divisional officer punched a wall. ¡°We have to stop whoever made this. Grog has to be arrested no matter what.¡± The officer gritted his teeth as he said that, and then the door was slammed open and a guard rushed into the room. ¡°Sir, something bad happened!¡± ¡°I told you to not enter without permission!¡± He had ordered that no one should disturb his room until the examination of the Sorcery Core was done. Having his order disobeyed, coupled with the earlier shock, made him lose his cool and snap at the guard. ¡°It¡¯s an urgent matter, sir! The third and fourth divisions are requesting reinforcements!¡± But the guard was unbothered, reporting with a firm voice. The officer¡¯s complexion changed. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Golems! Two large golems are running wild in the town center!¡± Everyone in the room had the same thought. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen. Please support us by visiting our site.) ¡°Did Grog do that?¡± ¡°Possibly.¡± Whether as a distraction to flee, or to cause more harm to Mir¡¯s father, Grog was the main suspect for attacking the town with this timing. ¡°Gather all our guards!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already called for them!¡± The officer¡¯s guards knew how to respond to such a situation without being told, but it was not enough to placate the officer¡¯s anger. ¡°If the golems were also made with similar Sorcery Cores, it¡¯s easy to imagine the rest of the materials are grade C+ or better. Also, are you sure it¡¯s safe to divert that many guards away from the gates?¡± The officer was about to leave the room, but turned around hearing that. ¡°Can we count on you then?¡± ¡°Even if you didn¡¯t ask.¡± The divisional officer still could not understand why Ophelia was so interested in this specific case. But the lives of the citizens were more important than her reasons, and his pride as a guard, so he would never refuse her help. ¡°Alright, thanks for offering your help. Keep the town safe.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Ophelia gave a short reply and opened the window. ¡°Oh right, if those golems are Grog¡¯s, then I¡¯m sure they are some sort of diversion.¡± ¡°So he¡¯s using the chaos to make his escape?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I would use it for, but who really knows about him.¡± Leaving those words behind, Ophelia sat on her beloved staff and flew into the air through the open window. The sky was already dark, making her black clothes easily meld into the dark sky. The divisional officer rushed out of the room too, going to accomplish his duty. CH 32.1 The golem went on a rampage in a section of the town. Its only objective was to destroy anything in sight, without exception or hesitation. Once it reached the height of its mayhem, a second golem walked out from the warehouse. The second golem ran at a speed that did not seem to match its large body, running through the main street heading to the outer wall. It did not care about any pedestrians on its way, kicking and crushing them ruthlessly on its path, dashing towards the wall. The golem reached the wall in just a matter of minutes. The guards protecting it scrambled to their posts, while the magicians began chanting. Armed with swords and spears, the guards shouted at whoever was controlling the golem to stop. But there was no one there listening to those shouts. The golem¡¯s master was nowhere nearby. With no other choice left, the guards¡¯ commander ordered the magicians to act, many spells being launched at the golem simultaneously, black smoke rising from the hits. However, the golem did not stop. It broke through the smoke, appearing completely unharmed. All magicians working for the guards had to be roughly as skillful as a rank D adventurer as a minimum to be accepted. The golem had to be unnaturally strong to resist so many attacks at the same time. As the guards began to despair, the golem accelerated and leaped over the wall and guards. It was a nimble and tall jump, hard to imagine from a heavy golem with a metallic body. The guards stared at the sky, amazed and lost for words as the golem vanished behind them, before snapping out of it and contacting their headquarters. We continue killing nocturnal monsters as Jane leads us further into the forest, and we finally reach the place where the Shaman Apes are conducting their ritual. We hide inside the bushes, and I lower the brightness of Float Light to its minimum before getting closer to observe. A ritual is really the perfect word to describe what the Shaman Apes are doing. There¡¯s a pile of bones in the middle of a clearing, surrounded by many Shaman Apes kneeling down, like they¡¯re praying at the bones. There¡¯s also countless vague specks of pale blue light floating in the air, like creepy disembodied souls. ¡°Ophelia told me about this before, but apparently those bones are from powerful monsters, which they use as mediums to attract magic power to evolve themselves faster. I don¡¯t really know many details about it, but I think this is the moment when we can obtain the highest quality materials from them.¡± Physical maturity, experience, and magic power. Ophelia taught me that those were some of the many requisites needed for a monster to evolve. Shaman Apes use this ritual to quickly gain the magic power necessary. ¡°It seems they haven¡¯t noticed our presence yet. Mir, how many bodies¡¯ worth of bones do you need again?¡± ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure five bodies should get me enough.¡± ¡°Five, huh. Killing them is easy enough, but doing so while preserving their bodies is more complicated.¡± Jane is right. It takes a special skill to defeat monsters while keeping the parts used as materials intact. On top of that, both Mir and Jane use close-range weapons, which work best with crushing attacks. That makes it really easy to damage the bones. I guess I have no choice. Ophelia warned me to not do too much alone, but I think this is a permissible exception. ¡°I¡¯ll get enough bodies as we need. You two can go afterwards to kill the remaining apes.¡± ¡°Wait wait wait, are you sure you can do that on your own?¡± Danny doesn¡¯t look convinced, so I take Black Hawk out. ¡°I can kill them using the least force necessary with this.¡± ¡°I see, I guess you do have a point. Let¡¯s go with your plan then.¡± Jane had seen me perform well with Black Hawk on our way here, so she quickly nods in approval. Mir nods too. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation and stop supporting the content thief!) ¡°Let¡¯s do it then, are you ready?¡± ¡°Yes, everything¡¯s in order.¡± ¡°I¡¯m ready to go.¡± I nod back at them, and support myself on one knee while aiming my gun. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re going to shoot from here. Even an expert archer would struggle from this distance.¡± ¡°Shut up, Danny.¡± They are barely inside the effective shooting range. But considering how steady my movements are, and Black Hawk¡¯s accuracy, I can do it. Luckily there is a source of light around them, though dim, and the Shaman Apes aren¡¯t moving. This is the perfect chance. My eye, the rear sight, front sight, and my target all line up. The target is still. I pull the trigger and a short gunshot breaks the night silence. My target can¡¯t move anymore. The other Shaman Apes raise their heads, but they¡¯re too slow. I quickly switch targets, and bore holes into a defenseless head and heart. With every gunshot, a Shaman Ape falls down. The apes look confused, not understanding where the attacks are coming from. That gives me enough time to continue whittling their numbers. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough. Let¡¯s go Mir!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Jane determines there are enough bodies, so I put my gun down. She and Mir charge ahead with a battlecry, and the monkeys can¡¯t think of a way to fight back so they quickly disperse in all directions. ¡°You actually hit them from this distance, amazing.¡± ¡°I¡¯m always training after all.¡± Danny looks at my gun impressed, but I¡¯m more concerned about our surroundings. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry about that. I don¡¯t sense any other monsters nearby.¡± ¡°I see. I still struggle noticing that, but that¡¯s reassuring to know.¡± ¡°Hmmm, I guess magic automatons really aren¡¯t good at sensing less physical stuff like that.¡± I don¡¯t remember being able to feel someone¡¯s presence even in my past life, so I don¡¯t think that¡¯s related to me being an automaton now. Though I don¡¯t feel like explaining all that to him. CH 32.2 Danny and I turn around hearing a loud roar, and see a rather large Shaman Ape in front of a pile of bones, waving a large bone around. A pale blue glow seemed to emanate from the bone, circling around there. Is that an evolved Shaman Ape? Doesn¡¯t matter, we should kill it as soon as possible. ¡°Gii! Gii!¡± As the evolved Shaman Ape shrieks, the other monsters that were fleeing stop and turn around. ¡°There was a High Shaman Ape too? What a mess.¡± It¡¯s hard to follow the nimble monkeys¡¯ movements in the dim light. Jane is holding her ground, but Mir seems to be struggling a little. The High Shaman Ape (evolved one for short) seems to be giving them orders, so if we kill it the others will flee again, probably. I shoot at the evolved one thinking that, but another Shaman Ape blocks it. They were grouping up around the evolved one. ¡°Mir, go back and regroup with Natalia.¡± ¡°Ah, got it!¡± Mir follows Jane¡¯s orders and returns to my side, and then Jane hoists her battle axe into the air. ¡°Slash Impact!¡± She slams the axe into the ground. A violent shockwave spreads all around her, and the monkeys chasing after Mir fall down amidst a cloud of dust. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s Jane¡¯s eighteenth skill.¡± I noticed this while fighting the wolves earlier, but Jane¡¯s attack range is larger than her weapon. She¡¯s also very powerful, easily snapping monkeys into two if they got close enough for a direct hit. ¡°Gigiigii¡± ¡°Gigiigii¡± The evolved one cries, and the other Shaman Apes reply. All the monkeys that had fallen down, stand back up and form a wall around the evolved one again. ¡°Hey, weren¡¯t some of those monsters dead already?¡± Danny points at them and asks. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me they can use necromancy on their own kin¡­¡± ¡°Necromancy?¡± The last time I fought one it only used the bodies of other monsters like High Goblins or a Clamp Boar, though there was only one Shaman Ape that time. And I didn¡¯t think that they could resurrect other Shaman Apes, since that could turn into an endless loop. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation and stop supporting the content thief!) Dammit! Did I just underestimate the enemy again?! ¡°Monsters resurrected with necromancy can only do simple movements, but there¡¯s basically no limit to how many times they can be resurrected. The only way to stop them is to either destroy the bodies enough, or kill whoever is controlling them.¡± ¡°Whoever is controlling them, huh. That¡¯s a little¡­¡± I can understand what he means. There¡¯s so many of them it¡¯s impossible to tell which is controlling which. Not to mention that even if we do kill the correct one, that just creates one more body for another to use. Not to mention that our objective is to collect their bones. Destroying the bodies will lower the quality of the materials we can gather, so that¡¯s out of the question. ¡°Oryahh!¡± Jane is still holding her ground against the group of undead monsters, her skill to be the sub-master of a big clan really shows. But letting her take care of everything can be dangerous too. That means my first plan is really our best shot, we need to take out their leader. ¡°Mir, Danny, I¡¯ll try taking out the High Shaman Ape, but I¡¯ll need your help.¡± ¡°Are you crazy?¡± ¡°Alright.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Mir is on board and replies almost instantly. We haven¡¯t fought together this long for nothing. Danny looked exasperated. ¡°An incendiary round should have enough power to take it out even while protected by the others, but it doesn¡¯t have as much range so I¡¯ll need to get closer.¡± ¡°So you want us to open a path, right?¡± ¡°Can you do that?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± That¡¯s the answer I wanted. ¡°You know what to do then.¡± I stand up and get rid of Float Light. I begin to focus mana into Black Hawk, while I form a magic blade on my left hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go at the count of three, two, one!¡± We take off from the thicket together with Mir. ¡°Ahh, I swear!¡± Danny shouts angrily before running too. I just have to hit the Shaman Ape¡¯s head. The steel golem ran through the forest, kicking down trees that stood in its way, only focused on obliterating its target. Faced with that speed and power, most monsters scatter the moment they see it. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen. Please support us by visiting our site.) But a few decide to stand their ground. There was one with enough confidence in its strength, a Tyrannoghavial. It noticed the steel golem invading its territory, so it charged trying to stop it, lunging at it from the side. The two giants clashed, tumbling on the ground and making the forest shake. ¡°Graahh!¡± The golem used its steel arms to stop the large jaws closing in on it. Usually a Tyrannoghavial¡¯s jaw has enough strength to easily crush steel, but the golem was stronger than that and did not let the monster close its jaws. ¡°Gr- gah¡­h¡­¡± The golem did not seem distressed as it forced the jaws open. The Tyrannoghavial moaned in its struggle, but the golem had no mercy. The jaws were forcefully opened. No matter how much the monster tried to close them, the golem¡¯s arms would not budge. Eventually they were spread open past a certain limit. ¡°Gah¡­aaa!¡± After a dull sound, the Tyrannoghavial¡¯s lower jaw hung without strength. It had gotten dislodged. That was a lethal wound for a predatory monster, but the golem had no pity for it. The golem struck its steel fist into the open jaws, and just like when Natalia shot from inside, the fist went into the monster¡¯s skull and emerged from its head. The body began to convulse as life left it, and the golem threw the body away before running into the forest again. To accomplish the orders given by its master. To kill the daughter of its master¡¯s enemy. CH 33 While the resurrected monkeys are distracted by Jane, I run past them. The full moon and the floating souls illuminate the battlefield, so I don¡¯t lose sight of my goal. But that goes both ways, as the monkeys notice us and start attacking. ¡°Yahhhhh!¡± Mir swings her Ghavial Sword, sending the monster away, dead and alive alike. ¡°Kikii!¡± Two monkeys close in on me from the sides. Danny swings his sword to stop one of them, and kicks the other one away. But the dead bodies didn¡¯t flinch. They all rushed towards us. I prepare my magic blade to defend myself, but a powerful impact blows the bodies away. I glance back and see Jane with her battle axe swung down, she¡¯s so reliable. I¡¯m really close to the main group of monsters now. ¡°Kikiikii!¡± Trying to protect the evolved one, the other living apes charge at me. I can¡¯t afford to kill every one of them, so I kick off the ground and leap high into the air. ¡°Gigiiiiii!¡± I hear the evolved one screaming, but I don¡¯t care. I pass above the Shaman Apes, and fire in mid-air. The magic bullet leaves the barrel, and the moment it lands it bursts into an explosion of magic. A bright blue flash illuminates the dark night sky, before turning into smoke. As soon as I land, I swing my magic blade horizontally. But something catches it and I can¡¯t complete my attack. When the smoke clears, I see a bundle of countless bones in front of me. I guess the pile of bones is in my way, so my magic blade didn¡¯t get anywhere. ¡°Giigii¡± I hear the evolved one¡¯s screeches from inside the bones. Then the bones begin to rattle and move. They start reorganizing into a large white skeleton, moving like they did when alive. The only difference it has with a regular skeleton, is that it moves under the evolved one¡¯s control. As for where the evolved one is now, he¡¯s sitting protected by the skeleton¡¯s ribcage. ¡°That works even on bones?¡± So far, I¡¯ve only seen Shaman Apes using their necromancy on slightly wounded bodies, so I assumed bones were safe from it. I guess being evolved changes that though. ¡°Gii!¡± The evolved one screeches, and the skeleton raises its front leg. As I jump back, the skeleton shatters away. I probably looked like a complete idiot for a while there. A giant appeared out of nowhere, and kicked the skeleton away. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation and stop supporting the content thief!) ¡°What¡¯s¡­that¡­¡± Danny is struggling to understand it too. The giant looks like it¡¯s made from steel, and is even bigger than the skeleton. Maybe it¡¯s a type of golem that Ophelia taught me about before? The skeleton¡¯s bones get scattered everywhere, while the evolved one inside gets blown onto a tree and creates a dark red splatter on it. It clearly died from the impact. The other regular Shaman Apes are all lying still too. All the monsters that were following me had gotten caught up in the incendiary round, before being kicked by the golem. ¡°Why is there a golem here?¡± Jane mutters, and the golem turns to face us in response. ¡°Maybe it came to rescue Natalia?¡± ¡°That¡¯s hard to say.¡± Mir stands next to me and looks at the golem. There¡¯s a thing on the golem¡¯s head that looks like an eye, which starts to glow brightly and it raises its arm. ¡°Watch out!¡± I instantly push Mir away. The steel fist hits the ground, creating a large cloud of dust. I felt the skeleton was going to do that earlier, but then the golem destroyed the skeleton, before doing the same thing. ¡°Mir! Are you okay?!¡± ¡°Yeah, thanks!¡± The golem lifts its arm again. We hurry on our feet and run. The ground shakes behind us. ¡°We¡¯re retreating!¡± No one argues with Jane¡¯s order. It feels a bit shameful, but we have no option. Ophelia had just told us we needed to learn when to retreat after our fight with Aria. I, Mir, Jane, and Danny, we all ran away. We can hear loud footsteps behind us. No one dares look back. I don¡¯t know where that golem came from, but it should be harder for it to follow us through the trees. But it would not let us escape so easily. The loud footsteps stop for a moment. We hear a whooshing sound, and a heavy metallic mass lands in front of us. The golem had jumped higher and farther than its body suggested, moving ahead of us. ¡°I guess it won¡¯t let us get away.¡± There¡¯s no ¡®safe location¡¯ where it won¡¯t chase us anymore like in a game, and I¡¯ll probably have to prepare for the worst. There¡¯s little point trying to hide in shadows anymore, so I cast Float Light again and improve our vision. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen. Please support us by visiting our site.) We jump in different directions to evade the incoming massive arm. The skeleton stopped my magic blade earlier, and the golem had destroyed that skeleton in one hit. If I got hit, pain wouldn¡¯t be enough to describe it. ¡°Take this!¡± Danny jumps towards its torso, swinging his sword against the golem. But the solid steel body easily deflects the attack, rendering it useless and merely creating a high pitched clang. He loses his balance from it, and the golem kicks him. ¡°Ghuah!¡± ¡°That was so stupid.¡± It was clear the golem is made out of metal, so trying to attack it like that is too reckless. Danny stands back up shortly after falling, and I throw him a test tube I took out from my magic storage. ¡°Use this.¡± It was one of the potions I made after Ophelia taught me how to do it. My yield is still pretty low, so I have to be careful to not use up too many of them. ¡°Also, I don¡¯t have that many of them prepared, so use it sparingly.¡± ¡°Tell me that before I drink it!¡± Danny had already drunk the entire tube. BAM BAM! The ground continued shaking, and Mir dodged every hit. Having a small body was working to her advantage, making it easier to dodge the golem¡¯s bulky movements. At the same time, Jane is swinging her axe onto the golem¡¯s knees. Her plan is to weaken the joints, which are hard to protect, so the golem will fall without having to get through its armor. So far I don¡¯t see any visible damage though, so it¡¯s probably going to be a long fight. ¡°I need to help too.¡± I run forward as I overload Black Hawk with mana. The golem switches targets to Jane and lifts its fist. ¡°Both of you, stand back!¡± Seeing me rush forward with my gun ready, Mir instantly understands my plan and jumps back. Jane sees her do that, and leaps back too. The golem¡¯s fist hits the ground. My feet feel the tremors. I can tell how powerful it is, and that I shouldn¡¯t underestimate its attacks. But that also gives me an opening. I run perpendicular to the golem, and aim to the same spot in its knee where Jane hit it. Swoosh! (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Say no to content thief!) I lose my footing all of a sudden, but I finish pulling the trigger, and the bullet explodes on contact with the golem¡¯s knee. I throw my arm to a nearby tree, holding onto a branch and winding my nerves to pull myself away. Once I¡¯m back on solid ground, I check my right ankle and see it¡¯s twisted in a weird angle. Back when I pushed Mir out of the way, the golem¡¯s fist had hit me there. I thought it would resist until the fight was over, but it broke earlier than expected. ¡°Hyeeee!¡± Mir swings her longsword into the smoke around the knee I just shot. ¡°Mir, stop!¡± I shout in desperation, but it¡¯s too late. Since I had lost my footing while shooting the incendiary round, I had shot off-target and hit the shin instead of the knee. The joint hadn¡¯t suffered nearly as much damage as I wanted. As expected, Mir¡¯s sword gets deflected by the strong armor. The recoil left Mir exposed, and the steel fist headed her way. This time it isn¡¯t swinging from above, but coming up from the ground. Her small body gets flung into the air, and hits a nearby tree. ¡°Mir!¡± It¡¯s pretty much a repeat from the evolved one earlier. ¡°Hey, give her a potion too, quick!¡± Danny shouts, but I¡¯m already working on it. I fling my arm to a tree, and pull myself next to Mir. I don¡¯t see any bleeding, but the scales of her Ghavial Armor are all bent out of shape, showing how strong the impact was. ¡°Dammit!¡± I turn her unconscious body to face up, and pour a potion into her mouth. Then I undress her armor and clothes, splashing her body directly with potions. This is all I can do for her now. ¡°Dammit!¡± If I had properly dodged the golem¡¯s attack, my leg would still work. ¡°Dammit!¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation and stop supporting the content thief!) If my leg worked, my incendiary round would¡¯ve hit the golem¡¯s knee. ¡°Dammit!¡± If the incendiary round hit, Mir¡¯s sword might have managed to destroy the knee. ¡°Dammit!¡± It¡¯s all my fault! I¡¯m a useless automaton that can¡¯t learn! ¡°I¡¯ll kill you!¡± I shoot my arm to a tree near the golem, and sling my body in that direction. I fly past Jane and Danny that were distracting the golem. ¡°Ah, hey!¡± Shut up. I pull the trigger a few times as I get closer to the golem, but regular rounds can¡¯t do anything against its armor. I follow-up with incendiary rounds, pale blue flames engulfing the golem. Without missing a beat, I increase the density of mana inside the gun. Another incendiary round is ready. Time to fire again. Before I get to pull the trigger, the steel fist emerges from the fumes and hits my head, making my body lose all sense of weight. ¡°Gah-¡± The impact makes me loosen my grip on the tree, the nerves that were pulling my body going loose and arching down. But I don¡¯t care, I¡¯ll kill it no matter what. ¡°I¡¯m not-¡± SLAM! The massive fist strikes me from above, and my body gets buried into the ground. CH 34.1 The large golems wreaking havoc in the town were powerful, but ultimately just a distraction. Grog¡¯s objective was to create chaos in the town to attract everyone¡¯s attention, and go attack Jace with another golem while no one looked. He calculated the guards keeping watch over the gates would not be able to stop both golems, though once they got the help of adventurers they would manage somehow. But in reality, the number of guards on duty and the level of adventurers in town, made it tricky to deal with two golems. Not to mention that as bad luck would have it, the sub-master of the biggest clan Soaring Dragon had left that night. The lack of guards, and an important adventurer being gone, meant the distraction should work perfectly. ¡°You¡¯re Grog from the blacksmiths¡¯ guild, right? You¡¯re under arrest, don¡¯t try to resist.¡± ¡°What? You weren¡¯t supposed to have the manpower to find me.¡± Grog stared dumbfounded at the guards arresting him. This was on the opposite side from where the large golem was going wild, on the street where the blacksmith Jace lived. There, a group of guards surrounded Grog and a golem. ¡°Sadly for you, an extraordinary adventurer is helping us.¡± If the A rank adventurer Ophelia was not helping them, the guards would have lacked the manpower to focus on Grog and his plan against Jace. The divisional officer trusted Ophelia¡¯s hunch that the two golems were a distraction, so he sent the remaining guards to Jace¡¯s. They had found Grog on his way there, and that led to their current situation. ¡°I feel like you¡¯re really underestimating my golem. Are you sure you can stop it and me with so few people?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Hearing Grog, the guards lost a bit of confidence. When they left, two smaller divisions had already been taken out by a golem. The steel used to build the golems was of the highest quality, the Sorcery Core was made of illegal materials, and the maker was incredibly skilled. Compared to monsters, those golems sat around a B rank. A small group of guards was nowhere enough to deal with even one of them. ¡°Go, my golem! Get rid of this roadblock, and crush Jace!¡± At Grog¡¯s behest, the Golem took a step forward to dash into the guards. ¡°Uncover your lid, cauldron of hell, and let your flames out!¡± Following that shout in a beautiful voice, a dark red magic circle appeared beneath the golem¡¯s feet. If there had been a magician present there, they would have identified that circle as that of a spell of the highest level. ¡°Punish this cowardly fool, Hell¡¯s Eruption.¡± The chanting was over. A column of fire sprouted from the magic circle, releasing light and heat that shattered the darkness of night. That was a manifestation of a small portion of hell. The guards, Grog, and the people who lived nearby who watched curiously, all trembled in awe and fear. Eventually the flames died down, and a pile of scrap metal was left where the golem stood. A person landed on that spot, a woman on a staff, wearing black clothes that looked like a personification of the night. She was Ophelia Eto Gardeland, the black witch who had cast Hell¡¯s Eruption. ¡°My golem¡­¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation and stop supporting the content thief!) Grog fell on his knees, lost for words. ¡°Ophelia! Thank you for helping.¡± ¡°Is this the last one?¡± One of the guards greets her, and Ophelia calmly climbs down from her staff while asking that. ¡°So far we know of the two destroying the city, the one here, and the last one that escaped outside the walls.¡± ¡°So four in total. I¡¯ve destroyed the other two, so no need to worry about them anymore.¡± Hearing Ophelia, both the guards and Grog were shocked. While he had been pressed for time building them, Grog had absolute confidence in his workmanship, and the first golem had caused considerable damage to the first guards who fought it, but it had been destroyed. ¡°Hah¡­hahahah. But this isn¡¯t over yet. Even if I can¡¯t kill Jace, I¡¯ll let him taste absolute despair.¡± Grog looked up with unfocused eyes, laughing maniacally. ¡°You said one got outside the walls, right? Then his daughter must already be¡­ahahahahahah!¡± ¡°What are you saying!¡± ¡°Jace¡¯s daughter Mir should be hunting outside. He probably sent a golem her way too.¡± The divisional officer approached them confused, and Ophelia explained the situation. Grog¡¯s plan was to have two golems as distractions, and then attack both Jace and his daughter Mir. ¡°You b?a?s?t?a?r?d?!¡± A guard shouted enraged and started approaching Grog trying to grab him, but then the fallen golem moved again. The guards quickly hold their weapons ready again, and watch carefully. The golem¡¯s movements were slow, but constant, raising its arm. ¡°Ohh, I knew my golem was better than that. Now go, get rid of these pesky-¡± SLAM! Grog¡¯s body vanishes below the golem¡¯s arm. All that remained of him was a thick red liquid spreading from below the iron fist. Having overcome its own limits, the golem finally stops moving forever. It was almost as if it only reactivated to kill Grog. A commotion stirred through the street, but Ophelia snapped out of it and quickly climbed on her staff again. ¡°I¡¯ll let you clean up here, I¡¯m going to the forest.¡± Saying that, Ophelia ignored the officer¡¯s suggestion and soared into the sky. Her black frame blended into the night sky, quickly becoming impossible to see her. Being hit by the golem¡¯s fist, Natalia was pushed below the ground. But she still managed to get back up soon after. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen. Please support us by visiting our site.) Jane had heard that Natalia was Ophelia¡¯s masterpiece. That was why she did not question her intelligence that rivalled the average human¡¯s, or that she had won in a fight against Danny, or that she had survived so far in this fight. (Though that might also be because of her lack of knowledge of magic automatons.) Seeing Natalia stand back up did not particularly surprise her either. Except for the aura that seemed to surround her. Natalia was running quickly, even though her leg was twisted in an unsightly way. A human would be wailing in pain, but magic automatons felt no pain, making it possible. CH 34.2 Natalia plunged towards the golem¡¯s legs, aiming at the knee that had been attacked previously. Without hesitation, she pulled the trigger. There was a burst of magic, piercing through the air and steel with a flash. More explosions followed. The golem responded by raising its arm, but before it could swing it down, Natalia pulled back. Once the golem¡¯s fist hit the ground, she charged in again, stabbing the knee with her magic blade. After all the constant attacks, a crack appeared on the knee, which cracked open with that last attack. She stuck her gun¡¯s barrel into that gap, and fired an incendiary round. The explosion had nowhere to go so it just spread violently inside the golem¡¯s body. The entire leg burst open, and the golem fell to one knee. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s finish it off.¡± ¡°Stop that.¡± Danny tried to charge in to help Natalia, but Jane stopped him. ¡°But why? We can¡¯t just let her do all the work while we stand back and watch.¡± Jane thought Danny was justified to feel that way, but that only applied to humans, living beings. ¡°They don¡¯t care what happens to them to accomplish their objective or protect their comrades, like dolls fighting without mercy or emotions. If you get caught in the mess, you could get awfully hurt.¡± Jane had encountered and fought against rogue magic automatons in her many years as adventurer. They were an older type, known as Antique Dolls. Those had rather cutesy appearances, but would continue fighting no matter how hurt they got, only stopping when blown into pieces. Danny still turned to look at the fight, but what he saw just confirmed Jane¡¯s words. When Danny met Natalia for the first time, he did not realize she was a magic automaton until her severed arm began moving on its own. Her appearance and manners were that natural and human-like. But now he was watching someone, something completely different fighting. Was that really still Natalia? Danny could not tell anymore. Float Light had shattered when she fell earlier. Shrouded in darkness, she still was able to read all of the golem¡¯s large movements. For a moment she thought that maybe she was equipped with night vision features, but then she should have been able to notice the Night Wolf earlier. It was an odd feeling, as if she had suddenly become able to do that the instant she changed her fighting style. Even after losing a leg and having its movements restricted, the golem resumed attacking, though its clumsy position now did not allow it to reach Natalia. Dodging the falling fist, Natalia aims her broken right leg towards it and throws it. Even if it was damaged, she could still control it with her nerve threads. The leg bursts open, the shoe covering it breaking down as a magic blade appears from within. The magic blade struck the golem¡¯s elbow, but the steel was too sturdy for it to do much damage. Then she followed it up with a vertical swing from the magic blade on her left hand, broadening the cut. Next she shot multiple regular bullets at the deepest point. A large dent formed in just a few seconds, before a pale blue explosion filled it. The steel deforms, and the elbow twists in an unnatural angle. But the golem still had another arm left. Natalia started running, evading the incoming fist and sent her left hand and right leg with their magic blades flying around the golem. They drew large blue arcs around the steel giant, moving independently of her main body, sneaking between the golem¡¯s four limbs and around them until finally the blades were stabbed into the ground. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation and stop supporting the content thief!) During all that time, her nerve threads had wrapped themselves around the golem. Those threads were made of Purple Steel Spider Silk, which were strong conductors of magic, and incredibly resistant. Once tied by them, it was impossible to escape. Danny recalled his own experience seeing the golem now. The only difference with that time was that Natalia had been conscious back then. The golem started wriggling and trying to free itself, but the threads, Aria¡¯s pride, did not even budge. Natalia landed on its back, holding her gun at point-blank and pulled the trigger. There were multiple gunshots, which reverberated around the forest. She continued firing like that at the steel armor. Until the magazine runs empty. Her left hand was disconnected, making it impossible to change magazines, and it would take a few seconds to gather the required mana to refill it. Or it should have. The empty magazine dropped onto the ground and Natalia held the grip upwards. At the same time, she opened her magic storage, letting out a spare magazine fall from it, which landed perfectly onto the grip. She resumed firing from point-blank. A constant stream of gunshots. If that golem had emotions, it would be trembling in fear, robbed of its freedom, and the armor protecting its vitals constantly being chiseled away. Eventually there was a loud clang from the armor, and a hole opened on it. She struck her entire arm inside, and just like with the leg, fired an incendiary round. She continued firing from point-blank like before, just with incendiary rounds this time. The golem¡¯s armor creaked every time she pulled the trigger. She slowly went through the entire mass of steel, reaching the Sorcery Core and the mechanisms underneath it all, which was essentially the golem¡¯s heart. To end it all, she fired an incendiary round that used up all the mana in one magazine. There was a thunderous rumble as flames spat from the armor¡¯s seams, leaving no spot untouched inside. The armor was unable to take it all and burst open, cracks running all over it, plumes of smoke emanating from them. The golem was destroyed. She pulled her arm from the destroyed golem¡¯s interior. It was cracked and her fingers twisted in random directions, all effects of the many incendiary rounds. Natalia extracted the magic blades she used as anchors from the ground, and winded back her nerve threads. She had gotten them tangled up during her fight with Danny, but they returned effortlessly this time. ¡°Natalia!¡± As the magic automaton jumped off from the golem¡¯s back, someone called her name from the sky. She looked up, and saw Ophelia, her creator, floating on a staff. Ophelia hurried to land, and after looking around, she could surmise what had gone down. Going closer to the magic automaton, she spoke in a low voice. ¡°Good job. This is your next order, sleep a little.¡± ¡°I will, Mistress.¡± Natalia answered with an emotionless voice, and collapsed like a marionette with its strings cut off. Ophelia caught her body, and gently stroked her silver hair. ¡°You really worked hard.¡± Ophelia¡¯s muttering voice was gentle, though also slightly sorrowful. CH 35 Natalia is currently in tumbling doll shape. She¡¯s an automaton, but be wary if you¡¯re squeamish. She¡¯s just undergoing maintenance, there¡¯s definitely nothing lewd about it at all. I wake up and find myself sitting on a chair in Ophelia¡¯s room. It reminds me of when I first came into this world. I¡¯m naked just like that time, though there was one big difference. My arms and legs are detached, and my nerve threads are disconnected so I can¡¯t move at all. ¡°Umm, Mistress?¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re up. Good morning, how do you feel?¡± ¡°Good morning. I¡¯m feeling okay, I just have a headache.¡± I can¡¯t tell if it¡¯s because I just woke up, or because the golem had kicked me around, but my head was hurting faintly. ¡°I rearranged some stuff while I was repairing you, so maybe that¡¯s why. Let¡¯s just wait and see how it goes, I¡¯ll check again if the pain continues though.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± I wonder what she did while I was asleep? I kinda want to ask, but also not really, it¡¯s a bit scary to think about. And that reminds me, the last I remember is fighting the golem in the forest, I wonder how that ended. I know I rushed in carelessly and got kicked badly, but after that I don¡¯t remember anything. I feel like I did fight more, but I can¡¯t say for sure. ¡°Mistress, what happened to the golem and Mir?¡± I ask her that, and Ophelia looks slightly bothered, her eyes avoiding mine. ¡°So you really don¡¯t remember then.¡± Hearing that makes me feel relieved. I remember losing my mind when I saw Mir getting hurt, but I¡¯m glad she¡¯s okay. ¡°Anyway, you decided to get hurt in Mir¡¯s stead again. She was really worried about you.¡± ¡°I see. I¡¯ll have to apologize the next time I see her. I¡¯m sorry I caused so much trouble for you.¡± Mir is a really sensible person, so she must feel guilty seeing me cover her. But I felt that the reason was still the same as during the Tyranoghavial encounter. I can¡¯t feel pain, and Ophelia can fix me if I break, so helping Mir who would feel pain and take a long time recovering was the best option. ¡°You¡¯re lucky I was able to put you back together, you really need to be more careful. It¡¯s not like I have limitless resources either.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± That reminds me, she needs Orichalcum and World Tree Seeds to repair me. Both are expensive materials, and while I don¡¯t know how much Ophelia has stocked up, I can¡¯t go wasting it all. Thinking I could throw myself at anything because I could get fixed was a bad idea. ¡°I¡¯m done fixing your limbs, let me attach them.¡± Ophelia begins connecting my nerve threads, bringing them back to my arms and legs. Slowly I start feeling mana course through them. It was like my limbs were starting to wake up after a long sleep. But it seems like they¡¯re heavy sleepers, refusing to move. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation and stop supporting the content thief!) My Sorcery Core is different to most common ones, being virtually a source of infinite energy. Regular Sorcery Cores can only output whatever mana was poured into them beforehand, but mine can generate its own. But that also creates a coating of byproducts on the core, so it needs to be cleaned regularly. ¡°Umm Mistress? Do we really have to do that right now?¡± But cleaning it is something I personally don¡¯t enjoy too much. ¡°You did push yourself a lot this time, so there¡¯s probably a lot more gunk than usual there. If you let it be, the Sorcery Core will lose efficiency, and that¡¯ll only make things worse for you.¡± I knew that much, but somehow doing that still feels embarrassing, or a bit scary¡­ ¡°Come on, just brace yourself like you always do.¡± Ophelia pushes her finger into my chest, and a magic circle appears on my skin. ¡°Mm¡­¡± I felt weird, slightly itchy, and almost painful. When the magic circle disappears, a small hatch opens on my chest. Usually it just looked like part of my skin, and only me and my Mistress Ophelia know how to open it. That¡¯s the gate leading to my heart, so to speak. But the heart itself was the main issue. ¡°I¡¯ll start then.¡± Ophelia used tweezers to start pulling out clumps of gunk. ¡°Ah¡­Nghn¡­¡± The first time I almost lost my mind when she just put a finger in there. Now it¡¯s my second time, but it¡¯s not any easier at all. I have to grit my teeth or I would easily lose consciousness. ¡°I think I got the biggest parts out.¡± She¡¯s done? I felt relief hearing that, but Ophelia quickly destroyed my hopes. ¡°I¡¯ll take the smaller bits out now.¡± ¡°Hii-¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen. Please support us by visiting our site.) Ophelia grabs a small brush now. And she pushes it in without mercy. ¡°Hweah! M-Mistwess!¡± ¡°Just bear with it. It¡¯s for your own good.¡± ¡°Uhh¡­¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s kinda sticking to this place here.¡± ¡°Mm, ahh!¡± ¡°Just a bit more.¡± ¡°Hiaa¡­ Nghn¡­ Ahhhh!¡± ¡°Alright, I got it off.¡± My back arches back instinctively, and I lose consciousness. Olivia: ¡°I wish I was home right now!¡± Amy: ¡°Homesick all of a sudden?¡± Please consult Chapter 12 to see Natalia¡¯s first heart-racing experience. CH 36 I dodge the incoming threads of steel through the darkness, and swing my magic blade. A high pitched sound comes from steel and magic colliding, and the Steel Spider that jumped at me gets flung away and rolls on the ground. But that was just one of them. I fling my left arm forward, dodging through the Steel Silk strands stretching through the cave, and grab the Steel Spider before I shake it around hitting the other Steel Spiders nearby. When I start pulling my arm back, I feel a strong impact on my back, which makes me stagger. I look behind me and see many threads at the rear. It was more than a single Steel Spider could produce. I follow the threads to find their source, and see ten Steel Spiders. I reaffirm my footing and try to pull my arm back again. But my movements became erratic. I look forward again, and see my nerve threads touching a purple thread. This is bad. But it¡¯s also too late to do anything about it. Steel Silk gets shot and attached to all my limbs, and my body is hoisted into the air. ¡°Okayy, the match is over~¡± A voice came from the ceiling, and the threads holding me up detach. After I land on the ground, Aria comes down, holding onto a thread. ¡°You¡¯ve gotten better at moving in the dark, but your control of threads could use some work. You can¡¯t lose your focus just because you touched mine.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, I still need to train more.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be here whenever you want~ If you bring me a suitable gift, that is.¡± It was her Steel Spider children doing all the work, but I think I better don¡¯t mention that. ¡°Well, this is it for today.¡± I take out a bottle of wine and some meat chunks from my magic storage. Aria was delighted seeing that, as she started rubbing her cheeks happily. I don¡¯t have much experience taking care of a family, but I question what kind of effect that has on her children¡¯s growth. ¡°Thank you all too.¡± The Steel Spiders gather around me as I give them the meat chunks, and rather than eating them right away, they carry the food to their siblings on the ceiling. One of them stops halfway up, turns to me and bobs its small head. Their mother was already drinking wine straight from the bottle behind me, but at least her children had good manners. I left Aria¡¯s cave and went to Bamel, heading straight towards Mir¡¯s house. We had succeeded in gathering the materials they needed, and Mir¡¯s family was able to fulfill the noble¡¯s order. Her entire family was very thankful to me. Some months passed before Jace, Mir¡¯s father, hurt his back, so Mir had to learn blacksmithing earnestly to be able to take over the shop. Our party had to disband. We had only joined hands to help Mir find the materials she needed, so I knew things would inevitably end this way, but I still had some regrets. Mir was the first person that went on an adventure with me, not counting Ophelia, so I had gotten slightly attached, to put it somehow. ¡°Ah, Natalia! Welcome!¡± I enter the shop and hear her usual cheerful voice. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation and stop supporting the content thief!) ¡°Hello Mir. It seems business is going well here.¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s all thanks to you and Ophelia.¡± Jace¡¯s rival, Grog, had died, and when his crimes were revealed the Blacksmith¡¯s Guild had to restructure. With him gone, all the disturbances he caused in the material distribution pipeline were gone, blacksmiths were able to work with each other normally again, and Mir¡¯s shop started gaining more customers. Meeting the noble¡¯s expectations had given their reputation a nice boost. There are many customers with me right now too, looking at the different items for sale. ¡°Oh yeah, I¡¯m done making the armor you requested.¡± Mir goes back and brings me some light armor made with Tyrannoghavial leather. I had ordered something similar to Mir¡¯s plate armor with scales I saw before. I could¡¯ve ordered something with way better materials, but then I¡¯d feel like my equipment was carrying me rather than me becoming stronger. I wanted my equipment to suit my actual skill level. Why do I use the magic gun then? I-I just use it because I¡¯m already good at shooting! ¡°The gauntlets will take a bit longer than expected to be finished though.¡± The armor used common materials and techniques, but I had requested some modifications to the gauntlets to fit my needs better. Apparently that had made things more complex than I anticipated. ¡°I see. I¡¯m in no particular hurry, so you can take your time with that.¡± ¡°Alright then. Do you want to try out the armor now?¡± Clatter. ¡°Sure. Just give me- Wait no, I won¡¯t!¡± That was probably a common phrase in the shop, but it was unthinkable in this situation. And don¡¯t turn to look at me you stupid customers! I¡¯m not changing here! I plan on wearing it on top of my maid uniform anyway! ¡°Heheh, I¡¯m sorry.¡± After knowing each other for so many months, Mir had become less reserved around me, and sometimes joked around like that too. It feels nice having friends like that. ¡°Oh right, before I forget, I brought this for your father as well.¡± I take out a bottle of medicine together with the payment from my magic storage. ¡°I made it with the herbs growing in our property, it should help his back.¡± ¡°Woah, thank you so much. Hopefully it makes him feel better.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it.¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen. Please support us by visiting our site.) It was just something I made while practicing alchemy, though Ophelia gave it her seal of approval, so it should have some effect at least. ¡°Well, it was nice seeing you, but I¡¯ll take my leave now.¡± ¡°Okay, tell Ophelia I said hi too.¡± I leave Mir¡¯s shop and head to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild next. Apparently I¡¯ve been coming here often enough that no one gets surprised seeing someone wearing a maid uniform anymore. ¡°Heyy Natalia. How¡¯re you doing?¡± ¡°Hello, I¡¯ve been healthy and distanced from illness.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡± After the golem incident I hadn¡¯t seen Danny for a while, but now we were on friendly enough terms to talk like that. I was slightly disappointed he didn¡¯t say anything about magic automatons not being able to get ill in the first place though. ¡°What did you come for today?¡± ¡°Just selling materials like always.¡± ¡°I see. Feel free to tell me if you ever need help with anything though.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have to pass on that.¡± ¡°Ahahaha! Glad to see you¡¯re still the same!¡± I leave Danny and head to the material trading counter. I also knew most of the guild staff pretty well by now. ¡°Welcome, Natalia. Do you have something to trade again?¡± ¡°Yes, all this right here.¡± I take out the materials I gathered from monsters and potions I made with alchemy from my bag. The materials all sat at around D rank, and my potions and antidotes were only as effective as common ones. There was no outlandishly high ranking material, but apparently I was known for bringing in quality stuff. I made the potions myself, so hearing that made me proud. ¡°Alright, here¡¯s your payment. Also there¡¯s some mail for you.¡± She hands me an envelope together with the money. It was addressed to me and Ophelia, and the sender was none other than Olivia. I¡¯ll have to go back home quickly and give it to Ophelia. I leave the guild and head straight for the town¡¯s gates, and walk through the forest. I¡¯ve walked these paths many times already, so I know my way around. I cross the concealing barrier, and arrive home just when the sun was starting to turn red. I go knock on Ophelia¡¯s room to give her the letter before I start making dinner. ¡°Did something happen? It¡¯s still a bit early for dinner.¡± Ophelia opens the door in a bad mood. Lately Ophelia has been spending more time than usual in her room. Apparently she¡¯s in the final stages of some experiment, or something like that. ¡°Mistress, a letter arrived from your daughter.¡± Her mood instantly gets better when I hand her the letter. She opens the seal with a paper-knife and checks the contents, giving me one sheet of paper. ¡°That¡¯s for you.¡± ¡°Thank you. Ah, Mistress, I know you¡¯re doing important research, but you should take care of your health as well.¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Say no to content thief!) I desperately try to advise her as she tries closing the door, but Ophelia just waves it away like always, shutting herself in her room. She really can be a bit of a handful sometimes. I really want to read Olivia¡¯s letter, but dinner comes first. I go to the kitchen as I think of what to make. I have to choose something rich in nutrients to make sure Ophelia doesn¡¯t just collapse. I can¡¯t just serve a pile of meat or fish either, so I decide to cut a lot of stuff up to make risotto, and I use some fresh veggies I left in an ice bath for salad. I also make some pudding for dessert. I finish the main preparations for dinner, and go to my room to read Olivia¡¯s letter. Hello, how¡¯ve you been? I¡¯ve been doing well. Thanks to your help studying, my grades have improved a bit, and my teachers praised me. The school year is going to end soon, and I¡¯ll be back home as soon as I can. I¡¯ll be staying home until it¡¯s time for the Magic Academy¡¯s entrance exams, so I¡¯m looking forward to spending time with you. I really want to see you again soon. -Olivia It seems she¡¯s doing pretty well. Still, her writing felt a bit too messy for a letter. If the letter she sent Ophelia is anything like this too, she¡¯s definitely going to get lectured again when she comes back. I guess I¡¯ll have to give her some tips when that happens. Either way, it seems she¡¯s planning on going to the Magic Academy. She really wants to pursue her dreams, so I¡¯ll have to train hard so I can go along with her too. Going on adventures with her and Ophelia one day sounds fun. I store the letter on my desk and return to the kitchen to finish making dinner. Mm, it came out well. It¡¯s also a good time for dinner, so I¡¯ll go call Ophelia. I go upstairs and knock on her room. ¡°¡­¡± That¡¯s weird, she¡¯s not answering. I knock again, but there¡¯s still no reaction. ¡°Mistress?¡± I call her while I knock again, but she¡¯s still silent. Maybe she fell asleep. I don¡¯t believe Ophelia is researching any type of magic that would be dangerous for her. ¡°Mistress, I¡¯m coming in.¡± I still remember what happened with the storage room before, so I opened the door very hesitantly. But I regret doing that almost instantly. I should¡¯ve entered right away. ¡°Mistress!¡± Ophelia was lying on the floor in the center of the room. CH 37 Ophelia was in an unnatural state. Her face was very pale and her pulse weak. I have almost no medical knowledge, but I knew that was no normal sickness. I carried her to her bed, but I didn¡¯t know what else to do. All I could think of was gathering healing potions and antidotes nearby just in case. She woke up when the sky was already a dark gray color. ¡°Natalia..?¡± ¡°¡ª! ¡­Mistress, are you awake?¡± I almost blurted something in a loud voice, but I managed to restrain myself to speak more softly. ¡°Yeah¡­ I thought I could hold out for a bit longer, but it seems I didn¡¯t have that much time after all.¡± Ophelia almost sounds like she¡¯s getting ready to die. That can¡¯t be. A person who can use such powerful magic without breaking a sweat can¡¯t die so easily. ¡°I was cursed, you see.¡± It¡¯s like she knew what I was thinking, so she starts explaining. ¡°You know that my husband has already passed away, right?¡± ¡°Yes, the Young Lady also alluded to that.¡± He was an adventurer that could stand toe-to-toe with Ophelia, and had passed away a few years ago. ¡°He died protecting me from a curse cast on me by the enemy we were fighting. But some of it still got on me. I was able to somehow hold out until now, but I guess I¡¯ve reached my limit.¡± ¡°No, what¡¯ll happen to the Young Lady if you¡¯re gone as well?¡± Olivia was always cheerful, but she looked somber when talking about her late father. I don¡¯t want to imagine how she¡¯d be if she lost her mother as well. ¡°I know. That¡¯s why I created you.¡± ¡°Me?¡± ¡°Yes, I created you, a magic automaton to take care of Olivia once I¡¯m gone1.¡± ¡°What¡­do you mean..!¡± It¡¯s like she¡¯s okay with dying like this! ¡°Couldn¡¯t you just get rid of the curse somehow?!¡± ¡°I tried. I tried and tried, but it was impossible. That¡¯s why I tried something else.¡± Ahh, that makes some sense. There¡¯s no way she hadn¡¯t tried to undo the curse. But if a sorceress of Ophelia¡¯s caliber deemed it impossible, she was probably right. Isn¡¯t there anything I can do?! ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ll sleep a bit more.¡± Ophelia closes her eyes saying that. What can I do? The medicine I can make with my current skill obviously won¡¯t help with a curse that strong. But maybe there¡¯s something else, there has to be. If Ophelia dies, Olivia will be really sad. I¡¯ll be sad too. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation and stop supporting the content thief!) I was able to reincarnate because she made this body. Who knows what would¡¯ve happened to me if she hadn¡¯t been here. But I can¡¯t do anything to return the favor. She was always teaching me, protecting me, and I never did anything in return. Dammit! Is there really nothing?! Ophelia said she tried to undo the curse, but maybe there¡¯s something she hadn¡¯t tried? Maybe she overlooked something? But I can¡¯t imagine Ophelia of all people forgetting something. Every faint hope I found was snuffed out by the logical side of my brain. But I have to find something. I start looking through her shelves. ¡°Seperion¡¯s History and Magic Contributions, no¡­ Efficient Magic Circle Construction, not this either¡­¡± I quickly skimmed through the book titles. I¡¯m sure she had researched her curse in this room, so the literature has to be somewhere. Maybe I can figure something out if I read it. It¡¯s a very faint hope, but I¡¯m going to cling onto it. Found it! It¡¯s Ophelia¡¯s research on curse cleansing medicine. There were lists of medicine recipes, a big X next to all of them showing their effect. None had been able to help her. But the last recipe at the bottom of the list was not checked yet. She hadn¡¯t tried it yet. A certain monster¡¯s parts were needed for it. I remember seeing a monster reference book while I searched earlier. I find it and look up the required monster. Found it. It¡¯s a Rank C monster and lives in the Valhen Woods, that¡¯s just near here. The issue was whether I could hunt it alone. No, I have to do it. Knock knock. I jerk my head up hearing the unexpected knocking on the door. ¡°Mother, it¡¯s Olivia, I¡¯m back.¡± Olivia is already here. That reminds me, last time her letter also arrived almost at the same time as her. ¡°Mother, did you go somewhere?¡± I close the book and open the door. ¡°Young Lady.¡± ¡°Ah, Natalia. I¡¯m back, I missed you a lot.¡± Saying that, she hugs me. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen. Please support us by visiting our site.) She¡¯s gotten taller, and she¡¯s starting to look more like her mother too. I really wanted to feel happy seeing her again and noticing how much she had grown, but now isn¡¯t the time for that. ¡°Young Lady, please calm down and listen carefully.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I let Olivia into the room and tell her about Ophelia. ¡°No¡­Mother¡­¡± Olivia kneels next to the bed and takes Ophelia¡¯s hand. ¡°Young Lady, I¡¯ll head out to hunt the monster needed for her medicine. Please watch over her while I¡¯m gone.¡± ¡°No! It¡¯s too dangerous, it¡¯s already dark outside! And you want to do that alone?!¡± Hearing that I noticed the time. I had spent almost a half day looking for the research documents. If I go out, I¡¯ll definitely have to fight in the dark. But Ophelia was in way more danger than me. ¡°Please understand, Young Lady. We need to hurry.¡± ¡°No! If you really want to go then I¡¯ll go with you!¡± ¡°Do you really want to leave your mother alone in this state?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t-¡± I could¡¯ve said that in a better way, but I hope she understands. At least one of us had to remain here to watch over Ophelia. And I¡¯m better at hunting monsters than Olivia. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll stay. But promise me you¡¯ll come back no matter what.¡± ¡°Yes, I promise.¡± I nod vigorously and leave the room. My magic ought to be enough. All of Black Hawks magazines are fully loaded. And I was wearing the armor Mir had just crafted for me. ¡°Just wait a little longer, Ophelia. I¡¯ll be back soon to help you.¡± Muttering that, I stepped into the dark forest2. CH 38 Some time passed after Natalia left the house, and it was already the middle of the night. There were two things in Olivia¡¯s mind. One was her dear mother. Olivia knew how her father died, protecting her mother from a curse. That was a really heartbreaking period for her, but she was glad she still had her mother. But that had not been entirely true, Ophelia had been affected by the curse, and tried to live hiding it. Now she also understood why her mother had insisted on her attending a general studies school. Ophelia had been preparing her daughter so she would be able to live without issues when the day came for them to part ways. Olivia felt frustrated realizing all that when it was too late, her mother looked like she was on her last breaths, and Olivia could do nothing about it. The other thing in her mind was her beloved Natalia. She had been thinking about Natalia all the time after she left. Natalia was kind, and strong, and would always watch over Olivia, helping with whatever she could. After not seeing each other in months, she looked even more beautiful than before, and her eyes looked resolute. Now Natalia had gone to a dangerous place. Olivia had no way of stopping her, and she knew that if she was in Natalia¡¯s boots, she also would not let anyone stop her. Olivia understood that that was necessary to rescue her mother. But if something happened to Natalia¡­ Olivia would lose both her mother and the person she liked the most at the same time. Just thinking of that made her mind vanish in a darkness without exit in sight. ¡°Mother¡­Natalia¡­¡± She grasped her mother¡¯s hand tightly, and felt it move gently in return. ¡°Olivia¡­ You came back, welcome home¡­¡± ¡°Mother!¡± Seeing Ophelia¡¯s eyes open narrowly, Olivia threw herself on top of her to embrace her. ¡°Mother, hang in there. Natalia went to get you some medicine.¡± Olivia encouraged her mother, trying to share her faint hope. But Ophelia, the most powerful sorceress of the country, or maybe even the world, knew that curse better than anyone else. ¡°Olivia, open the drawer on my desk.¡± Olivia wondered why Ophelia requested something so odd during this dire situation, but she did as told and found a bundle of documents inside. ¡°What are these, Mother?¡± ¡°Natalia¡¯s blueprints.¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation and stop supporting the content thief!) This was the first time Olivia had seen those diagrams and plans. For an automaton, blueprints were like their soul, so it was something kept secret. Ophelia had been teaching magic to Olivia since she was small, but she had no aptitude for alchemy or puppeteering, so she never taught her that stuff. But now she was sharing Natalia¡¯s blueprints. The reason for that was painfully obvious. ¡°Mother, stop. I don¡¯t want you to¡­¡± Olivia was on the brink of tears, and Ophelia spoke gently to her. ¡°Olivia, do you like Natalia?¡± Ophelia sounded satisfied and smiled hearing that response. ¡°Then protect her with everything you have. She¡¯s gotten way stronger than before, but she still has some rash tendencies.¡± Ophelia looked up, thinking about her other daughter that was not present in the room. ¡°To be honest I wanted to make some corrections first, but I overestimated my time. I didn¡¯t think the curse would activate this quickly¡­¡± ¡°Mother¡­¡± Olivia did not know what more to say. She did not want to accept that her mother was about to die. She wanted to see her mother continue fighting until her last breath. But she knew that Ophelia knew better than anyone else how her body felt and the curse¡¯s properties. The correct response would be to not let her mother¡¯s efforts go to waste, and cherish everything she wanted to leave behind. She needed the resolve to ignore that emotion. Olivia¡¯s mind was in turmoil, unable to decide what she should do as a good daughter, and in the end could only fight back the tears. In the middle of the night, I got deep into the Valhen Woods, near a swamp. I run around looking around through the darkness, and then I see it. Somehow my senses feel much sharper after the fight with the golem. Ophelia had mentioned she rearranged some stuff inside, so maybe that¡¯s why. Thanks to that I had no issues coming this far, and while I did run into a pack of Night Wolfs, I easily took care of them with my new night vision. I also had no issues spotting the monster I was looking for. I¡¯m currently observing it while covered by the green knee-height swamp water. Its squirming body turns and the monster stares at me. It was a five meter long bear. Though it was no regular bear either, as multiple wriggling tentacles grew out from its back. There are many monsters agonizing nearby too, all killed by that bear. The reference book put it in the same rank as the Tyrannoghavial I had fought before. I know this won¡¯t be an easy fight. I stand up and pull the trigger, a magic bullet piercing into its stomach, but the bear shrugs it off and continues walking unbothered. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen. Please support us by visiting our site.) I shoot him many times, but it seems my gun isn¡¯t powerful enough to make it care. But I¡¯m here to gather parts from it, so I can¡¯t just go wild with incendiary rounds. Little point to keep using it then. I holster Black Hawk to keep my right hand empty. Black Hawk, my trusty partner that accompanied me through many fights. Not being able to use it weighs heavily on me. But that doesn¡¯t matter. I form a magic blade on my left hand and charge forward. The bear stands on two legs to counterattack. I sidestep the paw he swings at me, and then jump back to avoid the second paw coming after me. The bear followed that up by swinging its paws up, like nets catching fish, but somehow I managed to evade all of it. I take a low stance, and jump up with increased momentum to swing my blade upwards. A blue streak follows my arm, and the bear¡¯s arm gets torn open all the way to the shoulder. The momentum carried me into the air, where the bear¡¯s tentacles closed into my back. I had been hit by a similar attack earlier during training. But I would not fall for that twice. I twist my body and cut off the tentacles with my blade. I shoot off my right hand and hold onto the bear with it, then quickly wind up my nerve threads. At the same time I point my blade at it, letting my momentum impart a more powerful strike. My blade cuts cleanly along the bear¡¯s large body. But it just staggered the bear for a moment, and it recovered soon after. I turn my body around in mid-air and cut off many of the tentacles growing on its back. But no matter how many I snipped off, more would sprout one after another. The bear shuffles its front legs, turning around to face me. I instantly jumped back. The wound on its shoulder was getting filled with tentacles, similar to the ones on its back, and they stretched like spears towards me. I managed to stop them with my magic blade, but I couldn¡¯t hold off all of their momentum and I was flung back. ¡°Dammit!¡± I quickly get on my feet again and look at the bear. The bear is wheezing painfully now. So far it seemed like it could feel no pain no matter how much I hurt it, but something had changed. I stand further back to watch what¡¯s going to happen, and see a large orange tentacle sprout from the shoulder wound. ¡°You¡¯ve finally decided to come out, Tentacle Beast.¡± The book described it as a fungal parasite monster. The orange tentacle is its main body, and the part I need for the medicine. It seemed to hail its kin as it wriggled out of the bear, as the dead monsters around me also grew similar tentacles and began moving like the bodies controlled by a Shaman Ape. ¡°They were all infected already then.¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Say no to content thief!) The number of enemies has increased drastically, but I can¡¯t afford to get scared. Ophelia, my Mistress¡¯ life depends on this. That¡¯s why- ¡°Just die and lemme use your parts!¡± CH 39 I probably have only a few years left to live. I¡¯ve been trying to find ways to get rid of the curse for a while, but it seems it¡¯s impossible. I¡¯d be lying if I said I¡¯m not scared of dying, but having to leave my daughter behind worries me even more. She needs something to support her and help her when I¡¯m no longer here. I want to leave something more palpable, more than memories and magic. I know, I should make a magic automaton. A maid magic automaton that can take care of everything she needs. I¡¯ll use every material I¡¯ve been stashing up to make her body, and pour all my knowledge into making the most intelligent magic automaton in the world. I¡¯d like to build a fully autonomous one that can adapt to any situation, rather than a half autonomous one that is more common. But not even I know how to build a fully autonomous mind like that from scratch. Usually that is achieved by letting the automaton inherit someone¡¯s soul, or by piling up an enormous amount of experience to complete autonomous control. The first option would require the death of someone, which I don¡¯t agree with. I¡¯ll have to do something with the latter option. I¡¯ll build a half autonomous automaton with high learning capabilities, and then raise and nurture her into what I need. I just need to start working then. The names of my family all share the same initial, so for her name I¡¯ll make the ending the same as mine instead. She¡¯ll be called Natalia. She¡¯s moving now even though I haven¡¯t inserted the control module, could something like this actually happen? And she¡¯s responding to everything I say like a regular human would too. At least she¡¯s following my orders though, so maybe I don¡¯t have to worry. She¡¯s still pretty strange though. I asked her to help me prepare lunch, and she did way more than I expected without needing explanation, not to mention she had no issues understanding the functionality of all the magic devices in the house. I was angry when I saw her pick up Black Hawk without permission, the memento I have of Him, yet somehow after no one knew how to use it so far, she seemed adept at shooting with it. I already planned on giving her a weapon eventually, but I¡¯m sure he and Black Hawk prefer it this way. Olivia just got back for her vacation from school. She¡¯s gotten so tall in this half year she was away. Her nose and lips look like mine, but her eyes are exactly like his. It seems Natalia is also fond of Olivia now. I wonder when she learned good manners though? Olivia¡¯s grades aren¡¯t looking good once again. I feel like this happens every time she comes home, but I need to give her supplementary lessons. I have to make sure her general knowledge is good enough so she can be alright even when I¡¯m gone. I thought Olivia would protest like always, but halfway through she became more willing. When I asked what happened, apparently Natalia had given her some tips, and explained the importance of studying. I really wonder how she learned all that. She¡¯s smart, and skilled, it¡¯s almost like she¡¯s¡­ Olivia touched Natalia¡¯s ears while we drank tea. The day before I had explained to her how dog demihumans would touch each other¡¯s ears as a sign to propose, so I guess that¡¯s what she was going for? Natalia is clearly self-aware and sentient, so I don¡¯t mind Olivia feeling attracted to her, but I didn¡¯t think she would attempt to propose like that. Sadly though, it seems Natalia didn¡¯t understand what that meant. Olivia will still need to go through some hurdles. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation and stop supporting the content thief!) Olivia went into the forest at the worst time possible. When I found her, everything was almost over already. I decided it was best to use magic to tie up the men who still had a chance of resisting. Natalia lacks combat knowledge so she had let her guard down too soon. That aside, the result was mostly positive. Olivia was safe, so I didn¡¯t mind that Natalia had disobeyed orders. Not to mention that Olivia would feel guilty if I punished Natalia. ¡°I¡¯ve found my favorite flower.¡± That was the first time I saw Olivia smile so happily. I guess there¡¯s still a lot I¡¯ve yet to learn about her. Though I did feel slightly jealous as her mother, seeing her be so affectionate towards someone else. Sadly, it seems Natalia isn¡¯t good at offensive magic. She can cast the spells themselves, but they¡¯re too weak to be of any use, and even a beginner magician would do it better. I catch glimpses of her training behind the house when I look out the window sometimes, but I don¡¯t see any signs of her getting better. Her Sorcery Core is working without any issues, so she should have more than enough mana, so I guess her affinity to it is just bad. But she can attack from long ranges with Black Hawk already, so I probably don¡¯t have to worry too much. During actual practice, she was able to deal with evolved monsters that beginner adventurers would struggle against, and she even took down a Clamp Boar. Though it was a bit unexpected that she didn¡¯t notice the Shaman Ape. According to her specs, she should¡¯ve been able to notice it from that distance. I¡¯ve tried assigning her many various tasks, and she always fulfills them with ease. I made her fight stronger adventurers and monsters, and she dealt with them pretty well. And as an unexpected bonus she even made a really good friend. Another unexpected development was that she easily learned to store large items in alternate spaces with magic, and how to manifest mana physically. She exceeded all my expectations, and seemed to remain calm in most situations. I also enjoy seeing her rely on me when she needs help, though sometimes I feel like teasing her a bit, I hope she can forgive that. It¡¯s not all fun and perfect either though. After she learned I could repair her, she let her arm get mingled to protect Mir. Wanting to help one¡¯s friends isn¡¯t inherently a bad thing, but in Natalia¡¯s case it¡¯s a bit strange. ¡°Ah, but I¡¯m an automaton that can¡¯t feel pain.¡± She said that as if she actually knew what pain feels like, even though as a magic automaton she can¡¯t experience it. I still wish she was more careful with her own body though. Maybe because all her fights went well, her sense of danger is getting dull? I think I¡¯ll let Aria take her hand at it, and knock Natalia¡¯s pride down a notch. Aria used to be his Servant, and almost a rival in love for me. We used to live together, but after he passed, she moved into a nearby cave, saying, ¡°I don¡¯t want to leave, but I can¡¯t bear being close either.¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen. Please support us by visiting our site.) Either way, after encountering Aria, Natalia once again prioritized keeping Mir safe. I started to wonder if Natalia had some attachment to Mir then, but as far as I could see they were just normal friends. The issue really seems to stem from Natalia¡¯s personality and her priorities. If my theory is right, she must have led a terrible life to end like this. After a lot of deliberation, I decided to teach her alchemy. With that knowledge she should be able to repair herself, so she¡¯ll be okay even if I¡¯m not with her in the future. I still feel uneasy though. Natalia seems to constantly belittle herself, and sees her body as something with little importance. If she reaches the point where she can repair herself, I fear she¡¯ll become even more reckless. Then again, she¡¯s already heading out on her own nowadays, and it¡¯ll be a long time before she¡¯s skilled enough to work on herself, so I¡¯ll just have to make sure she behaves better by then. After destroying the golems wreaking havoc in the city, I dashed to the forest only to see Natalia had already defeated the golem there. But she wasn¡¯t the same Natalia as always. She was stiff and inorganic¡­just like a regular magic automaton. The golems in the city were rank B, so assuming this one was the same kind, Natalia¡¯s current skills wouldn¡¯t have been enough to defeat it. Or well, her specs did outclass the golem. In other words, that was only possible because Natalia exposed her true nature and raw instinct. That of an inhuman and emotionless magic automaton. I had never expected my theory to be proven right like this. But no one wants to see you this way, not me, nor Olivia. I use a master command to put Natalia to sleep. You should rest now. Once you wake up, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be back to your usual self. After the incident with Mir¡¯s family was resolved, there seemed to be something on Natalia¡¯s mind still, so whenever she was free she would visit Aria¡¯s cave and train there. Aria later told me in secret that Natalia was fighting in the dark without the help of any light. She can¡¯t remember much of the fight against the golem, but her body seems to have kept that experience. If she works on it slowly, I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be able to use all her abilities without losing her personality. Her friendship with Mir is still ongoing as well, and I was glad to see she formed a connection with a blacksmith¡¯s shop thanks to that. Working on Natalia¡¯s personality will take time, so in the meantime I decide to design a new magic gun, using Black Hawk¡¯s mechanism as reference. That should improve her combat abilities too. That was my plan at least, but every day was so much fun I forgot about it. The whole reason why I created her was because I didn¡¯t know how much longer I had left to live. And who would¡¯ve thought the curse would activate so suddenly. I thought I had killed him after he put the curse on me, so why? I don¡¯t know what caused this, but it¡¯s too soon. I just need a little more time, I still have things to tell my daughters. Just a bit of time, that¡¯s all I need, just a little more¡­ CH 40.1 Even if the Tentacle Beast can ignore the damage to its host, if I cut the bear¡¯s four legs it shouldn¡¯t be able to move. But I¡¯m pretty hurt as well. My left arm keeps making grinding noises, and I can see a deep gash below my torn skirt. At least it¡¯s almost over now. I cut off the last sprout, which has an orange sheen, and the giant monster stops moving. It doesn¡¯t fall down as it¡¯s tied up to the surrounding trees with Steel Silk. I¡¯m so happy I decided to bring Aria¡¯s Steel Silk with me. Otherwise my nerve threads would¡¯ve been too short to tie up this many monsters. Or well, I could have done it, but then I wouldn¡¯t be able to move myself. Still, I can¡¯t afford to take a break. I need to get back as soon as possible and prepare the medicine. I channel mana into the Steel Silk and untie everything. I could see the sun shining atop the trees as I ran back home. ¡°Barf!¡± I cut off a part of the Tentacle Beast out of the heaps of hosts. I have no idea how something this smelly could ever infect an animal. It¡¯s already past noon when I reach the mansion. I try to contain my emotions as I knock on the door. ¡°Natalia, wait you¡¯re really hurt!¡± Olivia looked relieved as she opened the door, but that changed the moment she saw my body. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m still fully functional. I¡¯ll prepare the medicine right away.¡± ¡°No! I can¡¯t let you continue in that state!¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have time. Please think of what¡¯s more important.¡± Olivia is worried about me, but I refuse to listen to her. I push my way into the room and begin preparations. I glance at Ophelia, she¡¯s still sleeping. I take out a cauldron from my magic storage and begin following the recipe. I already had the required medicinal herbs from the garden. I check that I have everything, double check, and then put it all inside the cauldron and close the lid. As I pour magic into the cauldron, a soft light leaks from inside. Alchemy doesn¡¯t require much mana, but very precise control of it. My mana splits into many millions of strands thinner than hairs, cutting and dissolving the ingredients. This medicine needs to be prepared cold, so I also use magic to cool off the exterior of the cauldron. I¡¯m glad I can do at least this, even if my magic isn¡¯t enough to serve as offensive spells. Eventually the contents of the cauldron turn into an amber liquid. The curse cleaning medicine was complete. Now I have to make Ophelia drink it, but making a sleeping person drink something can be dangerous, so I need to wake her up. ¡°Mistress, wake up.¡± Maybe she won¡¯t ever open her eyes again? I try to ignore those thoughts and continue calling to her in a soft voice. ¡°Mm¡­Natalia?¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation and stop supporting the content thief!) She slowly opens her eyes and calls my name. That made me so relieved I almost collapsed. But I can¡¯t let that happen yet. ¡°Mistress, I¡¯ve prepared some medicine for you, please drink it.¡± I gently prop Ophelia¡¯s half-asleep body up, and get some of the medicine on a spoon. I watch as the liquid enters her pale, almost purple lips. Olivia then offers her some water from a cup, making it easier to swallow the medicine. When Ophelia is done drinking the medicine, she seems more awake and turns to look at me. ¡°That was the Tentacle Beast curse cleansing medicine, right?¡± ¡°Yes. I realize it might be rude, but I checked your notes.¡± ¡°I see¡­ so you¡¯re strong enough to take down a Tentacle Beast¡­¡± Ophelia¡¯s eyes close softly and I feel a chill run down my spine. That was not the face or reaction from someone who just had their life saved. ¡°You¡¯ll get better then, right Mother? This should get rid of the curse, right?¡± Olivia noticed that too. She clings onto her mother, but Ophelia responds by slowly shaking her head. ¡°The reason why I didn¡¯t try this medicine before is because I already knew it wouldn¡¯t help.¡± My legs feel wobbly, like I can¡¯t stand upright. The only reason why I managed to resist was because Olivia fell on her knees first. ¡°No way¡­¡± Olivia mutters absentmindedly, and Ophelia shakes her head with eyes closed again. ¡°No! Please don¡¯t die! Don¡¯t leave me alone!¡± Unable to resist any longer, Olivia holds onto Ophelia, almost screaming and crying as she begs. But no matter how much she cries, that won¡¯t change reality. She knew that, as well as everyone else in the room. Still, no one could tell Olivia that there was no point to her wailing, that it was all pointless. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Olivia. You won¡¯t be alone.¡± ¡°Mother¡­mm¡­ I know¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± Olivia seems to have calmed down a bit, relaxing her hands, though tears still trickled down her cheeks. ¡°Olivia, there¡¯s something I want to tell Natalia, could you leave us for a moment?¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen. Please support us by visiting our site.) Olivia wipes her tears and walks out of the room, her feet extremely unsteady. ¡°You seem much calmer than I expected.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get mad if you really mean that, Mistress.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, that was mean of me.¡± She has been taking care of me ever since I reincarnated. I feel self-important saying this, but I felt like she treated me just as well as her real daughter Olivia, so of course I¡¯m sad. There¡¯s nothing I can do for her! Dammit! My mistress is about to pass away, and I can¡¯t do anything about it, I¡¯m just a useless puppet! I¡¯m sure she was expecting to get a far more capable and skilled magic automaton, but then someone like me decided to reincarnate instead. ¡°Thank you, for being you.¡± ¡°But I-!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯ve always shown way better results than I ever hoped for.¡± CH 40.2 Ophelia¡¯s smile was too painful to look at. Somehow I felt like I would¡¯ve accepted it more if she was crying mindlessly. ¡°Alright, it¡¯s just the two of us here now, so drop the formality. Talk like you normally would.¡± I don¡¯t really understand what she means. Seeing me confused like that, she continues pushing me along. ¡°I want to talk with you, whoever you were in your past life.¡± ¡°How do you know that?!¡± Those were the words I expected the least, and I accidentally confirmed their veracity at the same time. ¡°It¡¯s pretty obvious, you know how to cook and take care of the house, and even how to use a gun, even when I had barely created you. That the soul of someone who passed is inside you is the most logical explanation.¡± Only now do I realize how careless I¡¯ve been so far. She¡¯s right. I had basically acted like a newborn baby that could do housework like an adult, not to mention I could use a gun, something very rare in this world. It wasn¡¯t normal. ¡°So, if my guess is right, you came from the same world as him then, or at least a world where guns exist, right?¡± ¡°If it was your husband that designed all the magic devices in the house and not just the gun, then probably yeah.¡± I cover my face ashamed as I mutter my response. ¡°Heh, so that¡¯s who you really are.¡± ¡°¡­Do you hate it?¡± Had I been helpful to her then? I feel like she was always teaching me, protecting me, and I never did anything in return. ¡°You know, I created you because I wanted you to take care of Olivia, but if you want I can set you free. If I die without passing your ownership to someone else, you¡¯ll be completely free and no one can control you.¡± ¡°Regardless of your ownership, I think of you and Olivia as important people to me. I wouldn¡¯t want to leave.¡± ¡°I see, thanks.¡± She lifts her fingertips to conceal a smile. I don¡¯t know what that means, but at least she seems satisfied with my answer. ¡°Well, you can have this then.¡± She gives me a key. ¡°It¡¯s for the storage room.¡± I¡¯ll never forget that place. I found Black Hawk there. ¡°That¡¯s where I store all my materials and savings, feel free to use them. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll get to live for many years without issue with them.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°And I think you mentioned how Black Hawk¡¯s grip feels in your hand, right? I went through the other guns he designed and created those that seemed to match your preferences.¡± ¡°I always wondered what you did in your room, so you were just making guns¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s my last present for my second daughter.¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation and stop supporting the content thief!) Daughter¡­ Then Ophelia would be my¡­ No, I¡¯m probably looking too much into this. ¡°Ophelia¡­¡± I lean down next to her ear. ¡°My name is ¡­¡± ¡°I see, that¡¯s a nice name.¡± Ophelia seemed to like it, but I shook my head. ¡°I¡¯ll never use that name again, so please take it with you when you go. Now I¡¯m just Natalia the magic automaton.¡± The past me is already dead. I¡¯m just Natalia now, the magic automaton created for Olivia. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m glad it was your soul that took over the magic automaton.¡± Ophelia said that with a smile. All I can now do is accept her gratitude, nothing more. Two days after that Ophelia passed in her sleep. There are two tombstones in a corner of the garden now, under the shade of a tree. One of them had the name of my Mistress engraved on it, Ophelia Eto Gardeland. The other was Shuma Eto¡¯s. I had never noticed the tombstone in the garden before, so this is my first time seeing Ophelia¡¯s husband¡¯s name. Olivia brought flowers, I have a bottle of wine. ¡°Seeing you bringing wine is a bit unexpected.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not mine, Aria gave it to me.¡± ¡°I see, liquor and Aria make more sense.¡± After I spoke with Ophelia, I went to tell Aria about her, and she replied saying she didn¡¯t feel like seeing Ophelia. Aria is Ophelia¡¯s Servant, so I thought they were on friendly terms, but now I was worried that wasn¡¯t true. When I told Ophelia, she just laughed saying she expected as much. I guess I¡¯ll never understand their relationship. But she did give me this bottle of wine, so I guess she was mourning in her own way. I feel bad for doubting her, but I¡¯m also relieved. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen. Please support us by visiting our site.) ¡°Say, Natalia.¡± She¡¯s looking down, large tears falling from her eyes. My answer was obvious. ¡°Just cry as much as you want then.¡± Only the living can cry for those who left. And that applies even more when it¡¯s someone¡¯s mother. ¡°You won¡¯t think I¡¯m a crybaby?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± ¡°Will you hold me?¡± ¡°For as long as you need.¡± Olivia turns around and throws herself into my chest. ¡°Mother¡­Mother¡­uwahhhhhh!!¡± I hug her tightly and gently stroke her hair, long and straight just like her mother¡¯s. I look up, the blue sky clear without a single cloud, almost unfairly beautiful, not caring about our suffering. And no matter how much pain I felt, my eyes remained dry. ¡°I didn¡¯t think it was this hard not being able to cry¡­¡± I had to mutter that, low enough for Olivia to not hear it. For the first time since I reincarnated I despised my automaton body. CH 41 Two weeks after Ophelia¡¯s passing everything changed around me. First Olivia registered as an adventurer in the guild, and renewed my Servant permit. Ophelia had transferred my ownership to Olivia before her death, which made Olivia my new mistress. Olivia is going to enter a higher level Magic Academy in a city away from Bamel, and I¡¯ll go with her. Apparently there¡¯s nobles that attend that school, so having a maid wouldn¡¯t be out of place there. It feels a bit sad having to leave this house and town after being here for so long, but I want to work for Olivia. I¡¯m hoping to repay Ophelia for creating me doing that. Before leaving I went to tell Mir about that, and she was extremely saddened, but also really angry. ¡®Why did you wait so long to tell me about something so important!¡¯ she yelled at me, I don¡¯t think I ever saw her so mad, and I didn¡¯t expect her to throw the finished gauntlets at me. I tried to explain that I had no time to come to town when Ophelia fell ill, but that didn¡¯t calm her down. At least I got to convince her to forgive me when I told her I¡¯d visit when the school term ends. Jane knew about Ophelia¡¯s curse, so she tried to laugh about it, but her voice sounded dry and it was clear she was just trying to look strong. It wasn¡¯t my place to say anything about it though, so I just bowed and left. When going through everything Ophelia left, I couldn¡¯t take as much as I wanted to, but I stuffed my magic storage with at least the bare minimum. Aria did not become Olivia¡¯s Servant, and chose to return to the wilderness. I guess she¡¯s still dealing with things her own way. I went to visit her before leaving, and she gave me a large amount of Steel Silk and Iron Silk as a farewell gift. ¡°Look Natalia, over there.¡± Hearing Olivia, I look up from the book I¡¯m reading. A large city, more than twice the size of Bamel, is coming into view through the carriage¡¯s window. We had taken a highway away from Bamel, which followed along the Valhen Woods for a few days. This was the city with the biggest Magic Academy in the country, Ingralowe. We pass through the city gates without issue, and head straight for the Ingralowe Magic Academy. The entrance exam consists of a written test and a skill test, which happen at a scheduled date. The results are published that same day, and those who pass get access to the dorm right away. We could easily afford an independent place with the money Ophelia left, but it¡¯s better to save whenever possible. The streets are way bigger than Bamel¡¯s, and we walk through them with the help of maps, and asking other people for directions every so often, and somehow make it to the Magic Academy. We head to their offices right away to talk with the receptionist there. ¡°Yes, everything seems to be in order. I¡¯ll take you to the exam hall. To protect against foul play your escort will have to wait in the room over there though.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be going then, Natalia.¡± ¡°Good luck, Young Lady.¡± I watch as Olivia is guided through the building, and then remember something just as I was entering the waiting room. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation and stop supporting the content thief!) I should check that while I can. ¡°Excuse me¡­¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I think I saw this academy¡¯s dorm allows attendants to stay in the same room?¡± According to the entrance guidebook, there are two dorms, for boys and girls, each having two buildings. That much made sense for the biggest Magic Academy in the country. ¡°Ah yes, it does add an extra cost to tuition, but it¡¯s possible to arrange that.¡± ¡°Are monsters allowed as well?¡± ¡°Huh, monsters?¡± ¡°Yes, I happen to be a magic automaton.¡± Her eyes keep darting around aimlessly in confusion, so I pull up my sleeve, showing the joints in my elbows. That should be enough to show I¡¯m not human but a magic automaton. ¡°Oh¡­ Please wait a moment.¡± Saying that, she vanishes inside the building. After some time, a middle-aged woman comes out. ¡°We¡¯d like to discuss your case a bit more, please follow me.¡± I follow her, and she leads me to the principal¡¯s office. ¡°Excuse me.¡± I try resisting a nervous feeling as I enter the office with a soft greeting. Inside, a man whose hair had started turning white was waiting for me, he looks gentle-mannered, but also has an air of dignity. ¡°Nice to meet you, I¡¯m Morgan, the principal.¡± It was obvious considering the office he was in, but he¡¯s the principal. ¡°Now, you wanted to know whether monsters could be considered attendants in the dorm, correct?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I was told you¡¯re a magic automaton, could you verify that for me again?¡± I roll up my sleeve like I did earlier with the receptionist. ¡°Hmm, yes, these joints are certainly¡­¡± Morgan sounded impressed as he examined my elbow joint. Ophelia really was incredible, her work making even the Magic Academy¡¯s principal fascinated. ¡°I can also disconnect it.¡± ¡°How¡¯s that possible?!¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen. Please support us by visiting our site.) I disconnect my arm to show him, and Morgan shouts in shock. ¡°The exterior construction is elaborate, and the internal threads are top notch as well. I didn¡¯t know there was someone skilled enough to build such a magic automaton.¡± ¡°My creator was Ophelia Eto Gardeland.¡± ¡°Ophelia?! Gardeland?!¡± His face changes the moment I mention Ophelia¡¯s name. ¡°I see, if she made you, it all makes sense.¡± ¡°Did you know her?¡± ¡°Yes, she graduated from this academy, I also taught her.¡± That¡¯s quite a coincidence. Or maybe not really. I probably just didn¡¯t know that, and Ophelia had chosen this academy for Olivia. ¡°I still remember those days, her skills were always extraordinary compared to everyone else here¡­¡± I can imagine that. Morgan looked up into the air. It didn¡¯t seem like he saw those days with nostalgia, but more as a time of hardship that he had endured. ¡°Regardless, would I be allowed into the dorm?¡± ¡°Ahh right, that¡¯s why you came here. From our conversation I¡¯ve determined you¡¯re self-aware1, so I¡¯ll allow it.¡± ¡°Thank you very much.¡± I bow to him and turn around to leave the office. Boooom! I stopped hearing a powerful explosion somewhat far from here. ¡°That sounds like the testing grounds. It seems there¡¯s an excellent candidate amongst the applicants.¡± Morgan says that with a pleased smile. I don¡¯t know what they¡¯re doing there, but that sounded like a pretty large spell was used. Maybe it¡¯s someone with the potential of getting borderline cheat skills like Ophelia? ¡°I did it Natalia! I passed!¡± ¡°Congratulations, Young Lady.¡± Olivia returned to the waiting room, running towards me with her face beaming a happy smile. I catch her into a hug and gently pat her head. Ever since Ophelia passed, Olivia has gotten into the habit of hugging me at every occasion possible. She¡¯s still at a pretty young age when she wants her parents¡¯ attention, so I¡¯ll have to take a more nurturing role. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Say no to content thief!) ¡°Congratulations on passing. Shall I show you into the dormitory?¡± ¡°Ah, yes please.¡± One of the office workers leads us towards two large four-storey buildings, this is the girls¡¯ dorm. We were allocated a room in the second building¡¯s second floor. ¡°Ahhh, I¡¯m so tired.¡± Olivia practically throws herself on a bed. ¡°I¡¯ll prepare some tea.¡± I take out a pot and tea leaves from my magic storage, and begin heating them with magic. ¡°Your magic storage is really so big. I can¡¯t even fit one bag in mine.¡± Sometimes even Olivia would comment on that. I¡¯m not an overpowered sorceress like Ophelia, and two closets worth of space doesn¡¯t sound like a lot. CH 42 The dorm serves food two times, breakfast and dinner, baths are available all day, overall it¡¯s a pretty luxurious dorm. Though I don¡¯t have all the useful magic devices Ophelia made at home, so sometimes it¡¯s a bit inconvenient too. The kitchen is always available under the condition that I clean up afterwards, so I can prepare lunch for both of us. That¡¯s perfect for a maid¡¯s duties. It was a bit funny how a lot of students began gathering in the kitchen after I started cutting things and the scents spread, so in the end I had to make enough food for everyone. Luckily that also meant I quickly integrated into life there. Most of the students in the dorm were common folk, except for the elusive low ranking noble that didn¡¯t have an attendant. As the biggest Magic Academy in the country, there were higher ranking nobles attending as well, but they all commuted from home, or rented a nearby villa or luxurious inn. The students that ate with me explained that lower ranking nobles went to the dorm since they didn¡¯t have the money to throw on expensive housing, and sometimes out of consideration for higher ranking ones. But the academy prohibits the abuse of someone¡¯s title to order others around, so only seldom do higher ranking nobles treat others unjustly. That¡¯s a relief. I¡¯d really hate getting into problems with high ranking nobles. Olivia was also lucky as she got to reunite with her cat demihuman friend Amy. Amy¡¯s mother and Ophelia had also been friends, and apparently grew up together. I was also told to be a bit more lax with the polite speech, even though I felt it necessary since I didn¡¯t know who could be a noble. I was serving the second generation of my household, so I felt I had to behave appropriately, but in the end I had to settle with being less obvious about it. Some days passed like that, and today is the first school day in the academy. There won¡¯t be a large ceremony today though. Everyone is already assigned a classroom, and they¡¯ll just receive some general explanations and a short test before class is dismissed today. The actual classes start tomorrow. ¡°What do you say Natalia, do I look good?¡± Olivia put on her uniform and twirls in front of me. ¡°Yes, it fits you splendidly.¡± ¡°Thanks. I just wish I could show Mother too¡­¡± ¡°Young Lady¡­¡± Olivia hasn¡¯t been as depressed lately, but the times when she suddenly remembers Ophelia have increased. No no, I have to collect myself. I can¡¯t let my mood get dragged down. ¡°Now sit down, Young Lady. I¡¯ll comb your hair.¡± I practically force Olivia to sit down and begin combing her hair. Her long black hair was always straight, so my comb moved effortlessly. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m done.¡± ¡°Mm, thanks.¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation and stop supporting the content thief!) Olivia stands up and turns to me. ¡°Well, let¡¯s go then!¡± She had regained her usual cheerfulness. There were three classrooms, with the suffixes A, B, and C. Students were assigned to them depending on the entrance exam results, and Olivia was put in the A classroom. I obviously was not allowed to attend the class itself with Olivia. As we walk through the school, we cross paths with other maids and butlers, who likely were coming back from accompanying their masters as well. There are many other students already there when we get to her classroom. I see Olivia off as she heads to her assigned seat, and I return to the dorm. During the way back I once again crossed paths with teachers, students, and attendants. I saw people from all sorts of races, which made sense for a multi-racial country like ours. There were elves, dark elves, and an assortment of demihumans. Though there were no dwarves, as they had poor magic affinity. Ophelia had taught me about this before, different races have different cultures and ways to think. Olivia had experienced that in her last school as well, but I hope she can understand that better here too. Not like I know a lot myself though. When I get to the dorm, I head to the kitchen instead of our room. There is a cafeteria in the school building, but Olivia said she wants me to bring her lunch I made. I don¡¯t mind that, but she told me while we were already going to her classroom, so I decided to wait until now to make it, and then carry it to her during her break. When it came to ingredients, I was free to use what I found in the kitchen, but within limits, not to mention the kitchen was missing many ingredients I wanted. I¡¯ll need to plan a trip to the city to buy more soon. I slowly plan something to do within the limited ingredients. It¡¯s a bit simple, but it¡¯s the best I can make right now. I put everything inside a basket and leave the dorm. It¡¯s a bit early for lunch break, but I could stay in the waiting room until then. As I cross the main gates, I notice a group of students. They were conducting magic practice. An older man, probably their teacher, stood in front of a stone slab, and every time he touched it a dirt mount appeared. I guess it¡¯s similar to the device we have at home. The students took turns to launch spells at that target. I can see Olivia amongst the students waiting. I guess this means this is class A. I don¡¯t see Amy though, so I guess she was assigned a different one. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen. Please support us by visiting our site.) The target is quite far away, and also pretty small. Class A was for those with the best results, and it showed. They¡¯re quick to launch their spells, and they travel at high speed. But they lack accuracy, and usually only one spell out of a barrage hits the target. Once they were done, all the students hunched their backs disappointed. Well, that¡¯s alright, they shouldn¡¯t think about it too much. It¡¯s not like I would be able to hit it in the first place. I thought that even though it was of no comfort to them. It¡¯s a male student¡¯s turn now, he landed three hits with ice magic. I see yellow ears with black stripes poking out from his blonde hair. He¡¯s a mix of demihuman and human, usually called half-beast. He got the highest hit rate so far, so everyone else shot envious stares at him. His face still looks slightly childish, but his features are pretty well-defined, so I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll grow to be quite handsome. Or rather, he¡¯s already handsome. Next a squirrel demihuman girl landed two hits. She¡¯s pretty amazing too. It¡¯s not like I would be able to hit¡­ Finally it¡¯s Olivia¡¯s turn. And this reminds me, I¡¯ve never seen her use magic before. But well, she¡¯s Ophelia¡¯s daughter, and she mentioned Ophelia taught her before, so I¡¯m sure she¡¯s good. Five swirling flames appear at the same time around her. They¡¯re far larger than those I saw before. The other students also look taken aback. Olivia points her finger at the target, and the five flames explode. Without moving an inch. It¡¯s not like I¡­ I actually would¡¯ve been able to make that fly at least one meter. That¡¯s odd? Even though Olivia used fire magic, everyone was frozen in place with their eyes open wide. ¡°..?!¡± She slouches her shoulders and turns around, coincidentally looking at me at the same time. ¡°U-Umm¡­¡± I awkwardly try to smile and wave my hand a little. ¡°¡­!¡± Olivia yells something in the distance before she covers her face. Did¡­did I make things worse? (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Say no to content thief!) ¡°The hell happened to her?¡± That was Amy¡¯s first reaction. The students only had a short test for their first day of class in the morning, and the results were published in their classroom. Olivia¡¯s results were, to put it bluntly, the worst. Yep, I already guessed as much. In a way she had brought that upon herself, but the shock was so strong all life vanished from her eyes. I managed to drag her all the way to the cafeteria, but the moment she sat down her face fell flat on the table. ¡°Hmm, I guess class A students have it rough.¡± ¡°How did it go on your side?¡± ¡°I just feel like I didn¡¯t fail but didn¡¯t exactly win getting into class B. Though I didn¡¯t necessarily come here to study magic in the first place, I¡¯m just a merchant¡¯s daughter trying to gain more knowledge and make some connections. And oh yeah, if you know of anything that could help me make money please tell me.¡± Amy¡¯s reason to attend is completely different to what I imagined, though considering how many people gather in the academy it makes sense. Being in class B, not the best nor the worst, also seems perfect for that. That¡¯s still a really cunning plan though. ¡°Anyway, Olivia, you aren¡¯t going to eat? You made Natalia go through the trouble of making it for you, yeah?¡± ¡°Ughh¡­ I know, I just don¡¯t have any appetite.¡± Olivia didn¡¯t move at all, simply groaning into the table to reply. Amy shrugged hearing that. ¡°Young Lady, you need to eat if you want to get strong.¡± ¡°Feed me then.¡± Olivia lifts her head and opens her mouth looking at me. I really feel like she¡¯s getting too spoiled now. ¡°I guess I have no choice, but just this time. Straighten your back please.¡± ¡°Yayy, I love you Nataliaa!¡± Oh look, her mood just turned itself over. ¡°Alright open wide.¡± ¡°Ahhhh¡­mm, yeah, your food is always really tasty.¡± Oh man, I was ready to take a nurturing role for her, but I never thought that would extend to hand feeding her. CH 43.1 After lunch, Olivia says she wants to prepare for her next class, so we part ways and I head to the staff room. ¡°So, what did you need from me?¡± I¡¯m meeting Damuel, the homeroom teacher of classroom A. He¡¯s a man with dark orange hair and slit eyes, giving him a warm appearance with a hint of severity. He¡¯s sitting on a chair as I speak to him. ¡°Hello, I have a favor to ask from you.¡± He frowns the moment he hears that. ¡°I wish to use the training grounds of your earlier test myself.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s what you wanted?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s nothing.¡± I ask him, and he scratches his head awkwardly. ¡°Olivia¡¯s mother graduated from this academy, and the principal was her teacher, so I thought you might try taking advantage of that.¡± Ah, Olivia¡¯s performance earlier was horrendous, so he probably thought I was going to use our connections with the principal to essentially bribe him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± I can¡¯t blame him for thinking that, considering the test happened just a bit ago. We end up bowing to each other in apology. ¡°You were asking about the training grounds, right? Sadly I can¡¯t give you permission as you¡¯re not a student.¡± Yeah, he has a point. Though I kinda expected as much already. ¡°I see. I can¡¯t really argue with that, so I¡¯ll have to give up the idea.¡± That¡¯s a more than valid reason, so there¡¯s no point to insist. Now that I think about it, asking for permission to use the school¡¯s facilities out of the blue is a bit weird too. ¡°I really didn¡¯t expect that though. This is the first time a maid has come asking for permission to use the training grounds.¡± ¡°I just want to be capable of protecting her.¡± Maids don¡¯t usually need to learn fighting skills, but Ophelia had taught me to fight and use magic, so they were precious skills to me. I didn¡¯t want them to get rusty with time. Not to mention that Olivia wants to become a high level adventurer, so I have to be strong enough to protect her along the way. ¡°Why don¡¯t you try using the Adventurer¡¯s Guild¡¯s training grounds? The guild in this city has a pretty big training area, and they have dummies just like here.¡± ¡°Thank you for the suggestion.¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation and stop supporting the content thief!) I bow deeply to Damuel and leave the staff room. The Adventurer¡¯s Guild, huh. I¡¯ll need to check where it¡¯s located. I¡¯d prefer being able to train nearby, but no way around it I guess. As I go back to the dorm I pass by the training grounds again. It¡¯s still the first day of school, so the area looks empty. But it seems someone was using it not too long ago, there¡¯s still one target dummy raised. ¡°Hey, who was it? These children need to learn to leave things the way they found them.¡± I¡¯m not a student so I can¡¯t really step in and clean up, can I? But I also can¡¯t just ignore a mess if I see one. I take out Black Hawk from my magic storage. It¡¯s been a week since we left Bamel, and during our trip here we always stayed safe away from the forests, so I haven¡¯t used Black Hawk in a while. This is my first time spending so long without shooting since I woke up in this world. I missed the weight of Black Hawk in my hand. ¡°Hey buddy, I bet you were bored too.¡± This is basically the same as picking up a piece of trash littered on the streets. I¡¯ll be cleaning up the mess someone else left, I get to train, and my good friend Black Hawk gets to see some action too. It¡¯s literally a win-win scenario. I aim at the dirt mound and pull the trigger, a magic bullet piercing through the target with a satisfying sound. I repeat that a few more times. Hahahah, shooting guns is so funnn! ¡°¡­¡± I feel a gaze on me, but I don¡¯t see anyone when I turn around. ¡°I must¡¯ve imagined it.¡± I continued shooting until the target was destroyed, but I didn¡¯t feel that gaze again. The next morning I wake up early and prepare a boxed lunch for Olivia before the dorm¡¯s cafeteria opens. When she takes it, she tells me, ¡°You should come to the school¡¯s cafeteria for lunch too, we can eat together.¡± I don¡¯t really have any issues doing that. Once I¡¯m done cleaning and organizing our room, all I can do in the dorm is to study the magic devices and papers I brought from home, or practicing some magic and alchemy. ¡­Somehow that¡¯s more than I realized. But regardless of that, I still have no issues having lunch together with Olivia. I go to the cafeteria at the arranged time. Amy is also here, and Olivia looks the same as yesterday. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen. Please support us by visiting our site.) ¡°She¡¯s such a mess again.¡± Their classes started earnestly today, and since it¡¯s the first day of lessons, they started with the fundamentals of magic. I ask what topics they covered, and it really was the very basics, things Ophelia said even children could understand. Anyone who can use a bit of magic understands all of it. During the lesson the teacher had asked questions to the students, and since it was classroom A, everyone gave the correct answers. Or well, almost everyone. ¡°Please Young Lady, raise your head.¡± ¡°Natliaaa, I¡¯m sorryyyy¡­¡± Seeing her face with tears streaming down her cheeks startles me a little, but I still continue cutting up her food with silverware. ¡°Cheer up, Young Lady. I¡¯ll feed you again if you want.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m cheerful again! Natalia I love youuu!¡± Olivia¡¯s body instantly snaps up and she smiles. She really is easy to manipulate. ¡°You really spoil Olivia a lot, huh.¡± Well, her mother passed away not too long ago, and we were apart for quite some time too, so I kinda want to spoil her a little now. ¡°Ahh¡­if you feed me like this everyday I maybe it won¡¯t matter after all.¡± ¡°What are you saying? It¡¯ll only bring shame to your mother and my Mistress if you do that.¡± ¡°Now that you mention that¡­¡± CH 43.2 I feel like it¡¯s a bit unfair to push her this way, tears started forming in her eyes hearing Ophelia being mentioned. ¡°I¡¯ll help you with everything I can, so at least try to get grades you can feel proud of.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± Olivia hangs his head lazily. I understand wanting to avoid studying, but attending the Magic Academy was an important step in realizing her dream. The person who used to teach her, Opehlia, is no longer with us, so she has no choice but to study under the supervision of someone else. Still, I thought that the entrance exam results determined which classroom a student went to. How did Olivia get into classroom A? ¡°There you are! Olivia Eto Gardeland!¡± ¡°Ugh Mathias, stop that already.¡± I hear that voice and turn around, seeing a tiger demi-human standing imposingly, with a squirrel demi-human girl behind him trying to pull him back. They¡¯re the two students I saw perform well in the test yesterday. ¡°Are these your classmates, Young Lady?¡± ¡°Hm? Umm, I think I¡¯ve seen them in the classroom, but we haven¡¯t really spoken?¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct. I¡¯m Mathias Feullade¡± ¡°Ah, nice to meet you. I¡¯m Olivia Eto Gardeland.¡± Olivia introduces herself after the tiger eared boy mentions his name. The squirrel girl is breathing quickly, she probably ran all the way here. ¡°Your results since yesterday are so atrocious!¡± ¡°Eugh¡­¡± Olivia recoils slightly, being poked where it hurt her the most. ¡°I thought that was too disgraceful so I took the liberty of looking into you. Apparently your mother is some famous adventurer that graduated from here?¡± ¡°Well, yeah¡­¡± ¡°And you aren¡¯t embarrassed doing that to your mother¡¯s name!¡± ¡°Guh¡­¡± ¡°Please Mathias, the school year has barely started, don¡¯t go picking fights already¡­¡± Olivia groans hearing Mathias¡¯ words, she can¡¯t say anything back. Though hearing him mention Ophelia makes it even more painful. The squirrel girl keeps trying to stop him, but Mathias isn¡¯t paying any attention to her. ¡°Natalia, shouldn¡¯t you say something?¡± ¡°It¡¯s true that she¡¯s performing less than ideally, I don¡¯t plan on sugar coating issues she¡¯s brought upon herself.¡± ¡°Hehh, guess you weren¡¯t spoiling her just for the sake of it then.¡± ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll never fulfill my duties correctly if all I do is spoil her.¡± It¡¯s true that Ophelia created me to take care of Olivia, but that doesn¡¯t mean I should allow her to degrade her own life. ¡°But seriously, seeing you makes me wonder if your mother really was such a big deal.¡± Snap! No no no, calm down, me. He¡¯s only saying that because he¡¯s annoyed with Olivia, that¡¯s all. I¡¯m sure he meant no offense. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation and stop supporting the content thief!) ¡°You can insult me all you want, but I won¡¯t allow you to defame my mother.¡± Olivia is getting angry too. ¡°Then what the hell¡¯s wrong with you? Or did your mother just buy her fame with certain favors?¡± He¡¯s really gone too far now. Crash! I stand up and kick my chair back by reflex. I can tell everyone in the dining hall is looking at me now. ¡°She¡¯s responsible for her own performance, so I won¡¯t defend her. But I won¡¯t tolerate hearing my Mistress¡¯ character being put into question. Retract your statements.¡± ¡°Y-yeah, you went too far, Mathias.¡± ¡°Hmph, so you¡¯re that magic automaton maid? I guess you don¡¯t have proper manners either, what a bad product.¡± Olivia also stands up hearing that, the corner of her lips raised. I¡¯ve seen that expression before. She looks exactly like Ophelia did when she was truly angry. ¡°I hope you aren¡¯t saying that just for the sake of it, are you?¡± ¡°What are you getting at?¡± ¡°I propose a duel, Mathias.¡± ¡°I accept!¡± Mathias bared his fangs while the flames of anger silently consumed Olivia. ¡°Then come to the schoolyard after school. Got it?¡± ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll see if you¡¯re really fit to be in classroom A myself.¡± With nothing more left to say, Mathias turns around and leaves the dining hall. The squirrel girl bows to us in apology and runs after Mathias. Only Olivia remained here, burning with anger, and the third-parties who had started murmuring amongst themselves. Err¡­I guess it¡¯s also my duty to fix this situation somehow¡­ ¡°My apologies for the disturbance, everyone. Please enjoy the rest of your meal.¡± Hopefully that¡¯s enough. I sat down again. I still feel like I should¡¯ve done more, but I don¡¯t know how. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that guy?¡± Olivia also sits down angrily and begins munching on her fork. ¡°Young Lady, I understand how you feel, but you should watch your manners as well.¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen. Please support us by visiting our site.) I begin feeding her again, hoping that can calm her down a little. ¡°Mmm¡­thanks.¡± Olivia begins chewing on the food I offered her, her eyebrows relax a little. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen Olivia get into a fight. It¡¯s kinda exciting.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll never forgive him.¡± That reminds me, I heard she kept getting in fights with boys in her past school too. But there¡¯s magic involved now, so I¡¯m afraid this will end worse than a simple scuffle. ¡°Focus on your afternoon classes first though.¡± Bonk! Ah, she¡¯s collapsed again. CH 44 Christina Barnard, the squirrel demi-human, was worried sick. The source of her worries walked in front of her, huffing and puffing. It was Mathias Feullard. ¡°Mathias¡­ Why would you jump to such conclusions before gathering anywhere near enough evidence?¡± ¡°The A classroom has a prestige to uphold, and she¡¯s sullying that title! I can¡¯t allow myself as the son of a marquis to overlook someone tainting this country¡¯s reputation!¡± Mathias nearly shouted in response to Christina¡¯s courageous reprimand. He was the son of a marquis, and Christina was part of a family under his supervision. They happened to be born in the same year, so their parents decided to raise them together, but Mathias had an impulsive and stubborn attitude, while Christina was more introverted and quiet, so oftentimes they would be unable to see eye-to-eye. Mathias would rush ahead carelessly, dragging Christina with him against her will. ¡°Using the name of one¡¯s parents as a shield and using dishonest means to gain fame, that all goes against the values of this country. I¡¯ll never overlook such things.¡± He had not gone to attack Olivia out of pure malice. He loved his country, and was proud of his marquis bloodline, his sense of justice pushed him to punish any injustice he saw. After seeing Olivia¡¯s performance the day before, he was certain there had been foul play during the entrance exams. ¡°But we don¡¯t have any proof of that, maybe something else happened.¡± ¡°What could make someone get misplaced based on their results of the entrance exam? She doesn¡¯t seem to be sick or anything.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Christina wanted to stop him at all costs, but she could not contradict his logic either. She had tried to investigate Olivia herself the day before, but had not found anything that stood out either. ¡°Hmph, you don¡¯t have to come if you don¡¯t want to. This is a duel between Olivia and me.¡± ¡°W-Wait!¡± Mathias walked faster, ignoring Christina who fell behind slightly. But he was right, Christina had no need to be involved with the duel. She was still a noble¡¯s daughter, and she had been taught about the importance of ties between noble families since she was small. That was what pushed her to always orbit around Mathias. At the same time, while she disagreed with Mathias¡¯ narrow minded attitude, she was almost inspired by his motivations. That was why she did not question the underlying issue, only Mathias¡¯ character and actions. There was one thing she had noticed after her investigation the day before, however. (I don¡¯t know how strong Olivia really is, but if her magic automaton gets angry1¡­) She had seen the magic automaton using an unfamiliar weapon in the training grounds. It easily pierced through the dummy targets. The attacks were incredibly fast as well, too fast to dodge once activated. Christina knew from experience that Mathias would not change his mind even if she told him about that though. Was there anything she could do? (I¡¯ll have to stop the magic automaton myself..!) She was also the proud daughter of a noble, she embraced the courage to stand up against adversity. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation and stop supporting the content thief!) Olivia felt vindicated in her anger. He had insulted her mother and Natalia. But she also noticed a different emotion welling up inside her at that moment. ¡®She¡¯s responsible for her own performance, so I won¡¯t defend her. But I won¡¯t tolerate hearing my Mistress¡¯ character being put into question. Retract your statements.¡¯ Natalia had also been clearly angry. But she was offended not on Olivia¡¯s behalf, but on her mother Ophelia¡¯s. Olivia was the only one to blame for her subpar performance, she understood that. Natalia had mentioned that herself. That was something she could not argue against. (But¡­) (Still¡­) (Natalia got more angry for my mother than for me¡­) An emotion had stirred deep in Olivia¡¯s heart. A spark of jealousy. She was jealous of her late mother, who she loved and respected. Olivia had inherited Natalia¡¯s ownership, and had registered as her Servant too, meaning Olivia was Natalia¡¯s current mistress. But that was only on paper. Natalia still thought of Ophelia as her only mistress, and Olivia as her daughter. That had become painfully obvious. Olivia did not particularly want Natalia to call her mistress. She just wanted to be Natalia¡¯s most important person. Replaying that scene all over again, she could not accept the fact Natalia had not said anything when Olivia¡¯s feelings were hurt. She knew feeling that way was ridiculous. Who would ever feel jealous of their mother? But emotions often go against reason. And Olivia¡¯s heart was gripped by various emotions. A desire to become Natalia¡¯s number one. She would do anything to accomplish that¡­ (Ughh, I need to stop. Right now¡­) Olivia had to focus on her duel, for both her mother and Natalia¡¯s honor. Olivia chose to stop thinking of that, and focus on getting through class and the duel. The afternoon classes had not ended yet when I was called to the staff room. This is so weird. Why would I be called there? I¡¯m not a student or anything. ¡°Are you paying attention?¡± My bad, seriously! Damuel looked annoyed as he frowned at me. ¡°This is the first time such a thing happens right at the start of the school year.¡± A duel is a method to solve a conflict in most situations, regardless of whether the parties concerned are nobles or commoners. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen. Please support us by visiting our site.) The rules allow any weapon or magic, unless it¡¯s something extremely unreasonable. The winner and loser are decided by forfeiture, fainting, or when a referee made a decision. This is a dispute between students, so a teacher will be the referee. ¡°I really hoped you¡¯d stop something like that from happening, but from what I heard you instigated it even more.¡± ¡°I know I did that, but as a maid and magic automaton I simply can¡¯t allow my Mistress¡¯ name to be sullied.¡± I had remained silent for as long as they only spoke of Olivia. I only got too annoyed when they started talking crap about Ophelia. Otherwise I would have waved it off as a fight between children. ¡°And it had to be against Mathias of all people¡­¡± ¡°Could that be troublesome?¡± ¡°See, Mathias is the son of a marquis. Social status and authority has no impact inside the academy, but it can carry over to life outside the academy, and post-graduation.¡± Ah, so something could happen outside the jurisdiction of the academy. The academy won¡¯t be able to intervene in such a situation, and we can¡¯t expect them to treat us fairly. He¡¯s the son of a marquis to boot, that¡¯s a lot of authority. ¡°Not to mention that their quarrel escalated into a duel. I could step in and mediate between them if it was a simple fight, all I can do now is to make sure neither side goes too far during the duel.¡± Isn¡¯t that more than enough though? ¡°Do you understand? Even if Mathias¡¯ claims are wrong, if he wins the duel he¡¯ll be in the right.¡± ¡°That could be troublesome.¡± ¡°Exactly. But they¡¯ve already agreed to the duel, so we can¡¯t do anything about that anymore.¡± The duel had been agreed on in a very public space with many witnesses too, there¡¯s no way to back out of it now. Crap. If I had remained calm just a little more I could¡¯ve avoided all of this. But I also can¡¯t remain quiet if I hear someone insulting Ophelia. At the same time, I won¡¯t be able to face Ophelia in the afterlife if I allow her daughter¡¯s reputation and future to be destroyed. ¡°Ahhh, at least I hope she can come out without any bad injuries2¡­¡± Only now I¡¯m starting to regret having such a short temper. CH 45 Afternoon classes ended and the time for the duel is getting close. A crowd of students who heard of the duel are gathering around the area too. In the middle of the crowd facing each other are Olivia and Mathias, with the squirrel girl and I behind each of them. ¡°I¡¯ll be the referee then, any questions?¡± Damuel had done as he claimed before, standing as the duel¡¯s referee. Olivia and Mathias nod, but the squirrel girl raises her hand timidly. ¡°Err, the maid automaton was also involved in the discussion, so could we arrange a two vs two duel1?¡± ¡°So you¡¯re offering to fight too?¡± ¡°Y-Yes.¡± I remember the squirrel girl had been trying to hold back Mathias in the dining hall, so I wonder what¡¯s gotten into her now. Maybe she¡¯s someone serving Mathias¡¯ family. ¡°Hmm, and what do you two say?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°Same, though I should warn you, Natalia is strong.¡± ¡°Even better then.¡± I¡¯m not sure what the squirrel girl is planning, but this will mean I can support Olivia directly. I have to take the chance. I walk up next to Olivia, ready to protect her. ¡°Alright, let me create a barrier before the duel starts, so everyone else please step away. A little more, you¡¯re still too close. Do you want to get hit so badly? Go further away.¡± Damuel keeps addressing the crowd, trying to keep them safe. I can understand his intentions, but aren¡¯t they a bit too far away now? I know they ticked me off before, but I would never use my gun against a child, there¡¯s no need for so much distance. ¡°Alright, the duel between Mathias Feullade and Christina Barnard vs. Olivia Eto Gardeland and Natalia is about to commence.¡± Once the crowd gets far enough for Damuel¡¯s liking, he announces that while looking at us. We all get ready to fight. ¡°Fight!¡± I¡¯m surprised to see that the squirrel girl, who I just learned is called Christina, is the first one moving. I remember she also had good results during practice the other day, and she¡¯s coming straight towards me. She¡¯s not going to use magic? She takes out a dagger she had hidden somewhere. For a second I¡¯m worried, but I quickly notice that it¡¯s just a wooden practice dagger. That makes more sense. I can handle real blades without issue, but this is still reassuring. ¡°I¡¯ll leave her to you then, Natalia.¡± ¡°Young Lady?¡± Does she want to fight Mathias alone? I¡¯m still thinking that when the squirrel girl arrives right in front of me. I jump back to dodge her dagger, while Olivia heads towards Mathias. What the hell? What was the point of fighting two vs two then? (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation and stop supporting the content thief!) Christina readjusts her body and chases after me. I sidestep, turn away, and crouch to evade the path of her dagger. She has squirrel traits, being swift on her feet. But even then- ¡°Eyy!¡± She¡¯s still less experienced with blades than me2. While she¡¯s using her swiftness to her advantage, she can¡¯t properly measure the reach of her blade. Not to mention that she flinches before every attack. Her speed is completely wasted that way. Though I¡¯m also pretty much a noob with blades, so I can¡¯t say much. Now that I think about it, Danny and Mir were really strong after all. Mir had a lot of physical strength thanks to being a dwarf, but she was also much better at timing her attacks and finding openings. I wonder what she¡¯s doing now? I still need to apologize properly to her. I haven¡¯t really thanked her for making my gauntlets either. And that reminds me, I haven¡¯t even tried them on after receiving them. Ingralowe isn¡¯t too far from the Valhen Woods, so maybe I can take them out for a spin if I go hunting sometime. I¡¯ll have to make sure Olivia¡¯s schedule is open too. ¡°Hah, hyahh!¡± I hear a shout with waning determination, that wakes me up from the sea of thoughts I was in. Right, I can¡¯t get distracted. I¡¯m in the middle of a fight. Though well, I kinda want it to end already. She had been trying to stop Mathias all the time, and I don¡¯t really feel any enmity from her. I¡¯m sure she¡¯s going through some stuff as well, so I¡¯ll try to make this as painless as possible. I wait for a moment when her grip on her dagger relaxes, and flick it away with my magic blade, which I dulled as much as I could. ¡°Wah?!¡± I charge in as she¡¯s still staggered. ¡°R-Rise, sword of the ground. Earth Blade!¡± Christina desperately chants a spell, and a sword made of dirt sprouts from the ground. But she was too flustered and activated it too early. If she waited for me to take two more steps it would¡¯ve hit me. I easily dodge the sword on the ground, and circle around Christina who had nothing left to do. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen. Please support us by visiting our site.) I lightly kick her feet away. She loses her balance and begins falling, but I catch her from behind before she hits the ground and gets hurt. Oh, she really is a squirrel girl. Her tail feels incredibly soft3. ¡°How about we call this a match?¡± I ask Christina, who¡¯s stuck between my arms. ¡°Huh? Ah¡­yeah¡­¡± It took Christina a few seconds to understand what had just happened, blinking rapidly while her body curled up a little. Eventually she understood her position and answered with a waning voice. ¡°I¡¯m sure you could¡¯ve done a lot better if you used long range magic like during your test. Why did you choose to fight me from close range?¡± I ask her the main question bothering me, and she looks away awkwardly as she replies. ¡°U-umm, I was trying to investigate you two yesterday, and then I saw you using a weird weapon in the training grounds. I didn¡¯t want you to use that, so I tried to get closer¡­¡± So it was her who I noticed yesterday while I was at the training grounds. She saw my gun and didn¡¯t want to confront it, so she closed the distance trying to find another way to win. ¡°Analyzing your enemy and coming up with counter-measures was the correct choice, sadly in your case you sabotaged your own chances as well. You need to learn plenty of fighting styles before you can come up with correct counter-measures. Not to mention that you seriously underestimated my physical fighting capabilities. There¡¯s no point in fighting from close range if I¡¯m also superior to you on that.¡± She looks downcast after I free her from my hold and she stands up on her own. ¡°But that Earth Blade you used earlier looked so well-shaped I can¡¯t believe you casted it so quickly. You might have a knack for things like alchemy.¡± ¡°A¡­knack?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± After criticizing her choices, I also praise her a bit. I didn¡¯t want to slam her and be done with it. Investigating an opponent and trying to use that information to create a plan is important. At least it¡¯s better than charging head first and making things as you go. She just wasn¡¯t strong enough to properly use the information gathered. I didn¡¯t want her to think her plan was wrong simply because it didn¡¯t work. I only caught a glimpse of her Earth Blade, but I could tell the blade and hilt had a very elaborate construction. But like Ophelia had once told me, having a clear idea of a spell and being able to recreate it faithfully is even more important than knowing how to use magic. ¡°E-Err¡­¡± ¡°What is it?¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Say no to content thief!) Christina raises her head a little and looks at me. ¡°Th-Thank you very much4.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome, it was nothing though.¡± I wonder exactly why she¡¯s thanking me? I¡¯m a bit confused but answer politely, then look at Olivia. I have to go help her soon. Somehow I can¡¯t believe what I¡¯m seeing. The spells cast by Mathias seem to shatter and vanish by a flick of Olivia¡¯s hand5. Huh, what did I just see? CH 46.1 Let¡¯s rewind time a little. After Damuel announced the start of the duel, and Christina went after Natalia, Olivia was squaring off against Mathias. ¡°Just to make sure, you don¡¯t plan on apologizing, do you?¡± ¡°Of course not. Classroom A is supposed to house the leaders of the future, who strive to be better everyday. I¡¯ll cleanse it of those unfit of their place, for this kingdom¡¯s future.¡± Mathias began to focus his mana. ¡°Gather frozen pebbles, Ice Shot!¡± A flurry of small ice chunks shot out after his chant. He was only measuring her abilities, so Olivia was able to easily dodge them. But that was not the end of it. There were many more small pebbles of ice floating around him. It was a simple and basic spell, but just chanting once he had activated it multiple times, while controlling each part individually. Usually one would need to chant multiple times for multiple activations. Practice allowed one to activate it multiple times in parallel, but controlling each of them individually took even more skill. That first spell alone showed how skilled Mathias was. The Seperion Kingdom had grown thanks to its constant research of magic, so it was common for students to have learned magic even before entering the academy. Even more so amongst nobles. Some had more access to early magic education than others, so to make sure everyone could progress nicely and no one fell behind their peers, the entrance exam measured their skill level and assigned them their classes accordingly. The classroom A was mainly for those with prior experience. That was also why Olivia¡¯s lack of basic knowledge, and inability of casting basic spells, meant she was not really fit for classroom A. ¡°Ice Shot!¡± Olivia skillfully dodged the constant influx of projectiles. Eventually she decided to go on the offensive as well. ¡°Err, spurt¡­spring? forth, Thunder Spark.¡± Olivia stammered her chant, but a spark was lit, only for an instant. Just like during the test before, Olivia¡¯s magic blew up before it was cast. That ticked off Mathias even more, making him increase his aggression. ¡°I knew it, you aren¡¯t meant to be in classroom A if you can¡¯t successfully cast a simple spell!¡± All the remaining ice chunks flew towards Olivia at the same time. There were more than ten projectiles shot at once, but none managed to touch Olivia. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation and stop supporting the content thief!) ¡°So you can dodge even that.¡± Olivia was unable to activate even the simplest of spells. Mathias¡¯ magic skills were top notch, but Olivia dodged everything. They were essentially in a stalemate, neither side being able to take down the other. Mathias was the first to get fed up with that. ¡°Frozen pebbles, I grant thee wintry gales.¡± Hearing that chant, Damuel strengthened the barrier surrounding the area. That chant belonged to a spell more powerful than those used so far. ¡°Huh, we can use medium level magic too1?¡± Olivia muttered with slight confusion, but she ground her feet and put her fist forward. ¡°Hail Storm!¡± Hail Storm, a medium level Ice Magic spell that shot countless chunks of ice carried inside a powerful gust of wind. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll do that too then. Sparkling Lightning Discharge!¡± Olivia¡¯s fist seemed to flash multiple times, shooting lightning bolts forward which completely consumed the icy tornado that was about to reach her. Everyone was left speechless at that unexpected turn of events. Only Damuel sighed while massaging his temples. ¡°W-what was that just now¡­¡± Mathias struggled to comprehend what was happening, and Olivia took advantage of that to rush in and attempt to punch him. He quickly moved out of the way, Olivia¡¯s fist barely missing next to his ear. But she had planned more than one attack. Before Mathias could fix his posture, she punched his unprotected chest. ¡°Guh!¡± He staggered for a moment, letting out a pained moan, but he quickly stood up straight and chanted again. ¡°Pierce and soar through the frigid nights, edge of ice.¡± ¡°Lightning surge, swirl!¡± Mathias had already started chanting when Olivia responded. ¡°Icicle Spear!¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen. Please support us by visiting our site.) His chant was complete and he produced a large icicle. ¡°Thunderstorm!¡± But Olivia also finished at the same time, a mass of lightning like a whirlpool spreading from her. The two spells collided, essentially canceling each other out. ¡°How¡¯s that possible!¡± Mathias was utterly confused. But Olivia did not stop, she charged into the white cloud, all that remained from their earlier spells, and went to attack again. ¡°Shell Fang!¡± She punched with all her body-weight, her fist covered in mana and wind magic. Mathias¡¯ body was lifted up the ground and flew back tracing a parable in the air. ¡°Ghuh!¡± Bam! Mathias painfully tried to pull himself up, but he felt a fist hit his head again, pushing him down onto the ground. He instantly realized the position he was in, and decided to accept the facts. ¡°I surrender. I lost.¡± He quickly told Damuel. ¡°Mathias and Christina lose. It¡¯s Olivia and Natalia¡¯s victory!¡± There was a long delay before the audience reacted. The school year had barely begun and a duel broke out, and no one had anticipated that outcome. Olivia relaxed her fist and stretched her hand out. ¡°Can you stand?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Mathias took Olivia¡¯s hand to pull himself on his feet, proceeding to dust off his uniform while readjusting his posture. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I insulted you two like that.¡± ¡°Apology accepted.¡± Olivia nodded while Mathias bowed to her. At last, the conflict sparked by Olivia¡¯s below optimal performance came to an end. Though there were still loose ends. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Say no to content thief!) When Mathias raised his head, it was obvious he was displeased. But not because he had lost the duel. While defeat was still hard to accept, he had the decency to admit when he fell short compared to others. What bothered him was the same issue that had caused the entire conflict. ¡°Why is it that you¡¯re underperforming so much while being so strong?! I would¡¯ve never said anything if you showed this power during class!¡± While the insults to Ophelia had triggered the duel, it had all started because Mathias was dissatisfied with Olivia¡¯s academic results. Most of his suspicions were unfounded, but the underlying truth was that Olivia did not reach the same standards as the other students. He was not the only one who found that odd. ¡°Hmm, I¡¯m actually curious about that as well.¡± ¡°Me too. Could you please explain, Young Lady?¡± ¡°Urgh¡­¡± Olivia looked uncomfortable as Damuel and Natalia joined the conversation. Neither of them seemed to find it funny though. Natalia had always thought her duty was to protect Olivia. CH 46.2 Damuel had been in charge of the entrance exams, so he knew Olivia could use middle level magic. He found it odd that she was underperforming so much during classes though, but kept those thoughts to himself to remain impartial to the student. ¡°Well, umm¡­ I¡¯ve always been academically bad. You know that, right Natalia? You¡¯ve seen how terrible my report cards from school looked before.¡± ¡°Was it really that bad?¡± Olivia paced around nervously while Damuel turned to Natalia for verification. ¡°I don¡¯t know all the particular details myself, but I remember the last time she had a long break from school, she needed to be tutored by my Mistress nearly everyday. I guess it¡¯s safe to assume that was a common occurrence.¡± ¡°But that¡¯s just regular academics, right? Magic knowledge is different from that. You need quite a lot of magic knowledge to be able to use middle level spells, and with shortened chants no less.¡± Mathias was right, as the level of spells increased, it was necessary to understand the underlying magic principles, and know how to manage such quantities of mana. In a way, one needed to know how to destroy the laws of regular physics to understand how magic worked. So a lot of background knowledge and practice was needed for that. Even more so to be able to shorten chants. Mathias had already started casting Hail Storm when Olivia began preparing a spell to defend herself. Both spells had activated at the same time, Olivia getting there faster since she shortened a portion of her chant. Then the two spells collided and canceled out. That was only possible if both sides had around the same amount of power. In other words, Olivia¡¯s spell with a shortened chant was as powerful as Mathias¡¯ after a full chant. ¡°Umm, so I don¡¯t really think about much when I use magic, I just do what feels right to me. With chants sometimes I don¡¯t feel like repeating the whole thing, so I just skip parts randomly1.¡± Everyone was left speechless hearing that. Apparently Olivia learned more by instinct than with theory. ¡°Wait, then why is it that you can¡¯t use simple spells?¡± Natalia knew her creator, Ophelia, also had some parts that defied common sense, so she was used to a bit of craziness. But Olivia¡¯s answer was so outrageous even she was baffled. ¡°Simple spells use so little mana that I can¡¯t really measure it correctly.¡± ¡°Wait, so you can use middle level spells without issue, but you can¡¯t use low level ones2?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Natalia was left speechless. She could not afford to forget Olivia was Ophelia¡¯s daughter. ¡°Even I was surprised to see you¡¯re able to use Magical Arts though, and your technique was different from any other I¡¯ve seen too.¡± ¡°What are Magical Arts?¡± Natalia asked Damuel, who stood with his arms crossed. ¡°Ah, they¡¯re a combination of magic and martial arts.¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation and stop supporting the content thief!) There were various types of such arts, they used short chants to imbue magic into a specific attack, or to channel mana into a weapon, or to grant an affinity towards a certain element. The first example Natalia thought of was Jane¡¯s Slash Impact. For Magical Arts to work, the weapon used needed to be sturdy and made of a material with good mana conductivity. It was possible to use them without weapons, but one needed an even more resilient body to resist the effects of mana coursing through it. In other words, one needed to train both their bodies and their magic skills to take advantage of them, so not many people chose to use them. Magical Arts were way out of Ophelia¡¯s area of expertise, so she was unable to teach Natalia much about it. ¡°My father taught me Magical Arts. Though apparently his fighting style was really different from the usual ones.¡± (Ah, Shuma came from the same world as me, so maybe he knew karate or other stuff like that¡­) Natalia did not say anything, but she had a hunch as to why that was the case. ¡°Throughout the day I¡¯m always using the healing and strengthening spells my mother taught me too, so in a way that serves as my training. Gravity Magic makes a lot of tasks easier too.¡± Olivia said that without much worry, but both Damuel and Mathias knew how difficult and dangerous that was. She was using strengthening spells only on herself, without letting anyone else notice, while simultaneously healing herself. If she lost focus on any spell she could end up badly hurt with internal wounds, so it really was no easy feat. ¡°You¡¯re actually crazy, you know that3?¡± Mathias grumbled while frowning. Natalia also understood how surreal that was, while also realizing something she had never thought about. Either way, the conflict had been resolved, so everyone went their own ways. I could¡¯ve never guessed Olivia is so strong. She moved so quickly I could barely follow her as well. Wait, does that mean she¡¯s actually stronger than me? Does she even need me? I¡¯m glad we defended my Mistress¡¯ honor, but I was starting to feel a bit of an identity crisis. ¡®Will you travel with me once I become an adventurer then?¡¯ Olivia had asked me that before, but now I feel like I¡¯ll be the one being protected. ¡°Wait, Young Lady? If you¡¯re so strong, why did you refuse to fight back when you were kidnapped before? I¡¯m sure you could¡¯ve freed yourself without issue.¡± ¡°Maybe, but if I fought all-out the flowers I picked for you would¡¯ve gotten ruined¡­¡± My head hurts a little hearing that response. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen. Please support us by visiting our site.) ¡°Young Lady, I appreciate the sentiment, but please prioritize your own safety in such situations.¡± Ophelia will turn in her grave if Olivia gets hurt or worse because of me. ¡°If you get hurt because of me, I¡¯ll never forgive myself.¡± ¡°Uh¡­okay, I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, as long as you understand that.¡± I¡¯m relieved hearing her response, and I instinctively pat her head. She smiled like a flower in full bloom in response. Ahh, I really need to get stronger to protect this smile. ¡°Oh right, one last thing Olivia. I don¡¯t doubt your position in classroom A, but if your grades keep falling you might be demoted to a different class, so be careful.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Damuel says that before turning around and leaving. ¡°Wait, I could lose my spot in the class then¡­¡± The two of us faced a new problem as we were left alone in the school yard. CH 47 The duel two days after the school year started was a major event, so Olivia went to bed early so she would be well-rested for the next day. I wait until I hear her deep and rhythmical breathing, and then I get up. I make sure to not make any noise as I stand up, and open Olivia¡¯s bag next to her desk. I find the textbook she¡¯s using at school inside and take it out. I bring it with me to my desk and begin leafing through it. The moon is bright tonight, which makes things easier, though my night vision has also improved enough that I could¡¯ve read it without issue in the dark though. The only person Olivia feels comfortable around at school is probably Amy, but she¡¯s in the B classroom, so she¡¯s probably not the best tutor Olivia would need to stay in the A classroom. Then does she have any option left? I¡¯m the only one who can help her now. Somehow I only realized recently that magic automatons don¡¯t need to sleep. I can pull as many all-nighters in a row as I want. That does have an effect on my mental state though, so I still need to take a rest every once in a while, but it¡¯s also only an emotional issue. I remember pulling all-nighters the day games released to beat them in one go, but sleepiness is no longer my enemy. So let¡¯s just focus and study magic all night long. ¡°Young Lady, I¡¯ll give you extra lessons once you¡¯re back from school today.¡± I tell her that while she gets ready to go to school. She seems a bit taken aback, blinking a few times looking at me. ¡°I thought you also struggled with magic though?¡± ¡°It is true that I can¡¯t use any offensive spells, but that doesn¡¯t stop me from studying and understanding the theory. It should be enough to supplement your lessons.¡± Olivia is right, I have next to no talent when it comes to offensive spells. I can just barely cast low level magic. But the theory and logic behind it is different. Even if I can¡¯t put it into practice, I can understand the textbooks, and I can even draw some analogies to knowledge from my past life. ¡°It might not be the same as receiving help from your mother, but I¡¯ll do my best to teach you.¡± ¡°Thanks, Natalia.¡± I see Olivia off after that, and get to work planning my lessons as soon as I¡¯m free. An hour has passed since her classes ended. She should¡¯ve been back by now, but I wonder what¡¯s holding her? Hmm, maybe the duel from yesterday made her stand out a bit and she made new friends. Studying is important, but social relationships are also part of life. Let¡¯s wait a little longer. Another hour has passed. She¡¯s really late now. I¡¯m really getting worried. But Olivia is at that age where she¡¯ll prefer hanging out with friends. ¡°Ahhh, what should I do?¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation and stop supporting the content thief!) I¡¯m starting to lose my mind staying in the room, like this, so I¡¯ll just go take a walk and ease my worries. I leave the dorm and head towards the school building. When I get closer I notice a small crowd in the school yard, I wonder if something happened. ¡°That¡¯s where they fought the duel yesterday too.¡± I got curious so I walked into the crowd. ¡°Flame Tower!¡± ¡°Too slow! Sparkling Lightning Discharge!¡± Olivia¡¯s fist clad with lightning blew the pillar of fire and her opponent away. Seriously, what¡¯s she doing? ¡°That¡¯s a match, Olivia wins.¡± Damuel announces her victory, just like yesterday, his voice sounds somewhat emotionless. ¡°Olivia won, so that¡¯s a 2.3x return for those betting in her favor! Try to recoup your losses in the next match everyone!¡± Amy was happily placing bets with the crowd of students, or rather, she was the main organizer. Seriously, what are they doing? ¡°Alright, who¡¯s next? I¡¯ll face anyone!¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll try next then.¡± Olivia punches the air energetically and I speak to her from behind. ¡°Geh, Natalia?!¡± ¡°What do you mean, ¡®geh¡¯? What are you doing?¡± Olivia recoils back and looks around nervously. ¡°Oh, no, it¡¯s just that a buncha guys kept challenging me to a duel all-day long, and I kinda got dragged with the flow¡­¡± ¡°My apologies. It seems the event yesterday made the rounds amongst the students, and some of the more rowdy ones decided to challenge her. As I explained before, I can¡¯t really oppose a duel, though they¡¯ve never been used for such childish challenges before¡­¡± Damuel looks downcast saying that, massaging his temples. Considering his position, the most he can do is make sure no one gets seriously hurt. He even seems embarrassed he had to watch over such an event. Amy¡­I can¡¯t see her anymore. That girl really is quick on her feet. ¡°I see. How¡¯s the score looking now?¡± ¡°Nine wins! One more and I¡¯ll reach ten!¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen. Please support us by visiting our site.) Olivia answers proudly. That is impressive, but I can¡¯t allow myself to praise her now. This is not the time for that. ¡°Young Lady, we¡¯re going back.¡± ¡°Eh, but I¡¯m about to reach-¡± ¡°We¡¯re going back.¡± ¡°¡­okay.¡± She finally seems to accept what I¡¯m saying, slouching her shoulders as she walks towards me. ¡°Wait! I still haven¡¯t fought her!¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s my turn now! I bet your Magical Arts are nothing compared to my magic!¡± I thought I had finally convinced Olivia to work on her academic life, but the students don¡¯t want to let her go yet. ¡°Everyone, the Young Lady is busy, this will be all for today.¡± ¡°Are you running away?¡± ¡°Why is an automaton getting in the way of our-¡± Dash! ¡°-ght.¡± Feeling my magic blade on their neck, and Black Hawk¡¯s muzzle on their forehead, the two loud students finally shut up. ¡°I won¡¯t repeat myself. We¡¯re leaving.¡± I speak as calmly as I want, but I still glare at them. I notice sweat beading up on their faces as they suddenly turn meek and nod, practically running away. Seriously, Mir and Danny would¡¯ve dodged that really easily and counterattacked, and from what I saw Olivia was capable of that too. None of these students are a match for her. I let Damuel take care of the rest and head back to the dorm with Olivia. We reach our room and I get ready to teach her. ¡°Natalia, umm¡­¡± I hear Olivia speak behind me, so I stop and turn around. ¡°Are you mad?¡± That¡¯s what she says. I let out a tired sigh. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Say no to content thief!) ¡°Young Lady, before concerning yourself with my feelings, how about you look back at your own actions?¡± ¡°My own actions?¡± ¡°Yes. Everything you did today until I decided to check on you in the school yard. Please think about it.¡± After a bit she hangs her head down and her shoulders start trembling. ¡°You were really worried about my grades, but I didn¡¯t think about coming back¡­ I did something really horrible.¡± ¡°If you understand that much, you should know what to do next as well. What I think or feel is irrelevant to that.¡± She wanted to apologize because I was mad. Does that mean she wouldn¡¯t have said anything if I didn¡¯t look mad? That¡¯s not how this works. ¡°¡­You did so much for me but I forgot about you¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Good, I forgive you. Let¡¯s stop worrying about that now.¡± I smile a little and pat her head. She¡¯s gotten taller than when I first met her, but she¡¯s still a child. I could¡¯ve let her go more easily, but then she might cause more issues to other people. No one needs to be liked by everyone in the world, but I don¡¯t want her to feel ashamed of herself either. Though still, I don¡¯t feel good scolding her either. Every time I have to deal with her I end up going easy on her, like she¡¯s my little sister. ¡°Now that those feelings are out of the way, let¡¯s study to make your future grades better. You still want to go on adventures with me, right?¡± I didn¡¯t want to continue that conversation either. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll do my best.¡± Olivia lifts her head with a smile, looking even cuter than before. Though I¡¯m no lo-¡­ Hmm, I guess Olivia isn¡¯t really in that category anymore now that she¡¯s grown. CH 48 Olivia sits down at her desks, and I bring my own chair from my desk and place it next to hers. ¡°First let¡¯s look at this.¡± I take out a sheet of paper and place it atop the desk. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve drawn out the main bullet points of magic fundamentals.¡± I didn¡¯t feel good writing annotations directly onto her textbook, so instead I wrote everything out on separate pieces of paper. It was a lot of work but I had no choice. ¡°I¡¯ll explain this together with the textbook, but you should write down your own notes. I¡¯ll quiz you when we¡¯re done to make sure you remember everything. Then we can review everything you got wrong, and I¡¯ll quiz you again. We¡¯ll do that as many times as it takes for you to remember. Repetition and memorization are essential when studying fundamentals after all.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± The quizzes were obviously prepared by me as well. ¡°Let¡¯s begin then.¡± That way Olivia¡¯s supplementary lessons started. ¡°56 points.¡± ¡°Eugh¡­¡± The first quiz¡¯s results are far from ideal. ¡°We¡¯ve just started, so don¡¯t worry about it. Let¡¯s review everything you missed, I¡¯ll also explain again if you want.¡± ¡°That¡¯s 42 points.¡± ¡°H-huh?¡± She got more things wrong than the first time around. Did I explain things badly? ¡°Let me try explaining it with easier terms this time.¡± ¡°24 points.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s take a quick break. I¡¯ll prepare some tea.¡± ¡°16¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Three¡­points¡­¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation and stop supporting the content thief!) We were both exhausted, so I think we should stop the class now. Ahh, I¡¯ll need to work harder tomorrow so it¡¯s easier to understand. The day after Natalia¡¯s first supplementary lesson, Olivia and Amy were talking about it during their lunch break. ¡°Wait, so your score kept getting lower each time?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°And this is the study material Natalia prepared for you?¡± Amy took a glance at the piece of paper Olivia gave her. ¡°Woah, all of this looks so easy.¡± The academy textbook was mainly pure text, except for schematics of magic circles. Natalia¡¯s writing combined many diagrams when something was hard to explain with words alone, and important keywords were underlined or highlighted, it was hard to believe both explained the same concepts. Natalia had used the textbooks from her past life as reference, but Olivia and Amy had no way of knowing that. ¡°How did you struggle so much with this? I know you¡¯re terrible at studying, but when you came back from studying with your mom you could at least pass most tests.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just that Natalia is sitting so close, and she looks so cool, I always get distracted looking at her and forget to listen to what she¡¯s saying.¡± ¡°She didn¡¯t get mad at you?¡± ¡°She did, many times. But she¡¯s still beautiful even when she¡¯s angry.¡± ¡°You need help.¡± A silly smile took over Olivia¡¯s lips as she reminisced about her lesson with Natalia, and Amy could only sigh. ¡°What are you going to do about your issues though? At this rate you¡¯ll get kicked out of classroom A any day now.¡± Amy was right. Olivia was slowly getting closer to the cut off for classroom A, and could get demoted very soon. It was not necessarily the biggest problem, but it could cast a shadow over Ophelia¡¯s reputation, and Olivia¡¯s chances at achieving her future goals. ¡°Well, you should get used to being calm around Natalia, or you¡¯ll need to ask someone else to tutor you then.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I can get used to that any time soon. I was so happy I felt like my heart was about to burst when she patted my head yesterday.¡± Olivia had done her best to not make it obvious, but such displays of affection were extremely stimulating for a girl her age. But she also refused to avoid or stop that type of contact, simply because the heart of a maiden can be a complicated thing. ¡°It might hinder your daily life if you don¡¯t get used to it though. I think I have a solution, so I¡¯ll see if I can arrange that.¡± ¡°Mm, alright, thanks.¡± Olivia hugging Natalia when they saw each other after being away for a long time had actually been Amy¡¯s suggestion. But it did not have much of an effect since Natalia saw Olivia as her mistress¡¯ daughter, or just a little sister. ¡°But anyway, I guess your only option is to find someone else to teach you then?¡± ¡°Mmm¡­I don¡¯t really know anyone well enough to ask them, and everyone sees me as a rival because of the duels from before.¡± ¡°I guess they would rather see you fail for once then. But someone from classroom A has to teach you or it won¡¯t really help you.¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen. Please support us by visiting our site.) The majority of the students in classroom A came from noble families and had already learned some magic. While this did not apply to all of them, most of them had a strong rivalry against Olivia since she had shown so much strength in the duels. There were even older students from grades above hers that had noticed her, but she did not know that. ¡°Say, you can understand what all this means on the paper, right? Why don¡¯t you teach me then.¡± ¡°I mean, sure, I understand everything Natalia wrote down here, but eventually we¡¯ll be studying completely different stuff and I won¡¯t be of any help.¡± Amy was right, the school year had barely started, so most classes were covering similar subjects just to verify the students were in their appropriate classrooms, but eventually the topics would diverge and Amy would be learning completely different stuff. When that happened, Amy would be unable to help Olivia much, since they were in different classrooms. ¡°You really don¡¯t know anyone in classroom A that doesn¡¯t see you as an enemy and is nice enough to teach you?¡± ¡°That sounds too convenient to be-¡± ¡°E-Excuse me.¡± Olivia answered Amy with a dejected tone, but then turned around hearing a voice call to her. Christina Barnhard, one of her opponents in the duel two days before, was standing there. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to interrupt, but could you spare a minute?¡± ¡°Ah, sure. We can talk.¡± The two girls looked at the unexpected visitor with round eyes, and decided to listen to what Christina had to say. ¡°I¡¯m truly sorry for causing so much trouble the other day.¡± She bowed deeply after saying that. While it was true that social status and nobility was ignored inside the academy, she was still the daughter of a viscount. It was really rare to see someone of her status bow like that to a commoner, even within the confines of the school. ¡°Ah, right, I don¡¯t really mind though. Mathias already apologized too, so uhh¡­Christina, was it? Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Olivia and Amy looked at each other hearing that unexpected offer. And then they shouted at the same time. ¡°¡±There is someone convenient like that!!¡±¡± I spent the day wondering how to improve my lessons, though I still can¡¯t understand what went wrong. I¡¯m sure I can understand the theory in the textbooks properly, but I have no way to verify my knowledge since I can¡¯t use the basic spells, so all I can do is rely on intuition. I really can¡¯t think of a solution, there¡¯s no clear way out. All I can do is to cover a less broad topic, and try to find even easier words to communicate. Though I¡¯ve softened and simplified the words so much already that I can hardly think of more synonyms. I guess I just have to wait for Olivia to come back. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Say no to content thief!) ¡°I¡¯m back Natalia.¡± ¡°Welcome home, Young Lady.¡± Olivia returned as soon as her classes were over. Let¡¯s not waste any time and begin today¡¯s lesson then. ¡°Oh right, Christina offered to teach me. I¡¯m going to the other dorm building where she lives.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± She says that, and before I can answer she leaves again. Christina? That was the squirrel girl I fought during the duel, right? How come she¡¯s going to teach Olivia now? Just what happened between them? Did I just waste all my time preparing for today¡¯s lessons? Am I so weak that I¡¯m not even good enough to teach her then? I struggled to accept the situation, while at the same time my identity keeps fading away, I feel like I¡¯m no longer needed. CH 49.1 It¡¯s been a few days since Christina began teaching Olivia, and her grades have gradually improved. So far she had always done everything by instinct, but once she was taught properly she actually understood the theory as well. She probably just struggled to pay attention in class since she preferred doing things her way. But huh? Does that mean I really was bad at teaching her then? ¡­Either way, at least I feel reassured about her grades now. I don¡¯t know for how long Christina wants to ¡®make it up¡¯ to Olivia, I just hope that they slowly become good friends. I feel like I need to thank her somehow for teaching Olivia too. But enough about such plans. It¡¯s the weekend now, but Olivia said she¡¯s still going to study at Christina¡¯s, so I let her go and return to the room and take off my maid uniform. I changed into a simple shirt and pants that I bought before. I walk to a mirror and check how I look, and feel something is slightly off. ¡°Hmmm, it¡¯s a bit tight below, feels a bit weird.¡± I felt like it was too tight around my hips, which limited my movements. My maid uniform feels a lot less restraining and refreshing, so I feel more comfortable in it. ¡°¡­Wait, stop that me!¡± I fall on my knees realizing I¡¯ve gotten used to wearing a skirt all the time. That¡¯s all I¡¯ve been wearing since I woke up in this world though! And Ophelia ordered me to live as her maid! But deep down I still have some pride in being a man! Even if I pretend to talk in a more feminine way all the time! ¡°Ahhh, I feel my identity and gender crumbling down inside me now¡­¡± Maybe it¡¯s been eroding away since a long time ago, but I¡¯m only noticing now. I¡¯m getting frustrated. I take a towel and wrap it tightly around my chest to hide it a bit. Do I look more masculine¡­not at all. ¡°My face looks like this too.¡± I¡¯m Ophelia¡¯s masterpiece, so my face is exceedingly beautiful as well. Though mentioning that makes me feel a bit narcissistic. I take out a monster bone from my magic storage and throw it into an alchemy cauldron to make a mask. I¡¯m only changing its shape, so it¡¯s easier than making medicine. ¡°Alright, this might work to hide myself.¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation and stop supporting the content thief!) I wear it as a test, it fits me perfectly and the holes for my eyes are aligned perfectly as well. Then I put on some light armor, gauntlets, boots, a holster belt with my gun, and tie up my hair as short as I can. I look at the mirror again, I look like a mysterious and suspicious adventurer. ¡°Alright, this should be good enough. Oh, almost forgot this.¡± I unfasten the brooch showing I¡¯m a Servant from my maid necktie, and hide it inside my armor. Without it, I won¡¯t be able to prove my identity as a Servant, and I might get killed. All my mechanical joints are hidden by my clothes and armor, so I look human at first sight, but I can never be sure. Now, time to go out. I put the mask in my magic storage while I¡¯m still inside the dorm. It¡¯s a bit later than the usual time people leave for class, so there¡¯s no one else in the hallways. I walk out of the school grounds and head towards the gate leading out of Ingralowe. The guard looks at me strangely when I show him my Servant brooch, but once I take a gauntlet off and show my joints he lets me pass. I had expected as much, but it¡¯s still annoying. I walk out of the city for a bit until I arrive at the Valhen Woods. There¡¯s a considerable distance between Bamel and Ingralowe, but the Valhen Woods are terrifyingly vast. That, however, also creates many spots where monsters make nests, which I appreciate this time. I put on my mask and step into the forest. Now, as to why I¡¯m here in the forest in the first place. I simply was craving Tyrannoghavial meat really badly, and figured hunting one would be a good way to train as well. I think this is a really common sensation, like when you crave a bowl of ramen and you can¡¯t think of anything else until you get some. It¡¯s the same thing. I can¡¯t do anything to help Olivia with her studies so I¡¯m bored a lot, and I wanted to try doing something without having to pretend to be a maid. Wait, is this¡­trying to escape reality? Nope nope, I can¡¯t hear anything lalala. Usually a group of medium level adventurers hunt Tyrannoghavial together, but today I have a new weapon I want to try out. While I walk through the forest, I keep running into goblins and orcs, monsters I¡¯m already used to. ¡°Gugyaa!¡± I shoot their heads before they can do anything. I don¡¯t really have a reason to be afraid of such monsters anymore. Some try waving a staff far and attack me with magic from a distance, but their power and speed are nowhere near Black Hawk¡¯s. I just shoot them the moment I see them. ¡®How about you slow down a little. I feel bad for them.¡¯ Somehow I felt like I heard what Ophelia told me one of the first times I went out to hunt with her, her voice sounded slightly exasperated. I was pretty much shooting everything on sight back then too. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen. Please support us by visiting our site.) It hasn¡¯t even been a year since then, but it feels like it happened an eternity ago. The days when she taught me about this world, and magic. Sometimes she would tease me for no reason too. But it was fun. Then I met Mir, and we went to hunt monsters together. I naively thought those days would continue forever. Until they stopped out of the blue. ¡°Ophelia¡­¡± No, I have to pull myself back together. There¡¯s no point in getting sentimental now. I can¡¯t wallow in self-pity and melancholy like that. ¡°Hmph!¡± I bang my head against a nearby tree as strongly as I can. I don¡¯t feel any pain as a magic automaton, but the impact shakes my vision violently. ¡°Alright! Let¡¯s keep hunting!¡± It turns out I¡¯m not as rusty using Black Hawk as I expected. I guess it¡¯s time to test out my new weapon for a bit then. ¡°Grrarr!¡± A pack of high kobolds conveniently comes into view. I return Black Hawk to its holster, and take a different gun from my magic storage in its stead. The second magic gun Ophelia made for me. ¡°Time to give it a spin then.¡± I fix the stock against my shoulder and pull the trigger, a multitude of magic bullets spewing from its nozzle and drilling holes through the first kobold¡¯s armor. ¡°Grah?!¡± The pack went into a frenzy seeing one of their members die. ¡°Hmm.¡± I reload quickly and decide to try spreading the bullets in a wider area. I hear the constant explosions from the gun, its entire body shaking as I mow down the pack of monsters. The high kobolds desperately attempt to get away, but the pale blue bullets have no mercy. I reload, fire, reload, and fire. The entire pack of high kobolds gets reduced to a pile of flesh and blood in just a few seconds. ¡°White Viper, the submachine magic gun packs quite a punch, huh.¡± CH 49.2 Just like Black Hawk, White Viper is incredibly accurate and with little recoil. It can fire rapidly as well, giving it a lot of power. But it has its downsides too. ¡°It¡¯s chewing through them.¡± I look down and notice I¡¯ve already spent three entire magazines. It shoots fast and accurately, but it uses a lot of mana and the magazines don¡¯t last for long on full-auto. It frequently runs out of bullets, and I need to take time to reload it. That also applies to Black Hawk, except that I don¡¯t have to do that as often, and it¡¯s easier to move around while reloading it. I¡¯ll either need to get used to reloading faster, or find a bigger source of magic energy for it. It¡¯ll take me some time to really be able to use its rapid fire capabilities to their best. It¡¯s also way too powerful for lower level enemies, so I should keep using Black Hawk against those. But I still have plenty of magazines in reserve, so I can continue testing it out. In a dormitory room of Ingralowe¡¯s Magic Academy, Olivia was taking classes under her classmate Christina. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s 68 points this time. You¡¯re getting better.¡± Once she heard the results of the short quiz, Olivia let out a loud sigh. ¡°Thanks Christina. I feel like I might make it somehow thanks to you.¡± The topics covered were all the fundamentals of magic, which she was already applying by instinct, and now she was starting to make some connections between the theory and her own experience. ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to your own efforts, Olivia. The teaching material Natalia prepared is also very well written.¡± Christina felt like teaching Olivia would have been much harder if all she had was the textbook. She had been learning magic since before she entered the Magic Academy, but if someone asked her if she could relay the information from the textbook to another person, Christina would have shook her head. ¡°I think this is a good place to stop for today. Amy looks pretty bored as well.¡± There was one more person in the room beside Olivia and Christina. Amy had gone there to check how things were going, but now she was sitting on the bed reading a book. ¡°Amy, do you like reading books?¡± ¡°Nuh uh, I don¡¯t particularly like them. I just feel like I might get some inspiration from them.¡± Amy came from a family of merchants, so she tried to speak slightly more politely to Christina knowing she came from a noble family, but Amy was not really used to such language. Meanwhile Christina was used to talking to everyone with a certain degree of respect. ¡°Inspiration? What for?¡± ¡°Oh, just for a way to make Olivia confess to Natalia.¡± Crash! (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation and stop supporting the content thief!) Olivia had been leaning back on her chair, something considered extremely rude, and hearing Amy¡¯s sentence she lost balance and fell to the floor. ¡°O-Olivia, are you hurt?!¡± Christina was instantly worried, but Olivia had a very resilient body. Hitting the back of her head on the ground was nothing for her. ¡°Wait a second. Why is confessing to Natalia related to you reading a book?¡± Olivia began standing up and asked that, prompting Amy to put a bookmark in the book and placing it to the side. ¡°Olivia, have you ever heard about a certain type of book called a romance novel? If I use them as reference I might be able to plan a very romantic way for you to confess your love, it¡¯ll be like a scene out of a fairy tale.¡± ¡°I see!¡± Hearing Amy¡¯s reasoning, Olivia finally thought that was a good idea and seemed completely on board with the idea. ¡°Why don¡¯t you try reading some too? Even if they¡¯re fake stories, you might get used to romance with them, and you won¡¯t have issues standing next to Natalia anymore.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t really like to read though, but for her¡­ Oh yeah, I¡¯ve seen Natalia reading some of the books she brought from home every now and then too.¡± ¡°Then that¡¯s even more reason for you to read them, you¡¯ll have something in common to talk about. I¡¯ll find you some that are easy to understand.¡± ¡°Wait, let me see if I understood this correctly. Olivia is in love with Natalia?¡± Christina was still out of the loop on the whole situation, so she asked that, trying to understand it a bit better. Amy and Olivia forced a smile and began fidgeting. ¡°Ahh¡­well¡­yeah¡­ I guess it¡¯s really weird after all? I mean, we¡¯re both girls, and she¡¯s a monster¡­¡± ¡°Oh, no, not at all. There¡¯s plenty of romance novels with two males or females, and others involving different races. Not to mention¡­¡± Christina still remembered the day of the duel. If Natalia had wanted to, she could have easily left Christina badly bruised, and after the incident in the dining hall she had every right to do so. But rather than doing that, Natalia had done her utmost to defeat Christina without causing her any pain, and even praised her skills and planning afterward. ¡°Natalia is¡­quite a lovely person¡­¡± The image of Natalia holding Christina in her arms, not letting her fall to the ground, was burned in Christina¡¯s mind. Recalling that, she blushed slightly. ¡°I know, right? She¡¯s usually so pretty and calm, but sometimes she¡¯ll go full beast-mode too. Like that time I got kidnapped in the forest.¡± ¡°Wait, you went through such a situation?¡± Amy shrugged and gave up seeing the two so entranced talking about Natalia. (I feel like Christina just hinted she also feels that way, but Olivia didn¡¯t notice at all. Though well, I doubt Christina is the kind of person to use any underhanded tactics.) But that reminded Amy she still had not asked something very important. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen. Please support us by visiting our site.) ¡°By the way, do you even know if Natalia is into girls? The first time you told me you had a crush on someone I really thought you were into some thickheaded guy, but maybe Natalia is straight?¡± When Amy asked that, Olivia, who had been talking so happily about Natalia, seemed to get frozen still. ¡°N-Now that you mention it¡­I never asked her¡­ She seemed fine with me hugging and kissing her, but if she doesn¡¯t swing that way then¡­¡± ¡®If I¡¯m into girls? That¡¯s¡­¡¯ Natalia frowned and looked disgusted. ¡®Kind of gross, don¡¯t you think?¡¯ Natalia seemed like she was about to throw up. ¡®Oh right, I¡¯ve started dating this man, Young Lady.¡¯ And then she introduced her boyfriend. ¡°NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!¡± ¡°C-Calm down, Olivia! You haven¡¯t asked her how she feels yet, it¡¯s too soon to jump to conclusions!¡± Natalia broke down from imagining that scenario, and Christina hurried to comfort her. ¡°Ah, sorry for bringing that up. But seriously, shouldn¡¯t you at least try to know Natalia a little better? At least to figure out that much.¡± ¡°You say that like it¡¯s easy, but what should I even do?¡± ¡°You know, the fastest way is to just ask Natalia directly. Though I feel like you¡¯d do a terrible job so I¡¯ll ask her for you. Luckily I have something else I wanted to talk to her about too.¡± Amy said that while grinning broadly. CH 50 Many vines, thick like whips, keep swinging my way. I twist my body to evade them, and use my magic blade to cut those I can¡¯t dodge. The Purple Steel gauntlets Mir made for me before leaving Bamel feel really comfortable. They¡¯re built specifically to make using the magic blade easier. The magic blade is made up of mana from my body, and the leather gloves I had before were poor mana conductors, so they broke apart really quickly. But Purple Steel is an excellent conductor, and it¡¯s the same material as my nerve threads. So I can essentially turn the gauntlets into an extension of my body and they don¡¯t suffer any damage from the magic blade. That also means that there¡¯s no interference when making the magic blade too, and it cuts even better. My current opponent is a large and violent carnivorous plant known as Man Eater. They look different from the common(?) image of Man Eaters on Earth, they are parasitic plants here. They are vines with thick stalks that cover trees like snakes, sucking out the nutrients from the tree while emitting a sweet smell to lure their prey closer. I always kept their appearance in mind after I saw them in the monster reference book. Now, why am I fighting one of these now? It turns out their fruits are actually really good, and I saw ripe fruits on this one. Did I feel bad? Not really, this is what hunting is all about. ¡°Kyshaaaaaaa!¡± The Man Eater bares the mouth hiding inside a large flower to intimidate me. But I¡¯m not some small animal, so I¡¯m not afraid of that. I¡¯m actually smiling under my mask, having encountered a monster I had only read about before. The fruits I want grow next to the flower, they¡¯re like pomegranates the size of watermelons. I dodge the incoming vines like whips before jumping in. The Man Eater finally senses danger and disentangles most of its vines, leaving only a few to support the fruits on the tree. The loose vines begin joining together, forming a similar body to Biollante in the movies. ¡°Shah!¡± ¡°Woah there.¡± The Man Eater spits some liquid towards me. I easily dodge it, but then notice a sizzling sound and smoke from the ground where it spilled. Digestive acid maybe? Still not too menacing though. I shoot out my left arm. My left arm and the magic blade on it pierce the flower, but it did not stop. It goes through the entire monster and gets stuck on a nearby tree. ¡°Shah, shah.¡± The Man Eater keeps trying to move, but my arm keeps it pinned to the tree. ¡°Alright then.¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation and stop supporting the content thief!) I reel back the nerve threads on my left arm and use the magic blade on my right hand to cut off the fruits, letting them fall straight into an opening to my magic storage that I opened below. ¡°Shahhhh!¡± The Man Eater began letting out cries. Sorry bud. ¡°I¡¯ll only take the fruits, so let¡¯s just forget about this okay?¡± I jump back far enough for the Man Eater to not be able to reach me, undo my magic blades and pull back my left arm. Man Eaters are plant type monsters, so it should recover eventually. I should come back after some time to check if there are new fruits. They can move from one tree to another, so there¡¯s a chance it might abandon this one, but I¡¯ll see then. I¡¯ve been in the forest for quite some time already, but I still can¡¯t find a Tyrannoghavial. It¡¯s like my desire for it jinxed my search. There¡¯s plenty of other monsters, or regular animals like rabbits and deers, but there was nothing worth trying my new weapon on, so I just chased everything away. Some would insist on dying, but there wasn¡¯t much I could do about that. So far the Man Eater¡¯s fruits are the first true fruits of my trip. I really want to taste the fruits, so I sit under a nearby tree and take out a knife and cutting board from my magic storage. Now why do I have a knife and cutting board there? It¡¯s just part of my maid duties. ¡°Alrighty.¡± I lay down the cutting board, place a fruit, and prepare to shove my knife into it. ¡°Kyahhhhh!¡± Slump! That¡¯s such awful timing I feel exhausted for some reason. Why now of all times? I thought I was finally going to get to taste the Man Eater¡¯s fruit. But I can¡¯t ignore that scream either¡­ I quickly shove everything into my magic storage and reluctantly go towards the direction I heard that scream from. After a bit of running I find a party of four fighting a monster. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen. Please support us by visiting our site.) A human male with a spear and a dog demi-human with a sword are on the front, while a female elf and a beautiful girl with blonde hair are behind. At first glance they remind me of the stereotypical party, but the blonde girl seems to stand out too much. The two on the front are really hurt already, a constant stream of blood flowing from their wounds. They¡¯ll probably die of blood loss if they don¡¯t receive treatment soon. They should¡¯ve known that much before coming to a place like this, so in a way it was their own fault. But I was more interested in the monster attacking them. ¡°Grrrr¡­¡± They¡¯re fighting a large monster that lowly grunts at them. A Tyrannoghavial. Thank you for screaming! I thanked them loudly in my mind. This Tyrannoghavial is smaller than the one I defeated with Mir, but it¡¯s still too strong for this party. The two front liners are already past their limits, and their magician seems to be confused or nervous, stammering halfway through her chanting and failing to activate any spells. The other girl doesn¡¯t seem capable of fighting. Stealing someone¡¯s hunt is kinda rude, but I guess no one will complain if I swoop in now? ¡°Grworr!¡± The moment it opens its mouth to charge at the party, I dash out from a thicket and stab my magic blade into its throat. Finishing it off with only Black Hawk could be tricky, but now I have this. I take out White Viper and place the muzzle on the monster¡¯s forehead before pulling the trigger. The gun starts shaking in a pleasant rhythm as a large number of magic bullets spew out. I planned on emptying an entire magazine. The Tyrannoghavial¡¯s eyes go white and its body loses strength, so I finish slicing the throat. A large quantity of blood spews from the wound, forming a red puddle on the ground. ¡°Sorry, did I get in the way?¡± I turn to the party and ask just in case, but they¡¯re still processing what they saw. They had been minutes away from dying, so it¡¯s a lot to process. ¡°Ah, no, not at all. Thanks actually.¡± The adventurers still look confused, but at least they calmed down enough to talk. ¡°Everyone, could you come here so I can treat your wounds?¡± The blondie who had stayed back gathers everyone to start healing them. But that doesn¡¯t go as planned either. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Say no to content thief!) ¡°Huh?! We¡¯re out of healing herbs and potions?!¡± ¡°I just used the last we had.¡± I hear the adventurers start to argue. ¡°Umm, I¡¯m really sorry¡­¡± I turn to the man with the spear, who looks apologetically at me. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry to ask this after you already saved us, but do you have any medicine we could borrow?¡± From the look of things the party had used up everything they had. I feel like just about any magician in their party could¡¯ve helped though. Thinking that I look at their magician, her face looks pale and she slowly shakes her head. ¡°She¡¯s completely out of mana too. Really, I¡¯m sorry we have to ask you.¡± I guess they really don¡¯t have any other options. I still have the potions I made before. I used to sell them in Bamel¡¯s guild, so they should be at least as good as any in the market. ¡°Alright.¡± It¡¯s not like I¡¯m part of their party, but I¡¯d like to avoid any conflicts because of this. Or actually, maybe I can claim the entire Tyrannoghavial in exchange this way. ¡°How many potions do you need?¡± ¡°Three should hopefully be enough.¡± ¡°I see. You can have this one extra if you want to. Just ask if you need more.¡± ¡°Thanks. You¡¯re a lifesaver.¡± I take out the requested potions from my magic storage, and add a mana potion as a bonus. While they focus on treating their wounds, I go butcher the Tyrannoghavial. This feels easier now that I can form my magic blade with less interference. Though the bones still feel hard to cut. ¡°Thank you again, seriously. I¡¯m Giese by the way. We¡¯ll go back to the city for now, but could you tell us your name so we can properly thank you next time we meet?¡± ¡°My name..?¡± Darnit. I went through all this trouble to move around anonymously, but if I tell them my real name and they ask for me in the city Olivia might find out. My face is covered by a mask so it won¡¯t be too easy, but the chance isn¡¯t zero. I need to give them a fake name. ¡°I¡¯m Reiji.¡± I repeat the first name of an assassin that pops in my head. I¡¯m surprised I thought of a character from such an old anime in this situation. I finish butchering the monster and stuff the trimmed meat into my magic storage. There¡¯s still plenty of space left. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation and stop supporting the content thief!) ¡°Huh, what did you just do?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ magic storage, isn¡¯t it? And you fit an entire Tyrannoghavial?¡± They¡¯re acting like they¡¯ve just seen something really strange, but I ignore them. I¡¯ve accomplished my mission, and it¡¯s starting to get late, so I should head back. I don¡¯t want to go together with the adventurers, so I take random detours on my way back. I¡¯m back in the dorm, but Olivia still hasn¡¯t returned. Today¡¯s the dorm mother¡¯s free day, so I have to prepare dinner myself. I quickly start changing clothes first. I¡¯m sure the other students will want to eat too, so I should make a lot. I guess I can see what I can make with Tyrannoghavial meat since I just got some. I could make soup or salad as side dishes too, but I¡¯ll focus on making steaks for the main dish. I¡¯ll also make some dessert with the Man Eater fruits, but only the first students to eat will get some. It¡¯s not my fault there isn¡¯t enough for everyone. That decides tonight¡¯s menu though. Click! ¡°Natalia, I¡¯m back.¡± ¡°Ah, welcome back.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Hm? Why isn¡¯t Olivia entering the room? Her eyes are locked on me¡­ ¡°Ah¡­¡± I¡¯m still changing, and I just took off the towel that was covering me. ¡°M-My apologies!¡± I quickly cover my chest, but it¡¯s too late. She had already seen everything. ¡°N-No, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll wait outside okay.¡± Olivia turns around and quickly leaves the room. Ugh that¡¯s so embarrassing. I usually change way before Olivia wakes up in the mornings, so I didn¡¯t even consider this could happen. Though hey, I¡¯m still a dude inside the body of a magic automaton, I don¡¯t know how to feel about changing now. CH 51 Natalia: Don¡¯t include me in ¡®girls¡¯! One day late at night, I went downstairs to the dining room on the dorm¡¯s first floor. It¡¯s always noisy and full of life when the students eat, but now it¡¯s completely silent. Even more when compared to the Tyrannoghavial menu I made the other night. I cooked each steak according to the students¡¯ personal preferences, and it was almost like a party. I¡¯ll have to keep thinking about other meals to prepare in the future, but that was a really good start. But let¡¯s focus on the main subject. The dining room was silent, but it¡¯s neither dark nor empty. Amy is sitting on one table, illuminated by a candle. I¡¯m here because she called me. ¡°Sorry for keeping you waiting, Amy.¡± ¡°I just got here. I¡¯m the one who should apologize for calling you on such short notice.¡± ¡°That¡¯s alright, I don¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°Hm? Wait, I smell something nice, what is that? It feels kinda familiar.¡± ¡°Ahh, it must be the Man Eater¡¯s fruit. I got some the other day, I used the rinds to make scent pouches.¡± ¡°Huhh, I never thought those fruits could be used for that too.¡± ¡°If you like I could give you some.¡± ¡°Are you sure? I¡¯ll gladly take them then.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get you some from our room later then.¡± We end that tangent quickly and I sit in front of Amy. There¡¯s only candlelight here, so her cat eyes stand out brightly. ¡°So, what did you wish to talk with me about?¡± ¡°I need some advice, and was hoping you could help me.¡± ¡°You need¡­my advice?¡± I¡¯m still pretty new to this world, and most of my common sense is outdated info from my old world. Is there really anything I can help with? ¡°I just feel like I can trust you with that kind of stuff.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know whether my opinion will be of any help, but I promise I¡¯ll keep everything secret.¡± ¡°I know. Anyway, I actually wanted your input in a romantic dilemma.¡± Ohh, that¡¯s a topic I expect from her age. Though I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be of any use since my romantic experience in my past life amounts to zero. ¡°I have this friend who¡¯s fallen in love with someone, but we don¡¯t know if she should confess or not.¡± ¡°Whether to confess?¡± That feels like a pretty basic question. She isn¡¯t asking how to confess best, but wants to know whether to even consider it. Though wait, I shouldn¡¯t jump ahead until I know everything. ¡°I guess you¡¯ve noticed too. There¡¯s a reason why she¡¯s so hesitant.¡± Amy notices my gaze and then starts to tell me exactly what¡¯s going on. ¡°See, my friend is a girl, and she likes another girl. She¡¯s a lesbian, basically.¡± ¡°I see. That explains why confessing would be complicated.¡± A lesbian, huh. That¡¯s a pretty delicate topic. ¡°Actually, what do you think about someone like that? Are you against that kind of relationship?¡± ¡°Me?¡± Hmmm, that¡¯s really hard to answer. I used to be a guy in my past life, but now I¡¯m in a female body. I guess I¡¯m still attracted to girls, but that¡¯s only because I¡¯m still a guy in my mind. So from my point of view it wouldn¡¯t be a lesbian relationship. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation and stop supporting the content thief!) But physically it would be, as well as for anyone else seeing us. Even my partner would think so unless I tell her about my past. There is one thing I know for sure though. ¡°I don¡¯t have any aversion to it whatsoever. I understand that realistically speaking it might be a bit harder for them to have a fulfilling relationship, but I wholeheartedly hope that it¡¯ll work out for them.¡± Thunk! I hear a noise coming from the dining room¡¯s entrance, but I don¡¯t see anyone when I turn around. Did I imagine it? ¡°M-Maybe it was a mouse or something, ahahah.¡± I focus my senses, but I don¡¯t feel anything resembling a mouse nearby. Maybe I should start leaving mice traps? ¡°While we¡¯re at it, what¡¯s your type, Natalia?¡± ¡°Eh, the kind of person I like?¡± ¡°Yes. Like what kind of hair, or height, looks, or personality even. Tell me.¡± Amy keeps insisting and I feel slightly cornered. I guess girls always like talking about this kinda stuff. Still, my type huh. That only reminds me of that person. ¡°Hmmm¡­I guess I like straight long black hair.¡± ¡°Oh oh?¡± I still remember how it felt to stroke her hair when she took a nap on my lap, that day when I left the house to train for the first time. ¡°I guess I like someone slightly taller than me too.¡± ¡°I see, I see.¡± ¡°Someone who¡¯s always reliable.¡± ¡°Go on go on.¡± ¡°And really smart.¡± THUNK! ¡°?!¡± I turn around, hearing an even louder noise than earlier, but there¡¯s still nothing there. ¡°That¡¯s odd. Do rats even get big enough to make such a sound?¡± ¡°Ahah¡­ahahah¡­I don¡¯t know, maybe?¡± If mice or rats take over a house, they affect the people and the building as well, not just the food. I¡¯ll probably be okay, but I¡¯m worried for Olivia and the other students now. I have to take care of them soon. ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s not get distracted. In short, you like someone smart and cool then?¡± ¡°In broad terms, yes.¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen. Please support us by visiting our site.) Huh? Why do I feel like I sound really shallow? Is it just me? I just said that because I spent a lot of time near someone like that until recently¡­ But I¡¯m just a magic automaton in the first place. I¡¯m not human, or a race similar to a human. I¡¯m categorized as a monster, but technically I¡¯m not even alive. There have been guys that tried flirting with me, but they all stopped the instant they realized I¡¯m a magic automaton. Though I guess I should be happy that there¡¯s no doll or automaton fetish in this world. But all in all, there¡¯s no point for me to have feelings. ¡°What about you Amy?¡± ¡°Me?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯d be rude to ask me but not say anything yourself, wouldn¡¯t you say?¡± I continue the conversation as a way to clear off the idle thoughts in my mind. This is a good opportunity to deepen our bond as well, which is important if we plan on knowing each other for a long time. ¡°My tastes are really simple.¡± ¡°Why do you say so?¡± ¡°Well, to be blunt, I¡¯m into anyone who can make me lots of money!¡± I almost fell out of my chair hearing Amy¡¯s extremely simple answer, which she declared while proudly puffing her developing chest. But at the same time it sounded like what a merchant¡¯s daughter would say, and she sounded determined. That she said ¡®make me money¡¯ instead of simply ¡®someone rich¡¯ is slightly impressive. ¡°Ah right, before I forget. There¡¯s something I¡¯d like your advice on myself.¡± Amy¡¯s gaze changes. She was looking at me like a predator eyeing its prey. ¡°Actually, I guess advice isn¡¯t the right word, it¡¯s more like a business discussion.¡± I notice her little fang poking out as she says that. CH 52 ¡°Business?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯d like to work with you.¡± Amy¡¯s smile looks even more ferocious than I¡¯ve seen before, but somehow it seems to fit her the most. ¡°Well, what is it that a simple magic automaton like myself has to offer?¡± I smile at her too. I decided to discard the image I put up all this time. This isn¡¯t Olivia¡¯s best friend I¡¯m talking to now, she¡¯s a cunning merchant. ¡°So you say, but there¡¯s no way a simple automaton can produce something like this.¡± Amy places a piece of paper on the table. It¡¯s one of the papers I wrote for Olivia, condensing the information from the textbook. ¡°Knowing you, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve made a lot more than just this. Christina might be teaching Olivia now, but I¡¯m sure your restless personality forced you to keep making more.¡± ¡°You want to buy what I did if that¡¯s the case then?¡± I dissimulate a smile, but she¡¯s right on the money. I¡¯ve already gone through around half of the magic fundamentals textbook. I don¡¯t know for how long Christina¡¯s favor will last, so I want to be ready whenever I have to tutor Olivia again. ¡°It¡¯s alright if you haven¡¯t, you can just start writing again now.¡± ¡°I see, so that¡¯s your plan.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it. Your notes are extremely easy to understand, you see. They could easily be sold to any student, not just failing ones.¡± So essentially I would be writing a new textbook. We still have Ophelia¡¯s inheritance, which should be able to support Olivia to adulthood even while having a decently lavish life. But I don¡¯t like the idea of just using up money like it grows on trees, so earning some money on the side sounds like a good idea. But¡­ ¡°Amy, is it alright if I just write the first copy?¡± ¡°Yes, of course. I¡¯ll take care of printing the rest and distributing them.¡± Amy frowns. The amount she offered wasn¡¯t bad, but it was just a flat rate. ¡°I¡¯d rather take 40 percent of the earnings rather than a flat rate.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s asking for too much no matter how I look at it.¡± She tried sharpening her gaze, but it only looked cute. ¡°I guess we can¡¯t come to terms then, I¡¯ll forget we had this conversation.¡± ¡°Natalia, do you perhaps think you can run such a business all on your own?¡± ¡°Hmm, what if I do, in fact?¡± ¡°I know you can¡¯t.¡± I replied in a suggestive voice, but she only stared at me suspiciously while lowering the tone of her voice. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation and stop supporting the content thief!) ¡°Press shops usually only make business with wealthy customers like nobles or rich merchants. No one would ever buy a book written by a nobody after all. So unless you have specific connections, you¡¯d never get access to one as a normal person.¡± In my world, books started as something only nobles had access to as well, with most of them being copied by hand at first. I had a hunch things are like that in this world as well. I was actually surprised when I saw paper and ink being common appliances, and textbooks and notebooks distributed in the Academy. I guess demand is high, but the cost of entry is still very high. ¡°You don¡¯t have any connections with a printing press, do you? But I do, and I know that¡¯s reason enough for this business to be impossible for you.¡± ¡°I see, you¡¯re right about that. But you¡¯re forgetting something very important.¡± I place my hand on the magic circle diagram drawn on the paper she showed me, and with just a minuscule amount of mana I rearrange the ink. I don¡¯t need a cauldron for something so small. ¡°As you can see, I can use alchemy if I want to make multiple copies.¡± Amy notices the new shape, and she looks around nervously while trying to hide her sour face. Either she forgot to take my alchemy into account, or she was unaware that alchemy could do this as well. I don¡¯t know which was the issue, but I know she didn¡¯t expect it. ¡°Or should we still partner up, but I take care of printing too? Though I¡¯ll demand an even bigger share of the profits if we do that, since I¡¯ll be doing more work.¡± ¡°That¡¯ll just make the people from the press I¡¯m friends with mad! They won¡¯t ever offer to print anything from me again!¡± Amy raised her voice for the first time since negotiations started. I feel like making her angry isn¡¯t the most grown-up thing to do, but I stopped caring about that the moment she called this business. ¡°But you only offered a flat rate if I only do the writing, so we¡¯re back to square one. Hmm, maybe it¡¯s still best if I do everything on my own after all.¡± ¡°And how do you plan on selling it then? I¡¯m already acquainted with everyone in my school year, regardless of the classroom.¡± That much makes sense, she¡¯s here to make connections after all. And she always knew how to gather attention. A wise man once said, ¡®Never stop advertising. Even if you offer a really good product, no one will buy it if they don¡¯t know of it.¡¯ From that perspective, Amy was doing the ideal thing, which gave her a large advantage. But Olivia would not fall behind either. ¡°I can always rely on the Young Lady for that. Her name¡¯s pretty well-known in the entire Academy, and even the higher grades have taken notice of her after the duel with Matthias. I¡¯m sure I could rely on them to spread the word everywhere.¡± All those students that kept challenging her to duels the other day looked confident in their own skills, but were shown how inferior they were compared to Olivia. If I tell them Olivia usually studies with these notes, I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll sell like hotcakes. And technically I wouldn¡¯t be lying. ¡°I can easily catch up on both printing and publicity in a short time. I¡¯m sorry Amy, but I think-¡± ¡°25 percent¡­¡± Amy mutters after hanging her head for some time. I heard her, but she¡¯s not meeting my demands, so I ignore her. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen. Please support us by visiting our site.) ¡°38 percent.¡± ¡°27?¡± ¡°35 and no lower.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± I decided to go slightly lower because forty seemed to really be too much for her. Going a bit lower would keep the negotiations afloat. ¡°I forgot to mention, but I want to get all the ink and paper I need as well, separate from my share.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Do I need to say it more clearly? I¡¯ll take 35 percent of the profits, and you¡¯ll provide the paper and ink I need on top of that. Those are my final conditions.¡± ¡°Ahh¡­ahahah, okay, I¡¯ll have to accept that.¡± Amy reclines in her chair and hangs her arms tired. I had been firm on my stance all this time, so she quickly took the bait the moment I loosened my conditions. I usually include the ink and paper in our monthly expenses. I was only asking her to provide those to make up for my lessened share. The difference with my initial offering is minuscule, but it looks like a lot considering how long we were haggling for. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go with that. Let¡¯s sign a contract.¡± ¡°I guess that¡¯s a deal, then.¡± Amy takes out another piece of paper and a pen, she had prepared them beforehand, and began writing the details of the contract. I¡¯m actually giving up a lot of control by signing this deal. All I do is write the manuscripts, everything after that, including advertising, printing, distributing, and pricing will be handled by her. In other words, she¡¯s free to decide how to do all of that. Whether that made things easier for me, or made things convenient for Amy, depended on each person¡¯s outlook. At least I¡¯m not intruding in her area of expertise as a merchant, so I¡¯ll just rely on her doing a good job. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m done. Read through it to make sure everything is okay and then sign please.¡± I read through the contract and don¡¯t find any issues with it. I¡¯ll be writing manuscripts, and then Amy will compile them into a reference book and print it. The profits will be shared the way we agreed on. Amy will provide the paper and ink for the manuscripts as well. It¡¯s so simple it¡¯s impossible to get it wrong. Finally I signed the contract. ¡°Hahh¡­ I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d be such a tough nut to crack.¡± ¡°Was it really so unexpected? I¡¯m also in charge of managing the inheritance funds, so I have a stronger sense of value than the regular person.¡± ¡°Not really, I feel like the regular person would¡¯ve instantly jumped on the opportunity only with the money I offered at first.¡± I actually have my past life¡¯s experience as well, but I don¡¯t mention that. ¡°Still, you¡¯re too easy to read, Amy. You should be more careful with your emotions when negotiating.¡± ¡°Urghh¡­yeah, I have a long way to go too.¡± A smile is much easier to read than a deadpan. One has to learn all sorts of tricks to negotiate properly. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Say no to content thief!) ¡°You¡¯re still young so I don¡¯t want to be too harsh either though. And I think you look better with a smile anyway.¡± She¡¯s still a minor, so maybe it¡¯s best for her to keep her child-like traits though. It¡¯s okay to work hard for a goal from a young age, but that¡¯s no reason to throw away one¡¯s purity and innocence. Or well, at least until she develops an ego when she gets older. ¡°Anyway, if that¡¯s all you wanted to talk about, I¡¯ll be heading back to my room.¡± ¡°Ah, sure, that was everything. Thanks.¡± Amy answers with her head down. I stand up and head out of the dining room. ¡°Ah, right, I almost forgot.¡± I stop and decide to reveal one thing, ¡°Making copies with alchemy is awfully tedious, I never had any intention of doing that.¡± ¡°Wha-?!¡± I¡¯m glad Amy has connections with a printing press. I walk with a slightly happy gait as I return to my room. CH 53.1 Time for the real Girls¡¯ Talk. After Natalia left, leaving only a fragrant scent behind, Olivia and Christina jumped into the dining room in her stead. ¡°Good job.¡± ¡°Ah, no, Natalia beat me fair and square.¡± While Christina congratulated her, Amy just made a sour face. Amy had called Natalia according to something they had planned three days earlier, to verify what Natalia thought about same-sex relationships. The negotiations had been something Amy planned on her own. She thought that starting the conversation with something simple and casual like romance would lower her guard and give Amy the upper hand. In the end Natalia still beat her though. But she had managed to help her friend, and accomplished that part of her mission. Still, Amy could not fully rejoice since her personal objective had failed. ¡°So, what happened to her?¡± Amy turned to look at Olivia, who looked pale like the world was about to end. ¡°She¡¯s still in shock after hearing everything Natalia said.¡± Olivia had a very straightforward personality and was never good using her head, so Amy could understand why she felt that way. It was impossible for Olivia to appear smart. In other words, she did not match Natalia¡¯s type. Not to mention that it was almost like Natalia was describing Olivia¡¯s late mother. ¡°Ahh, come on, cheer up a little. It¡¯s not like she rejected you.¡± ¡°Exactly. And even if you don¡¯t match everything she likes, I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll eventually correspond to your feelings if you remain constant.¡± ¡°You¡­think so?¡± Olivia¡¯s eyes regained a bit of life. ¡°Yeah, and you meet pretty much everything else she likes.¡± ¡°She mentioned straight black hair and height, right?¡± ¡°Yes, and look, Olivia¡¯s hair is long, black, and straight. She¡¯s also pretty tall for her age, and she¡¯ll just keep growing.¡± ¡°That reminds me, I heard if you work out a lot you also grow taller.¡± ¡°And she never gives up easily, so she¡¯s reliable and trustworthy.¡± ¡°You¡­you¡¯re right, I can do this!¡± Olivia finally lifted her face and slapped herself awake. ¡°I¡¯ll never give up and continue showing Natalia my feelings! And then Natalia will eventually like me!¡± More than my mother. She kept that last part to herself, but she was still determined to fulfill her love. ¡°Yeah, you can do it! Show her the pure love only muscle heads are capable of.¡± ¡°Umm, I¡¯ll also do my best to help however I can.¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation and stop supporting the content thief!) Amy and Christina showered Olivia with support. ¡°Though uhh, exactly what should we do?¡± ¡°You tried being really assertive at first, right?¡± ¡°Did you?¡± Olivia mentioned how the first time she met Natalia she tried mimicking the way demi-humans propose, forcefully getting in a bath with her, and kissing her when saying goodbye, but nothing had any effect. Christina grimaced hearing all that, but she tried to calmly analyze it. ¡°U-umm, you really did crazier things than I expected. But that aside, let¡¯s try to figure out why it didn¡¯t work.¡± ¡°You think so?¡± ¡°Anyway, I feel like the biggest issue is that Natalia still sees you as simply her mistress¡¯ daughter.¡± ¡°Hmmm, yeah, that sounds about right.¡± Natalia¡¯s words when snapping back at Mathias had been burned into Olivia¡¯s mind. ¡°You¡¯re right, she¡¯s also so polite with everyone. I think she¡¯s always mindful of her own role, maybe a bit too much.¡± ¡°But she¡¯s never cold either, I really love how kind she¡¯s to everyone.¡± ¡°Ah, okay sure, let¡¯s not get into that right now though.¡± Olivia grinned and blushed as she pressed her cheeks, and Amy stopped her. ¡°I think the fact that Natalia is a magic automaton also plays a role. I heard magic automatons are basically an extension of golems, so their masters¡¯ orders are absolute for them.¡± ¡°I see. That might be a fundamental trait of magic automatons then1.¡± Christina had been learning magic since before she entered the Magic Academy, and while she was no expert, she knew a thing or two about magic automatons. Still, that only applied to newly created magic automatons that had not developed sentience yet, but the girls had no way of knowing that. ¡°Doesn¡¯t that make things really hard then? A magic automaton¡¯s behavior is like a living being¡¯s instincts.¡± ¡°Hmm, maybe? But I feel like it shouldn¡¯t be that big of a problem in the long run.¡± ¡°Why do you say that?¡± ¡°Because love between vastly different races or social ranks has existed for a long time.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Amy nodded, hearing Christina¡¯s reasoning. ¡°I know this sounds a bit grandiose coming from a noble like myself, but doesn¡¯t the wall of race or ranking make this even more charming?¡± For nobles, marriage was just a duty and tool to strengthen one¡¯s family, so love outside their social circle was seen as taboo. But that also made it even more romanticized. Also, the Seperion Kingdom emphasized less difference between races, so seeing nobles of mixed races like Mathias was more common than in other countries. But many still valued keeping family lines pure, and there was a strong push to keep within social classes. CH 54 It¡¯s been a few months since our life in the Academy started. Olivia¡¯s poor grades have been somewhat remedied thanks to Christina¡¯s help. They managed to get close thanks to that as well, so now I see them together with Amy very often. ¡°Natalia, I¡¯m going to Chris¡¯ place now.¡± ¡°Okay, take care.¡± Lately Olivia also uses that nickname for Christina. That¡¯s good and all, but something bothers me a bit. Actually that¡¯s probably an exaggeration. It¡¯s just a trivial personal thing. Olivia has gotten less needy than before. In the past she used to always cling to me, or demand head pats, but now she basically never does that anymore. Maybe she¡¯s starting to recover from Ophelia¡¯s passing, or she¡¯s just going through puberty. Maybe both. ¡°I¡¯m lonely¡­ I probably shouldn¡¯t be so selfish though.¡± I mutter as I look at the door, alone in the room. Either way, I¡¯m just being too emotional for no reason. I¡¯m sure Olivia will reach an age when she doesn¡¯t want my care anymore, and maybe I¡¯ll have to distance myself when that happens. ¡°Well, the Young Lady is working hard, so I should go train myself too.¡± I¡¯m done with housework and I finished the manuscripts for Amy last night. There¡¯s just one thing left to do. Hunting plus combat training. I¡¯ve come to the familiar Valhen Woods. I¡¯m wearing the same disguise as before, masquerading as a masked adventurer. I¡¯m sure I could find something to do just by wandering around, but there¡¯s one place I want to check out. I don¡¯t know the exact location, but I should recognize it once I¡¯m close enough. I see familiar monsters as I walk, and I take them out in the usual way. Lately I¡¯ve also learned some new non-attack spells, thanks to reading Olivia¡¯s textbooks. Maybe I should give them a try. ¡°Stand Mirage.¡± ¡°Booohhh!¡± An Orc Soldier, the next level after a High Orc, runs at me with his battleaxe raised. I stand still and watch as he swings it down. Slam! The battleaxe passes through my body, and hits the ground raising a cloud of dust. ¡°Buhu?¡± The Orc Soldier lets out a confused grunt. Even though the axe passed through me, I¡¯m looking at him without moving a muscle. ¡°Buoh!¡± The Orc Soldier can¡¯t understand what¡¯s happening, raising his battleaxe and swinging it wildly in all directions. It moved so swiftly that there was a soft whistling sound as the sharp axe sliced the air, but I still wouldn¡¯t move. Well, I guess that proves the spell works. Satisfied, I shoot the Orc Soldier. A spurt of blood comes from the bullet wound and the Orc Soldier falls limp. I undo the spell I was using. The figure of me the Orc Soldier was attacking vanishes into thin aid, and I appear behind the monster. ¡°Illusory Magic is fun, but also kinda tricky.¡± The Orc Soldier had been attacking a projection of me I made with Illusory Magic. The same spell concealed my real body, so I could stand behind the Orc Soldier without him noticing. In a way it worked better than expected, but in another way that was exactly what I wanted to happen. The textbook mentioned that proficient warriors can easily see through such projections, so it¡¯s best to not use it in real fights. But it¡¯s more than enough for decoys when fighting monsters with low intelligence. It¡¯s very effective in that situation. The tricky part is making the projection move. If done improperly, the limbs could end up detaching from the body and moving on their own, or the movements can look really robotic. I¡¯m not good enough for that. I also have to move my real body really slowly, since it becomes visible otherwise. But that much is obvious. Either way, it¡¯s not something I can just use without thinking about it to confuse enemies. Anyway, I take the Orc Soldier that is still somehow breathing and drag him behind me as I return to the path I was walking on. Soon I notice a familiar scent. It seems it didn¡¯t move out. I make way through the thicket and I see the large Man Eater clinging to a tree. ¡°Hey, how¡¯ve you been?¡± ¡°Shahh! Shah shahh!¡± When I call out to it, the Man Eater raises its vines high trying to intimidate me. I guess that means it remembers me. It feels like it¡¯s trying to tell me not to get closer. ¡°Ah, I know how you feel but don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t take anything this time.¡± I throw the freshly caught Orc Soldier in front of the Man Eater. ¡°¡­¡± The Man Eater could not understand what I was doing, staying still while looking warily at me. ¡°My thanks for the fruits, or I guess apology is better. Feel free to eat him.¡± I stand back and sit on the ground, trying to show I meant no harm. It slowly gets off the tree as I watch from a distance, and moves on top of the Orc Soldier. *Crunch, rip, shlurp * It¡¯s like Bemstar¡­or I guess more like Astromons. I watch the Man Eater swallowing the Orc Soldier whole as I think back to giant monsters from my past life. The Man Eater finishes its meal and returns to the tree. My business is done as well, so I stand up too. ¡°Shah!¡± The Man Eater sounds much calmer than before, and it seems to be ruffling for something on the tree it¡¯s attached to. I wonder what it¡¯s doing. Eventually it lifts one of its vines, a red fruit like a cherry grasped on its end, and it extends it towards me. ¡°Shah!¡± ¡°You¡¯re giving me that?¡± ¡°Shah!¡± That sounded like a yes from the Man Eater. I didn¡¯t expect a monster that looks so plant-like to have that kind of intelligence, so I approach warily in case it¡¯s trying to lure me in. But it turns out I¡¯m worrying for nothing, and I get the tree¡¯s fruit without issue. Somehow the Man Eater looks a bit cuter than before. Maybe I should come back to feed it again. After that I continued wandering around the forest randomly, taking out monsters when I felt like it, greeting adventurers I crossed paths with, and the day ended without anything out of the ordinary. CH 55 Many months have passed since we moved to Ingralowe. My current routine revolves around finishing daily chores, practicing some alchemy, writing notes from the magic textbooks, and a trip to the forest for some combat training or to feed the Man Eater every once in a while. It¡¯s a pretty peaceful life. Olivia is free from school today, so she¡¯ll be hanging out with her two demi-human friends. I accompany Olivia to the dorm¡¯s entrance, and then turn around to practice some alchemy, but Amy tells me to please go with them too. ¡°There¡¯s something we want you to see.¡± They tell me that, so I accompany them into the city. It¡¯s still pretty early so most of the stores haven¡¯t opened yet, but apparently that¡¯s better for what they want. ¡°Natalia, apparently there¡¯s a new shop in the city!¡± ¡°Hey, I thought we agreed we¡¯d take care of my business first!¡± ¡°U-umm, please wait for me, you two.¡± Olivia runs ahead full of excitement, while Amy scolds her. They bring me to a rather large store, with a sign that reads ¡®Nekome Store, Western Ingralowe St. branch¡¯. I think this is one of the stores operated by Amy¡¯s family. ¡°We¡¯ve been waiting for you, esteemed friends of Amy¡¯s.¡± A middle-aged man comes out and greets us with a hunched stance. He¡¯s the manager of the store. ¡°Take us to the place where it¡¯s being sold.¡± ¡°Please follow me then.¡± The manager leads us to the books section. ¡°Many clients were skeptical at first, but it¡¯s become one of our hottest items.¡± ¡°Heheh, you heard him, Natalia.¡± Amy turns around and looks at me with a proud look on her face. I¡¯m actually happy it¡¯s selling well too. ¡°Manager, this is Natalia, the author of the book.¡± ¡°Ohh, so that was you. It¡¯s an honor to meet you.¡± The manager greets me, and then starts discussing the sales with Amy. ¡°For now most of the clients looking for it are students, but every now and then someone older asks for it too. I¡¯m sure the sales will keep growing as word spreads.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a very promising start then.¡± ¡°It does sound that way. This reference book only covers half the topics in the ¡®Fundamentals of Magic Theory¡¯ textbook used in the first year of school, but I¡¯m almost done with the manuscripts for the remaining half, so it should be ready in a few days.¡± I¡¯m working hard on the book since it also helps my own magic practice, and I feel like I¡¯ll finish in around a week. After that I¡¯m thinking of focusing a bit on magic circles and the different branches of magic and their uses. ¡°Hmmm, I feel like it¡¯s a bit too soon to release a follow-up. I think we should focus on making sure every single student knows about it first. Also if we time the second release at the same time as those topics become relevant in school, there will be more demand for it.¡± ¡°You have a point, I¡¯ll leave you in charge of deciding that then,.¡± ¡°Mhm, I also need to talk with the guys doing the printing first.¡± I had the upper hand during negotiations, but Amy is taking full control of everything here. In a way, she¡¯s telling me not to get involved with the business side of things. Then again, that makes things easier for me, so unless she does something extremely bad, I don¡¯t plan on contradicting her. ¡°Oh yeah, I heard they study alchemy and magic device creation in the second half of the year, but since that depends a lot on every person¡¯s affinity, I heard theory is prioritized above practical skills. I guess there might be a demand for reference books for that too?¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation and stop supporting the content thief!) Out of the blue, I¡¯m offered a new work opportunity. That sounds so business-like that I¡¯m starting to enjoy this as well though. ¡°Hmm, I also have a personal interest in that, so I¡¯d like to give it a try.¡± I¡¯m already using alchemy from time to time to create potions, or purify metals, and knowledge about magic devices ought to help me maintain the magic devices Ophelia left behind. I really want to learn those topics in depth. Writing those notes also helps me focus when studying, so I¡¯ll keep working hard at it. ¡°Natalia, Nataliaaa.¡± I feel something tugging at my sleeve so I turn around and see Olivia, frowning as she looks bored. ¡°Are you done talking about complicated stuff? I want to look around the store.¡± Apparently she¡¯s been waiting for us to finish all this time. Meanwhile Christina is really engaged reading one of the reference books on display. I look at Amy and the manager, Amy replies with a slight shrug. ¡°That¡¯s all I really wanted to talk with you about. I still have some things to discuss with the manager, but you two can go on ahead.¡± ¡°If you¡¯ll excuse us then.¡± Amy waves at us, and Christina is too absorbed in reading my book, so Olivia and I leave them as we tour the store. The moment Natalia and Olivia left, Amy¡¯s expression stiffened. ¡°Manager, have there been any updates on the incident?¡± ¡°I could tell you but¡­¡± The manager answers with a glance at Christina. That was something he only wanted to discuss with other merchants, so he did not want an outsider to hear about it. ¡°Ah, don¡¯t worry about her. Chris is a noble¡¯s daughter, so I¡¯m sure she already knows about it, maybe even more than I do.¡± Hearing that, the manager looked around the store to make sure there was no one else nearby, then began whispering. ¡°Alright then. So the first case was around two months ago, when they found a female adventurer¡¯s body in the Valhen woods with her heart ripped out.¡± It was common knowledge that being an adventurer was a dangerous job. It was common to see half eaten bodies in monster dens, and most of the equipment used by monsters like goblins once belonged to adventurers as well. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen. Please support us by visiting our site.) But with that specific body they could tell she had not been killed by monsters, but that a human had done everything. ¡°They found traces of a specific monster¡¯s venom in the body, but there were no signs that the monster had ever bitten her, and someone had burned monster repellent incense in the area too. At least three more similar bodies have been found since then, two in the alleys of the city.¡± Usually monsters would eat the body of their prey. There were some monsters that would only eat the hearts, but those had never been spotted in the Valhen Woods, not to mention that a monster would never burn incense to repel other monsters. The logical conclusion was that the killer did not want monsters getting in the way, or eating the body after he was done. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s the Heart Collector?¡± Christina finally raised her eyes from the book and asked that. ¡°You think so too then?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m a noble too after all.¡± Heart Collector was the nickname given to a serial killer that had been running rampant in Seperion and other neighboring countries. His usual targets were young female adventurers who were hard to identify. He would always set up a zone clear of monsters, use a certain type of venom, and always took the hearts of his victims. There were other habits of his that matched the killings in Ingralowe, so the nobles and the guild believed the Heart Collector was there. ¡°Though well, I¡¯m still a student, so I won¡¯t poke too much into that. I¡¯ll let the guards and guild take care of it.¡± ¡°That would be for the best, yes.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do the same, I guess.¡± The Nekome store sells mostly common household items and other miscellaneous things, but the selection feels a bit more varied than other stores I¡¯ve visited, and the items are easy to see on the displays. Olivia¡¯s eyes are brimming with excitement as she looks at everything available for sale. Usually she¡¯s a bit of a tomboy, but now she¡¯s actually acting like a girl her age. ¡°Natalia look, aren¡¯t these the ones you¡¯re always using?¡± The store has a section for scent pouches too. Some are of flowers, fruits, and even types of trees. I can tell they have a large variety at first glance. But none are the same as mine. ¡°No, I use a different type. I made mine with the rinds of Man Eater fruits.¡± It¡¯s a good selection of scents, but they¡¯re all from regular items. I guess something that came from a monster named Man Eater wouldn¡¯t sell well. ¡°That reminds me, the scent of mine has been fading a bit, so I should probably renew it.¡± I really want to get more Man Eater fruits soon, but they take a long time to grow, so I don¡¯t know when I¡¯ll get the chance. But there¡¯s a large variety of other scents here, so I guess I¡¯ll just get one of these. I begin searching through those available here, looking for one I like. Man Eater fruits have a really sweet scent, so maybe I should pick a more refreshing one next. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Say no to content thief!) ¡°Hey, I think this one might suit you, what do you think?¡± Olivia offers me a pouch with a light blue color. I take it and give it a sniff, a very familiar and refreshing scent filling my nostrils. ¡°That¡¯s Spica Lily scent.¡± That explains why it feels so familiar. I could never forget my favorite flower, the one Olivia put herself in so much danger to get for me. I start smiling just thinking about it. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll get this one then.¡± I don¡¯t have a reason to hesitate choosing it, just like back then. ¡°I¡¯ll get one for myself too then.¡± ¡°We¡¯re matching then.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± I never did anything like this as a guy, but I always heard that girls always are closer with each other than guys, just like how they¡¯re more comfortable with skinship too, so I guess this is normal for them. Not to mention that Olivia is basically part of my family now, and my new master, so I really shouldn¡¯t overthink this. Olivia looks happy, and that¡¯s what matters the most. CH 56 Mostly about the world¡¯s religion, not very important for the main story When we leave the Nekome Store, Christina takes us to the church. It looked a lot like a catholic church, except that instead of being symbolized by a cross, it was something like two circles, one white and one black, joined by an X, looking like some weird design of glasses. And this reminds me, I don¡¯t know anything about the religion of this world ¡°Ah, this is my first time coming to a church.¡± Olivia says that, her eyes looking distant. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yeah, both my parents were really spectacular, you see.¡± ¡°I think ¡®secular¡¯ is the word you¡¯re looking for.¡± Amy corrects Olivia¡¯s mistake. If Amy hadn¡¯t been here, I probably would¡¯ve thought that Olivia¡¯s parents were some sort of super heroes. I tend to take everything at face value since there¡¯s a lot I don¡¯t know about this world. ¡°Umm, to be honest I¡¯m not the most religious person either, I just like the ambiance here. Somehow it makes me feel really awake.¡± I understand what Christina is trying to say. I also felt something similar when I visited shrines or temples in my past life. Every time I was in one, even if no priest or monks were watching, something made me stand upright all the time. ¡°Chrstina, I don¡¯t really know anything about this religion, do you mind teaching me?¡± ¡°Yes, of course. Though I pretty much only know what¡¯s common knowledge around here.¡± Christina then starts talking about this religion, and the myth that gave birth to it. At first, there was no world, just a vast emptiness where two married gods descended, Branses and Nowarel. Branses had control over light and life, Nowarel over darkness and destruction, and their combined power birthed the world. Once the foundation of the world was established, the couple called more gods, Luciel God of Fire and War, Bregos God of Water and Wisdom, Verdel God of Trees and Harvest, Marrogole God of Earth and Development, and Junel God of Thunder and Travel. These gods filled the world created by the couple with abundant nature and life. Branses desired intelligent beings, creating three young boys and three young girls. One pair were elves, the wisest race. One pair were dwarves, the strongest race. And one pair were humans, who stood in the middle between the others. Nowarel imitated Branses and created more life. But rather than being human, only monsters appeared. Nowarel felt that was not right, so together with Branses she tried again. This time demi-humans, mermaids, birdmen, draconids, and others were born. Nowarel¡¯s new children were accepted by Branses¡¯, and together they referred to each other as people. The people then began growing in numbers. This would make the world a place brimming with life and nature, thought the gods. But things didn¡¯t go so well. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation and stop supporting the content thief!) The monsters began to attack people. They had no experience with battle, so many lost their lives. Nowarel wished to help the people, but Branses opposed that. ¡°Monsters are also part of the world. It¡¯s not fair to support some life and forget about the other.¡± Bregos and Marrogole agreed with that. The other gods understood their point of view, but they could not stand seeing the people they had created be consumed by monsters. They set off to convince Branses. Nowarel was with them, who had created the monsters in the first place. After seeing his wife beg for so long, Branses finally offered a compromise. The gods would not step in, but they would teach the people how to make weapons, how to use them, and impart them with a portion of divine power which was later known as magic. Now that the people had the means to defend themselves, they were able to regain some peace and liberty, even if it was not constant. But a new type of conflict followed soon. Some of the children of Branses began antagonizing Nowarel, who created the monsters, so they began attacking the demi-humans. That greatly affected Nowarel, who went to beg Branses to help her demi-human children, but Branses would not accept this time. Desperate to help the demi-humans, Nowarel gave birth to demons, a race that should have protected them. But rather than doing that, the demons set off to destroy all of humanity. Branses could not sit still watching that, so he created angels to stop the demons. As demons and angels fought, the gods decided it was best to no longer interfere with life on the world. With time, some of Branses¡¯ children eased their hate on demi-humans, while other races decided to separate even further. That was how different settlements and countries were formed. ¡°And that¡¯s the story told by the Branowa church.¡± That¡¯s¡­kinda miserable. At least that¡¯s how I feel after hearing all of that. The story aside, I felt bad for making Christina, a demi-human, relate something that painted demi-humans in such a bad light. Though I can¡¯t forget I¡¯m a monster myself. ¡°The Branowa church isn¡¯t that bad. The issue is the Bran church.¡± ¡°Y-yeah, if you put it like that¡­¡± Amy flinched a bit hearing that, and Christina grimaced a bit too. I¡¯m curious, but I don¡¯t know if I should ask more¡­ (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen. Please support us by visiting our site.) ¡°The Bran church claims Branses is the highest God, and that Nowarel is an evil Goddess that tried to sabotage his world. They claim demi-humans are just like monsters and demons, servants of the evil Goddess.¡± ¡°But that¡¯s why it¡¯s prohibited to be part of the Bran church in Seperion, due to the many races that live together here. But it¡¯s a different story in countries where most of the population is human, especially in the western kingdoms like Granleuche, they¡¯ve formed a large conglomerate of allied countries where everyone is part of the Bran church there. They¡¯ve been an enemy of Seperion for a long time, so if you ever find anyone who¡¯s part of that sect you should warn the guards.¡± They explain everything before I can decide whether to ask or not. It seems Amy and Christina don¡¯t think much of the Branowa church¡¯s story, but they¡¯re clearly unhappy with the way the Bran church portrays them. Though anyone would feel that way. I feel like this is the first time I¡¯ve seen Christina voice her annoyance so clearly though. ¡°Also, the Branowa church doesn¡¯t only deify Branses and Nowarel, but they recommend praying to all other Gods too.¡± ¡°For example farmers tend to pray to Verdel a bit more, since that¡¯s the God of Harvest, and soldiers will pray to the God of War Luciel.¡± So they pray to a higher god, and then to a god that is related to their jobs. I guess that makes it less complicated and easier to follow for most people. Also, where¡¯s Olivia? She hasn¡¯t said anything in a while. ¡°So the bra¡¯s chores made demi-humans god¡¯s hands¡­¡± ¡°Young Lady, I don¡¯t understand a word you¡¯re saying.¡± Olivia is struggling too much trying to keep up with the conversation and is holding her head in pain. Ingralowe was one of Seperion¡¯s biggest cities, a large number of people entering and leaving through its gates every day, dwarfing the traffic in smaller countryside towns. But the scuffle happening in one of the gates was not a common occurrence. A large crowd was forming around a certain bulky carriage, which was tightly protected by guards. The crowd was there to see if they should be worried about whatever was in that carriage, or simply out of curiosity. The carriage was covered in a large cloth, making it impossible to see its contents. That was likely done to protect the items, but that simply attracted even more attention. ¡°Get away! This isn¡¯t a show!¡± The guards shouted angrily, trying to somehow open a path for the carriage through the crowd, but they showed no signs of dispersing. Quite the opposite, people seemed to constantly call even more people to join the crowd. The young guards were starting to lose his patience with that willful crowd, when either coincidence or their bad luck decided to play a bad prank on them, as a powerful gust of wind blew the cloth off. ¡°Didn¡¯t you tie that properly?!¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m really sorry!¡± The leader roared angrily while a young guard hastily tried to keep the cloth down, but it was all too late. Everyone had gotten a good look at it. Limbs hanging lifelessly, a hole carved in her chest, the pitiful remains of a girl. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Say no to content thief!) There was a moment of silence before the crowd silently opened the way for the carriage. The guards grimaced in annoyance, but at least they could continue moving now. The guards left and there was only an uncomfortably silent crowd left, which slowly dispersed as they tried to focus on their lives again, forgetting the nightmarish sight they had just witnessed. ¡°¡­¡± Only one person was left, an adventurer, who just so happened to be there. He had struggled to overcome the walls people built around different races and got engaged, and now he stood in a shocked daze after seeing the remains of his betrothed. CH 57.1 I see Olivia off like always, practice alchemy like always, and go to the forest like always. Kill any goblins, orcs, or kobolds in my path as I follow the route I was kinda accustomed to. Nowadays my days all feel the same. I¡¯m pretty much used to White Viper now too, and I feel like one more hour of hunting or so should be enough for today. I feel like all monsters have vanished all of a sudden though. I wonder what¡¯s going on? Maybe I should just head back home. There are some tactics I still want to try though¡­ I keep walking as I think about it when I hear footsteps somewhere. I listen more attentively and recognize there are multiple sets of footsteps, all approaching me at quite some speed. I face the direction the footsteps are coming from and brace myself. ¡°Hieee!¡± ¡°Graaawrrr!!¡± It was a running dog demi-human, and five humanoids with horns. Are they demons? No, these are ogres. Ogres stand above lower level monsters like goblins or orcs, even the superior variants. And there¡¯s five of them here. I don¡¯t think I can take them out as easily as I¡¯m used to around here. ¡°But they¡¯re a perfect training target!¡± I smile under my mask and kick off the ground. ¡°You get down, okay.¡± I run past the dog demi-human, standing between him and the ogres. I have to attract their attention first. I aim White Viper at the ogres, pull the trigger once and watch as a bullet leaves the muzzle and flies forward. The ogres stand still. But they start moving soon enough, their eyes focused on me now. It seems they didn¡¯t take as much damage as I hoped. That makes sense. White Viper¡¯s bullets aren¡¯t any stronger than Black Hawk¡¯s, the main difference being in their rate of firing. A sub-machine gun firing a single round packs very little power1. ¡°Grahhhh!¡± I jump back to evade the incoming club, and survey the monsters before I land again. There¡¯s no unity in the weapons they¡¯re holding, some with clubs and others with swords, but they¡¯re all armed. On top of that, that club strike wasn¡¯t as powerful as the golem, but pretty close. Taking it head on would be a bad idea. There¡¯s five of them too, so this will be a pretty rough battle. But that¡¯s what makes it worth fighting. Lucky for me, they are pretty slow to attack. I can win. ¡°And to deal with a group of enemies alone¡­¡± I had to position myself so they blocked each other. That way those behind would be impeded from attacking. If they don¡¯t know how to properly work together, they might even start hitting each other, causing conflict inside their group as well. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation and stop supporting the content thief!) ¡°Grooowrrr!¡± Their movements became more clumsy the moment they stood in front of each other. At the same time, White Viper delivered them a quick death. ¡°Ghahh!¡± One of them collapses on the ground, blood spouting from its head. That¡¯s how powerful I can be when I focus. ¡°Grooowlll!!¡± The ogres seem to realize the danger of White Viper, so they start trying to encircle me. But they¡¯re too clumsy to ever be able to move fast enough for that. One of them moves, separating from the group, so I rush in to stand in front of it. ¡°Ghah, Gahhhh!¡± The ogre seems to hesitate for a bit before raising its sword high, but it swings too late. I jump back and shoot, hitting the blade and its arm. I keep my hand on the trigger, adjusting my aim a little lower and creating a series of red holes on its chest. It refuses to let go of its blade or die though, ogres are really resilient. I guess I just got lucky hitting the first one in a vital spot. Firing more can fix all that though. Once I unload an entire magazine, the ogre slowly collapses. Three monsters left now. ¡°Grhaaaaaaaa!¡± ¡°Growrllll!¡± ¡°Ah, crap.¡± The remaining ogres charge at me, ready to crush me under them even if they die in the attempt. This is the worst time for that, White Viper is out of bullets. If I try firing while manually supplying the necessary mana, I won¡¯t be able to produce enough. I need to reload somehow. It¡¯s not too hard to outrun ogres, but I need to stand still for a moment if I want to take out a fresh magazine from my magic storage and reload. I need to find a way to buy time to reload. Maybe I could try opening the magic storage just below the gun and just drop the magazine inside¡­wait huh? Why am I feeling deja vu all of a sudden? Clack! ¡°Dammit!¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen. Please support us by visiting our site.) I got distracted and accidentally dropped the new magazine. The ogres chasing after me crush the magazine under their heavy feet. Ugh I don¡¯t have as many magazines for White Viper as for Black Hawk. Then again, it¡¯s my fault for being stupid and trying to do that in the middle of a fight. But I decide I¡¯m not done being an idiot and try to pick it up. ¡°Grah!¡± Oh great, now the ogre is about to slam its club on me. ¡°Tch.¡± I roll to the side and evade the hit. There are no invincibility frames when rolling, unlike in a game, but I still manage to dodge. I quickly get up and run to a nearby tree. I reload as quickly as I can and then jump out to face the direction I came from. The ogres aren¡¯t as stupid as I thought. Instead of following me in a straight line, one of them separated from the group to cut me off from the other side. But they¡¯re still slow. I quickly turn my body to pass under the ogre¡¯s armpit and slice its stomach open with the magic blade on my left hand. It didn¡¯t go deep. Still, that¡¯s enough to distract it for a bit. I jump behind it and aim White Viper at the back of its head. ¡°Agagaga-¡± Its entire back starts to shake from the bullet impacts, and I kick off its back to put some distance between me and the remaining ogres while I reload. White Viper really uses up magazines too fast. Being able to fire continuously gives it a lot of power, but that I can¡¯t fire for prolonged periods of time is an issue. I¡¯d ask Ophelia to tweak that if she was still alive, but sadly that¡¯s not possible. At least she left behind the blueprints, and my alchemy is getting good enough to work on intricate mechanisms. It¡¯d be nice if I can work on it myself one day. Only two ogres remain, and they continue charging mindlessly at me even though three of their comrades have already died. CH 57.2 I don¡¯t have enough time to finish reloading, but at least I won¡¯t repeat the same mistake as before. If I don¡¯t have enough time, I just need to get some more. The ogres continue running at me, and now I turn and run at them too. ¡°Ghah!¡± ¡°Gugh!¡± I pass right between their club and sword. Damn, they grazed my arm. But it¡¯s no biggie. I have a pretty good understanding of them now. They pack quite a punch, but they¡¯re no smarter than orcs or goblins. A simple diversion should trick them too. ¡°Project my body, Stand Mirage.¡± I¡¯m still pretty new to this spell, so I have to chant the entire thing. The ogres quickly turn to follow me behind them, but then they hesitate. They could not decide which me to attack. Stand Mirage creates projections of one¡¯s self. As long as I know what I look like and have enough mana, I can create as many as I want. There were more than ten of me surrounding the ogres. At first the ogres had the advantage in numbers, but more than half of them were dead, and I could only imagine how they felt seeing this illusion now. Though that¡¯s all they were, illusions, they don¡¯t have any strength. And everything will be ruined if I try to move even just one of them. But this is good enough. I¡¯m only doing this to buy me some time to reload, so as long as they get distracted I¡¯m happy. Ka-chink! Good. I had actually stayed right next to the ogres, and pulled the trigger from essentially point blank the moment I finished reloading. The light blue magic bullets pierce into the ogres¡¯ bodies, and red spots quickly take their place. I jump back again to evade the enormous falling body, dispel Stand Mirage, and chant it again. This time I use different locations and poses for my projections. ¡°Guh¡­ghah!¡± The ogre looks around confused for a bit, but it quickly centers on my real body. I guess it really is hard to trick an enemy with projections like that. It might work a bit at first, but the effect quickly wears off. It¡¯s not something I should abuse often. The ogre swings its sword horizontally and I stop it with my magic blade. ¡°Woah!¡± But I¡¯m fighting an ogre, a monster with almost as much strength as the golem. There¡¯s no way I can block an attack with so much force, so I¡¯m quickly flung away. I somehow manage to stop myself at a short distance, but I quickly jump away from that spot. A moment later, a sword strikes that spot. I can¡¯t stay still when facing such an opponent. I can¡¯t forget to move my feet constantly and avoid taking any direct hits. I thought I could handle them without much issue, but now that there was only one left, it was either falling to despair, or overtaken with anger, but it would not stop attacking. Eerie sounds come from the air as the unsharpened sword moves through it. The ogre¡¯s swings are broad and clumsy, so he¡¯s full of openings, but I don¡¯t have enough time to exploit them. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation and stop supporting the content thief!) At first I thought about parrying an attack and using that time to counterattack, but I¡¯m still a novice at melee combat, so I¡¯m not agile enough for that. I¡¯ve only ever used my magic blade to cut through small goblins, relying on the fact that it¡¯s incredibly sharp. If I try to block, I¡¯m flung away. White Viper is out of bullets. Illusory Magic doesn¡¯t work anymore. What can I do? I don¡¯t even have time to properly think of a plan. The ogre¡¯s sword follows me wherever I go. I can¡¯t afford to get distracted. There¡¯s only a few things I can do. It¡¯s not too different from the golem. I have to use every tool available to me. ¡°Ghraaaahhh!¡± The sword is swinging from above now. I pass under it and to the side like I¡¯ve done countless times already. The blade cuts right behind me. I can¡¯t block it. But what about pushing it from the side? Ping! As the ogre lifts the sword again, I hit it with my magic blade as fast as I can, greatly changing the sword¡¯s path. The ogre¡¯s arm moves against its will as a result, leaving him completely open. Though that applies to me as well, I used my left hand to push the ogre¡¯s sword away, and my right hand is holding White Viper with no bullets. I still have one way to attack left though. Without stopping my momentum, I raise one of my legs. A kick will be too weak, so I should just create a magic blade on my foot to finish this. ¡°Take this!¡± Wait wait, if I create a magic blade on my feet my boots will break! I hurry to draw back my leg. ¡°Hm? Wait what?¡± Wait. Why did I even think of using a magic blade from my foot? How do I know that my boots will break if I even attempt to do that? I¡¯ve never even tried to do that before. Or wait, did I actually do it? I focus as much as I can, and I slowly start to remember. It did happen, when fighting the golem, but I could never remember. I still felt like that hadn¡¯t been me. ¡°Guu!¡± Okay, daydreaming while fighting is a really bad habit I need to fix. The ogre bellows as it recovers and tries to swing its sword down. ¡°Tsk.¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen. Please support us by visiting our site.) The moment I voice my discomfort White Viper is finally replenished with mana. ¡°Ghaaaa!¡± ¡°E-enough!¡± I point my right arm forwards as fast as I can and pull the trigger. The bullets pierce through the ogre faster than its sword swinging down. The ogre trembles each time a bullet pierces into its body, and each chips away at its life. Once all the mana I poured into White Viper is consumed, the bullets stop, and the ogre slowly tilts back and falls on the ground. The end of every fight always feels a bit weird for me. My automaton body feels perfectly fine, but I know that if I was human, I would be drenched in sweat and trying to catch my breath. I do feel exhausted though, so I should head back soon. ¡°H-hey! Wait!¡± As I turn around to go home, the dog demi-human runs towards me. That reminds me, I was fighting the ogres trying to save him. He looks like an adventurer, and he has what looks like a decent sword. He probably felt the ogres were too strong for him so he ran though. ¡°Thanks for saving me.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t really doing that to help you though.¡± I didn¡¯t think of it as a favor or aid, I just wanted to fight a powerful monster. There¡¯s no reason to thank me at all. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ll be going now.¡± I turn around again, finally free to leave. ¡°Heavy Sword¡± ¡°!¡± My guard was completely down, so I ate the attack and got sent flying onto a nearby tree1. CH 58.1 The human Giese, dog demi-human Jenney, and elf Stacy. A group of young adventurers that left their respective hometowns and came to Ingralowe trying to make a name for themselves. They had no outstanding talent or abilities, but they completed requests diligently, eventually becoming rank E adventurers. It was not rare for adventurers who constantly relied on each other to stay alive daily to eventually fall in love. That was the case with Giese and Stacy as well, eventually becoming a couple. Jenney simply thought of them as his close friends, so he gave the couple his blessing. Giese and Stacy thanked him, and began dreaming of their future together. They would continue working as adventurers, climb their way up the ranks, have children one day, and form a happy family. They were all baseless dreams, but no one had a right to criticize them. All those plans and dreams were dashed by Stacy¡¯s death, vanishing without a trace. If she had died at the hands of a monster, that was just part of an adventurer¡¯s life. An accident or illness were part of regular life, which could also be mourned in peace. But she had met a different end. Stacy had been killed by the Heart Collector. According to the guards¡¯ investigation, her limbs had been cut off, her eyes smashed in, and once she reached the peak of her pain, her heart was gouged out. Hearing that, Giese vowed something in his heart. ¡°I¡¯ll make him feel the same agony.¡± He would take revenge from the Heart Collector, an extreme decision, but also a natural one considering the situation. He was not the only one who felt that way. As the number of the Heart Collector¡¯s victims increased, a wave of unrest spread through the adventurers. Ingralowe was incredibly safe compared to other similarly large cities, and many adventurers had settled there, many of whom were known for being a restless bunch. They zealously watched over their neighborhoods and friends, and many would refuse to remain silent if someone was harmed unjustly. It was normal for some of them to organize search parties against criminals. But no matter how experienced they were at fighting monsters or other adventurers, they were complete beginners when it came to criminal investigations. They were dealing with a serial killer who had evaded the guards of essentially the entire country, so they had no chance at capturing the Heart Collector, leaving them to simply grind their teeth in annoyance, unable to find even a single clue. Giese was different though. ¡°I can think of one suspicious person.¡± There was this girl Mishella, who had once asked his party to protect her while gathering herbs in the forest. They had kept in contact after the job ended. She offered her help after hearing what happened to Stacy, and that Giese was hunting the killer. ¡°Who is it, Mishella?¡± Jenney leaned forward even more than Giese hearing that, asking Mishella to elaborate. ¡°Do you remember him? That masked man we met in the forest? He appeared at the same time as the Heart Collector cases began.¡± Hearing that, Giese and Jenney knew who she meant. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation and stop supporting the content thief!) A mysterious masked man that rescued them in the forest. They thought he was a fellow adventurer at first, but after asking in the guild it turned out there was no one registered under that name. When looking for more information on him, multiple other adventurers mentioned seeing him as well. He always wandered around, killing any monster in sight, but he would seldom gather materials from the bodies. It was almost like his only goal was to kill monsters. On top of that, he had never entered the guild, making it extremely unlikely he was an actual adventurer. What could he be then? The more they searched, the stranger things seemed. And it all seemed to tie back to the killer of Giese¡¯s lover one way or another. Even if those threads were loose and there was no concrete proof, their desire for revenge clouded their eyes and made them take it as fact. For them, the masked man was not a suspect, but their enemy they had to kill. He was still being seen in the forest regularly. It would not be too hard to catch him alone. There was another issue though. Could they take down the masked man at their current level? They had seen him take down a Tyrannoghavial instantly, it had been a surprise attack, but that was still quite a feat. Giese¡¯s party had struggled against the Tyrannoghavial a lot, even with Stacy still alive and supporting them. It would be impossible for them to defeat him in a fair fight. ¡°I have an idea.¡± Mishella spoke again, having come up with a genius idea. ¡°Let¡¯s lure some monsters from the forest to attack him. We should have a chance once he¡¯s tired from defeating the monsters.¡± The two agreed with her idea. The three would constantly wander through the forest until they found him, and this day they finally spotted the masked man. Jenney would lure a group of ogres he ran into, while Giese and Mishella would set off monster repellent so no other monsters would get in the way. Everything went according to plan, and the masked man engaged the ogres in combat, but the three were left speechless watching him fight the monsters. They were low level ogres, but they were still rank D monsters. Someone would need to be at least a rank C adventurer to take them down without effort. There were some close calls, but in the end the masked man defeated all the ogres without taking a single major blow. But they had gotten this far, they could not afford to give up. Giese and Jenney finally had a chance for revenge1. ¡°Kuh!¡± I turn around as I stand up. The dog demi-human is glaring at me, his sword firmly grasped in his hand. He had just attacked me. Why¡¯d he do that though? ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you¡­ are you low on calcium or something?¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen. Please support us by visiting our site.) I say with a curt voice as I push myself up from the tree, but someone else replies. ¡°It¡¯s your fault for being the Heart Collector.¡± A man and a girl come out from the forest. I remember the man, I had helped him from a Tyrannoghavial before. Actually, the girl and the demi-human were in that party as well. The elf magician isn¡¯t here though. ¡°Oh, Giese was it? What is a Heart Collector? What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t play dumb!¡± The demi-human howls in response. ¡°You showed up at the same time as the Heart Collector came to Ingralowe. We also asked in the guild but there¡¯s no adventurer called ¡®Reiji¡¯ here. You usually have to register in the guild to hunt monsters, even if it¡¯s not your main occupation. It¡¯s easier to sell materials that way after all. But you didn¡¯t, you¡¯re just trying to hide your crimes aren¡¯t you?¡± He¡¯s speaking like a detective in some mystery story, but I don¡¯t get anything? All I understand is that he¡¯s mistaking me for some criminal. Giese and the demi-human keep glaring at me, pointing their weapons at me, while the girl hides behind a tree afraid, but her eyes are glued on me. ¡°I still don¡¯t get what the heck is going on, if you think I¡¯m the Heart Collector or whatever, you¡¯ve got the wrong person. I can overlook a mistake-¡± I feel a breeze against my face and a piece of wood flashes by my eyes. Giese is pointing his spear at me. I¡¯m clearly out of range, so he had probably used a Spear Skill. ¡°Enough. Play dumb as much as you want, we¡¯ve already figured you out.¡± Giese and the demi-human start running towards me. I guess they don¡¯t want to talk things out. I quickly leap out of their path, stash White Viper into my magic storage since it¡¯s out of bullets, and take Black Hawk out from its holster on my hip. ¡°I see. I guess I¡¯ll have to answer in kind then.¡± If they don¡¯t want to talk, then I won¡¯t either. At this point I have no choice but to designate them as enemies. I pull Black Hawk¡¯s trigger and a magic bullet pierces the demi-human¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Ugh! This is nothing compared to Stacy¡¯s pain!¡± He groans at first, but he quickly recomposes himself. ¡°Exactly! She had to endure a lot more than this!¡± Giese shouts as he brandishes his spear, winding it back. His actual attack lags a bit. And¡­now! I instinctively form a magic blade on my left hand, holding it right on the path of the spear, and an instant later there¡¯s a high pitched sound. My instinct was correct, he used a throwing attack. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Say no to content thief!) I guess the effectiveness of my gun depends on my distance from the spear. CH 58.2 My body recoils a little from the impact, and then I feel a shadow over my head. Looking up, I see the demi-human is swinging down his sword from above. ¡°Take this! Heavy Sword!¡± He¡¯s probably putting all his might into that attack, but his movements are so wide it¡¯ll hardly hit me. I can easily dodge even after seeing it. His blade digs itself into the ground, but I¡¯m no longer there. He¡¯s the one wide open to attacks now. ¡°Too slow.¡± ¡°Wha-?!¡± I slash his defenseless arms with my magic blade, then kick him back. His posture is completely broken after that, so I add four shots from Blak hawk, after which he falls and stops moving. ¡°Damn youuu!¡± Giese shouts angrily, but they¡¯re the ones who started this fight. It¡¯s their fault this is happening to them, and I have no reason to feel bad for them. ¡°Pierce him!¡± His posture is the same as earlier, but I can feel him channeling mana to create a gust of wind to carry his spear. It¡¯s a higher level Skill. Do I block it, or do I dodge? After debating for an instant, I pull the trigger. ¡°Cyclone Strike!¡± The spear thrust pushed by a gust of wind and my magic bullet collided, creating a bright blue flash and a loud bang. I had shot an incendiary round, pooling together all the mana left in the magazine. That was enough to nullify Giese¡¯s Skill. I return Black Hawk to its holster and jump high above the plume of dark smoke in front of me. Below me I see Giese, who looks immobile, recovering from using his Skill. I basically repeat what I did with the demi-human, creating a magic blade as I fall back down. My magic blade and his spear collide with a high pitched sound. Giese had barely managed to block my attack, still, he was too late. I create a second magic blade on my other hand and strike furiously at him. He only has his spear, even if he knows how to use it from greater distances. Now that length is working against him. My magic blades are shorter, enabling me to use faster and shorter movements. This was spears¡¯ greatest weakness, they become clumsy and awkward once an enemy gets this close. There¡¯s metallic clinks every time I swing my magic blades. Each of my strikes pushes Giese back as he blocks with his spear, but he¡¯s starting to miss the timing. His defense will crumble soon enough. But I don¡¯t feel like waiting that long. I aim my next attack straight into his face. ¡°Kuh!¡± He lifts his spear¡¯s handle to block, just like I hoped. As my hand travels forward, I dissolve the magic blade and grasp the spear. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation and stop supporting the content thief!) ¡°?!¡± Giese flinches, he didn¡¯t expect I would try to take his weapon. I won¡¯t waste that opening. I pull the spear back as if trying to snatch it from him, and slash his stomach with my other magic blade. ¡°Grahhh!¡± He screams loudly, while a stream of blood escapes through the wound as he falls to his knees. I watch him suffer as I try to think rationally about this. If I¡¯m being suspected of being some criminal, I should ask more about that. They came at me with the intent to kill, so it¡¯s clear they have a deadly grudge against that criminal, which I don¡¯t blame them for. They can just try again later though. But I spent too much time thinking, I got carried away. I notice a faint blur in the corner of my eye, so I twist my body instantly, but I¡¯m not fast enough and the thrown blade grazes my face. My mask gets sent flying into the air, but I have no time to worry about it. I hold my face and jump back before I look at the one who threw that blade. It was the demi-human who had recovered at some point. I knew I didn¡¯t hit any vitals, but I didn¡¯t think he¡¯d recover this quickly. Actually, now that I think about it, he¡¯s an adventurer so it makes sense for him to have healing potions. I had been too naive. ¡°Grawr!¡± He dashes at me with bloodshot eyes. He¡¯s more nimble than before, which is a bit shocking, but nothing I can¡¯t handle. Throwing his sword had been a terrible decision too. ¡°Give up already.¡± I get rid of my magic blade and take Black Hawk out again, constructing an incendiary round with the remaining mana in the magazine. That¡¯ll give me only one bullet to fight him, but that¡¯s all I need. I let him get closer enough to be in range and pull the trigger. A bright blue explosion fills the space between us, heat and pressure assaulting the demi-human. I jump back to reload, and check on Giese. Someone in an overcoat has him on her lap treating him. There¡¯s blonde strands of hair peeking through the hood, so I guess it¡¯s the girl from before. She doesn¡¯t seem to have the means to fight, but it¡¯ll be annoying if she heals Giese. I still have heaps of magazines for Black Hawk, but I don¡¯t have any for White Viper left. I never had many of those to begin with, and I feel like dropkicking myself for dropping one while fighting the ogres earlier. ¡°Grrr¡­grawr!¡± After not moving for a while, the demi-human spots me through the smoke and snarls again, baring his fangs at me. Do I fight the demi-human, or do I stop Giese from being healed? (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen. Please support us by visiting our site.) I have two options, but before I get to make a decision, the demi-human forces my hand. I dodge his claws and fangs, then shoot his stomach and legs. The demi-human doesn¡¯t seem to feel anything though, instantly moving to his next attack without even flinching. It¡¯s almost like fighting a corpse controlled by a Shaman Ape, but he¡¯s still alive. His sense of pain is simply dulled. I can think of two possibilities, adrenaline from his rage, or some form of drug or magic. Actually, who cares. I¡¯ve tried to reason with him, and I¡¯ve shown him how much stronger I am. It¡¯s not my fault that he insists on attacking. I¡¯ve already tried to wave off the embers, but if he insists I¡¯ll have to fully extinguish his fire. ¡°Growwwl!¡± He roars aggressively, but his legs still aren¡¯t fast enough, and his arms aren¡¯t as sturdy as the ogres or the golem¡¯s. I continue dodging his attacks and look at Giese. His stomach is bandaged, but he doesn¡¯t look like he¡¯ll be standing up anytime soon. I guess first-aid wasn¡¯t enough. ¡°Gagh!¡± After dodging for a while, the demi-human sinks his teeth into my defenseless left arm. But that was merely where I lured him to be. The demi-human¡¯s fangs aren¡¯t powerful enough to pierce through my Tyrannoghavial gauntlet, so the best he can do is keep me still. Though that¡¯s not exactly true either, in this situation it¡¯s more like I have him still. He¡¯s so focused on biting my gauntlet that his legs stop moving, and I get to place Black Hawk¡¯s muzzle on his stomach. The magic bullets could pierce Tyrannoghavial skin, so a simple piece of plate armor can¡¯t stop them. I purposefully avoided vitals earlier, but it¡¯ll be annoying if he keeps waking up like this. This time I¡¯ll have to put him down. A bullet of compressed mana pierces through his chest and I feel his jaws relax on my arm slightly. My left hand is still trapped between his jaws, so I create a magic blade again and slide it out. The upper half of the demi-human¡¯s head jumps a little and falls to the ground with a gross sound. ¡°!¡± Before I get to catch a breath, multiple silver streaks rain at me from above. I quickly raise my arms to protect my head, but the falling blades still cut my arms and thighs, which aren¡¯t protected with armor. It was a short attack, but it still left marks on me. ¡°I see you have good reflexes.¡± The girl next to Giese speaks up. Somehow she feels like a completely different person as earlier. I ruled her out at first, thinking she had no combat abilities. That was my mistake. Her overcoat falls over, revealing light armor and rows of daggers hung on her waist. The bloodlust surrounding her feels different to Giese and the demi-human¡¯s1. My instincts are shouting at me. She¡¯s strong. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Say no to content thief!) ¡°But this is the end of the line for you. Make sure to let out some exhilarating screams, okay?¡± Her tongue licks her richly colored lips. CH 59.1 Giese fell to his knees after being injured by the masked man Reiji, so his best friend and fellow party member Jenney swooped in to his rescue. The sword thrown by Jenney grazed Reiji¡¯s face, forcing him to retreat as his mask fell off. ¡°Huh, a woman?¡± Without a mask, Reiji¡¯s face became visible. She tried concealing it with her hand, but it was still obvious Reiji was a woman, and a beautiful one at that. Giese was confused, having thought Reiji was a man the entire time, but Jenney continued attacking relentlessly with his body. ¡°Giese, are you alright? Let me help you.¡± Mishella ran out from her hiding place and began treating Giese with the medicine she held under her overcoat1. ¡°Ah, thanks.¡± Giese thanked her, but his eyes were focused on his best friend and the fight playing out in front of him. Even though both Giese and Jenney shared their thirst for vengeance, Jenney¡¯s behavior looked strange to Giese. No matter how riled up he was, Jenney only knew how to use Sword Skills, so he would never throw away his sword like that. His bloodshot eyes and enraged attacks were not normal either. Giese wanted to take down Reiji as soon as possible and calm Jenney down. But he could only think that, for some reason his body refused to move. ¡°Ah, try to stay still for a moment, I put a numbing agent on your wound2.¡± Mishella stood up and said with a carefree voice. Giese could not understand what she meant at first, blinking rapidly, but Mishella had no interest in him anymore, her eyes had an intense look focused on Reiji. ¡°Heheh, I knew that had to be a woman. And a damn fine one. That little pup won¡¯t win even under the influence of enraging drugs.¡± ¡°Mishella¡­what are you talking about¡­¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s just that the little pup looked like he had some fight left, so I gave him a drug to stop the pain. Though well, that drug also numbs one¡¯s sanity3.¡± Mishella had always appeared to be the calm daughter of a merchant, but now her voice had gained a sultry tone, her words making little sense to Giese. His brain kept trying to process everything, but amidst his confusion the fight kept changing. ¡°See, that is how all low level adventurers end.¡± Giese watched Mishella throw multiple daggers into the air, and his best friend with the top half of his head missing. Everything was confusing. What was Mishella saying? Giese thought she was a simple city girl. Why did she have so many daggers? Why was she smiling so ferociously? And what had happened with Jenney? Why was he like that, why was half of his head missing? Just what was going on? Giese¡¯s mind was a whirlpool of confusion, but the world would not stop for him. Gravity pulled down the daggers, which rained on Reiji, leaving small cuts all over her body. ¡°I see you have good reflexes.¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation and stop supporting the content thief!) Mishella was impressed by Reiji¡¯s reaction speed to her surprise attack. It was impressive that Reiji managed to react, but that attempt was for naught. When fighting Mishella, there was no point if an attack was not dodged entirely. ¡°But this is the end of the line for you. Make sure to let out some exhilarating screams, okay?¡± There would be no fight, just a one-sided beatdown. Mishella was going to take that silver haired girl with blue eyes, torment her, torture her, and watch her beautiful face contort from fear and pain. Just imagining that made Mishella¡¯s heart flutter, and she licked the blade of one of her daggers. ¡°So they were yours, huh. I¡¯ve already told you, but like I said, I¡¯m not that Heart Collector you keep accusing me of being.¡± Reiji looked at the cuts on her body, then turned to Mishella like they were nothing. ¡°Yes, I know. I¡¯m the Heart Collector. I¡¯m shocked how stupid these guys were, not realizing until then end.¡± Giese¡¯s eyes opened wide hearing that revelation, even though Mishella¡¯s voice rang like a mere introduction. The serial killer he was chasing had been right next to him the entire time. Giese wanted to jump at her throat, but his body was so numb he could not even move his fingertips properly. ¡°I¡¯m Mishella, also known as the Heart Collector, or a serial killer in more vulgar terms. I specialize in killing women you see, and I¡¯ve taken plenty of them apart, so I could tell you were one as well. You can¡¯t hide that even with all the disguising you did.¡± Mishella chuckled as she played with one of her daggers. Reiji had remained perfectly calm so far, but her temples seemed to twitch slightly hearing that. ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell me your name as well? Reiji isn¡¯t your real name, is it?¡± ¡°Sadly I have no intention of introducing myself, or getting along with you.¡± ¡°Hmm, at least that confirms it¡¯s a fake name. Wait, why are you angry? Relax, you¡¯ll just be dissected by me shortly. Just like his little girlfriend.¡± Reiji pointed her elaborate magic device at Mishella. Both Giese and Mishella had seen her use it in battle, and knew how powerful it was. It was also incredibly fast, making it nearly impossible to dodge an attack. But Mishella was still perfectly calm and composed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but there will be no fight. The daggers I used earlier were coated in Ruby Burrowing Wasp venom. It¡¯s a powerful toxin that works on humans and monsters alike, paralyzing even dragons once it enters their bloodstream4. I¡¯m sure you can already feel its effect?¡± Ruby Burrowing Wasps were one meter long insect monsters. Their strength, slight speed, and caparace resilience were average, and they did not swarm together, but their venom was enough to put them on the same rank C tier as Tyrannoghavials. The monsters would immobilize their prey and drag it still alive to their burrows, where they would devour it by starting on limbs and non-vital areas, to keep the prey alive and fresh for as long as possible. Anyone who knew of that behavior usually feared them even more than a Tyrannoghavial. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen. Please support us by visiting our site.) CH 59.2 The Heart Collector had used Ruby Burrowing Wasp venom to slaughter a multitude of adventurers. Even if they were skilled adventurers, an attack with multiple daggers could easily graze them. Small cuts like that were all Mishella needed to win. She was already convinced she would get to enjoy a thrilling time again. There was more than enough venom rubbed into Reiji¡¯s cuts. Mishella had also given the other two adventurers a much smaller dose of that venom, rubbing it into their wounds. The monster repellant had been spread, so nothing could get in her way now. However, there was one little yet fatal flaw in Mishella¡¯s plan. She did not know she was dealing with a magic automaton, impervious to toxins. ¡°A paralyzing venom? I can move like normal though?¡± Mishella instinctively twisted her body around, a magic bullet grazing her shoulder. That Mishella girl steps into the fight, and claims she¡¯s a serial killer. I don¡¯t care if that¡¯s true or not. I just know she¡¯s trying to kill me. And the daggers she threw earlier were poisoned. I guess that¡¯s her thing, drugging her victims before toying with them. That¡¯s quite a disgusting method, though¡­huh? ¡°A paralyzing venom? I can move like normal though?¡± I pull the trigger, just like I¡¯ve done hundreds of times in the past. Mishella looks frightened as she jumps out of the way. ¡°How?! That venom can paralyze any living being, even dragons! There¡¯s no way it would ever be ineffective!¡± Any living being? Ah, I see. That¡¯s why it won¡¯t work on me. ¡°Hey, is that all you¡¯ve got, murderer1?¡± Her face is completely different now, earlier she looked all happy and giddy, but now she¡¯s confused and panicked. She glares at me, baring her teeth. ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate me. I¡¯ve killed many adventurers already, and I didn¡¯t always use venom.¡± ¡°Then come at me already. Trying to boast in front of your prey is quite pitiful.¡± ¡°Now you¡¯re getting on my nerves. Don¡¯t get cocky just because you got a decent magic device somewhere2.¡± Mishella kicks off the ground and starts running before she even finishes saying that. I try to shoot Black Hawk at her as soon as I can, but she¡¯s too fast. She fights with daggers, so it¡¯ll be bad for me if she gets too close. I run back and try to create more distance between us. I keep shooting while I retreat, but Mishella weaves from side to side, all my bullets vanishing far behind her. ¡°Your magic device might be powerful, but it¡¯s incredibly predictable too.¡± I guess she figured it out already. Multiple shots fired in succession are more effective against moving targets, but White Viper is out of ammo. And it still hurts to think of the magazine I lost while fighting the ogres. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation and stop supporting the content thief!) I curse to myself as I keep pulling the trigger, but she¡¯s closing in too fast. ¡°Come on!¡± I barely manage to stop her dagger with my magic blade. But that was not her only attack. My magic blade lights up two more times from impacts. I try to fire Black Hawk while I block with my magic blade, but she dodges everything. I see her left dagger swinging up from below, which I dodge twisting my body to the side, but then her right dagger closes in on me. Both her daggers are swift. I can¡¯t block both with just one magic blade. I leap back and stash Black Hawk into its holster, forming a second magic blade on my empty hand. ¡°Hmmm, mana materialization huh, and in both arms.¡± Mishella mutters with a grin, but she doesn¡¯t stop moving at all. The distance from my jump gets closed in an instant, her two daggers swinging against me almost instantly. ¡°Alright, Speed Up, and Twister Edge!¡± ¡°Kuh!¡± She starts spinning her body like a tornado, her daggers slipping through my defenses and cutting all over me. I was too naive, thinking I could match her by fighting with two magic blades. She hadn¡¯t killed all those adventurers by getting lucky, her skills with her daggers are far superior than mine. All I can do is to desperately try to avoid her attacks. ¡°You talk all high and mighty and this is what you do? So you can¡¯t do anything without your magic device?¡± I¡¯m like Giese was against me earlier, cornered and forced to focus on defending. Even if I try to get away, she¡¯ll use that opening to charge at me. She¡¯s so fast I can¡¯t really buy any time for myself. My only option is to find some way to counterattack, or I¡¯ll lose. White Viper is out of ammo. She can predict Black Hawk. Her close-quarter combat skills are superior to mine. What can I do then? Do I have a way out? No, I can¡¯t give up even if it feels hopeless. My only option now is to rely on magic. ¡°!¡± I stop defending for an instant, dashing in and swinging my magic blades down on her. Mishella quickly raises her daggers, but then my body vanishes. I knew it! Leaving an illusion to blind her while I go behind her to strike her back was a good idea. But I don¡¯t feel anything as I strike. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen. Please support us by visiting our site.) Mishella had squatted down, my magic blade passing above her. ¡°Too bad.¡± Mishella twirls around, her feet swiping off mine. My arm is still struck forward from the failed hit, so I get pushed off balance and fall forwards. ¡°Illusory Magic only works on children.¡± Mishella stands up and stabs my wrist, hitting right where my gauntlet ended. ¡°Now it¡¯s over!¡± Her other dagger swings down trying to deal the final blow. This is bad. I leave my arm pinned on the ground as I roll over to dodge, and use the momentum to push myself onto my feet again. ¡°W-what¡¯s this?!¡± Mishella was in shock. I¡¯m on my feet, nerve threads extending from my arm. ¡°Even if you noticed I was a woman, I guess you didn¡¯t notice this.¡± This is me. I¡¯m a different species and class, and am the masterpiece of the most powerful sorceress. ¡°Is this your first time meeting a magic automaton3?¡± CH 60.1 I knew I would run into adventurers often if I went to the forest, but I decided I wouldn¡¯t ever reveal my identity. I saw going to the forest as time to train, and also as an opportunity to act like a normal male without judgment. So I took special care not to let anyone I met in the forest discover I was a female magic automaton. My face was easy to remember, and there are next to no magic automatons that look as life-like as me in the world, so those were the two things that could easily identify me. And if I was identified, it wouldn¡¯t take long before Olivia found out I was walking around the forest disguised as a male. Olivia doesn¡¯t know I came from a different world, or that I used to be male. She acts normal around me nowadays, but I wonder if she¡¯d be able to continue doing so if she finds out the truth. I think she¡¯s only so familiar with me because I¡¯m a girl now. So if she finds out that¡¯s not the case¡­ It¡¯ll be worse than just awkward. She might despise me, maybe even throw me away, robbing me of my only reason to live in this world. I promised Ophelia, my creator, that I would watch over her daughter. I¡¯d lose any value if she discarded me. So I vowed I would never let anyone find out my identity. Look at me now. Giese¡¯s party attacked me because of a misunderstanding, the dog demi-human knocked my mask off, Mishella figured out I had a female body, and now I revealed my identity as a magic automaton. I broke everything I had vowed not to do. I take out Black Hawk and quickly fire at her torso. She easily reads it, letting go of the dagger stuck on my arm and dodging away. But that¡¯s all I need. I open my magic storage at the same spot where my wrist is stabbed, swallowing the dagger. I then form a magic blade off that arm and swing it upwards in a wide arc. ¡°Tsk!¡± Mishella is shocked, but such a simple surprise attack isn¡¯t enough to take her down. She twists her body and easily evades the magic blade. I dissolve the magic blade and wind up my magic threads, using my recovered arm to reload Black Hawk. ¡°A magic automaton? That¡¯s so confusing, you¡¯re too similar to a human.¡± Mishella looks at me like she¡¯s seeing something disgusting. Well, I¡¯m a monster after all. ¡°So you¡¯ll stop now?¡± Her thing seems to be a fetish for overpowering weak adventurers, so I doubt she has any interest in a magic automaton that can¡¯t feel pain like me. ¡°Hah, don¡¯t kid yourself. I¡¯d never leave someone who knows my identity alive.¡± Makes sense. I completely agree with that sentiment. ¡°Let¡¯s do this then, murderer. I¡¯ll fight you as a magic automaton now.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get cocky. You¡¯re just a little toy.¡± For a moment it feels like my sight is blurred, her figure moving too fast. I try to follow her direction, firing Black Hawk ahead of her. ¡°Learn already, you can¡¯t hit me!¡± My bullet only hits her afterimage, only piercing air. This doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m the same as earlier though. While I fought seriously this entire time, I wasn¡¯t using every tool available to me. My priority was to conceal my identity, so I only moved like a human would, but now that the charade is over, I can use every tool at my disposal. Running to increase the distance between us as much as I can, I shoot my arms at her. I keep my arms afloat at unnatural angles and heights. Once I feel the moment is right, I pull the trigger and fire from her blindspot. That breaks Mishella¡¯s focus on me, turning to evade the bullets while throwing a dagger from her belt at it. But my arm is no longer there. No one would be stupid enough to keep still after such an attack. Her gaze starts to dart around, sometimes focused on me, others around, and everytime she looks away I fire. My bullets are deadly even for ogres. She had dodged all my bullets so far, but that just goes to show just how much she fears them. This gives me the option for an opening. I open my magic storage near my empty hand and take out White Viper. I don¡¯t have any spare magazines, but I can afford to manually infuse it with mana now. Any type of firepower will be greatly helpful right now. White Viper has a fast rate of fire, but that also means it chews through magazines. If I use it constantly, I¡¯ll run out of bullets in an instant. So I just have to use Black Hawk to create an opening. ¡°Light up the air.¡± Black Hawk fires first, closely followed by White Viper, and I chant a spell on top of all that. Countless glowing spots the size of a fist float up into the air around me. My arms continue floating around Mishella, firing whenever she looks away. I had used my detached arm to win against Danny in the past. But unlike that time, I have to keep moving to keep my main body safe now, so I can¡¯t use my legs to attack as well, but White Viper adds enough firepower to compensate. I also weaved a protective net of magic in front of me, making it trickier for her to get too close. I use Black Hawk as a distraction, firing White Viper in short bursts when there¡¯s enough mana. Whenever she gets too wary of White Viper I stop shooting, move Black Hawk behind her, and point at her back. If she thinks Black Hawk will fire, White Viper does. If she thinks White Viper will fire, Black Hawk does. The combination of both guns chases relentlessly after the murderer. But unlike with Danny, I can¡¯t tie her up in nerve threads. Even if I wrap them around her, she¡¯ll jump out before they close in. She seems to have a read on them as well. ¡°Don¡¯t get so cocky!¡± Mishella still has hidden daggers left, which she starts throwing at my main body. I dodge it, but the dagger hits one of the floating lights behind me, vanishing like a ghost. ¡°Ohhh?¡± Mishella grins ominously. Damn, she found out. The lights weren¡¯t some form of offensive magic, they¡¯re just simple Float Lights. Both my arms are detached, meaning I have no way to defend myself if she gets close. That¡¯s why I had cast that spell as a bluff, to pretend the lights were dangerous. ¡°Blitz Step.¡± Mishella¡¯s blonde hair and overcoat flutter behind her as she zig-zags from one side to another, evading all the bullets. This is really bad. Not even the combined fire from my two arms can stop her, not a single bullet hits her. Can I try kicking to fight back? I don¡¯t think that¡¯s possible at my current skill level. I¡¯ll just have to rethink my strategy from the ground up. ¡°Project my body, Stand Mirage.¡± I finish chanting and a multitude of magic automaton images flood the area, while my main body gets concealed like a mirage, allowing me to retreat. A dagger reaches me and cuts my foot. Barely an instant passed, but that was enough time for Mishella to run next to me and activate one of her Skills. ¡°Tiger Fang!¡± Faster than she could hurl any abuse, she dashes with a low stance, her two daggers swinging up at me. I manage to block her using one of my legs as a shield, but it¡¯s not over yet. She finishes swinging her daggers up, then instantly flips her grip on them, stabbing down. My defense worked earlier, but it can¡¯t deal with attacks from above. Her daggers resembled the fangs from a tiger, like the Skill¡¯s name suggested, and her blades tear through my Tyrannoghavial armor, even though neither Mir or I could cut it before. She¡¯ll eventually get to me at this rate. I choose to use magic again to stop that from happening. The only use I have for offensive magic at my level is to trick little children. Things like making a bit of dirt or sand float, or a bit of wind. There was nothing I could do to harm my enemies lethally, but they still had other practical applications. Like now, my wind spiraled and picked up the dirt and sand. ¡°D-damn you!¡± Mishella quickly covers her face, but I still succeeded in blinding her. I use that small distraction to run into the thicket. As I step away from the radius my magic is active in, the sand starts to settle. I kept shooting while retreating, but Mishella¡¯s feet would not remain still, dodging every single bullet. CH 60.2 ¡°Stop screwing around!¡± Mishella shouts annoyed once she regains her vision, but I¡¯m no longer there. Instead, there are multiple expressionless illusions of me all around her. They¡¯re mere images though, without any power to fight. But that allows me to conceal my two guns amongst the trees and thickets better, the sights centered on Mishella. I keep running too. I¡¯ll lose if she gets too close to me. My plan is to keep running and distracting her, until her stamina eventually runs out. Can I really win like that though? I still feel unsure, the odds are stacked against me. If she gets close again, I can¡¯t use that method to run away anymore. Am I being too naive? It¡¯s like a sweet flower is luring me with its aroma. Hm? A sweet flower? ¡°This is perfect.¡± Realizing the identity of that scent, I turn and run towards its source. Black Hawk and White Viper remain concealed by the shrubbery and illusions, but they continue their relentless attacks. ¡°This is getting old.¡± Mishella spat out as she continued dodging the incoming barrage of bullets. She really had underestimated the automaton, hoping those low level adventurers would be able to capture her. The power of those magic devices she controlled through wires at a distance were strong, and it was easy to imagine they would pierce through skin, muscle, and shatter bones. The fact that she had managed to dodge everything so far spoke heaps of Mishella¡¯s skill. While Mishella¡¯s current preferred method was to use a paralyzing venom to keep her victims still while she ravaged their bodies, she was skilled enough to defeat most average adventurers. If Giese¡¯s party of three attempted to fight her, they would have been defeated in less than five minutes. Her aptitude was not focused purely on combat either. (She didn¡¯t use any offensive magic. Maybe she can¡¯t use it, and now she¡¯s run off to¡­) She also knew how to analyze information, and estimate results from it. And a way to track a presence she got familiarized with with high accuracy. Even if Reiji was a magic automaton, not exactly a living being, she had the intelligence and behavior of a sentient being, granting her a distinctive presence as well. That was enough to let Mishella determine what direction she ran off to. ¡°I¡¯ll take you apart even if you¡¯re a doll.¡± Dodging the gunfire, Mishella darted ahead like an arrow. While Reiji¡¯s main body was running away, her two arms were still detached, attacking Mishella from every angle imaginable. Black Hawk continued firing in a rhythmical fashion, but as they were single bullets, they were easy to dodge. White Viper could fire many rounds in a short timespan, but as there was not enough mana to fuel it, the barrages stopped before they could pose a serious threat. If they fought face to face, it was possible for Reiji to find a way to turn the odds in her favor, giving Mishella no room to dodge. But rather than seizing such an opportunity, Reiji had chosen to vanish inside the forest. Her arms controlled from afar were becoming clumsy as well, their aim drifting. She really had made a questionable choice. ¡°I guess even automatons feel fear. Maybe dissecting her will be more exciting than I hoped..!¡± Mishella licked her lips in excitement, before she noticed a silver streak in the air in front of her and ducked. A thin metallic thread was pulled taut between the trees. If she had run into it at such a speed, the thread would have cut like a blade, passing through her body. ¡°A trap, huh. She¡¯s still too naive.¡± It only took some looking around to notice there were similar threads tied all over the place. They were all placed at head-height, aiming for a vital spot. Running into them could be dangerous, but that height made them incredibly easy to spot as well. Mishella slipped through the threads, and resumed her chase after Reiji¡¯s presence. ¡°Theeere you are.¡± Reiji stood with her arms spread wide. Her nerve threads had stretched out so far that they had gotten tangled and started dragging her back, and she could not wind them back either. She raised her head, looking at Mishella with a pained look. That face sent a jolt of joy down Mishella¡¯s spine, which she relished as she took as many daggers as could fit in the gaps between her fingers. Magic automatons could not feel pain, but their body structure, including weak spots, was quite similar to a human¡¯s. Like the head and chest. Mishella aimed at those areas, hurling the daggers she held in both hands. ¡°Too bad!¡± The eight daggers flew in a straight line, piercing deep into Reiji¡¯s chest and head, and Mishella felt a faint pain on her side. Reiji¡¯s figure became blurry and faded away, a tree becoming visible behind it, with all the daggers stuck on it. ¡°I got you now.¡± The magic automaton with silver hair and blue eyes peeked out from behind the tree. Just shooting won¡¯t get me anywhere. She can easily see through Illusory Magic sensing my presence too. So a trap is the best option. Light, Wind, and Earth Magic could be used as a smokescreen. Then the guns and threads keep her distracted. If she wants to follow my presence, she can feel free to do that. I would wait for her. Illusory Magic was a last layer of distraction as I hid behind a good tree. I calculated from what direction Mishella would come, and hide on the opposite side of the tree. It was obvious Mishella was chasing after my presence. In her mind, she could tell I was in front of her. But there was also a dummy me between the tree and her. Mishella arrives, doesn¡¯t realize I¡¯m behind the tree, and attacks the projection. That triggered yet another trap I laid for her. I prepared a slingshot with nerve threads and the dagger I took earlier, aimed to graze Mishella¡¯s side.. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for you.¡± I dispel the Illusory Magic and step out from behind the tree. ¡°Tsk!¡± Mishella gives up on retrieving the daggers stuck on the tree, jumping back to stay away from me. This is starting to get ridiculous. Somehow she takes out even more daggers from under her overcoat. ¡°Just how many do you have under there?¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you like to know? How about you guess?¡± I didn¡¯t actually care, but Mishella asks, trying to rile me up. ¡°You can pull out a dozen more and I won¡¯t be shocked.¡± She grins with delight, not paying attention to the cut on her side. Such a superficial scratch wouldn¡¯t bother anyone. ¡°Hmmm¡­well, I guess you¡¯re kinda there.¡± She¡¯s both better prepared and better trained than me. My arms moved a lot through the forest while I ran, so it¡¯ll take some time before they¡¯re winded back all the way here. My nerve threads are so stretched that it¡¯s actually becoming a bit of a nuisance. All I could possibly use to fight back now is magic, not like mine will ever work on her though. Calling it unfair is an understatement. ¡°Well, time to end this already!¡± Mishella announces loudly, but she doesn¡¯t take a single step forward. ¡°Wh-what, why is my body..!¡± Mishella¡¯s voice gradually grows louder, her body refusing to follow any orders. ¡°Ruby Burrowing Wasp venom, was it?¡± ¡°No way¡­you didn¡¯t¡­¡± Hearing that, Mishella realizes what is happening to her body, and she finally pays attention to the dagger lying on the ground. It¡¯s the dagger that just grazed her side, and the dagger that she used to stab my arm earlier. I had kept it inside my magic storage since I freed my arm, and I decided to put it to good use here. She kept boasting about that venom earlier so I assumed it was potent, but this result is even better than I hoped. ¡°Awgh¡­bugh¡­¡± The paralysis finally reaches her mouth. Her voice no longer makes sense, and her body starts shaking as she drops the daggers from her hands. Time to bring my arms back and finally put an end to her. Actually, that¡¯s too much of a hassle. ¡°Hey, eat up bud.¡± ¡°Shah~¡± I chose this place because the Man Eater I tamed is nesting on a nearby tree. I told the Man Eater to hide on the tree branches until now, and it descends while opening its large drooly mouth. Mishella¡¯s face is contorted and twitching, tears streaming down her cheeks. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s the drug¡¯s effects, or fear. ¡°Ngh¡­ah¡­!¡± She¡¯s trying to say something, but sadly for her, I don¡¯t feel like listening. ¡°Farewell, murderer.¡± The Man Eater¡¯s large mouth encloses Mishella¡¯s head1. CH 61 I try to wind my arms back, but my nerve threads are too tangled in the trees of the forest. ¡°Shah.¡± ¡°Oh, good job.¡± I watch the murderer Mishella vanish in the Man Eater¡¯s mouth, and retrace my steps. I loosen my nerve threads as I go back, eventually reaching the place where the fight started. Giese is still paralyzed, his body in a stiff knelt position, tipped to one side. There¡¯s a soft clicking sound as my arms reattach now that my nerve threads are loose. Black Hawk returns to its holster, and White Viper is stored back in my magic storage. ¡°Sigh¡­¡± The last time I killed someone was that time Olivia was captured. Mishella had been hellbent on killing me, while these two were being used by her. They refused to listen to me though, so I don¡¯t regret what I did. Maybe things could¡¯ve ended much differently though. Mir and Danny are my friends now, even though just a few changes in our circumstances could¡¯ve turned us into mortal enemies. I couldn¡¯t help but think about that. Maybe I¡¯m just overthinking. Mir isn¡¯t that aggressive, and Danny¡­well, Danny is kinda a good guy. Ugh whatever, enough what ifs, what happened happened. The thing is, what am I supposed to do here now? I can just abandon him, but knowing I left him to die will leave a pretty bad aftertaste. My magic storage is filled with potions I made practicing alchemy, so I take one to treat paralysis and pour it into Giese¡¯s mouth. ¡°Cough, cough¡­¡± Drinking medicine while paralyzed seems like a hard task, I think he choked a little. Good luck. I consider whether I should crush his eyes, just in case, when his lips start moving. He looks scared of something. Is he alright? ¡°M¡­mon¡­monster¡­¡± I feel like something just froze inside me. His eyes are focused on me. Oh, he¡¯s right. Yeah, that¡¯s true. No matter how much I look like a human, I¡¯m an automaton, a monster, not a human. I¡¯m not even a living being. Maybe trying to spend some time trying to live like a human had been a mistake since the start. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m a monster.¡± I take a potion from my magic storage and leave it in front of him before I turn around. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation and stop supporting the content thief!) ¡°You¡¯ll make it out alive if you¡¯re lucky. See you.¡± He tries to talk again, but I walk away without looking back. I change into my maid outfit before entering the city and head straight to the dorm. When I open the door to our room, I find Olivia reading a book at her desk. Lately she¡¯s been reading a lot, I guess she¡¯s finally gained a passion for books. ¡°I¡¯m back, Young Lady.¡± I greet her like I usually do. ¡°Ah, Natalia. Welcome¡­¡± Olivia stops talking mid-sentence, standing up and trotting up to me. The scent of Spica Lilies fills my nose. It¡¯s the same scent I¡¯ve been wearing, but somehow it¡¯s easier to notice when it comes from someone else. ¡°Young Lady?¡± ¡°Natalia, come here for a bit.¡± She takes my hand and drags me to the bed, making me sit on it. I¡¯m still trying to understand what¡¯s going on when she hugs me. ¡°U-umm¡­Young Lady?¡± ¡°Please, just stay still for a bit.¡± Her still-developing chest is pressed against my face. Ah, it¡¯s soft¡­ I¡¯ve always thought of her as a child, but she¡¯s gotten this big already2¡­wait, stoppp! I can¡¯t allow myself to be careless about such thoughts! Oh yeah, she didn¡¯t want to be hugged lately, I guess she¡¯s been trying to resist it. I guess she still has moments like this. I¡¯ll just have to be lenient with her until she¡¯s satisfied. Right, I vowed I would live the rest of my life as her maid automaton. Even if I become weak compared to her, I still promised to protect her. I just have to make sure she¡¯s always smiling. As Olivia strokes my hair, somehow it reminds me of Ophelia when she combed my hair. Nostalgic memories flooded my brain, and I relished this feeling of safety until Olivia was satisfied. Today I¡¯m out shopping with Olivia in the city, just like yesterday. We¡¯re in a large street, lined with big shops and important institutions. It was mere coincidence that we walked past the Adventurers¡¯ Guild, but inevitable in a way as well. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t let it weigh on you too much.¡± ¡°Try to relax in your hometown, okay?¡± ¡°Yes, thank you for worrying.¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen. Please support us by visiting our site.) A group of adventurers are seeing one man off at the guild¡¯s entrance. Considering how big his luggage is, I can assume he¡¯ll be traveling for a few days. He twitches seeing me, his face stiffening. ¡°H-hey, you.¡± We try to walk past, but for some reason he calls out to me. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry for that day. I know saying sorry isn¡¯t enough, but I hope you can forgive me3.¡± Olivia looks strangely at me, seeing the man¡¯s odd reaction, like he¡¯s about to be sentenced to death, with a hint of regret and resignation. ¡°Natalia, do you know him?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ve never seen him before.¡± ¡°What¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, you must be mistaking me for someone else.¡± I say that to the man, his face turning pale. I don¡¯t really care what happens to him. ¡°We need to be somewhere, so please excuse us. Let¡¯s go, Young Lady.¡± ¡°Huh¡­ah, right.¡± I continue walking unbothered, and Olivia follows after me. After that I don¡¯t look back again. Whatever happens to him has nothing to do with us4. CH 62.1 We cross the gates and feel the scent of flowers at full bloom. We¡¯ve only been away for half a year, but it feels like we haven¡¯t been here in forever. The Academy students are on a long vacation, so Olivia and I returned home. ¡°Natalia, I¡¯ll sort my own luggge.¡± ¡°Alright, but please do call me if you need help.¡± I¡¯m carrying her luggage in my magic storage like usual, so I take it out and she carries it to her room. While she does that, I sort the remaining luggage. That includes my clothes and accessories obviously, but also potions and metal ingots I made while practicing alchemy. I¡¯m planning on selling all of it at the Adventurers¡¯ Guild, though I¡¯m still Olivia¡¯s Servant, meaning technically she¡¯s the one doing the transaction. ¡°And this¡­¡± An enormous Clamp Boar comes out from my opened magic inventory. Its head has a deep fist mark. We had run into it while walking from Bamel to our home, and Olivia defeated it with a single punch. The fight was already over by the time I took my gun out, leaving me utterly baffled and it took me some time to finally react. Now that I think about it calmly, Olivia had already been up to her antics while attending a normal school, so I guess it makes sense that she gathered enough experience to take down a Clamp Boar. But no matter how strong she is, I¡¯m her maid, so I can¡¯t allow her to stand in front defending me. I need to be the one standing up for her next time. I wonder if just the two of us can eat all of it though. We¡¯ll be staying here for a week, and Olivia likes to eat a lot, so maybe having some excess isn¡¯t too bad, I¡¯m mostly worried we¡¯ll get fed up eating nothing but pork only. Oh, I know, I¡¯ll give Mir and Aria some when I check on them too. I never thanked Mir for the gauntlets, so this is perfect. I butcher the Clamp Boar and drain its blood, then stash the pieces I plan on giving away into my magic storage. I¡¯m done unpacking the remaining luggage too, so I quickly clean and straighten my clothes before I knock on Olivia¡¯s door. ¡°Young Lady, I¡¯ll be going to visit Aria-¡± Clatter, clatter, clatter! Some sort of noise comes from the room, interrupting me. It sounds like a teen trying to desperately hide something from his family. Ah, it must be puberty. Well, at least I doubt Olivia would be into something weird though. ¡°I-I¡¯ll go too.¡± Olivia opens a slit on the door and her head peeks out, saying that while breathing heavily and avoiding eye contact. ¡°Umm¡­it¡¯s alright if you¡¯re busy, I can go alone.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll be ready soon.¡± ¡°¡­Okay.¡± I can¡¯t bring myself to contradict Olivia seeing her like that, so it¡¯s almost like she forces her way to go with me. After a bit of waiting Olivia is done, and we head together to the cave behind the house. ¡°Float Light.¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation and stop supporting the content thief!) The light magic illuminates our surroundings. I can handle the darkness now, but I doubt Olivia will be comfortable. We walk for a bit before we run into a brown colored spider. Steel Spiders are usually a gray color, so I guess it¡¯s a different species, even if everything else looks the same. The spider notices us and raises a front leg, waving it as if greeting us. It looked friendly, so I squatted down and spoke to it. ¡°Hello, do you live here with Aria?¡± Nod! I ask and the spider¡¯s head bobs up and down. ¡°I¡¯d like to see her, is that possible?¡± ¡­Nod! It seemed to take a bit to think about it, but eventually it nodded again. It starts waddling away, and waves its front leg again, as if telling us to follow it. ¡°Let¡¯s go then, Young Lady.¡± The spider leads us to the place where Aria once beat me up. As we walk into it, I notice an unexpected presence. ¡°Careful, you might get caught if you don¡¯t focus~¡± ¡°I can keep going!¡± There were dim torches propped up by stones, and faintly illuminated by them was Mir, fighting against a swarm of Aria¡¯s Steel Spiders. Just like how I used to train. Soon after Mir¡¯s longsword gets caught in the Steel Spider¡¯s silk. At the same time, many strands of silk get stretched around her, sealing her movements. ¡°Alrighty, that¡¯s checkmate.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­I give up.¡± The Steel Spider silk restraining her gets pulled back, setting Mir free. Assuming they are done, I finally speak up. ¡°That was close, Mir.¡± ¡°Natalia, you came back?¡± ¡°Yes, just earlier.¡± ¡°Oh Natalia and Olivia, you look good~¡± Aria descends from the ceiling and lands in front of us. ¡°You look just the same too, Aria. I wasn¡¯t expecting to see you here too though, Mir. I thought you were bad around bugs, what changed?¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen. Please support us by visiting our site.) I look at the countless spiderlings on the ceiling as I ask, and Mir looks away awkwardly. I guess she hasn¡¯t conquered her fears yet. ¡°See, little Mir here came asking for some of my Steel Spider Silk.¡± ¡°Your silk?¡± ¡°I know how resilient it is, and its excellence as a magic conductor, so I wanted to sell it as my store¡¯s specialty.¡± ¡°But giving it up for free would be boring, so I told her I¡¯ll give her some as a reward if she manages to defeat my children.¡± Mir still looked uncomfortable around spiders, but Aria chuckled teasingly. ¡°I still can¡¯t win though¡­¡± I could understand that. Even if it was the spiderlings doing the fighting, Aria was the one giving them orders, making it much harder. Though from what I saw, Aria seems to be giving her an even harder fight compared to the time when we both were defeated by her. CH 62.2 I¡¯m not confident we¡¯d be able to win if I help her, and this is her fight so it wouldn¡¯t really have a point. Mir has to overcome this challenge on her own. All I can offer is cheering her on. ¡°Oh right, Mir, we ran into a Clamp Boar on our way back home, would you like some of the meat?¡± ¡°Huh, is that alright?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s too much for us to finish, and I don¡¯t want it to get spoiled.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll gladly take it then.¡± ¡°And ah, there¡¯s some for you too Aria.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m truly sorry to impose on you like this, but do you mind if I take it right away?¡± ¡°Of course not, it¡¯s all raw though.¡± ¡°As long as my children can eat it¡¯s alright. And knowing you I¡¯m sure you¡¯re carrying cooking utensils and other food too, right? Why don¡¯t we all eat together?¡± For some bizarre reason, Aria is asking me to cook right here, right now. All under the assumption that I¡¯m always ready to cook. ¡°Well, I did bring stuff like that. But it¡¯ll have to be something rather simple, is that alright?¡± I take out a chopping board, a knife, a pan, and other ingredients from my magic storage. This much is required for a maid. ¡°I¡¯ll cut everything here, so could you make a simple stove with stones and light it?¡± I let the rest handle the fire while I start cutting up the pork and other ingredients. Some time later the food is done. ¡°There¡¯s Clamp Boar roasted with fragrant herbs, grilled with breadcrumbs, and roasted with garlic. There¡¯s also two choices of sauces, so feel free to choose whichever you like best.¡± The sauces weren¡¯t freshly made, but those I kept in reserve. Overall it¡¯s a really simplistic meal, but I was limited on time and ingredients so it¡¯s the best I could do. I look around, the three are standing silently. ¡°Umm, it isn¡¯t to your liking?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s just¡­this feels a bit excessive for what I asked¡­¡± I ask, slightly fearful, and Aria holds her forehead saying that, while Olivia and Mir nod. ¡°Natalia, did your cooking improve even more?¡± Yes, I can say that is the case. I already had experience from my past life, but I¡¯ve been studying this world¡¯s cooking as well. Living in the Magic Academy¡¯s second dorm means being around the daughters of nobles, even if they¡¯re lower rank ones, so I feel obligated to learn how to make food suitable for them. Thanks to that, my cooking skill levelled up. ¡°Oh well¡­ Let¡¯s eat before it gets cold.¡± The three sit down to eat. Before I start eating myself, I take some finely cut meat and distribute it amongst the spiderlings, who eat it frantically. ¡°So Olivia, how¡¯s school going?¡± ¡°Huh? Oh¡­studying is hard, but I¡¯m managing somehow with the help of my friends.¡± Aria was once Ophelia¡¯s Servant, so she¡¯s curious about Olivia¡¯s studies. Olivia¡¯s response sounded somewhat awkward and lifeless. She¡¯s usually really energetic and bright, so I wonder what happened to her. ¡°Natalia, how do you like the gauntlets so far?¡± ¡°I like them, they¡¯re strong and conduct mana well. They also fit me very comfortably, so I¡¯m happy with them.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that.¡± I praise the gauntlets, which makes Mir happy as their creator. Her gauntlets make a day and night difference compared to the leather gloves I used before. They almost feel like an extension of my body. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation and stop supporting the content thief!) ¡°There¡¯s actually another piece of equipment I¡¯d like you to make for me.¡± ¡°Yes, anything for you Natalia.¡± Some days ago I felt like another piece of my equipment could be improved, so I decided I¡¯d ask her to make it while I¡¯m back home. That reminded me of something else. ¡°By the way Mir, do you have any Mana Crystals for sale in your shop?¡± Mana Crystals are a type of mineral with the property to gather and store mana. My magic blade is also a physical manifestation of mana, but once I stop imbuing them with mana they vanish. Mana Crystals can retain it, making them something similar to rechargeable batteries for mana. I was looking for them since they¡¯re an important component of my guns¡¯ magazines. One of my magazines had been crushed under an ogre¡¯s feet, but according to the blueprints Ophelia left they¡¯re pretty easy to make, so I want to try making some myself. ¡°Mana Crystals? Blacksmiths don¡¯t really use those, so we don¡¯t have any. Maybe you can try ordering them in the guild?¡± ¡°Hmm, okay, so about the equipment-¡± ¡°You know, you can gather Mana Crystals further inside my cave.¡± I try to bring up my request to Mir, but Aria interrupts me. I feel like what she said made it worth interrupting me though. ¡°Are you sure about that, Aria?¡± ¡°Yes. If you keep going into the cave you¡¯ll eventually encounter a vein of Mana Crystals.¡± I hardly have to think about what to do next. ¡°I¡¯m going mining for a bit. I¡¯ll clean up the cookware later, so just leave it as is.¡± ¡°Huh, Natalia? I¡¯m going with you then!¡± ¡°Ah, me too!¡± I stand up to go further into the cave, but then Olivia and Mir quickly follow behind me. This is something I¡¯m doing for myself though, there¡¯s no need for them to come along. ¡°Okay, this child will show you the way then.¡± Under Aria¡¯s command, a spiderling descends in front of me. It¡¯s another brown spiderling like the one we met at the entrance. ¡°That¡¯s a Copper Spider, a rare species of evolved Steel Spider1. Their abilities and magic are superior to Steel Spiders2, so I¡¯m sure this child will help with a lot more than just telling you where to go.¡± The Copper Spider waves its front leg like before. ¡°Nice to meet you then, Copper Spider.¡± And so, the Copper Spider took us further into the cave, where we had never gone before. CH 63.1 ¡ª¡ªOlivia¡¯s Perspective Somehow I managed to survive the first half of my first year in the Magic Academy. Thanks to Chris¡¯ help I also managed to keep my grades high enough to stay in Classroom A. Though Natalia still grimaced after seeing my report card1. Still, I don¡¯t have to worry about anything during break. We packed our things and came back the same way we came, in a caravan of merchants, which took us back to the house where my mother and father are resting. ¡°Natalia, I¡¯ll sort my own luggage.¡± ¡°Alright, but please do call me if you need help.¡± I take my own luggage to my room and lock the door, leaving Natalia to sort the rest and butcher the Clamp Boar I killed. In my room, I leave my luggage on the ground and go open the curtains and windows. The stale air gets blown out as new refreshing air replaces it. ¡°Alright, time to unpack.¡± I open my bag and take out its contents. My clothes and other accessories can stay packed, but I¡¯m running out of space for the books I bought in Ingralowe, so I have to leave some here. All the books were picked by Amy and Chris, and I¡¯m really bad at reading so it takes me a lot of time to go through them, but they¡¯re really good references. This book is about a female knight and a princess that had feelings for each other, but struggled to get anywhere in their relationship which kept me at the edge of my seat. This is about a female adventurer that pretended to be male, but was so cool that the protagonist magician girl fell in love with her. Then there¡¯s this one which isn¡¯t about two girls, but a noble and a maid that fell in love. My heart was literally thumping seeing them overcome the barrier of their ranks. All the books have happy endings where their love works out, so I really hope I can be like that with Natalia too. ¡°Ah, this book.¡± Amy had said, ¡°You¡¯ll eventually need this as well,¡± when she gave it to me. I would never talk about its contents openly while the sun is out, but she was right, that¡¯s something else I hope to do with Natalia one day. ¡°Me and¡­Natalia¡­No, stop me! Not yet!¡± I almost open the book without thinking, but I forcefully stop myself. I also shake my head, trying to stop this feeling. But I can¡¯t really get rid of those fantasies I pictured. When I returned a year ago I pretty much forced her into a situation like that too though. ¡°We bathed together¡­¡± I can still remember Natalia¡¯s naked body. She was standing there amidst the steam, with her perfect curves and smooth clear skin. Even if she was constructed that way, she was beautiful. My second chance to see her like that came suddenly one day in Ingralowe. After school, I returned to my room in the dorm, and walked in on Natalia while she was changing. Natalia always wakes up earlier than me and takes baths while I¡¯m sleeping, so I never had a chance to peek at her changing before. When it finally happened, it seemed like she hadn¡¯t expected it herself, as she stared at me in a daze. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation and stop supporting the content thief!) I walked out and closed the door out of respect, but to be honest I wanted to stay and watch2. Natalia is always strong, kind, beautiful, and sometimes strict. Some days later I saw yet another side of her though. I was in the room reading a book when Natalia came back. I tried to greet her like always, but I couldn¡¯t finish. Natalia looked like she was about to cry. At first I thought I was just seeing things, but when I got closer I knew for sure. I wanted to do something. I didn¡¯t like seeing her like that. Before I realized, I had made Natalia sit on the bed and I was hugging her. I had resisted hugs for a long time, so she would stop seeing and treating me like a child, but just this one time I had to do it. Natalia slowly leaned into my body, and I just continued hugging her. The next day I went shopping with her and we ran into a male adventurer. I think he might be the reason why Natalia looked like that, but she just walked past him and acted like nothing was wrong, so I never found out anything. Now that I think about it, I¡¯ve seen many sides of Natalia this half year. The kind Natalia that combs and washes my hair. The Natalia who seems to enjoy cooking a lot. The angry Natalia that got mad hearing my mother being insulted. The baffled Natalia seeing my magic. The strict Natalia who taught me magic theory. The grimacing Natalia seeing me struggle to understand. The laughing Natalia who out-negotiated Amy. The happy Natalia that picked matching scent pouches with me. And the sad Natalia, whose suffering I never understood. I like each Natalia. I love all sides of her. Before I realized, I was leafing through the book, watching a depiction of adults in their secret life. I start to picture myself and Natalia as the leads of the story. Natalia with her well-kept long and smooth silver hair, a bountiful chest that isn¡¯t too large either, and her waist curves that are usually hidden by a skirt. And once I touch her there- My sweet fantasies get shattered by a knock on the door. Oh no! If Natalia sees me like this she¡¯ll be grossed out forever! ¡°Young Lady, I¡¯ll be going to visit Aria¡­¡± I take the book and stuff it inside the bag, which I then throw to a corner of my room. Ahhh, what do I do?! I don¡¯t want her to think I¡¯m weird! ¡°I-I¡¯ll go too.¡± I can hardly breathe properly as I open the door slightly. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen. Please support us by visiting our site.) ¡°Umm¡­it¡¯s alright if you¡¯re busy, I can go alone.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll be ready soon.¡± ¡°¡­Okay.¡± I think I managed to play it off. I quickly adjust my clothes (I saw Natalia wearing some light armor on top of her maid outfit), and we head to the cave where Aria lives. Natalia¡¯s magic light illuminates the cave as we go inside. I¡¯m really bad at small spells like that, so I¡¯m glad Natalia is here to cover for me. After some time we find a brown spider in front of us. It looks a lot like Aria¡¯s Steel Spider children, but the color is different. Is it an evolved species? ¡°Hello, do you live here with Aria?¡± Natalia spoke to the spider like it was the most normal thing to do. The spider can¡¯t talk, but it communicates with Natalia through gestures. ¡°Let¡¯s go then, Young Lady.¡± ¡°Okay¡­you seem used to this.¡± ¡°?¡± I knew Natalia would come here from time to time while I was away at school, but I never imagined she spoke with the monsters of the cave like this. CH 63.2 ¡ª¡ªOlivia¡¯s Perspective The spider guides us to a large space in the cave, where a small warrior is fighting against a lot of spiders. I had met that warrior once, before we left Bamel. She¡¯s Natalia¡¯s friend, Mir I think. As a dwarf, she¡¯s shorter than me, but I heard she¡¯s already an adult. At first I thought she was under attack, but I felt no enmity. Natalia isn¡¯t doing anything to help her either, so I guess it¡¯s fine? Eventually Mir is restrained by Steel Spider Silk and the fight ends. ¡°That was close, Mir.¡± ¡°Natalia, you came back?¡± ¡°Yes, just earlier.¡± ¡°Oh Natalia and Olivia, you look good~¡± To be honest, I¡¯ve never been the best around Aria. I feel like she doesn¡¯t like me much either. Aria used to like my father, and she was my father¡¯s Servant and went on adventures with him since before he met my mother. Or at least that¡¯s what he told me years ago. Aria always looks at me the same way she looked at my mother. Aria probably feels like my mother snatched my father away from her, so I guess she doesn¡¯t like me too much either, as their daughter. I smile awkwardly as I hide behind Natalia. ¡°You look just the same too, Aria. I wasn¡¯t expecting to see you here too though, Mir. I thought you were bad around bugs, what changed?¡± ¡°See, little Mir here came asking for some of my Steel Spider Silk.¡± My mother told me about Aria before. Purple Steel Spiders are a rare evolved species, and after evolving further they become Arachnes like Aria, and are strong enough to be assigned rank A. Aria¡¯s silk is comparable to mithril as a material. If Mir sells that, her store will definitely become popular. Though I don¡¯t really know much about that, Amy would know better. Mir and Natalia sound like they know each other well though. I had heard that Mir made Natalia¡¯s armor, I guess they really are friends too though. This is the first time I see the friendship they formed while I was away. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m truly sorry to impose on you like this, but do you mind if I take it right away?¡± ¡°Of course not, it¡¯s all raw though.¡± ¡°As long as my children can eat it¡¯s alright. And knowing you I¡¯m sure you¡¯re carrying cooking utensils and other food too, right? Why don¡¯t we all eat together?¡± ¡°Well, I did bring stuff like that. But it¡¯ll have to be something rather simple, is that alright?¡± Before I noticed, somehow Natalia started cooking for all of us. ¡°I¡¯ll cut everything here, so could you make a simple stove with stones and light it?¡± I quickly build up a stone stove the way I was taught at school, and Aria lights it with magic. I was taught most insect monsters are afraid of fire, but I guess Aria doesn¡¯t have an issue using fire magic. ¡°Hm? Is something wrong?¡± ¡°¡­Oh, no, it¡¯s nothing.¡± I was staring a bit too much, so it probably looked weird. Looking at Natalia is more fun than looking at Aria too anyway. It¡¯s like watching a far more mysterious magic than a spider¡¯s fire magic. Seeing chunks of meat cut into nice pieces and cooked perfectly, while the scent opened my appetite was really magical. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation!) ¡°There¡¯s Clamp Boar roasted with fragrant herbs, grilled with breadcrumbs, and roasted with garlic. There¡¯s also two choices of sauces, so feel free to choose whichever you like best.¡± Meat cooked three ways, and two sauces. That was such a good meal that it felt more in line with a restaurant than inside a cave. ¡°No, it¡¯s just¡­this feels a bit excessive for what I asked¡­¡± Mir and I nod hearing Aria say that. No one expected her to prepare such a luxurious meal inside a cave. I¡¯ve been living with Natalia for half a year already, but this is the first time I watched her cook. Usually we¡¯re in the dorm, and Natalia does all the housework while I¡¯m not watching. She also makes breakfast before I wake up on the weekends, and she always tells me to focus on studying or resting when making lunch or dinner. So I never had a chance to watch her cooking before. Now that I think about it, I¡¯m really being spoiled by Natalia. ¡°Oh well¡­ Let¡¯s eat before it gets cold.¡± ¡°Sorry mom, I won¡¯t be having dinner tonight.¡± Mir mutters in a low voice, what does she mean? ¡°So Olivia, how¡¯s school going?¡± We start eating the meat, which tastes just as good as it looks, and Aria talks to me all of a sudden. ¡°Huh? Oh¡­studying is hard, but I¡¯m managing somehow with the help of my friends.¡± ¡°I see, it¡¯s good that you¡¯re making friends too. Shuma was never good at studying either, so Ophelia and I always had to cover up for him.¡± Aria talks normally, but I still don¡¯t feel too comfortable, so I just stuff my mouth trying to avoid conversation. Natalia¡¯s food is delicious. It¡¯s cooked perfectly, and it pairs well with the sauce, everything matches perfectly. The dorm mother takes breaks during weekends, so Natalia often cooked for everyone instead. There¡¯s many other commoners in the second girls¡¯ dorm where I live, but there are a few low ranking noble daughters too. Natalia often asks them and their servants for their opinion and for advice, so her food keeps improving all the time. ¡°I¡¯m going mining for a bit. I¡¯ll clean up the cookware later, so just leave it as is.¡± ¡°Huh, Natalia? I¡¯m going with you then!¡± As soon as we finish eating, Natalia stands up and says that, so I respond almost by reflex. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen without consent. Please support us by visiting our site.) ¡°Ah, me too!¡± I quickly put my plate and fork away and stand up, Mir follows too. ¡°Okay, this child will show you the way then. That¡¯s a Copper Spider, a rare species of evolved Steel Spider. Their abilities and magic are superior to Steel Spiders, so I¡¯m sure this child will help with a lot more than just telling you where to go.¡± If it¡¯s a rare species, will it eventually become like Aria in the future too? ¡°Nice to meet you then, Copper Spider.¡± And so the Copper Spider took us deeper into the cave, where we had never entered before. CH 64.1 ¡ª¡ªOlivia¡¯s Perspective The cave past the place where Aria lives felt different. I felt chills, knowing monsters were watching us. Mir is next to me, and she looks a bit nervous too. Natalia is in front of us so I can¡¯t see her face, but she seems to be calm like always. ¡°Kikii!¡± There¡¯s a shrill sound and a shadow comes down at us. It was a Sable Bat, with long fangs coming out of its mouth. Before I could get ready to fight, Natalia shoots it down with Black Hawk. ¡°Gikii!¡± The Sable Bat screeches as Natalia¡¯s magic blade slices it from below. Natalia doesn¡¯t even look at the monster¡¯s halves falling, focusing deeper in the cave. Then she makes the Float Light stronger, illuminating a bigger area. ¡°Kiikii!¡± ¡°Kikii!¡± There are many more Sable Bats flying at us. We had stepped in their territory. ¡°They¡¯re coming. Young Lady, Mir, watch out.¡± I prepare my fists, and Mir unsheathes her longsword. I feel excited, I might finally be able to show Natalia my cool side. When we were going back home I had also gotten carried away, killing a Clamp Boar. I¡¯m feeling just as excited now. But Natalia didn¡¯t seem to notice that, standing in front of me and shooting down the monsters before they got close to me. The Copper Spider also started using an Earth Magic spell, Earth Shot, bringing down the Sable Bats from a distance. What should I do? I can¡¯t do anything like this. I barely have time to think about that when Natalia starts fiddling with Black Hawk. Mir jumps out almost instantly, attacking the Sable Bats instead. Before I can react, Natalia has Black Hawk ready again and resumes shooting. The flock of Sable Bats was defeated before I could do anything. ¡°Young Lady, did you get hurt?¡± Natalia asks, but I didn¡¯t even get touched by the monsters. Mir has some scratches along her arms, so Natalia takes out some healing potions for her. The Copper Spider keeps looking at the Sable Bat bodies restlessly, and then pokes at Natalia¡¯s feet. I wonder what it¡¯s trying to say? ¡°What is it?¡± Natalia asks the spider, and it scurries to a nearby body and bites it, then points at the way out of the cave with one leg. ¡°I see, I understand.¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation!) Natalia opens her magic storage and starts stuffing the Sable Bats inside. I don¡¯t think Sable Bats are worth much, I wonder why she¡¯s doing that? ¡°It wants to take them back as food.¡± Natalia answers before I even ask the question. I see. Monsters are a valuable source of sustenance for those living in the cave. Aria also has a big family, so I¡¯m sure they¡¯re constantly looking for more food. When Mir¡¯s arms are treated, Natalia stands in front of us again. I know she¡¯s trying to keep me safe, but I¡¯m starting to feel a bit uncomfortable. I also want to fight¡­I mean, I know Natalia is doing everything as my maid, but I wish she would rely on me to fight too sometimes. And her combined attack with Mir was really smooth earlier, while I was the only one doing nothing, so I feel left out. I¡¯ll go fight in the front too. I decide that as something starts moving ahead. For a moment I thought I had just imagined it, but that was the wrong idea. ¡°!!!¡± ¡°It¡¯s coming from below, spread out!¡± Natalia quickly understands the Copper Spider¡¯s signal. I jump back instantly, and a yellowish-brown pillar rises from the ground where we had been standing. The thing seems to go soft, arching down as a head with menacing teeth opens. ¡°It¡¯s a Largemouth Worm!¡± Mir¡¯s right. It¡¯s a Largemouth Worm, a monster like a very large earthworm. Now¡¯s my chance! I quickly dash forward, charging straight at the Largemouth Worm. I kick up and knock its jaw away. The Largemouth Worm flies up at the ceiling from the hit, but I¡¯m not done yet. I quickly punch at its body, folding it in half. ¡°Shell Fang!¡± Boosting one¡¯s body with magic is the essence of Magical Arts, Shell Fang speeds up my fist with Wind Magic, and then increases its power with Gravity Magic. It uses only a little mana, so I can use it every time I punch. It¡¯s the basis of my fighting style. I used it together with a backswing. The Largemouth Worm hits the wall and falls motionless. I land on the ground and run to Natalia proudly. How did I do? Did I look cool? ¡°Young Lady!¡± ¡°Huh-¡± Natalia knocks me away while I stand trying to show off. I look back confused, and see the Largemouth Worm¡¯s tail, barely blocked by Natalia¡¯s body. I thought I had defeated the Largemouth Worm, but it was still alive and it had tried to use its tail as a last ditch effort. I hadn¡¯t noticed that, so Natalia had to protect me. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen without consent. Please support us by visiting our site.) ¡°Yahhh!¡± ¡°!¡± Mir¡¯s sword slices the Largemouth Worm in two, and then the Copper Spider¡¯s Earth Lance pierces through it. The monster continues twitching for a bit, but it soon stops. ¡°Young Lady, are you hurt?¡± ¡°I¡¯m okay! But how are you?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m just an automaton, this is nothing for me. I¡¯m just glad you¡¯re safe.¡± Natalia says that with a smile, but I¡¯m not really convinced. ¡°Let¡¯s keep going then, shall we?¡± Natalia continues walking again, like nothing happened. I slowly lower the hand with which I tried to reach her, and silently follow behind her. ¡°Umm¡­may I call you just Olivia?¡± After we walk for a bit, Mir gets closer and speaks to me. ¡°Ah, sure. And don¡¯t worry about being so polite.¡± Mir is a dwarf, shorter than me by one head, but she¡¯s older than me. My father always told me to be mindful of those older than me. CH 64.2 ¡ª¡ªOlivia¡¯s Perspective ¡°I guess Natalia is still like that, even after all this time.¡± ¡°She¡¯s¡­always been like that?¡± ¡°Yes, always. There was a time she let her arm get completely wrecked, just to cover for me when we were together in a party.¡± Mir stifles a smile with her hand, thinking back to that time. ¡°Do you know what she said after that? That she can¡¯t feel pain, and that Ophelia can fix her, so letting her arm be crushed was the correct thing to do. Sometimes I really don¡¯t know what¡¯s going through her head.¡± She¡¯s criticizing Natalia, but her voice also sounds kind and slightly pained. That reminded me of someone else who spoke like that. ¡°Mother also told me she had some dangerous tendencies1¡­¡± That was something she was worried about too, before the curse took her. ¡°I guess it bothered Ophelia too then.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± She had also been that way when I was kidnapped by slave traders, and when she went to find medicine for my mother. If someone was in danger, Natalia would jump in without regard for her own safety. Maybe that was the right choice for a magic automaton, but no one wanted her to do that. ¡°But I like her because she¡¯s Natalia, not a magic automaton¡­¡± I mutter that without thinking. I realize what I¡¯m saying too late. Mir is close by, so she hears it clearly. ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry, that¡¯s not what I meant.¡± I try to play it off somehow, but I keep tripping on my words. The more I try, the less sense my words make. ¡°Heheh, I know what you mean.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± I look at Mir in shock, while she just smiles innocently. ¡°Natalia is Natalia, irrelevant if she¡¯s a magic automaton or a person, or a monster. She¡¯s still Natalia, and my friend.¡± Ah, I guess Mir really¡­ ¡°Watch out ahead, you two!¡± Natalia¡¯s voice stops my thoughts, and I instantly ready my fists. Something dashes through the darkness and lunges at Mir. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation!) Mir tries to swing her sword, but that takes too long and she ends up having to use her hands to stop the monster. But she¡¯s clearly strong as any dwarf, easily holding the monster¡¯s jaws with her hands and throwing it away before it gets to take a bite. ¡°It¡¯s a Naked Panther!¡± Mir shouts that almost immediately. She¡¯s right, the enemy is a monster that looks like a panther without fur. The Naked Panther twists its body in the air, kicking off the wall and lunging while baring its fangs again. Natalia aims Black Hawk and starts shooting. The bullets travel faster than I can follow with my eyes, piercing the Naked Panther¡¯s four legs. But as any monster, that¡¯s not enough to stop it. The Naked Panther keeps kicking off the cave¡¯s walls, jumping around wildly. ¡°!¡± The Copper Spider creates a sword of dirt from the ground. It doesn¡¯t hit the monster, but it manages to interrupt its movements. While it recovered, Mir swung her longsword. Unable to move out of the way, the Naked Panther receives a heavy blow. I won¡¯t be careless this time. I carefully gather mana on my fist before I launch one of my best attacks. ¡°Sparkling Lightning Discharge2!¡± A series of punches dig into the Naked Panther¡¯s body, sending various bolts of lightning through its body. According to my father, the best users of this skill can launch a hundred million punches in a single second. But he never got to that level, and I¡¯m way worse than him. But it¡¯s still easy to use, and really strong, so I like it a lot. The Naked Panther crashes into the ground, then jumps up and darts away into the cave. Natalia tries shooting at it one last time, but it¡¯s too late. At least we drove it away, and I managed to fight a little3. Point point! The Copper Spider keeps pointing at the direction the Naked Panther ran off to. ¡°It seems the Mana Crystals are over there.¡± Natalia translates, and the Copper Spider nods satisfied. I didn¡¯t get hurt, and Mir shows she¡¯s good too, so Natalia decides to continue into the cave. Some time later the Float Light produces some sparkles from within the cave¡¯s darkness. Natalia makes the light brighter, revealing a wall covered in crystals. It looks really beautiful, so I think of getting closer, but I notice something wriggling in the ground that makes me stop. ¡°Something¡¯s here¡­¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen without consent. Please support us by visiting our site.) Natalia, Mir, and the Copper Spider had noticed it too, so we all stayed quiet and looked carefully. The light gets brighter and we see exactly what it is. First I see a lower body covered in wounds. Before I can identify it, it gets pulled up and swallowed into a tube. ¡°Man Eater?¡± Natalia mutters that out of nowhere, it¡¯s strange for her to be this confused, usually she¡¯s calm. ¡°What¡¯s wrong Natalia? Man Eaters are monsters that live in the forest. It¡¯s impossible to find one in a cave like this.¡± ¡°Ah, no, I¡¯m sorry. Forget I said anything.¡± It¡¯s strange, but she quickly snaps out of it and looks up again. It¡¯s a Largemouth Worm. And it probably just ate the Naked Panther. Maybe it was even the one we just chased away. The monster continues hanging from the ceiling, rolling up into a ball. I start to wonder what it¡¯s doing, and its brown body starts to glow, even brighter than Natalia¡¯s Float Light. I know what that means, I learned about this from my mother and school. ¡°No way, it¡¯s evolving?4!¡± When a monster gathered enough experience, it would often evolve into a superior species. Not much research has been done about it yet, but evolved monsters are always a step stronger than their non-evolved counterparts. Eventually the light stops, and the rolled up monster falls from the ceiling. There¡¯s a dry sound and a plume of dust, the lump opens and a long neck comes out. ¡°Sheeeeeeee!¡± CH 65.1 ¡ªOlivia¡¯s Perspective It¡¯s coming! The instant I think that, me and everyone else moves. The Greedmega Worm opened its jaws wide and jumped, but there was no one there anymore. Natalia prepares her magic gun, and Mir unsheathes her longsword. I also hold my fists up, carefully observing the enemy. The Copper Spider is the first one to attack. It dodges the monster¡¯s first attack, then swings up to the ceiling and uses its magic, letting a portion of the ceiling fall on the monster. But the worm¡¯s soft and squishy skin has turned into a very spiky and hard shell, the falling rocks bouncing off without causing any damage. ¡°My turn! Ground Runner!¡± Mir runs with her longsword held low, scraping the ground before swinging together with pebbles and dust against the Greedmega Worm¡¯s thick body. But it only caused a little bit of superficial damage, not really hurting the monster. In response, the monster swings its long tail at Mir, who blocks with her blade, but there¡¯s so much momentum she¡¯s flung back. Natalia followed up with fire from her gun, though most of the magic bullets ricocheted off the shell. A few did leave soft traces though. The Greedmega Worm¡¯s upper body tilts and starts falling. Not because it was weakened from the attack, but to crush Natalia under its weight. But such a slow attack will never work on Natalia, who easily jumped out of the way. ¡°Mir, we have to do that again.¡± Natalia says something really vague, but Mir understands what she means. I didn¡¯t understand anything, which is a bit frustrating. ¡°Sparkling Lightning Discharge!¡± I strike the monster in anger, but it has no effect, the shell absorbing everything. ¡°Young Lady, leave this to us.¡± ¡°Huh? But¡­¡± I want to help Natalia too. But when I look at Natalia, she looks like she already has won this fight. ¡°We agreed that whenever we fight an enemy with strong skin, we would attack a single spot1.¡± I don¡¯t know why they even have an agreement like that, but I can only trust Natalia now. I continue observing the enemy carefully, while starting to burn mana. ¡°!!!¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation!) The Copper Spider raises a sharp rock like a large spear from the ground, stabbing it into the monster. The Greedmega Worm jumps at it, head first. The Stone Lance shatters from the impact. But before the countless fragments could hit the ground, Mir dashes in. ¡°Angry Charge!¡± The tackle that carried all of a dwarf¡¯s superhuman strength twisted the Greedmega Worm and they went flying together. ¡°Yahhh!¡± Before the monster could fix its posture, she struck her blade in, pushing the pommel with her palm, breaking through the shell and reaching soft flesh. ¡°I did it!¡± ¡°Good job.¡± Mir pulls her sword out and jumps back, and Natalia shoots with Black Hawk, which she held ready. There was the distinctive sound of the gun firing as the bullets all flew in a single path. One shot was fired after another, many times over. The Greedmega Worm twists its body and swings its tail, but Natalia dodges it easily. She even shoots while moving. ¡°Ah.¡± That¡¯s when I realized. Natalia had been focusing all her fire on the spot Mir had damaged. If all the damage was focused on a single spot, the hard shell would eventually give out. And in fact, many cracks are all over it now. Natalia shoots her arm, sticking it to the ceiling with her magic blade. Then she runs a short distance and jumps, swinging on her nerve threads. The Greedmega Worm opens its mouth wide, trying to catch her. But Natalia skillfully winds up her nerve threads to adjust her height, avoiding being eaten and stepping on the monster¡¯s nose. Next Natalia¡¯s legs detach and shoot off, with her main body still suspended in mid-air. They circle the monster¡¯s body in irregular movements, and once the nerve threads are pulled taut, the Greedmega Worm is tied up and can¡¯t move anymore. Now that it can¡¯t move again, Natalia continues to shoot Black Hawk at the wound. As the bullet lands, there¡¯s a big explosion. Smoke comes out from its stomach, and its body goes limp. Natalia undoes its binding with her legs, and the enormous monster falls down. Natalia unwinds her arm¡¯s nerve thread to soften her landing. I can¡¯t describe what I felt as I watched her skirt swirl around. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s finish it off properly, just in case.¡± Saying that, Natalia produced a large magic blade. Natalia is always careful around her enemies, but she¡¯s also merciless. I noticed that before too, but I feel like that side of her is manifesting more now. Twitch twitch! (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen without consent. Please support us by visiting our site.) Feeling its demise, the Greedmega Worm, which still lived, gathered all its remaining strength to attack one last time. It bent its body back as if winding up, and then lunged forward, its jaws wide open to eat us. ¡°Tsk!¡± Natalia clicked her tongue and prepared her gun. But I jumped in front of her first. ¡°Young Lady?!¡± I heard Natalia¡¯s shocked voice behind me. But sorry Natalia, I really want to help too2. ¡°Ignis Drake!¡± I cast a middle level fire spell directly into the open jaws lined with sharp teeth. The dragon-shaped flames dispersed and died off after colliding with the monster, but that was enough to scorch deep into its throat. I jump up and aim my fist at the agonizing Greedmega Worm¡¯s head. ¡°Sparkling Lightning Discharge!¡± CH 65.2 ¡ª¡ªOlivia¡¯s Perspective That was my other favorite skill. My fist was charged with lightning as it crushed the monster¡¯s head against the ground. The hard shell and sharp fangs cracked, and I smelled burnt monster flesh. The Greedmega Worm still twitches a bit, but it quickly stops moving. ¡°Alright, I think we defeated it. Ah-¡± I pull my fist back and notice it¡¯s covered in the monster¡¯s fluids. I don¡¯t mind fighting giant bugs, but this is kinda gross. ¡°Young Lady!¡± As I shake off the fluid, Natalia comes running at me. So how was I? I bet I was even more useful than Mir this time, wasn¡¯t I? ¡°Are you hurt?! Insect monsters often have poisonous blood! We need to neutralize it just in case!¡± I stand tall and proud, but Natalia pays no attention to that, instead holding my hand and washing it with an antidote she took out of her magic storage. She wraps my hand in hers, rubbing the antidote onto my skin as the Greedmega Worm¡¯s fluids get washed away. Natalia always exaggerated things like that. I can handle that myself, so I wish she¡¯d just praise me instead. At least she¡¯s trying to care for me. I¡¯m a bit disappointed she won¡¯t praise me, but I should be happy she¡¯s worried about me. Ah, that reminds me. I haven¡¯t been hugging Natalia, or holding her hand lately, so maybe it¡¯s about time I start being a bit more assertive? I¡¯ll try to recreate that scene I read in a book the other day. ¡°The fluid is gone and you don¡¯t seem to be hurt, but if you feel weird in any way please tell me right away.¡± She¡¯s wiping the antidote away with a napkin, so I hold her hand and pull her closer. The sudden movement makes her lose her footing and tip forward, so I support her body, move my face closer, and whisper into her ear. ¡°Thank you for worrying about me. I¡¯m fine now, don¡¯t worry.¡± I lightly brush my lips against her cheek, then help her stand up properly again before stepping back. Amy and Chris had said that scene was really cool, so maybe Natalia will also notice me now? My eyes are focused on Natalia, and I desperately try to stop myself from grinning. ¡°I see. That¡¯s good to know then.¡± But she just looks at me with her usual kind smile. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation!) ¡°H-huhh?¡± ¡°Do you feel ill after all?!¡± I hurry to stop Natalia, who¡¯s getting ready to douse another bottle of antidote on me. This isn¡¯t how this was supposed to go. Natalia also reads romance novels with knights and nobles as main characters, so I was sure she would like this, but maybe I was wrong then? ¡°!¡± While I still thought about that, the Copper Spider points into the cave again. Natalia shines her light there, and colorless transparent crystals twinkle back. ¡°These are all Mana Crystals. And they seem to be rather pure ones too.¡± Mir gets closer and examines them. I guess Natalia can finally get what she came here for. ¡°!!¡± The Copper Spider uses Earth Magic to shake the rocky wall with the crystals, loosening them. The transparent crystals fall to the ground, forming a small pile. ¡°This is even more than I was expecting.¡± She mutters as she opens her magic storage and stuffs everything inside, reminding me of the way the Largemouth Worm ate the Naked Panther earlier. But it¡¯d be awkward if I say that, so I keep it to myself. ¡°Thank you all, for accompanying me on my selfish quest.¡± Once she finishes storing everything, Natalia turns to us and bows, even though I didn¡¯t feel like she was being selfish at all. I¡¯m sure Mir feels the same as me too. My father had told me that being modest was a virtue, but I feel like Natalia takes that to a ridiculous extreme. She¡¯s always looking out for me, so I wish she¡¯d act a bit more freely sometimes. ¡°Not at all, it was fun going on an adventure with you again. We should head back now though.¡± ¡°Yes¡­umm, Mir?!¡± Mir pushes on Natalia¡¯s back, taking her back the way we came, and Natalia walks a bit before turning her head around in confusion. I realize she¡¯s looking at me, so I quickly run to catch up with them, and the Copper Spider joins us too. I already had a hunch of this, but Natalia really doesn¡¯t see me as a potential romantic partner. Amy and Chris told me she had to have such feelings somewhere too, but Natalia always treats me like a child. Lately I¡¯ve grown in a lot of ways, I¡¯ve gotten taller, even my chest is getting bigger, but I guess I¡¯m not mature enough yet. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen without consent. Please support us by visiting our site.) ¡°Hahhh¡­¡± I end up heaving a sigh, which makes Mir turn to look at me. ¡°I¡¯m rooting for you, okay?¡± I couldn¡¯t understand what she meant at first, but even my dumb brain was able to figure it out soon enough. ¡°Natalia can be surprisingly dense.¡± ¡°!¡± She knows! ¡°Huh, are you talking about me?¡± ¡°No no, it¡¯s nothing.¡± Natalia turns around, but Mir just pushes her back and walks faster, forcefully changing the topic. Mir seemed like a calm and quiet person at first, but I just saw how powerful of a warrior she is, using her dwarf strength to its fullest. And she even knows how to deal with Natalia, even if it¡¯s by force. She¡¯s way more mature than me. ¡°Olivia, there¡¯s no need to get impatient. Just keep being yourself and everything will work out.¡± See? I would¡¯ve never been able to say something so sensible. But she¡¯s right. I¡¯ll never give up. I¡¯ll just fight on, and I¡¯ll make Natalia look my way eventually! CH 66 Most of my fun vacations are over. We have to depart to Ingralowe again the day after tomorrow, so Natalia is arranging and scheduling a carriage for us. I wanted to go with her too, but I¡¯m not good with complicated stuff, so I would be bored just agreeing to everything Natalia said, so instead I¡¯m at Mir¡¯s shop. ¡°What do you think?¡± I¡¯m trying out one of the shop¡¯s items, and Mir asks for my opinion. She had suggested I get some protective gear, having watched me fight bare-fisted the other day. ¡°Hmmm, it still feels a bit hard to move.¡± I repeatedly closed and opened my fists, but the movement still feels awkward. That much was expected though, as I¡¯m wearing metallic gauntlets. It¡¯s something obvious to imagine, but wearing gauntlets changes the feel of my hands and grip. Being able to form a firm fist is an essential part of martial arts. The ideal equipment would be something that doesn¡¯t impede my movements while offering plenty of defense, but such an item doesn¡¯t seem to exist. And trying to build a modified gauntlet could lead to injuries as well, so it¡¯s quite a tall order. ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s equipment like that for fighters, so maybe it¡¯d be better if I design something from the ground up.¡± All the items in the shop are made by Mir, but armor and gauntlets were mainly defensive items, not designed to be used offensively. That¡¯s not surprising. Basically no one tries fighting monsters or other people with their fists, and Magical Arts are a niche skill. ¡°Mir? What are you discussing here? I feel like I just heard something interesting.¡± I turn to the shop¡¯s backroom, a dwarf with a voluminous beard is walking out from there, supporting his body with a cane. ¡°Dad, shouldn¡¯t you be resting?¡± ¡°Now now, I might have retired from smithing, but I¡¯m not some old cripple yet.¡± That¡¯s Jace, Mir¡¯s father and the previous owner of the shop. I heard he hurt his hip and can¡¯t swing his hammer anymore, so he¡¯s retired now. ¡°So you practice Magical Arts? No normal gauntlet will suit you, those are all armor, not weapons. You need something completely different.¡± He¡¯s right. I need something sturdy enough to resist the hits powered by magic, and also plenty of mana conductivity. On top of that, it has to offer some defense without making my movements awkward, and have some sort of offensive property. Thinking of it that way, it¡¯d be a really niche and specific product. ¡°So you¡¯re the automaton girl¡¯s mistress? She¡¯s always bringing me medicine so I¡¯d like to repay the favor, but this is no easy task. Everything¡¯s gotta be planned carefully, even the materials, the normal stuff won¡¯t do. Something like a powerful monster¡¯s hide, or some resistant fiber¡¯d be good. I¡¯ll ask my contacts if they can find anything, but don¡¯t get your hopes too high.¡± Natalia was doing that? Anyway, that does sound complicated. ¡°You haven¡¯t graduated yet, aye? Your life as an adventurer only starts after that, so no need to rush things.¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation!) While I had to enlist as an adventurer to register Natalia as my Servant, I¡¯m planning on following my mother¡¯s plan, and only working after I graduate. Jace agrees to gather the materials if he ever comes across them, and I leave the shop. That¡¯s all I had to do there, so I guess I can go back home for now. I walk leisurely through the city, looking at the people around me. Ah, that person has the same hair as Natalia. That one is just as tall as Natalia. ¡°So, what should we do?¡± That voice was just like Natalia¡¯s. I turn around, and see someone who not only sounds like Natalia, but also has the same hair as her. ¡°How about some shopping to start off?¡± ¡°That sounds like a good idea.¡± Weird, her face also looks the same. If she wore a maid uniform she would look just like Natalia. ¡°Let¡¯s go then.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Saying that, she walks past me with some guy. ¡°?!¡± My feet stop and I turn around by reflex. She doesn¡¯t just look like Natalia. It is her, I just didn¡¯t notice because she¡¯s not wearing her usual maid uniform. Ah, that guy was talking to Natalia, and she replied. They seem to know each other well. A sharp pain spreads through my heart realizing that. I knew Natalia had friends I didn¡¯t know. I knew she had a life outside of being my maid. I knew all that. But I can¡¯t accept it. Without thinking, I start chasing after them. ¡°I finally got to kill the request¡¯s Madder Bear, but it wasn¡¯t really worth it.¡± ¡°Either way, if it was left alone it would¡¯ve attacked the nearby villages, and no one else wanted to take care of it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s really nice of you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t fall for me now.¡± ¡°Not even if hell froze over.¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen without consent. Please support us by visiting our site.) I stay neither too close nor too far, listening as carefully as I can. The guy is telling a story, maybe one of his adventures. Natalia keeps giving him hard replies to his hardships. I guess Natalia feels really comfortable around him. She¡¯s always all polite and proper around everyone, I¡¯ve never seen her talk so casually. ¡°Oh, there¡¯s some good stuff here. What do you think of this one?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it a bit too showy?¡± They stop in front of a street stall and look at the items on sale. It looked like a jewelry store. I¡¯m a distance away, but I can see the distinct glint of gemstones. ¡°I actually like it that way.¡± ¡°Ah, alright then.¡± Natalia turns her face away, looking almost disgusted. Yup yup, Natalia never wears something that attracts a lot of attention. The only jewelry I see her wear is her Servant brooch. ¡°Excuse me, can I ask something?¡± He doesn¡¯t get Natalia at all. He really should be paying more attention to her if they¡¯re going shopping together. ¡°Sure thing.¡± Whatttt?! ¡°You¡¯re still gonna buy it?¡± ¡°I never said I wouldn¡¯t.¡± Wh-wh-wh-wh-wh-wh-whwhat?! But that was supposed to be so far off Natalia¡¯s tastes. She¡¯s still buying it though, so there must be a reason behind that¡­ ¡°Could it be¡­¡± No, it¡¯s almost certain now. She¡¯s buying it simply because he recommended it. Maybe she values him even more than I had thought¡­ For example, she might be in love with him¡­ ¡°N-n-no, how? Natalia wasn¡¯t¡­¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (You can support us by leaving words of appreciation on our site!) I thought Natalia liked people like my mother. ¡®That person is probably crazy popular. If you don¡¯t pursue him aggressively, someone else might snatch him.¡¯ Suddenly I recall what Amy told me before. ¡®Someone else might snatch him.¡¯ ¡®Someone else might snatch him.¡¯ ¡®Someone snatched her.¡¯ ¡®Someone snatched her.¡¯ Those words keep repeating in my head. Did someone actually snatch Natalia from me? ¡®Oh right, I¡¯ve started dating this man, Young Lady.¡¯ ¡®Young Lady, I¡¯m going to marry him.¡¯ The awful scenario I once imagined resurfaces in my mind, and this time it keeps going. I feel like everything is going dark. ¡°Woah.¡± Fear takes over me, feeling like I was robbed of my ideal distant future. A passerby bumps into me, which manages to bring me back to reality. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s alright. Hm? Wait, is that you Olivia?¡± I quickly turn around and apologize while bowing, but they seem to know me. I do recognize her, I had met her before. ¡°Ah, Jane.¡± She¡¯s Jane, the sub-master of the large clan Soaring Dragon. ¡°You¡¯ve really grown, I almost didn¡¯t recognize you. I heard you were going to the Magic Academy in Ingralowe, are you visiting home now?¡± ¡°Yes, just during my break. I¡¯m going back there the day after tomorrow.¡± Jane was an old friend of my parents¡¯, and I had met her a few times too. She would always treat me well. She looks big and muscular, but she¡¯s actually a really kind person. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re busy with all sorts of things, now that both Shuma and Ophelia have passed away, but feel free to rely on me if you need anything. I¡¯ll do anything to help.¡± ¡°Thank you very much. But I¡¯m alright, Natalia is still with me.¡± I still feel sad knowing both parents have passed away. But I¡¯m not alone, Natalia is always by my side, so I¡¯ve never needed anything. Though my grades are a different story. That reminds me why I¡¯m here too. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation!) ¡°Oh right, Natalia.¡± I quickly turn around, but I can¡¯t see her anywhere. The bad feeling I had keeps growing stronger. ¡°Did something happen to Natalia?¡± Jane asks me, sounding worried. Maybe if I ask her¡­but should I even ask for something like this? No, I can¡¯t afford to hesitate. Natalia will just drift further away the longer I take. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to ask you so suddenly, but can I ask a favor from you?¡± ¡°Sure thing, leave it to me.¡± I ask her after making up my mind, and she replies right away, without even asking what I wanted. CH 67.1 Olivia¡¯s break from school is nearing its end. It¡¯s my first time back here in half a year, but I feel like the time just flew past while I was cleaning Ophelia¡¯s and Shuma¡¯s graves in the garden, and making magazines with the Mana Crystals I obtained. We¡¯re traveling back to Ingralowe1 in two days, so I had to get things ready. First I went to the merchant¡¯s guild to secure a seat in a caravan. We had already traveled with them before, and they knew Ophelia, so everything was arranged in just a few minutes. That took far less time than I expected, what should I do now? I could go back home, but since I¡¯m already here I want to take a walk and see how the city is doing. Maybe I can check Mir¡¯s shop too. While I still debate what to do, I spot someone familiar. He stood in front of a closed bar, looking at it with his arms crossed. Hmm¡­should I talk to him or not? It feels like it could be a pain¡­ Alright, I¡¯ll pretend I didn¡¯t see him. ¡°Oh, is that you Natalia?¡± But before I get to turn away, he sees me and talks to me. ¡°You¡¯ve got the wrong person, I mean automaton.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the only magic automaton around here. Also, you really should¡¯ve told me you were back in town.¡± Danny walks up to me with a smile and shakes my shoulder a little, acting a bit too touchy for my liking. Stop that. I don¡¯t like being touched by men. ¡°So how¡¯re you doing? Did you give up on being an adventurer and became a full-time creep? I can file a report against you if you want.¡± I swat his hand away and take a step forward, he just scratches his head awkwardly. ¡°I see you¡¯re as harsh as ever.¡± ¡°Did you need something from this bar?¡± ¡°Ah, no, nothing really. But hey, we haven¡¯t seen each other in forever, why don¡¯t we take a walk together?¡± I try peeking into the bar through a window, but Danny quickly stops me. There¡¯s clearly something in the bar, but since he¡¯s trying to keep it secret so badly it¡¯d be rude to pry. I don¡¯t have anything else to do, so I¡¯ll just go with him. ¡°I don¡¯t have anything planned so I don¡¯t mind, just give me a minute.¡± Saying that, I run into a small alley, change my appearance with Illusory Magic, and change clothes under its veil. ¡°Sorry for the wait.¡± I felt like my maid uniform looked too formal if I was just hanging out with a friend. And if I don¡¯t change clothes for things like this, more than half of my private wardrobe will remain unused. I did change clothes when I went hunting in the forest before, but after that incident I stopped going. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation!) ¡°So, what do you have in mind?¡± Danny had continued taking requests and building his career as an adventurer. He told me all about it while we headed to the market. ¡°I finally got to kill the request¡¯s Madder Bear, but it wasn¡¯t really worth it.¡± ¡°You wasted too much medicine and traps then. You spent too much to make any profit.¡± ¡°Yeah, I guess so. Jane told me the same.¡± ¡°See?¡± He had spent nearly all his resources just to complete one request. That¡¯s not too uncommon, but it¡¯s a tricky situation to get out of. I still have Ophelia¡¯s inheritance, and my superficial injuries recover with time, I also don¡¯t have to eat, so such a situation would not hurt me too much. But for an adventurer who¡¯s still growing like Danny, it truly affects his lifestyle. ¡°Either way, if it was left alone it would¡¯ve attacked the nearby villages, and no one else wanted to take care of it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s really nice of you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t fall for me now.¡± ¡°Not even if hell froze over.¡± Unfortunately for him, even though my body became that of a girl, and I usually act like a maid, I¡¯m still a guy in my mind. I have no interest in him. ¡°Oh, it seems they sell magic accessories here.¡± Danny stops at an outdoor store that mainly had rings and necklaces glistening in its display. The sign on it does say magic accessories though. ¡°There¡¯s a lot of adventurers in Bamel, so stores like this are really common, and they usually carry good stuff.¡± I hadn¡¯t heard that before. Though I only know Bamel and Ingralowe, so I don¡¯t know what other cities are like. ¡°Oh, there¡¯s some good stuff here. What do you think of this one?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it a bit too showy?¡± Danny is pointing at a golden ring with an elaborate design, encrusted with various gemstones. Actually I was wrong, it¡¯s ridiculously tacky. ¡°I actually like it that way.¡± ¡°Ah, alright then.¡± Why am I supposed to go along with your tastes? I get wanting to look fancy from time to time, but this is too extreme. Though these are magic accessories. Maybe it has special properties. ¡°Excuse me, can I ask something? What kind of properties does this ring have?¡± ¡°Oh, that one protects the wearer from all sorts of toxins. It negates poison, and even paralyzing substances. It¡¯s a bit pricey, but it¡¯s the best protective item I have in stock at the moment.¡± I speak with the shopkeeper, who¡¯s short and stocky, probably a dwarf. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen without consent. Please support us by visiting our site.) Interesting, it¡¯s a protective ring. Toxins remind me of that serial killer I fought before. I¡¯m a magic automaton so her plan didn¡¯t work on me, but I definitely would¡¯ve been killed if I was human. It doesn¡¯t matter how strong someone is, once they can¡¯t move, almost anything can defeat them. Maybe it¡¯d be a good idea to buy this ring, just in case. ¡°How much does it cost?¡± ¡°It¡¯s pricey, like I said.¡± Once I hear the price, I check my accounting book and calculate how much I can afford to spend. It¡¯s just barely within limits. Though price isn¡¯t necessarily a sign of quality, there¡¯s a chance he¡¯s trying to swindle me. Danny said they¡¯re worth the money though, so I¡¯ll trust him. At the very least I doubt it¡¯s a complete scam. Not to mention that risking one¡¯s life for a bit of money is stupid. If money can buy safety, then I¡¯ll pay. CH 67.2 I open my magic storage inside my bag and take out the money for the shopkeeper. ¡°Sure thing.¡± ¡°You¡¯re still gonna buy it?¡± ¡°I never said I wouldn¡¯t.¡± I take the ring from the shopkeeper, who¡¯s smirking a bit weirdly, and we continue walking. We just wander around the market, without a clear goal, and eventually sit down on a bench to rest. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ve just been talking about myself all this time. How are things on your side?¡± I guess Danny is curious about my life after leaving Bamel. There¡¯s no reason for me to keep it secret. ¡°I¡¯ve just been taking care of the Young Lady in Ingralowe. I basically spend my days practicing alchemy, making magic devices, and writing a magic study book.¡± ¡°I get the alchemy part, but what¡¯s this book thing about?¡± ¡°Ah, you see¡­¡± I tell Danny about the Magic Academy¡¯s textbook, and how it has some issues and how I was making it better. The current textbook is basically an endless list of plain descriptions. That makes it hard to figure out the important bits, and it¡¯s really only useful for those with good reading comprehension and memorization skills. Having a teacher explain everything made it easier, but there was more to studying than being in a classroom, proven by how some students would do better than others. Everyone is different, some learn faster or slower than others. My book was meant to bridge those differences a little. ¡°You sound busy.¡± ¡°I only started that in an attempt to help the Young Lady though.¡± While now I¡¯m an author selling books, it all started with me trying to help Olivia study better. ¡°Other than that, I sometimes go to the forest and practice fighting monsters.¡± ¡°I feel bad for the monsters.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear that from an adventurer.¡± That brings back the memories of the ogres I fought that day. Somehow I had tried to make a magic blade from my foot. I feel like I never did that before, but in my memories I know I did it when fighting the golem. Danny was there when the golem attacked, so maybe he has an idea why my memories and experiences seem so disconnected. ¡°Danny, there¡¯s actually something I¡¯d like to ask.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Do you remember that time we fought the golem with Mir and Jane?¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°I remember being hit by the golem and losing consciousness, then the next thing I remember is me being home while my Mistress fixed me.¡± Ophelia had said that the golem had been destroyed. I always assumed that meant Ophelia had defeated it herself. But when I was fighting the ogres I started trying to use my magic storage to reload faster, or making magic blades on my feet, and new memories started flooding in with that. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation!) They revealed a truth I was not aware of. ¡°The golem¡­I defeated it, didn¡¯t I?¡± Danny hesitates for a moment, but then nods firmly. ¡°Jane said that¡¯s what magic automatons usually look like.¡± ¡°I see.¡± I had a hunch about that. My body had moved while I was unconscious. As far as I know, the fight with the golem is the only time I did something without being able to remember it. But maybe there are other times I just don¡¯t recall. This is the first time I felt a rift between ¡®me¡¯ and the ¡®Natalia¡¯ body I inhabit. I always thought we were one and the same, but maybe I needed to think it through more. Ophelia told me she built the magic automaton Natalia to serve Olivia. So maybe there was a different soul meant for this body before I appeared here? And that soul is still residing somewhere in this body¡­ Which means I¡¯m¡­ ¡°You know¡­thinking that you might stop being you is uhh¡­scary, I guess.¡± As Danny struggles to find the right words, I finally notice. Yeah, he¡¯s right. I¡¯m scared. I don¡¯t want to stop being me. I already died once, reincarnated, and I¡¯m willing to die again for Ophelia and Olivia, since they gave me the possibility of living again. I¡¯ve always felt that way. But I¡¯m scared of eventually stopping being me, of my consciousness vanishing somewhere. I¡¯m willing to die, but I don¡¯t want to die. It¡¯s just¡­if I¡¯m going to die, I want to pass away being ¡®me¡¯. Is that even possible though? No matter what I do or try, I¡¯ll never stop being a magic automaton. I¡¯m not human, but a monster, or just an object if I¡¯m being blunt. Can something like me even pray or have wishes? Tap! I feel a hand placed on my head. ¡°I don¡¯t really know how to say this, but don¡¯t look so gloomy. You look way better when you¡¯re smiling.¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen without consent. Please support us by visiting our site.) I look at Danny and notice he looks pretty worried, and is trying to force a smile. That¡¯s no advice at all, man. Is that really your best attempt at comforting someone? ¡°I¡¯d rather hear that from anyone else but you.¡± I don¡¯t even appreciate the fact he¡¯s patting my head. Though well, I guess he has a point. I usually don¡¯t trouble myself so much with things. And I doubt worrying about this will be of any help. Ophelia never told me about it. I guess she didn¡¯t think it was necessary for me to know. It¡¯s scary, and frustrating. But I¡¯ll trust Ophelia, she created me, and I¡¯ll continue living the way she made me. ¡°Oh, there you go. That¡¯s better.¡± ¡°It ain¡¯t thanks to you.¡± Also, get your hand away from my head already. I brush his hand away, and he looks at me with his eyes open wide. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you spoke like that.¡± Ah, dammit. I spoke on instinct. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s alright. Somehow I like that a bit more.¡± I look away and cover my face, embarrassed by my stupid mistake. I¡¯m such an idiot¡­ ¡°No, seriously, it fits you better I think.¡± This isn¡¯t funny at all!!! ¡°Naaaaaaaaa-¡± Ahh, this is the worst. ¡°Taaaaaaaaaa-¡± I had managed to keep it secret from everyone but Ophelia. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (You can support us by leaving words of appreciation on our site!) ¡°Liiiiiiiiiiiii-¡± And I had to blurt my real personality in front of this guy. ¡°Aaaaaaaaa!¡± Hm? Did someone call my name? CH 68 ¡ª¡ªOlivia¡¯s Perspective I asked Jane for help finding Natalia, and she quickly deployed the Soaring Dragon clan¡¯s full information network for me. She¡¯s not wearing her maid uniform so she doesn¡¯t stand out as much now, but after some time there was a sighting of her. ¡°We found someone who fits the description of Natalia, Boss.¡± ¡°Really?!¡± ¡°Yes, she¡¯s in the northern plaza right now. Together with one of our clan members-¡± ¡°I see, thank you very much!¡± Hearing that, I ran in that direction. ¡°-called Danny, oh, she¡¯s gone.¡± I want to be there as soon as possible! ¡°Full Divine Wind!¡± I use the transportation skill my father taught me, kicking off the ground and a strong gust of wind pushing me from behind. ¡°Kyah!¡± ¡°Woah, what was that?¡± I mentally apologize to the innocent people I disturbed. I¡¯m going way faster than I usually move, but I still feel like I take too long between each step. I need to run faster! I run past people and buildings, finally arriving at the northern plaza. Natalia is there, sitting on a bench with the same guy as earlier. I need to stop them..! Is it really okay for me to do this? My mind finally regains its cool as I ponder that question. If Natalia actually likes that guy, then I¡¯d just be bothering her. Can I really do that to Natalia? After how much she did for me? Also, what am I supposed to tell her in the first place? I can¡¯t just say that I came here because I was worried she would be with a guy. ¡°Maybe¡­I should just watch from a distance first¡­¡± I silently sneak behind a tree and spy on the two. Their voices are too low, but it looks like they¡¯re talking about something serious. AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH! T-That guy is patting Natalia¡¯s head! I¡¯m so jealous! I want to do that too! My fingers dent the tree I¡¯m holding onto, making a creaking sound. AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!! Natalia just turned away! Is she crying?! Did he do that?! Did he do that to my Natalia?! (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation!) I can¡¯t hold back anymore, I have to go there. ¡°Naaaaaaaaaataaaaaaaaaaliiiiiiiiiiiiiiaaaaaaaaaaa!¡± ¡°Hm? Woah?!¡± Natalia raises her face, and I just tackle her into a hug. I¡¯m going so fast that I end up pushing her back, but I don¡¯t care. ¡°Natalia! Are you okay?! Are you hurt?! I¡¯m here so don¡¯t worry anymore!¡± ¡°Oli- Young Lady, what¡¯s gotten into you so suddenly?¡± I cling onto Natalia as she stands up, not wanting to hand her over, and glare at the man who caused all this. ¡°Did he do something bad to you?! Just wait a bit, I¡¯ll kick him to the moon!¡± ¡°I have no idea what¡¯s going on, so I¡¯ll just say this is a misunderstanding.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing, trust me Young Lady. He¡¯s my friend, a member of Jane¡¯s clan and we fought monsters together in the past.¡± ¡°Huh, really?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Natalia nods between my arms. The burning rage inside me quickly dies down. ¡°Umm¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s not like you¡¯ve done anything to me yet.¡± He waves his hands desperately. ¡°Also, do you mind releasing me, Young Lady?¡± ¡°Ah, sure.¡± To be honest I want to keep hugging her like this forever, but I can¡¯t really do that. I hate to do so, but I release Natalia and stand up. ¡°Regardless, I already finished my tasks, how about you, Young Lady?¡± ¡°I¡­I¡¯m done too¡­¡± I can¡¯t believe I did all that from a misunderstanding. I¡¯m so embarrassed I can¡¯t look her in the eyes, I just see her standing up from the bench. ¡°We should go home then. We still have to pack our things.¡± ¡°I see, see you around then.¡± ¡°Yes, thank you for accompanying me today.¡± ¡°Hmm, I still feel like it fit you better-¡± ¡°I think you know what I¡¯m going to say.¡± ¡°Okay I get it. I¡¯ll keep it a secret to my grave.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll trust you to do so.¡± Hm. They really seem close. I¡¯m really jealous. This happened with Mir too, it¡¯s like they know a side of Natalia I¡¯ve never seen. ¡°Well Young Lady, let¡¯s go back.¡± ¡°¡­Okay.¡± I follow Natalia, still looking down in shame. Ahh I really am the worst, mistaking things and getting all jealous. It¡¯ll take a long time before she likes me at this rate¡­ (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen without consent. Please support us by visiting our site.) ¡°¡­lady, Young Lady.¡± ¡°Yes?!¡± I was so absorbed in my thoughts that I didn¡¯t notice Natalia was calling to me. ¡°Are you alright? Feel free to tell me if you¡¯re feeling unwell in any way.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m fine. I was just thinking a bit. Did you want to say something too?¡± ¡°I wanted to give you this.¡± Natalia takes out the golden ring she just bought in the market. ¡°Wait, isn¡¯t this¡­¡± She didn¡¯t buy it for herself then? Natalia spoke before I could ask anything. ¡°This ring is supposed to neutralize various toxins. I know you¡¯re strong, but you need to be careful and prepared for anything.¡± ¡°W-wouldn¡¯t it be better if you wore it then?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a magic automaton, toxins don¡¯t affect me. You¡¯ll get better use out of it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± I can¡¯t. My emotions keep welling up and I can¡¯t hold back anymore. At this rate¡­ ¡°Just wear it on your finger, or pass a chain through it and carry it as a pendant. Both ways should work.¡± I¡­ ¡°Young Lady?¡± I¡­ ¡°I love you Natalia!¡± ¡°Woah?!¡± I couldn¡¯t hold back anymore and hugged her. As the sun set, it was finally time for bars to open. Danny was together with some fellow clan members, planning on drinking together. They went to the same bar where he had run into Natalia earlier that day. They were there to celebrate the defeat of the Madder Bear, which they had defeated together. Though Danny had been there for a different reason before. They all sat down, and a girl came to serve them. ¡°Welcome, thank you for always coming here.¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (You can support us by leaving words of appreciation on our site!) She was not some earth-shattering beauty, but she had a friendly and bright smile as she greeted them. Danny¡¯s lips seemed to automatically form a smile seeing her, which made his companions start to smirk. He had started getting feelings for that girl, and he visited during the day trying to find a way to ask her out. But Natalia was there, and he was too embarrassed to do that in front of her, so he did his best to get her away, failing his mission in the process. His friends seemed to be catching on anyway, so he began to consider just talking to her now. But his thoughts were interrupted before he made a decision. ¡°Oh right, Danny, I actually saw you earlier.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± The girl smiled teasingly, talking loud enough for everyone at the table to hear. ¡°I was out buying groceries and saw you happily walking around with a girl. She was really pretty, with her silver hair.¡± ¡°Eh, wait¡­¡± Danny¡¯s face went pale, while his friends blinked rapidly looking at him. ¡°I¡¯m convinced that was your girlfriend, right?¡± ¡°No, she¡¯s just-¡± Natalia¡¯s existence was somewhat well-known, thanks to her former mistress being famous, and her mock battle with Danny having been watched by many people. His fellow clan members sitting there were also familiar with Natalia. But Natalia did not really talk with many other adventurers, and now she spent most of her time in Ingralowe, so it was mostly adventurers that still thought of her often. On top of that, Natalia had been wearing more casual clothes, so at first sight she looked like a normal girl. ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re already married then?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean.¡± Danny desperately tried to correct her mistake, but she did not seem to pay him any attention as she continued talking. ¡°I knew you were popular, but I guess I still underestimated you, I didn¡¯t expect you to have already conquered such a beauty. You should bring her around sometime, I¡¯ll give you a special deal.¡± The girl had said everything she needed to, and returned to the kitchen. Danny was left behind, his hand in mid-air as he tried to bring her back. ¡°Umm¡­I¡¯m sorry, that was awkward.¡± ¡°Just drink.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be here till your heart heals.¡± And so, the celebration party turned into a therapy session for Danny. Good luck Danny, your fate will eventually turn around. CH 69.1 The second semester began in Ingralowe, and as it was still the second day, some students still felt like they were on break. The students of Class A were gathered, and their homeroom teacher Damuel entered the classroom. Everyone sat straight and waited silently. ¡°The second semester of Magic Theory Studies focuses on the materialization of mana. I believe this was also taught during the first semester, but producing ethereal mana and giving it form is far harder than using a regular spell.¡± Hearing that, various students looked nervous. Damuel was right, without a spell as intermediary, it was complicated to produce mana and manipulate it, as it was essentially pure energy. Doing so was considered harder than using a middle level spell. If one just wanted to attack, it was more effective to channel mana into a fire or lightning spell, without the need of molding mana alone. But defense was a different story. Being able to cancel an enemy spell with one of an opposite element and strength required swift reflexes and a high chanting speed, and it was still easy to cause friendly fire. A barrier of materialized mana was far safer and effective. There were next to no magicians who had a balance of offensive and defensive abilities though. At any power level, there were usually twice as many magicians that could use offensive spells compared to those who could defend from them. And only a fraction of those knew how to properly teach those skills. ¡°Even amongst us teachers there¡¯s only a few who can do that effortlessly. So today I¡¯ll be introducing to you a new temporary specialist instructor. Please enter.¡± Everyone looked at the door, wondering just who it would be. When they saw who it was, some were satisfied, others shocked, and others confused. ¡°Nice to meet you, those who haven¡¯t seen me before. And hello to those who know me. I¡¯m the magic automaton Natalia, invited here to be your temporary specialist instructor. I hope we can get along.¡± The magic automaton stepped on the teacher¡¯s podium, wearing a formal suit which was different from her usual getup, and politely bowed to the class. A few days before the semester began, Olivia¡¯s homeroom teacher Damuel called me. I was prepared to hear that Olivia hadn¡¯t been doing too well, but instead I was asked to become an instructor. Apparently the magic blade I use all the time is considered a branch of mana control. Mana control is founded on rather simple theories, but it¡¯s difficult to enact, and it¡¯s even harder to teach properly. So they looked at me to teach it, as I was using it effortlessly. I¡¯ve only ever used it to form a blade, so at first I was about to refuse, but they offered to let me attend other lectures and use the schoolyard training grounds without restriction, so I accepted. My knowledge of magic is encompassed by the bits Ophelia taught me, and what I read in Olivia¡¯s textbook, so I¡¯m pretty much just self taught, even the magic devices I make with alchemy are limited to simple stuff. When it comes to shooting, I haven¡¯t visited the forest again after that incident to avoid any trouble, so I¡¯m lacking practice too. So I appreciate the opportunity to learn magic in depth, and also have a place to train. After I accepted, Damuel gave me pointers on how to conduct a lesson. An important part was how one addressed the students. Social ranks are ignored within the Magic Academy, so teachers usually refer to students by their first names. Even if they¡¯re of noble lineage, I can¡¯t refer to them with any form of honorific. I was also told to not favor Olivia during class. That was obvious. But that¡¯s all the backstory as to how I ended up on this podium. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation!) Olivia looks at me in shock, her mouth flapping like a beached fish trying to breathe. I didn¡¯t tell her about this, so this was a surprise to her. I don¡¯t know how much I can actually teach these students, but I took the job, so I¡¯ll try my best. ¡°I have a question, teacher. Is a magic automaton going to teach us then?¡± I stand on the podium for just a short time to greet them, and there¡¯s already dissatisfied students raising their voices. ¡°I know magic automatons can move by their free will, but they¡¯re still monsters, right? Can we really trust her?¡± ¡°Exactly, even if a monster can produce mana, I doubt she can really manipulate it skillfully.¡± Well, I sort of expected that reaction. Even if people did not mind various races in Seperion, that was only amongst those related to humans. Monsters are still monsters, so anyone would react that way. ¡°I hope you can all apologize to her in order, but you should know that she was built by an alumni of this Academy, essentially our senior. Her creator was Olivia¡¯s mother, and her name is still remembered in this Academy, Ophelia Gardeland. You can trust Natalia, even if she¡¯s a monster.¡± Surprisingly enough, there¡¯s one student that steps in to defend me, Mathias, the same boy who caused that scene at the start of the first semester. Or maybe it¡¯s not that surprising, even back then he had acted from a logical, objective, and righteous standpoint. ¡°Huh, that Ophelia?¡± ¡°You mean that superior student who always was at the top of the students, and could win fights along against multiple opponents from other Academies?¡± ¡°That Ophelia who was fighting monsters in the forest and created a large clearing by burning off all the trees?¡± ¡°Is it the same Ophelia that a marquis¡¯ heir tried to marry, but answered by slapping him on the face and ignoring him?¡± After Mathias¡¯ speech, the students start raising their voices one after another. Just what kind of life did Ophelia have here? ¡°And I¡¯m sure some of you might be aware of this, but Natalia is Olivia¡¯s Servant. There¡¯s no reason to fear her as a monster.¡± The girls who live in the second dorm and interact with us often nod after that. ¡°If you¡¯re so convinced then alright¡­¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± The ones who complained first don¡¯t look fully convinced, but they step down for now. However, having Mathias do everything for me wouldn¡¯t leave the best first impression either. Maybe it¡¯s best for me to show them properly. ¡°I understand you might be apprehensive of me, but you¡¯ve just heard about my origins, and as you can see, I can properly recreate the basics of mana materialization, so please rest assured.¡± I lightly raise my hand and produce a magic blade, which makes the arguing students stop and stare in wonder. I guess materializing mana really is a high level skill after all. I just had a good aptitude for it and mastered it in a few days of training, so I never felt like it was too hard. ¡°Now that everything¡¯s been cleared up, let¡¯s begin the lesson proper. Open your textbooks.¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen without consent. Please support us by visiting our site.) I opened my textbook as well, looking for the section scheduled for today. In a bit of a side note, unlike the textbooks in modern Japan, where the teachers have different ones with extra annotations and highlights, both teachers and students use the same textbooks here. But let¡¯s return to the main topic. The basics of magic and mana were the same as what Ophelia taught me. Magic was activated by spending mana, and manipulating mana alone without changing its form is complicated. No one really knows exactly why that is. CH 69.2 For me it¡¯s best to imagine it as an analog to physical energy. Our bodies have energy stored, and we move by spending it through various mechanisms. But we can¡¯t concentrate that energy outside of our bodies. Mana isn¡¯t too different from that, at least as a rudimentary explanation. The underlying theory is probably very different. Unlike physical energy, mana can be manifested outside the body as long as there¡¯s a proper path, and all of us experience that regularly through magic. ¡°I actually believe everyone here uses mana without activating spells in our daily lives, do you know how?¡± I ask the class, and Christina timidly raises her hand. ¡°Is it¡­magic devices?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Most magic devices require some mana as input from the user, and even containers filled with mana need to be recharged beforehand to work. But we don¡¯t need to activate a spell to produce that mana, anyone can use magic devices as long as they know how to properly control their mana. ¡°I believe magic devices are a good intermediate step to free control of mana. That¡¯s how I learned to do it as well.¡± The students and even Damuel don¡¯t look convinced hearing that, so I decide to tell them the experience that made me discover how to control mana. I obviously left out the part where I got in a fight in the guild. ¡°For example, the moment I take away a magic device from my hand as I use it, I continue letting out mana into the air. Learning to control this mana is key to mana materialization.¡± Even explaining that wasn¡¯t enough, so I decided to perform a proper demonstration. ¡°Do you mind helping me with this, Mr. Damuel?¡± ¡°Sure, I don¡¯t mind. What should I do?¡± I place one of Black Hawk¡¯s magazines on his outstretched hand. ¡°Close your eyes and slowly imbue this magic device with mana.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± I watch for a few seconds as Damuel starts filling the magazine with mana. I carefully remove the magazine, making sure to not touch him, and his palm soon starts to glow a little. I could tell the students were impressed. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough. You can open your eyes.¡± Damuel opens his eyes and looks at his palms, nodding impressed. ¡°I see. The mana I was channeling into the magic device suddenly lost its destination, so it just stayed there.¡± ¡°Precisely. You just need to get used to this, and then shaping it won¡¯t be too different from how you create spells.¡± Damuel quickly put it to practice, the mana on top of his hand changing forms into a triangle and then a square. His aptitude as the teacher of classroom A shows. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation!) ¡°And that¡¯s about it. Does anyone have any questions?¡± I ask the students, but no one raises their hand or says anything. I can almost see a question mark floating above Olivia¡¯s head but¡­yeah, Christina can take care of her later. ¡°If there¡¯s no questions, I¡¯d like everyone to give it a try as well. Is that alright?¡± ¡°You can do that, I feel like we don¡¯t have enough magic devices here though. I¡¯m afraid it might take too long.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that.¡± I open my magic storage and place a number of magazines on the teacher¡¯s desk. The magazines are essentially just a chunk of Mana Crystal encased in metal, so even I can make them. I built quite a large number of them during vacations too. ¡°I¡¯ll give each¡­is something wrong?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m just wondering where you had all of those magic devices.¡± Everyone is looking strange at me so I ask that, and Damuel tells me that with a slight frown. ¡°Where I had them? You mean my magic storage?¡± Okay at this point I know something¡¯s going on. There¡¯s definitely something weird about my magic storage¡¯s capacity. It¡¯s easy to practice opening and closing the magic storage, but expanding it is actually difficult and the average magician only gets to fit around a backpack of stuff at maximum. Apparently an experienced sorcerer can get up to a closet¡¯s compartment of space, but that¡¯s if they dedicate the majority of their time to it, and at the expense of a lot of mana. I¡¯ve already surpassed both by a lot in the year I¡¯ve been practicing, and it just keeps growing. On top of that, I barely need any mana to access it, making it a really strange case. Ophelia had mentioned I might have a good aptitude for it, back when she was still alive. Regardless of that, I¡¯m supposed to be teaching mana materialization here. I¡¯ll talk about my magic storage another time. ¡°Once you all have a magic device, form pairs and do the same thing I did with Mr. Damuel, one holding the magic device and the other removing it. Please make sure to close your eyes if you¡¯re holding the magic device, and if you¡¯re taking it away be careful to make sure it¡¯s unnoticeable.¡± Half of the students hold a magazine and close their eyes, while the other half takes the magazine away. They are struggling quite a bit, only a handful are able to produce some mana. But there¡¯s no rush, practice is built up across many days of training. As long as they understood the underlying theory, they would eventually get it. ¡°Miss Natalia, my magic device is full now, what should I do?¡± I watch them try for some time, and then one raises his hand. It¡¯s Mathias. He called me ¡®Miss¡¯. That makes me a little happy. ¡°Just bring it here and I¡¯ll exchange it for an empty one.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen without consent. Please support us by visiting our site.) If they brought me the full magazines, I would return them to my magic storage and give them an empty one. ¡°I have a question, is there a reason why we¡¯re in pairs, and one has to close his eyes?¡± Mathias asks me after I take his full magazine. I knew the most serious students would ask that. The reason for the pairs is that the magic device needs to be removed without being noticed. I could¡¯ve let them do it alone, but then they would know when the magazine was gone, subconsciously affecting their flow of mana. The trick was to get used to the phenomenon in an accidental way, and then try to recreate that feeling consciously. There¡¯s another reason why a second person should be watching though. This couldn¡¯t be taught with theory alone, there are things that can be understood better by watching it happen. This is essentially the opposite method to the one I use in my books, using a more direct approach than simply explaining theory. Both ways of teaching are valid. Once I explain that, Mathias looks satisfied and returns to his seat. Some time later more students come to exchange magazines. By the time everyone can produce some glow on their palms, it¡¯s almost time to end the lesson. ¡°Alright, please gather all the magic devices and bring them to the front.¡± I instruct the students and open my magic storage to stash the magazines. At first I had been anxious whether I could teach such a large number of students, but I guess it went pretty well. I take a deep breath and relax my shoulders. BAM! A dry explosive sound rings in the classroom. I instinctively look that way and see a male student with blood on his arm. CH 70 The wounded student is holding his arm and groaning. ¡°Clear the way please!¡± I shout and force my way through the student, while simultaneously taking out a healing potion from my magic storage. I reach the student and quickly apply the medicine to his arm. ¡°Ow!¡± ¡°Bear with it!¡± The student sounds like he¡¯s in even more pain, but I try to keep him quiet as I apply first aid. There¡¯s a splatter of blood at his feet, and the remains of a broken magazine. Now that I look at him better, his leg is also a bit hurt. ¡°Mr. Damuel, I¡¯ll take him to the infirmary!¡± ¡°Yes. Can someone show her the way?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go!¡± Olivia raises her hand, and I follow her while carrying the injured student. ¡°Umm¡­¡± ¡°Just keep still.¡± The student tries to free himself, but he¡¯s still a child, he can try going there on his own in ten years. Not to mention that walking while supporting him is more troublesome. ¡°Over here, Natalia!¡± ¡°Got it!¡± Olivia runs ahead of me and shows me where the infirmary is. The nurse there quickly treats the student¡¯s injuries. The healing potion I used had already done most of the work though, so she rubs some disinfectant and bandages him just in case. It seems like using the healing potion right away was the right call. ¡°I¡¯m glad it was nothing serious.¡± Damuel came to the infirmary during recess, sighing in relief seeing the student recovering. He really is a kind and calm teacher. ¡°So Roger, what was the cause of that?¡± Damuel asks him, and the student looks away awkwardly. I guess his name is Roger. Oh right, he¡¯s one of the students that was against me teaching the class at the start. ¡°Our teachers might get in trouble if you don¡¯t say anything. Or is there a reason why you don¡¯t want to talk?¡± Olivia couldn¡¯t stand the silence anymore and questioned him further with a grin. Ah, that¡¯s how she looks when she¡¯s in a bad mood. She definitely inherited that from Ophelia. Why is Olivia getting so angry though? ¡°It looked cool so I tried to replicate Miss¡­Natalia¡¯s¡­magic storage. And umm¡­I failed.¡± Roger gives up on keeping silent and slowly stammers that. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation!) ¡°You failed? What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°I tried putting the magic device inside my magic storage, and got a bit flustered when I was told to return it. The magic storage collapsed while I was still taking out the magic device¡­¡± ¡°Sigh¡­ First of all, you shouldn¡¯t be distracted by other things like that during class.¡± Damuel sighed loudly hearing Roger, proceeding to lecture him as a teacher. ¡°And while magic storage is an easy spell to learn and practice, putting things in or taking them out in a hurry can place a heavy burden on you, and if the spell collapses while still containing something it can literally explode on the caster¡¯s face. I believe I explained all those dangers when I first taught you how to use it.¡± Wait what? I was never told any of that. Has it always been such a dangerous spell? ¡°Even a small pebble can cause serious injuries. Try to be more careful from now on.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± Roger looks down in shame, and now Olivia starts berating him. ¡°Umm Young¡­err, Olivia, I don¡¯t really mind that.¡± I almost speak to her like I usually do, so I hurry to amend my words. Roger genuinely seems to regret that, and I have plenty of spare magazines, so I don¡¯t mind losing one, but Olivia still didn¡¯t look satisfied. She looks infuriated that I protected Roger, and ends up stamping the floor and turning her face away. I get that she¡¯s worried about me, but there¡¯s no reason to cause a scene here, so I hope she can calm down soon. ¡°Try to cheer up, Olivia. Luckily Roger¡¯s injuries weren¡¯t severe, and Miss Natalia is just a temporary instructor here so even if something happens I¡¯ll be the one responsible. We should think of going back to the classroom too, it¡¯s almost time for the next lesson.¡± Damuel talks to her, urging her to get over it and return to the classroom. Damuel is also kinda cool, I have to say. In the end, we all leave the infirmary together. Still, I didn¡¯t know magic storage could be dangerous like that. I really need to think more thoroughly about stuff, I don¡¯t want to overlook something important. I keep thinking about things like that when I feel someone grabbing my arm. Olivia, Damuel, and Roger are ahead of me. Not remembering anyone else being with us, I turn to the side and look at the person holding my arm. I saw an eerily pale face ¡ªso drained of color that it almost looked blue¡ª jet black eyes, and black eyebags that looked almost painted over. That definitely wasn¡¯t the face of a living being. ¡°Fouund you~¡± ¡°Gyahhh!¡± I scream and jump back, convinced I¡¯m seeing a ghost or a spirit. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen without consent. Please support us by visiting our site.) ¡°Natalia?!¡± ¡°What happened?!¡± Everyone else stops and turns around hearing me scream, but what Damuel said left me completely speechless. ¡°Oh, hello Annabelle. It¡¯s rare seeing you outside the laboratory.¡± Huh? She¡¯s a teacher then? ¡°Eheheh, to be honest I¡¯d also like to just stay there myself, but I heard Ophelia¡¯s magic automaton had an interest in my field, so I came to meet her.¡± That creepy woman, Annabelle, grins eerily and speaks with a voice that sounded like the depths of the abyss. ¡°Nice to meet you, I¡¯m Annabelle. My subjects are magic devices and alchemy. Pleased to make your acquaintance, maid automaton.¡± ¡°Ah¡­yes, I¡¯m Natalia. Nice to meet you too.¡± I bow to her after a short delay. Wait, did she say magic devices and alchemy? Seriously? Somehow her dark purple robe with a large hood doesn¡¯t seem to match that. ¡°Hmm, interesting.¡± Annabelle starts moving around, examining my body from every angle. ¡°So this is a master¡¯s magic automaton. So elaborate¡­¡± ¡°Umm¡­I¡¯m-¡± ¡°Could you do this another time, Annabelle? Our next lesson is about to start.¡± Damuel stops her just when I was about to ask something. He¡¯s right though, recess is about to end, so we can¡¯t be late to class. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s fair. Are you free this afternoon then?¡± ¡°Umm¡­I don¡¯t really have anything planned¡­¡± I was only a temporary instructor, so I had no duties in the afternoon. ¡°Good, please come to my laboratory then, it¡¯s located around the research campus.¡± ¡°A-alright.¡± I nod, feeling almost forced to it. I feel like I¡¯ll get cursed if she looks at me for too long. ¡°I¡¯ll be looking forward to it then, heheh.¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (You can support us by leaving words of appreciation on our site!) She twirls around and walks away lethargically like she¡¯s sleepwalking, making me think she¡¯ll trip at any moment. ¡°What a strange teacher¡­¡± ¡°I know.¡± Olivia mutters that, and I agree while tilting my head a bit. ¡°But her skills are top-notch. Not to mention that she was your mother Ophelia¡¯s student.¡± ¡°Hmm, I had a hunch.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Her behavior made me think that was the case, but Olivia hadn¡¯t even thought of that being the case. Our reactions are quite different. I guess I¡¯ll have to ask Annabelle a few questions too. CH 71.1 After eating lunch I head to the research campus. There are many lecture halls and training facilities here, as well as personal laboratories for the teachers. I head to Annabelle¡¯s laboratory and knock on the door. ¡°The door¡¯s unlocked.¡± I guess that means I should go in. I open the door, and see Annabelle doing something further inside the laboratory. She stops and turns to look at me, smiling creepily. ¡°Welcome. Feel free to sit wherever you find comfortable.¡± Well, I¡¯ll do just that then. I go inside and start looking for a place to sit¡­and give up. There¡¯s nowhere to sit here! I remember Ophelia¡¯s room being full of stuff too, but at least it was all tidy and organized. But here there¡¯s equipment and books scattered all over the place, and even the floor is like a minefield. Even the chairs and couches are covered in stuff. ¡°Umm, may I move these things here?¡± ¡°Sure, I don¡¯t mind.¡± I pick up a book from a chair and sit down. ¡°Anyway, I heard you¡¯re interested in magic devices and alchemy?¡± ¡°Yes, when my Mistress passed away I-¡± I quickly stop myself from saying anything further. When Ophelia knew her death was near she made sure to notify the people she worked with and the guild, but no one else. Olivia had sent letters to old friends, but they were all people like Amy¡¯s parents. Considering Olivia¡¯s reaction in the hallway earlier, I feel like she didn¡¯t know about Annabelle. I feel like it might be a bit insensitive to tell her that her master had passed away without warning. ¡°Ah, don¡¯t worry. I knew she didn¡¯t have long left. Though I was hoping it wouldn¡¯t be this soon.¡± She notices my worries and speaks with a rather indifferent voice. ¡°We always wrote letters to each other, and around three years back she said something like: I¡¯ll probably die within this decade, so I want to build a magic automaton who will take care of my daughter. I want to hear your feedback once the blueprints are complete.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Shuma had passed away around four years ago, so I guess Ophelia did that when she finished mourning him and her wounds had healed. ¡°And then I actually pointed out a few details to her when I received the blueprints, but what do you know, she took my suggestions and improved further on them. It makes me proud as her pupil, but a bit frustrated as an expert myself. I guess I never got to surpass my master after all.¡± Her expression hasn¡¯t changed at all since I got here, but I can feel some sorrow in her voice¡­I think? I¡¯m having a really hard time getting a read on her emotions. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation!) ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s get back on track. How much do you know about alchemy?¡± ¡°Umm¡­I can make regular potions. And I guess I can purify metals and minerals, and also make composite materials.¡± I¡¯m still practicing alchemy, though not necessarily every day. At least I can make the healing potions I was first taught with no issues now, as well as mana recovery potions, antidotes, paralysis medicine, and even some painkillers or joint pain medicine. I can also mix metals with each other, though that still takes me a lot longer than when I make medicine. And shaping metals without changing their properties doesn¡¯t give me much trouble either.. ¡°Okay, and how long have you been active?¡± ¡°I believe it¡¯s been a year and three months since my creation.¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­¡± Annabelle walks up to me and hunches down, peering straight into my eyes. Her jet black eyes are a bit creepy and made me uncomfortable. I end up having to avert my gaze. ¡°Huh, I thought she said she¡¯d create a semi-autonomous one, but there¡¯s the soul of a dead person in you.¡± ¡°..!¡± She could tell just by looking at me?! ¡°H-how¡­do you know that..?¡± ¡°Magic automatons are the pinnacle of magic devices, a very specific craft¡­of which I happen to be a specialist of.¡± Oh right, Ophelia was able to tell after seeing me perform household chores. Anabelle was her pupil, and specialized in this craft even more than her, so it makes sense she can tell faster. Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have tried to keep this secret. But this means I have to say something now. Even if it was by chance, I only got to reincarnate because Ophelia built this body for me. I¡¯m only able to live here thanks to all the knowledge she gave me, and the skills she taught me. Ophelia had made this body to take care of her daughter, but then I took over it, and she still accepted me. That¡¯s a favor I¡¯ll never forget. And so I can¡¯t allow myself to ever bring shame to her name either. ¡°It is true that I died once, and now I live in this body. But my death was not related to my Mistress at all. She didn¡¯t kill me to put me in this body, so please don¡¯t even think of getting that idea.¡± Annabelle straightens her back and narrows her eyes a little, but she soon starts grinning like earlier. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I know she would never do something like that.¡± She says that, not really bothered by anything I said. ¡°Usually it takes five years for a semi-autonomous model to grow into being fully autonomous, but you¡¯ve been active for only a year and a bit. The only explanation is that there¡¯s a dead soul inside of you. Such occurrences are rare and a rather modern topic of research though, so I wouldn¡¯t be able to tell you whether my master knew about it or not.¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen without consent. Please support us by visiting our site.) Annabelle had noticed in a different way from Ophelia. That¡¯s not what I¡¯m worried about though. ¡°My Mistress was aware of my identity. Would you mind keeping that a secret though? I¡¯d like to maintain my current relationship with Olivia.¡± CH 71.2 Olivia still thinks I¡¯m the magic automaton her mother created. That¡¯s why she¡¯s so open around me. She doesn¡¯t know my soul came from another world, and that I used to be a guy. I¡¯m afraid she¡¯d come to hate me and even cast me away if she found out. ¡°I won¡¯t tell anyone. And while the research I mentioned isn¡¯t something we teach in regular classes, there¡¯s still people who might figure it out for themselves.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± If Olivia ever attends Annabelle¡¯s class, and starts thinking about it¡­ ¡®¡­? What? Huh? ¡­???¡¯ I could picture Olivia holding her head in pain with multiple question marks floating around her. ¡°I think that should be fine.¡± I know it¡¯s not the most respectful way to think of the person I¡¯m serving, but Olivia doesn¡¯t really have much of a brain for studying and research. She¡¯s just barely getting caught up with her lessons, and who knows where she¡¯ll be by the time she learns under Annabelle. I can already imagine her head steaming as she rushes crying to me or Christina for help. Isn¡¯t that something? She¡¯s the daughter of a genius like Ophelia. Actually it¡¯s a bit depressing now that I think about it. ¡°As long as you think so. Either way, if you can already manipulate metals then I guess it¡¯s safe to assume you have the fundamentals down. Now you should just focus on speed, minute control and larger volumes, and you¡¯ll be making complex magic devices like it¡¯s nobody¡¯s business.¡± I see, so I¡¯ll be able to make magic devices too. For the magazines I made, I just had to shape the Mana Crystals and give them a metallic coating, making them so simple I could hardly call them devices. I think it¡¯s better to think of them as a small component of a magic gun. But if I get better at alchemy maybe I¡¯ll eventually be able to make brand new magic guns. There¡¯s still one more gun Ophelia made other than Black Hawk and White Viper, I just haven¡¯t had a chance to use it yet so it¡¯s just sitting there in a corner of my magic storage. Though I feel like I¡¯ll still have some openings left to cover even if I get used to that gun, and make my own. ¡°You can learn more about alchemy and magic devices in my lectures.¡± ¡°Yes, thank you very much.¡± There are things I wish she could teach me privately, but I guess that¡¯s asking for too much. Just being able to sit in her lectures means a lot. ¡°And one more thing, I¡¯d like to watch your motor skills.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind, exactly how do I do that though?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing too hard. You just have to fight a golem I made.¡± Hm? So like a mock battle? (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation!) That takes me by surprise for a bit, but I quickly agree to it once I process what she said. That reminds me Ophelia had also thrown me into actual fights right after teaching me the basics. I guess Annabelle takes after her master. As soon as I agree to it, Annabelle guides me to the courtyard outside. The golem is around 180cm tall, not as big as the one that attacked us in the forest before. It doesn¡¯t have many physical defects, and I guess it was designed to look as human-like as possible. ¡°I want to see your raw skills, so please try to avoid using any weapons.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± I can¡¯t use my magic gun then. Well, not to brag, but this body is quite athletic too. I¡¯ll be fighting a golem and not a magic automaton too, so I don¡¯t have to be afraid of long range magic, and it doesn¡¯t look as powerful as the one I fought before. I¡¯m pretty sure I outclass it in every regard. This won¡¯t be an issue at all. ¡°Alright, get ready, start!¡± The signal to start comes out faster than I expect so I¡¯m not ready on time. ¡°Huh?¡± The golem appears in front of me. It¡¯s fast! I could hardly think of that when its punch dug into my solar plexus. ¡°Gh-!¡± I stifle the groan building up in me and jump back to put some distance between us. But the golem catches up in an instant ready to attack. I don¡¯t like this. I have to do something before his attack lands. Forming a magic blade on my hand, I swing at the golem. CLINK! A high pitched noise rings as my magic blade hits the golem¡¯s armor, and I get pushed back. I dodge the incoming fist, lowering my body and slipping past it. Now I can attack its back with my magic blade. But I¡¯m not able to pierce through the steel armor. Dammit, I guess slashing attacks won¡¯t work against it! If it moved more slowly like the golem I fought before I¡¯d be able to weaken the same spot¡­ Stop! I don¡¯t need these memories I can¡¯t recall! The memories from back then start resurfacing without me wanting them. I don¡¯t want those memories, I don¡¯t want to accept the time I stopped being me. I am the only me. I stop the golem¡¯s fist with my magic blade and shake off those memories. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen without consent. Please support us by visiting our site.) The golem¡¯s attacks are strong and accurate, but not exactly piercing. It¡¯s mostly relying on sheer force, so trying to fight that with proper form is absurd. I have to remain calm and try to find an alternative. I feel like we¡¯re both somewhat inexperienced, so I just have to make use of my magic blade¡¯s reach. Though none of my hits so far felt effective. As I plan all of that, the golem suddenly stands still. I only have to think for a second to know what that means. The golem¡¯s chest piece opens up and reveals a tube inside. A pale blue light is glowing inside it1. ¡°Ah.¡± I know what this is. A moment later the golem¡¯s chest cannon fires. CH 72 I struggle to take a defensive stance and get blown by the explosion, flying back and rolling on the ground. I raise my head as soon as I can and see the golem is already closing in. I scramble on my feet and swing magic blades with both arms, but they have no effect on its armor. If slashing attacks don¡¯t work, I¡¯ll just have to use the other thing I had no chance of using before. I reform the magic blade, no longer stretching out from my hand but covering my fist, strengthening it. This is something I discovered while practicing making my magic blade. The basic functionality of a golem or magic automaton depends on the materials used to build them. Ophelia had told me my body is made of orichalcum and wood from the World Tree, which are very high quality materials. while this golem seems to be made of regular metal. I should have the upper hand. While my fighting ability is far inferior to Olivia¡¯s, I start swinging my fists around with as much force as I can. TINK! Seriously¡­ My fist gets easily stopped by the golem¡¯s fist, making a high pitched sound. Let¡¯s try again! I swing my other fist in desperation, but it gets stopped all the same1. I¡¯m cornered. I can¡¯t even think of a witty comeback, the golem is just too oppressive. No matter what I try I can¡¯t fend it off. This is so weird, I¡¯m actually falling behind. Weren¡¯t our abilities decided by the materials used in our bodies? Or is there something even more impressive than me hiding inside the golem? That doesn¡¯t matter, I should worry about that later. I need to get out of this situation now that I know I can¡¯t win through brute force. Maybe I can knock it off balance with a kick? No, that won¡¯t work. I¡¯m barely standing on my feet as is, if I try kicking I¡¯ll be the one knocked off. I¡¯m at the end of the line. And I really should stop trying to come up with a fancy line. I need to figure out what to do. ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± Annabelle¡¯s voice interrupts my racing thoughts. The golem steps back, straightens its back and calmly walks to Annabelle¡¯s side. ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the lab, shall we?¡± ¡°¡­Okay.¡± That was just an experiment, the winner wasn¡¯t decided¡­ I can¡¯t even lie to myself saying that. I know I lost, even though I¡¯m a magic automaton and my opponent a golem. I had failed to uphold Ophelia¡¯s name. Biting my lip in frustration, I walk behind Annabelle. ¡°Heheh, you¡¯re actually pretty weak, huh.¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation!) Ghah! Annabelle¡¯s words pierce straight through my heart as soon as I enter her laboratory. Ugh I feel like crying. Though I can¡¯t produce tears. ¡°Ah, please don¡¯t misunderstand. That¡¯s normal for magic automatons housing a soul.¡± ¡°What do you mean? ¡°I believe I told you how semi-autonomous models need a long time to become fully autonomous, yes? In the same vein, automatons with a soul need some time to grow accustomed to their automaton bodies.¡± She grabs a piece of chalk and draws up a diagram on a blackboard. ¡°Try thinking about it more calmly. You were human, with a human body, now your soul is living inside something completely different that isn¡¯t even a living being, do you think anyone could use such a body¡¯s capabilities to their fullest?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, that might take some time¡­¡± Thinking about it, if I suddenly reincarnated as a cat or a dog, it¡¯d probably take me a while before I could start walking on four legs, or move my tail without consciously thinking about it all the time. I could try relying on my instincts, but I¡¯d still need to get used to what walking on four legs feels like, and I¡¯ve never had a tail before so that¡¯d be completely new, making me feel less confident in my movements. Now my soul is living inside a magic automaton, a fully artificial body with many differences to a human¡¯s. Its humanoid design is the only reason why I haven¡¯t had trouble moving in it. ¡°Being weak is a common trend amongst magic automatons with a soul in them. There¡¯s too few examples to really have a sound theory, but the current belief is that human sensibilities interfere with the proper control of a magic automaton body.¡± Human sensibilities, huh. So I have to discard my humanity to unlock my full potential2¡­ But what would that mean for me? I don¡¯t want to become a mindless puppet like I was that night. That¡¯s no different from being dead. If I had to save Olivia and had no other choice, I would gladly become like that. But I want to remain as myself for anything else. ¡°That¡¯s almost never the case for regular golems or magic automatons though. For example my golem is displaying abilities far above my estimations.¡± ¡°So those with no soul are stronger?¡± ¡°It¡¯s more accurate to say they unlock their true potential faster. For instance, I built my golem two years ago, and I used common materials, just of high grade. If you could put all your abilities to good use, you should be able to handily beat it.¡± I see. So it¡¯s like the difference between a custom built AI with precise commands, and a human having to control every little thing. I didn¡¯t expect that to affect how much strength I have though. ¡°Try to study your own body¡¯s properties and functions. Then accept them, and learn to control them as your own. Then you might be able to utilize absolutely everything you have to offer. Though well, I can¡¯t guarantee that since there haven¡¯t been enough cases like you yet, and I¡¯ve mostly studied how to build rather than how to control.¡± I see, so basically I have to surpass autopilot with manual control. I realize it¡¯s not as easy as it sounds, but it¡¯s something I¡¯ll have to work on. Olivia will also grow stronger, and if I don¡¯t grow stronger by then I¡¯ll just become a burden on her. I¡¯d rather disappear than become useless like that. I¡¯ll have to become stronger to avoid that. Firmly clenching my fists, I fill myself with resolve. ¡°Also, maybe you should think about changing soon?¡± ¡°Huh? Ah.¡± Oh right, I almost forgot. My suit broke apart when the golem¡¯s cannon blasted me. ¡°Ahh¡­even though it was my first time wearing it¡­¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen without consent. Please support us by visiting our site.) I was quite excited when I bought it since I had just become an instructor, just temporary though. I never expected I¡¯d ruin it on my first day. It¡¯s kinda my fault for not changing knowing I would be fighting a golem though. That was my mistake, so I¡¯ll have to deal with it myself. ¡°Hmm, I didn¡¯t really give you enough time to prepare, so I¡¯ll fix it for you, as a form of apology.¡± ¡°Huh? You can do that?¡± Annabelle didn¡¯t strike me as the kind of person to have a sewing kit, so I had to ask that even if it was a little rude. ¡°There¡¯s no big chunks missing, so this can easily be fixed with alchemy.¡± Ah, I mostly used alchemy for potions and metal work, but she¡¯s right. It can be used to amend torn clothes too. ¡°Please do so then.¡± ¡°Alright. Mind stripping then?¡± ¡°¡­¡± But why though? ¡°It¡¯s tricky with a creature inside. Or do you want me to thread your clothes into your body by accident?¡± Yeah¡­she has a point¡­but do I really have no choice? I don¡¯t have any spare change of clothes with me. ¡°Why are you so nervous? We¡¯re both girls so no need to feel embarrassed.¡± She says that, placing a hand on my shoulder. B-b-but I¡¯m a guy! I can¡¯t really say that out loud though, so I firmly push her hand away. ¡°It¡¯s fine! I¡¯ll try to fix it with alchemy myself!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t just beat up my teacher¡¯s masterpiece and send her back home looking like a mess. I¡¯ll fix your clothes, so strip and give me a good look at your body.¡± Is it me or was that last half the only reason she¡¯s so insistent?! ¡°I¡¯m fin- woah?!¡± She starts tugging on me and we move back and forth, and considering how messy this laboratory is my feet quickly get caught on something, making me fall forward. ¡°Uh¡­ I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ll move out of-¡± Squish! (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (You can support us by leaving words of appreciation on our site!) It was hard to tell because of her baggy robes, but she actually has some assets. ¡°Eheheh, you¡¯re a bold one, aren¡¯t you? I don¡¯t really have an inclination for such things, but I¡¯m not exactly opposed to them either. Feel free to continue if you want.¡± Annabelle speaks under me, her face as expressionless as ever. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t meant to-¡± ¡°Excuse me, is Miss Natalia here?¡± Before I can finish trying to explain things, someone opens the door speaking loudly. ¡°¡°¡°Ah-¡±¡±¡± Three voices overlap each other. Mine, Annabelle¡¯s under me with my hand on her chest, and Olivia¡¯s at the door. ¡°Na¡­Natalia¡­¡± ¡°Young¡­Lady¡­¡± I really have to tell her this was an accident, but I just keep stuttering. ¡°You¡¯re¡­¡± Olivia¡¯s face turns red, starts to contort, and then large tears form in her eyes. ¡°See, this is all just-¡± ¡°I never knew you were this type of woman!¡± ¡°Wha- This is a misunderstanding! Also that¡¯s not the way a mistress would talk to a servant!¡± Olivia turns around and runs away before I can stop her, my words unable to reach her. ¡°Good luck3.¡± Annabelle says that like it¡¯s unrelated to her, but this is kinda her fault too isn¡¯t it? I somehow managed to explain what had happened to her later on, but Olivia still refused to talk to me for an entire day. CH 73 ¨C¨COlivia¡¯s Perspective I keep hearing Miss Annabelle¡¯s chalk rubbing against the blackboard. This is my first alchemy lesson, but I can¡¯t focus at all. And I know exactly why. A few days ago I learned that she¡¯s my mother¡¯s pupil, and she wanted to see Natalia for some reason. I had classes so I couldn¡¯t go with her, but when I was free I went to check on them¡­and found Natalia straddling Miss Annabelle on the ground. Seeing that made me imagine an ¡®adult¡¯ relationship between them, so I ended up running away. Natalia told me it was all a misunderstanding afterwards, but that sight is still burned into my mind. Whenever I look at Miss Annabelle, I picture it again. On top of that, sometimes when I look at the back of the classroom I see Natalia, wearing a suit that¡¯s really different from her usual uniform. Mr. Damuel had gotten her a job as temporary instructor, and as part of her remuneration she was allowed to listen in to classes like that. I didn¡¯t really mind that, except that it was a bit awkward to have someone so close to me watching how I acted in class. ¡°And so channeling mana into the alchemy cauldron and manipulating its contents forms the basis of alchemy.¡± My brain can¡¯t process anything Miss Annabelle says or writes down on the blackboard. ¡°Does that mean I can¡¯t work on something bigger than a cauldron?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re able to control mana in an area that big without losing precision or agility, you can. You¡¯ll just need to find a different medium to carry your mana there.¡± I¡¯ll have to ask Natalia¡­no, I won¡¯t be able to focus at all. I¡¯ll ask Chris to teach me. ¡°The cauldron¡¯s job is to contain the materials in an environment easily accessible to the alchemist. So if you have a way of carrying mana effortlessly to something bigger, you can work on it. Alcohol is commonly used as a conductor, mana travels easily through it, and you can easily evaporate it without damaging your product, so it¡¯s quite versatile as long as you take the proper precautions. I guess that applies even outside of alchemy.¡± Natalia¡¯s body was created with alchemy too, so as her owner I really should know this stuff, but I just can¡¯t understand complicated things like that. Natalia can use alchemy herself too, so I feel like there¡¯s not much reason for me to really learn it in depth though. ¡°An important part of alchemy is being able to picture how mana is transforming your materials, and how to control it better.¡± I had inherited Natalia¡¯s ownership from my mother, but I¡¯ve never performed maintenance on her, not even once. She always tells me she can do it on her own though, so it should be fine. Still, I¡¯m supposed to be in charge of her now, so I really should know how to do it. And also¡­if I¡¯m doing maintenance on her¡­umm¡­I guess she¡¯ll have to strip. I¡¯ll get to see her without clothes, and even touch her¡­beautiful skin¡­ And then1¡­ Just imagining that was making me excited. Wait no, I have to stop. I¡¯m still in class, I need to pay attention even if I don¡¯t understand a word. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Olivia, I have some business to attend to, so I can¡¯t spend lunch with you.¡± ¡°Young¡­ Olivia, I have to prepare for my next lesson, so I apologize but you¡¯ll have to have lunch without me.¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation!) And so, both Chris and Natalia are busy and I ended up having lunch only with Amy, something that hasn¡¯t happened in a long time. ¡°Well, I guess they¡¯re busy then.¡± ¡°Yeah. I really didn¡¯t think I¡¯d see Natalia as a temporary instructor though. She also came to classroom B. Her lesson was really easy to understand, I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be good advertising for the books.¡± Amy thought of money even while having lunch. I¡¯m a bit impressed with how she can connect even the simplest of things to business. ¡°Everyone is getting busy now. I guess it makes sense, classes are taking up, and the school festival is getting closer.¡± ¡°School festival?¡± I ask that, not knowing what she meant, and she looks at me in disbelief. ¡°Huh, Olivia, you don¡¯t know about the school festival?¡± ¡°Uhhh¡­I feel like everyone in my class mentioned it, but I don¡¯t know anything about it.¡± ¡°Seriously? Olivia, special cases like me aside, what do people come to the magic academy for?¡± Amy sighs loudly, starts massaging her temples and asks that, sounding almost desperate. Even I knew the answer to that though. ¡°What do they come for? Studying magic, right?¡± ¡°Yes, studying magic, basically getting a path to be employed as magicians in the future. Not to mention that Ingralowe¡¯s Magic Academy is the best in the country, so there¡¯s a lot of students who want to become the number one magician. To help with that, during the second term of every year there¡¯s a school festival where the students can show off their skills.¡± Amy then mentions how there¡¯s a tournament for students to battle it out, research expositions, and various other events where students can try to show off their skills and eventually secure a future position. She also says something about giving those without connections an entryway, and a fair display of everyone¡¯s talents. ¡°I¡¯m assuming you¡¯d like to take part in the tournament? All school years are combined there, so you might face some strong opponents.¡± ¡°That does sound fun, yeah.¡± Sometimes we have mock battles during our lessons too, but the only one who has a chance at winning against me is Mathias. I¡¯m sure I¡¯d still win if we weren¡¯t limited to the spells we learned in class. Ah, right. Natalia is always trying to protect me too, I guess I still look like a defenseless and unreliable child. Maybe she¡¯ll finally acknowledge me if I beat someone strong from a higher year? Yeah, I definitely should give that a try. ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll take part in the tournament!¡± ¨C¨CNatalia¡¯s Perspective I¡¯m preparing my afternoon lesson in the staff room, and talking with Damuel I get told something I wasn¡¯t expecting about the school festival. ¡°The Young¡­ Olivia can¡¯t take part?¡± ¡°Um, it¡¯s not that she can¡¯t take part per se¡­¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen without consent. Please support us by visiting our site.) But then he looks away awkwardly. Maybe it¡¯s something a bit complicated. ¡°Ah, if it¡¯s something I shouldn¡¯t know it¡¯s alright, you don¡¯t have to tell me.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. I actually think it might be better if you tell Olivia.¡± Damuel quickly shakes his head, saying that¡¯s not it. ¡°As you¡¯ve probably heard, the school festival is there to help students find work. Those in classroom A are already known for being strong or have good family names, but those in classroom B and C tend to be lower class nobles, or just commoners, and especially those in their last year need a little boost to get out there. They¡¯re the ones who mainly take part in the events, and if someone with the ability of Olivia were to go up against them¡­¡± ¡°Ah, I get it now.¡± Olivia only gets to fight other students during practice for lessons, and she usually wins against all of them. I can even see her beating students from upper years. If she took part in an event meant for average students, or maybe even below average, she would completely destroy their standing, and make them seem vastly inferior in the eyes of the audience. ¡°The reason why all years are allowed to take part together is so that those who are just starting out can see the difference between them and their seniors, basically motivating them. Even that is at peril if Olivia were to participate though.¡± It was almost painful hearing Damuel talk about that. I can easily picture Olivia wiping the floor with her seniors. ¡°She has a right to participate if she wants, obviously, but once she does the school festival will lose its meaning entirely.¡± Yeah, I can see that. Not to mention that Olivia wants to become an adventurer later on, and all she needs for that is to register at the guild, there¡¯s no need for her to peddle her skills to third parties. All students of the Magic Academy have a right to participate in the festival, but if she does¡­all other students won¡¯t be able to find a job at all. Treating Olivia fairly would put everyone else at a disadvantage. She gains nothing from participating, and takes everything from the rest. I can¡¯t allow that to happen. ¡°Understood, I¡¯ll talk to Olivia.¡± ¡°Thanks again. I feel like you¡¯ll be able to convince her more easily than I could.¡± ¡°Just leave it to me. I might be a temporary instructor, but I¡¯m still part of the teaching team now, not to mention I¡¯m Olivia¡¯s maid. It¡¯s my duty to stop her from making foolish choices.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you think so.¡± Damuel bows to me in gratitude. That¡¯s all he had to say, so he turns back to his desk and takes out his boxed lunch. Maybe I should grab a bite too. I don¡¯t need to, but it makes me feel better. I take out my own lunch, and then look around. Damuel¡¯s lunch box looks normal on the outside, but it¡¯s packed full of carefully planned bites. ¡°Your lunchbox looks rather elaborate, Mr. Damuel. Do you always eat like that?¡± ¡°Ah, yes. My wife loves cooking, and overthinking things for me.¡± I didn¡¯t know he¡¯s married. ¡°She sounds like a wonderful person. Having a happy marriage is invaluable.¡± ¡°Well, I guess. Yours looks good too though.¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (You can support us by leaving words of appreciation on our site!) He smiles awkwardly, and then praises my lunchbox too. ¡°Well, being a maid is still my main occupation after all.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll one day become an amazing wife as¡­ Ah, I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t know what I was thinking.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Damuel quickly bows and apologizes to me. I guess he forgot I¡¯m a magic automaton. But I guess things are better this way. It¡¯s just¡­being treated like a girl still catches me off-guard. All things being said and done though, I¡¯m still a guy at heart with no interest in dating another guy. Not to mention that I¡¯m not human or a living being in the first place, so there¡¯s no point in thinking about it. CH 74 ¡ª¡ªOlivia¡¯s Perspective At dinner, the second dorm¡¯s dining hall is full of students. ¡°Mr. Damuel told me about the school festival they hold during the second term.¡± I¡¯m eating together with Natalia and Amy like always when Natalia brings up the subject out of nowhere. I guess she heard about it too. ¡°Yeah, I heard there¡¯s a tournament too. I¡¯ll participate there, so make sure you come cheer me on, Natalia.¡± I¡¯ve been thinking about that a lot, and I feel like it¡¯s important to set a high goal so I work harder. I¡¯ll take first place! And while she¡¯s impressed by that I¡¯ll confess to her! I didn¡¯t want her to notice yet though, so I just clench my fists under the table. ¡°Do you really have to participate?¡± ¡­Huh? My thoughts freeze hearing that, I had expected a different reaction. ¡°N-Natalia, you know how Olivia is, she likes to fight, and having someone from an upper year to spar with sounds fun too.¡± ¡°But the festival is made so students can find employment, right? There¡¯s nothing to gain from it if you just want to be an adventurer.¡± Ah. Now that she says it, she¡¯s right. I actually am planning on becoming an adventurer once I graduate, just like my mother and father did in the past. I have no interest in being hired by some research company or a noble. I¡¯d rather avoid such attention, if anything. She¡¯s right, I don¡¯t really gain anything by participating, but¡­ ¡°It¡¯s a unique opportunity, so I thought it could be fun to compare my skills to those from upper years¡­¡± I try to plead my case, carefully looking at Natalia¡¯s reaction, but she sounds even more bothered and sighs loudly. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation!) ¡°I understand how you feel, the school festival is an important event for your seniors as well, I just don¡¯t think it¡¯s right to intrude there out of pure curiosity or to have fun¡­¡± Just to have fun¡­ No. I¡¯m serious about it. I¡¯ll give everything I have¡­take first place¡­and confess¡­ My eyes are starting to feel hot. No, I don¡¯t want to cry here. Natalia is just thinking about the festival as a whole. She doesn¡¯t mean it that way. I know what she¡¯s trying to say. I can¡¯t cry here, not now. ¡°Are you okay, Young Lady?¡± Natalia sounds worried. Hold it in, me. I came up with that idea on my own, and I¡¯m feeling bad on my own too. I can¡¯t make Natalia worry because of me. But I really don¡¯t feel like being here right now¡­ ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m not hungry so I¡¯ll go back to my room.¡± ¡°Huh? Wait-¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, you can finish dinner if you want.¡± I get on my feet and run away, leaving Natalia behind in the dining hall. Once I¡¯m out of the cafeteria and there¡¯s no one around me, I finally break into tears. ¡ª¡ªNatalia¡¯s Perspective Did I say something wrong? ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m not hungry so I¡¯ll go back to my room.¡± ¡°Huh? Wait-¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, you can finish dinner if you want.¡± I try to chase after Olivia, but someone holds my arm back. Amy was pulling me back, silently shaking her head. I slowly sit back down and take deep breaths to calm myself. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, just know you didn¡¯t do anything wrong.¡± That¡¯s what she tells me, but her voice sounds clearly irritated. ¡°Just let her be for now.¡± ¡°¡­Alright.¡± I still don¡¯t feel convinced. But I¡¯m sure Amy must understand Olivia better than I do. Maybe it¡¯s best if I don¡¯t do anything, and just listen to her. I tried to eat the rest of my dinner, but I feel like the last time food tasted this bad was the day Ophelia passed away. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen without consent. Please support us by visiting our site.) After dinner, I return to our room and find Olivia in her bed, her head covered with a blanket. Amy had said it wasn¡¯t my fault, but I really feel like it was. I don¡¯t think I said anything wrong, I don¡¯t feel like Olivia¡¯s participation in the festival should be commended. But I also know how much she tries to catch up to her parents, and how much she looks forward to facing stronger opponents. I can¡¯t forget she¡¯s still a thirteen year old child. I can¡¯t expect her to have the same maturity and self-control an adult has. She looked genuinely happy back when she first started studying here and there were all those duels. But there haven¡¯t been any clashes like that after I put an end to the duels. Not only that, I know she¡¯s bad with studies, but she¡¯s still putting in effort learning with Chris so she can remain in classroom A. She¡¯s always listened to me, and never acted too selfishly. She¡¯s a good girl. But here I am, taking away her fun¡­ Did I really make the right choice? I thought I could raise her in Ophelia¡¯s stead, in both her parents¡¯ stead, but somehow I completely missed something this obvious about her. ¡°Young Lady.¡± ¡°¡­¡± She doesn¡¯t answer me. ¡°I¡¯ve brought some bread from the dining hall, so if you get hungry feel free to eat it.¡± I place the basket with bread on her desk and leave the room. Isn¡¯t there anything else I can say to her? Many questions flood my mind, but I can¡¯t find any answers. I¡¯ll probably just make her feel worse if I stay in the room though. No, that¡¯s not it. I just couldn¡¯t stand the realization that I had hurt Olivia, but was too stupid to know how to apologize. I just need to get some fresh air. I loiter around the hallways aimlessly as I think and think even more. Eventually I look out a window, everything is dark outside. But my vision is more acute than a human¡¯s, letting me see clearly. I can see someone on the other side of the dorm¡¯s outer walls. Something feels out of place about them, so I keep watching. They run a lap around the wall, and then they¡¯re gone. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (You can support us by leaving words of appreciation on our site!) I wonder why they did that? Though I can¡¯t really afford to worry about more things now. I need to focus on Olivia. I push away all miscellaneous thoughts and focus on trying to find a way to reconcile with Olivia. ¡ª¡ª???¡¯s Perspective The man glares at the Magic Academy, the place he had been scouting earlier. ¡°So this is where that b?i?t?c?h? came to hide.¡± His voice was filled with resentment, his mind reliving the pain he felt when he lost his arm. ¡°Hm, infiltrating doesn¡¯t seem like a good move.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t creep up on me like that, goddammit.¡± The man shouts angrily at the figure that appeared silently behind him. ¡°Sadly that¡¯s one request that can¡¯t be fulfilled, that¡¯s simply who we are.¡± ¡°Tsk, stop complaining and just follow my orders already.¡± ¡°We will, even if we don¡¯t approve of them. That magic device is proving to be quite a troublesome tool.¡± The demon could only shake its head at the employer¡¯s constant demands. CH 75 I raise my head noticing light coming through the window. The sun is actually rising. Looking to the side, there¡¯s a pile of things, basically my work of the night. I didn¡¯t feel comfortable returning to the room all night, so instead I just took a random seat in the dining hall and spent the night practicing alchemy to distract myself. I started by making healing potions, then when I ran out of ingredients I made antidotes, paralysis remedies, various other types of medicine, and even pain salves. When I ran out of medicinal herbs I made spare magazines for my magic guns. And when I ran through my materials I just purified random metals. Even I felt like I had gone insane. But still, I never got to understand just what I had done wrong. Still, enough time has passed. I should return to the room soon and wake Olivia up. Using that as an excuse to push myself there, I throw everything I made into my magic storage and stand up. I enter the room and check the side opposite to mine first. The basket with bread is gone from the desk, I guess Olivia did eat after all. Her bed is empty too, even though she always sleeps until I wake her up. Well, I guess today isn¡¯t exactly a normal day. I hurt her badly last night. I¡¯m not sure exactly what part of what I said did it, but the fact remained that I had hurt her. She probably didn¡¯t want to see my face, so it makes sense that she woke up on her own and left. I start making her bed. When I touch her blankets, they¡¯re cold. Quite some time must¡¯ve passed since she got up. Maybe she actually hates me now. I¡¯m such an idiot. To hell with being a man in my past life, to hell with being a reincarnated soul. All of that experience means nothing if all I do is upset Olivia and I can¡¯t even figure out what caused that. Incompetent. Useless. Trash. All those words fit me perfectly. Clack! I turn around hearing the door open. Olivia is standing there, she¡¯s not wearing her sleeping clothes, but a sporty outfit. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation!) Ah, I¡¯m glad. She came back. Not even ten minutes passed since I found her bed empty. Somehow that was enough to make me feel like I¡¯d never see her again. That was obviously just me overthinking though. I knew I was overthinking, but seeing her come back still made me feel immense relief and joy. ¡°Umm¡­morning.¡± ¡°Mm¡­ Good morning.¡± She enters the room, very faint wisps of steam coming off her body, and approaches me. For some reason I get really nervous and can¡¯t make eye contact. ¡°So¡­I¡¯m sorry, about last night and stuff. Somehow I just started feeling really depressed. But going for a run really helped me clear my mind.¡± Olivia says that and smiles a bit, but still awkwardly. While I was fidgeting around all night, Olivia had taken care of her emotions on her own. Ahhh¡­I really am the worst. ¡°Ah¡­right, I should change.¡± ¡°Umm¡­Young Lady¡­¡± Olivia turns around and heads to her dresser, but I call her and she stops. ¡°Yeah?¡± She turns around and looks at me. Should I apologize now? Actually, no. I didn¡¯t say anything wrong, I knew that for a fact. I shouldn¡¯t apologize for something that wasn¡¯t bad. ¡°Would you like to go to the forest with me next time you¡¯re free?¡± Instead, I should try to return some of the enjoyment I otherwise took away from her. ¡°Huh? But I¡¯m still-¡± ¡°I¡¯m running low on the herbs I use for alchemy, so I¡¯d like to pick up more from the forest. I won¡¯t take you somewhere dangerous, so just think about it as a short picnic. As long as your schedule permits it, I mean.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go! I¡¯ll definitely go! I¡¯ll be looking forward to it!¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen without consent. Please support us by visiting our site.) Her mood seemed to go from one opposite end to another, smiling happily. I¡¯m glad to see her feeling better. Also¡­she just came from running, so she¡¯s wearing a tanktop and shorts, which are quite revealing. She¡¯s been growing a lot lately, especially her chest which seems emphasized by her outfit, so I¡¯m really not sure where to look when she¡¯s facing me like that. Her skin also has a pink tone to it, probably because she took a shower recently, and I can smell soap as well. If I had to sum it up, she looks sexy. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Natalia? You¡¯re so quiet all of a sudden.¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing. Umm¡­look forward to today¡¯s lunch.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± I owe her mother Ophelia a lot, so I always help her change or wash her underwear, and didn¡¯t have any issues until recently¡­ I¡¯ll have to get used to this soon or it¡¯ll affect my work performance. Pull yourself together, me! She¡¯s still a child. Olivia is a child. Repeating that like a mantra, I manage to calm myself down. After lunch, Natalia and Olivia went their separate ways. Olivia was still in a very good mood, almost skipping as she walked to her classroom and opened the door vigorously. ¡°Good morning everyone!¡± She greeted the other students with a far louder voice than usual, which startled them a little before they nervously greeted her back. Once she reached her seat and put down her bag, Olivia looked around the classroom, feeling something amiss. Classroom A was mainly composed of noble daughters, who acted quite reservedly for their age, valuing proper manners above all else. They would rarely raise their voice for no reason, and kept quiet even when chatting with friends. So usually the classroom was a quiet place as well. Today that did not seem to be the case. Everyone seemed to be on edge, almost like they were waiting for someone to finish chanting a spell. ¡°Good morning, Olivia. You seem to be in a good mood today.¡± ¡°Oh, good morning Mathias.¡± As Olivia tried to figure out what was going on, Mathias greeted her from the seat to her side. After their duel at the start of the school year, Mathias had accepted Olivia was strong, and Olivia also respected his power. There were no romantic feelings between the two though, merely having a friendship where they saw each other as worthy training opponents. ¡°Natalia just invited me to go on a picnic next time I¡¯m free. I¡¯m already looking forward to it.¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (You can support us by leaving words of appreciation on our site!) Olivia squirmed while pressing her hands to her cheeks, to which Mathias could only shrug and shake his head. ¡°You two always seem to act more like sisters than master and servant. And Nat¡­ Miss Natalia is also quite well made, sometimes I forget she¡¯s an automaton.¡± Mathias almost called her simply by her name, but he quickly remembered they were in the classroom, so he had to refer to Natalia appropriately. ¡°I also had my reservations hearing she was a maid automaton, but she seemed quite human-like during the lesson the other day.¡± ¡°I know, right? Mother also called Natalia her lifelong masterpiece!¡± Olivia felt proud hearing all the praise Natalia was getting. Meanwhile Mathias was about to say ¡®Then how come your grades are so bad?¡¯ but he bit his tongue and swallowed the words, keeping them all to himself. That was his way of showing kindness. ¡°Enough about me though, why¡¯s everyone like that?¡± ¡°¡­Hmm, I guess it¡¯s safe to tell you.¡± Mathias looked around the classroom, then lowered his voice to whisper. ¡°We don¡¯t really know all the details yet, but apparently there was an armed uprising by the citizens of the Berlomot Kingdom to the west.¡± ¡°Huh¡­isn¡¯t that like, really dangerous?¡± Olivia also lowered her voice to ask that. ¡°Berlomot is one of the many small countries allied with Seperion, but they¡¯re also like a buffer zone between the Sacred Land Alliance, so they aren¡¯t the most stable of places. Everyone you see here looking worried has family near Berlomot, or has some sort of ties with the country.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Olivia nodded sagely, but in truth she had barely understood half of all that. Mathias was aware of that, but chose not to point it out. Spending half a year with her had taught him that expecting her to think more critically about such topics was a waste of effort. ¡°You don¡¯t seem too worried though.¡± ¡°My family is from the east, so they¡¯re a safe distance away even if anything serious happens. Though my father is an important member of the National Magician Association, and he has a duty to fulfill if they shed noble blood.¡± ¡°Being a noble sounds like a lot of work.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t¡­ Nevermind, we chose to carry this burden and responsibility. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± As a noble, Mathias¡¯ pride could not allow a commoner to worry about him, and he also wanted to act more like a grown man, so he just smiled and told Olivia not to worry. They changed topics after that, talking about random things until Damuel arrived at the classroom. That day Amy was only present in body but not in spirit though, as her family¡¯s main trading route had been caught up in the armed uprising. CH 76.1 ¡ª¡ª???¡¯s Perspective There were many men gathered inside a dreary and dark room. None of them looked like upstanding members of society, even talking like they were up to no good. And that was exactly the case. In the center stood a man named Lacks, a crystal ball glowing strangely in his hand. It looked like a crystal ball a fortune teller would use, but that was not this crystal ball¡¯s function. Just like the rest, he was also a criminal, the ringleader of those gathered in fact. The crystal ball was a magic device which allowed him to forcefully control a certain thing. ¡°Hmph, it seems the target will be going to the forest this weekend.¡± The thing it controlled, which was commonly known as a demon, answered Lacks¡¯ query. ¡°The forest huh, everything is lining up perfectly.¡± Lacks liked what he heard, grinning menacingly. ¡°Did you hear that, everyone? That noble brat or whatever she was and her maid are going to the forest, just the two of them. And the forest can be a very dangerous place.¡± Everyone knew what he was trying to say. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s dangerous. The forest is crawling with scary monsters too.¡± ¡°How about we escort those defenseless girls then?¡± No one would ever take anything they said at face value. They were people who lived in the shadows, favored destruction, and had no sense of morality left. Being escorted by them would be far more dangerous than traveling alone. ¡°Say boss, can I also take those girls for a fun ride?¡± ¡°Of course. They need to learn the dangers of the world.¡± Everyone cheered happily, and Lacks nodded satisfied. (Will it really go according to plan though? I¡¯m afraid you can¡¯t beat them.) The demon had a far more realistic view, but did not say anything. They would only reply when asked, otherwise nothing forced them to talk. (We demons usually only help the desperate, who strayed off their path, but have the resolve to pay a heavy price to accomplish their goals. But now¡­) The demon looked at the crystal Lacks held. (I¡¯m sure neither Lord Branses or Lady Nowarel expected the creation of a magic device to sign unfair pacts with us.) (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation!) The magic device Lacks held was known as the Crystal Ball of Postponement, which allowed the user to freely change the due date of a demon¡¯s payment. Thanks to that, Lacks could simply postpone his payment while forcing the demon to do his bidding. Thankfully it could not erase Lacks¡¯ debt, and there was a limit to how many wishes he could use. The person who had brought that magic device to Lacks was in a corner of the room, a merchant with gaudy clothes, which made him the only man who did not seem to fit with the rest. There had never been a magic device that allowed the signing of an unfair pact with a demon since the dawn of time. Not even the greatest sorcerers and sages of history had accomplished such a feat. One could only wonder just where that merchant had obtained it. But whichever the case, the demon¡¯s options were limited. Exhausted of their attitude, the demon just melded into a shadow before vanishing. ¡ª¡ªNatalia¡¯s Perspective The days pass by without any event, and the weekend where both Olivia and I are free draws near. The weather is also perfect for a picnic. I prepare everything in the morning, without forgetting to put on some light armor, and we leave the dorm. We head straight through a dirt path which will lead us into the Valhen Woods. I haven¡¯t been in the forest ever since I fought that serial killer. That reminds me, I wonder how the Man Eater I fed a few times is doing. Maybe it already forgot about me, or it reached the end of its lifespan. Or maybe some adventurer killed it. I had gotten somewhat attached to it, so I¡¯d like to visit, but I can¡¯t do that when I¡¯m together with Olivia. It could get dangerous for her, and I don¡¯t want her to find out I was sneaking out to the forest. So I head to a different direction from where the Man Eater lives, picking medicinal herbs as I see them in our path. ¡°Natalia! This is a medicinal herb you can use, right?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the one. They¡¯re usually hard to spot because they grow in the shadows, you¡¯ve got good eyes, Young Lady.¡± ¡°Eheheh.¡± Olivia laughs shyly and I gently pet her head. Somehow things feel a bit hectic today. Picking herbs is just a cover. My main objective is to allow Olivia to release some of her pent up stress from not being able to participate in the tournament, but I¡¯m also happy as long as she seems to be enjoying herself. In case there¡¯s an encounter I still dislike the idea of her standing in front, but I also don¡¯t want to ruin her fun¡­ I don¡¯t know what to do. ¡°Hmmm, there aren¡¯t many herbs around here.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± We walk for a while, but it almost feels like the herbs are becoming more scarce with each footstep we take. I knew that fully depleting natural resources can lead to environmental issues, and it¡¯s bad manners too, so maybe it¡¯s best if we look for another place. There really isn¡¯t much reason to search so hard though. The herbs growing in the garden at home are still of far better quality than those of the forest. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen without consent. Please support us by visiting our site.) Eventually we stop somewhere to rest, and soon after many figures approach us from the forest. I feel like I¡¯ve seen them before¡­ ¡°Ohh today must be my lucky day to run into such beauties. Do you mind if I join you for lunch?¡± CH 76.2 The man in the lead grins and gets closer to me. Somehow his attitude reminds me of the first time I met Danny, those were the days¡­ ¡°Hey, that¡¯s not how you speak to someone you¡¯re meeting for the first time.¡± One of the adventurers with them grabs the man¡¯s nape and reels him back. Huh, he looks familiar too. ¡°Hello, are you adventurers?¡± ¡°Yeah, we are. You don¡¯t look like adventurers though.¡± The tallest of the group replies, but his eyes are glued to my body. But unlike the first guy¡¯s lascivious gaze, his is closer to that of a hunter studying prey. I saw his eyes narrowing a little as he looked at my wrist too, he knows I¡¯m not human. Ah, I remember now. I passed by them many times when I came here wearing the mask. ¡°We aren¡¯t. We just came to pick up some herbs.¡± ¡°Ohh, I know of a really good place for that, I can show you if you want!¡± ¡°No thanks, we¡¯re good!¡± The first guy manages to shake himself free and butts in between the tall one and me. Olivia stops them though, and she sounds pretty annoyed. I wonder what happened to her? ¡°Ohh, you¡¯re a pretty cute girl too. Are you a noble¡¯s daughter? It¡¯s rare for girls to walk around with maids. If you want I can show you a whole new world of passion at night though?¡± Olivia turns her face away in annoyance, that guy really doesn¡¯t know when to stop with his advances. Not to mention that while Olivia might have grown, she¡¯s still a minor. He really shouldn¡¯t be talking like that to her. ¡°Oh, what are you getting mad for? Let¡¯s all be friends here.¡± Ah, Olivia is clenching her fist now. ¡°Sorry, we picked a lot of herbs around here yesterday. I¡¯m sure you can find more if you go a bit further away.¡± Before I have to appease Olivia, the tall guy pulls the creepy one away. Nice save. ¡°I see, thank you for telling us. Let¡¯s go then, Natalia.¡± Olivia says that and grabs my hand, and before I know what¡¯s happening she drags me away. Parts of my body are made of orichalcum, a really dense metal, so my body is supposed to weigh way more than a human my size, but that did not seem to affect Olivia¡¯s ability to pull me along. I¡¯ve seen her knockout Clamp Boards and Greedmega Worms with her bare fists before, but I feel like she¡¯s still getting stronger? ¡ª¡ª???¡¯s Perspective (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation!) Once the party reached the edge of the forest, they lowered their backpacks. They had accumulated enough experience for them to have a good shot at being promoted to rank C, but spending a night inside the Valhen Woods had still nearly cost them their lives. ¡°Ahhh, we¡¯re finally out of there. I¡¯ll never touch requests that take more than a day again.¡± ¡°I agree with that sentiment.¡± The various adventurers voiced their relief, except for the tall one, who looked pensive. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? You¡¯ve been oddly quiet for a while.¡± ¡°The maid. I swear I¡¯ve seen her before.¡± ¡°What? That line only works if she¡¯s here to listen- Ow!¡± The tall one was trying to be serious, but the creepy one just joked about it and one of their companions hit him so he would stop. ¡°Maybe you crossed paths while buying something in the city? You run into all sorts of people there.¡± The creepy adventurer was right. If they had ran into her before, he would remember her face, and she would remember being hit on. In the end, no one had a clear answer for the tall adventurer¡¯s doubt. ¡°Wait everyone, something¡¯s coming.¡± The party¡¯s scout told them, his eyes focused on the forest. Everyone got ready to fight while watching every direction around them. The trees were more sparse there, near the edge of the forest, and the sun had a slightly inclined angle that let them clearly see the visitor. ¡°Grrr¡­¡± It was a high rank monster, one which should never spawn in those regions. The adventurers froze in fear hearing the monster growl. That alone made them almost want to give up on living. (Hey, why is this thing here?) The beast¡¯s mouth stood at the same height as the adventurer¡¯s heads, making it extremely easy for it to tear off their heads. Its golden eyes seemed to glow as well, looking like a demonic moon. The monster walked up to the adventurers, sniffing the air around them as if investigating them. The adventurers could only wonder who would be eaten first, and who would get to be terrified the longest. But the monster seemed oblivious to the adventurers¡¯ thoughts, tilting its head after sniffing them for some time, then turning around and vanishing inside the forest again. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen without consent. Please support us by visiting our site.) As soon as they were certain the monster had left, all the adventurers fell exhausted on the ground. ¡°I really thought I was a goner¡­¡± ¡°That¡­ wasn¡¯t a Meteor Wolf, was it?¡± ¡°No, it was probably the evolved variant¡­ a Comet Wolf.¡± It was impossible to call them cowards for that. They had just survived an encounter with a monster that was commonly ranked B. CH 77.1 Leave a comment ? Previous Next ? ? Index ? Let me retrace our steps a bit. I need to explain how we arrived at this situation. I came with Olivia to the forest, using picking herbs as an excuse for a picnic. We didn¡¯t go deep into the forest, but it was still a distance away from Ingralowe. Olivia was walking happily ahead of me, and we were about to have lunch when some men appeared suddenly and restrained her, holding a knife to her cheek. ¡°Young Lady!¡± ¡°Stay still now, unless you want to see this girl¡¯s pretty face ruined.¡± He stops me just as I¡¯m reaching for Black Hawk. Around twenty more men jump out from the forest, pointing spears and swords at me from behind. I see some holding staves too, probably magicians. ¡°Don¡¯t try anything funny either, missy. Or your maid there might not come out unscathed.¡± Olivia reluctantly lowers her arms, gritting her teeth seeing all the weapons pointed at me. They seem to be a group of bandits. Dammit, I shouldn¡¯t have let Olivia take the lead like that. It¡¯s always so frustrating to notice how careless I am. If I was alone I¡¯d just fight them and escape somehow, but they have Olivia hostage so my options are limited. ¡°I¡¯ll give you all my money if you want! Just don¡¯t do anything to the Young Lady!¡± I feel like I¡¯ll need to give them what they want instead of trying to find a way to escape. But surrendering my belongings did not work, creepy grins spreading amongst the men instead. ¡°Well too bad, but we¡¯re not looking for gold here. Right, Lacks?¡± A man with only one arm steps out from the shade of trees, his clothes also looked tattered and unkempt like the others. Lacks looks at us, his eyes seething with hatred. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m looking for vengeance.¡± Vengeance? What¡¯s he talking about? I¡¯ve never seen this man in my life. But Olivia is trembling, about to collapse just from seeing him. ¡°You don¡¯t seem to remember, huh. But I know you, you killed my friends, and even took my arm from me.¡± His friends? What? So far I¡¯ve only killed¡­ ah, no way. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ from back then¡­¡± ¡°Oh, did that jostle your memory? Yes, I¡¯m the slave trader you just left to die back then.¡± He¡¯s one of those men that kidnapped Olivia when she was picking flowers, and Ophelia left him restrained with magic in the forest! ¡°So you actually survived.¡± ¡°Yeah, thank f?u?c?k?i?n?g god. That was a nightmare and a half though, I even had to watch a monster eating my arm. But the hole you left in my stomach was worse, every day I¡¯ve been hearing the same words from it, avenge me, avenge me¡­ And that¡¯s what I¡¯m here to do.¡± Slave traders are criminals, but the fact that he had tried taking Olivia made him the worst scum of the earth! You¡¯ll soon be reunited with your friends in hell! I really want to scream that at them, but that¡¯s impossible while they have Olivia hostage. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation!) ¡°Pfft ahahah, I like that face. Yes, that¡¯s just what I¡¯ve been wanting to see all this time.¡± I could hear my teeth gritting against each other, my cheeks tense. Argh, I want to turn them into a paste finer than mincemeat so badly right now. ¡°But first, you¡¯ll have to throw away that magic device you have.¡± He says while pointing at Black Hawk, strapped on my hip. I¡¯m sure he knows how dangerous my gun is, I had shot his stomach and legs before. I click my tongue in annoyance and throw Black Hawk to a spot with no men. ¡°Someone go pick it up right now.¡± Following Lacks¡¯ orders, one of the men walks there while keeping his sword pointed at me. I had hoped to retrieve the gun when I got a chance, but I guess that won¡¯t be happening. ¡°This is the magic device you told us about, boss? I feel like it¡¯s too small to be that power-¡± The man says that as he picks up Black Hawk and peers into the barrel, and somehow brushes against the trigger. A bullet shoots out and grazes his cheek. ¡°¡­What are you plotting over there!¡± ¡°Get him!¡± ¡°Wait, no! It was an accident!¡± The shock of the gunshot made the man drop Black Hawk and stare in a daze for a few seconds. ¡°Well¡­ okay, anyway. You¡¯ve seen how powerful it is, so don¡¯t be careless now.¡± Lacks seemed to have flashbacks to the time when I shot him, so his voice was a bit shaky. Another man went there, slowly catching Black Hawk with the tip of a spear and flunging it away to the distance. Retrieving it has gotten much harder now. If I really need a weapon I still have White Viper in my magic storage, but I don¡¯t like the idea of shooting many rounds aimlessly while they have Olivia hostage. ¡°Anyway, now it¡¯s time to have some fun. Strip.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± What did he just say? ¡°Don¡¯t just huh me. Do I have to remind you of your position? I want revenge, and we have a hostage. I don¡¯t like you, but your body is perfect. That means there¡¯s only one way out of this.¡± Ahh, I see. So he¡¯s using Olivia to force me into a shameful position. He¡¯s really the worst person there is. Though I can¡¯t say I wouldn¡¯t resort to taking hostages too. ¡°Natalia! Don¡¯t listen to him!¡± ¡°Shut up brat!¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen without consent. Please support us by visiting our site.) Olivia raises her voice, which enrages the man holding her and soon enough a red line runs down her cheek. ¡°Stop! I¡¯ll do it, so don¡¯t touch the Young Lady! I¡¯m okay, don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°Natalia¡­¡± I try to calm Olivia and very very slowly start to undo the latches on my gauntlet. ¡°¡­fle¡­me St¡­¡­ge¡± CH 77.2 I chant something with a very low voice as my gauntlets and breastplate fall to the ground. Now I¡¯m just wearing my maid uniform, and everyone¡¯s eyes are focused on me. I carefully take off my apron, then my Servant brooch, and undo the ribbon on my neck. As I start to pull on my sleeves, my shyness reaches its highest point and I start to hesitate. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You care about this girl, don¡¯t you?¡± I know Lacks is just trying to rile me up, but he¡¯s right. I have to keep Olivia safe¡­ I force my trembling hand to move and take off my dress, revealing my underwear and very curvy body. My black underwear and white skin create an alluring contrast that gathers even more attention from the men. My headband and shoes are still attached to me, but I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a point in caring about those. I thought I could bear with this, but I can¡¯t stand all of them looking at me, so I end up covering my chest and hips with my hands. But that did not please Lacks and he made more demands. ¡°Come on now, don¡¯t tell me you call that stripping. Take off your underwear too.¡± The man holding Olivia makes the knife glint to pressure me as well. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± I never had a choice. Cursing myself for not trying to avoid this situation, I reach around to the back of my bra to unhook it. ¡°Awooooooooooooooooo!!¡± But then an ear piercing howl stopped me. What is that?! The trees around us start to rustle and flocks of birds start fleeing. Everyone else also stops looking at me and starts surveying our surroundings carefully. There¡¯s something here. But no one is moving. More leaves rustle and I hear a twig breaking, something is definitely getting closer. Swoosh! I see a black shadow jumping out from a thicket in the corner of my eye. By the time I turn my head to face that way one of the men has already vanished. It¡¯s a large four meter long wolf, with golden fur and a silver streak that runs from the side of its head down the rest of its body. The wolf easily bites and chews the head of one of the men like its a piece of bread. This is bad. This is bad. This is bad. This is bad. This is bad. This is bad. This is bad. This is bad. This is bad. This is bad. This is bad. This is bad. This is bad. This is bad. This is bad. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation!) What the hell is this monster? I thought I had lost most of my human instincts as a magic automaton, but seeing that monstrous wolf made them rush back screaming. That thing is dangerous. So far I¡¯ve hunted various monsters bigger than me like Meteor Wolves, Clamp Boars, Tyrannoghavials, and even a golem, but none of them felt as overwhelming as this one. It was not just bigger, but I could tell this is a completely different type of being. I can¡¯t fight it. ¡°T-this can¡¯t be, why is there a Comet Wolf here-¡± One of the men can¡¯t endure the fear anymore and starts screaming. An instant later the wolf becomes a blur. ¡°Hieee!¡± I follow the cry with my eyes and see the Comet Wolf leave another body behind. Only a short whimper came from the victim before his body was twisted and torn into an indescribable pile of gore. ¡°I thought we were here to have fun, I wasn¡¯t told there were-¡± ¡°H-help-¡± The Comet Wolf ignores the men¡¯s pleas and bites off limbs while tearing their bodies with its claws. Some even got crushed under its enormous body. I have to get away from here somehow. I carefully watch my surroundings and open my magic storage underneath my clothes, stashing them away. ¡°Boss, we can¡¯t fight that thing! We need to run!¡± The man holding Olivia yells at Lacks, and that seems to annoy the Comet Wolf, as it turns around to look at him. Oh no! Just as I force my trembling body to move, the Comet Wolf leaps into the air. ¡°Get away from mee!¡± ¡°Kyah!¡± ¡°Young Lady!¡± The man pushes Olivia forward to shield himself before turning around and fleeing. I keep my Illusory Magic as is and run there, almost instantly catching Olivia¡¯s body and holding her against my chest to protect her as we roll together on the ground. As I stand up, I get rid of the Illusory Magic I was using. Earlier I had cast a spell to hide the mechanical joints in my limbs, so that the men would not notice I was a magic automaton and I could buy more time. Now there was so much chaos that I didn¡¯t have to do that anymore. Now, Black Hawk¡­almost..! I shoot out my arm to pick up my beloved gun that was thrown so carelessly. As I train Black Hawk¡¯s sights onto the Comet Wolf, it stops its aggression and steps back. Its golden eyes were focused on Black Hawk. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen without consent. Please support us by visiting our site.) Most of the men, except for Lacks, are already dead or on their final breaths. I have Olivia next to me, so I also have no reason to listen to him anymore. But the Comet Wolf made it impossible to act rashly now. ¡°Young Lady, are you hurt?¡± ¡°N-no, thanks to you.¡± I talk with Olivia in a low voice to make sure she¡¯s alright, but I don¡¯t look away from the Comet Wolf. Lacks is no longer a threat, the Comet Wolf is the only issue. Night Wolves are like puppies compared to it. But everything will be alright if I get Olivia to escape somehow. ¡°Tsk, I guess the plan won¡¯t work now. Are you looking at this? I got a new contract for you.¡± Lacks starts talking, even though there¡¯s no one else around. I start thinking he¡¯s finally lost his mind, but then a shadow moves up from the ground next to him. A head with horns comes out first, with blue skin and pitch black eyeballs, and then I see bat wings on its back as more of the body becomes visible. It¡¯s wearing a butler¡¯s tuxedo, but the slim fit highlights a different type of curve. CH 78 ¡°Be careful Natalia, that¡¯s a demon¡­¡± Christina had mentioned demons when she told me about the religions of this world, and now one has appeared right in front of us. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m a demon. Flute¡¯s the name, pleased to make your acquaintance.¡± Flute corroborates Olivia¡¯s claim and bows respectfully. According to legends, demons had once tried to destroy humanity, but regardless of the veracity of such tales, this one appeared on my enemy Lacks¡¯ command. Can I fight a demon and win though? I don¡¯t know how powerful demons are, but I can¡¯t be careless now. Even the Comet Wolf has remained still and careful ever since Flute appeared. ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t notice while I scouted you from afar, but you¡¯re actually a quite rare specimen, I see.¡± Flute¡¯s black eyes turn to look at me. It felt like those eyes could peer deep inside me, making a chill run down my spine. ¡°Now Lacks, the pacts you can delay with the Crystal Ball of Postponement are at their limit after your last one of ¡®Don¡¯t let anyone sense us until we attack those girls¡¯. I won¡¯t accept any more until you pay for all your past ones.¡± What? A pact? What are they talking about? Before I can think about that too much, Lacks takes out a crystal ball from his pocket and looks around. ¡°Your price is human souls, right? Then go ahead, you can take all those lying on the ground around here.¡± Lacks uses his chin to point at all the agonizing men, who had fallen prey to the Comet Wolf. Human souls are their price? Those lying around here? Wait, then- I instantly cover Olivia¡¯s eyes with my hands. ¡°I see. I¡¯ll gladly take them then.¡± Flute snaps her fingers and something like white smoke rises from all the groaning men, all of which quickly gets absorbed by Flute¡¯s body. Their faces remain contorted in pain, but there¡¯s no cries anymore, and none of them are moving. Did he just give up his allies as a human sacrifice to a demon?! ¡°D-damn you, Lacks.¡± Some of the men had survived, their souls intact. They¡¯re still in pretty bad shape, but they have enough energy to curse Lacks. ¡°Hey, there¡¯s still some alive.¡± ¡°Oh, but your debt has been paid already. Taking more than I¡¯m owed goes against the pact.¡± Lacks didn¡¯t look pleased with the survivors, but Flute just shrugged. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation!) ¡°Then here¡¯s your next pact. I¡¯ll give you the souls of everyone here, so give me the power to kill those girls.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a quite vague request, I¡¯ll just give you the power equivalent to the price you paid.¡± Flute snaps her fingers again, taking the souls of all the remaining survivors. The pact quickly went into effect, as I can feel a large amount of magic power emanating from Lacks¡¯ body. ¡°What¡¯s happening Natalia?¡± Olivia turns her head up and asks me, but I don¡¯t want her to see that. I hold her tightly with one arm, and use the other to shoot at my main enemy. The bullet strikes Lacks¡¯ body, but unlike the last time, it doesn¡¯t pierce his skin and gets deflected instead. ¡°Hahahahah, incredible. So this is a demon¡¯s power.¡± The influx of magic power started to change Lacks¡¯ body, making it grow to the size of an ogre while black patterns appeared on his skin. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll take my leave now then.¡± Saying that, Flute vanishes like smoke. ¡°Grahhh!¡± Seeing that the demon left, the Comet Wolf roars and pounces while baring its fangs and claws. But Lacks easily dodges it, using his concealed sword to counter attack. The Comet Wulf nimbly avoids the blade and jumps back, creating distance between them again. ¡°I can even see this thing¡¯s movements. This feels so good!¡± Lacks shouts loudly as he leaps with his sword held high. I can¡¯t dodge that while holding Olivia, so instead I produce mana on my palm and shape it like a wall. I¡¯m so glad I learned how to make barriers while listening to classes at the Academy. I¡¯m nowhere close to being able to cast large scale barriers like Damuel, but at least I can protect myself and Olivia. ¡°A barrier, huh? Let¡¯s see how strong it really is!¡± ¡°Kuh!¡± Lacks continues swinging his sword against the barrier. The barrier keeps shaking and making weird noises, I feel like it¡¯ll crack at any moment now. I know the barrier will break sooner or later, and while I don¡¯t mind whatever happens to me, I can¡¯t allow Olivia, Ophelia¡¯s daughter, to get hurt. ¡°Young Lady, I¡¯ll try to distract him so just run when you can.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t! I¡¯d rather fight with you!¡± ¡°Young Lady, I was built to protect you. I need to fulfill my duty.¡± I know Olivia is strong. But that¡¯s not the point here. My magic automaton body was built to protect Olivia. I came to inhabit this body, so I also inherited that duty as well, and now I have to fulfill it more than ever before. This is more than just duty or responsibility. It¡¯s the conviction I live by. ¡°¡­Okay, but promise me you¡¯ll come back safely.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t make any promises I can¡¯t keep.¡± ¡°Usually I like how honest you are, but now it¡¯s a bit painful.¡± Olivia says with an awkward smile. Ahh, she really is such a good girl. But I don¡¯t care what happens to me if she can be safe. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen without consent. Please support us by visiting our site.) ¡°I¡¯ll be going then.¡± I wait for Lacks to swing at the barrier before instantly dispelling it and shooting an incendiary round. The bright flash and explosion of flames blind him as Olivia dashes away and goes back through the path we came. ¡°Tsk, you¡¯re not going anywhere!¡± ¡°No, she¡¯s going wherever she wants.¡± I hold Black Hawk and White Viper in my hands and stand in front of Lacks, who¡¯s still swatting smoke away and trying to chase after Olivia. Glancing behind me I see that Olivia has pretty much vanished amongst the trees. She should be strong enough to deal with the monsters from the forest, so I don¡¯t have to worry about her for now. ¡°You want revenge from me, right? Fight me then, you skill-less dork.¡± ¡°You really know how to get on people¡¯s nerves!¡± ¡°Of course I will, you¡¯re even more worthless than trash for hurting the most important person to me!¡± Lacks runs at me in anger and I try to hold him off with Black Hawk, but my bullets are useless against his magic empowered body. I jump to the side to evade the blade swinging down at me. But the Comet Wolf had been watching the fight, and it was waiting there for me with its jaws open wide. I create a barrier instantly and manage to ward off those sharp fangs. A second barrier protects me from the blade that follows. Having a barrier on each hand means I can¡¯t fight back¡­if I was human. Separating my arms, I turn my barrier around to be able to aim again. The Comet Wolf reacts first, jumping back faster than its large body would suggest, so I can¡¯t get a clear shot. ¡°The hell are your arms doin-¡± Lacks had not realized that I¡¯m a magic automaton, so he stared at me wide-eyed. I pull the trigger, but my bullets still don¡¯t deal enough damage to him. ¡°Raaaaahhh!!¡± He starts swinging his sword in a fit of rage and my barrier starts creaking. This is bad! His next attack leaves a spider web-like pattern on my barrier. Even if I have a high aptitude for controlling mana, I¡¯ve only learned to use barriers since a few days ago. It¡¯s not a skill I can use proficiently while deploying it multiple times. Another hit from the sword completely shatters the barrier. ¡°Stand Mirage!¡± I cast an Illusory Magic spell, creating multiple clones of myself. Lacks¡¯ movements slow down, not sure where to attack. My other enemy did not fall for the trick though. ¡°Grawwrrr!¡± The Comet Wolf pounces at me without a second thought. Its attack feels more like a body slam, which keeps going until I hit a tree behind me. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (You can support us by leaving words of appreciation on our site!) ¡°Ghah!¡± The Comet Wolf pushes again, trying to crush me against the tree. I put my guns inside my magic storage and try to push the large monster away, but it won¡¯t budge. Things aren¡¯t looking good. But I know I can do more. Annabelle had been clear about that. I¡¯m still not using all my abilities as a magic automaton. I just have to learn to put everything to use. There¡¯s countless differences between a human body and a magic automaton. I have to stop thinking like a human. No human could even win against a large and strong wolf like this. But I¡¯m not human, I¡¯m a magic automaton. Think¡­ What am I made of? Orichalcum and wood from the World Tree. They were always the strongest materials in fantasy stories, and that applies to this world as well. The world¡¯s best sorcerer Ophelia used them to create me, her masterpiece. I¡¯m made of the best materials with the best skills, I can¡¯t lose to something like this! The moment those thoughts pass my mind, I feel like something opens inside me. CH 79.1 The pressure from the Meteor Wolf¡¯s body seems to soften all of a sudden. Or I guess it¡¯s more accurate to say that I got stronger. This is my original power, Natalia¡¯s power. The Comet Wolf has to weigh at least half a ton, but somehow I start to push it away with my thin arms. ¡°Out¡­ of the way!¡± I make a gap big enough for my leg and kick the monster with all my force. The monster gets staggered for a bit before its golden eyes glare at me. As I¡¯m still standing up, Lacks swoops in. I quickly dive underneath his armpit, his horizontal swing striking the tree behind me and toppling it over. I stand up again only to find Lacks is already halfway through his next attack. The high pitched clang of steel and magic blade rings loudly. But I¡¯m not done yet. Regardless of distance, I have plenty of means available to me. Going with the same movement, I raise my leg. But a mere kick would be too weak, so I add a magic blade to strengthen it. ¡°Eat this.¡± But wait! One might think, magic blades there will ruin my boots! But I¡¯m wearing boots specifically made with Purple Steel by Mir. Just like my gauntlets, they conduct mana efficiently and let me create magic blades without effort. ¡°Ghuhh!¡± While it was not a deep gash, my magic blade had left a cut in Lacks¡¯ body. This will work! My magic blades can hurt him! Not to mention¡­ ¡°Damn youuuu!¡± His inhuman strength is compensating for a lot. His skill with a blade is far inferior to Mir or Danny¡¯s, even the dog demi-human I fought the other day was better. I know I¡¯m not the most skilled one either, but at least I¡¯m better than him. His attacks pack more power than an ogre, but if I stay calm I can easily dodge everything. As I think that, I sense something behind me, so I instantly jump away. A moment later countless streaks of light fly through the spot where I was standing. I follow the tracks back and find the Comet Wolf, with countless orbs of light floating around its body. It looks a lot like the time I used Float Lights as a bluff, but something tells me these can cause serious damage. Those were not bluffs like mine, but actual offensive magic. Though actually, can that monster actually use magic?! ¡°Growrrrr!¡± The Comet Wolf bellows and the orbs of light shoot out. I dodge what I can and block the rest with a barrier, but Lacks manages to evade all of them. I dispel my barriers and take out my guns from my magic storage, aiming them at the Comet Wolf. ¡°My turn.¡± I shoot with both guns at the same time, but the Comet Wolf starts running between the trees, easily missing my shots. That¡¯s too annoying, so I switch targets to Lacks. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation!) I let the magazines from both guns fall into my magic storage, then create different openings above my guns to let new magazines fall into my guns, quickly reloading them. Black Hawk¡¯s bullets keep being deflected, but if I focus my fire it should eventually have an effect, right? After countless rounds, I noticed small tears on his skin. He might be reinforced with magic from the demon, but he¡¯s not invincible. I just have to continue focusing my fire on vital spots and I can win. ¡°In that case¡­¡± I rush forward so I can attack from closer range, but soon I turn over and look up. The Comet Wolf had jumped high into the air, glaring at us from there. But that was not the issue here. I could see a large amount of mana gathering inside its mouth. ¡°Graaaaawrrrrrr!¡± A spiral of light shoots out from its mouth, heading straight down. Can my barrier protect me from that? As I debate that, I notice something else. Something I couldn¡¯t have missed. Olivia looking at me with worry. But why?! I thought she had escaped¡­ no, I don¡¯t have time to think about that! I stop my needless thoughts and rush to her to protect her. As soon as I deploy my barrier, everything is washed in white. But rather than a beautiful pure white, this is a light of great destruction. My barrier starts creaking under the pressure and heat, I feel like it¡¯ll shatter any moment now. ¡°Natalia!¡± Olivia shouts my name, but I can¡¯t afford to reply. A crack runs down the barrier. No! I pour some mana into the barrier to repair it, but that¡¯s not enough. I need to strengthen it more. The beam of light doesn¡¯t seem to have an end. I pour even more mana into my barrier to regenerate it and make it stronger. But more cracks appear, one after another, eventually creating a hole in one spot. Light slips through and reaches my shoulder, burning a hole into it. Dammit! I can¡¯t let more of it through! I need to make the barrier stronger! I have to fix the hole and make it more resilient! I have plenty of mana to give! My Sorcery Core should be able to do that! It¡¯s always producing more than enough mana! Now¡¯s the time to use my full power! I feel a weird constriction in my chest. I can tell my Sorcery Core is working as hard as it can. Good¡­ that¡¯s good. Whatever happens to me doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯ll protect Olivia no matter what! ¨C¨C¨COlivia¡¯s Perspective I¡¯m running through the forest. I still remember the route, so I can make it back to Ingralowe like this. I have to make it back, otherwise Natalia¡¯s decision to stay behind for me won¡¯t mean anything. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen without consent. Please support us by visiting our site.) Our opponents were a man who made a pact with a demon, basically a heretic, and an evolved form of a Meteor Wolf. Even Natalia would struggle fighting against both of them at the same time. I¡¯m sure Natalia is ready to give up her life, all so I can escape alone. With every step I find it harder to run, and before I notice I¡¯m standing still. ¡®It¡¯s okay, Olivia. You won¡¯t be alone.¡¯ Those were the words my mother told me before passing away. That I won¡¯t be alone. Natalia would be with me. CH 79.2 ¨C¨C¨COlivia¡¯s Perspective It was thanks to Natalia that I could move past her death. It was all thanks to Natalia. But now Natalia had sacrificed herself so I could escape. And then¡­ I¡¯ll be alone. No¡­ I really wouldn¡¯t have anyone left after losing my mother and the person I love. ¡°I don¡¯t want that¡­ Natalia¡­¡± I mutter her name with a trembling voice, but there¡¯s no answer. She¡¯s not here, obviously. No¡­ I know Natalia tries her hardest as my maid, that¡¯s why she let me escape. But I can¡¯t do that, I can¡¯t run away alone. If I run leaving behind the person I love I¡¯ll lose everything that makes me who I am. I¡¯m sorry Natalia. She might hate me for not listening to her. But that¡¯s alright, just this once, I¡¯ll¡­ I turn around and run back as fast as I can. The first thing I see when I get there is Natalia aiming her guns at Lacks, and the Comet Wolf high in the air charging a magic attack. This doesn¡¯t look good. The monster is gathering so much mana that there won¡¯t be any safe place from the blast. Should I attack to force it to stop? No, that won¡¯t work. It already has more than enough mana to be dangerous. I won¡¯t have time to attack or dodge. Maybe I can change where it¡¯s aiming then! A hit to the chin might do the trick! I start gathering mana myself and adjust my aim while shortening a chant. ¡°Ignis-¡± Natalia appears in front of me just when I¡¯m about to launch my spell. I lower my hand that was ready for the spell, and everything turns white. But neither the heat nor pressure reach me. Natalia¡¯s barrier keeps everything away. ¡°Natalia!¡± Why is she here all of a sudden?! I really didn¡¯t have to think hard about that. She¡¯s ready to sacrifice herself to save me, so she¡¯d obviously cover me like this as well. But really, I¡¯m okay! Though I¡¯m fully aware that Natalia will always be this way, I know that better than anyone else. The barrier starts to crack and creak, so Natalia channels more mana to repair and strengthen it. But that¡¯s not enough to stop the cracks from spreading, and eventually light leaks through a hole and burns Natalia¡¯s shoulder. The light gets even brighter so I instinctively cover my face with my arms. Once the light starts to dim again, I slowly open my eyes. There¡¯s a large clearing burned out from the surrounding forest, with Natalia in the center, looking exactly the same as she did when I closed my eyes. ¡°Natalia!¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation!) I call her name, but her body just tips over and falls on the ground with no resistance. ¡°Natalia!¡± I shout her name again and run to her side, holding her up. But she¡¯s completely unresponsive, the light from her sapphire eyes gone. Death¡­ The word I dread so much flashes in my mind, and I forcefully push it away. There¡¯s no way Natalia could die! A doctor- No, a specialist like Miss Annabelle might be able to save her! ¡°Grrr¡­¡± But I still have an enemy that won¡¯t let that happen. The Comet Wolf growls slowly. Even experienced adventurers struggle fighting Meteor Wolfs, but this is an evolved form of that. It¡¯s just one step away from the Valhen Woods¡¯ apex predator, the Wolf King Roa. But so what! I carefully place Natalia¡¯s body down and then dash forward. ¡°Full Divine Wind!¡± I speed up, and before it can react I hit its chin with Shell Fang. ¡°Ignis Drake!¡± Then I add the spell I couldn¡¯t launch earlier, which hit the monster from close up. Its enormous body gets launched into the air a bit, so I kick its exposed stomach with all my might. ¡°Pahhh-¡± There was a dry sound like a drum being hit, and the Comet Wolf flew high into the skies above the forest. ¡°Tsk, that actually scared me a bit, but at least it¡¯s gone now.¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen without consent. Please support us by visiting our site.) The large man with one arm crawls out from the scorched earth. Ahh right, he was also here. He¡¯s a survivor from that gang of slave traders that captured me a year ago. Earlier I was so scared remembering that so I could barely move. But that¡¯s no longer the case. He had hurt Natalia. I¡¯ll never forgive him! ¡°Ugh, even my sword is gone¡­ Hm? Where¡¯s the Comet Wolf now?¡± I run at him with Full Divine Wind to hit him with Shell Fang too. My fist gets assaulted by a terrible pain, as if I just punched a hunk of iron. ¡°It¡¯s not good to prank others, girly.¡± Not even Natalia¡¯s magic guns had much of an effect against him, so Shell Fang couldn¡¯t do much either. His skin is probably even more resilient than a Greedmega Worm. But my father taught me how to deal with such enemies too. ¡°Sparkling Lightning Discharge!¡± My fist gets covered in lightning and hits Lacks¡¯ body multiple times. ¡°Keh¡­ You really don¡¯t learn, do you!¡± I knew that wouldn¡¯t be enough, I just needed him to be distracted for a bit. While his eyes recovered from the lightning I had prepared my next attack. Sparkling Lightning Discharge works by gathering mana in my fist and discharging it every time I punch, but my next attack is different. I molded some more mana and gathered it in my palm, keeping it still as I struck Lacks¡¯ stomach. Most of the mana infiltrated his body without resistance, creating a pathway for me to send even more mana into him. ¡°Electrifying Blood Lotus!¡± Mana travels faster than any liquid through blood vessels, so it¡¯s possible to spread it through an opponents¡¯ body before detonating it into electricity and fire. ¡°Ghaa?!¡± Lacks¡¯ skin ruptured open and blood spewed out from the wounds. He probably can¡¯t understand what just happened to him, but that won¡¯t stop me from attacking more. The strong resistance I felt when I punched him earlier is gone now. ¡°Sparkling Lightning Discharge!¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (You can support us by leaving words of appreciation on our site!) I hit him many times more than before, mercilessly trying to tear his flesh and bones apart. Now that his defenses were lower, my punches had a far stronger effect. ¡°Ahhh¡­w-¡­w-wait. Forgive-¡± I didn¡¯t let him finish. I jump into the air and around him, swinging my fist down at his head. ¡°Sparkling Lightning Discharge!¡± There¡¯s a loud tremor as Lacks¡¯ body falls to the ground and his head is smashed against the ground. As soon as I land I turn around and pick Natalia up, carrying her to Ingralowe as fast as I can. CH 80 ¨C¨COlivia¡¯s Perspective I run out of the forest and head straight for the city gates. Usually I¡¯d have to line up and wait for my turn to go in, but they allowed exceptions for emergencies. ¡°She¡¯s hurt! Please let us through!¡± I rush through the line while shouting loudly. The people quickly make way for me. I hurriedly bow to them in appreciation and rush up to the guards at the door, showing my student card from the Magic Academy. ¡°We were attacked by bandits and monsters in the forest, she got hurt trying to protect me.¡± ¡°Calm down. That woman¡­ oh, it¡¯s the automaton girl. I see, go through.¡± The guard checks my student card and then Natalia, then a different guard opens the gate. ¡°Thank you very much!¡± I thank the guards and the people who let me skip the line and run into the city. ¡°If you need help then¡­ she¡¯s gone.¡± ¡°She was carrying a person completely effortlessly.¡± ¡°Are all the students of the Magic Academy like that nowadays?¡± I enter the city and make a beeline for the Magic Academy, but the streets are crowded, and there¡¯s a limit to how far I can get by shouting I¡¯m carrying a wounded person. That leaves me with only one other choice. ¡°Second Divine Wind!¡± I use a mobility skill and instantly jump up to the rooftops. Unlike Full Divine Wind, this doesn¡¯t grant me speed, but makes my movements far more nimble and gives me more stamina. That way I can run as fast as I can even on unstable footing like rooftops. I jump from rooftop to rooftop, taking the shortest route possible to the Magic Academy and arriving there almost in the blink of an eye. I cross through the courtyard and go straight for the research campus. There I look for Miss Annabelle¡¯s laboratory. ¡°Miss Annabelle! Are you there?!¡± I shout as loud as I can, and after a few seconds she opens the door. ¡°You don¡¯t have to shout so much for me to hear you. What do you need?¡± ¡°Natalia was protecting me, but now she won¡¯t wake up!¡± I knew I had to calm down before trying to explain the situation, but my mouth was moving faster than my brain. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation!) ¡°Hmm, that looks quite serious. Bring her in.¡± But seeing Natalia¡¯s body was enough for her to have a rough idea. I follow her into the laboratory, and see Chris is here. She gasped seeing us, which was followed by a stifled cry. Annabelle¡¯s laboratory is filled with books and tools like my mother¡¯s room. But unlike my mother¡¯s room that¡¯s well kept and orderly, everything is strewn around randomly here. ¡°Place Natalia on the couch there please.¡± I do as told, making some space through the mess on the couch and placing Natalia on it. ¡°Olivia, just what happened to you two?¡± Chris asks me with a worried voice, covering her face with one hand. I try to calm my thoughts before I explain what happened. ¡°Hmm, I can see the burn mark on her shoulder, but that shouldn¡¯t be enough to shut her down like this. Something else must be the cause.¡± Annabelle squatted down next to the sofa, carefully examining Natalia. ¡°There¡¯s only so much I can tell from seeing her exterior appearance though. It¡¯d be better if I could examine her inner workings properly.¡± Her inner workings¡­ I know! ¡°Wait a bit!¡± I rush out of the laboratory and make a mad dash for my room in the dorm, grabbing an important pile of documents before returning. ¡°Miss Annabelle! Here!¡± Her face remains the same as she takes the documents from me. ¡°What are these, Olivia?¡± ¡°Natalia¡¯s blueprints. Mother gave them to me.¡± She should be able to understand Natalia¡¯s inner workings with that. ¡°Humhumm¡­ are you sure about this? An automaton¡¯s blueprints are essentially a compilation of the maker¡¯s knowledge. Letting someone else see that is basically begging to have one¡¯s skills stolen. I might be your mother¡¯s pupil, but that still isn¡¯t enough of a reason to be so careless about this.¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen without consent. Please support us by visiting our site.) I understand that a magician¡¯s power relies on secret skills, and how dangerous it is to reveal those secrets to others. Not to mention that this is basically the memento my mother left me. But¡­ ¡°You can take everything from the blueprints if you want.¡± ¡°Are you really sure about that?¡± ¡°Saving Natalia is more important.¡± I can¡¯t even understand half the words written on those blueprints. I need someone else to read them for me if I want to save Natalia. I have no reason to hesitate. ¡°Alright. But before I do anything I should tell you that I can¡¯t guarantee I¡¯ll be able to do something. Chris, get my tools ready.¡± ¡°Ah, right away.¡± Annabelle began to read through the blueprints while Chris prepared the tools they needed. ¨C¨C¨CLacks¡¯ Perspective Many hours after Olivia carried Natalia¡¯s body to the city, around the time when the sun began to hide behind the dense trees, Lacks moved after lying on the ground the entire time. ¡°God¡­ dammit¡­¡± Any regular person would have been long dead, but the demon¡¯s power strengthening his body had managed to save his life. ¡°I¡¯ll never¡­ forgive them¡­ And next time¡­¡± He grumbled in a low voice, slowly forcing his aching body covered in dirt up. For now he believed it was best to return to the city and wait for his wounds to heal. But before he could take a step, a shadow appeared in front of him, the horned demon stepping out from it. ¡°Hey, looks like you had a pretty rough time there.¡± ¡°¡­Tsk.¡± Lacks felt enraged with the demon, who had been watching that entire time without helping him. But he quickly got over that, at least the demon was still there. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s make a pact.¡± As long as the demon was there, he could form pacts to fulfill his revenge. ¡°I don¡¯t really mind, but there¡¯s no one around here. Are you offering your soul in exchange then?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous. I¡¯ll pay you later, like always.¡± ¡°Oh? How so? All deals with demons are paid in advance.¡± Hearing that, Lacks stuck his hand inside his pocket, but then froze. He could not find the item he had put there before, and when he found a shard, all blood drained from his face. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (You can support us by leaving words of appreciation on our site!) That was not really surprising in hindsight. The fight had been quite violent, so the chances for the Crystal Ball of Postponement in his pocket to survive safely were slim to none. ¡°I believe you misunderstood something. I only followed your ridiculous demands because of that crystal ball. But since you can¡¯t bring me anything of value without it, I also have no use for you.¡± ¡°Sh-shut up! All of this is your fault for being so useless the entire time! I gave you so many souls but the power you gave me wasn¡¯t enough to take down a girl-¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get carried away now, pest.¡± Lacks was starting to get riled up, but Flute¡¯s cold voice made him go silent instantly. ¡°All the souls you offered were next to worthless. A proper pact with a demon usually costs at least one relative.¡± The value of a soul offered to a demon depended on many variables. First was the beauty of the soul. That was decided by the person¡¯s physical abilities, magic skills, social standing and influence, and their mental stability. Next was their connection with the person conducting the pact. The closer they were, the more valuable the soul, while an enemy would have far less value, sometimes being completely devoid of it. Lastly, how the sacrifice was killed. If the person conducting the pact sullied their hands killing the sacrifice themselves, the soul¡¯s value would go up, especially if that was done in front of the demon. All in all, the person conducting the pact had the most impact on the soul¡¯s value. In a way, it was a test of the person¡¯s determination against relationships. Someone who was willing to kill a person close to them had the kind of determination demons valued. But Lacks¡¯ bandits were just a loose group of crooks who barely knew each other¡¯s names. On top of that Lacks¡¯ had always thought of just discarding them once he was done, and he had not even killed them himself. In the end, those souls were worth very little to the demon. Flute had kept all of that from Lacks simply because he was not worth the trouble. ¡°I kept my side of the pact, I gave you strength equal to what you gave me. That you lost simply means that the girl was stronger than you.¡± Flute had given him strength equal to the souls he sacrificed. Him losing was a miscalculation on his part. ¡°People usually realize the gravity of their requests, and offer something of equal value. It¡¯s only pests like you who can¡¯t grasp such a simple concept.¡± ¡°B-but you¡¯re bound by a pact to me!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already fulfilled the pact. There¡¯s nothing binding us. Not to mention that I have no reason to form another pact with you now that you can¡¯t offer anything and no longer have that despicable magic device.¡± The Crystal Ball of Postponement invalidated the gravity of pacts, allowing one side to delay payment with no repercussions. Such a device went against the very identity of demons. But that aside, Lacks had barely fulfilled his side too. He always treated the demon like a tool, insulting Flute whenever anything little happened. There was no demon who would willingly seek to form a pact with him again. ¡°I¡¯ll just act on my own whims now. I have some pent up resentments I really need to get rid of.¡± ¡°Hie-?!¡± ¡°Everything you did was the biggest insult to demons I¡¯ve ever witnessed. Not even death is enough to atone for that.¡± Lacks whimpered as Flute¡¯s black eyes turned crimson. A moment later Lacks vanished in a golden flash. His windpipe was crushed, stifling his agonizing cries before his head and limbs were torn and chewed. ¡°Oh, come on now. I was just about to have some fun with him.¡± Flute looked dejected seeing the sudden intruder, or more like returnee. The Comet Wolf who had just stolen Flute¡¯s prey swallowed loudly, and then timidly turned to look at her1, blood dripping down its jaws. ¡°Oo¡­uh¡­a¡­so¡­rr¡­y¡­¡± Flute¡¯s face went through a rollercoaster of emotions, from dejection to shock, before breaking into a good spirited smile. ¡°Huh, this day really was full of surprises. At least I¡¯m in a better mood now.¡± Flute sounded far more relaxed than before, almost like she had forgotten the man she was talking to just moments before, and vanished from there. As the first stars began twinkling in the sky, the howl of a Comet Wolf was heard in the forest. CH 81 ¨C¨C¨COlivia¡¯s Perspective It¡¯s already late at night. Annabelle has been reading the blueprints and checking that there are no malfunctions in Natalia¡¯s body. Her arms and legs are detached now and Chris is examining them. The limbs are relatively simple compared to the torso and head, so I thought maybe I could help Chris too, but I abandoned that idea the moment I saw them open. That really isn¡¯t something I should touch. ¡°Miss Annabelle, I¡¯m done checking the limbs. Other than superficial scratches, everything is in working order.¡± ¡°I see. I haven¡¯t found anything either, which leaves the Sorcery Core as the only possibility.¡± A Sorcery Core is like an automaton¡¯s heart, the most essential piece. ¡°That¡¯s accessed through the chest maintenance cavity¡­ so only Natalia or her master can open it. Olivia, come here.¡± ¡°Y-yes!¡± I¡¯ve just been watching this entire time, but there¡¯s finally something I can do. I almost let out a weirdly high pitched voice in response. ¡°Place your hand on Natalia¡¯s chest, then twist a little to open it.¡± I do as Annabelle tells me, and the moment I touch Natalia¡¯s skin a magic circle appears. I turn my hand imagining a doorknob there, which makes the magic circle burst and a small hatch appears out of nowhere and opens up. A plume of blue dust comes out as well. I look inside and see a lot more blue dust, some of which has clumped together. ¡°Is this Natalia¡¯s Sorcery Core then?¡± ¡°No, according to the blueprints she has a highly efficient Sorcery Core that creates that dust as a byproduct of refining mana. Apparently it needs to be cleaned once a month though.¡± Annabelle says that while looking at me, but I¡¯m a bit confused. Natalia never asked me to do anything like that for her. ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s Natalia we¡¯re talking about, so she probably always did it on her own.¡± I¡¯m¡­ the worst. I keep talking about how much I love Natalia, but I know so little about her. She¡¯s always helping me and watching over me, but I¡¯ve never fulfilled my duties as her master. ¡°Then¡­ this dust didn¡¯t accumulate over a long period of time, did it?¡± I¡¯m starting to get lost in my own thoughts, but Chris¡¯ voice brings me back to reality. Right, blaming myself can wait. We need to save Natalia now. ¡°I suspect that creating that barrier necessitated a large amount of mana, which led to a drastic increase of mana dust which clogged her conduits. If we clean the dust she might reactivate.¡± In that case there¡¯s only one thing to do! ¡°Miss Annabelle, please let me do that!¡± Everything they did so far was so out of my knowledge that it made me useless. But this is something I can actually do! Or no, this is something I have to do! ¡°The Sorcery Core is a very delicate part, so make sure to be extremely careful.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± I focus more than I have ever before, moving a brush carefully to clean the clumps of dust. ¨C¨C¨CNatalia¡¯s Perspective Everything is white around me when I wake up. Though it didn¡¯t quite feel like waking up either, I didn¡¯t feel like my eyes opened. Is this a dream then? My mind is too fuzzy to really tell. Exactly where am I? Or did I die again? Did Olivia manage to escape at least? ¡°Would you like to know?¡± Woah?! ¡°Hey, we met the other day. Let me introduce myself again, I¡¯m Flute, a demon.¡± She popped out of nowhere, but she¡¯s the same demon Lacks summoned in the forest. ¡°It¡¯s fine, no need to get aggressive. I¡¯m not here as your enemy.¡± That¡¯s what she says, but I can¡¯t trust her. ¡°No, I actually mean it. I¡¯m even grateful to you.¡± Is she reading my mind somehow? ¡°We¡¯re inside your consciousness, and we demons are half mental constructs. That¡¯s why I can be here with you now.¡± So she¡¯s here like the grim reaper? ¡°Oh no, you¡¯re still alive.¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen without consent. Please support us by visiting our site.) Really? ¡°Yes. Though magic automatons with a living soul are extremely rare, so I wouldn¡¯t be opposed to taking over as your body¡¯s new pilot.¡± Demons can tell when automatons have a soul in them? ¡°Do you really have to ask? Pacts with us revolve around souls and their worth. We¡¯re essentially specialists of souls.¡± I don¡¯t think making pacts with demons is common at all, but there¡¯s no point in bringing that up here. Either way, my consciousness¡­ I try looking around, but Flute is all I can see. ¡°Is something the matter?¡± I was just wondering if there was anyone else here, like the consciousness meant for this body before I took over. ¡°If you got here before the body developed a consciousness of its own, then there was never an opportunity for that to happen. As far as I could see, you¡¯re the only one here.¡± I see. I feel like that takes a heavy burden off my back. But anyway, am I really alive? ¡°Yes, you¡¯re really alive.¡± Then why am I stuck here? ¡°Your magic automaton body¡¯s capabilities are far above what a human mind can control. You might slowly get accustomed to them over time, but trying to understand everything at once will just overload your mind with information and you¡¯ll break down. To combat this, a limiter has been put in place to control how much access you have to your body¡¯s functions, depending on your mental state. It seems that was added quite late in your creation though.¡± Something added late in my creation to protect my mind¡­ I guess that¡¯s what Ophelia tampered with after the fight with the golem. I see, I¡¯m still being protected then. Thank you, Mistress Ophelia. ¡°But when you decided to push your mana throughput to its limit of your own will, the limiter kicked into action, and eventually clashed with your thoughts. That led to an emergency shutdown in your Sorcery Core, not to mention that the way you pushed things created a huge amount of mana dust, which is stopping the Sorcery Core from restarting. On top of that, you spent all the mana you had available, so your body has no means of moving right now.¡± So basically this happened because I didn¡¯t think about what my body was doing and focused only on making that barrier. That was a pretty bad move, even by my standards. ¡°Though considering you were trying to survive a Comet Wolf¡¯s Nebula Breath while protecting your master, I can¡¯t really fault you for doing that even if it wasn¡¯t the ideal move. Speaking of which, your dear Young Lady is currently working hard to get all the mana dust out of you.¡± Olivia? Olivia is safe then? ¡°Yes, she got away without as much as a scratch. You should be proud.¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (You can support us by leaving words of appreciation on our site!) I see, at least she¡¯s alive then. Does that mean that I¡¯ll wake up once she¡¯s done cleaning? ¡°No, not exactly. The way you pushed your Sorcery Core eased multiple limits. As a result, you¡¯ll probably be assaulted by an excessive amount of information once you wake up. For a human soul¡­ that could result in an irrecoverable shutdown and your soul will vanish.¡± So I ruined the limiter Ophelia made for me, and now I¡¯m in danger of vanishing because of that. That¡¯s a bit ridiculous to think about, but I brought this onto myself. What should I do though? ¡°Oh, what¡¯s this I¡¯m hearing? You want the help of a demon? I¡¯ll need proper payment for that though.¡± ¡­ ¡°I¡¯m joking, I¡¯m joking. I told you, I¡¯m actually grateful to you. Let me explain. Lacks had a magic device that allowed him to delay payments for pacts, and so he continuously forced me to do his dirty work.¡± Forced pacts? That actually sounds horrible. ¡°I know, I never expected such a magic device could even be built. But he got so hellbent on getting revenge from you that he slipped and messed up his pacts, and then even made a really vague demand. He was always terrified of your magic device, so I merely gave him the power to neutralize that, but the idiot really thought he was far stronger. It was funny how confident he got even though he was only slightly stronger than an ogre.¡± That¡¯s true, if I had fought him one on one I¡¯m sure I could¡¯ve won, though it would¡¯ve taken some time. ¡°Thanks to that I got some satisfaction from watching him struggle, and I was liberated from that accursed magic device. That¡¯s why I¡¯m here to return the favor and help you reactivate safely.¡± ¡­I see. ¡°Also, Lacks was eaten by the Comet Wolf some time later. I¡¯m a bit disappointed I couldn¡¯t kill him myself, but in a way that¡¯s the perfect way for a b?a?s?t?a?r?d? to go1.¡± He had it coming. He really reaped what he sowed. That¡¯s more than well-deserved. ¡°I agree. I feel like he could have whimpered in agony for just a little more though.¡± I have to say I¡¯m of exactly the same mind. I swear I¡¯m not a ****** though. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a shame.¡± Anyway, let¡¯s get back on topic. What should I do? ¡°Right, like I mentioned your Young Lady is cleaning all the dust as we speak. Soon enough mana will start flowing into your body again. That¡¯s when the influx of sensations will reach your soul.¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation!) And that much information would overload any human soul, right? ¡°If you receive all of it at once, yes. I¡¯ll try to block most of it, and only let a little pass at a time so you can get used to it. Once you can handle all of it you¡¯ll wake up like normal.¡± Got it. To be honest I really thought you were an enemy at first, but I can actually sympathize with you if you were being forced into all those pacts. ¡°I swear on my pride as a demon that I¡¯ll help you wake up.¡± Alright. I¡¯m counting on you. ¡°Oh, enough chatting, I think they just finished cleaning the dust.¡± Good good, time to shine, me. I can¡¯t keep Olivia waiting. ¡°Brace yourself.¡± ..! AAAAAAAaaaaaaAAAaaaaaaaaaaaAa! What¡¯s this?! It hurts! My head is splitting apart! ¡°Only your consciousness is here, it might feel like it¡¯s your head, but that¡¯s not what¡¯s happening. That¡¯s just your soul trying to cope.¡± This is no time to argue about technicalities! I thought you said you¡¯d let it flow little by little! ¡°I am, this is only a tiny bit of what¡¯s coming. This just goes to show how incredible this magic automaton¡¯s functions are.¡± AaaaaaaaAAAHHHHHH! uuUUUHHH! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! ¡°Ahh, I like those screams. They¡¯re so calming.¡± Y-y-y-you¡¯re actually enjoying this?! I¡¯ll never forgive you! ¡°Oops, I forgot to mellow this one out.¡± GYYYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! ¡°Break a leg, if you want your soul to survive.¡± CH 82 ¨C¨C¨COlivia¡¯s Perspective Cleaning the mana dust is a major task. No matter how resilient Natalia¡¯s body is, her Sorcery Core and the neighboring regions are literally her heart. I heard small wounds regenerate on their own for her, but I don¡¯t know if that applies to important places like this, so I have to be extremely careful. Annabelle still didn¡¯t figure out exactly what caused Natalia¡¯s shutdown though, so she warned me that there¡¯s a chance cleaning the dust might not do anything. But I still kept going. It took a long time, but I feel like it was a good job for someone as clumsy as me. It really had taken way too many hours. The sun is already rising and the people in the city are preparing for the day ahead of them. But Natalia is still unconscious. I need to figure out what else is stopping her from waking up. ¡°Hmm¡­ There¡¯s nothing more to do here. You two should prepare for class now, or if you¡¯d like to sleep since you¡¯ve been up all night I¡¯ll call your teacher.¡± Annabelle told us to go to class, but there¡¯s no way I can do that. ¡°But Natalia still hasn¡¯t woken up! School is the least of my worries!¡± ¡°Calm down.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t! I made sure to clean all the mana dust, so why is she still not waking up?! There has to be something else¡­ right! Maybe her Sorcery Core itself got damaged!¡± I desperately try to think of ideas, and the first one that comes to mind is the Sorcery Core, Natalia¡¯s heart. I had cleaned all the mana dust there, but we hadn¡¯t done anything with the core itself. If that was damaged, then her mechanisms would get no mana, and she¡¯d never wake up. ¡°That¡¯s not it. Natalia¡¯s Sorcery Core is in good shape.¡± But Annabelle instantly shot down the idea. ¡°Come, look inside the hatch again. You can clearly see the light from the Sorcery Core. The burn on her shoulder has also started healing already. That¡¯s proof that mana is circulating through her body now.¡± She¡¯s right. I can see a faint blue glow inside Natalia¡¯s chest. The burn she got on her shoulder when she protected me looks smaller too. Then why is she not waking up? I¡¯m not a specialist, so I can¡¯t think of anything. ¡°Olivia, there¡¯s nothing else you can do. I¡¯ll take care of the rest, so be a good student and go to class.¡± ¡°But!!¡± ¡°Again, there¡¯s nothing else you can do.¡± The words get stuck in my throat. She¡¯s right. Even I realized that earlier. I don¡¯t really know anything about magic automatons, even the magic devices I use regularly are like mystical black boxes to me. There really isn¡¯t anything I can do here. I¡¯m worried about her, so I want to be at her side. But that¡¯s just me being selfish. ¡°Okay¡­ I¡¯ll return to the dorm to get ready.¡± ¡°Please do that. I¡¯ll keep investigating to see if I find anything here.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± I bow deeply to her and leave the laboratory. I¡¯m still not sure what to do though. I told Annabelle I was going to class, but I already know that if I go, I won¡¯t really understand much (even less than usual). (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation!) ¡°Ah, um¡­ Olivia!¡± I turn around and see Chris trotting after me. Oh right, she also stayed up all night to look over Natalia. ¡°Chris, thank you for everything. I hope you aren¡¯t mad that I made you stay up all night.¡± ¡°Not at all. Natalia has also helped me before, and I think of you as a good friend, so this is the least I can do. I was already planning on staying there to have Miss Annabelle teach me all night anyway.¡± Now that I think about it again, social status might not have any weight in the Academy, but she¡¯s still a noble¡¯s daughter, so having her stay away from home all night was bad on many levels. I was so worried about Natalia that I didn¡¯t even stop to think about that. ¡°Just um¡­ try to cheer up, okay? I¡¯m sure Natalia wouldn¡¯t want you to be depressed either.¡± ¡°¡­Yeah, you¡¯re right.¡± She¡¯s right. Natalia is always worrying about me first. If she saw me being depressed I¡¯m sure she would get really worried too. ¡°Thank you, Chris. I¡¯m okay now, I don¡¯t want to make Natalia worry.¡± I reply trying to smile, I don¡¯t want to make my friend or the person I love worry. At least I understood what she was trying to tell me, but I still didn¡¯t feel like I could smile properly. ¨C¨C¨CAnnebelle¡¯s Perspective Once Olivia and Chris left the laboratory, Annebelle went to look at Natalia on the couch. Just like she had mentioned to the girls, the Sorcery Core was in good shape and producing mana. She tried poking her finger into the hatch, but was stopped by a protective barrier around the Sorcery Core. Breaking through the barrier would require skills on par with Ophelia, Natalia¡¯s creator. Annabelle knew that ruled out the majority of people and monsters out there. The Sorcery Core was more than likely intact. ¡°That means her soul might be the cause, but I¡¯m not really well-versed in that¡­¡± Annabelle was specialized in magic devices and alchemy, so magic automatons were only an extension of that, intricate but useful tools. The only automatons she built and employed accomplished specific physical tasks, their ability to follow orders being their focus. Fully autonomous ones that could come up with decisions on their own, or had souls in them that controlled their movements, was something out of her expertise. ¡°I still have to try anything I can though.¡± Annabelle adjusted her posture on her chair and looked at the blueprints on her desk again. She turned page after page, eventually stopping at one which had plenty of empty spaces. That page described Natalia¡¯s minor functions, but that was not why Annabelle was looking at it. She held the page up and imbued a small amount of mana into the page, which revealed writing in the empty areas. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen without consent. Please support us by visiting our site.) The first time she noticed that page she was so surprised she almost raised her voice, but somehow managed to calm herself until a more appropriate time. The information on the page remained the same. Concealing words in a way that made them visible when a small amount of mana was applied was something Ophelia had invented as a way to teach minute mana control to Annabelle as a child. They would use that method to exchange secret messages ever since, and when Annabelle noticed all the empty spots on the page she decided to give it a try, finding a hidden message on the page. To Annabelle, If Olivia ever comes to you asking for help with Natalia, please do everything you can to help them. You can take all the secrets from these blueprints as payment. Thank you. Yours truly, your teacher. Annabelle placed the page on her desk and sighed. ¡°I¡¯ve already overcome my desire to catch up to you, master. But you¡¯re still as prepared as ever.¡± As Annabelle muttered to the empty room, the secret writing slowly faded into nothingness. A small amount of mana would reveal it again, but there was no need for that now. ¡°But well, this really is a large reward for her pupil, so I¡¯ll need to do my best, hehehe¡­¡± Annabelle stood up in a good mood and went to examine Natalia again. ¨C¨C¨COlivia¡¯s Perspective I rush to Annabelle¡¯s laboratory as soon as my last class ends. ¡°Miss Annabelle! How¡¯s Natalia?!¡± I open the door and go inside. My hope of finding Natalia awake and well shatters quickly. Annabelle¡¯s gaze continues switching between some books and the blueprints, and Natalia is still lying down without moving. ¡°Miss Annabelle?¡± Still, I tried asking one more time. But she only shakes her head a little, not looking away from the book. I¡¯d be lying if I said that didn¡¯t crush me. But a part of me had already anticipated this. Thanks to that I can remain calm. ¡°Natalia is built with the best materials in existence, exceeding common magic automatons by far. That¡¯s why there must be some very specific reason why she won¡¯t wake up.¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (You can support us by leaving words of appreciation on our site!) Annabelle speaks without looking away from the book. I can¡¯t even begin to imagine what that specific reason could be. I don¡¯t even know much about common magic automatons, so I also don¡¯t know what counts as a special situation or not. I¡¯ve really failed as Natalia¡¯s master. This isn¡¯t the time to be depressed though. I need to start doing whatever I can. After that I ask Annabelle for permission and start reading all the books about alchemy and magic devices in the laboratory. CH 83 ¨C¨C¨COlivia¡¯s Perspective A week has passed since Natalia fell unconscious. She still shows no signs of waking up. Damuel looked worried when I told him. The lessons Natalia was in charge of had to be canceled, and the other teachers took over so the students could learn. At least that problem was solved. Amy and everyone in the dorm is having issues. Amy had been waiting for the manuscript of the next reference book, but she¡¯s also worried as a friend. The other girls in the dorm are struggling with food during the weekends. There are some who know how to cook, but preparing food for an entire dorm is a lot of work, and Natalia¡¯s food always tastes better. But I¡¯m struggling the most. Natalia always took care of my food, laundry, and even combing my hair. I never realized just how much she did for me. Two weeks have passed since Natalia fell unconscious. She still shows no signs of waking up. Annabelle carefully checked her entire body, but she said there¡¯s nothing more she can do for Natalia. Natalia already has a self-regenerating function anyway, so her body is back to normal. All I have to do is clean the mana dust once a month. Annabelle is still researching various topics in case she finds something, but my mother used so many original parts of her own creation in Natalia¡¯s body that even my mother¡¯s pupil Annabelle is struggling to understand how they all work. A month has passed since Natalia fell unconscious. She still shows no signs of waking up. There¡¯s nothing more Annabelle can do with her, so we carried her back to the dorm. To be honest, having to go to the laboratory every day was hard for me too. I was always thinking about Natalia, even during classes. Sleeping alone at night felt scary too. I always felt restless whenever I thought Natalia could be suffering at that very moment. Now whenever I return to the dorm I feel relieved but also uneasy. ¡­Ah, she¡¯s still here. ¡­Ah, she still hasn¡¯t woken up. I really don¡¯t know how to deal with these emotions. Two months have passed since Natalia fell unconscious. She still shows no signs of waking up. ¡°Hey, Natalia¡­ resting every once in a while is good, but I¡¯ll get tired of waiting if you don¡¯t get up soon.¡± I sit next to her bed and try talking to her, but there¡¯s no response. There¡¯s not a single blemish on her beautiful figure, it almost feels strange that she¡¯s not moving. Even her shoulder that had a deep burn looks normal now. ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to confess to you, but I might actually do it now since you¡¯re so defenseless.¡± I gently brush my fingers against her cheeks, her skin feels slightly cold compared to a human. Her long eyelashes, pretty nose, and rich lips. I know they¡¯re all built to look that way, but that doesn¡¯t change the fact that they¡¯re all beautiful. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation!) ¡°There was this story in one of the books Chris lent me, supposedly princesses wake up when the person they love gives them a kiss.¡± I climb on top of her bed, but she still doesn¡¯t react. ¡°I¡¯m actually going to do it.¡± I get so close to her that my breath should be felt on her skin, but she¡¯s completely still. ¡°I love you¡­¡± Her lips also felt slightly cold. A lone woman was working on some complex machinery under the light of a lamp. She was known as the Ebony Witch, the most powerful sorceress of the country, maybe even the world. ¡°And that completes the body.¡± After assembling all the parts, she looks at her masterpiece satisfied. She had just finished building a magic automaton. The skills she had honed over the years and the valuable materials she collected had all gone into this magic automaton, not sparing any expense. It was no exaggeration to say it was the most advanced and elaborate one in the world. It could easily gain the title of national treasure if presented to the government, but she had not built it for fame or riches. It was a present for her dear daughter. ¡°Now I just have to write a basic set of knowledge into her memory device and she should wake up.¡± Her obsidian eyes peered into sapphire blue eyes. ¡°Just hold on for a bit longer, Natalia.¡± Saying that, she got ready to start writing that information directly into the magic automaton¡¯s memory banks. The magic automaton moved for the first time mere moments after that. The magic automaton was now sitting in a chair in the sorceress¡¯ room, all the limbs disassembled and immobile. She had given the magic automaton a sleep order, one which could only be used by her, the designated master. ¡°Natalia, your raw abilities should make defeating that golem a very easy task. But your current abilities leave you between ranks D and C. You rely on ranged attacks too much and don¡¯t get close to your enemy often, but that won¡¯t work on all opponents.¡± There were magic circles and symbols floating all around the room. Those were all parts of Natalia¡¯s ability limiter, the sorceress was still working on amending it. ¡°The desire to defeat the golem trumped all others, leading to you losing consciousness, and reverting to the state of a primal magic automaton. I guess you really unleashed your true abilities during that time.¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen without consent. Please support us by visiting our site.) There had been a violent fight between the magic automaton and a golem the night before. A friend of hers had been witness to the fight and gave a detailed account, so the sorceress could diagnose exactly what had happened. ¡°I¡¯m pretty much certain that there¡¯s a human soul inside of Natalia. I¡¯m worried this could happen again with no one nearby to control her, she might go rogue and attack indiscriminately. If Natalia gains full control over her abilities that won¡¯t ever be an issue though.¡± There did not seem to be any issues with the skill limiter. In a way, the absence of a problem was the problem itself. ¡°Not to mention that her innate abilities are too high level. Luckily her soul went unconscious during her rampage, so the burden was softened. But if a day comes when she unlocks her full abilities while being conscious, the overload might be too much for her soul.¡± Natalia¡¯s body originally did not have a soul, which made placing the skill limiter possible. But if all her abilities were exposed to her human soul one day, it might be too much to take in at once, driving her soul to insanity. ¡°Having her soul slowly get accustomed to those skills should stop that from happening. That way she¡¯ll gradually gain abilities as she needs them, and the heavy burden can be split amongst many years.¡± The sorceress finally reached a conclusion and began rewriting the magic circles and symbols floating around the room. ¡°You¡¯re my second daughter now, so I won¡¯t let you break on me.¡± ¨C¨C¨CNatalia¡¯s Perspective I see, these are memories too. My soul was unconscious when this happened, so I never realized before. But now I can see this body¡¯s memories like dreams. Also, even if it was a dream, I¡¯m glad I got to see Ophelia alive and well again. It was thanks to her that I got a second life. It was thanks to her that I gained the knowledge and strength to live in this world. And it was thanks to her that I found a reason to live in this world. I¡¯ll never forget any of that. Thank you Ophelia, my Mistress. ¨C¨C¨CFlute¡¯s Perspective The demon Flute walked through that space, which seemed neither bright nor dark, completely devoid of anything. But she was there to check up on the owner of that environment. ¡°Good morning, though I guess it¡¯s still a bit early.¡± She spoke into nothingness, and no audible response was heard. ¡°You seem pretty used to it. At this rate you might be able to handle your currently unlocked limiter without much issue.¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (You can support us by leaving words of appreciation on our site!) She was clearly not talking to herself, someone else was there. But that someone else did not seem to be focusing on her. ¡°You¡¯ll just need the conviction to use them and they should slowly unlock one after another.¡± Her conversation partner was certainly not ignoring her either, but floated in a limbo between dreams and reality. And surprisingly enough, this environment was also closer to a dream. ¡°Alright, you should wake up soon now. Your Young Lady is terribly worried about you. You¡¯re lucky to have a master that cares so deeply about you.¡± Flute said that from the bottom of her heart. She had recently been forced to serve a scummy master. ¡°Well, catch you on the flip side then, if we ever get the chance.¡± The demon began pushing the consciousness to awaken. ¡°Oh wait, I might as well enjoy this a bit more since I¡¯m already here.¡± A few steps later she seemed to remember something, and after leaving a souvenir behind, she actually left that place. ¨C¨C¨COlivia¡¯s Perspective Our lips parted, but I don¡¯t want to leave yet, so I keep watching her beautiful face when her eyelids that had remained shut for so long twitch slightly. ¡°¡­Oli¡­via..?¡± A slightly husky voice calls my name. This is actually happening. This isn¡¯t a dream. After waiting for so long, Natalia finally has woken up. But my mouth did not express how I was feeling. ¡°You dummy! Why were you sleeping for so long! Everything has been such a mess because you weren¡¯t here!¡± No. That¡¯s not what I wanted to say. ¡®Are you hurt anywhere?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m glad you¡¯re back.¡¯ I want to make sure she¡¯s feeling well, tell her how happy I am that she woke up, but somehow I can only cry while I insult her. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation!) ¡°I thought you were supposed to be my maid, so work properly!¡± I start hitting her chest, I¡¯m no different to an unsightly spoiled child, yet I can¡¯t stop. ¡°¡­Young Lady¡­¡± Her voice sounds thin, like she¡¯s still only half awake, but then I feel her cold hand on my cheek. ¡°I¡¯m so glad¡­ that you¡¯re safe¡­¡± ¡°!¡± Why! This isn¡¯t fair! Why are those her first words! I can¡¯t even say anything back now. ¡°Yeah, because you covered me. Thank you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t cry¡­ Olivia¡­¡± Natalia¡¯s fingers wipe my tears. It really isn¡¯t fair how she can do things like that so easily. That night, a week before I entered my second year at the Academy, Natalia finally woke up. CH 84.1 By the time my hazy mind cleared up, Olivia finished crying and now was sitting a distance away on the edge of my bed. That reminds me that I¡¯m still lying down as well, but I stagger dizzily instead, I guess I¡¯m still not in perfect shape. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Yes. My apologies, Young Lady.¡± I apologize to her for having to prop me up, and then look around the room. My head still hurts a bit. I remember I also had a headache when I woke up after fighting the golem, I guess that was from the burden my soul carried. Back then I thought it was the result of Ophelia opening my body to repair me, but that actually made no sense because magic automatons don¡¯t have pain nerves. My limbs also feel numb, but that should get better with time. That was pretty much everything I felt on my body. I¡¯m wearing the negligee I always wear to bed. I guess they changed my clothes while I was asleep. The windows look dark, so I guess it¡¯s night outside. There¡¯s a bunch of papers on my desk, and Olivia¡¯s desk is covered with piles of textbooks and notebooks. ¡°Natalia, do you want some water?¡± ¡°Ah, yes. Thank you.¡± I take the cup of water Olivia brought and drink it in one go. Magic automatons don¡¯t need water to survive, but I still felt like the water cleared my throat and refreshed me. ¡°I¡¯m really glad you woke up.¡± ¡°I¡¯m truly sorry for making you worry.¡± Flute had already told me, but I still felt relief seeing Olivia was actually unscathed. ¡°Also, you¡¯ve really gotten big.¡± Olivia had kept on growing, she¡¯s probably the same height as me now. Ophelia was also tall, so I always felt like Olivia would overtake me one day, but I never imagined that would happen while I slept. ¡°Oh yeah, I was the biggest when they measured us in class the other day. I think mine might even be bigger than yours now.¡± Saying that, Olivia puffs her chest, propping her breasts up and jiggling them side to side. ¡°Umm¡­ I was talking about your height.¡± ¡°Huh, that? Ah, yeah, right! Yeah, crazy right!¡± Her face turns beet red and she desperately tries to brush it over, but it was obvious she had misunderstood. Though now that I take a better look at her, she has grown in that sense too, probably getting bigger than me as well. After that Olivia tells me everything that happened while I was asleep. Apparently I was out of it for half a year. I¡¯m not sure if I should consider that a long time, or a short time in the grand scheme of things, but the fact remains that a lot happened. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation!) First Olivia took my blueprints Ophelia designed to Annabelle. Olivia knew very little about magic automatons, so giving them to Annablle was the ideal choice I think. That meant revealing all the secrets contained within too though. But that was necessary to examine me, and Annabelle had studied under Ophelia so she wasn¡¯t exactly an outsider either. Either way, I¡¯ll really have to personally thank Annabelle and Christina one of these days, both had done a lot of work for me. At school I had only given a handful of lessons before I was out of it, but the other teachers were able to pick up where I left and things ended up without any real problems. I couldn¡¯t finish the second reference book for Amy though, which affected her sales and bottom line. That¡¯s definitely all my fault. Then there was the school festival. Olivia had desisted from participating in the tournament and instead spent the entire day in the dorm next to me. I had taken her to the forest as a way to convince her not to take part in the tournament, but that had resulted in her not even checking the festival out. I had robbed her of yet another fun memory at school. ¡°Don¡¯t look so sad. I did that because I wanted to, it¡¯s not your fault.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± It was all my fault, no matter how I looked at it. I could¡¯ve been a little more proactive when fighting Lacks and the Comet Wolf, and maybe I could¡¯ve driven them away. The more I thought about it the more mistakes I noticed. ¡°¡­Ah, right! You¡¯ve just woken up, so maybe it¡¯s best if we scrub your body nice and clean. Taking a bath might be a bit too dangerous, but I¡¯ll bring some water and a sponge to at least wash you. Just sit there, I¡¯ll prepare everything.¡± I was still brooding over my mistakes when Olivia said that, and before I could reply anything in bewilderment she was gone from the room. I just made her worry about me again. If I keep being moody I¡¯ll just end up dragging Olivia down with me. I need to cheer up. ¡°Sorry for the wait.¡± Olivia returns to the room with a bucket, which she places next to the bed. It¡¯s filled with warm water, and I can see wisps of steam coming out of it. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll get you naked now.¡± ¡­What¡­the¡­hell? Olivia places her hand on my shoulder which I slowly brush away while my thoughts go into an endless spiral. ¡°Young Lady, what are you trying to do?!¡± ¡°I told you, I¡¯ll scrub you nice and clean. I can¡¯t do that with clothes in the way.¡± ¡°Well¡­ okay, yes¡­ but¡­¡± That¡¯s all reasonable and good, but somehow having someone of her age see me naked is more embarrassing than me being the one watching her. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen without consent. Please support us by visiting our site.) ¡°We¡¯re both girls, there¡¯s nothing to be ashamed of. And we took a bath together once, remember? I also washed your back.¡± B-but we aren¡¯t both women! That¡¯s a secret I¡¯m taking to the grave though. Also that bathroom incident came to be solely because she decided to get in, it was never my intention. ¡°As your maid I don¡¯t really feel comfortable having you do so much for me.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that, you¡¯re still recovering. Not to mention that you¡¯re always taking care of me, so I have to return the favor sometimes.¡± I really appreciate the sentiment, but I¡¯m dying of embarrassment here. I need to be coldhearted, for my own sanity. ¡°You hate the idea so much? Are my feelings such a bother to you?¡± No, it¡¯s not fair to put it that way. I can¡¯t refuse if you do that. ¡°¡­Please scrub me clean.¡± ¡°Yay.¡± I hang my head and give in, but Olivia sounds elated to hear that. I reluctantly take off my negligee and turn around so Olivia can take off my bra. Then I sit in a way to make it easier for Olivia to wash my body. ¡°Just a word of advice, please be more mindful of your word choice when talking to other people. You could easily incite misunderstandings. Sometimes you should only use certain words for the partner you choose to spend your future with.¡± Olivia is still a young, pure and innocent girl, but in a few years I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll gain Ophelia¡¯s mature charm. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll break plenty of hearts if she starts talking like that while looking like Ophelia. I can already imagine the carnage left behind by her misunderstandings. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll only talk to you like that.¡± Mm- Hmm¡­that¡¯s not exactly what I meant, but uh- I guess I should be glad she trusts me then? ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll start now.¡± Olivia wrings out the excess water from a soaked towel and gently rubs it against my neck. She moves it along my neck and my shoulder, picking up all the grime and dust collected over the months I slept. The warmth of the towel and the refreshing feeling of clean skin are extremely pleasant. I still would¡¯ve preferred a bath, but sometimes being the one being taken care of isn¡¯t that bad either. CH 84.2 Still, it¡¯s embarrassing being naked in front of someone else, even if she¡¯s still a child. Olivia said it¡¯s fine because we¡¯re both girls though. But no, maybe I look like one, but I¡¯m a guy! This isn¡¯t fine at all! What am I even doing! ¡°Huh? What happened here?¡± I turn around hearing her puzzled voice. Olivia is looking at my shoulder. ¡°Is something wrong, Young Lady?¡± ¡°Ah, yeah. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s something serious, but your shoulder looks bruised.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a bruise there?¡± ¡°Yeah, it looks like a branch, with many ends.¡± My body¡¯s healing abilities should heal something like that in a few hours. Olivia had also cleaned my Sorcery Core while I slept, so all my functions were active the entire time. That bruise couldn¡¯t have come from the battle. It has to be something recent. Ophelia had put all her skills to work building my body, so it¡¯s impossible for a bruise or scar to remain. ¡®Oh wait, I might as well enjoy this a bit more since I¡¯m already here.¡¯ Then I suddenly remember what Flute said before leaving. She left something in the end, her deer antler mark. But I don¡¯t know what it does, and have no way of finding out, so there¡¯s little use worrying about it now. Not to mention that she helped me wake up, I don¡¯t think she¡¯d want to harm me now. ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll heal by itself soon enough, don¡¯t worry about it.¡± ¡°¡­Alright, I hope it¡¯s gone soon.¡± That did the trick, and she soon resumes scrubbing my back. Ahhh, this is way too embarrassing! ¡°Natalia, I¡¯m done with your back.¡± ¡°Thank you very much.¡± Yes, I¡¯m finally free. ¡°Time for the front then.¡± ¡°Fhwha-?!¡± It¡¯s not my fault my voice came out so strange. ¡°Wait, no, Young Lady, that¡¯s a bit too much.¡± I shake my head trying to refuse, but Olivia¡¯s face appears in front of me and I freeze. Her straight black hair and richly colored eyes remind me a bit of Ophelia, but the overall impression I get from her is slightly different. If Ophelia was a black lily, Olivia was a sunflower. Their demeanor is almost opposite to each other, but their refined features are similar. ¡°So, can I?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ah¡­yes.¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation!) I¡¯m struggling so much to think of words that I end up accepting. ¡°Natalia, I can¡¯t wipe you with your hands on the way.¡± ¡°Are you¡­ really doing it?¡± I tried covering my chest as a last resort to retain my sanity, but Olivia won¡¯t allow even that. ¡°Of course. I¡¯ve never gotten such a good- I mean, you¡¯ve just woken up, so just leave everything to me.¡± Olivia is trying her best, so it¡¯d be rude if I keep being embarrassed of everything. I take a deep breath and take my hands off my chest. But I quickly get embarrassed again, so I close my eyes and turn my face away. ¡°So pretty¡­¡± I hear her mutter. To be honest I think that sometimes as well. Ophelia built me with the perfect proportions, giving me the perfect female body except for the ball joints on my limbs. But hearing those words from someone else felt really strange. ¡°Umm¡­ Young Lady, could you please hurry it up?¡± ¡°Ah, yeah.¡± She hasn¡¯t done anything yet, and I can hardly stand this so I ask her to hurry. It¡¯s not because I wanted Olivia to scrub my body, I just wanted this embarrassing hell to end soon. ¡°I¡¯ll start then.¡± I feel a warm towel touch my skin. This time it¡¯s not on my plain back, but on my chest and along all the curves there. The towel starts by caressing my necks, along my collarbones and then down to my bosom, before moving along there. ¡°Mm-¡± Hearing that sound leak from my mouth makes me even more embarrassed. She¡¯s just cleaning my body, but it makes me feel like we¡¯re doing something almost immoral. Olivia kept looking after me while I slept. I can¡¯t start thinking weird things about her now. I try repeating that to myself, but the way she¡¯s rubbing sensitive spots through a thin cloth keeps making me feel warm inside. Olivia doesn¡¯t seem to notice my internal struggle, continuing to wipe the area around my lower ribcage. ¡°Mm¡­ah¡­mm¡­¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen without consent. Please support us by visiting our site.) W-Was that my voice? Did I really make those noises? That sounded really¡­ feminine. I mean, my voice sounds like a girl, but that was more like heavy breathing, there¡¯s no way I would make that normally. I¡¯m basing my manners as a maid on my memories from my previous life too. I don¡¯t feel like I¡¯ve gotten more feminine over time. But¡­ those sounds¡­ ¡°¡­¡± I can¡¯t stand it anymore so I open my eyes very slightly and Olivia looks back at me. She quickly averts her gaze, but then bashfully looks at me again. I really want to believe it¡¯s just me seeing things, but her eyes seem to be consumed by some burning passion. ¡°Say, Natalia.¡± ¡°..What is it?¡± Olivia holds the towel under her arm and shuffles up to me. Somehow I feel a lot of pressure from her so I step back until the wall stops me from retreating further. ¡°You know¡­¡± Olivia sounds like she¡¯s about to tell me something really important, but at the same time I feel like I shouldn¡¯t hear whatever it is. Before I can escape to the sides, Olivia holds her arms out to block my exit, holding me still there. ¡°I¡¯m¡­¡± Her cheeks turn red, reminding me of a ripe apple, and my eyes can¡¯t look away from her beautifully shaped lips as she calls my name. ¡°Natalia¡­ I¡¯m¡­ you know¡­¡± She¡¯s struggling to find the right words and how to connect them. I feel like I¡¯m watching her take yet another step at growing up, something that made her even more endearing, but also made me nervous. Even if I tried to pay less attention to her lips, or overheard her voice, she would just get more intense. At the same time an intense headache starts to creep up on me, but it somehow turns into a more drunk-like state. ¡°I lo-¡± A knock interrupts her before she finishes her sentence. ¡°Hello, it¡¯s Amy here. I heard Natalia woke up so I came to see how things are going.¡± Olivia recoils violently from me hearing that voice across the door. I also grab a nightgown and wear it, trying to act like nothing happened. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (You can support us by leaving words of appreciation on our site!) I don¡¯t know what just happened, but it felt dangerous. Even my cheeks feel incredibly hot when I touch them. ¡°W-wait a moment Amy!¡± Olivia stammers a bit as she answers, then looks at me. I nod telling her it¡¯s alright, and she opens the door. Amy enters the room, and quickly opens her eyes wide in shock seeing me. ¡°Huh? Sorry, did I interrupt something?¡± ¡°N-n-not at all. Right Natalia?¡± ¡°Y-yes. Don¡¯t worry about it, it was nothing.¡± ¡°Really? Alright then.¡± Olivia and I desperately try to gloss over things, pretending nothing had happened. CH 85 Amy said she came to check up on me, but that was obviously not everything. She also wanted to discuss the current situation of our books and how we¡¯ll proceed. I hadn¡¯t given her the manuscript for the next release, even though the new school term started, so sales numbers were really low. ¡°Well, considering everything that happened I can¡¯t really blame you though. At least the losses I suffered weren¡¯t major, so don¡¯t worry.¡± Translation: I¡¯m sorry for what happened. But try to make it up for me, okay? I think I¡¯ll have to do something more for her to be satisfied. ¡°You heard that? Don¡¯t worry about the books then.¡± Olivia doesn¡¯t understand what Amy was hinting at, taking what she said at face value. I¡¯d feel more relaxed if that was the case. I actually like how she handles topics like that, and that¡¯s why I¡¯m comfortable making business with her. Either way, I¡¯ll have to think of a way to make it up for her. Now that I think about it, I¡¯ve been working myself to the bone every single day of my life. But it¡¯s not like they forced me to do that, helping Ophelia and then Olivia is just so much fun I can¡¯t help myself. But the next day Oliva tells me to relax and do nothing. I really want to get back into the rhythm of things and help around the house, but I didn¡¯t want to make her worry more, so I just remained laid back like she told me. I¡¯m not even wearing my maid uniform. This is the first time I¡¯ve had so much free time ever since I came to this world. At least I can read as much as I want now. During the last break from school I had taken various books from Ophelia¡¯s study, including novels, textbooks, reference books, basically anything that caught my attention regardless of genre. I always had them in my magic storage, but never had the time to read them until now. I finish a book and close it, taking a deep breath. Looking outside I see the sky has already gained a red tint. I don¡¯t get hungry as a magic automaton, so it¡¯s easy to lose track of time when focused on reading. But I should start thinking about preparing dinner now. And where is Olivia? She left earlier saying she would do the laundry, but I haven¡¯t heard from her since. Someone knocks on the door just when I¡¯m about to stand up. Who could it be? Olivia usually lets herself in without knocking, and we aren¡¯t expecting any visits. Wondering that, I open the door, and the moment I see who it is I remain speechless. ¡°Milady, your dinner is served.¡± It¡¯s¡­ a maid. It¡¯s Olivia¡­ wearing a maid uniform. She bows politely as she greets me like that¡­ ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Natalia?¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation!) Olivia¡¯s black eyes peer into mine and my brain finally starts working again. But I still can¡¯t figure out what¡¯s going on here. ¡°Umm¡­ Young Lady, may I ask what you¡¯re doing?¡± ¡°Heheh, thank you for asking. I¡¯ve made dinner today to commemorate your return, and to thank you for everything you did before. The maid uniform is just to enhance the ambiance a little.¡± Wait, really? The sentiment is more than enough for me. But the way she looks all proud of what she¡¯s done is also really cute. Olivia is really cute. I almost wish I had a camera to take a picture of her and then go show it to Ophelia¡¯s grave. ¡°But what about those clothes?¡± ¡°These? I borrowed them from you.¡± Wait, is this why she insisted on doing the laundry earlier? She really didn¡¯t have to go through the trouble though. I have plenty of identical outfits, and even if they get damaged I can fix them with alchemy. Somehow knowing she was wearing my clothes feels a bit embarrassing though. ¡°Does the size fit you?¡± My maid uniforms were tailor-made to my measurements by Ophelia. Olivia has grown as tall as me, but there are other dimensions that might not match. ¡°My chest feels a bit tight, but other than that I¡¯m fine.¡± Ah, she¡¯s actually overtaken me then. I¡¯ve always been kinda proud of my chest though¡­ ¡­But I¡¯m not mad or anything, okay? ¡°Now, let¡¯s get to the dining hall.¡± Olivia leads the way, and when I enter I notice the walls have been decorated a bit, and Amy is there with around five other students. ¡°Ah, Natalia actually woke up.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so glad.¡± ¡°Congratulations!¡± Everyone looks glad to see me back. I recognize these students as the ones that eat with us whenever the dorm mother has a free day. ¡°Things got a bit crazy while you were inoperative.¡± ¡°Mhm, I¡¯m really glad you can help out with cooking again.¡± Olivia usually eats a lot, so I really don¡¯t feel like I was doing much those days. They always covered the expenses for their shares anyway. Though I guess they appreciated the convenience of not having to leave the dorm. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go bring the food then.¡± Olivia goes to the kitchen and I sit down with the other students. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen without consent. Please support us by visiting our site.) ¡°I¡¯m really glad you got to wake up though.¡± ¡°Olivia looked so worried all the time.¡± I see. All that time I was worrying about protecting Olivia, but she also worried about me while I was gone. ¡°We were also worried about you though.¡± ¡°Mhm me too.¡± ¡°Nah, I¡¯m sure you missed her food more than anything else.¡± ¡°I-I was actually worried! And I¡¯m thankful she¡¯s back too!¡± Hearing them talk like that brings a smile to my face. I never noticed before, but it seems everyone appreciated my food more than I realized. ¡°But it¡¯s not just us, everyone is grateful for you Natalia, even the seniors that already graduated, and the students that haven¡¯t arrived back from their break.¡± ¡°Mhm, and that¡¯s why¡­¡± ¡°I really hope you can forgive us.¡± What? ¡°We couldn¡¯t stop her no matter what we tried.¡± What are they talking about? Before I can ask, they all step away. ¡°Sorry for the waittt~¡± I nervously turn to Olvia and the plate she¡¯s bringing. ¡°Th-Thank you for-¡± This is the second shock I¡¯m having today. What¡­ am I looking at? ¡°This is Olivia¡¯s special stew.¡± STEW?! But this looks more like bubbling purple slime with coal and ashes mixed in?! ¡°This was my first time cooking so it might not look the best, but I really put my best into it.¡± She tells me with a slightly embarrassed smile. That¡¯s not fair! I have no choice but to eat it now! I grab a spoon and scoop up some of the stew (if it could even be called that) and plunge it into my mouth before I could even smell it. ¡°Ghgh!¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (You can support us by leaving words of appreciation on our site!) An intense pain assaults my tongue and spreads to the rest of my body. I feel like I deserve a medal for not throwing up right away. But what is this thing?! It¡¯s awfully sweet, bitter, sour, and spicy all at once! Unappetizing doesn¡¯t even cut it to describe it! This is basically as bad as the pain Flute put me through! I look up and see Olivia is watching me very attentively, looking forward to my reaction. ¡­Argh whatever! I take a deep breath and take a second spoonful. ¡°It looks like you¡¯re having fun then.¡± ¡°I mean¡­ okay, I guess you can call it fun.¡± After I relate all my experiences so far, she smiles happily while sitting next to a flower bed, where she came to see me. ¡°And so, how¡¯s Olivia taking it?¡± ¡°Well¡­ she seemed pretty stressed with what happened to me, but I don¡¯t think she got fed up with me at least. I guess she appreciates my loyalty enough?¡± ¡°Loyalty¡­ only that?¡± ¡°Hm? Is there anything else? Like if she thinks of me as family?¡± ¡°Listen now¡­¡± For some reason she massages her temples while sighing. Why is she reacting that way though? She built this body so I could support and help Olivia, and I thought I was doing just that. ¡°Nevermind. It¡¯s not something I should intervene with, it¡¯ll all depend on what Olivia does.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Forget I said anything. Also, I think you should be heading back soon or you might not make it.¡± ¡°Huh? That can happen?!¡± ¡°Just look at yourself, you were barely visible at first but you¡¯re looking more solid now. If you fully materialize here it¡¯ll mean you actually died.¡± She¡¯s right, I looked more like a shadow when I first got here, but now I can hardly see what¡¯s behind me. ¡°Wh-What should I do then?!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll send you on your way.¡± Saying that she stands up and slowly raises her palm at me. ¡°Divine thunder, tear through the skies.¡± ¡°Huh? What are you-¡± ¡°Show the world your might.¡± ¡°Wait, no-¡± ¡°Lightning of Wrath.¡± ¡°Gyaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!!¡± Ophelia¡¯s powerful lightning magic knocks me away from the entrance to that world and back to reality. ¡°¡­a! ¡­ta¡­a! Natalia!¡± ¡°Hah?!¡± Olivia¡¯s voice shakes me awake. Huh? I feel like I was just talking to Ophelia, even though she passed away, was that a dream? Or had I actually gotten that close to dying? (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation!) ¡°That was so weird. It seemed like you were eating and then you just froze.¡± Oh right, I¡¯m supposed to be eating Olivia¡¯s special cooking right now. ¡°My apologies, Young Lady.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. But maybe you should try eating a bit more to regain your spirits if you still aren¡¯t feeling the best. There¡¯s a lot left so eat as much as you want.¡± Olivia innocently picks up a piece of charcoal with a fork and brings it close to my mouth. Through the corner of my eye I see the students huddled together. One of them is crying, another is trembling while embracing her head, and another is covering her eyes while shaking her head. Yeah¡­ I know. After that I kept getting bounced between the Gardeland mother and daughter many times. I guess this is what it feels like to be murdered. By who you ask? By both of them. Eventually I figured out that I can open my magic storage inside my mouth and pretend to eat while throwing away everything that got in my mouth. I¡¯m sorry Olivia. But I feel like I¡¯ll actually die if I finish eating all of this. CH 86.1 ¨C¨C¨COlivia¡¯s Perspective Sometimes while Natalia was asleep I would feel anxious and hopeless. Every time that happened I would increase the load from the gravity magic I always had active and ran as hard as I could along the schoolyard, or trained my Magical Arts more. I decided I¡¯d keep training to get stronger even now that Natalia is awake. So now I¡¯m training in the schoolyard before the next school year starts, while Natalia gets the paperwork done. Just as I¡¯m wiping my sweat, someone speaks to me. ¡°Good day, Olivia.¡± It was my upperclassman by a year and the president of the student council, Charlotte Pynemo. Though I already guessed it was her from her presence. ¡°Hello Charlotte.¡± Charlotte has blonde hair in ringlet curls, impeccable fashion sense, and most of her body is covered in red scales. She doesn¡¯t have any legs though, a specific trait of snake half-beasts. She¡¯s the daughter of Archduke Pynemo, one of the three archduke families in Seperion. Because of her showy appearance she¡¯s really popular, and even now I can see two students behind her. The first time she spoke to me was while Natalia was still unconscious, and always tried to be kind to me. But I know she¡¯s being kind to gain something from me, so I¡¯m trying to not get too close to her. ¡°I¡¯d really appreciate it if you could give a clear answer soon. Do you want to join us at the student council and lend us your help?¡± That¡¯s why she kept being so nice to me. She first approached me before the school festival to help with keeping order, and after the festival she gave me an official invitation to join the student council. I refused back then because I really wanted to stay next to Natalia as much as I could, and ever since she¡¯s been approaching me from time to time to ask again. ¡°Umm¡­ I¡¯m really not sure about that¡­ I don¡¯t feel like my grades are really the best to represent the student council.¡± ¡°Yes, I believe your grades are some of the worst.¡± I know that, but hearing someone else say it still hurts. ¡°But your physical and combat abilities are amongst the best. You¡¯re essentially the best of your year. Considering what happened during that incident with the duels, I¡¯d wager you could stand toe to toe with students from the third year even.¡± That¡¯s true. I can use basically any spell as long as it¡¯s not a basic one, and only Mathias could stand against me somewhat. I don¡¯t mean to boast, but I¡¯m pretty confident in my skills. ¡°What I¡¯m looking for isn¡¯t your abilities to manage a desk and papers, but your physical abilities. Sometimes strength is necessary to maintain order, even in a closed space like the Academy. I really want you to share your immense strength with us.¡± Charlotte extends her hand to me, inviting me to join them. But something tells me that if I take her hand, I won¡¯t be able to get away from her ever again, even after graduating. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation!) I¡¯ve heard many stories of nobles employing adventurers as specialists of various things. Just defeating monsters or gathering materials wouldn¡¯t be that bad, but sometimes they would also be in charge of certain activities conducted in secret, and some adventurers would even be discarded like pawns. I don¡¯t like questioning Charlotte¡¯s intentions, but I also find it weird that a noble like Charlotte is trying to pull me to her side. ¡°Hmm, I guess you¡¯re more cautious than I expected. I¡¯ll come back another time then.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± I can¡¯t bring myself to take her hand, but I also feel hesitant to reject her outright. In the end she shrugs a little and retreats. Her voice sounds sad which makes me feel a little bit bad, but Amy, Chris, and even Mathias told me to be careful around her. Even I can understand that taking her hand could bring inevitable consequences. ¡°But that aside, could you do me a favor?¡± ¡°Umm¡­ as long as it¡¯s something I can do.¡± Saying that, she points at a human girl behind her. ¡°She¡¯s an exchange student from Reibana, her name is Ryuka Urado. She¡¯s joining classroom A and staying in the second dorm, so I¡¯d appreciate it if you could show her around.¡± ¡°Ah, that would make her my classmate and she¡¯ll be staying in the same dorm as me. I¡¯ll happily do that.¡± We¡¯ll essentially be living together, so I actually want to show her around. ¡°Hello, nice to meet you then.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Olivia Eto Gardeland, the pleasure¡¯s mine.¡± Ryuka bows politely. I think Reibana is an island across the sea to the east? ¡°I¡¯ll leave Ryuka in your care then, Olivia.¡± Charlotte says with a satisfied smile and leaves with the other student. Ryuka and I watch them leave. I look at Ryuka again, her hair is tied into a single long braid, and she has a gentle aura to her, though strangely enough she also seems imposing. ¡°Err, should we head to the dorm first then? I¡¯d like to get a change of clothes too if you don¡¯t mind.¡± I don¡¯t want to walk all around the Academy while drenched in sweat, so at the very least I want to get fresh clothes. ¡°Of course. I¡¯m really sorry to take your time just when you have a day off.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Let¡¯s get going then.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen without consent. Please support us by visiting our site.) We departed for the dorm. Now that I think about it, we both have black hair and black eyes. Somehow that makes me feel closer to her. CH 86.2 After a day I return to my usual life as a maid. Sadly I had no other choice. I was asleep for nearly half a year, so many things piled up. First I pay the Academy tuition and dorm fees. I¡¯m in charge of all the finances and I keep most documents inside my magic storage, so Olivia had no way of taking care of that herself. The Academy was aware of her situation, so she didn¡¯t have any issues, but now that I¡¯m awake again I need to take care of everything as soon as I can. I settle everything with the secretary that works during the holidays, and then head to Annabelle¡¯s laboratory. She had also looked after me while I slept, so I have to thank her properly. Teachers sometimes stay home during holidays, so I didn¡¯t feel too confident. But surely enough, she¡¯s still engrossed with her experiments. ¡°Thank you very much for looking after me.¡± I politely bow to her as we sit facing each other. ¡°Bah, I¡¯m just glad to see you¡¯re doing alright. I didn¡¯t really do anything major either though.¡± That¡¯s what she says, but it was her who examined me, and alerted Olivia about the presence of mana dust. If that hadn¡¯t been cleaned I don¡¯t know if I would¡¯ve been able to wake up. Annabelle had definitely played a major role. ¡°I still want to repay you somehow though¡­¡± ¡°Ahh, you don¡¯t have to worry about that. I got an advance payment from my master.¡± From Ophelia? I guess she had made even more preparations than I thought. She really was an exceedingly prepared woman. ¡°Not to mention that I also provided feedback while you were being created, and she taught me alchemy as well. We both learned under her, so you¡¯re essentially a fellow pupil.¡± Now that she mentions it, Ophelia taught us both, so she¡¯s right about that. But it¡¯s also strange to feel this kind of familiarity with this teacher who looks like a ghost. ¡°Also, why are you being so shy? Come sit with us.¡± Annabelle turns to Christina now. She brought us tea when I first arrived, and then went to watch from a corner like a servant. We might be inside the Academy, but I still don¡¯t feel comfortable seeing a noble¡¯s daughter like that. ¡°It¡¯s fine, I¡¯m an outsider to these matters after all.¡± ¡°What are you saying? You also helped with Natalia¡¯s maintenance.¡± ¡°Yes, the Young Lady also told me how much you helped. I should be thanking you as well, Christina.¡± From what Olivia told me, Christina had checked my arms and legs. She couldn¡¯t find anything wrong with them, but it was still obvious that she was trying her best to help me. ¡°There¡¯s also the fact that you¡¯re still helping the Young Lady with her studies. I¡¯ve been meaning to do something in return for a while.¡± ¡°You heard her, so just accept her gratitude.¡± ¡°Umm¡­ even if you say so¡­¡± ¡°If there¡¯s anything I can do for you don¡¯t hesitate to ask.¡± Christina has always been a reserved person, but I really wanted her to accept something now. For my own peace of mind. ¡°If you insist¡­ there¡¯s one thing I¡¯ve been meaning to ask¡­¡± ¡°If it¡¯s in my power I¡¯ll do it.¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation!) If she asks for some material that costs more than our savings I¡¯d have to refuse, but I knew Christina wouldn¡¯t ask for something like that. ¡°So umm¡­ if you have some leftovers of the thread you use for your nerves¡­ could I get some?¡± ¡°My nerve threads?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry! I knew I shouldn¡¯t have asked!¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t say I wouldn¡¯t give you some.¡± Aria¡¯s silk, huh. Christina has been doing a lot for Olivia, I don¡¯t mind giving her some. I open my magic storage and check the Purple Steel Silk I have. Even when I use my nerve threads during a fight, I would collect it all back, so I don¡¯t lose almost any of it, and I have plenty of spare thread balls. I take one out and give it to Christina. ¡°Alright, you can take this then.¡± ¡°A-are you really sure?¡± I think it¡¯s classified as a special alloy that¡¯s highly resistant, flexible, and offers plenty of mana conductivity. I got it for free and I have plenty inside my body, so maybe my sense of value for it is a bit twisted. ¡°Then I¡¯d appreciate it if you could continue helping the Young Lady. Take it as an advance payment.¡± It seems she hadn¡¯t expected to get it for free, so I came up with an excuse to dispel her hesitation. ¡°Umm¡­ err¡­ a-alright¡­ But ah, I actually want to keep being friends with Olivia, regardless of whether I get something from it or not.¡± Christina hung her head and spoke with a low voice, though her enunciation was firm. I always worried if Olivia was one-sidedly benefitting from Christina¡¯s kindness, but I¡¯m glad to hear that she actually thought of Olivia as a friend. Maybe what I said rang a bit insensitive now that I think about it. We all just chatted about other things after that, and then I left the laboratory. CH 87 Next I went to the adventurer¡¯s guild. We didn¡¯t go back to Bamel during break this time, so I want to send a letter to Mir, together with some painkillers. At first I thought of sending them through the merchant¡¯s guild, but they would only depart in a week, so instead I figured placing a request at the guild would be faster, even if it costs a bit more. I went there at a bit of a strange time, so there aren¡¯t many adventurers inside the guild. ¡°So you want to send this to Mir in Bamel, correct?¡± The receptionist takes the letter and bottles of medicine, then starts writing up the request. That¡¯s one more thing done. ¡°What did you just say?! Try saying that to my face!¡± I turn around hearing that sudden shout. There¡¯s two adventurers fighting in front of one of the reception desks. ¡°I¡¯ll repeat it as many times as you want! You didn¡¯t hold the enemy still so I couldn¡¯t use my magic!¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t cover for me so they kept cornering me!¡± Ahh, it¡¯s a fight between a warrior in the frontline and a magician in the rear. The frontline always wants the rear to cover for them, but the rear wants the front to tank hits so they can chant safely. Their roles are very specific though, so I can understand why each of them expects the other to do a perfect job. I saw fights like that all the time in my past life too. Back then having a ¡®Victory is a group effort, defeat is my fault alone¡¯ mentality could go a long way to alleviate such issues, but not many thought that, and that was all in games. These adventurers are risking their lives. ¡°Hah, your weak-a?s?s? magic wouldn¡¯t have done anything anyway. I could¡¯ve completed that request all on my own!¡± ¡°What did you say?!¡± Oh wow, I think he¡¯s gotten so infuriated he¡¯s already forgotten he was crying about needing support earlier. I really hope they calm down soon though, they¡¯re starting to become a bother to the guild, and the receptionists look bothered too. ¡°If you really think that then how about you take some of it on your face!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do it then! We¡¯ll see who the real weakling is!¡± Saying that, the magician points his staff forward, while the warrior reaches for his sword. Now that¡¯s going too far. I don¡¯t like getting involved, but I also can¡¯t ignore it anymore. It¡¯s a pain, but I¡¯ll have to step between them at this rate. Just as I¡¯m thinking that¡­ ¡°Revolving blades of wind¡­¡± The magician actually starts chanting, so the warrior unsheathes his sword in a hurry. Oh no! (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation!) Just as I¡¯m about to act, multiple silvery flashes fly through the air. There¡¯s a satisfying clang and¡­ their clothes fall apart in shreds. ¡°Woah?!¡± ¡°Wh-wh-what?! Where are my clothes?!¡± ¡°Kyahhh!¡± The receptionists get hysterical seeing the two men get half naked in front of them, and the two hurry to find a place to hide in. I guess they hadn¡¯t seen those silver slashes. Though I wouldn¡¯t have been able to see them either not too long ago. ¡°Once again, I have cut a worthless object.¡± A rabbit half-beast says that nearby. She had been the source of the silver slashes. ¡°But it can¡¯t cut konjac .¡± I mutter that and she turns to me surprised. ¡°You got that reference?¡± The fact that she calls it a reference means she also knows it came from somewhere else. ¡°I¡¯m already thinking of wearing a broad hat and shooting from afar.¡± ¡°I¡¯m shocked to find there¡¯s someone else who reincarnated in this world.¡± ¡°There might be even more than you think.¡± I already know of Shuma, so there could be others as well. Just like the rabbit half-beast girl with green hair in front of me. She looks like she¡¯s in her late teens, and her right eye is covered by a large eyepatch. But I¡¯m more curious about the kimono she¡¯s wearing, and her katana. ¡°Say, are you free? I¡¯d like to talk with you more.¡± I¡¯m also really curious about her clothing, which looks really Japanese. At least it seems we both have questions to ask each other. We go to a table in a corner of the guild, meant for people eating there, and we sit facing each other. I look at her again, and sure enough she¡¯s wearing a kimono. I guess that means there¡¯s a country similar to Japan in culture here then? ¡°Let¡¯s start by introducing ourselves then. I¡¯m Ruri, I came from Reibana to the east, and I¡¯m a rabbit half-beast as you can see.¡± Ahh, that¡¯s the island Ophelia told me about, she said they have a distinct culture there. Back then I didn¡¯t think it would be so close to Japanese culture though. ¡°I¡¯m Natalia. I was born here in Seperion. I¡¯m a magic automaton, which I guess makes me a monster in this world.¡± ¡°Huh? A monster? Wait, are you really a magic automaton?¡± ¡°Look here at my elbow, it¡¯s pretty obvious there, isn¡¯t it?¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen without consent. Please support us by visiting our site.) I show my elbow, the ball joint glistening smoothly. I feel like it¡¯s been a while since I did this. ¡°Wow, that¡¯s so cool. It looks like you came straight out of Rozen Maiden.¡± I never thought I¡¯d hear someone make a comparison like that in this world. ¡°So magic automatons are considered monsters here?¡± ¡°Yeah. Apparently my soul got inside this body just an instant before it was turned on. Now I¡¯m registered as a Servant so I won¡¯t get hunted down.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Ruri¡¯s voice is quieter now, not asking anything else about my race. I guess she¡¯s trying to be tactful. ¡°Let¡¯s set that topic aside then, and talk about something that¡¯s more fun. That move you used earlier was so cool.¡± ¡°Thanks. I still had to train like hell for it though.¡± ¡°Did you practice kendo or something like that in your past life?¡± ¡°I was a complete beginner. Man, it was so hard.¡± She still was incredibly fast and precise though. She¡¯s making light of herself, but I can tell she¡¯s an excellent warrior. ¡°You said you came from Reibana, right? I don¡¯t know much about it, but I¡¯m assuming it¡¯s similar to Japan?¡± ¡°Yeah, it is. I don¡¯t really know much of their history, but just think of the Sengoku or Edo period.¡± Kimonos and katanas were common in those ages, yeah. ¡°But there¡¯s magic, so life isn¡¯t as inconvenient as I first thought.¡± ¡°Ah, I also noticed that.¡± ¡°Sometimes I still miss having a phone or the internet though.¡± ¡°Yeah, I get that.¡± I¡¯ve been working almost every day since I got here, but my habits from my past life still linger around. I usually just go practice shooting my guns whenever I miss playing games though. ¡°I see you¡¯re wearing a maid uniform too though, is that your job?¡± ¡°Of course. I cook, wash, and clean, obviously, but I also go hunt monsters or help with schoolwork. I¡¯m a proper maid.¡± ¡°Are the last two things really part of a maid¡¯s job though?¡± ¡°It does sound weird now that you mention it.¡± ¡°But what a coincidence, I¡¯m also someone¡¯s servant.¡± ¡°So we¡¯re the same in that too.¡± ¡°All that for being reincarnated in another world.¡± We both were disappointed with our occupations. Usually people reincarnated in other worlds become heroes or nobles. But I¡¯m not human, I¡¯m not even a living being technically. I was lucky I got to look so much like a person. ¡°Oh right, I came here to register as an adventurer. I should get back to that.¡± ¡°I see, I¡¯ll head back too then.¡± We both stand up, Ruri heads to the front desk, I go outside. ¨C¨C¨COlivia¡¯s Perspective From the dorm we went to the main school building, to the yard, to the training area, and to the research campus. The sky was already starting to darken by the time we returned to the dorm. ¡°Thank you so much for showing me around today, Olivia.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it, we¡¯ll be living together from now on anyway.¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (You can support us by leaving words of appreciation on our site!) I feel a bit overwhelmed with how politely Ryuka acts, which also happened when we first met. Shortly after, I see Natalia returning too. Next to her is a rabbit half-beast girl(?) wearing strange clothes. ¡°Young Lady, I¡¯m back.¡± ¡°Lady Ryuka, I¡¯ve successfully registered as an adventurer.¡± Natalia and the rabbit girl say that at the same time, then give each other a strange look. The rabbit girl was talking to Ryuka though¡­what¡¯s going on? ¡°Lady Ryuka, this is Natalia, we happened to meet in the guild, and she also seems to live in the dorm so we returned together.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Hearing the rabbit girl¡¯s response, Ryuka turns to look at Natalia. ¡°A pleasure to meet you, I¡¯m Ryuka Urado, Ruri¡¯s master.¡± ¡°Oh nice to meet you too. I¡¯m the magic automaton Natalia, I serve Lady Olivia. The pleasure is mine.¡± Ryuka and Natalia greet each other politely. ¡°Heheh, who would¡¯ve thought we would meet each other like this. It seems we might be connected in more ways than one, Olivia.¡± Ryuka tells me with a smile. That is a big coincidence, though I hope we can get along properly, as we¡¯ll be living together. ¡°Let¡¯s make a feast for dinner then, as a way to welcome you two.¡± ¡°Should I help with that then?¡± ¡°It¡¯s to welcome you, so no need. I¡¯ve also been itching to be active either way.¡± Ruri offers to help Natalia, but she politely turns her down, before grinning with confidence. I know Natalia likes cooking. And I guess she missed doing it after being asleep for so long. ¡°Ruri, let¡¯s take it easy tonight.¡± ¡°Understood, Lady Ryuka.¡± And so we four entered the dorm together. The dinner Natalia prepared that night was literally a feast, just like she said. CH 88 Some time passed after the new school term started. Ryuka and Olivia have been getting along nicely as classmates. Everyone in the dorm comes from common families, but Ryuka is a noble in her country, so at first everyone was a bit reserved. Amy and Olivia kept mediating for her and eased those tensions though. One day in the afternoon I¡¯m hanging clothes to dry on the rooftop when I feel a hit on my back. A pair of hands catch my unstable body and take a firm hold of my chest. ¡°Your ***** look great again today!¡± ¡°Gyaaaahhh!¡± I shudder in disgust and break free from my assailant, punching her square on the head. ¡°Owieeee-¡± ¡°Just¡­ stop already! You filthy rabbit!¡± The perpetrator retreats while holding her head. I already knew it was Ruri. We bonded really quickly after we found out we both reincarnated here¡­ but looking back at it, I had been a bit too naive. Now she comes to harass me daily. I already noticed this in the guild, but as a rabbit half-beast she¡¯s extremely agile and can easily sneak around. Even though my reactions have gotten faster than before, I still can¡¯t protect myself from her. ¡°But why? It¡¯s not like that will make them smaller.¡± ¡°But my mind is suffering!¡± Ruri looks at me teary eyed, but I refuse to be lenient. ¡°And I¡¯ve already told you I used to be a guy!¡± ¡°I know, but still¡­¡± I told her I used to be a guy shortly after we met, together with a few other things, but she still insists on fondling my breasts. What¡¯s so fun about a man¡¯s chest anyway? ¡°But you¡¯re a girl now, and you have big *****. Like really big, they even jiggle when you move. And they¡¯re so close all the time. Skinship is an important part of friendships between girls too. It¡¯s almost like you should be the one asking me to touch them.¡± ¡°No, you¡¯re twisting logic too much for that.¡± It doesn¡¯t matter that we¡¯re both girls now, it¡¯s still sexual harassment. ¡°Hmmm¡­ But I bet you have fun with them daily yourself anyway.¡± ¡°I almost never do that!¡± ¡°Ohh?¡± Ah, I screwed up. ¡°And that after all the complaining you did. But guys will be guys, huh. So you also do it sometimes?¡± Ruri grins smugly, noticing the slip of my tongue. ¡°So tell me, former guy Natalia, did it feel good to touch your own *****?¡± ¡°It didn¡¯t!¡± ¡°Hmm, I guess that means it feels better when someone else does it for you then.¡± ¡°¡­¡± What she says reminds me of the time Olivia washed my body. She was only scrubbing me with a towel, but somehow it felt a lot more intense than when I did that myself, and I even made weird noises. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation!) ¡°Wait¡­ You¡¯ve actually experienced that? You already had that kind of relationship with someone?¡± ¡°Not at all, don¡¯t talk about something so gross. I get chills just thinking of a guy touching me.¡± No matter what happened, my consciousness is still that of a guy. I don¡¯t have anything against people in homosexual relationships, I just refuse to even consider giving my body to another guy, even if it would look like a heterosexual relationship for someone unaware of my situation. ¡°But you still touched them yourself.¡± ¡°I had no choice! I can do anything I want with this beautiful body so of course I would try!¡± ¡°Woah, you¡¯re actually getting defensive now. And you even called yourself beautiful¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not the one who built this body but my Mistress! It¡¯s not narcissistic to appreciate her work!¡± ¡°Okay okay, if that¡¯s what you want to believe.¡± Th-this girl¡­ ¡°If you want to fondle ***** so badly just go squeeze your own then.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing to squeeze though?¡± She¡¯s actually serious. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± It¡¯s a bit hard to notice because of her kimono, but Ruri has no *****. It¡¯s not that they¡¯re small or tiny, they¡¯re literally non-existent, absolutely no ***** to be found. And it¡¯s not even that cliche with her being a guy, she¡¯s actually still a girl. ¡°At least I could tell there was something there in my past life! But since animals don¡¯t have *****, half-beasts get small ***** too!¡± That¡¯s her usual excuse, but I¡¯ve seen plenty of demihumans and half-beasts with large breasts. But pointing that out feels a bit harsh so I never mention it. ¡°Hahh¡­ now I feel depressed. I¡¯ll go calm down a little.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Ruri wobbles on her feet as she heads to the area where she and Ryuka¡¯s laundry is hanging. I continue hanging my laundry for a bit before I glance at Ruri again. ¡°Huff¡­hahh¡­huff¡­hahh¡­¡± Is she out of breath? Wait no, her face is deep inside the hanging clothes and she¡¯s sniffing them. Is that Ryuka¡¯s skirt? It¡¯s freshly washed, but still¡­ ¡°I¡¯ll pretend I didn¡¯t see that.¡± I pick up my laundry basket and leave the rooftop. The moment I enter the dining hall I¡¯m left speechless. The dorm mother isn¡¯t in today, so we have to make dinner ourselves. Last year that was mostly my job, and sometimes other students took over. Ruri and Ryuka said they would cook tonight though, so I let them do it. And now I¡¯m looking at the result of that. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen without consent. Please support us by visiting our site.) ¡°We prepared some of our home country¡¯s cuisine for you. We hope it is to your liking.¡± All the tables are covered with Japanese cuisine¡­ no, I guess it¡¯s Reibana¡¯s cuisine here. Japanese food wasn¡¯t particularly my favorite in my past life, but I really missed it after not eating it in so long. I hadn¡¯t made it myself since I got here either, since the ingredients I needed weren¡¯t common in Seperion, or looked different. But that food I had given up on was now in front of me. I try to calm my excited stomach as I escort Olivia to her seat, and then I sit down myself. ¡°So what do you think of Reibana¡¯s cuisine?¡± ¡°It¡¯s incredible. There¡¯s so many new dishes and they all smell amazing.¡± Ruri asks next to us, her voice filled with pride. We¡¯re both servants, so we only talk casually to each other when we¡¯re alone. ¡°Let¡¯s eat then.¡± Olivia, me, Amy, Ryuka, and Ruri are all on the same table, and we start eating. ¡°Natalia, take this.¡± ¡°Ah! Thank you¡­¡± Ruri really understands me, getting even that ready for me. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s tasty.¡± Olivia says the instant she tries some miso soup. ¡°I¡¯ve never had this before, but somehow it feels nostalgic.¡± That makes sense, Olivia is half-Japanese after all. Even if she never had it, I¡¯m sure she tried similar things. Either way, her late father probably tried to recreate that taste before. ¡°Oh Natalia, you¡¯re really adept with chopsticks.¡± Ryuka seemed shocked by that. I¡¯m using the chopsticks Ruri just gave me. Japanese food needs to be eaten with chopsticks to be enjoyed properly, and Ruri understood that and got some for me. ¡°You¡¯re right. How do you even use those things to eat?¡± ¡°They¡¯re actually quite useful once you get used to them.¡± It can be tricky getting used to them, but they can be even more versatile than a knife and fork. And they¡¯re the best way to eat Japanese food too. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (You can support us by leaving words of appreciation on our site!) ¡°I¡¯m really liking this food though, especially miso soup. It¡¯s really one step ahead of everything else.¡± ¡°I made the soup, I¡¯m really glad it was to your liking.¡± So Ryuka made the miso soup. I didn¡¯t expect a noble¡¯s daughter to be good at cooking, but I guess that was too much of a stereotype. Or maybe she was specifically trained as a superior housewife because she comes from a good family? ¡°I¡¯d eat such a delicious soup every day if I could.¡± ¡°Oh Natalia, you flatter me too much.¡± ¡°No no, I mean it. If I was a human I¡¯d never get enough of it.¡± Ryuka¡¯s cheeks redden and she presses her hands against them. She really looks like the embodiment of Yamato Nadeshiko. Though in her case I guess it would be Reibana Nadeshiko? I probably would be really interested in her if I had been reincarnated as a guy. ¡°Say, why does Ryuka look so embarrassed now?¡± ¡°I dunno?¡± ¡°Miso soup is a staple food in Reibana, so sometimes people say they ¡®want to eat their miso soup for the rest of their lives¡¯ to someone as a way to propose marriage.¡± Olivia and Amy look confused, so Ruri explains that. Since Reibana is so similar to Japan I figured that would be similar as well and gave it a try, but I obviously meant it as a joke. ¡°What?! Na-Natalia??!¡± ¡°It was a joke, Young Lady.¡± ¡°Ah- oh, a joke¡­¡± Oliva looks really disturbed for a moment, but quickly calms down. She really shouldn¡¯t worry about that, I was created to be her maid so I wouldn¡¯t leave like that. Not to mention that I¡¯m not even a living being, so there¡¯s no reason for me to marry someone. And we¡¯re both girls in appearance. ¡°Did you ever come to Reibana¡¯s before Natalia? You seem quite acquainted with our culture.¡± ¡°Ah, I only read about it in books before, I guess I remember more than I thought.¡± Oops, I think I got too excited over Japanese food. I¡¯ll need to act a bit more ignorant since I can¡¯t say I know it from my past life. ¡°A girl ¡®coming¡¯¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll kill you.¡± Ruri whispers next to me and I try my best to not raise my voice as I stop her. Dinner is no time for dirty jokes. Anyway. They made enough miso soup for everyone in the dorm, so I guess they brought a lot of miso and soy sauce with them? If they did, maybe I should ask if they can share a little with me. I think of that as I continue enjoying the food. CH 89.1 Olivia isn¡¯t home so I¡¯m doing some cleaning in her room. After some time of sweeping I notice there¡¯s something under her bed. When I check, I find various books left there. I decide to take them out so I can clean under her bed as well. Why would Olivia keep books in a place like that though? Her bookshelf is still really empty, and the books will deteriorate faster down there. It still seems weird, but I¡¯m really curious so I start leafing through a book. It was a romance novel about a noble and a maid. That¡¯s still a budding genre in this world, but almost a cliche in my past life. The description of their first night together is really detailed¡­ and just at first glance I can easily see the author¡¯s desires. ¡°¡­This is pretty much s?m?u?t?.¡± No, it¡¯s fine. Olivia is already coming of age, and a fifteen year old is already considered an adult in this country. There¡¯s also no restrictions on depictions of sex like rating boards. (Though that obviously doesn¡¯t mean that they flaunt it everywhere either.) That Olivia has a book or two like that is completely normal and I shouldn¡¯t blame her for it. But now I feel embarrassed and a bit ashamed that I found her stash, it¡¯s a really strange feeling. I guess this is how moms feel when they find things from their teenage sons. I have the option of just leaving them tidily on her desk, but I¡¯ve seen parental relationships get wrecked over that. I¡¯d also hate it if that was done to me. I¡¯ll have to return them where I found them once I¡¯m done cleaning. Still, in this world authors are usually nobles who do it as a hobby, or researchers publishing their findings, so I¡¯m shocked there¡¯s novels like that. I guess Amy or Christina had a hand in procuring these books for her. But bringing up topics like that to her is hard for me, and if it goes badly it¡¯ll be really awkward since we live in the same room. I guess that¡¯s why she never mentioned it too. ¡°Well, at least I¡¯m glad she has friends she can talk to about things like that.¡± Young Lady, you have wonderful friends. I try to view it as positively as I can and resume cleaning. It almost feels like her collection is all about nobles and servants having secret relationships, but that¡¯s probably just my imagination. But even if that¡¯s the case it has nothing to do with me. Yeah¡­ there¡¯s no way. ¡°I hope they don¡¯t pile up too much, but I¡¯m sure she can take care of that.¡± Still¡­ What¡¯s this bad feeling I¡¯m getting? ¨C¨C¨COlivia¡¯s Perspective Right now I¡¯m behind the Academy¡¯s main building, a place almost no one visits. Amy and Chris are here with me. ¡°Alright, so I¡¯ve gathered all of you here because a serious situation has arisen.¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation!) Amy¡¯s voice is really serious, but I¡¯m not sure I understand what she means. Chris also looks confused, tilting her head a little. ¡°Oh please, have you forgotten Natalia¡¯s tastes already?¡± Natalia¡¯s tastes were¡­ ¡°Beautiful black hair, tall, and someone intelligent and reliable, right?¡± Chris replies before I can remember everything. Oh yeah. I also have black hair like my mother and I¡¯m taller than Natalia. I¡¯m not really smart or reliable, but I¡¯m still studying and training to become Natalia¡¯s ideal. ¡°Ryuka also has beautiful black hair, right? And from what I¡¯ve seen she seems really mature and intelligent too.¡± ¡°Wha-?!¡± Amy¡¯s right, Ryuka is close to Natalia¡¯s ideal too! ¡°Natalia also seems interested in Reibana¡¯s culture, and Ryuka seems to have a good impression of her.¡± ¡°Ahhh!!¡± ¡°And Natalia even proposed to marry her, though it was a joke.¡± ¡°Uwaaaahhh!!¡± My head hurts hearing all those dots be connected. ¡°Natalia might end up liking Ryuka then.¡± This just when Natalia finally wakes up! And I thought I could be friends with Ryuka! I never thought I would find a rival like that! ¡°Oh well, maybe all of this could¡¯ve been avoided if you confessed sooner¡­¡± Amy rests her chin on her hands as she looks around while saying that. Confessed¡­ right, a confession! ¡°I would¡¯ve confessed to her the night she woke up if you hadn¡¯t come Amy!¡± I had ran into Amy in the kitchen while I was gathering warm water to clean Natalia that night, so I told her Natalia was awake, and she said she would come visit sometime later. But then she interrupted me just when I was about to confess to Natalia! ¡°I told you I would visit you! I had to discuss the next books with Natalia as soon as possible!¡± ¡°But you just had to come at the worst possible time! All you think about is money all the time!¡± ¡°What?! I wouldn¡¯t be your friend if I only thought about money!¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Sorry, I went too far too.¡± We both cool down and apologize to each other. It¡¯s true that Amy really likes to talk about money, but I know she cares about other things too. She¡¯s helped me a few times already even if it resulted in a loss for her. I know she was really worried about Natalia too. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen without consent. Please support us by visiting our site.) ¡°So uhh¡­ I guess this means she should try to confess to Natalia soon, right?¡± Chris finally joins the conversation, though she still sounds a bit intimidated. ¡°Yes, that would be good. I really thought the play was to use skinship to slowly change her perception of Olivia, but we¡¯re running out of time.¡± ¡°But I have to be really careful with the situation I do that in, right? What should I do?¡± A confession was always done in a very special situation in all the books they lent me. There was some variety, but it was almost always a really romantic location. ¡°That¡¯s true. It¡¯d be nice if we could create a situation like that, but there are no scheduled events for second year students where Natalia could come.¡± ¡°Right, so Olivia will need to find a way to create the perfect situation herself.¡± I had planned on confessing to her after I won the festival¡¯s tournament, but this year¡¯s festival was still pretty far. I don¡¯t have any guarantee that Natalia won¡¯t fall in love with Ryuka until then. Or no, it can be anyone else, there¡¯s always the possibility that she starts liking someone else. ¡°Then I should just do it when we¡¯re together in the dorm, right?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re confident you can find the correct time to confess there, sure.¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t.¡± ¡°In that case why don¡¯t you try interrupting her while she¡¯s working on something?¡± ¡°Ahh, I remember a scene like that in one of the novels you gave me.¡± ¡°Yes. Why don¡¯t you give that a try?¡± I feel like many of the books Chris gives me are like that. She¡¯s a noble though, so maybe that¡¯s just what nobles like to do? ¡°Okay so umm¡­ why don¡¯t we work backwards from your desired outcome?¡± Like we¡¯re running away from¡­ what? ¡°I see. If she wants to get into a specific situation, we can use that as a starting point and move things in a way to reach it.¡± ¡°A starting point? Are we moving terrain?¡± ¡°Just forget all that. Let¡¯s try explaining it with easier words.¡± ¡°Can you imagine a scene with you and Natalia? Maybe if we figure out a way to make it happen you¡¯ll be able to confess more easily too.¡± ¡°Is there anything you¡¯d like to do with Natalia once you¡¯re lovers?¡± ¡°Of course there is.¡± I¡¯m always thinking of what I¡¯d do with the person I love. I think anyone who¡¯s in love does that. ¡°Like I want her to pat my head when I do well in a test.¡± ¡°That¡¯s unexpectedly innocent.¡± ¡°I also want to push her against a wall and turn her chin up to kiss her.¡± ¡°And now that¡¯s more intense.¡± ¡°And then when she gets flustered I¡¯ll whisper into her ear and order her to be my bed companion for the night.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what happened in the book from earlier!¡± ¡°And when we¡¯re done we¡¯ll cuddle on the bed.¡± ¡°She¡¯s thinking that far ahead?!¡± ¡°And then when Natalia¡¯s belly starts growing I¡¯ll caress her and say things like I hope our child grows up strong and healthy1.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all sorts of messed up2!¡± I guess that¡¯s not possible then. But I really like Natalia, and I¡¯m sure that where there¡¯s a will there¡¯s a way. ¡°Argh if you¡¯re already imagining all that then just force her down and have your way with her.¡± ¡°That¡¯s it!¡± Amy says that with a sarcastic gaze, but I feel like I just got a revelation. She¡¯s right. Having a strategy is important, but worrying about all that isn¡¯t my style. ¡°I uhh¡­ don¡¯t know about that¡­¡± I¡¯m done cleaning, so now I¡¯m in the dorm¡¯s kitchen. I¡¯m here to try finding a way to defuse the stew (handle with care) that Olivia made the other day. I¡¯ve kept it in my magic storage all this time, frozen with magic so it doesn¡¯t go rotten, but I have to get rid of it eventually. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (You can support us by leaving words of appreciation on our site!) Throwing it away feels too harsh since she put so much effort into making it for me though, so I¡¯m trying to figure out what to do with it while Olivia isn¡¯t home. ¡°That was the plan at least, I have no clue what to do now.¡± First I take out the frozen stew (health hazard). It¡¯s so cold that there¡¯s frost forming on it, but that doesn¡¯t change how dangerous it is. ¡°Natalia?¡± Someone calls my name so I turn around, it¡¯s Ryuka. ¡°Oh I¡¯m sorry, were you busy with something?¡± Her politeness reminds me of Christina, but while Christina is pretty timid and reserved, Ryuka seems more elegant and educated. ¡°Umm, errr¡­ how do I put this¡­3¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± CH 89.2 I avert my gaze, not knowing how to explain that I was trying to get rid of Olivia¡¯s cooking, but that only makes Ryuka look at my hands. The frozen stew (toxic waste) is there. ¡°Ah, this is¡­¡± I try to explain, but then become stuck since I can¡¯t think of a single way to explain what it is. ¡°That looks really dangerous. It gives off the same aura as this noxious swamp in Reibana, which is said to be the venom spat by a snake monster with eight heads that was as large as a mountain.¡± Is it really that bad?! Actually, how did Olivia even make something like that?! ¡°Natalia, that should be cleansed in an appropriate place.¡± ¡°Right¡­ yes. You¡¯re right¡­¡± I don¡¯t know what to do. This is really getting out of hand, in various ways. I decide to return the stew (decreases Sanity points) to my magic storage and changes topics before she obsesses over it too much. ¡°By the way, why are you here Ryuka?¡± She holds her hands together and smiles, looking glad that I asked. ¡°While I brought plenty of ingredients with a long shelf life from my home country, I¡¯d also like to get acquainted with this Seperion¡¯s cuisine, so I wanted to see what you have here in the kitchen. Natalia, if you have the time, would you be kind enough to guide me through?¡± It seems this noble daughter is actually trying to expand her knowledge of her own will. But this way I can also get preparations going for dinner, so I¡¯m down to accompany her. I¡¯m already done with my chores and I have enough time before dinner needs to be ready, so I can afford to show her some stuff. ¡°I¡¯ll gladly teach you, if you don¡¯t mind it coming from me. Please keep in mind that I¡¯m still a magic automaton, so temper your expectations.¡± ¡°Naww, there¡¯s no need to be so humble.¡± Ryuka laughs my warning away, but my only knowledge of food comes from a mix of my past life knowledge and the tests I made this last year. I¡¯ve never been taught by a proper cook, so I would say I don¡¯t know most ingredients. ¡°Also, Ruri isn¡¯t accompanying you now?¡± I feel like her servant Ruri being present would make more sense. ¡°Ah, I sent her on a bit of an errand, so she¡¯s not available.¡± ¡°I see. Let¡¯s get started then.¡± Saying that, I head to the food locker in a corner of the kitchen. Inside there¡¯s food, vegetables, as well as rudimentary preserved foods. But this is the kitchen of Seperion¡¯s best Magic Academy, which conducts all sorts of research, so the entire locker is a magic device as well, which keeps the food inside fresh. In short it¡¯s a large fridge. I heard that there¡¯s a fridge (or at least a magic device with a similar function) in nearly every home of Seperion, excluding extremely remote locations. The fridge we have at the Gardeland estate was made by Ophelia and is even larger and more effective though. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation!) ¡°Alright, let me show you the most common ingredients we use here in Seperion then.¡± ¡°Yes please.¡± I start by showing her wheat, potatoes, the most common types of meat and vegetables, then I move to monster meat that sometimes is sold at the guild, and then move onto spices and popular ways of cooking everything. Monster meat tends to be especially complicated to cook. ¡°This truly is quite different from Reibana. And this food locker is impressive as well. I never imagined there existed magic devices of this size.¡± ¡°This magic device keeps the food fresh, and is indispensable for ingredients that go bad easily. Like this for example.¡± I pick up a fruit from a corner of the locker, which looks like a pair of cherries, except that one is yellow and the other white. These cherries are a bit more resilient than those from my past life, but they still go bad with ease. ¡°These are called Geminus Cherries, they were barely sold before food preserving magic devices were invented.¡± Now they¡¯re a bit more common, but transporting them for long distances is still impossible, so they¡¯re only sold near where they¡¯re harvested. Ingralowe is still pretty close, so they¡¯re available often. ¡°I¡¯m really glad I decided to visit Seperion. I¡¯ve learned a lot.¡± Ryuka listened attentively to everything I said, so she actually appreciated my tour. But I think I took too long since she¡¯s rubbing her hands together. The cold doesn¡¯t affect me much so I forgot about it, but staying inside the fridge for this long will make anyone get chilly. I stop explaining more and step out of the fridge. ¡°Thank you very much, Natalia. You were really helpful.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad I was of use.¡± I also smuggle out some Geminus Cherries from the fridge. Getting snacks like this is a benefit of visiting the kitchen. ¡°Since we¡¯re already here, let¡¯s take this as a snack.¡± I wash the Geminus Cherries in the sink, then take a pair and eat both at the same time. As I bite down, their strong and particular flavor spreads through my mouth. ¡°Have one too, Ryuka.¡± ¡°Thank you so much.¡± I give her a pair as well, which she accepts slightly gingerly, like she¡¯s doing something bad. She holds the stem and bites only the white one. ¡°Ah, wait Ryuka, that one¡¯s-¡± ¡°Mmm~~~~!¡± I was too late. The white cherry is called Pollux, and the white cherry is called Castor. Their color isn¡¯t their only difference. ¡°Please eat the yellow one too!¡± ¡°~!¡± She quickly plops the yellow cherry into her mouth and starts to calm down shortly after. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen without consent. Please support us by visiting our site.) ¡°My apologies for that, I didn¡¯t explain properly. The yellow cherry is sweet, and the white cherry is sour. They¡¯re the most balanced when eaten together.¡± ¡°I¡­ I see¡­¡± Ryuka takes out a napkin and wipes the tears that formed on her eyes. ¡°Here, to cleanse your palate.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Ryuka takes the second set of Geminus Cherries from me and eats them, this time taking both at the same time, and smiles happily. Good¡­ it¡¯s all good now. A sudden change to ?Olivia Vision? When I get back to the dorm from my meeting with Chris and Amy I find Natalia and Ryuka together in the kitchen. ¡°Here, to cleanse your palate.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Ryuka takes a pair of Geminus Cherries from Natalia and eats them happily, and Natalia smiles gently watching her. ¡®Natalia might end up liking Ryuka then.¡¯ Amy¡¯s words from earlier flash in my mind. No¡­ is it actually happening? ¡®Argh if you¡¯re already imagining all that then just force her down and have your way with her.¡¯ I don¡¯t have time to waste. I need to make her aware of my emotions. There¡¯s only one thing left to do then! ?Olivia Vision End? I feel something bump on my back and a set of hands wrap around me to seize my chest. ¡°Mm¡­ Ahh, enough.¡± Seriously, is Ruri back already? Is she actually acting so shamelessly in front of her master? Feeling slightly annoyed I turn my head around, but I see someone unexpected behind me. ¡°Young Lady?¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (You can support us by leaving words of appreciation on our site!) For some strange reason it¡¯s Olivia holding my chest this time. Hmm, she used to want a lot of hugs at the start of her first year, but then started disliking them¡­ did something happen to her? ¡°Natalia.¡± Her black eyes are fixated on me, making me recoil a little, even though I see her face daily. ¡°Y-yes? What do you need?¡± Maybe she saw me let Ryuka eat a Geminus Cherry improperly? Then that means I failed her. I doubt she¡¯ll cast me aside for a minor failure like that, but it¡¯s still enough to mar her reputation a bit. Squish! Hm? I look down feeling something weird Squish squish! She holds me tight while her hands move around, holding onto my breasts. ¡°Huh? Huhh?¡± She hugged me a lot in the past, but she never did this. Even when she was cleaning my body it was just me feeling weird and getting all worked up for nothing, she was just taking care of me because of how much I slept. What¡¯s gotten into her today then? ¡°You¡¯re my maid, so that makes you mine, understand?¡± Olivia¡¯s breath brushes against my ear, sending chills down my spine. No, stop. Don¡¯t make me feel weird like this. ¡°Y-yes¡­ I¡¯m¡­ yours¡­¡± Olivia is Ophelia¡¯s daughter, and now I¡¯m Olivia¡¯s maid. I can¡¯t let my loyalty waver just because I don¡¯t know how to feel. ¡°Good. Then you won¡¯t stop me from doing what I¡¯m about to do, right?¡± Olivia says as one of her hands leaves my breasts and goes down below my skirt and onto my thigh. No, wait. What¡¯s even happening? (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation!) ¡°I can¡¯t hold back anymore.¡± Y-Young Lady, could you please stopppppp?! ¡°Get ready, Natalia.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I think I¡¯m in the way.¡± Ryuka says while looking away and covering her mouth, then runs away. No, please, don¡¯t leave me here! I mean it¡¯s embarrassing that she saw this, but please don¡¯t leave me alone! ¡°Calm down Young Lady. Th-those are just hormones, umm¡­ you know¡­ we can talk this out!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I read plenty of books to learn how to do this.¡± ¡°Young Lady, please put that effort into studying for you- Aaaaaaahhhh! Anh!¡± The way she touches me starts to force me into making weird noises, but I manage to break free just before I cross the point of no return. Mistress, your daughter has been growing up faster than I expected. I really want to cry. Though I don¡¯t have tears. CH 90 ¨C¨C¨CChristina¡¯s Perspective This is something that happened various days before Natalia woke up, the Magic Academy¡¯s break still in full swing. In a seldomly transited alleyway a young girl in long robes that concealed her identity crossed an old door together with two women. Inside was a shop, lined with monster bones and horns, as well as other magical items. The shop also dealt with illegal materials, and stolen goods, so their lineup went from extremely good deals, to overpriced items, to straight out scams and fakes. Some of the items were so powerful they could wipe out the entire city, making the shop even less of an agreeable place to the law. But one of the women, a bodyguard magician, searched through the shop only to shake her head at the young girl, Christina Barnard, who slumped her shoulders in disappointment. There were excellent items in the shop, but they were not what Christina was after. Excellent was not enough. Not even a shady shop that was not afraid to make illegal deals, located in the same city as the best Magic Academy of the country, had the item she was looking for. It was unlikely she would be able to find it anywhere. Christina hunched down, feeling bad for dragging the bodyguards there as well, since they had tried to stop her. The two bodyguards had told her to desist at first, given their position and role, but in reality they had wanted to grant her wish however possible, as it was a rare request from Christina who usually kept quiet and never asked for anything. ¡°Hello, are you looking for something specific?¡± Christina looked up hearing that voice and the two bodyguards stood in front of her. The voice came from a neatly dressed man, who looked to be in his thirties, and whose attire felt completely out of place in that shady shop. ¡°Oh, excuse my rudeness. I¡¯m Arrold from the Platiboros Company. It seemed like you were looking for something, so I decided to talk to you, as I may be able to be of assistance.¡± Arrold bowed with refined movements that could dazzle even nobles. That meant that he was accustomed to dealing with nobles, and that was also how he instantly determined that Christina was a noble. The two bodyguards turned to look at Christina, who gave an unsteady nod. ¡°We¡¯re looking for a Sorcery Core. We can pay this much, and we¡¯d like one with a high power output if possible.¡± A bodyguard spoke on Christina¡¯s behalf. Arrold replied with a ¡°Please wait a moment¡± before vanishing further inside the shop, and after a short wait he came back with what looked like a walnut-shaped metal container. ¡°What do you think of this? It should fit nicely inside your budget.¡± Arrold began explaining the properties of the Sorcery Core he brought. The core itself was built with B rank monster bones, and the outer shell was damascus steel. It required to be imbued with mana to be activated the first time, but after that it could produce mana on its own. The purity of its output was also within the requested spec. It also had five layers of protection, obviously limiting ownership of the Sorcery Core, but also offering resistance to physical and magic attacks. Christina and her bodyguards opened their eyes wide hearing all of that. The price was not a small sum in any measure, but its features seemed too good. It was hard to say whether they could trust Arrold though. There was a high likelihood that the Sorcery Core was a fake. But the Platiboros Company had many stores in public roads, which should make it more trustworthy. But more importantly, if Christina did not buy that Sorcery Core, chances were she would never find any other again. Christina pondered about it for a while, and then nodded determined. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation!) ¡°I¡¯ll take it.¡± And so Christina bought the Sorcery Core from Arrold. In truth, she could have obtained a far superior Sorcery Core if she used the influence and money of the Barnard family, but she wanted the Sorcery Core purely for her personal interest, so she limited her budget to what she could afford with her own money, and did not contact the merchants working under her family. She also did not want to sour friendships over it, so she did not consult with Amy either. That friendship was far more valuable to her. But in the end, maybe it would have been better if she consulted her family and friends first. Or at the very least she would not have come in possession of an identical Sorcery Core to the one used in the golem incident at Bamel. ¡°Natalia, I like you.¡± She suddenly confesses while we walk through the Research Campus. Though at this point this isn¡¯t exactly sudden, she¡¯s been doing that almost daily for a while now. It¡¯s not like she does it out of habit, she¡¯ll just sneak it into random conversations. ¡°I like you too, Young Lady.¡± I reply, not slowing down at all, but Olivia purses her lips into a pout. ¡°That¡¯s not how I meant it though.¡± I pretend not to hear that. Olivia is in an easily impressionable age. I¡¯ve already verified she¡¯s interested in sex from her collection of books under her bed, so it makes sense that she¡¯s also longing for romance. She lost her father when she could¡¯ve used his presence the most, and she lost her mother when her future was changing greatly. It makes sense that she doesn¡¯t know how to properly handle those new emotions. I¡¯m sure she¡¯s longing for affection and her hormones are running wild, so she just latched onto the person closest to her. But that¡¯s only momentary. Such emotions wane with time and eventually become memories. I¡¯m not saying they don¡¯t mean anything, but if I accept her words at face value I might twist her view of life. Olivia is the daughter of Ophelia, my creator who I owe so much. I appreciate her too, but as family, not as a lover. My duty now is to keep glossing over her confessions, and make sure she can mature properly. Though maybe her perception of life is already too twisted if she¡¯s ******* after a magic automaton that looks like a girl. ¡°Sooo, where are we going?¡± We arrive while we talk like that. I knock on the door and Christina opens it. ¡°Natalia, we¡¯ve been waiting for you.¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen without consent. Please support us by visiting our site.) I feel like she¡¯s blushing just a little, I wonder why? We enter the laboratory and I see Annabelle sitting in the back with a suspicious smile. Though I guess with her that¡¯s her default state. ¡°Good good, you came.¡± ¡°Hello, Miss Annabelle. What is it that you wanted to show us?¡± ¡°You¡¯re an impatient one, aren¡¯t you? But I¡¯m not the one doing the showing, that¡¯s Christina.¡± ¡°Christina?¡± I turn to look at her, and see her cheeks redden even more, and start to fidget while looking down. ¡°S-soo¡­ Natalia.¡± ¡°Yes? What is it?¡± ¡°I know I should¡¯ve told you sooner about this but umm¡­ It¡¯s a bit embarrassing, you know? I felt like it would bother you too¡­ but I decided to gather my courage to tell you.¡± I wonder what it is? Christina is a good friend of Olivia¡¯s, and she helped me while I was unconscious, so I really think we¡¯re on friendly terms. Is there really a reason to be so nervous? ¡°So¡­ Natalia¡­ we uh¡­did it¡­¡± ¡­ ¡­¡­ ¡­¡­¡­ ¡­¡­¡­¡­What? ¡°N-N-N-N-Natalia and Chris did it?! They crossed that line?! They spent a night full of passion whispering love to each other?!?!?!?! And now their love has taken shape and aaaaaaAAAAAAAHHHHHH?!!?!!¡± ¡°Calm down Young Lady! Nothing of that sort happened! And please stop cackling like that and help me Miss Annabelle!¡± In the end I had to scream at Annabelle, who laughed loudly like she was an outsider while she watched Olivia shaking in terror and starting to produce black mana that emanated from her body like vapor. ¡°Pfft ahahahah. I expected you¡¯d be shocked, but this is even better than what I expected. Ahh¡­ my chest hurts.¡± Annabelle begins to wipe tears from her eyes while she massages her chest that had started to cramp. ¡°Anyway, her weird way of phrasing it aside, what she said is true. Come in and say hi.¡± In cue with Annabelle¡¯s voice, a door opened inside the laboratory. Then it walked out and bowed to me. ¡°I¡¯m the magic automaton Plum. Nice to meet you, Sister.¡± A doll that looked like me scaled down to an elementary schooler¡¯s size said that1. CH 91 Wait, she called me sister? What does this mean? ¡°Hehehe, you look surprised. She¡¯s the magic automaton Christina built, with my help of course.¡± She¡¯s Christina¡¯s? That¡¯s cool and all, but why am I being called her sister? ¡°Her basic rig is based on yours. We had to simplify various features so they were manageable by Christina, and the materials have been downgraded to more common ones, but her fundamental design is still you.¡± ¡°Ahh, I see.¡± I guess that does make me her sister¡­ right? Looking more closely at her I notice her hair and eyes are a bit dull, so I guess that¡¯s the difference in materials. I think the biggest difference is our skin though. There are no seams in my body except on my joints, but I can see a clear line that goes from below her eyes to her chin. There¡¯s also similar lines on her arms and legs. I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a lot more in places I can¡¯t see too. I guess that just goes to show the difference in skill between Christina and Ophelia, though Ophelia was essentially unmatched. Her maid uniform is also a bright pink color. ¡°Was she the reason why you asked for Steel Silk the other day too?¡± ¡°Ah, yes. I used that for her nerve threads.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not all though. She had to infuse the Sorcery Core with a bit of mana to get it running, and she mixed in a bit of your mana when she did that.¡± I guess that influx of mana is similar to how a gas stove needs to be lit with fire before it heats up? But I don¡¯t remember being anywhere near a Sorcery Core to put some of my own mana into it. ¡°Exactly how did you get my mana?¡± ¡°Mhehe, this.¡± Annabelle takes out a small bottle filled with a glistening blue powder. I¡¯ve seen that powder before. ¡°Is that the mana dust from my Sorcery Core?¡± ¡°Yes. Mana is less dense than air so normally it gets dispersed far into the atmosphere, but when trapped inside a container like this, or imbued into Mana Crystals, it can be preserved. You can even amass it into Magic Stones with alchemy. It¡¯s a bit of a waste that you never collected it yourself.¡± I didn¡¯t know mana dust could be used like that. So far I always thought of it as waste, but that does feel like a missed opportunity now. Though I usually have more than plenty of mana, so I don¡¯t know if I¡¯d use it for anything. ¡°The only thing is that she¡¯s just been activated, so she still hasn¡¯t developed a personality.¡± Cases of a soul inhabiting a body like me are an exception, and usually magic automatons require a lot of piled up experience to become fully autonomous. After greeting me, Plum has been standing there silently and perfectly still. She doesn¡¯t have a mind of her own yet, so she only knows how to follow orders. ¡°And well, I wanted to ask you something, Natalia¡­ so¡­¡± ¡°Could you help us raise her? You can do it only in your free time if you want.¡± ¡°Raise her?¡± I parrot what she said, but Annabelle just keeps grinning like always. Christina explains in her stead. ¡°I¡¯d really like it if Plum develops a personality soon, but both me and Miss Annabelle are busy with schoolwork¡­ And so I thought that you could help. She¡¯s based off of you, and you¡¯re a fellow magic automaton after all. You can have her help you with chores too if you want, so¡­¡± Christina¡¯s voice keeps getting quieter the more she speaks. She probably thinks she¡¯s asking for too much from me. Hmmm, luckily I don¡¯t have any work as an instructor now. I didn¡¯t get any request to teach second year students, and I¡¯d only expect a request to come from the first year students, and in the second half of the year. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation!) ¡°I see. I¡¯ll do it then, if you truly believe it¡¯s the right choice.¡± ¡°Th-Thank you!¡± Christina keeps bowing profusely as soon as I agree. ¡°Since she¡¯s just been activated she needs to be monitored often, so I¡¯ll be looking after her at night. I¡¯ll prepare the next room for her, so just take her whenever you want, and then get her back at night.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± I don¡¯t have any plans right now, so maybe I should bring her to the dorm and have her help me with chores then. So I turn to look at my little sister and- ¡°Aww it¡¯s like a cute miniature Natalia. Gueheheheh~¡± Olivia tightly hugs Plum, her face looking creepy as she bares her lust for the world to see1. Young Lady¡­ you have a lot of things to work on. Though considering how quickly the target of her affection switched¡­ Yeah, I think she¡¯s confusing her hormonal emotions with love. I take Plum to the dorm, and wonder what I can have her do. I¡¯m already done with my daily chores, so I don¡¯t really have much to do before it¡¯s dinner time. I almost force Olivia to get in her room and do homework and then bring Plum to the dining hall. ¡°Now, what should we do?¡± ¡°Is the Order a Rabbit!¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing to order! Go away!¡± I¡¯m still thinking of what to do when Ruri appears even though I didn¡¯t call her. ¡°You¡¯re no fun. But I guess the rumors that you brought a little girl that looks just like you are true.¡± Oh no, I almost spoke too harshly in front of Plum. I hope she doesn¡¯t learn that. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Ruri, the servant of Ryuka Urado. Nice to meet you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m magic automaton Plum of Christina Barnard. Nice to meet you. Lady Ruri.¡± Ruri acts like I said nothing and instead greets Plum. ¡°And so, where did you sack this cute little girl?¡± ¡°What do you take me as?¡± I¡¯m not some pervy rabbit. As annoyed as I am, I explain everything that happened. ¡°Ohh, that¡¯s the squirrel girl, right? Still, I wasn¡¯t expecting to see you with a petite s?ur.¡± ¡°Can you stop with the random references?¡± That¡¯s not even relevant. I¡¯m not going to keep fixing her tie or anything like that. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen without consent. Please support us by visiting our site.) ¡°So, what are you going to teach her?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the problem. I¡¯m done with my chores for today, so I don¡¯t really know what I could teach her.¡± Either way, I just have to find something for her to do. It¡¯s not like she¡¯ll grow up in one day, I¡¯ll need to pile up experience after experience. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m sure the Young Lady¡¯s head will start smoking anytime soon, so let¡¯s make some snacks to help her relax. You two help me out.¡± ¡°Yes, Sister.¡± ¡°Me too?¡± ¡°If you help I¡¯ll give you something as a gift too.¡± ¡°I guess I have no choice then.¡± Let¡¯s start with something simple like pancakes. Plum follows me to the kitchen obediently, and Ruri comes too, enticed by her share. I look down for a bit and notice Plum is looking intently at me. But her eyes look lifeless, and it almost feels like she¡¯s looking at me but isn¡¯t seeing me. I guess that¡¯s how magic automatons are supposed to be. It¡¯s a bit strange to think that I would¡¯ve looked like that if my soul didn¡¯t take over this body. There¡¯s no way to know what kind of personality will awaken in Plum2, and there¡¯s a chance she¡¯ll never get one. But if it happens, I really hope she becomes someone grateful for being created. Though I don¡¯t know if I should be the one saying that when I didn¡¯t even help build her. I scold myself about that as I start making pancakes. CH 92 Ten minutes passed. ¡°Sister, what should I do with this?¡± Plum asks while holding a whisk¡­ the handle of which was distorted out of shape the instant she took it in her hands. I used that exact same whisk last night, so I know it isn¡¯t old or of bad quality. Basically Plum is just too strong, and she doesn¡¯t know how to properly regulate it since she was activated just earlier. That never happened to me since my human soul inhabited this body from the start, which limited my strength to what I was used to in my past life. But Plum doesn¡¯t have any limitations like that, and she doesn¡¯t have enough experience to know when to use less strength, so she¡¯s using all of it at all times. Maybe I should¡¯ve taught her to limit her strength before bringing her to work with me. ¡°Plum, try to be a bit gentler when you pick it up next time.¡± I give her the spare whisk, and this time she doesn¡¯t crush it in her hand as she starts using it. She mixes flour with eggs and milk, slowly forming a batter. ¡°Good, try going a bit faster too.¡± ¡°Yes, sister.¡± There¡¯s no emotion or liveliness in her voice, but somehow I found it cute anyway. ¡°Humm¡­ I see.¡± Ruri nods in admiration, her arms going around Plum¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Ruri, mind explaining what you¡¯re doing?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious?¡± I asked because it was obvious. I wish I could unsee this hussy taking advantage of Plum¡¯s unresponsiveness to fondle her chest. ¡°Enough, just let go of my sister¡¯s chest already.¡± ¡°I feel like she¡¯s bigger than even me¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t do it if you¡¯ll just cry about it then.¡± Setting aside Ruri¡¯s decision to inflict psychological pain on herself, I¡¯m also a bit bothered by Plum¡¯s complete unresponsiveness. If we want her to gain a proper personality, she¡¯ll also need to learn how to protect herself. ¡°The batter looks about ready, time to cook then.¡± I take a frying pan that had been sitting on the stove and place it on a wet towel, which lowers its temperature a bit. Then I pour the batter on top, forming a nice circle. ¡°Ruri, you can prepare the fruits and sauces to use as toppings. Plum you can get the plates ready, and be careful not to break them.¡± ¡°Okayyyy.¡¯ ¡°Yes, sister.¡¯ (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation!) This world¡¯s culture is similar to the Middle Ages in my past life, but thanks to magic certain things were more developed than others. The same applied to food ingredients, in my past life¡¯s Middle Ages, things like sugar or honey were only available to higher nobility, while here they¡¯re a bit more widely available. They are still expensive, but most households can afford getting some if they splurge a little. I have Ophelia¡¯s inheritance, and my own income, so it¡¯s really no big issue for me to obtain. Once the pancake is done cooking, I place it on the plate Plum is holding, and then Ruri places the toppings. ¡°Now this is a sight to behold. I¡¯m so glad I decided to come to Seperion.¡± Ruri mutters that as she looks at the finished pancakes. Considering this world is similar to the Middle Ages, and Reibana has a culture similar to Japan¡¯s, I doubt there are pancakes over there. Not to mention that they were pretty secluded from international trade until recently, so our culture had not reached there yet. Once I¡¯m done preparing enough plates for everyone, I go to clean the utensils, but see Ruri has already started doing that. Her usual behavior might be a bit questionable, but considering she¡¯s the only servant that came accompanying Ryuka, it makes sense that her skills are excellent. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll take mine then.¡± ¡°Sure, take Ryuka¡¯s too while you¡¯re at it.¡± I watch as she leaves with her plate and Ryuka¡¯s, then me and Plum finish cleaning the pan and a few remaining utensils before leaving the kitchen myself. When I enter my room, I find Olivia holding her temples as her steam sizzled out of her brain. Her classes are harder now that she¡¯s in her second year, so she¡¯s struggling even more to keep up. I decide to prepare some tea on the table before I talk to her. ¡°The mana of Magic Stones are used by magicians as conduits to tie¡­ Natalia?¡± ¡°Yes, I thought it was a nice time for a snack. Would you like some?¡± ¡°Yes please.¡± Olivia swiftly sits down at the table. As her tea break starts, we obviously start talking about Plum. It was impossible not to talk about her, given she was a magic automaton that looked extremely life-like (myself aside), and it was one of Olivia¡¯s classmates that created her. ¡°That¡¯s still quite shocking though. I could tell she had fine control of magic before, so I thought she was well-suited for alchemy, but I didn¡¯t expect her to be at this level already.¡± ¡°I know. Lately she seemed kinda busy, I guess she was working on Plum.¡± Saying that, she stops eating her pancake and looks at Plum, noticing something. ¡°Plum, you aren¡¯t eating?¡± Hearing that, I look at Plum too. She¡¯s sitting like I told her to, but she¡¯s not even touching the food in front of her. ¡°I don¡¯t have the function to eat, Lady Olivia.¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen without consent. Please support us by visiting our site.) Now that I think about it, eating is one of my special features. Annabelle and Christina said they had to cut down many functionalities when creating Plum, so it makes sense that she can¡¯t process food. ¡°I see, that¡¯s too bad. I thought eating and snacking together could also be a nice experience.¡± Olivia¡¯s voice sounds a little sad as she continues eating. ¡°You did?¡± ¡°Yeah. I thought it would be nice if Chris and Plum could also eat together, or even get to like each other more by feeding each other. I guess I¡¯m a little disappointed they can¡¯t do that?¡± I feel like it would be rude if I call that unexpected, but I just didn¡¯t think Olivia valued that so much, even though she always says my food is good. ¡°The eating function is not present on me so I can¡¯t perform that. If it¡¯s so important, maybe you can show me how it¡¯s done with Lady Olivia?¡± Huh? Plum, do you realize how wrong that sounds? ¡°Sure. Come on Natalia, ahhh~¡± Saying that, Olivia opens her mouth wide. Umm¡­ I guess I should just go along and stop thinking too deeply about it. I know we did it in the Academy¡¯s cafeteria with a lot of people around, but Amy was sitting with us so we didn¡¯t really stand out a lot. Somehow having Plum staring intently makes it a lot more embarrassing. ¡°Hu~rry~¡± Olivia¡¯s lustrous lips motion that word, while Plum¡¯s insistent and inorganic stare also push me to do it. I don¡¯t have the courage to resist both of them any longer. Resigning myself to this fate, I cut a piece of pancake and hold it in a fork, and then carry it to Olivia¡¯s mouth. ¡°Mmm~ Heheh¡­ it¡¯s really good.¡± After chewing happily, I see Olivia¡¯s tongue appear, licking the honey stuck to the corner of her lips. That action makes her look so alluring that it somehow reminds me of Ophelia. ¡°Your turn now.¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (You can support us by leaving words of appreciation on our site!) Olivia takes the fork and picks up a piece of pancake now. I really can¡¯t say no in this situation¡­ It¡¯s really embarrassing, but I¡¯ll have to bear with it since I have no choice. As I open my mouth fighting the hesitation, Olivia takes back the fork and brings it to her mouth, but instead of eating the piece of pancake, she holds it between her lips. ¡°Awrigh¡¯ e¡¯re you go (Alright, here you go)¡± I¡¯m not doing that! I bite my tongue to stop that scream from leaving my throat. But no, that¡¯s going too far! That¡¯s essentially mouth-to-mouth feeding! ¡°Hom¡¯ on, ¡®urry (Come on, hurry)¡± ¡°No Young Lady, try to be reasonable.¡± I instinctively retreat as Olivia leans forward. But I don¡¯t get far, as she grabs my shoulders and stops me from putting more distance between us. ¡°Hiv¡¯ up, ¡®ake it (Give up, take it)¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t talk with food in your mouth! Mind your manners!¡± I shout, trying to escape from the piece of pancake that kept getting closer to my mouth. I really had no other escape, or better said, Olivia was just too strong. I also try to push her back, but her arms won¡¯t budge from my shoulders. That can¡¯t be right? I know she¡¯s strong, but her arms are more powerful than mine? As I¡¯m overpowered like that, the small part of my consciousness that¡¯s still calm can do nothing but shrug and shake its head. Through the corner of my eye I see Plum, staring at us emotionless like always. Ahh¡­ my sister that I just met today, no matter what, please don¡¯t imitate this ever. I can only pray that Plum grows up properly as pancake gets shoved into my mouth. I just want to keep my second kiss intact! CH 93 10-12 minutes I¡¯m really getting worried about Olivia lately. I know she¡¯s going through puberty and her hormones are running wild, but she should still learn self restraint. So far I¡¯ve been able to avoid the worst situation from unfolding, but after realizing she can easily overpower me I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to escape if she comes after me with everything she has. ¡°Hahhh¡­¡± ¡°Sister.¡± That voice rouses my attention from a sea of thoughts. Oh right, I can¡¯t get distracted while I¡¯m working. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Plum. I was a bit lost in thought.¡± ¡°That¡¯s no problem.¡± I pass on the dry laundry I¡¯m holding to her, and she clumsily but mindfully folds them and places them in a laundry basket. She¡¯s gotten pretty good at regulating her strength too, so now she can help with the laundry without tearing clothes apart. Looking up I see the sun is shining brightly today, so that helped the clothes get dry faster too. ¡°I¡¯m done too.¡± ¡°Who asked?¡± When I¡¯m done picking up the dry clothes, Ruri talks to me after gathering her own laundry. We don¡¯t work together, we just sometimes run into each other, so there¡¯s no reason for me to match my speed to hers. ¡°You really are no fun at all. Are you sure your attitude won¡¯t be a bad influence on Plum?¡± ¡°I think you¡¯re a far worse influence on her.¡± She¡¯s always trying to grope my chest, even earlier when I just arrived, so I really don¡¯t want to hear her lecture me about manners. ¡°Plum, let¡¯s go back.¡± ¡°Sister, there¡¯s something I¡¯d like to ask.¡± I decided it was best to ignore Ruri and leave the rooftop, but Plum remains still, staring at me. So I had to stop and see what she wanted. ¡°Why do Lady Ruri and Lady Olivia always try to touch Sister¡¯s chest?¡± Hmm¡­ how should I explain that? It wouldn¡¯t be appropriate to tell her those two are thirsty for my chest. I¡¯ll have to find a way to gloss over it, but I also don¡¯t want her to get any misconceptions¡­ Age doesn¡¯t really mean much for magic automatons. Plum¡¯s emotions and personality may be under-developed, but her memory and thought-processing speed are far superior to a human¡¯s. She might look like a little girl, but that doesn¡¯t mean I need to always treat her like one. ¡°See, that¡¯s because me and Olivia love Natalia very much.¡± ¡°Ruri?¡± I¡¯m still trying to think of a proper response when Ruri answers for me. What does she even mean though? Love? ¡°But I like you a lot, and I¡¯m sure Olivia does too. How am I wrong?¡± ¡°That¡¯s still not an excuse for what you do¡­¡± ¡°I like girls, and since you¡¯re my friend and a girl, I want to touch your chest. Olivia likes Natalia, and that¡¯s why she wants to touch your chest. There¡¯s nothing wrong with that.¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation!) No, that you¡¯re into girls is purely your own preference, and being friends has nothing to do with touching my chest. ¡°If you say that, then I¡¯ll also touch your chest.¡± I say that as half a joke and half a threat, but Ruri instantly covers her non-existent chest and stares at me with disgust. ¡°Even though you¡­ You¡¯re the worst.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not fair at all.¡± She¡¯s probably thinking of how I was a guy in my past life¡­ Though that never stopped her from groping my chest. It¡¯s not like I intended on following through either, I have no interest in a chest that doesn¡¯t even seem to exist like Ruri¡¯s. ¡°If you really want that so badly why don¡¯t you go to Olivia instead? She seems to have more than plenty for you to play with.¡± It¡¯s true that Olivia¡¯s chest has grown pretty big and looks really attractive, but that¡¯s still no reason for me to lust after it. She¡¯s still confusing her hormones running wild for actual feelings, and I would never do anything to her after everything her mother Ophelia did for me. ¡°Because you love Natalia¡­¡± Plum mutters after being silent the entire time. ¡°What does it mean to love?¡± That¡¯s a tricky question. I feel like this could get philosophical. ¡°It means never looking back1!¡± ¡°That¡¯s being young.¡± I quickly correct Ruri¡¯s wrong reply. ¡°So that¡¯s what it is to be young2.¡± ¡°Okay, just shut up already.¡± Just stop with references one after another, we¡¯ll never get anywhere like that. Ruri finally gets the hint and stops talking. I turn to look at Plum again, her eyes are still as inorganic as when I first saw her, but somehow they seem to be filled with something more, though maybe that¡¯s just me trying to convince myself. ¡°Well, love is a concept that is a bit hard to explain with words. It¡¯s like a feeling of deeply cherishing someone, wanting to protect that someone, and being of service to that person, I guess?¡± ¡°I was under the impression that a magic automaton existed to protect and follow the orders of their master.¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen without consent. Please support us by visiting our site.) Now that Plum mentions it, I guess as far as physical actions go they sound similar. But that¡¯s just superficial, it¡¯s not real love if there¡¯s no personal emotions and desires mixed in. ¡°It¡¯s slightly different from a magic automaton¡¯s duties. When you¡¯re in love, the desire to be of service comes from one¡¯s feelings and not one¡¯s duty. Or at least that¡¯s how I think about it.¡± ¡°Desire¡­ feelings¡­ I possess neither. Does that mean I can¡¯t love?¡± Her voice is still monotone and her eyes have no luster, so I don¡¯t really sense any emotion or will in her. But that doesn¡¯t rule out the possibility of her developing them with time. ¡°It¡¯s still too early to say for sure. You¡¯re still growing, so let¡¯s not be hasty. If you keep searching for something you want to do outside of your duties as a magic automaton, you might figure it out one day.¡± ¡°¡­Okay, Sister.¡± There¡¯s no guarantee that Plum will become fully self-aware one day, but I feel like she¡¯s been changing a little each day. I really hope she can one day have her own unique personality though, regardless of whether that¡¯s a benefit for her or not. Though ugh, talking about things like that always makes me feel really awkward. ¡°Then say~ why don¡¯t we do stuff together so your little sister can learn alllll sorts of new emotions?¡± The sleazy rabbit girl says with a lewd grin as she repeats a grabbing motion with her hands. For a moment she had actually fooled me into thinking she would behave. ¡°Plum, there¡¯s no need to hold back. Hit her with everything you have just like I taught you.¡± ¡°Yes, Sister.¡± Plum quickly clasps her hand into a fist and swings it forward. Magic automatons are far stronger than most humans, so most people would suffer serious injuries if they were attacked like that. She might be a magic automaton, but she¡¯s still a girl, so she needs to learn some self-defense too. ¡°Huh? Wait, hold on, you wouldn¡¯t want to kill me, the cute Ruri, right? Wait, what are these wires? I can¡¯t move-¡± FLURRY OF FISTS Natalia returned Plum to the laboratory earlier than usual that day. There Plum prepared some tea for Annabelle and Christina. ¡°Sister taught me how to do this. Is it good?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s really tasty. Thank you, Plum.¡± Christina nodded satisfied after she tried a sip of the black tea. Annabelle who was sitting on the couch in front of her also did the same. After a short delay, Plum spoke again. ¡°Sister taught me about love today. She said it¡¯s having someone important who you want to protect and serve, but that it¡¯s different from a magic automaton¡¯s duty.¡± ¡°Hohoh, she¡¯s getting into pretty abstract things now.¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (You can support us by leaving words of appreciation on our site!) Annabelle smiled how she always did, then started fidgeting with the empty cup in her hands. She mostly thought of magic automatons as tools, so making one develop sentience was a topic out of her expertise. She had no way of knowing how far Plum had progressed, or even whether it was possible for Plum to develop a personality. But even if it was an unknown topic to her, she was still curious about it as a researcher. ¡°I¡¯m still confused, however. Sister also told me to find something I want to do that isn¡¯t my duty or orders, but I have no such thing. If me having a personality is Lady Christina¡¯s desire, there¡¯s a high likelihood I won¡¯t be able to measure up to those expectations. And if I can¡¯t follow all my orders, that would mean I¡¯m a magic automaton with no reason to exist.¡± ¡°Plum¡­¡± Christina looked down hearing Plum¡¯s monotone voice. But then she put her cup away and stood up, walking up to Plum. There she gently stroked Plum¡¯s silver hair. ¡°It¡¯s true that I was heavily influenced by Natalia when I created you, but you aren¡¯t Natalia.¡± ¡°Yes. The chances of me becoming like Sister are most certainly zero.¡± ¡°But that¡¯s alright. You just have to become yourself.¡± ¡°Become¡­ myself¡­¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Plum compared that response to what Natalia had said earlier. ¡®It¡¯s still too early to say for sure. You¡¯re still growing, so let¡¯s not be hasty. If you keep searching for something you want to do outside of your duties as a magic automaton, you might figure it out one day.¡¯ ¡®But that¡¯s alright. You just have to become yourself.¡¯ Very little was known about the mechanisms that allowed a magic automaton to become sentient. But no matter how small the chances were, it was still too early to determine whether it would happen or not. At least Christina and Natalia did not seem to have given up, so Plum decided to continue following their orders. ¡°Understood, Lady Christina¡­ My Master.¡± Plum bowed to Christina, determining that living up to the expectations from her master and older sister was the thing she wanted to do. Some minutes passed after that, and the laboratory was enveloped in blazing flames. CH 94.1 7-9 minutes Ingralowe was one of the most developed cities of Seperion, but that did not free it from having slums. It could even be said that being more developed increased the wealth gap between the poor and the rich compared to smaller villages, and there was likely no city without a poor neighborhood. But located in the slums were also various warehouses of the Platiboros Company. They had bought a plot of land for cheap, then hired everyone who lived nearby as security, letting them operate safely and without disruptions. Some people from the slums or in positions of power commended the company¡¯s move, calling it charitable, but all the people they hired received no formal training, and were largely still street thugs. From a different point of view, it could also be said that the company was trying to create a location hidden from the eyes of the law, where the nature of the location would obstruct any investigation. But most people were too shallow to really consider that possibility. Arrold was inside one of those secure warehouses, his back slouched down. ¡°I¡¯ve had to evacuate my business from Bamel, my source of human hearts up and vanished, and I even lost the completed prototype of the Crystal Ball of Postponement. I feel like nothing is going as planned lately.¡± In Bamel he had partnered with Grog from the Blacksmiths¡¯ Guild, but then Grog¡¯s crimes were unveiled and he became a wanted criminal, so Arrold had no choice but to stop trading with him. At least Arrold burned all the evidence and warehouses he had with Grog, only leaving behind a small shop. Then there was the serial killer he commissioned to bring him hearts, but one day she simply vanished and he never heard back from her again. She was proficient enough to have garnered the nickname Heart Collector, but there was no official report of her capture from the authorities either. Maybe one of her victims had managed to turn the tables on her, or she had died out in the wild somehow. Either way, Arrold had already given up on ever hearing from her again. He even had completed a working prototype of a Crystal Ball of Postponement, an item that allowed humans to control demons, a higher type of being. He had given it to a man named Lacks to test its functionality, but one day he gathered many of his men and then never returned too. Paying people off to sabotage someone else was a common tactic amongst merchants, but he had been careful to make sure Grog and Lacks were completely unrelated. But experiencing failure time and time again was demoralizing. ¡°Well, I suppose it¡¯s time to retrieve that Sorcery Core. It might be a bit difficult to take it from a noble¡¯s daughter like that, but that core should be able to do it.¡± His latest project was an experimental Sorcery Core, which had an additional instruction to force it to come back to him1. Usually Sorcery Cores could not perform any actions by themselves, but there was one more modification made to this one. That gave Arrold confidence that it would find its way back home. ¡°I would¡¯ve preferred to conduct the experiment within the company, but I have to be careful about the response from the government. The company president really likes to fuss about everything like that.¡± Arrold then sighed and languidly activated the return command. After leaving Plum in the laboratory, I go to the training grounds to practice shooting, but soon after I hear an explosion. I turn around to the source of the explosion, and see there¡¯s black smoke billowing out of Annabelle¡¯s laboratory, which gives me a really bad feeling. ¡°Ruri!¡± ¡°It seems something happened, let¡¯s go.¡± Ruri also arrives here hearing the explosion, and together we head to Annabelle¡¯s laboratory. The corridors inside the research campus are covered in soot, and there¡¯s still a burnt smell in the air. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation!) Only ashes remain from the laboratory¡¯s door, and inside I see everything burned, and in a corner Annabelle protecting Christina under a barrier. And Plum in front of them, her hand charred black. ¡°Miss Annabelle, what happened-¡± Before I can finish asking, I instinctively jump back. A liquid that shot out of Plum¡¯s hand sprays on the spot where I had been standing, producing a small explosion. ¡°I don¡¯t know exactly why, but somehow she¡¯s gone berserk.¡± Annabelle is down on one knee and Christina is trying to prop her up. Her usual sly smile is still there, but her usual confidence and seemingly little care for worldly things was gone. Her barrier is still up, but I doubt it¡¯ll last much longer. ¡°Plum, stop! This is an order, stop right now!¡± Christina uses her authority as Plum¡¯s master to stop her. I don¡¯t know what caused this, but even when a magic automaton loses control, their master¡¯s orders should be absolute so- ¡°Error. A high-level command is being executed, no other orders can be accepted.¡± Plum¡¯s response dash all our hopes. ¡°That can¡¯t be, I¡¯d swear I registered my name as your master¡­¡± While Christina tries to reason with that, more liquid forms on Plum¡¯s palm before being shot. The barrier blocks the explosion, but also shatters after that. Annabelle looks exhausted, leaning forward and unable to regenerate the barrier. ¡°Unable to stop. All obstacles will be removed. Lady Christina, please flee.¡± Plum continues saying that, and I feel like she¡¯s actually trying to stop, but she can¡¯t oppose whatever is driving her to do this. At the same time there¡¯s more liquid forming in her palm, but this time it keeps growing instead of being shot instantly. ¡°Tsk.¡± I click my tongue as I dash forward, wrapping my arms under Plum¡¯s armpits. Parts of her are made of metal, so she¡¯s heavier than a regular person, but I¡¯m also stronger than a regular person so I can lift her without issue. ¡°Ruri, out of the way!¡± I turn around while I yell at Ruri by the entrance as I rush outside, heading to the nearest window and breaking it with my back as I jump outside. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen without consent. Please support us by visiting our site.) I forcefully aim her hand up just as the large mass of liquid gets shot, which then explodes like fireworks in the sky. Once we fall on the ground I roll a bit from the impact. Luckily my magic automaton body is resilient enough that jumping from the second floor doesn¡¯t hurt me, but the impact makes me let go of Plum. ¡°Gh¡­ Plum!¡± If she¡¯s really running berserk like Annabelle said, I have to stop her. I raise my face thinking that, but Plum is already on her feet, pointing her arm at me. ¡°All obstacles will be removed. Sister, please flee2.¡± CH 94.2 7-9 minutes Liquid starts to gather in Plum¡¯s hand, and she¡¯s telling me to run, but I won¡¯t abandon my little sister. ¡°I don¡¯t know what caused this, but I need to stop you from moving at least.¡± I take out a ball of Steel Silk from my magic storage and start running. Christina told me Plum doesn¡¯t have the ability to sever and shoot her limbs like me, so restraining her this way should work. I dodge the liquid as I run, hearing explosions behind me. There¡¯s no fixed points where I could tie the Steel Silk to, so I have no option but to get close and wrap it around her. I start imbuing the Steel Silk ball with mana to unwind it. But before I can do anything with it, I see another charge of explosive liquid coming my way. I let go of the Steel Silk ball and create a barrier, which is almost instantly enveloped in bright flames. As soon as that ends I jump back. Plum is still standing there, her eyes devoid of any emotion. Since the last explosion had occurred so close to her, and my barrier reflected most of the damage, some of it reached her too, her hands cracked and hanging limply by her side. ¡°Plum! Are you okay?¡± I know she can¡¯t feel pain, but I instinctively reacted seeing her arms in that state. She didn¡¯t seem too bothered though. ¡°Damage confirmed to intervene with chances of retrieval. Initiating regeneration.¡± Plum flings her cracked arms out, almost like she¡¯s trying to send them flying away. At the same time all the nerve threads from her hands, forearms, and upper arms jut out and hang out loosely in the air. The Sorcery Core in her chest starts producing a white mucus¡­ though at closer inspection it was more like white flesh, which swells up and spreads over her shoulders, arms, and hands, moving along her nerve threads. The mass of flesh takes the shape of hands with four fingers, reaching down to the ground, and covered in some form of glossy liquid, similar to amphibians like frogs or newts. They looked massive compared to Plum¡¯s small frame, that stark imbalance making it look even more creepy. ¡°It¡¯s getting more dangerous. Sister, please flee.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way I¡¯ll do that!¡± Those swollen arms quickly reach for the Steel Silk I dropped earlier, absorbing it as if they were slurping noodles. I¡¯m not sure what¡¯s going to happen with them now, but I¡¯m starting to think dropping them to focus on defending was a bad choice. ¡°Continuing removal of all obstructions.¡± She says that as her new arms form more of that explosive liquid, but her movements are so clumsy I can dodge without much issue. The liquid travels past me and explodes behind me. ¡°Kyahh!¡± (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation!) I hear a shout though, so I look around and see Christina there. I can understand that she¡¯s worried, but I don¡¯t want her to get involved. Plum throws another load of explosive liquid, but this time I shoot at it, detonating it in mid-air. Since her hands are far bigger now, the quantity of explosive liquid she amasses is larger, but her movements are slower so it¡¯s actually easier to deal with. ¡°Plum! Please stop!¡± ¡°Order can¡¯t be executed. It¡¯ll obstruct the main order.¡± Plum swings her hands down like hammers, which disperses a white smoke all around, obscuring her from vision. ¡°Oh no!¡± I didn¡¯t expect her to have a smokescreen, and the smoke could be poisonous too. I create a barrier as soon as I can, but things aren¡¯t looking good1. The smoke is obstructing my view past the barrier, and I can¡¯t act recklessly since Christina is behind me. Poison has no effect on me, but things could get ugly if Christina or other students breathe it in2. I could use some wind magic to blow it away, but that could also propagate the effect even more if it¡¯s a powerful toxin. ¡°Umm, Natalia? Could you try sucking it into your magic storage?¡± ¡°Suck it in?¡± While I debate what to do, Christina suggests something behind me. ¡°Yes, um¡­ It would be dangerous if it spread too far, right? Then why don¡¯t you make a vacuum in your magic storage, and then get all the smoke inside to stop it?¡± ¡°I see. It¡¯s worth a try.¡± A vacuum in my magic storage, huh. I¡¯ve never tried that before, but it doesn¡¯t sound too unreasonable. That¡¯s essentially the opposite of what I usually do, where I make an opening and then grow space to fit things, and instead I would have to create a large vacuum with no opening, and then open it. I give it a try, making the opening outside of my barrier, and all the white smoke quickly gets absorbed into my magic storage, like a powerful vacuum cleaner had just been turned on. Once all the smoke is gone, I realize Plum has also vanished. I check my magic storage in case I accidentally pulled her together with the smoke, but she¡¯s not there. While I look around for her, Annabelle and Ruri come out of the research campus. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen without consent. Please support us by visiting our site.) ¡°Natalia, where¡¯s Plum?¡± ¡°She was here just now, but I lost sight of her.¡± Annabelle looks at the destruction around me as I reply, and then sighs deeply. ¡°She wasn¡¯t running berserk. That she won¡¯t listen to her master¡¯s orders means that she¡¯s acting under a command with more authority.¡± A magic automaton¡¯s master had the ability of issuing absolute commands. The only time I was subject to one was during my fight with the golem, though I don¡¯t remember anything from that. Back then Ophelia ordered me to sleep, and I did that. Plum should also be following Christina¡¯s orders now, but for some reason she won¡¯t listen. ¡°I was there when her base memories were constructed, so I know there was no mistake in appointing you as her master. Only the Sorcery Core would have more authority to issue such a command.¡± Annabelle sighs again after explaining that. ¡°I¡¯m sure people will start gathering here soon. I¡¯ll deal with that, you all chase after Plum.¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t know where-¡± ¡°Ahh, I¡¯ve been hearing some strange footsteps heading away from the Academy, maybe that¡¯s her? We should be able to catch up to her still. I¡¯ll lead the way.¡± Ruri¡¯s long ears kept twitching, searching for Plum. As a rabbit half-beast, her auditory senses are better tuned than a regular human¡¯s, so she can easily identify Plum¡¯s footsteps. We¡¯ll have to rely on her to bring Plum back. ¡°Umm¡­Miss Annabelle¡­¡± ¡°Christina, just be ready for the worst case scenario.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± Annabelle¡¯s voice sounded as unbothered as always, but Christina¡¯s was very weak. I knew what she meant with the worst case scenario, but I didn¡¯t want to think about that. Even if Plum still doesn¡¯t have a clear personality, even if she¡¯s running berserk, she¡¯s still my little sister. I¡¯ll save her no matter what3. CH 95.1 A group of employees of the Platiboros Company gathered around the Sorcery Core that just returned to a warehouse in the slums. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to see it be used for a magic automaton.¡± ¡°Yeah, and I don¡¯t know much about magic automatons, but I can tell this one is pretty well-made too.¡± They were used to dealing with items related to magic, so even they could tell the quality of the magic automaton. And they were correct, Plum was more elaborate than any common magic automaton. Though that made sense considering she was based on Natalia, who was even more intricate. The workers thought this was just a test of a Sorcery Core, so they were actually quite pleased to see they had obtained something more. ¡°We¡¯ll have to send it over to the headquarters for reverse engineering as soon as possible. Where¡¯s Arrold?¡± ¡°Apparently he¡¯s still trying to dial-in the transfer method. I¡¯ll shut down the Sorcery Core¡¯s regeneration functions.¡± One of the workers whispered something, which made the white flesh swelling around Plum¡¯s arms pop like a balloon and get absorbed by the Sorcery Cores. Then the workers got closer to examine Plum¡¯s state, including her cracked arms and the nerve threads, before nodding multiple times. ¡°Selling a Sorcery Core without disclosing backdoor commands, and then activating said commands is illegal. Please release me, it¡¯s still early enough.¡± Plum¡¯s weak voice came out, which left the workers startled. ¡°It even has highly developed speech, almost like it¡¯s actually alive.¡± ¡°I guess that¡¯s the creator¡¯s twisted preferences. Usually there¡¯s no need to put such abilities on a doll.¡± ¡°No matter how lifelike it might look, it¡¯ll never be more than a doll. I guess you never know what gets people off out there.¡± One of the workers shrugged saying that. All of them were only interested in the monetary value of the technology used in Plum¡¯s construction, they had no other care for magic automatons. They were dolls, constructs used as tools by their creators. That was how they thought, and how most magicians also thought. ¡°If that was meant as an insult for my master, please take it back.¡± Plum looked at that worker, saying with a firm but low voice. ¡°I bet the logic circuits of this thing will also fetch a good price.¡± ¡°Yeah, I can see them being used for all sorts of things in the future.¡± But none of them paid any attention to Plum¡¯s words, she was nothing but a marionette that could move on its own for them. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ll just-¡± ¡°Hold it!!¡± Just when the worker was about to say something to Plum, a different voice thundered through the warehouse. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation!) ¡°I¡¯ve heard every word of how you scoundrels deceive your clients with bogus items!¡± All the workers turned around to the source of that voice. ¡°Look! Up there!¡± One of them pointed at the roof of a container, where a girl wearing blue clothes, a white rabbit mask, and actual white rabbit ears, was standing. ¡°I am the blade of justice who fights against evil in the dark. I am Bunny Moon! And now in the name of the moon, I will punish you1!¡± Her words left everyone utterly confused. Ruri leads us out of the Academy, into some shabby-looking alleys, and then a warehouse amongst them. We took a few detours to avoid being noticed by anyone, but Ruri¡¯s hearing made sure we didn¡¯t get lost. ¡°The Platiboros Company?¡± Christina reacts to the sign placed outside the warehouse. ¡°Christina, you¡¯ve heard of them before?¡± ¡°Actually¡­ I bought Plum¡¯s Sorcery Core from a merchant named Arrold, he¡¯s part of the Platiboros Company.¡± ¡°Oh? That¡¯s interesting.¡± So that Arrold guy has been selling tampered Sorcery Cores. Or well, I guess it¡¯s still a bit too early to say for sure. But it¡¯s easy to assume he did something to Plum¡¯s Sorcery Core. I¡¯ll make sure he pays for it properly as soon as we get Plum back. ¡°Christina, just in case, even if the Sorcery Core had some sort of extra commands hidden in it, both Plum and the core¡¯s ownership will show your name, and if we retrieve her it¡¯ll serve as proof, correct?¡± ¡°Err¡­ yes, that¡¯s correct.¡± Christina mumbles for a bit in a low voice as she retraces her memories, but eventually nods with a positive answer. It would feel like a really bad joke if we started prosecuting them and then we found out we were in the wrong the entire time. This doesn¡¯t mean we can do anything we want, but at least I feel a bit more comfortable. But just retrieving Plum won¡¯t be enough. As long as those extra commands are in her Sorcery Core, she¡¯ll never truly be free from them. We¡¯ll have to figure out the core¡¯s password for that though. ¡°Let¡¯s split up. I¡¯ll go to the front door and act like a proper client presenting a claim to distract them. Meanwhile you two can sneak in through the back and rescue Plum.¡± ¡°That¡¯s too dangerous. I¡¯ll get Plum alone, Ruri can go with you to the front gate.¡± Christina isn¡¯t thinking about her own safety. These people have already sold an illegal Sorcery Core and taken it back through underhanded methods, I can¡¯t allow Christina to go talk with them on her own. That would be like sending a squirrel into a pack of wolves. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen without consent. Please support us by visiting our site.) ¡°No, the Platiboros Company is pretty big and famous, I doubt they would want to risk their reputation by handling a claim so poorly. Considering how this warehouse is in the slums, I feel like the back entrance will be far more dangerous. That¡¯s why you two should go together, and I¡¯ll present the claim on my own.¡± She has a point, but even now I can tell her legs are trembling, like she¡¯s about to collapse. CH 95.2 ¡°I¡¯m Plum¡¯s master, I have to shoulder at least this much risk.¡± ¡°In that case I¡¯m Plum¡¯s older sister. I¡¯m also responsible for keeping her safe.¡± ¡°It was my selfishness that called her your sister. But I¡¯m glad you decided to accept her as your sister, really.¡± ¡°In that case-¡± ¡°If you think that, you should do everything you can to save her. So please do that.¡± She somehow takes my claim and turns it against me, bowing as she pleads. Christina has always been quiet and mature with everything she does, but she¡¯s also the daughter of a noble. Someone like that would usually never be allowed to bow to a magic automaton. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Natalia. Making her beg any more would be too rude.¡± Ruri says as she takes hold of my shoulder, but I understand that much too. ¡°If anything bad happens just run away. There¡¯s no point in rescuing Plum if you don¡¯t make it out too.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be careful.¡± Even now I can tell Christina is trembling. Ruri and I circle around the building and enter through a door that was carelessly left unlocked. ¡°?¡± ¡°Is something wrong?¡± ¡°Oh it¡¯s nothing. I just felt like there was some weird presence, but I probably just imagined it.¡± I felt something strange, but there¡¯s nothing out of the ordinary nearby. Plum is more important anyway. We peek from behind wooden boxes, which are probably filled with some sort of merchandise, and we see Plum surrounded by a group of men. They¡¯re¡­ five in total. The white flesh that had taken over her arms vanishes into her Sorcery Core, exposing her cracked arms and loose nerve threads, her hands barely keeping their shape. I know Plum can¡¯t feel pain, but it feels painful seeing her like that. ¡°That man there said something to make Plum¡¯s arms go back to normal.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°It seemed like some sort of chant. I¡¯m not familiar with this country¡¯s spells so I couldn¡¯t really understand it though, sorry.¡± I guess her enhanced hearing won¡¯t help if she doesn¡¯t know what words to look for. But this also makes it easier to know what to do. ¡°He seems to know the password for Plum¡¯s Sorcery Core. We have to capture him and make him tell us what it is.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll distract them then.¡± ¡°Are you sure? You didn¡¯t bring your katana.¡± Plum went out of control soon after we left her at the laboratory, so we didn¡¯t get enough time to prepare. So Ruri came without her katana, which I had seen in action at the Adventurers¡¯ Guild before. I didn¡¯t feel comfortable letting her get exposed unarmed. ¡°I always carry a dagger with me just in case, and I can use a bit of magic, so don¡¯t worry.¡± Saying that, Ruri pulls out a 30 cm long dagger from her kimono¡¯s sash. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (Please visit Re:Library to show the translators your appreciation!) ¡°Also, we should avoid using our real names, and we should hide our faces too.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Both Ruri and I served our respective masters. I don¡¯t think we¡¯re going to lose, but it¡¯s still best if we avoid causing any trouble for them. I take out my alchemy cauldron and some monster bones from my magic storage, and quickly fit us some masks. ¡°Ah, could you try making this part a bit different?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to be so picky considering the situation¡­¡± Once I¡¯m done making the masks, she leaves to catch their attention. And then¡­ ¡°I am Bunny Moon! And now in the name of the moon, I will punish you!¡± I want to say something so badly. I really want to get up there and smack her in the head. Like seriously, I only did it because she insisted, but why would a rabbit half-beast wear a rabbit mask? She even has four ears now. And what¡¯s she saying now? I thought she would repeat something from a historical series, but then she goes with Sailor Moon. I don¡¯t get her at all. I manage to sneak through the shadows until I¡¯m almost next to Plum, but I feel like I¡¯m battling something completely different. ¡°Taking a young fair maiden against her will, and forcing her to obey orders like that really makes me burn with jealo- with anger!¡± Hey, you almost said you were jealous. ¡°I don¡¯t know who you are, but we can¡¯t let you leave after what you¡¯ve seen. All of you, get her!¡± ¡°Alright!¡± The men move out to catch Ruri, so I also jump out from behind the boxes and use my nerve threads to catch Plum and the man who knows the password. Then I hold my magic blade against the man, making sure he can see it. ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡± ¡°Guh.¡± I say that loud enough so not only him, but the other men can hear it. They all freeze realizing I have a hostage, getting nervous as they carefully look at me. (This chapter is provided to you by Re:Library) (If you are reading this from other sites, that means this content is stolen without consent. Please support us by visiting our site.) ¡°Good job, Silver Bullet!¡± I guess that¡¯s my name now. ¡°So how about you tell us the password for that magic automaton¡¯s Sorcery Core? I¡¯ll spare your life if you do that.¡± ¡°Wait, I don¡¯t know it.¡± ¡°I watched how you stopped the white arms earlier. That should only be possible with the password.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t think staying silent will help you. We¡¯ve already reported all of your past wicked deeds to the authorities, and we have the support of a noble. It¡¯s the end of the line for you.¡± That¡¯s obviously a bluff. We have no idea what other illegal activities they were up to in the past, or possess any type of evidence. And while Christina is the daughter of a noble, that doesn¡¯t mean her family will automatically support us. ¡°Alright¡­ I get it.¡± It seems to have worked though, as the man shrugs in resignation. Even if they¡¯re dealing with illegal goods in the slums, they¡¯re still merchants, basically regular people with no combat experience, or at best are on par with street thugs. That was how I thought of them, vastly underestimating them. And I was soon proven wrong. ¡°No! Don¡¯t let him do anything!¡± Ruri shouts loudly, but it¡¯s too late. A powerful impact sends my body flying away before I can even see what happened1.